Family Feuds
I slowly woke up and found myself in a softly lit room with white walls. I saw the window and suddenly sat bolt upright. A chair fell over and a figure stood by my side instantly, hands gently laid on my shoulders.
"Please. Lay back down!" Ichigo's voice came from somewhere far away. I shook my head and looked around. Everything was blurry, but I saw that it was just him and I. I suddenly wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled myself into his arms, my mind reeling and my body aching. "Kashira..." Ichigo whispered and hugged me back. My heart flicked and jumped, but I was suddenly away from his warmth.
"I'm sorry for not telling you... I really did want to! But ever since I lost your mother... I never wanted to show my human face, in the fear that you'd be sad! So I lived as the lone wolf companion at your side all the time. I even had fun hiding in your bag sometimes to go to school, of stalking you around town and keeping an eye on your family!" I explained in a rush of words that made almost no sense.
"Chill. You're safe now." Ichigo hushed and I sank down into his arms once more.
"SHE'S AWAKE!" Orihime's voice called and with a rush of feet, Chad, Tatsuki, Rukia, Irylath and Marcus were in the room. I looked up and smiled at the blurry figures. I clutched my head softly and frowned as the pain, dull but there, slowly crept in.
"Kashira, you need to lay down!" Marcus said worried, Irylath was silent for the first time ever. His face blunt and grim. I shook my head and found myself falling off of the edge of the bed, the world swirling around like a whirlpool.
I screamed and suddenly stopped with an arm wrapped around my waist and another around under my arms. I looked at the arms and saw to my shocked embarrassment that the hand around under my arms was in a very awkward spot. I looked up to see Ichigo smiling to hide his worry. He helped me to stand up and then he ripped his arms away in sudden shyness.
"Sorry..." he muttered and I sat up on the bed, swaying from side to side. I shook my head once more.
"It's fine... I'd rather weirdness than face planting on concrete." I laughed and held the right side of my head once more, a dark voice hissed through my mind.
The pain is too much! I'll kill her! Those three shall die for taking her away from me! I WILL KILL THEM THEN KILL HER! SHE IS MINE! NO ONE ELSE'S! The dark voice hissed and I gasped.
"Kashira?" Rukia asked softly. I saw Rukia's worried face, but no fear. She didn't hear. As if she could, it was a Hollow talking between the realms.
"Orihime, Tatsuki, Chad... Can you go outside for a moment please?" I asked weakly. Orihime and Tatsuki looked at each other with worry and Chad frowned. But they left.
"What is it?" Marcus asked, knowing it had something to do with the group left behind, who were all Soul Reapers.
"I heard a Hollow talking. He was between the realms and he was talking about killing three people and then another. His voice seemed familiar, but I'm not sure." I explained in a rush and they all looked at me in shock.
"WHAT?" Rukia and Marcus hissed, never hearing of people able to hear Hollows between the realms. I frowned as Rukia stumbled for words but Irylath came to my silent cry for help.
"Kashira has skills beyond any Soul Reaper or other spiritual beings. Hollows can't hear us, the Soul Society can't hear us but she can hear them. If she tries hard enough, and is in a quiet environment, she can hear people in the Seireitei. She is very special, and many times has been nearly killed so she could be changed into anything between a possessed Vizard to a full Hollow. She really is known as the Avacronian because of having powers beyond anything ever found. She still has most of her powers either locked up purposely, or hidden beyond her current reach. That is why I have never wanted to leave her side since the last attack, two years ago. She was racing to go protect you, and instead of simply killing the one Hollow attacking you, she was attacked by three Vizards who managed to stay here instead of passing to the Soul Society to be punished, and about twenty Hollows, all on her at once. If you can believe it without seeing it, she was in a much worse state then compared to how she is now. Urahara had to chain her down because she kept trying to worry more about your safety than her own. So me and Marcus took shifts on watching your back. Trust me, trying to act as Kashira while in wolf form is not easy. Not to mention becoming the wolf form of hers was agony and getting back out of it was worse." Irylath explained and everyone was silent. Ichigo stared at me as he found out about my condition while protecting him and his face showed nothing but love and worry and fear and joy.
"But that was two years ago so it-!" Ichigo cut me off.
"Don't you dare say it doesn't count! I was wondering why you were different, why you stayed on the floor rather than on the bed! I thought you were grumpy about something! I smashed Isshin in the face because I thought he had done something to you!" Ichigo said and pulled me closer to him. Rukia began talking but everything went all fuzzy and I felt a hard pressure on my head.
You will be the first to die! I know you can hear me, I have listened to you for the past few minutes! You will be the first to die! I will make you suffer for doing this to me! The dark voice hissed and I screamed with all my might and collapsed in Ichigo's arms, my hands wrapped around my head and shaking violently. I blacked out, the agony too much for me to stay awake.
I woke slowly and with a gasp I pulled back. I was trying to scream but my throat just made a horrific gagging sound. My eyes were wide with fear as I pressed up against the wall behind the bed, curling away from the masked beast before me.
"I warned you! You shall be the first to die! Now time for you to suffer! Your voice is broken! No, don't thank me." The Hollow hissed and I scrambled back more. It launched at me and I fell off the side of the bed and crashed painfully to the ground. The Hollow snarled and turned after me. I scrambled desperately to get to the door but the Hollow snatched up my ankle and threw me against the wall, clutching my wrists and his hot breath breathing inches away from my face. I turned my head away and his masked face simply followed.
"You won't get away with this!" I hissed weakly as blood trickled from the back of my head, the Hollow laughed evilly.
"You're too weak to do a thing! Don't make bluffs you know you can't keep." The Hollow hissed and he threw his head back in a mighty roar. I tried to struggle but the Hollow snarled and his open jaw was charging towards my throat. I closed my eyes tightly and waited for the agony. But it never came.
Suddenly I was thrown across the room and smashed against a table with hundreds of shards of glass scattering over my body. My eyes flickered softly as the edges of my vision began to blur to a black-red. I saw the faint figure of a man in a black and white kimono holding a giant sword. A fraction of the Hollow mask shattered and it soon vanished with a howl of agony filled rage.
Stabs of pain slashed its way into my body from every single inch of skin. My scream came out as a harsh moaning outwards gasp. The man turned around with anger on his face, even with blurry vision I could see the emotion on his face shift dramatically to one full of fear and horror.
Wow, I must really look like shit... I thought and my eyes were struggling to stay open. The man dropped his sword like it was covered in acid and he ran right over to me. He fell to his knees and a woman was there also.
"Kashira! Kashira! Wake up! Please!" Ichigo's voice pleaded from somewhere far off. I moved to get up but a hand was hovering above my head. I moaned softly.
"I'll get her bro-" Rukia began but they were right behind her.
"We'll help her, you need to go help protect Orihime. That was her brother! He stayed here to long and was turned into a Hollow. Ichigo, all Hollows were originally normal humans living a normal life like us. Then they die and when they don't get a Soul Reaper to pass them on, then they either become Hollows slowly, or other Hollows attack them and speed up the process." Marcus explained as Irylath began to softly try to heal me. I gasped and tried to push him away, so he stopped instantly worried. I forced them away with all the force I could muster, which was a surprising amount. I clawed to my feet, using the wall behind me as a stabilizer.
"I... Am... Fine!" I hissed through gritted teeth and I swayed dangerously.
"BULL SHIT YOU ARE!" Ichigo snapped and as he went to grab me I pushed him away with enough force to make him fall backwards. I had to help Orihime, but how could I do it like this?
As much as I don't want to be the one to say this but... You need her. Shadow is the only one who can help right now... You need to let her out. Altair admitted in my head. I frowned slightly but suddenly felt the Hollow gathering its strength, but the connection wavered and vanished.
"I won't let her out." I said aloud, but also to my spiritual mind. I closed my eyes and when they opened I had been sucked into another realm. It was my mind. Plants, animals, trees, water, rivers, falls and cliffs and mountains. Every kind of terrain was there. Marshland, coral reefs, rain forests, oak forests, shadow lands, snow lands and barren wastelands.
Right now I stood with my back to a mighty waterfall, Altair before me and the little prison where my darker half laid in wait.
"I am not letting her out Altair. Only if Ichigo's life depends on it, and it doesn't right now." I said only in my mind. Altair frowned.
"What about you?" he asked. I shook my head.
"I am a guardian, nothing more." I said, though my voice broke when I spoke of being nothing but a guardian. Ichigo's worried voice screamed through the barrier and into my head.
"KASHIRA! WAKE UP! DON'T YOU DIE ON ME! I CAN'T LOSE YOU TOO! NOT AGAIN! PLEASE! KASHIRA!" his voice broke with fear and loss. Altair looked at me.
"I will not let her out, that is final. What happens if I lose control again? Two years ago it was. Two years ago. No way will I risk it!" I snapped and Altair flinched, but he bowed his head.
"I hope you know what you are doing." he said. I frowned.
"So do I." I agreed and my vision went black. Slowly my vision returned, only to see Irylath and Marcus only. I jumped and tried desperately to stand up but collapsed in pain as Marcus began healing me once more.
"Calm down sis. Your in a crappy state. We need to help you. Ichigo and Rukia left a few minutes ago after a long conversation about Hollows attacking their loved ones first." Irylath explained calmly.
"ICHIGO! NO!" I hissed weakly and tried to get up with fear and protectiveness on my mind. Then suddenly my mind split in agony and I fell limp. When my vision returned, I was in Ichigo's head, seeing what he saw and feeling what he felt. All my agony vanished.
He stood below the Hollow's jaw, Zanpakutou up and baring him away slightly.
LOOK OUT! I cried into Ichigo's mind and within seconds he was smashed through the wall and he skidded on an invisible platform. He was then crushed into the ground and I screamed out in tune with him. My head began to pound as I felt the distinct hot ooze of blood pouring out from a cut in his head.
Ichigo! I am here! I don't know how or why, but I am seeing what you see, feeling what you feel and hearing what you hear. I will boost up your abilities with mine. Let's hope this works, for Orihime and Tatsuki! I said to his mind and forced myself to merge completely with him rather than hear my brothers screaming at me.
"Kashira?" Ichigo asked weakly and suddenly he was ripped into his mind.
His mind was filled with tall skyscrapers and mighty city scapes with the buildings and the whole world was on its side. I stood on the top of the building as Ichigo was infront of me. I stood five meters from him.
"Ichigo. We have to work together on this. I can give you the abilities, but only you can use them. I can't control your body." I explained and he stared at me.
"What? What are you talking about?" he asked me, his face filled with awe as he saw my angelic form. I didn't want him to know, but he will forget it anyways. I walked to him and my hand rested on his cheek.
"All shall be explained in due time, Ichigo. But now, our friends need us." I said and he was ripped back to the real world, Orihime's cries reaching out.
GO! I called and Ichigo leapt to his feet. His head rushed with the sounds, sights and scents of everything. He launched into Orihime's house where the hole was made by him and he charged the Hollow.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" The Hollow snarled at Orihime and Ichigo saw his chance.
"NO YOU WON'T!" Ichigo growled and he charged onto the Hollows long, snakes tail. He stabbed it and the Hollow instantly dropped Orihime's spirit. Ichigo stabbed the tail repeatedly then the Hollow left him and went for Orihime once more, but because of my abilities surging through Ichigo, he was ready.
Ichigo swung his sword and the Hollow's arm was slashed right off. Ichigo was crouched just infront of Orihime's body as the Hollow called out in agonized rage.
"Let me ask you something, Captain Overbite." Ichigo said darkly as he stood up. He was not only pissed about Orihime's own brother swearing to kill her but even more so about him attacking me. "Do you know why big brothers are born first? There's a reason." Ichigo asked angrily and he spun around to face the Hollow. Orihime looked up in awe.
"They're born first so they can look after their little brothers and sisters, and protect them!" Ichigo snapped.
"ICHIGO!" Rukia called as she ran in. She froze at the door as she saw the faintest glace from him, which was softly tainted with my eye colour.
"And here you threaten to kill your own sister! Even a dead man..." Ichigo growled and readied his Zanpakutou in his hand as he glared at the Hollow. "Doesn't ever have the right to say that!" Ichigo snarled, anger clear in his voice and blood dripping from a wound on his forehead.
"SHUT UP! You don't know what you're talking about!" The Hollow snarled, steam billowing forth from his mouth as he reared up angrily. "Orihime is mine! I was fifteen when she was born. And I raised her when our parents abandoned us. To me she has been more like a daughter than a sister. ORIHIME! Come with me now!" the Hollow said, leaning forwards and reaching his arm out towards Orihime's spirit. Her Chain of Fate dangled from her chest as she looked up at him.
"Back to when it was just you and me, happy together! If you come, I promise I will spare these other souls!" The Hollow of her brother finished. Orihime stood up, determination on her face. She went to step forwards but Rukia followed her.
"WAIT! It's a trap! You can't believe him because he doesn't have the feelings of a brother anymore!" Rukia explained. Orihime hesitated.
"Are you sure?" Orihime asked weakly. Her hairpins glittered, as if a little hello to the Hollow. His face turned from one of sorrow and hatred, to one of shock. He then began snarling and yelling. He threw himself into one of the walls as if fighting something we couldn't see.
"BROTHER!" Orihime gasped in shock. Rukia and Ichigo stared at him with utter confusion.
"What is this?" Rukia asked, as if to herself. It seemed as if the Hollow was crying.
"Orihime... Is... Mine!" The Hollow snarled and spun on the spot to charge Ichigo, but he was ready, his reactions sharper than anything, his sword already raised. He slammed his sword to the Hollow's mouth and it was forced open and to a stop.
"Orihime... Doesn't belong... To anyone!" Ichigo hissed through the strain. He struggled against the Hollow with all his might. "Least of all to you!" Ichigo added and threw the Hollow back and through the hole he had made with Ichigo's body. The Hollow spun in the air, stopping himself from falling and began a loop to come back. Ichigo yelled in fury and charged right out.
I am right here with you Ichigo! I called in his head and the very faint image of me followed his every movement, my body softly overlapping his, blurring him a little.
He raised his sword over his head, yelling as he came upon the Hollow. He hesitated, unable to kill Orihime's brother.
"DO IT! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?" Rukia yelled angrily. Orihime and Rukia look through the hole and stared at the fight. Rukia with anger and Orihime with horror. The Hollow suddenly turned to Ichigo and spat. The spit was acid and it burnt Ichigo's hands, making his sword clatter to the ground as he yelled in pain. I snarled violently. He was smashed faster into the ground and Ichigo landed in an awkward crouch. He stood up and turned to face the Hollow. He was going to die, he could feel it, but with a rush of movements and a splatter of blood, the Hollow stopped and a figure was hugging his head as his teeth dug in deep.
