If there was one serious flaw that Mom had in Kazui's mind, it was her sweet tooth. Whenever they got candy or ice cream, it was nearly certain that the food would evaporate in less than a week. According to Dad, this was something she had ever since high school. Any time he baked for them, he would have to put his creations under lock and key to keep her from eating them all. Literally. He would use wrought-iron chains.
Mom said he was just hoarding it all for himself, but Kazui had trouble believing that ever since she ate an entire gallon of ice cream in one night. It had been rocky road, her favorite. The ice cream didn't stand a chance against her, nor did any pastry or candy. Nothing could survive Mom. Including everything they had gotten yesterday for Miki's visit. Even the marshmallows were gone. Mom had eaten the marshmallows down to the last crumb, leaving only the crumbs of bitter disappointment and a faint whiff of betrayal. To say that Kazui was saddened was a gross understatement. He was devastated. The emptiness of the cabinet designated for their sweets reflected the emptiness in his soul, with the only sound being that of the quiet breeze within the cabinet; a dust bunny rolled onto the floor.

"Damn," Kazui muttered.

"Kazui!" Miki chirped. "You just swore!" Kazui could only shrug, which just made Miki gasp. "Your parents let you swear?"

"Well, no." Kazui hopped down from the chair he had used to get to the cabinet. "Aunt Karin does most of the swearing. Dad and Mom don't, I think. They don't swear when I'm around, but Aunt Karin told me Dad once got stabbed in his- I mean stubbed his toe on a fence, and was swearing the entire time." Kazui cursed himself, he had almost let slip one of Dad's fights. If he remembered it correctly, him and Uncle Uryu were a bit "tipsy" according to Mom, and had gotten into an intense sparring match.

"My parents would never let me swear. Or learn any swears," Miki shuddered. "Or eat marshmallows."

Kazui again cursed himself. "I'm sorry Miki. I know you really wanted to try them."

"It's okay," she sighed. "Maybe your parents can bring some back?" Kazui briefly considered that possibility. But it was at the very least unlikely. No way would they think to bring marshmallows back while something big was happening. No chance.

"Maybe," he said. He looked over to the living room, where the DVD stacks were. Maybe he could try calling up Dad or Mom and see if they could bring back some marshmallows for tonight. More than anything, he wanted Miki to have some fun. Maybe Mom and Dad would understand that at least.

"Hey Miki," Kazui spoke, alerting Miki from her depressed slump at the kitchen table. "I'll go up to my room and try calling Dad or Mom to see if they can bring back some marshmallows. We've got a whole stack of movies right there."

"There?" Miki pointed to the nearby bookcase in the living room. Kazui corrected her.

"While I'm calling them, you can pick out a movie. Anything you want." Miki's eyes lit up like candles. Kazui felt like he was looking at an adorable little puppy with how much her eyes shined. He could see his own reflection in those emerald pools. He couldn't help but smile back.

"Anything?" she repeated.

"Anything," Kazui replied. Miki rose from her chair, quietly pushed it in, and nodded.

"I'll get right on it. I'll find five choices to pick from that we can both enjoy."

"Well, we-," Before Kazui could object, Miki was already zipping over to the living room. He crept over and peaked out from behind the wall. Miki's fingers scanned the top row for choices, and pulled out three. Searching for that stuff would no doubt keep her entertained for a good while, letting Kazui slip away to his bedroom with nary a sound.

Flipping a switch, Kazui was welcomed to his room. A few clothes were in his basket, and a few others were on the floor. His desk had papers scattered all over its surface, save for his lamp and his game console. His blue comforter was half on and half off of his bed, dangling onto the floor that looked like it could use a cleaning. His closet door was wide open so that he could see where all his clothes and books were, consequently also exposing them to Mom's bewildered gaze at such a mess. Somewhere in here was his communicator watch. Kon usually had it, and he didn't seem to be around. The watch wasn't in his desk drawers, nor was it buried with his papers and art supplies. There were a few little maps of Karakura Town he had drawn, maps of secret pathways and hiding spots.

"Hey Kazui," a little voice from above spoke. Kazui looked up to see a stuffed lion on top of the ceiling fan. It was lying on its belly, with one arm dangling over the side. The look in its eyes was that of a sleepy cat; slightly annoyed at being awoken, yet impossibly adorable all the same. It was so adorable that it never failed to make Kazui smile. Whenever he started to cry as a baby, all Mom and Dad had to do was show him the lion to help him calm down or feel safe. The fact that the lion walked and talked had something to do with it.

"Hi Kon!" Kazui said. Kon groaned at the noise. "Hi Kon," Kazui repeated, softer this time. "Are you okay? Did I wake you up?" Kon merely nodded at this, his head buried beneath his other arm.

"S'alright," he muttered.

"Do you want to go on my bed?"

Kon merely nodded at this. Kazui obliged Kon, and took the chair next to his closet to rise up closer to the fan. He gently lifted Kon from the fan blade, careful not to upset his sleepy state too much. With the stuffed lion in his arms, he brought Kon to the bed and placed him beneath the comforter. Kon rested in the same spot he slept in beside Kazui for years, his head on the tiny pillow Ururu had put together for him. Now secure in the bed, Kon was ready for sleep. But, one of his eyes opened just a bit.

"Did ya' need help finding somethin'?" Kon asked.

"I was looking for my watch, I need to call Dad. He's out on a hunt and I wanted his help." To Kazui's confusion, Kon reached into his little pillow and pulled out the watch. How did it even get there? That was an important piece of equipment. It allowed him to communicate with Dad, locate Hollows, identify weird spirit stuff, and a bunch of other functions Uncle Urahara had put inside it. Why would Kon have it?

"Uh, Kon?"

"'Sup?" Kon asked, his words slurred like someone was smushing his cheeks together.

"Why did you have this in your pillow?"

Kon yawned. "Ichigo wanted me to keep it 'ere. You keep leaving it around your room. I keep it here when you don't have it. Sometimes use it fer prank calls. Make sure it doesn't get lost. I put it back when you're back."

"Oh." Kazui said. He did tend to leave it around sometimes, more often than he was comfortable admitting to himself. When Kon was fully awake he would have to thank him. Maybe he would take him out for a run on the roofs in his own body.

"Oh, take this please, makes my pillow uncomfortable mkay gnight." Kon whipped out what looked like a pez dispenser with a rabbit's head. Kazui picked it up and stared deeply at the dispenser. It was Chappy. His soul candy. Why was that here too?

"Kon, why did you have this?" It was supposed to stay inside his desk at all times, not with Kon.

"Mmm yer dad was worried 'bout ya. Told me ta hide the shthing. Make sure ya didn't try going out to fight."

"What?" Kazui asked. All his thoughts were focused on Kon's words.

"He figured ya'd want to fight Hollows n' get involved even if he said no. Wanted to make sure ya' didn't get ideas. Keep ya' outta the way, and safe. G'night, don't try to use me to go out, y'know the drill." Kon hiccuped, and almost instantly went into a deep sleep, immediately snoring.

A wave of confusion washed over Kazui with Kon's words. Dad had told him not to go outside, but he had also hidden the soul candy? That was Kazui's only means of using his Soul Reaper form. He wasn't allowed to use Kon because Dad said "the little jerk would get into trouble."

Why would Dad want his soul candy out of his reach?

Did Dad not trust him to not try going out?

A million questions filled Kazui's mind, but he didn't have time to mull them over. Thinking on the questions would probably just make him more confused, and he had his own little hunt to accomplish. As he tapped the watch to find the contacts list, he felt an urge for answers from Dad. Kon had said Dad didn't want him getting any ideas. But did that mean Dad didn't trust him, or that he was seriously worried about tonight? Was there serious danger in running a few blocks for food, and then running straight back home?

Then again, if Dad had gone this far to make sure Kazui didn't find his soul candy, he probably wouldn't want him going outside for a few snacks. So asking him may not work, and possibly make it worse. He might forbid him from going out to help on patrols.

What was that thing Uncle Urahara said? "Better to ask forgiveness than permission?"

Above Karakura Town...

The howling winds rushed by Ichigo's ears. His hair thrashed in the gusts along with his clothes. The white cloak he had been gifted by Squad Zero gently danced with the wind as he took a drink from his thermos. He estimated the winds to be around fifteen miles per hour: the clouds were moving with a rapidly around him, clouds made large and gray by their weight. They look like they might burst at any moment, which could be a problem depending on how thick the rain was. The last thing they needed with on the hunt for Hollows was even more reduced visibility because of the rain. The forecast had predicted for light fog, not this madness. It was as if something or someone was trying to make this hunt more difficult.

Perhaps the Soul King himself was messing with Karakura Town for the entertainment value. Perhaps he..She...It was so bored with floating around in its glass-bubble-shell-thing that it was messing with things in the various dimensions. Then again, maybe the Soul King was pissed off at Ichigo in particular for getting sliced in half by Zangetsu, and this weather was just the first stage in its revenge.

Well, technically the old Soul King was dead. Sort of. Ichigo had given up trying to understand it. The thought of how that whole mess had been fixed gave him goosebumps and a bad taste in his mouth.

The joke was on the Soul King however, because Ichigo was in his Soul Reaper form, and had delicious coffee on hand. The cold and wind wouldn't budge him an inch or give him goosebumps like this, even with most of his power being shackled. It would probably take hurricane winds to knock him off-course, and he couldn't remember the last time he had felt cold while in this form in the Living World. The last time he did was probably when he was near Hitsugaya's power. That kid had a knack for being cold. Ichigo made himself a mental note to ask Dad if Hitsugaya had gotten a growth spurt yet.

His immunity to the Living World's cold did raise a question in his mind of why he even brought up a thermos with hot coffee? He had far more stamina than any human, so caffeine wasn't especially needed, and he wasn't even cold. It was a habit that he couldn't break ever since college. Caffeine and alarm clocks, the medical student's secret weapons. Well, and flashcards. Maybe it was the habit, maybe it was Ichigo's own nerves, maybe it was even just simple boredom. Maybe it was all three together that drove him to chug the rest of his thermos. His exhalation brought forth a small puff of steam, and he felt like he was dragon. He chuckled, and sighed.

He was losing his mind up here. He wasn't sure who to blame; Urahara for coming up with this strategy a few years ago, himself for agreeing to it on several occasions, or Uryu for convincing him to try it the first time the strategy was used. Up in the clouds, watching, waiting, Ichigo felt less like a Soul Reaper or defender of his town and more like a missile, a weapon to be aimed. A damn good weapon, but still just a tool.

"I can't help but feel like you're looking down on us King. Do you want an ass-kicking?" The voice of Zangetsu did help to alleviate the tedium, even if it was annoying.

"Hey, you guys are not tools," Ichigo replied. "You're part of me, you're my partners."

"In crime?" Zangetsu asked.

"Sure," Ichigo replied. "Why not."

"You are anxious Ichigo," Old Man said. "The clouds around you reflect your fears. You must not try to ignore them. Acknowledge that they are there and move forward, with your gaze upon the battle to come. No sword can cut if its flaws are not recognized."

Ichigo felt a smile on his lips. Old Man, still giving him good advice.

"That was beautiful, Zangetsu sniffed. Like Sun Tzu, you magnificent geezer."

"I try," Old man replied. The fact that Old Man was so sagely while Zangetsu himself was, well, him, was no small source of confusion for Ichigo. In terms of his genetics, it made sense why Old Man and Zangetsu existed; they were the manifestations of his Quincy and Soul Reaper sides. But why one was so wise, helpful, and intelligent with the ways of the world, while the other one was a rampaging ball of cackles and fury?

Did it mean Quincy were more mentally stable or refined than Soul Reapers?

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away...

In a luxurious hotel, the prestigious Doctor Uryu Ishida sat fast asleep. He was dead tired after attending a medical conference. One of many he had attended, and one of many that Kurosaki had declined to attend. After shaking hands and socializing with hundreds of other medical professionals, many of whom walked about with entire logs up their posteriors, Uryu was sleeping like the grave.

Yet somehow, at this moment, he was chuckling in his sleep.

Back in the lower stratosphere above Karakura Town...

Ichigo shook off the idea. He didn't have any theories, but it was an odd thing to consider why his halves were so different in personality.

"Gee, that's a tough one King. Why would I, your humble Zanpakuto be so aggressive? Maybe its because I'm half freaking Hollow! And maybe this geezer is so "wise and insightful" because he's literally a manifestation of a charismatic, sociopathic, genocidal maniac! I know you don't like having bits of Hollow and Yhwach inside ya, but don't just freaking ignore it, you jackass!"

A profound silence passed over the mental landscape of Ichigo Kurosaki. Within his head, Zangetsu glared at him with wide eyes, while Old Man stood to the side, staring at Zangetsu with his typical scowl.

"How dare you," Old Man said.

Zangetsu turned to look at Old Man. Ichigo watched as Old Man stepped forth along the sides of the skyscraper they all stood upon. He was nearly silent, but Ichigo could feel something brewing in Old Man's eyes. He could see it, a spark of something greater. He felt fear welling up inside himself.

"How dare you," Old Man repeated. "How dare you insult me and your Master in such a way."

"I'm his sword, I can insult him all the live long day. Besides, you don't have the high ground here."

"I know I don't. But that doesn't give you freedom to insult Ichigo like this. You are not blameless yourself."

"You kept his power suppressed. You kept me shackled while you fed him lies!" Zangetsu growled.

"I did that to protect him from dangers. I turned my back on my original's plan. You sought to kill and take over his body numerous times because he wasn't living up to your standards and your own insatiable hunger."

"He would've gotten us all killed with his moping! I saved his life! You tried to put us all in chains!"

"Your insolence has forever been a thorn in my side." Old Man's hand clenched, and Ichigo could see a spark of blue flame from his fist. Zangetsu noticed it too, and he reached up to the handle of his sword.

A breeze began to flow from both spirits. Old Man's was steady and gentle, as if from a fan. Zangetsu's buffeted Ichigo, making his clothes dance in the wind. The two spirits glared at each other, two polar opposites ready to collide; Shinigami and Hollow against Quincy and Human.

"Stop!"

Ichigo allowed his own power to explode around his body burst into white hot flames. The fire was huge yet silent, and its heat filled the entirety of his mental landscape. Ichigo had long since learned how to properly control his spiritual pressure. One of the benefits of such control was paralyzing one's enemies in fear or in actually freezing them to the spot, something he had been subjected to more times than he cared to admit. But now the ball was in his park, and he let his spiritual pressure burn the air around him in magnificent flames. The sound of it and his echoing voice shook the windows and rippled the clouds, as if a thousand Ichigos were commanding both spirits to stand down. They heard it, and obeyed their master.

Old Man's rage was gone, as was the blue spark that might've signaled him summoning his sword. Zangetsu fell to his knee as well, but fell silent. Just like that, the conflict was over. Ichigo dissipated the flames.

"First question, where did that come from Zangetsu?" he asked

"King, I...I am sorry. I was out of line in questioning you in such a way."

"I know you're sorry. I'm asking where it came from."

"It," Zangetsu slumped. "it's not your fault. I'm just itching for some battle." The spirit sounded genuinely apologetic, but Ichigo didn't buy the explanation. But now wasn't the time to address inter-mind arguments. He had a job to do, so he'd let Zangetsu keep his explanation, for now at least.

"Just don't beat yourself up over it," he said, patting Zangetsu's shoulder.

"I am at fault also, for escalating the feud to the levels it reached," Old Man added.

"Guys, you're fine, nobody's in trouble, nobody's going to be punished," Ichigo sighed. He felt pity for these two. Usually they kept peaceful relations, as after sharing a brain with someone else you will have to get along or face mutually assured destruction. But when conflict reared its ugly head between these two, it was never pretty.

"We can talk this over later. For now I expect ideal behavior from both of you until this threat is dealt with. You're both a part of me. I love you both, and I want you to have my back regardless of what's going on between you two."

"Of course Ichigo." Old Man said. "That was never in question."

"One thing we can both agree on is fighting for you." Zangetsu said. "Always."

"It's appreciated. Come on, stand up, both of you," Ichigo said.

"Yes King." Ichigo could hear the restrained disappointment in Zangetsu's voice. More than anything he wanted to press the sword for information, but that wouldn't help anyone. It was best to focus on a shared goal for now, and what better shared goal was there for a a Soul Reaper and his sword than fighting? Maybe polishing? Eh. Suddenly, a piercing cry cut through the air of his mind. It forced all three residents to cover their ears just to keep their eardrums from bursting. If the sound wasn't so loud Ichigo would definitely be hearing Zangetsu swearing up a storm right now. Returning back to his body, Ichigo found himself still in the clouds. His watch was going off like his morning alarm clock. It was Karin on the line.

"Karin, what's happened?"

"Ichigo, bad news. We found a Hollow." Karin replied, barely above a whisper.

"And the good news?"

"Well, we found one, and he feels like a normal Hollow."

The watch gave another chirp, indicating a group call. Ichigo tapped the watch face and Orihime's line chimed in.

"Ichigo, it looks like a giant lion with scales! Its so weird!"

"Is there anything off about it? Does it feel strange?"

"No," Orihime replied. "It feels like a normal Hollow."

"Yeah," Karin grunted. "the scales are definitely armored, and its claws look sharp, but we can handle this guy."

"Claws?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah, didn't I mention the claws? Why would a scaled lion have giant claws?" Orihime cooed. Her fascinated confusion robbed Ichigo of any words he could create, and what words had been prepared for future questions were smothered by his hand rubbing into his forehead with a sigh.

"So, you guys have this covered then?"

"Yeah, we'll trap him, blast him, then stab him." Karin said. "Or, it. Whatever, I don't know, Yuzu's better with phrasing these things, you know what I mean. Standard attack plan, shouldn't take more than a few minutes, if even that."

"Good." Ichigo said. It was good news yes, but it was too easy.

"This is too easy." Orihime said, as if reading his mind. Karin gave a little grunt in agreement. A lone hollow just popped up. Granted hollows always just popped up, but this was mundane. An Adjuchas showed up out of nowhere, then nothing else, and then a lone hollow? Few Adjuchas would willingly show up here. They were too busy eating each other most of the time, too busy trying to become Vasto Lorde, which wasn't exactly a quick process. Those that did come to the Living World were either slaughtered quickly by Soul Society or gave up after remembering how little sustenance they got from human souls. Those that came to the Living World were daring, those that came to Karakura Town, even after all these years, were idiots.

Any Adjuchas with a functioning brain avoided Karakura Town, it had been the hunting grounds of powerful beings; Soul Reapers, Quincy, Fullbringers, Visoreds. That some of them had moved out was unknown to many Adjuchas, and those that did know still would rather challenge Tier Harribel to open combat than come here.

For the decade and a half that Ichigo, Uryu, and Orihime had been gone, there hadn't been a single sign of unusual activity in the town. No major disturbances, no heralds of apocalyptic events, not even Grimmjow showing up for a fight, as he was often want to do. Only the base Hollows showed up, and that was due more to their animal instincts and adrenaline dictating their actions.

Then an Adjuchas had shown up, one who had recognized his name and his Zanpakuto. Then after his death there had been no activity. None at all. Now a distortion was happening at the same time a normal, if odd-looking Hollow was running around.

Looking down on the town, Ichigo couldn't help but feel a sense of paranoia. His little stretch of territory, his home, was being watched by someone, that it had been noticed. That Adjuchas that had shown up, it knew him by name, and was surprised, it was completely caught off guard. That was a random occurrence, a spot of bad luck. But it had set off something, and that something was screwing with them, and to what end? Maybe they wanted to gain fame for taking down Soul Reapers, or face a true battle as a test of their skill. Ideally they had collectively decided "screw it" and just wanted to die, and figured the most efficient way to do so was to antagonize Soul Reapers.

If only the Living World could be so fortunate. Somewhere down in the winding streets and alleys and sewers there was something slithering in his town. And what's more, this goddamn distortion was screwing over his ability to figure out this mystery. It was like trying to see through these clouds, he couldn't see any more than a few feet around him. If he could just wipe away the illusion like he could clear the sky, this problem would be solved.

Wait...

"Karin, Orihime, I got an idea to clear the distortions we've been feeling." Ichigo tapped the side of the watch face. This shifted the chat window to the upper left of the face and allowed him a view of a round dial, a blue ring around a percentage counter that read "100%", his power limiter. It was one of Urahara's more impressive inventions, which to be fair was saying something. The true beauty was the device's simplicity. Unlike items like the Hogyoku, or the Tenshintai used in Bankai training, the watch had a simple function; restraining power. With each tick of the dial, it would lessen its hold on Ichigo's power, releasing more and more of it until he was at his normal strength. And he intended to turn the dial a bit tonight.

"Ichigo?" Orihime asked. "Should we take cover?"

"Maybe." Ichigo inched the dial.

Meanwhile, near the Kurosaki Household...

It was definitely a cold night, that was for sure. The wind rushed down the street and around Kazui and Miki, giving both of them goosebumps, and a shiver up their spines. He had put on his winter coat and his aunt's white scarf, and it was still cold for him. To his surprise, Miki didn't seem to notice the cold, as she seemed relaxed. She was more interested with their surroundings. She looked back and forth quite quickly between shops and houses.

"You live here?" she asked.

"Yeah, why?" Kazui asked, maneuvering around a couple passing them by.

"It's amazing!"

The look in Miki's eyes was one of pure amazement, the wide grin on her face left Kazui surprised. He had never before seen her grin. She zipped over to where one of the cafes was cooking, where the smell of crab and lobster was thick and potent. Miki looked in through the window at the chef's preparing the food. Kazui soon joined her and saw the rows upon rows of crab. The chefs barked commands to each other as they moved about their stations. While the chefs did that, the customers ate at tables filled with delicious fish and vegetables. Soft music played, some kind of jazz if Kazui was correct, and made the whole place feel like somewhere everyone could go to relax after the day. The soft orange glow of the lamps within made it all feel irresistibly cozy.

"It's nice isn't it," Kazui said. Miki nodded, still looking inside.

"Have you never been to a Kani Doraku?"

"No. Never," Miki replied. She turned away from the window. "Where's the store again?" They stepped away from the warmth of the restaurant and walked in the cold air, the wind still buffeting them both. Kazui noticed the dark clouds, and figured there would be rain soon. That was all the more reason to do this quickly. He hastened his steps.

"Does all this neighborhood have this stuff? Restaurants and stores?"

"Oh yeah. There's a lot of people moving around here all the time."

"That must be amazing."

"Have you never been here?" Kazui asked as he and Miki crossed the street. "This area is a pretty popular spot."

"Well, no. My house is more on the outskirts of the town. When they want to go out Mom and Dad will drive north towards the city, and sometimes they'll take me. I don't really see much of this place." Kazui saw that Miki's eyes were glazed over. She looked around still, but she wasn't seeing what surrounded her. She was lost in her thoughts.

"You know, I didn't always live here," Kazui said. "I used to live far away." That seemed to perk up Miki's curiosity. She was lifted from her sadness, and instead filled with questions.

"You didn't?" she asked.

"Nope. Is that weird?" Kazui asked, half for her, and half for himself.

"Well, no. But you never talk much about yourself," she said. "whenever people ask about what you did for holidays you gloss over it and change the subject." Miki blushed. "Sorry, that was rude of me."

"It's fine," Kazui said. He couldn't deny it. "But no, I used to live out north, nearer to Tokyo. Dad was a doctor at this hospital and mom was doing paintings I think. Art school. Then we moved back here and I started fourth grade at our school. If it helps to hear, you're not the only one who feels a bit lonely around here." Kazui felt as if he was a king opening the gates to his castle, exposing his vulnerability to an outsider. He breathed deeply, and quietly. Maybe he was telling Miki this because he felt safe. Or maybe he felt hurt by Dad's lack of trust, and wanted to confide in somebody. Maybe it was both.

"What was it like there?" Miki asked.

"Oh, it was great. There'd always be something happening. Dad and Mom got tired of the all the noise but I loved it. Every night I could look out and see the lights of the city, and I could hear the highways like they were rivers. Mom and Dad would drive around and we'd see all the people, all the crazy things happening all the time." Kazui could almost hear the sounds of people walking in a thousand different directions, back and forth endlessly.

"The best part was the rain. I'd be soaking in seconds without an umbrella! One time Dad had to run from the house to the car to get his backpack, and he came back just covered in water!" Kazui laughed at the image. Dad had been soaked and looked like a droopy mop.

As they walked, Kazui regaled Miki with more stories underneath the orange light of the street lamps. It was a fairly quiet evening for this area, which was odd for a Friday night. But it worked in their favo, as Kazui didn't have to speak too loudly for Miki to hear him. On any other night there would be people filling the sidewalks and he'd have to raise his voice. But thankfully it was peaceful. Well, they did walk past a few rowdy men in suits playing some kind of game with ping pong balls and plastic cups.

"So why did you leave?"

"Mom and Dad wanted me to grow up in a quiet town, their hometown. They said it was safer than in the city." Kazui diverted his attention away from their talk to their destination up ahead just round the corner, the store. It was a humble local grocery store. It wasn't a giant place but it wasn't without merit. They had all sorts of chocolate within those lovely wooden walls painted a dark blue. Its neon sign glowed a deep green, a pleasant light Kazui had enjoyed on many food runs with Mom. Surely they'd have all kinds of sweets for them to enjoy.

"Kazui," Miki said. "are you sure this is okay for us to be doing?"

"It'll be fine."

Kazui wanted to say yes. He wanted to say it loud enough so that it would make him stop being so nervous. He knew being out here with a Hollow on the loose was dangerous. He knew he was taking a risk with his and Miki's lives, and defying the wishes of his parents. Yet a voice in his head cried out that Dad had gone as far as hiding Kazui's own belongings from him to keep him inside. If Dad had asked Kazui to not touch his watch, to just stay inside, he would've. Wouldn't he? That Dad went that far to keep him away just made him angry. If Dad was training him as hard as he did, then what was the point if he couldn't be allowed to do anything? He could count the number of times he'd gone out on one hand.

Kazui felt ashamed of himself, and took some deep breaths to calm down. Was he putting his own anger ahead of his and Miki's safety? No, he decided. He had originally wanted to get Miki candy because, well, her parents rarely let her have any. It wasn't fair for her and just made her sad. Kazui didn't want her, or anyone to be sad like this. If cheering her up meant going against his parents wishes, then he'd do so and deal with the consequences. And he would make sure no harm came to Miki. That was a promise.

"Don't worry about it Miki. We'll be in and out before you can say-."

Something in the air shook. Kazui's legs felt unsteady. He tried to keep his balance but he felt himself losing his center of gravity. He took several hesitant steps towards the wall of a closed market. He gripped at the metal cage that was erected nightly at closing time. He was thankful for it, it was the only thing keeping him from falling down. He felt an incredible weight on his shoulders. Actually, it was on his entire body. From head to toe he felt he was wearing one of those lead vests at the dentists, only this weighed considerably more. It felt like the weight was actively pushing down on him, like some being was trying to force him to his knees. Kazui's mind scrambled for an explanation, and quickly found one.

"Kazui!" Miki said, rushing to his side.

"I'm okay, I'm okay." Kazui replied.

This was spiritual pressure, and one so great it would've knocked him unconscious if not for his training in resisting such forces. It took all his concentration to stay upright and not relent. Something had to be watching him, it must have been since he and Miki had left the house. There must be some great and terrifying Hollow nearby, that could be the only explanation.

Kazui immediately realized that folly. Dad, Mom, and Uncle Uryu said Hollows, the ones that normally came to the Living World anyway, rarely had much in terms of spiritual pressure. So, if the presence he was feeling wasn't a Hollow, what the hell was it?

Kazui felt for its source, which wasn't hard because there was just so much of it. He was filled with a mix of relief and shock. The spiritual pressure wasn't focused on him, it was covering the entire town. He could feel it as if it was rain pouring down upon their heads. With his mind focused, Kazui realized the spiritual pressure felt familiar to him. He knew what it was, but he couldn't believe it.

"Kazui, are you okay?" Miki asked. "What's wrong? We should go home now."

"I'm okay." Kazui steadied himself and put on a happy face for Miki. "I think I need candy."

"Are you sure?" she asked, her eyes peering into his like searchlights.

"I am," Kazui bluffed, his words coming like a squeak. "I am," he repeated more steadily. "let's get inside for some candy, and then we'll head straight back home before Mom and Dad even notice we were gone. Okay?"

Miki could only nod. Kazui hoped she wasn't too frightened by what had just happened even as he struggled to walk a steady pace to the store. There was one single word echoing in his mind, a word that, through the strain of walking and his own disbelief, Kazui could only whisper.

"Dad?"

In the western outskirts of Karakura Town...

A quiet, run down house rests in the outer area of Karakura Town, part of the only slum to be found in the humble area. Many years ago, a particularly wealthy man bought property in Karakura Town, hoping to make a quiet getaway from his busy and exhausting life. So he built a lavish place with the finest of luxuries. There was a giant lawn in the back that sported a pool and hot tub, with the grass supported by a hefty sprinkler system. The house itself was four stories. Four. Stories. Work buildings and schools were among the few in Karakura town to go that high, along with the mall. But houses rarely reached such lofty heights. Yet the man, who's name was forgotten, spat in the face of conventions, and built his quiet home.

There were two small problems in the man's choice of residence. One, Karakura Town was dreadfully quiet most of the time, and he was a well-known socialite and busy man, so such a backwater and dull town offended even his deepest desires for peace and quiet. He had wanted quiet, and had gotten it beyond his wildest dreams, second problem was that there were periods when Karakura Town was quite active. Now, this wasn't a problem for him if it meant festivals or rowdy pub crawls. But it was a problem that micro earthquakes kept happening. These were no mere tremors; entire blocks could be demolished into rubble at a moment's notice. It was one of the seven wonders of Karakura Town. After several dozen of these shocks in one week, followed by a massive crater forming outside the town limits, this millionaire cut his losses and left, putting the house up for sale.

There was just one problem; the house hadn't sold in decades. It had sat there, beyond the reaches of anyone living in the town, and beyond the interest of anyone outside Karakura Town. So, it had been left alone. Waiting, standing, and soon enough decaying. By the time Ichigo had moved back to Karakura Town it was believed there was a curse on the house, and spirits roamed the place. Naturally Ichigo and Orihime made it their business to inspect the area, but found nothing. It was an ideal place for ghosts stories, but there were no spirits to be found. It was a spooky yet unremarkable building, of interest only to teens sneaking inside for dares. To Ichigo it was just another oddity in Karakura Town.

He mused on this as he approached the building.

From above.

At three hundred miles per hour.

In less than a second, the four story building was given an impromptu chimney shaft and lost a floor. The roof collapsed in on itself from the impact. The rotted wood and thick fungus had eroded the roof into terrible fragility. The roof splintered like toothpicks, and the long dead solar panels shattered into a million pieces that rained on the dead grass. The three floors below it were were all that remained, and even they were greatly weakened by the enormous hole that had been blasted through them.

Windows were shattered and furniture was smashed into the walls, leaving dents and scattered chair stuffing. Scattered beer bottles were practically vaporized from the shockwave, and the wooden floors were mangled as if a giant sledgehammer had smashed through them. Below the first floor was the basement, and that too had been wounded. A crater was there now, several feet deep and many more wide, formed by Ichigo Kurosaki's landing. The house of mystery and suspicion, of supposed power, was now obliterated by the very real power of a Soul Reaper.

Ichigo rose from his landing to the sight of dust filling the basement. It was thick enough to where even he had trouble seeing the whole place. But he knew already that there was nothing in here. Either the Hollow, or whatever spiritual energy he had sensed was gone. It might be dead, but Ichigo doubted that. He was rarely so lucky. Regardless, he felt nothing in here.

"Damnit." He drew his short sword, spinning it out of the sheath. He sensed Old Man's eagerness at being drawn, but it was restrained by a shared wariness between master and sword. Ichigo knew that this was too easy. The spiritual pressure he had sensed did come from here, and from this exact level. Ichigo was sure of it. His senses wouldn't be so inaccurate to make a mistake like that. There was no more illusion here or indeed in the rest of the town. But there was sure a hell of a lot of dust.

With a gentle swing he blasted away the dust in the basement, leaving him in a dark room lit by the faint traces of the streetlamp outside up ahead. But he didn't need the light to see, and what he saw was a massive freaking hole just ahead. The dust must've been a concealing spell. Around it were piles of powdered concrete, yet there was no dirt around it. Looking at the hole's edges, Ichigo could see that its walls were smooth and patterned. It went down so far that he couldn't see the bottom.

The watch beeped. Ichigo tapped the face, and held it close to whisper.

"Ichigo, are you alright?" Orihime asked.

"Yeah I'm fine. I think I found the hiding spot. How are you and Karin?"

"We're fine. That stunt scared the...Thing so bad that it barely noticed us before Karin sliced it in half in one swing. She was very impressive. We'll head over to you now."

"No. I can take care of this. Stay up top."

"Excuse me sweetie?" Orihime asked. "Are you issuing us orders?"

Ichigo sighed. "Sorry. I think it'd be better if you two stayed up top, okay?"

"Okay," Orihime replied, softer this time. "just be careful."

"I will. I love you."

"I love you too." Orihime said. Ichigo closed the call.

"You two are so sweet." Old Man said.

"So sick its giving me diabetes." Zangetsu added.

"Focus please." Ichigo said. He hopped into the hole, and gave himself a controlled descent down as if he was parachuting in. Soft, gentle, and above all else, quiet.

Eventually he landed in what felt like mud, but upon closer inspection was some kind of mucous excretion. The tunnel was completely dark, so he couldn't be entirely sure. He could risk a kido, but Ichigo instead summoned the Getsuga Tensho to his short sword. White and blue light coated the sword and gave him illumination into the cavernous tunnel. If a Hollow had created this tunnel - because it was definitely a Hollow without a shadow of a doubt - it had apparently stopped where he now stood. The walls had that same pattern all the way down to the floor, and the floor itself was like some big patch of mud that saw its fair share of feet. Ichigo bent down to touch some of the sticky substance. It clung to his fingers like gum, yet felt like an oil for how smooth it was on his fingers. It was a pale yellow substance almost like pus, and the stink was like the worst case of tonsillitis he had ever smelled.

This didn't make any sense. A deep hole with a bunch of saliva or whatever at the bottom was the supposed hideout for a now dead Lion-lizard-scorpion Hollow. If Ichigo didn't know the Soul King couldn't actually do anything besides act as some kind of cosmic duct tape, he would be seriously considering that there was a God, and he/she/it was a massive troll. At the very least he could conduct some investigation, so Ichigo bent back down with his sword still lit.

He lowered the tip to poke at the floor. It resisted the blade's attempts to poke the surface, as if the ground was some kind of membrane. Ichigo wasn't about to be denied by a floor, so he pressed into the ground. It sizzled and crackled from the flames of Getsuga Tensho, which cut through with ease. He could hear the substance crackle and tear, it sounded like the tear of meat. He passed his sword in a straight line, then removed it, keeping the flames alive. He leaned in close to the cut. There was no pulsation, or expulsion of flames or toxic gasses, no unusual reactions of any kind. Ichigo was hesitant to stick his hand in the cut, it might infect him or be a corrosive substance.

As he watched, Ichigo noticed there was a slight change in the area of the cut. It was hard to see, but the surface was gradually turning red. Then the red started to spread along the surface of the floor. It happened slowly, but it was happening before his eyes. The smell of copper wafted to Ichigo's nostrils, along with a slew of questions. Then, his prayers for an explanation were answered when the saliva on the ground erupted like a geyser. He was blasted by the stuff all over his body. He could feel it sticking to him as it rushed up. A brief pause of silence followed, and then Ichigo was pelted by the saliva obeying the laws of gravity and raining back down on him.

"Oh. Why?" he shuddered. It clung to his hands and forearms. He could also feel some of it sticking to his legs, and his waist. Ichigo could only stay there, still resting on one knee as his mind slowly rebooted and caught up to his situation. His eyes were shut tight, and he slowly brought his free hand to his face to wipe away the muck. The stuff felt like egg whites on his face, and collected like it as well. Ichigo was more than glad to have it off his face, then reached to shake it out of his hair, or as much as he could anyway. He rose to stand.

"Did I just pop the world's largest zit?"

"I hope not. This is not sanitary." Zangetsu said.

Was this a geyser from hell? Ichigo was half-tempted to fly up and blast this thing from afar and be done with it. In fact, that was his exact plan. Ichigo flexed his grip on his short sword, which still had the flame ready, he might as well get started now. He spun the sword into a reverse grip, but noticed something odd in the movement of his fingers. They felt stiff. Come to think of it, his wrists did as well.

"Shit." Ichigo slammed his free palm onto the ground. "Bakudo Number Three, Bōei!"

Lines of pale blue light traced themselves around Ichigo as a series of circles, then shot up to form a dome around him. Its light was a low and faint blue, and the dome itself was transparent, allowing Ichigo to look up to the sight of a row of white teeth furiously biting down on the barrier.

He rose to his full height, and heard two objects bounce off the barrier. He saw that they were spiked balls, possibly metal or some hardened skin. The balls were attached to some transparent strings of energy, and those were attached to the arms of a Hollow. Ichigo wanted to slap himself for not reacting faster. He could've crushed the trap before it was even sprung.

"Damnit!" The Hollow with the flail arms growled as its weapons returned to their sockets where the hands might be. There just seemed to be muscle in those sockets, no real skin. That was a weak spot Ichigo could target and slice the arms clean in half. The Hollow itself was bipedal, like a gorilla, only with what Ichigo could only describe as plumage running from its head down its back, and feet that more resembled elephant's feet. To Ichigo it looked slow and heavy, reliant on those weapons, but possibly capable of jumps with the legs. The other one was like a crocodile, only ten times bigger, and a set of arms on top of its front legs. Those arms, along with the teeth, bit and scratched at the barrier. It quickly jumped back from Ichigo's position

"I told ya we should've attacked sooner!" The crocodile roared.

"Shut the hell up!" The gorilla replied.

"Yeah? Or what?" The crocodile replied.

"Uhm-." Ichigo said.

"Or I'll bash your head in, that's what."

"Just try it you welp!" The crocodile shot back with murder in its eyes.

"Hey!" Ichigo shouted. Both Hollows focused on him. "That's better. Now, tell me why you're here."

The gorilla seemed to take exception to Ichigo's inquiry and roared at him, smashing its fists together.

"You don't even get it?! Damn Soul Reapers!" it roared. Ichigo saw the crocodile's tail whip back and forth around the barrier. The Hollow was almost clinging to the shield.

"We're here," the crocodile spoke, taking steps around Ichigo. "cause you killed Firebrand!"

Ichigo blinked. "Who?" The two Hollows looked at each other.

"You know, Firebrand." The gorilla said. "Big guy, roared, shot fire."

"You're going to have to be much more specific."

"Oi, this throws things off," the crocodile muttered. "What we supposed to do now!?"

"Gimme a second I'll think of it!" the gorilla replied, deep in thought.

While those two thought, Ichigo noticed the saliva on his arms and legs was getting tougher. The stuff was supposed to immobilize him and leave him as easy pickings for these two intellectual colossi.

"Do you require aid Ichigo?" Old Man asked. "Either one of us can break the...Substance on you."

"Just give the word." Zangetsu added.

"So, if he don't remember Firebrand, how we supposed to keep him busy?" The crocodile asked.

"Well, we'll just keep him busy then! We can't tell him everything right now, it'll end things too quick!"

"Oh yeah, right. Forgot that."

"Zangetsu, if you don't mind me asking, what does it feel like to know you share half your essence with these guys?"

"I don't know King, what does it feel like to know you're related to Ganju?"

Ichigo had to think, and admitted that Zangetsu's reply made sense. In the worst way possible.

"Wait! I got it!" the gorilla shouted. It and the crocodile returned their attention to Ichigo.

"About two months ago, Firebrand came here looking for spirits to eat! That was the last we heard of him. Do you remember him now, you murderous bastard?" The gorilla looked pleased with himself. Unfortunately for him, Ichigo could only stare as his mind drew a blank.

"Oh wait, you mean that Adjuchas."

"That...Adjuchas?" The gorilla seemed confused. Its eyes lit up with anger.

"Is that all you remember?" the crocodile growled. Ichigo cast a glare at the Hollow, silencing it instantly.

"Look, you can try describing your friend all night. I didn't know his name, and I don't care what abilities he had." To this the gorilla and crocodile looked stunned. "Don't ask me to remember your friend's name, I don't care. Don't ask me if he had any parting words, because I wouldn't have been listening. I've been killing Hollows for decades, and I never cared what they thought. What you should be asking is how many seconds it took for me to kill him, and how many I think it'll take to kill you both. The last Hollow I remember fighting, truly, etched-into-my-brain remember, was an Arrancar."

The two Hollows recoiled back away from Ichigo, now standing side by side. Their eyes were wide with a combination of fascination and horror. They were afraid, and absorbed in his words.

"I fought that Arrancar in Hueco Mundo, on the roof of Las Noches. There, I fought the creep as he kept getting stronger and stronger. I couldn't believe what kind of mountain of strength he had, like some kind of demigod. He moved faster than anything I had ever fought before, and hit like an avalanche. Eventually he used his Resurrecion, and then his second one."

The Hollows stared, enraptured. Ulquiorra had claimed he was the only Espada with a Segunda Etapa, and judging by these two's reactions that was indeed the case.

"Resurrecion? The Arrancar technique that only Aizen's army could do?" The gorilla was stunned.

"And you know what happened? I still won." Ichigo tightened his grip on his short sword, and raised his arm to the grip of his main sword. "I went up against that kind of power, and still won. I've fought and beaten guys who would kill you both in a second. I don't care about guys on your level. So, I won't remember your Adjuchas friend. When this night is over, I won't remember you guys either. I'll reap you both like all the rest."

The crocodile and gorilla glanced at each other. Without a word they both dashed to the wall. The gorilla swung up while using his wrecking ball hands to fling himself higher and higher. The crocodile was scurrying up just behind his fellow, with a speed one wouldn't expect from a giant monster crocodile. Ichigo allowed himself to feel pleased with himself, and then reminded himself he had to kill these two before he could celebrate. It was then that he heard an odd rumbling noise. It was coming from all around him. Ichigo snapped his fingers to dispel the barrier, and then noticed that the floor was vibrating. It was like he stood on top of a giant plate of jello. The cut Ichigo had made in the floor was still bleeding, and he was only now beginning to realize what was going on here. The rumbling grew louder, enough to where he heard nothing else but its horrid sound. He readied to grab at his large short, when he heard a squelch. In front of him, where the wall met the floor, a gigantic black spike emerged, easily thirty feet tall or more. Another emerged to its right and left. Then two more, and soon Ichigo was surrounded by gigantic black spikes from a fleshy floor.

Ichigo's mind raced. The patterned, tunneled walls, the saliva-like substance, and the now putrid smell of rotting meat. It all pointed to one obvious conclusion; he had been standing on the mouth of one big ass Hollow.

To this, Ichigo, Old Man, and Zangetsu could only repeat the timeless words of frustration.

"Oh son of a-"

"Oh son of a-"

"Oh son of a-"

And then everything went black.

Author's Note: Hello hello hello one and all! My warmest welcome to all of you who have read, reviewed, and followed this story! You guys are the reason why this story has continued, and I want to keep going on it for all you wonderful people who've shown me so much love and support even during the story's hiatus. Rest assured the story will continue, and at a quicker pace now that I've sorted some life stuff out. Feel free to ask questions of me, I may do a QA at the end of the next chapter if people are interested. Happy readings everyone!