HOLLOW TRUTHS
Ever since yesterday captain Hitsugaya ordered someone to accompany Ichigo everywhere he went. After it was made clear that the arrancar came looking for the orange haired teenager under Aizen's orders, the captain figured they might return looking for him again. Unfortunately Ichigo always kept his spirit energy damn near impossible to detect, so now he was required to keep someone close by that could be detected in case of an emergency attack. Right now he was being followed by both Rukia and Renji, much to his annoyance.
"You should really start using a gigai", Rukia said walking alongside her orange haired friend. From the outside it looked like she was talking to thin air.
"Nah, I'd rather stay free and uninhibited by those things", Ichigo said floating a foot off the ground.
"She means we look like idiots talking to nothing", Renji glared at him.
"I thought we were here to safeguard the city not hang out with the humans", Ichigo stared at them with half lidded eyes. He popped a cherry flavored lollypop in his mouth as he descended to the ground walking ahead of them. Eventually they stopped when Ichigo paused and looked down an alleyway.
"Did you see that?" He asked biting down on the candy with a loud crunch.
"See what?" Rukia asked.
"A hollow, a small one", just then a small figure jumped out from behind the dumpster and ran off down the alleyway away from them. Renji and Rukia immediately took a mod soul pill and shed their gigai to pursue the creature while Ichigo followed at a lazy pace. Eventually the two official shinigami cornered it at a dead end. What they found was surprising, a small hollow the size of a dog resembling some sort of toad creature was cowering backed up against a wall.
"This is it? I'll take care of it", Renji drew his sword and prepared to dispatch the tiny hollow.
"Picking on creatures smaller than you? What a great way to describe the Gotei Thirteen as a whole", Ichigo commented sarcastically walking up to the scene.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Rukia asked sounding offended.
"Just what I said, stand down Lieutenant Abarai", Ichigo said placing his hand on Renji's sword lowering it away from the shaking and terrified hollow.
"What do you think you're doing Ichigo?" the red head asked pulling his Zanpakuto out of the other's grip.
"I said…" Ichigo's eyes flashed yellow for a moment as he turned his sharp glare at him, "Stand down!"
"Okay", Renji backed away from the scary teen as he approached the hollow that started whimpering and crying.
"Ichigo be careful it's a hollow", Rukia warned.
"It's just a baby", Ichigo said without looking back at her.
"Yes its small, but-", Ichigo quickly cut her off.
"No I mean it's actually an infant soul", Ichigo gently placed a hand on the creatures masked head. "Easy, easy, it's alright", he said calmly. "Sometimes infants die during or shortly after birth, when that happens their souls are left to wander, never understanding what happened or what they are they rapidly devolve into hollows", the two shinigami looked confused apparently they never heard of this before. "They can't help what they do, they're just scared and alone, they don't know any better".
"But it's still a hollow", Renji said looking down at the now calm docile creature that Ichigo held on to.
"And what are hollows? They're lost human souls you shinigami failed to save", Ichigo said accusingly. "It is in their nature to seek out an end to their pain, just like it's in the nature of you shinigami to clean up your mistakes, when it comes down to it you're really nothing more than glorified garbage men".
"What are you doing?" Rukia asked watching as he felt around the hollow's head.
"Looking for a spot that will cause the least amount of pain when I put it down", Ichigo said focusing his hollow vision as he sometimes called it to find the weakest point in the hollow's mask. "They're", he then shot a beam quickly and painlessly through the skull from his finger tip letting the poor infant hollow breath one last breathe and dissipate in his arms.
"I never thought that some hollows could be children, no that's not true, we always knew that was a possibility. I guess it's just easier to put it out of our minds", Rukia said with a somewhat guilty look on her face.
"It's fine, there really is nothing we can do other than put them back into the cycle of life and death", Ichigo just shrugged and walked away. They both looked at him with mild awe.
"Wait how did you know that hollow was actually an infant?" Renji asked catching up to him.
"I already told you all about my sixth sense right?", Ichigo popped a peppermint into his mouth as he walked.
"Yes, but that still doesn't explain how you can see past a hollow's mask", Rukia brought up.
"Look I just can, what does it matter how I do it?" Ichigo picked up the pace.
"It does matter", Rukia followed after him, not letting Ichigo get away without answering this time.
"I just can't tell you alright!" this time Ichigo used shunpo to get away leaving them in the dust. He couldn't let them know the truth. The truth was that his gift of sensing hollows and feeling their powers was a gift he got from a very close 'friend' who was also a hollow. A friend that just happened to reside within him. If the Gotei Thirteen found out about that he would definitely be executed and Ichigo didn't want to leave Orihime alone in the world again after everything. Call it selfish, but Ichigo just wanted to live a long time in Soul Society with her and he couldn't do that if he was dead again.
THE NEXT DAY
"Is this the right place?" Orihime asked as they walked through the warehouse district.
"This is the directions Urahara gave me", Ichigo looked around the empty buildings then back to the piece of paper in his hand. He decided to give his shinigami babysitters the slip and find these so called Vizards that Kisuke wanted him to meet. The shopkeeper secretly passed him a note with directions when Hitsugaya wasn't looking and now Ichigo along with Orihime were trying to find them.
"Let's just start knocking on every building until they come out", Ichigo ran up to the first warehouse to knock on it only to run smack dab into an invisible barrier. "Ow!" he rubbed his forehead. "Okay I think we found the place".
"Should we try entering?" Orihime asked finally seeing the kido barrier that protected the place.
"Will the lord of the house please step forward!" he called into the building. The barrier suddenly became a visible yellow color with a small opening big enough for them to walk through appeared. Naturally they walked inside, Ichigo violently kicked the door open and walked into the dark building while Orihime clutched his arm.
"This is a spooky place", he commented looking around the empty warehouse.
"Well, we are spooky people", a voice from the shadows spoke. Out walked a skinny fellow with blonde short bowl shaped hair and a wide piano toothed grin.
"Woah! Nice teeth", Ichigo remarked.
"Really, first time meeting me and that's what you come up with", the blonde guy said. "Names Shinji Hirako by the way".
"Ichigo Kurosaki and this beauty is Orihime Inoue", Ichigo introduced himself and his girlfriend. Stepping forward Ichigo suddenly had to dodge a high kick from a short yellow haired girl. "That was rude", he grabbed her ankle and threw her into Shinji.
"Who the hell do you think you are?! Throwing me like that!" the girl yelled after punching Shinji in the face for catching her. Ichigo took one look at the girl in red and immediately charged towards her.
"So…CUTE!" Ichigo grabbed her up in hug despite her kicking and screaming. "Can we keep her Orihime? Please", Hiyori started cursing up a storm and flinging her limbs about, trying to break free from his hold.
"Sorry, but she already has a family", Shinji said trying hold back his laughter at the scene in front of him and wishing so badly that he had a camera.
"Awe that's a shame", Ichigo said sadly putting her down and easily catching her fists before they reached him. After that the rest of the Vizards appeared and introduced themselves. After talking with all of them he discovered that they all shared a common origin, they were all simultaneously hollowfied by Aizen nearly a century ago. Afterwards they were saved by Kisuke Urahara was framed by the same man and escaped into exile along with Urahara. Eventually the big question finally popped up, Shinji finally came forward and asked if he had undergone hollowfication.
"If you're asking me if I possess the powers of a hollow, then no I don't. At least not anymore", and with that a whole new line of questions came. "Easy one at a time please".
"What did you mean you don't possess the powers of a hollow anymore?" Kensei asked with narrowed eyes.
"Well it's difficult to explain, but all the powers of my hollow go to controlling my bankai", everyone looked shocked that he just admitted to having a bankai at such a young age. "The power of my Zanpakuto would kill me under normal circumstances, so I put the hollow part of in charge of keeping that power in check and under control. Even if I wanted to don a mask and use a cero I couldn't, because if I did I'd be swallowed by my own power".
"So we're no help to you then", Love said.
"It looks like he has everything under control", Rose chimed in.
"Wait, what made you all think I had a problem?" Ichigo asked them.
"Urahara told me before you came here that you might be having trouble with your hollow, that it might be trying to take over", Shinji said with a shrug, obviously he was misinformed.
"Well he did once, that psychotic dick is always threatening me, so I had to go in there and beat his ass down", Ichigo explained while shaking his fist.
"So you did have to fight him for control", Lisa pointed out.
"Yeah, he said he wanted us to switch places where he would be in charge and I would be the one managing the bankai. That happened when I was fourteen", everyone seemed surprised that a fourteen year old was able to fight and defeat his own hollow.
"How did you beat him?" Orihime asked, Ichigo had never told her about this before.
"Since the asshole doesn't play fair I figured I had to learn how to fight dirty too. The best way to beat crazy down is with more crazy", Ichigo grinned. "And eventually I got him to teach me bankai and that was really the last time I spoke to him". That was why he always acted so crazy and weird all the time, part of his hollow rubbed off on him unfortunately.
"So what do you guys do for fun around here?" Ichigo asked while some of them smirked at what was to come.
LATER
"Okay I'm hurt now", Ichigo said from underneath the rubble, he just took a blast from Kensei's shikai knocking him into a crater. Somehow asking what they do for fun led to them taking turns trying to beat the crap out of him in an underground training room similar to Urahara's, or sparing as they liked to call it.
"What the hell is this guy?" Hiyori asked watching Ichigo take a direct hit and then get back up, wipe the blood from his chin and get back into the fight.
"I have no idea", Shinji couldn't help but smirk watching the kid take hits and bounce back like a spring, all while laughing like a little boy on a playground. He knew Ichigo could be quite the formidable opponent and he hadn't even tried using his shikai yet. "Alright that's enough, take five everybody!"
"No, come on! I was having fun", Ichigo whined.
"Freaking psycho", Hiyori muttered just loud enough for him to hear.
"Oh Hiyori, do all the school boys fall in love with you?" he taunted nearly popping a vein in the angry girls head.
"Ichigo sit and I'll heal you", Orihime came over to kneel next to him while he sat down crossed leg and let her use her power to heal his minor injuries. While that was happening he decided to meditate and find out a few things. When he opened his eyes he was in the star cross shaped floating city in the sky, his inner world. He looked in the distance seeing the tower in the center with the palace atop it. He decided to forgo talking to the old man today and just go straight to the other spirit. Turning around Ichigo looked over the edge to the gray desert below for moment before taking a deep breath and jumped. With minutes he landed on the sands below, there was cool breeze that greeted his presence. Looking around he waited until the sand split creating a set of stairs that led underground into a tunnel. Following the open path he created a small red flame with his spirit energy and will to light the way. While walking Ichigo thought about certain people's reactions as of late. Kisuke and Yoruichi were both utterly shocked by the true power of his Zanpakuto, and the Vizards couldn't seem to wrap around their heads around how he dealt with his hollow. They all acted like his powers were strange and foreign, like it was unheard of and never seen before. It led to Ichigo wanting to know exactly where this power came from and where better to find out than from the hollow part of him that controls his darkest power.
"Are you awake?" Ichigo called when he entered a vast dark chamber that seemed to go on forever, tossing the light through the darkness he could see the high ceiling held up by large black pillars. Walking along the extended balcony until he reached the edge he looked down to see a sea of skulls and bones. "Am I going to have to force you to come out?" in response to his question a throne made of the solid floor formed directly behind him and he promptly sat down. "Thanks"
"Don't mention it", a dark watery voice said. The chamber began to shake, the bones that made up the floor rattled and parted as the colossal figure began to emerge. The giant was a white skinned shirtless man with black clawed hands, a black horned skull mask covering his head and long white hair spilling out from the back of the mask. "My king, you've finally returned", the titan said with a fake respectful tone and a bow.
"Hello, O no Yami", Ichigo said staring into the giant yellow eyes. "We need to talk, I have questions".
"Why not just ask his majesty upstairs?", he couldn't see it, but Ichigo could tell he was grinning behind his mask.
"He probably wouldn't tell me, most likely he'd say I wasn't ready, but I am", Ichigo sighed before continuing. "I want to know Yami, where does my power comes from? So spill it". The giant form of his hollow opened its black maw and let out a loud creepy laugh, Ichigo had to wince because the distorted cackling sounded like nails on a chalkboard to him.
"Your power? Do you think this power came from you? That's rich", Yami laughed again. "Do you think the power to divide out pieces of your soul and turn them into power is natural? What about the godlike power the bankai gives you? Do you think that could ever belong to a shinigami?"
"Then where did it come from?" Ichigo asked standing up from the stone chair.
"Think about my king. The Zanpakuto you found as child, you knew someone had placed it there", a giant blue tongue licked the teeth of the hollow's mask.
"So you're saying these powers came from that Zanpakuto, but how and why?" Ichigo was so confused, he was told by Yoruichi when she found him that a Zanpakuto's powers are shaped by the spirit and personality of the person who wields it.
"Me and his majesty up there have always been with you. The instant you picked up that sword we jumped inside it thinking we could finally have a vessel to channel our powers through and help you. Imagine how surprised we were to find a shit load of power already inside the blade", Yami scooped up a pile of bones with his giant hand while he talked. "So we both fought over who controlled what, his majesty got the part that allows you to split your soul and attach it to other things, while I got the unlimited power buried at the heart of the Zanpakuto. You should count yourself lucky"
"Lucky?" Ichigo asked skeptically.
"Due to my position I can't take you over anymore or else we'd both be consume by it", Yami pointed to the darkness in the distance where Ichigo could feel the power of his Bankai waiting, waiting to be used and unleashed upon the world.
"I guess that does make me one lucky bastard doesn't it", Ichigo smirked while walking away.
"Leaving so soon king, we just got to talking again, back upstairs to his majesty", he could hear amusement in the hollow's voice.
"What's so funny Yami?" Ichigo asked while the giant continued to chuckle.
"I know who he really is and I can't wait to see the look on your face when you find out", the distorted voice continued to laugh in the darkness as Ichigo left. "Toot aloo!" he waved goodbye. While walking back up the way he came Ichigo thought about that day in the Rukon where he found the Zanpakuto and some things seemed to fit into place. Someone deliberately put that sword there for him to find, but the question was who? Who would want him to have this great power and why would they give it to him?
THE NEXT DAY
"You want me to train him with my Bankai?" Renji asked. Kisuke nodded his head. "Well why does Chad need my help?"
"Because our friend Sado can only improve his powers if he battles someone with a Bankai", Urahara explained waving his fan at him.
"You used to be a captain, why don't you do it?" Renji tried to find an excuse not to do this.
"My Bankai isn't suited for helping people grow stronger", Kisuke hid his eyes under his hat as he said this.
"Well why doesn't Ichigo do it?" he said pointing to the orange haired teenager who sat at the table reading a magazine while eating a chocolate bar. Without looking up from his magazine Ichigo respond.
"If Chad went up against my Bankai he would die in two seconds. I'm not being mean or bragging, it's just a fact", he said taking another bite of his chocolate. "I like the big guy, I don't want to kill him".
"Fine I'll do it", Renji sighed figuring he could at least get some practice with his Bankai out of this.
"Plus Renji's freeloading off us and this would put him to good use", Ichigo brought up with a smirk.
"That's right this would be a good way to pay back your debts to me", Urahara had what most would call an 'AH HA' moment.
"Wait how come Ichigo doesn't need any training?" Renji exclaimed trying to direct focus on someone else.
"Oh, I already have that covered", Ichigo went back to his magazine without missing a beat. Shinji liked him enough to invite him to come back to the warehouse anytime he wanted for some more training. Plus he liked that Ichigo was one of the rare people who didn't take shit from Hiyori and knew how to press her buttons, it made for some good entertainment. "Have fun Red, I'm going to find Orihime and make sweet love to her, chow!" and with that Ichigo stood up and disappeared out of the shop with shunpo. It was getting late, the sun was about to set when he began walking down the streets of Karakura. He didn't seem to notice the dark haired girl known as Karin Kurosaki following him ever since he left the Urahara Shoten.
Karin continued to follow the orange haired teenager that claimed to be Ichigo Kurosaki, she had been following the past few days now. She figured out he was some type of ghost that always carried a sword, kind of like those guys in the black robes who also carried a sword. The only difference was that Ichigo didn't dress like them, so what did that mean? Was he one of them or not? She was determined to find out why and how her brother was back in the world of the living.
High above the city, after the sun had fully set, a black rip in space appeared and out stepped a group of arrancars dressed in white. The leader of the group looked down at the city with a bored look.
"Alright boys here's the drill, any humans with spiritual pressure are worth ten points, average shinigami scum are worth twenty", the blue haired arrancar then grinned maliciously. "Any captain level shinigami, well you leave those to me", the group then dispersed off to find their prey. "There's got to be at least one interesting opponent here", he said as he descended to the city below spotting someone who seemed to have a bit of reiatsu to them.
'Dammit where did he go?' Karin thought with a frustrated sigh, she was following Ichigo as he walked along a fence like an acrobat that was until he vanished from sight in a blur too quick to follow. For now she decided to just give up, she already knew that he frequented that shop, he had to go back there at some point.
"Cheh! This won't even be worth the effort", a voice said from above her. Karin looked up to see a man dressed in white, with blue hair and a hole going through his stomach staring down at her with a disinterested look. "But unlike Aizen, I'm not into leaving things to chance", the guy smiled viciously and pointed his hand at her. A red ball of raw energy began to form in his palm. Karin wanted to run, but was too scared and confused to even move.
"Hi, hi, hi there, my little arrancar", a playful voice said from directly behind him as a hand gripped his shoulder. The blue haired arrancar turned his head to follow the arm, but before he could get a good look at who it was he was spun around and a fist was driven into the side of his face sending him flying over the city. Karin watched Ichigo deck that guy with enough force to send him miles away then stand in midair shaking his wrist. "Damn what the hell is that guy's jaw made of, steel!?"
"Ichigo?" her dead brother looked at with complete seriousness.
"I'll explain later", was all he could say before disappearing in a flash.
"Little fucker actually socked me one", the arrancar growled out spitting the blood out of his mouth. After he righted himself in the air he took a moment to try and figure out how strong the guy who punched him was, after all he didn't even sense him with his pesquisa which was weird.
"Introductions I think are in order", Ichigo said immediately after reappearing a few yards. The arrancar looked over to see a bright orange shaggy haired teenager, wearing a black long sleeve deep v shirt, purposely torn and frayed jeans, and black boots, with an old rusted Zanpakuto attached to his black studded belt.
"I know you, you're the little bastard who Ulquiora was sent to investigate, Ichigo Kurosaki!" his grin widened.
"Sup", Ichigo waved at him. "How about a name for you blue boy?"
"Grimmjow Jaggerjaques, sixth Espada", he introduced himself.
"Cool name, but what's an Es-pa-da?" Ichigo had to sound out that last word to keep from mispronouncing it.
"We're the top ten strongest arrancars in Hueco Mundo and I am the sixth strongest!" Grimmjow stated proudly.
"Seriously, Aizen ranks you all by number", Ichigo laughed at that much to the arrancar's annoyance. "Though I guess it's easier than having to remember all your names", he shrugged, suddenly Grimmjow tried to drop kick him, but Ichigo quickly caught his foot with one hand. "Oh! Were we starting?" now he was the one smirking viciously as he rapidly spun the arrancar around before throwing him.
"I guess this might be interesting after all", Grimmjow said facing him again.
"Hey, want to see something cool?" Ichigo grinned back at him popping an orange flavored lollypop in his mouth. "Lead us into the light, O no Kishi".
I'll stop there. I wanted to focus on Hollow stuff this chapter and show that Ichigo may not like them, but he does see eliminating them as an act of mercy instead of duty. He can't use any hollow powers other than his sixth sense that allows him to detect them instantaneously.
A heads up, the fight in next chapter is going to go a little differently than in canon.
Thanks for reading.