Author's Note: This chapter took a while to write because I was trying to make it different than the original episode but being about to follow that layout. Anyways thank you to all those who review, favorited, and/or followed this story. Please enjoy this chapter and leave a review at the end.
"Juha Bach"
"Shiro"
"Aka"
"Ao"
"P.O.V."
'Thought'
"Attacks"
Shikai/Bankai
Chapter 8: Cursed Parakeet
It was nighttime in Karakura Town and at a construction site Chad was with two of his friends Harutoki Ide and Gitano Shigeo, who wears a regular T-shirt with a short-sleeved button up and a Hawaiian-style print shirt over it and has shoulder length, blond hair and a goatee, with a caged Parakeet in between all three of them.
"A parakeet that's cursed?" Gitano asks in confusion.
"Uh huh. All of the people that have owned this bird have got into these really terrible situations and died." Harutoki explains with a grim look on his face.
"Wow. Are you serious? That's not a good sign." Gitano says.
"Hey, Gitano, you want to take him?" Harutoki asks.
"So please, tell me. Just how stupid do I look to you? Here's an idea. Why don't you set him free or dump him someplace?" Gitano asks.
"Well, that would be too cruel." Harutoki says.
'There's something odd about this bird.' Chad thought to himself, sensing another presence nearby. 'Maybe Ichigo or Kisuke will know something.' He thought.
"Well, how about you, Chad? What do you say? Isn't he cute?" Harutoki teasingly asked the more spiritual aware man, hoping to pawn the possibility of the curse on someone else.
"Hey, knock it off! You know Chad's got a weakness for cute things." Gitano says to their friend while Chad shifted his eyes around when hearing a strange groaning.
At that moment the bird began to freak out suddenly, causing Chad to look up and see a thick steel beam falling towards them making his two friends scream in terror.
Meanwhile in Hueco Mundo, the large Hollow that order Sora to attack Ichigo was perched on a large rock pillar looking at other Hollows in the shadows.
"We shall continue it. We shall continue our quest to devour. In order to fill the emptiness of our existence, we must continue our never-ending quest to hunt them down. And above all, it is the spirit of a Shinigami that is most delicious. Once you have tasted it, you will never forget it. You will crave it always." The large Hollow says.
Back in the World of the Living, it was times like this that Chad was grateful for joining his orange haired friend in his training. With the heightened physical abilities he gained through that intense training he caught the falling metal with little trouble, holding the mass of steel in his hands, and resting on the top of his spine.
"We- Ch- Ch- Chad?" Harutoki asks in stunned amazement.
"Yeah, are you alright, buddy?" Gitano asks also stunned in awe as well.
"Yeah, I'm just fine." Chad replies as he threw the steel beam away, feeling no strain from the normally demanding task. 'I recognize this aura.' He thought after seeing a shadowy figure quickly flee the scene. 'I definitely need to talk to Ichigo about this.' He thought.
"Thank you so much for saving me." A young childish voice says.
"Hm?" Chad asks as he and his two friends look down to see that it was the bird who was talking.
"Hello there, my name is Yūichi Shibata. So what's your name, mister?" The parakeet, now known as Yūichi Shibata, asks.
"What? Did you hear that? That- that bird is talking just like a real person." Gitano says.
"Yeah, I heard it. It is cursed." Harutoki says.
"I'd really like to know your name, mister." Yūichi asks.
"Sado 'Chad' Yasutora. I'm 15 years old." Chad tells the bird, unsurprised by its display of intelligence. 'Maybe that Shinigami can help too.' He thought before picking up the cage.
"Check it out. Chad's interested in the bird." Gitano says.
The next morning, on the roof of Karakura High School, Ichigo was sitting against the tall gate with Rukia starring at him on her hands and knees.
"You mind telling me why you staring at me like that?" Ichigo asks looking at her. 'Not that I don't mind getting a close look at those amethyst eyes.' He thought with a slight blush on his face.
"Sorry, I'm just amazed with how well you preformed Kaidō on your injuries from you fight with Orihime's brother. There's not a trace of the scratches or bruises left." Rukia says getting back to her feet and leans against the gate beside Ichigo.
"Don't be too surprised. I told you that Tessai, the former captain of the Kidō Corps, trained me from the age of 10." Ichigo reminds her.
"True. You seem to have a natural talent for the four Shinigami arts. You probably would have passed the Shin'ō Academy in just one year making you a prodigy in the instructors' eyes." Rukia says fiddling with her juice box, unable to open it.
"I've heard about the academy from my dad, Kisuke and Tessai, but I'm sure you were a top student when you went there and graduated with top marks, too." Ichigo says looking up to her.
"Huh? Oh yeah." Rukia says remembering her time at Shin'ō Academy. "Tell me, how do I drink from this thing?" She asks slightly frustrated as she holds her juice box out towards him.
"Uh. You got to poke a hole in it. You just use the straw on the back." Ichigo says showing her as he spoke. "To poke a hole in the foil near the corner on the top of the box." He says demonstrating for her. "And enjoy." He says taking a sip from his own juice box.
"I see. Thank you, Ichigo." Rukia says and follows the instructions Ichigo demonstrated for her, with a little difficulty.
"So, you're together again." A familiar voice says catching Ichigo's attention.
"Huh?" Ichigo turns to the voice and sees it's his friend Mizuiro with his own lunch.
"Uh-huh, you two seem pretty chummy." Mizuiro teases.
"Mizuiro, shut up. Come on, does it really look to you like we're chummy?" Ichigo asks.
"Maybe." Mizuiro responds with a blank expression. "Well, to be honest, you two do appear to be pretty close. But people are going to talk, and if they talk enough, everyone will think that you're an item." He says.
"Whatever. You've known me for a while and since when have you ever known me to care what people think about me?" Ichigo asks taking another sip from his juice box.
"Yeah, you make a good point." Mizuiro says with a smile.
"So this is the straw." Rukia says gaining Mizuiro's attention. "It's short. Now he's said to poke a hole in the foil near the corner on top of the box." She says examining the top of the box.
"Hi there. How you doing?" Mizuiro asks as Rukia turns to look at him.
"Why, hello there. You're, um, Mizuiro?" Rukia asks with her innocent act up once again making Mizuiro chuckle.
"That's me. I guess we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Mizuiro Kojima. I really like-" Mizuiro begins to say.
"Picking up chicks." Ichigo says interrupting his friend.
"Huh? Ichigo, that's not cool." Mizuiro says feeling embarrassed by that remark.
"Watch it, he may look like a dork, but he's a real player. Seriously." Ichigo says confusing Rukia.
"Cut it out! You'll permanently damage my reputation." Mizuiro says as Rukia watches with a confused expression on her face. "Besides, Ichigo, you know older women are really more my still." He says not helping his case entirely.
"Like I said Rukia, watch this one." Ichigo says.
"Huh?" Mizuiro asks in confusion as he looks to Rukia thinking she was the same age as them and doesn't know she's a Shinigami decades older than them.
"Eh, just forget it." Ichigo says.
"What's this, Rukia Kuchiki, the hot transfer student, is here with you guys? How did that happen?" Keigo asks in pure shock and surprise after opening the door to the roof.
"Ichigo picked her up. He's the one who brought her here." Mizuiro says.
"Huh? I did not." Ichigo says with a slight blush on his face.
"Ichigo did?" Keigo asks and starts chuckling. "What a guy! Good job!" He says excitedly while crying tears of joy.
"Well, I guess. It's really no big deal." Ichigo says uncomfortable with Keigo's closeness.
"Huh?" Rukia asks after feeling the sun being blocked from shining on her.
"Greetings. I'm Keigo Asano. Welcome, lovely lady, to this garden of manliness." Keigo says while crying and saluting her.
"Uh. Hello." Rukia says with a sweat drop on her forehead.
"Yeah! Lunch party, right here, right now!" Keigo cheers making the situation even more awkward for the petit Shinigami.
"So party noodles and juice?" Mizuiro questions.
"Shut up! It's the feeling that counts." Keigo says loudly to Mizuiro. "So, Rukia, if you find yourself needing anything, you just call on me. I'm here for you." He says softly to her.
"Oh? Great! Open this." Rukia says excitedly holding her juice box out to him.
"No prob. Your wish is my command-" Keigo begins to say but suddenly feels a solid figure behind him. "Huh?" He asks turning around to see Chad with the bird from last night.
"Hey, Chad." Ichigo greets his best friend.
"Hm." Chad responds with a few bandages on his arm.
"So, Chad, what's with bandages?" Ichigo says taking notices of his friend.
"Whoa, you got hurt. How? What happened to you?" Keigo asks in shock.
"A motorcycle nearly ran into me. He fell off just before his motorcycle slammed into a wall and caught fire. The rider had a bit of fire on him, so I patted it out and carried him to the hospital where that treated him and the slight burns I got before coming here." Chad explains why he was late.
"Well, no wonder you were late to school." Keigo says as Chad sets the bird cage down. "Hey, so where did you get that bird?" He asks.
"My name's Yūichi Shibata. It's nice to meet you. What's your name?" Yūichi asks gaining Ichigo and Rukia's attention almost immediately.
"That is amazing! I mean, the way this bird can talk is phenomenal! Me name's Keigo Asano. Keigo Asano, can you say that?" Keigo asks.
"Uh. So Chad, just where did you get this bird?" Ichigo asks looking up at his friend.
"Someone…" Chad pauses and Ichigo could tell that he was about to hide the truth from Keigo and Mizuiro since they were as spiritually aware as he, Ichigo, and Rukia were. "gave me him." He says.
"Hold it, there you go again, getting lazy and cutting your story short. Come on! That's a bad habit you have, Chad. Now explain. Spill it!" Keigo demands.
"That was the whole story." Chad says sitting down in front of Yūichi.
"There you go, just like you usually do. You never share the details…" Keigo say but Ichigo stops listening and focuses on the bird.
"Don't worry." Rukia says getting Ichigo's attention.
"Huh?" Ichigo asks looking up at her.
"You're right, there is something in that bird, but I don't think it's evil. It's probably just a lonely soul, you know, one that didn't have many friends. But we can't leave it or it might become a Hollow. Tonight we need to perform a Konsō." Rukia says.
"I know but first we should hear it's story. Chad covered up the real story because Keigo and Mizuiro are here, so he must want to tell me what really happened when we're alone." Ichigo says reaching out and taking Rukia's juice box from her.
"Wait, does he know about…" Rukia begins to ask.
"Yeah, Chad's spiritually aware and knows that you and I are Shinigami as well as the existence of Hollows." Ichigo says as he stick the straw in her juice box before returning it to her. "I've known Chad since I was thirteen and the first time I met him was during a street brawl back when I was in middle school." He explains.
[Flashback]
"The color of my hair always got people's attention, but not in a good way, and I'd end up in these fights." Ichigo says.
A 13 years Ichigo was defending himself against a group of thugs, kicking two away but two more came up from behind and grabbed him, forcing him to the ground as one with an afro wearing knuckles busters comes up and begins punching Ichigo in the face.
"Time to die you punk!" Some idiot with a mohawk yelled before he got blindsided by a brown giant punching him aside. He towered over the others wearing the same black middle school uniform Ichigo was in. Brown skinned and wavy brown hair covering his eyes, it was his classmate Yasutora Sado…but he kept calling him Chad. He wasn't too sure what he was doing here, but he was glad for the help. It did not end well for the eight attacking thugs.
"Man that was a pain!" Ichigo growled in annoyance. "Thanks for the help Chad. These jackasses were going make me late."
"It's Sado, and no problem Ichigo." The giant said as he left for home himself, rubbing the pendent on his neck and praying for his Abuelo.
[End Flashback]
"And that was the day I meet Chad. There's more to that story but I'll tell you later." Ichigo says.
"Alright but I'm holding you to it." Rukia says wanting to know more before taking a sip of her juice. "This juice tastes good." She says with a smile.
"Enjoy." Ichigo replies as he watches Chad feed the parakeet some bread crumbs from his sandwich.
That evening, Ichigo and Rukia return to the Kurosaki Clinic to wait for Chad arrive with the parakeet.
"We're home." Ichigo says opening the open and letting Rukia enter first before him.
"Move, Ichigo! Out of the way!" Karin shouts rushing past her older brother in her nurse uniform.
"Hey…" Ichigo says watching Karin run past him. "…what's your hurry? Where's the fire, Karin?" He asks but doesn't get a reply.
"Welcome home, Ichigo, Rukia." Yuzu, also in her nurse uniform, says walking past them with a box of medicine and medical supplies.
"So what's got you both so worked up?" Ichigo asks.
"An accident. There was a big car wreck down at the corner." Yuzu says before stepping out the door to assist.
"A big car wreck?" Ichigo asks.
"I just told you, four cars! So you can't take that many? Well, here's a news flash, they got to go somewhere. We can't treat them all here, we're a small clinic. Listen, tell your boss that this is a request from Isshin Kurosaki. He'll find me some hospital beds that are open, no problem. Just do it!" Isshin shouts slamming the phone back on its receiver.
"Hey, dad." Ichigo says as he and Rukia stand in the door way of the clinic area.
"Damn stupid idiots, they wouldn't know a stethoscope from a cellphone." Isshin mutters out loud to himself.
"So is there anything we can do, Mr. Kurosaki?" Rukia asks.
"Yes, in fact there is. Ichigo, there are some heavier patients outside that Karin and Yuzu can't carry on their own, why don't you help bring them in." Isshin tells his son.
"I'm on it." Ichigo says setting his bag down and rushes outside to assist.
"Rukia, do you have any form of medical knowledge that doesn't involve using Kaidō?" Isshin asks.
"A little." Rukia says.
"Good, that's enough to help." Isshin says before opening a locker and pulling out a spare nurse uniform. "Here, put this on and you can assist Karin and Yuzu with helping provide first aid." He says handing her the uniform before heading out to help his children.
After managing to get the car crash patients treated and sent to Karakura Hospital, Ichigo and Rukia were washing their hands at the sink when they heard Yuzu's voice.
"Dad, Chad's here to see Ichigo and Rukia but he was helping out at the crash site and while he doesn't have any serious injuries, there are a few that need to be treated." Yuzu says as she and Karin struggle to help a wobble Chad into the clinic.
"Ichigo, come here and help your friend." Isshin says to his son.
"You bet." Ichigo replies as he comes over and grabs Chad's arm and slings it over his shoulder to take his large friend's weight off his sisters. "The Hollow?" He asks while helping Chad over to one of the clinic beds.
"Hm." Chad simply replies while Karin stares in fright at Yūichi as Isshin removes Chad's shirt and sees a large, claw-shaped injury on his back.
"Whoa, what a horrible wound." Yuzu says in horror at the sight of the injury. "So this is the mark left by a Hollow?" She asks.
"That's right, sweetie. To people with low Reiryoku these wounds appear as gashes or deep slash marks but to us, these marks gives us a glimpse at what the Hollow might look like and how large it is." Isshin explains to his daughter as he began applying disinfectant with a swab. "Anyway, Chad, this wound isn't too serious thanks to your tough physique, so all you're really going to need is a good night sleep and you'll be fine." He tells his son's friend.
"Thanks, Mr. Kurosaki." Chad replies.
"Don't mention it, son." Isshin says as he finishes swabbing the wound. "Now then Yuzu, I want you and Karin to use your Kaidō training to finish healing Chad up." He tells his daughter.
"You got it dad." Yuzu replies but Karin wasn't listening as she continues to stare at Yūichi in fright. "Karin?" She calls to her twin.
"Huh, what?" Karin asks snapping out of her daze.
"Didn't you hear dad? He want's us to finish healing Chad using our Kaidō, so come on." Yuzu tells her.
"Oh right." Karin replies following after her twin.
Meanwhile Ichigo walks back over and stands next to Rukia as they observe the twins preform Kaidō on Chad.
"Do you feel it?" Ichigo whispers to his partner.
"Of course. It's hard to miss when we're so close and yet I sense no evil in that bird. But there is no doubt that the wound is definitely from a Hollow." Rukia says as they continue to watch.
Later that night Ichigo, Rukia, and Chad enter his room with Yūichi and gather around him at different spots; Ichigo sitting on his bed, Rukia at Ichigo's desk, and Chad leaning against Ichigo dresser.
"Okay kid, this has gotten out of hand. You need to answer some questions for us." Ichigo says as they stare at the bird in the center of the room. "The first one…" He begins to say.
"Why is a Hollow chasing you?" Chad asks surprising Rukia and Yūichi.
The small bird looked down in shame as he relayed his tale. How he was just a little kid, living alone with his mom, when somebody broke in and began to attack them with a knife. His mother died trying to protect him and he made the bad man fall to his own death. Some time passed after that he ended up having his soul sucked out by a monster and was placed in the body of a parakeet. The monster than made him a deal…
"If I could run from him for three months in this body, he'd bring my mother back to life." Yūichi explains shocking the three listeners and gaining different reactions; Ichigo was seething after hearing this story, so much so that his head was throbbing. Chad clenched his fists so hard his nails dug into his palms. Rukia looked sick to her stomach in rage and disgust.
"Is that true?" Rukia asks as her hair shadows her eyes to hide the rage seething within her.
"I'm afraid it's all my fault. I-I just wanted to bring my mother back to life." Yūichi says.
"Yūichi." Chad says feeling sorry for the poor boy.
"I didn't mean for those people to get hurt. If I had known about that, I never would have done it. All I wanted was just to see my mother again. I'm sorry." Yūichi apologizes.
"Wait." Rukia suddenly says making the bird look towards her. "So you really accepted such a lie, that if you did what he said, then he could bring your mother back to life? How could you believe that?" She asks with a scoff. "I'm sorry to say this Yuichi, but that monster was lying to you." Rukia said, as gently as she possibly could, given the situation. "There is no coming back to life. Once you die you can't go back to the world of the Living." She says as Yuichi could only look downcast, feeling the last shred of hope fail.
"I know." He said, about to break into tears. "In a way I already knew. I just wanted to see my mommy again." They watched the bird, seeing a silhouette of a small child, breaking down into tears with pity in their hearts and then Chad rose to his feet and made his way to the door.
"Hold on Chad." Ichigo says making his friend stop. "I know that you're planning to go after the Hollow and make him pay for what he's done." He says shocking Rukia and Yūichi. "But at the moment, the bastard is hiding in between the worlds right now, making it impossible to find him." He says.
"Ichigo's right. For now we should perform a Konsō on this boy and send him to the Soul Society." Rukia says.
"Actually, I think we need to hold off on that." Ichigo says confusing everyone.
Meanwhile in Karin and Yuzu's room, Yuzu was sleeping peacefully in her bed, however her twin was a different story. Karin was lying awake in her bed in a cold sweat and envisions Yūichi in his cage with terror.
The next morning, Ichigo and Rukia walk out of his room dressed in their school uniforms and make their way downstairs.
"Ichigo…" Rukia begins to say as her substitute looks at her. "…I'm not so sure about this plan." She says with a stern look. "As Shinigami it is our duty to protect Souls not use them in such a way as this." She says.
"I know Rukia but think about it this way. If we Konsō him now the Hollow would probably sense that the boy has crossed over and will disappear from our radar for who knows how long." Ichigo says. "Our best way to deal with this Hollow is to lure him out and slay him. Plus, Yūichi gets justice for what that Hollow did to him and a safe send off knowing he'll best safe on the other side." He says.
"I suppose you're right. It is better to send the spirit off to the Soul Society knowing nothing will be after him there. But it still feels wrong to me given how I was taught and trained." Rukia says reluctantly.
"Don't worry, Chad won't let anything happen to the kid plus I have confidence in your skills to help bring this bastard straight to Hell." Ichigo complements Rukia making her slightly blush at the praise.
The two Shinigamis enter the dining room and are greeted by an already up Yuzu cooking.
"Good morning Ichigo, Rukia. Breakfast is ready." Yuzu says greeting her brother and their guest Shinigami.
"Good morning Yuzu, so, hey, is Karin up yet?" Ichigo asks in confusion after not seeing his other younger sister, who is usually up before he is.
"She didn't want to eat. She said she's not feeling so good. And I can tell she had a bad dream last night, I could hear her tossing and turning. I'm worried." Yuzu says.
"Really? Karin's sick? That's not like her." Ichigo says about to take a seat next to Rukia.
"Ichigo!" Isshin shouts bursting into the room. "Bad news! Chad's disappeared from his room! He's gone!" He shouts.
"Calm down, dad." Ichigo says with a sigh. "I know Chad's gone, it's all part of my plan." He says confusing his father.
"What do you mean?" Isshin asks his son.
"That bird is being pursued by a Hollow that likes to run and hide whenever it gets the chance. So I came up with a plan to use the bird to lure out that Hollow and slay it before we send that boy off to the Soul Society." He explains.
"While I admire your strategic thinking son, Shinigami should never use souls as bait to lure out Hollows." Isshin says.
"I know but the consequences of doing a Konsō on the kid before the Hollow was killed meant he might be pursued in the Soul Society where its basically an endless buffet for it to feed on souls that have already passed on." Ichigo says.
"I see your point son, but why involve Chad?" Isshin asks.
"After all that training with Kisuke and the others Chad wasn't about to bring out that mysterious power of his. I believe that this will help him to manifest that power. Besides, I have complete faith in Chad's ability to defend that bird from the Hollow. And I'm going to be there to finish it off and watch it get dragged down to Hell." Ichigo says.
"Well then, all I can say is, good luck son." Isshin says.
"Thanks. Let's go Rukia!" Ichigo says running out the door.
"Right!" Rukia says following after her substitute.
"Do your best, you two!" Yuzu shouts from the door way with her father behind her.
The two Shinigamis were running down the street in search of Chad while also sensing for the Hollow to make its presence known.
"So you got any idea about where he might be?" Rukia asks.
"No. Chad's good at hiding his Reiryoku when he wants to. What about you? You got any info?" Ichigo asks.
"Not yet. There's no news from the Soul Society about a Hollow, and like you I'm not sensing anything either." Rukia says before pulling out her sketch book. "As you know, when Hollows aren't chasing souls, they can hide themselves between this world and the Soul Society. When a Hollow is between those two worlds, like the one on the left, it can't be detected. What that means is that we won't be able to locate that Hollow and deal with it until it shows up to attack Chad. You understand? You got it?" She asks.
"You know if you were explaining this to someone for the first time while showing them your drawings I don't think they'd be able to understand it but surprisingly I can understand it quiet well." Ichigo says with a surprised look on his face. "But anyways, I get the picture, if we wait for it to show up and attack it might be too late. So we'll have to track him a different way." He says but then remembers something.
[Flashback]
A 13 year old Ichigo and Yoruichi were standing on the roof of a tall building in the city with Ichigo in his Shinigami form and Yoruichi standing two feet behind him.
"Listen, my sweet Ichi-chan, as a Shinigami we must always be able to locate souls in the World of the Living that are being hunted by Hollows as fast as possible. So I'm going to teach you how to use Reiraku (Spirit Ribbons). This technique will help you locate souls that are in hiding or are very far away." Yoruichi explains to her crush. "Now close your eyes." She whispers into his ear while leaning her chin on his shoulder. "Concentrate the Reiatsu around you." She says softly while pulling away from her student/crush.
Yoruichi watches as Ichigo begins glowing with Reiatsu as specks of light float around him. In the next instance, the specks of light condense into long white ribbons, with a few red ones scattered about, appear around him and head down into the streets below.
"Well done, Ichi-chan. You've successfully learned to use Reiraku." Yoruichi congratulates her crush.
[End Flashback]
'That's how we'll track them.' Ichigo thought before closing his eyes, concentrating and soon begins glowing with Reiatsu.
"Ichigo, what is this sensation I'm feeling?" Rukia wonders as specks of light appear.
Meanwhile at an abandon factory site, Chad walks into one of the buildings with Yūichi.
"You and your friends sure are nice, mister Chad." Yūichi says.
"Hm." Chad simply says.
"I'm sorry for not telling you my story earlier. I was just really hopeful I'd get to see my mother again." Yūichi says.
"Don't worry about it. Besides as soon as we take care of this Hollow and help you crossover, you'll be able to see her again in no time." Chad says.
"You seem to trust your friend, mister Ichigo, very much." Yūichi says.
"What do you mean?" Chad asks.
"Well after I told you all my story, you look like you were ready to go out and find that monster yourself but you stop when mister Ichigo asked you to and you're even going along with this plan of his." Yūichi says.
"Ichigo and I have history together and for two years we trained together as well. Back then the two of us made a deal, that he would throw his punches for me and I would throw my punches for him. We've kept good on that deal all this time but I think Ichigo was trying to get me to learn to use my fists in a different way; defending others, just like what he's doing now. No matter what, I will always stand by Ichigo whenever he needs me to be there." Chad explains to the parakeet.
"That's really nice of you and him, mister Chad." Yūichi says.
Back at the Kurosaki Clinic, Karin was in her bed shivering and coughing as her breathing became uneven while having more images of Yūichi flash into her mind.
"Ichigo." Karin says weakly as she gets out of be and leans against the bedroom door. "I have got to tell him." She grunts, pulling herself up.
Back with Ichigo and Rukia, Ichigo was still concentrating the Reiatsu around him while Rukia continues to stare in awe.
'He's trying to feel Yūichi's soul in that bird. Even I can't sense such a weak soul at this distance. And that human soul is partially eclipsed by the bird's soul. To hone in on it from so far away.' Rukia thought before seeing the specks of light condense into long white ribbons. "He's done it." She says in awe.
"Oh, yeah, I found you!" Ichigo says grabbing two ribbons with his left hand.
"Uh. Wow." Rukia says and watches as Ichigo runs off. 'He saw it. Reiraku, rays of Reiatsu. But only a high level Shinigami can see those. Just how strong are you really, Ichigo Kurosaki?' She wonders as she chases after him.
Back at the abandon factory, Chad was sitting down and leaning against the wall underneath a window with Yūichi's cage right next to him. The two said nothing until Chad felt a pull at his Reiryoku.
"It seems Ichigo has managed to find where I am. I just felt a pull on my Reiryoku." Chad says.
"I just felt something pull at my being too." Yūichi says but then there was a creaking sound.
"Huh?" Chad asks as he looks up and sees something in the shadows standing on the pipes near the ceiling.
The figure leaps from the pipes straight at them and Chad realizes immediately that it's the Hollow. As he grabs Yūichi's cage and dodges the Hollow's strike.
"It's found us. Let's get out of here." Chad says running towards the window on the opposite side.
"Oh, mister!" Yūichi says with worry.
"Don't worry, we're gonna make it." Chad says as he jumps through the window.
Outside, Ichigo and Rukia are running down the street following the Chad and Yūichi's Reirakus when suddenly, Chad crosses the road in front of them.
"There!" Ichigo shouts gaining Chad's attention. "It's Chad!" He says and runs towards him.
'Good, now that Ichigo is here…' Chad thought but then noticed something behind Ichigo and Rukia. 'Not good.' He thought before running away from them.
"Hey, Chad, stop running away!" Ichigo calls out to him.
"I thought you said he'd follow your plan." Rukia says.
"He would but-" Ichigo begins to say.
"Ichigo!" A voice behind them calls out as the two Shinigami turn around to see Ichigo's younger sister, Karin.
"Karin? What are you doing here? You look really sick." Ichigo says to her. 'That's why Chad ran off. Since Karin's not a Shinigami yet, he knows I wouldn't risk fighting anyone or anything with one of my sisters close by while they're not feeling well.' He thought but then sees Karin stumble to the ground. "Karin?" He asks rushing over to her.
"Ichigo, you need to get Karin home now so we know she'll be safe. I'll handle them." Rukia says.
"Are you sure, Rukia?" Ichigo asks his partner in concern.
"I know what would happen if we leave her here. You'd be worrying about her when you fight the Hollow, and that cannot happen here no matter what." Rukia says as she sees Ichigo turn to face his sister. "Go on, get moving. Get her home, and get back here quick." She instructs him.
"Rukia, I hope you know right now you don't have the strength to fight a Hollow by yourself." Ichigo says kneeling in front of his sister. "Please, don't do anything too risky until I get back." He says.
"Don't be stupid." Rukia says looking away from him to hide her blushing face before getting it under control and turning to face her substitute. "A veteran Shinigami never takes any unnecessary chances with a Hollow." She says. 'But it's nice to know that you care.' She thought. "Now, go." She orders and runs off after Chad.
"Right." Ichigo says holding Karin in his arms and runs off back towards the clinic. "You're going to be all right, Karin. You just hold on and hang in there, okay?" He says to her.
"Ichigo, I came to tell you, I saw it. I saw the memories of the spirit possessing that bird. Maybe it was because I'm the closest in age to that human soul. His strongest memory flowed into my mind, and I saw it all. I saw exactly what he saw: his mother's murder." Karin says shocking Ichigo. "It happened right in front of him. You must tell him that if he goes to the other side, she'll be there. You've got to help that poor boy! Please do it! Don't let him be alone anymore. All the terrible pain he's had, it needs to end." She says with tears in her eyes as she grips her brother's school uniform.
'I can believe Karin saw all of Yūichi's memories. Could this be a Shinigami ability she possesses?' Ichigo wonders as he stares at the crying form of his sister in his arms.
Meanwhile, Rukia was chasing after Chad and Yuichi but was much further behind them as she pants heavily.
'Damn! I can't even catch up with him! This Gigai I have is worthless, I can't even fly! Next time I get a temporary body, I'll make the R&D imbeciles give me one stronger than this! This Gigai's legs can barely run, and its heart and lungs are slowing me down. This is bad.' Rukia thought panting heavily still attempting to catch up to Chad.
"You smell good." A voice says causing Rukia to stop running as she looks around. "You smell wonderful, delicious. Time to eat your soul!" The Hollow says appearing beside Rukia causing her to front flip away from it as it attempts to attack her. "So you're still alive. You're tougher than I thought, and you can see me quiet clearly. That makes me curious. My name is Shrieker." The Hollow, now known as Shrieker, says introducing himself.
Shrieker stands at around two to three times the height of most Humans, with an ape-like body that leads him to stand on all fours during most occasions. He has shaggy black fur around his neck and shoulders, as well as in two lines arcing toward the center of his chest on either side of his torso, and large black wings connected to his hands. His Hollow mask is vertically long and narrow, with thick and exposed teeth framed by black, flame-like markings, a skull-like nose, a large and circular chin, and a forehead with a half-circle indent at the top, as well as a long, uniquely-shaped tongue split into two ends that form a circle. His Hollow hole is located in the center of his chest.
"Just who are you?" Shrieker asks but is suddenly kneed in the face by Rukia before she springs off the back of his face and into the air behind him.
"Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws. Hadō #33. Sōkatsui (Blue Fire, Crash Down)!" Rukia recites a Hadō spell which creates a large cloud of smoke upon hitting Shrieker's back. 'I did it. I got my powers back.' She thought mentally cheering for herself. "Huh?" She asks in shock when Shrieker emerges from the cloud of smoke unharmed.
Elsewhere, Chad stops running after hearing a loud explosion nearby.
"Huh? What's going on? Hear that?" Chad asks turning around to face the direction the noise came from.
"It's attacking her." Yuichi says.
"Hmm?" Chad asks turning to face the bird.
"It's that young lady that was with you and mister Ichigo last night. The monster is attacking her right now. It's going to hurt her really bad." Yuichi says.
"You, just stay here." Chad says setting the bird cage down on the ground. "I gotta go." He says standing back up.
"What are you going to do?" Yuichi asks.
"I'm going to help her. The only reason we didn't follow the plan before, which was to lure the Hollow to Ichigo so he could slay it, was because his younger sister was there and she wasn't looking to well. Plus I know Ichigo wouldn't be able to focus if she was there like that." He says.
"Wait! Please! Don't go, it's just too dangerous." Yuichi cries flapping his wings.
"Hmm." Chad simply says.
"No, don't. Don't do it! Don't go! You don't understand." Yuichi continues to cry as Chad places his cage on top of a wall. "Wait. It's not me I'm worried about, it's you. I've seen what that monster did to all the others who tried to help me before and I don't want that to happen to you too!" Yuichi shouts as he watches Chad run off.
Back with Rukia and Shrieker, the smoke from Rukia's spell clears away, she was stunned as she realizes that her attack did not even leave a scratch.
'Oh, no. My spell, it didn't even hurt him!' Rukia thought as she hears Shrieker chuckle.
"I see. So that's what you are. I know that smell, it's a Shinigami's spell. But yours was so it had no bite to it. Too bad." Shrieker taunts as Rukia leaps away from him.
'It's just as I thought. My Kidō hasn't recovered its force. My spell has no effect.' Rukia thought cursing her weak state.
"My, my, a tender little Shinigami who's lost her power. Mm, and you do smell so delicious. This is bringing back such wonderful memories. You see, I've already had the pleasure of devouring two other Shinigamis who tried to help this boy pass on to the Soul Society. And I assure you, they were mighty good eating." Shrieker says.
Elsewhere, Karin continues to cry in her brother's arms.
"Don't worry, Karin. I already know that boy's story, and I promise that I will help him, no matter what." Ichigo says gently to her.
"You've gotta make sure you tell that boy, if he passes on, he'll be able to see his mother! You just have to let that poor boy know. Don't let that boy be alone anymore. Please don't let that happen. He deserves to be at peace." Karin begs as she continues to sob away in Ichigo's arms.
Author's Note: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please be sure to leave a review and tell me what you thought of it. The next chapter is going to follow the layout of that episode but will have something different in it too.