Chapter 12: Awakening

Shiro grasped Ichigo around his waist with an arm as he tackled his brother who held an unconscious Yuzu. The hollow's hand barely missed him as he took his brother down. Ichigo curled around Yuzu as they came down hard onto the ground. "Fuckin' hell Ichi!" Shiro shelled at his twin.

The orange haired teen look Yuzu over to ensure she was unharmed. "I didn't even think." he said as he turned his attention towards the creature in front of them.

"Fools! You could get killed!" the raven haired woman yelled as she jumped in front of them just as the monster slammed its fist towards them only to be throw backwards by a blast coming from the girl's hand.

"Why couldn't I sense the creature before it was upon me?" she muttered softly though both boys heard her. "It's as if something was buffering the sounds it was making. As if..." She grunted as the creature slammed its fist at her only to be blocked expertly by her sword. "The hollow must be attracted by his spirit pressure. It's the only thing that it can be."

"What?" Ichigo asked as realization hit him. "Me? I'm the one attracting that monster? I'm the one who put my family at risk?"

Shiro could see it in Ichigo's eyes. The guilt of having been responsible for their family almost being killed by the monster before them. However, before he could let Ichigo do something stupid he hit his brother on the back of the neck using a karate chop to do so. Knock unconscious, Ichigo fell to the ground next to his little sister and with it his spiritual pressure vanished, however, Shiro's was sill high and was teasing the hollow. Letting his anger coming out, Shiro glared at the Shinigami woman. "You better not be some weak ass bitch or else I'm gonna kill you after this!" he yelled at her as he touched base with his inner spirit. Now what do we do?

The hollowfied zanpakuto spirit grinned. Now, I'm going to eject you out of your body. You may feel queasy afterwards. Shiro was about to ask what it meant by that when he felt a sharp pain and light exploded around them.

Rukia Kuchiki had been in the living world for nearly a month when she had felt the high levels of spiritual pressure. She had been following a lead of a hollow that had suddenly vanished when she felt this new power. Tracing to the tiny family medical clinic she'd discovered the orange haired boy. She'd been shocked that the boy had been able to see her. Not only that, he could physically touch her. It had been unusual. Then, to add to things, he had broken her binding kido. She had gone to chase after him, as he'd sensed the hollow that she'd been chasing earlier, when another wonder had occurred; a second boy had appeared. White hair, gold/black eyes and high spiritual power had slammed into her throwing her off balance. The second boy, his power reminded her of a hollow, but he was obviously a human. So how is this possible?

Pushing these thoughts back, Rukia had run out of the house in time to see the hollow about to attack the two boys and their small sister. Without thought she began to defend them. Striking the hollow, she tried to understand why it was attacking them so desperately, until she understood the entire situation, but she'd accidentally spoke her thoughts out loud; a habit she still was trying to overcome. The second boy had knocked the first unconscious before threatening her. Not knowing what the boy could do, Rukia found herself preparing to defend herself from two threats when the white haired boy began to glow. She shielded her eyes from a bright light that came from the white haired boy. When the light died down she saw the boy in a white Shihakusho with a large zanpakuto upon his back, a white blade with black on the bottom with a black ribbon around the handle. The air around him swirled as the energy around him being released from his body began to settle.

"How-" she began when suddenly the hollow, who she'd momentarily had forgotten about, slapped her away. Rukia slammed into a vehicle, her head throbbing and bleeding as she lifted it up just in time to witness the hollow slam it's fist down upon the teens. A flash of energy was released as the white haired teen slashed the fist with his large white sword. Rukia felt her knees grow weak as she realized that the hollow's claws had scratched her and she had been poisoned by them. She began to feel her spiritual energy begin to be drained. That boy... she thought as she saw him point his sword at the monster which roared mightily at him. At the tip of his sword a red ball of energy formed before being released. ...he's not human. Her mind began to grow hazy as she felt her consciousness slip away. What...is...he?

When the red energy disappeared with it the hollow vanished into dust, leaving the white haired teen standing alone in the street. A tapping sound that sounded an awful lot like wooden shoes caught his attention. Turning his head towards the sound Shiro felt his inner demon quiver in fright and anger at the man before him. "Yo, Getabushi." Shiro greeted the man wearing the green and white stripped bucket hat and matching green haori. "Been a while."

"Shiro..." the man said as he examined with his eyes the home with a large hole in it, the unconscious children and shinigami woman. "What did you do?" The teen just grinned.

M-Angel: Sorry that this was so short. I'll be updating a few other stories over the next week or two but I will return to this story. Promise!