The Whole Hollow

Chapter 6

Thanks for sticking around. Here's the next installment of this fiction. I've split the story into several arcs. We are in Arc 1, Life of a Hollow. I hope you all enjoy this.

Note: I've been thinking about what I should do about a pairing for this story. I've been considering having Sung-sun have a bit of a crush on Ichigo for saving her life earlier, but I wasn't sure who Ichigo would eventually fall for and end up with. I was considering Harribel, but I'm welcome to ideas if you can make it seem logical.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

It had been about a week since Ichigo had joined Harribel's group and it had been quite the experience. They had taught him a lot about how to function as a Hollow and how to use some of the techniques that he possessed as an Adjuchas. The girls were surprised to find that Ichigo's power as a Hollow was well beyond what an Adjuchas would normally have. At the level he was at currently, he had enough power to top any Adjuchas he fought, though it still paled in comparison to the power held by a Vasto Lorde. The group had slowly begun to accept Ichigo's place among them, and they were currently wandering through the desert, looking for prey.

"This place is pretty gloomy," muttered Ichigo, "I mean seriously, is it always night here?"

"Heh," smirched Apacci, "that's Hueco Mundo for you. But who needs the sun anyway?"

"Well excuse me," muttered Ichigo, "I'm still getting used to the perpetual nighttime here. Where I'm from the sun actually came out once in a while."

"What was the human world like?" asked Sung-sun curiously as she slithered up next to Ichigo, "Most of us can't remember much about our previous lives, so I am curious as to what the human world is like now."

Ichigo chuckled as the group walked (or slithered in Sung-sun's case) through the desert of the endless night, "It's a nice place. I have lots of friends and a loving family that care for me even after my transformation. My family cares for our home and my friends help me protect the town."

"What are your sisters like?" asked Sung-sun as she slid closer to the One Protector as they walked.

"They're twins," said Ichigo as he thought back to his family at home, "but despite that, they're nothing alike. Karin gets her looks from her father, but her personality is a lot like mine, while Yuzu looks just like our mother did and is a little angel at heart that is a goddess when it comes to domestic chores like cooking and cleaning."

"Cooking?" asked Mila Rose, "You mean you eat human food?"

"That can't help you sustain your hunger, so why do you eat it?" asked Apacci as she glanced at Ichigo curiously.

Ichigo let out a short laugh, "If you ever taste her cooking, you'll immediately understand. Sometimes I think she could bring on world peace with her cooking alone."

Harribel watched as Ichigo laughed and talked with the rest of her group and couldn't help but be rather surprised at how quickly he had become a part of their little troop. Not only that, but she wasn't oblivious to the way that Sung-Sun seemed to enjoy spending time with the new Hollow. If she was human, Harribel might even say the snake Hollow had a crush. But they were getting off track. They were out here to hunt.

"That's enough questions for now," said Harribel, "we have some company."

Just as she said that, several figures appeared around the group in blurs of speed. They were obviously Adjuchas, but their appearances varied. One resembled a large white crustacean, while another looked like a wooly mammoth with skeletal armor. The third figure Ichigo recognized as Ggio Vega. Flanking the three Adjuchas were several dozen hollows who's strength varied as far as Ichigo could tell.

"What do you bastards want?" spat Apacci as she glared at the new arrivals.

"Silence wench," said the crustacean coldly, "we do not have business with you today."

"Then what do you want?" asked Mila Rose.

The Adjuchas ignored her and turned to Ichigo before bowing politely with a claw across his chest, "Greetings. I am Findorr Calius. This is my comrade Nirgge Parduoc, and I'm sure you remember Ggio here."

"Why are you here?" growled Ichigo.

"We are here to offer an invitation to you, Ichigo Kurosaki," said Findorr, "his majesty, Lord Barragan has heard of your strength and extends an offer for you to join his elite ranks."

"Sorry," said Ichigo, "I think I'll stick with my friends here."

"What?" scoffed Nirgge, "You'd want to stay with these women? Did they become your bitches or something?"

Harribel and the others were about to retort, but they were stopped when they felt a crushing Reiatsu presence that, though not directed at them, even made Harribel hesitate for a moment.

"Don't EVER talk about my friends that way," snarled Ichigo as his Reiatsu flared like towering black flames with red outlines that were directed at the Hollows surrounding him.

The three male Adjuchas took steps back as they felt the crushing weight of Ichigo's Reiatsu. Several of the other Hollows even turned and fled before the ferocity. Findorr couldn't help but gulp, this one's Reiatsu was beyond what a normal Adjuchas would have. It wasn't on Vasto Lorde level, but it was close, and definitely beyond what the three of them had.

"Now," said Ichigo dangerously, "I suggest you leave before you do something you regret."

"You've made a dangerous enemy this day," said Findorr, "you shall face his majesty's wrath for this."

Before the crustacean Hollow could continue though, Ichigo shot forward and slammed a clawed fist into the Hollow's claw, causing a crack to form and part of it to chip off. Ichigo then followed through on the other two Adjuchas as they closed in on him by spinning and using his tail to slam Vega into Parduoc, breaking off a fang and a tusk respectively.

Picking up the broken off pieces of the Hollows, Ichigo glared at them, "I suggest you leave now."

The three Adjuchas decided that the smarter course of action would be to withdraw and lick their wounds, so they fled with their army of Hollows following behind.

"That was impressive," said Mila Rose, "you beat the three of them easily."

"Here," said Ichigo as he tossed the Hollow parts he was holding to the three girls, "eat up."

"You're giving this to us?" said Apacci in surprise.

"Why not?" asked Ichigo, "I can eat later."

"That is most generous of you, Ichigo," said Sung-Sun as she picked up one of the pieces and raised it to her mouth with her tail, "thank you."

The three female Adjuchas devoured the fragments of the other Hollows that Ichigo had given them and felt their hunger vanish as their power spiked.

"Well," said Harribel from where she had watched all of this, "let us be on our way. Ichigo, I would speak with you in private?"

"Sure," said Ichigo as he hung back with Harribel as the others walked on ahead, "what is it?"

"That was quite the generous act you just did," said Harribel, "consuming those remains would have certainly pushed you forward in your road to evolution."

"I don't really care about all that," said Ichigo, "I simply want to protect those close to me. I'm not focused on Hollow evolution, so I thought the three of them would like it better."

"You really are an unusual individual," said Harribel as they resumed walking.

"I've been told that in the past," chuckled Ichigo.

"It seems I wasn't wrong to add you to our group," said Harribel.