A/N: Here we go! Next chapter is up! But first, here are the Review Responses:
PartyPony2: I won't confirm your suspicions until later on in the story. (So many mysteries!) To be honest, I haven't really decided if it will be a HitsuHina romance, or a sibling type of thing. Guess I'll find the answer as the story goes. No, he is not the Shinenju (Memory Rosary). Movie 1 actually has nothing to do with this story. I might add it later as a side story, but that's undecided. The movie I'm referencing (the most) is Movie 2. And, we'll find out about the spirit ribbons later on. I haven't gotten that far ahead yet.
skylark dragonstar: That's what I'm trying to make my story do, get people to read more. And I'm amazed how fast you guys catch on.
Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own Bleach! All of it belongs to Tite Kubo.
And thank you all for the favs and the story alerts!
~5~5~5~5~
Chapter 5: The Difference between Right and Wrong
Ichigo kept running.
'How many years has it been since I last saw Toushirou cry? Until our mom died, Toushirou was a somewhat outgoing kid, just like Karin and Yuzu. After Mom died, Yuzu, who was the clever and responsible one, tried to fill in for our mom, and began to take over the housekeeping, and Karin tried to help her. But Toushirou, who wasn't good at much of anything, stopped crying altogether so as not to worry the rest of us. Even when he lost a fight with an upperclassman or completely shattered his ankle playing soccer once, he never cried. So if he's crying, then he must really be in pain,' Ichigo thought.
'I saw the memories of the spirit possessing that bird. I saw his mother killed. It happened right before his eyes! You have to help that poor boy. Please, do it!'
'Just leave this to me, Toushirou...'
Rukia and Momo were both slammed into the wall. Momo's sword was lying eight feet away from her, behind the hollow. So even if she broke free, she'd have to get past the hollow to get her sword.
"Are you two really Shinigami? If you are, then take off that meat suit and fight me for real! Use that spell on me once more. Hit with you best shot!" Rukia and Momo said nothing. They merely struggled against the hollow's right grip.
"Either way, you both die-!" The hollow was cut off by a hard blow to the way. It fell to the ground.
"Hey...I hit something...Alright..." Chad said.
'He...actually landed a punch on a hollow...' Rukia couldn't believe it.
'Can he see spirits?' Momo asked. Chad was punching open air. 'I'm guessing...no.'
"It was just a lucky punch. He scared me for a minute there. I thought he could see me."
Chad landed yet another punch right in the hollow's face.
"Alright...I got him again..." Chad said.
'I...I can't believe what I'm seeing,' Momo thought. 'And I'm sure Rukia-san is thinking the same thing. He can't see the hollow, much less hear his voice. By sheer force, he's calmly facing down an enemy whose power he cannot even imagine. It's like he has no sense of fear...'
"Damn you..." The hollow growled. He jumped up and spread his wings and laughed. "Let's see you try and punch me down, you clueless human toad. You'll never even see me coming. And what are you going to do, you good-for-nothing Shinigami!" He aimed that last one at Momo, who merely narrowed her eyes.
"Hey, don't just stand there! Get moving!" Rukia yelled at Chad. "He's in the air right above you!"
"Hey there, new girl...you can see spirits?" Chad asked.
"Never mind about that! In any case, at a distance..."
"Where is he?" Chad cut her off.
"Huh?"
"He's flying, right? Which direction?"
"What good would knowing that do?" Rukia asked.
"If you've got a fly, you use a fly swatter..."
Meanwhile, in the air, the hollow said, "So many ways I can attack him. Shall I do a hit-and-run and snatch him like a falcon?"
Chad grunted and yelled and broke the telephone pole in half.
"What the hell?"
"Now..." Chad told Rukia. "Where is he?"
"Right there! Swing down right there!" Rukia said.
The hollow could only watch as the telephone pole brought him crashing down to the ground. Rukia ran up to him and Chad threw the broke piece of wood to the ground.
"You're finished now, hollow. Momo, now!"
Momo could now grab her sword. She raised it over her head and prepared to swing it down.
"Shinigami...the whole bunch of you, are always...getting beaten by us!"
Little creatures jumped from the bushes behind the three and pounced on them, catching them by surprise, and pinned them to the ground.
"Looks like the show's on the other foot..."
'Oh no...Tobiume...help...' Momo thought desperately.
"You Shinigami take us too lightly. That's why you keep ending up like this."
Rukia and Momo struggled.
"Now… who shall I eat first? I think I'll save the human for last..."
Chad gave out another cry and he broke free from whatever was pinning him to the ground.
"What? You're the craziest human I've ever seen!" The hollow cried. "You can't even see me, yet you think you can destroy me with sheer muscle power? I'm going to enjoy eating you!"
Chad aimed another punch at the hollow, but the hollow dodged it in time.
'Damn...he almost landed another one on me! He's got pretty good instincts.'
"This way, Chad! Kick the air above me!" Rukia called out.
Chad kicked the little creatures right off of Rukia.
"Another lucky hit!" The hollow cried.
Chad was punching the air again. "He's not there! He's in the air again."
"Oh..."
"But I think I have a plan..."
A few moments later, Chad muttered, "Hey, new girl, if you ask me, there are some problems with this plan of yours."
"Don't worry about it. It will work," Rukia said.
Momo, meanwhile, was getting up, since the creatures jumped back up to the hollow. 'I think what Rukia-san's trying to do is utilize Sado-kun's strength and her intelligence.'
"You must be smart, because this seems pretty stupid to me," Chad muttered.
"Let me do the thinking for the both of us," Rukia said. "Just aim me. I'll tell you where."
"Where? This way?"
"Left..."
"Left?"
"Too far! Too far! Right!"
"Here?"
"Perfect! Now, get ready to launch me...Steady..." Momo got ready to jump as Chad got ready to launch Rukia.
"If I'm this far up in the air, no electric pole with reach me!"
"Fire!" Rukia and Momo were flying at the hollow. "Give up," Rukia muttered.
"It's over, hollow," Momo said.
"You right, Shinigami! I was a fool to think I could defeat you two! I surrender! Ha! Kidding!" A creature appeared on each of the hollow's shoulders, which spat out purple leeches at Rukia and Momo.
Rukia cried out as she fell.
"I got you!" Chad caught Rukia as she fell. "What happened?"
"Sorry about that. He caught me by surprise. Thanks for catching me," Rukia said.
"Damn...What are these things sticking to me? Leeches?" Momo cried, catching Rukia's attention.
"Exactly! Try all you like," the hollow said, as Momo tried to pull them off. "They won't come off so easily. And you'll find out they have a nasty little habit...of exploding!" With its tongue, the hollow let out a high frequency sound wave, making the leeches explode. Both girls fell to the ground. Momo was close to passing out.
"New girl! What happened?" Chad desperately asked Rukia.
"Are you surprised? Your guard was wide open."
Chad got up and stood in front of the hollow. "Hey, new girl...you and your friend get out of here."
"You...you can see Momo?" Momo weakly looked up at this.
"No...But I know she's there..." Chad said.
Rukia and Momo said nothing.
"Oh, you want some more, eh, hotshot? But first, there's someone I want you to meet."
The hollow revealed the bird.
"Huh?"
"I get it...he ran off a while ago to gain some time to bring this here...!"
"I'm sorry, Mister...He caught me..."
"That's okay."
"Looks like you understand, big boy. And with three leech bombs on the bird cage, you'll do exactly as I say. It's time to play with you, Shinigami in the meat suit. Run! Let me enjoy hunting you down!"
"Do as he says!" Rukia said, standing up. "Don't think for a second that he won't blow up the bird. At least the chase will take him away from here, so you and Momo will be safe."
"What about you?" Momo struggled to get out.
"Don't worry about me. I gave my word...not to foul up."
"Good luck!"
Rukia nodded and then ran off. The leech bombs followed her.
"This is getting fun!" The hollow said, also gaining on her tail.
Rukia ran. The leeches gained up on her. Soon they were right beside her, on either side. They readied leach bombs. Rukia jumped up and avoided the jets of leeches. She landed on the edge of a wall, but was sprayed by yet another jet stream of leeches.
"This might sting a little!" The hollow laughed and sent out the sound wave, making the bombs explode.
"How nice to see you covered in your own blood. You're so pretty. I think red becomes you, Shinigami! Let see some more!"
The hollow threw another creature at her. Rukia ran right past it.
"Faster, faster, faster! Come on!" The hollow laughed. "How long do you intend to keep running? Like you could actually turn around and fight me!"
The hollow stopped because Rukia did the same.
"Done already? Have you given up already? That's no fun. Come on, run, will you?"
"I haven't give up...I have no need to run anymore."
"What?"
"You challenged me to attack you, didn't you? Or was that just an idiotic bluff?" Rukia turned to face the hollow. "Either way, you're about to meet your doom. You challenged me to attack you, and attack you, I will!"
The hollow growled.
"Hold on!" Ichigo stomped on the hollow's head, pinning it to the ground.
"Perfect timing, Ichigo," Rukia said.
"You act like you planned it this way! Didn't you promise to not worry me by fouling up?"
"Well now, that's a line for someone who's even a little bit worried, to say."
"I guess you're right."
"How touching. Are you going to keep standing on my head all day?" Ichigo got up right as the hollow got yet another kick to the face.
Both Ichigo and Momo landed right next to him, standing back to back.
"What! How did you heal so fast?"
"That was just a clone, created by me with the help of my zanpaktou!" Momo said cheerfully. "Hinamori Momo, Lieutenant of the Fifth Division!"
"And Kurosaki Ichigo, Substitute Shinigami. And if you want to play some serious tag, I think it's us you ought to chase." Rukia put on her red glove.
"Substitute Shinigami? Damn. I screwed up...when the three of you split up back there, I should have gone after the Substitute!"
The creatures spit out more leeches. The hollow sent out the sound wave.
"Ichigo!" Rukia yelled, splitting Ichigo's soul from his body. Luna grabbed his body before it could be harmed, as the explosion rang out throughout the area.
"Where'd you go?"
Ichigo unsheathed his sword and got the hollow's left arm.
"You're too slow. I can tell your soul is going to be tasty!"
'Come on, Ichigo-san. Distract him a little longer.'
"Ruler! The mask of flesh and blood! All things in the universe that fly! That which names all, heat and war. Beyond the seas in reverse, take steps to the south! Hadou no San Juu Ichi: Shakkahou!"
Momo's kidou spell hit the hollow with much greater force that Rukia's. The hollow yelled out in pain.
"Great job, Momo!" Rukia said.
"Thanks! But now's not the time for celebration just yet."
"Say hello...to my little friends!"
"I see. So you used those bombs to pin down Chad so you could attack a defenseless girl. You're nothing but a coward. Time to pay!"
"The only price I'm going to pay is indigestion."
"Ichigo! Ichigo! What's wrong?" Chad called out.
"Don't worry," Rukia told. "Right now, Ichigo is fighting to protect us all."
Ichigo cut open the creatures. All three landed on a ground beside and behind him with a splat.
"Good move. But remember, the leeches spilling from their guts are still live ammunition!"
The hollow sent out the sound wave, making the leeches explode. Ichigo jumped up from the smoke and held his giant sword right at the hollow's neck. Momo followed suit.
"Tell me...before I slice and dice you...You killed the mother of that boy inside the cockatiel, didn't you? You might as well admit it. Because either way, you're going down!" Ichigo said.
"Is that true?" Rukia asked.
"I'm afraid it's all my fault. Because of me, the man the two girls, and the boy all got hurt. It's all because I wanted to bring my mom back to life. I never meant for this to happen. If I knew people would get hurt, I never would have done it. I'm sorry...I just wanted to see my mother again."
"Wait!" Rukia said. "Did he tell you that he could bring your mother back to life? How could you believe such a lie?"
"Because he wanted to believe it!"
"Bastard!"
"Yes, I killed that kid's mother, back when I was still alive. You might have heard about me. I was all over the TV, the news, the radio, everywhere. I was a famous serial killer. They never would've caught me either, but I was too smart. I'd still be out there, hunting today, but as it turned out, the kid's mother was my last score. She was a sweet one. I stabbed her eight times and she ran and ran, bleeding. She barely had any breath left, but she still tried to protect the kid."
*Flashback*
Another rock hit her face. This time it scratched her, making her bleed. The next stone never hit her. Momo looked up to see her best friend standing in front of her. He turned to look at her, a big, nasty bruise on his face.
"S-Shirou-chan..." Momo teared up. "Taking hits for me..."
"I have to, Hinamori...otherwise, you'll get killed by your own naivety..." Toushirou softly said.
*End*
"I really got off on it. But that's where everything went sour. I chased her onto the balcony and finished her off. Then that stupid kid grabbed my shoe laces. I lost my balance and fell twenty stories down. Who would've thought I'd get knocked over by a snot-nosed kid? Suddenly, I was dead, I was pissed, and I wanted payback. The punk kid was still alive, so I ripped his soul from his body and stuck it in the stupid cockatiel. Then I told him this: If he could run from me in that bird body for three full months, I'd bring his precious mommy back to life."
"Bring someone back to life-?" Ichigo asked.
"Fool! Of course, I couldn't do that! Bringing a dead person back to life is impossible! I just said that to get the brat to play along. And it worked like a charm. He runs from me and I get the thrill of the chase. Plus, there's the added pleasure of slaughtering everyone who tries to help him! And when he cries 'Don't hurt them!' and he wants to quit our little game, that's when I use my clincher. 'Mommy's waiting for you to save her!' What a laugh! But it always works! Hahaha!" The hollow grabbed both the swords. "What about you? It's time to kill you both!" He threw some more leeches. Ichigo merely grabbed them, stepping in front of Momo. "Your defense is weak, Shinigami!"
Ichigo sped up and punched the hollow in its face with the hand that held the leech bombs, smashing its mask surrounding its mouth. "Here! Take your bomb back! What's wrong? Aren't you gonna set it off now? Go ahead and click your tongue!" The hollow said and did nothing. "Well if you aren't going to use it, then I might as well...take it from you!" Ichigo ripped the hollow's tongue right out of its mouth.
"Ah, my tongue! Ah! You son of a-! Ah!"
Momo gave the hollow no time to think. She slashed the hollow right across its mask.
The slicing motion grew and the doors of Hell sprang up from the ground.
"Wha-What is that?" Ichigo asked, tensing up.
"Don't worry," Momo said. "Those are the gates of Hell, but they're only opening for him. The zanpaktou can only wash away the sins a soul has committed as a hollow. Those who commit sins while alive go to Hell."
The hollow screamed in even more pain, but was silenced when it was stabbed in the chest. As the doors closed, Momo muttered angrily, "That...was for Shirou-chan..."
"Well?" It was sunset and Momo was back into her gigai.
"It's unfortunate, but...his chain of fate has been severed. There's no sign if it. There's no way I can return him to his body."
"Yuichi..."
"Oh, no..."
"But don't worry!" Momo said, back to her cheerful self. "The Soul Society isn't a scary place! You'll be happy there. You'll never get hungry and you'll never grow old. In fact, it's a much better place to live in than this world."
"Oh...?" Ichigo said. "You can say that...when you're just a hanger-on...?"
"Wha-?"
"But, anyways, that's not the point. When you pass over, you'll see your mom again." Yuichi straightened up and smiled. "Maybe we can't bring her back to life, but she is on the other side, waiting for you. And this time...it's really true."
"Ichigo..." Rukia said.
"Mister Sado...thank you for everything...you carried me everywhere in your arms and protect me from a terrible monster."
"Don't mention it."
"Well, I guess I'll be going now. Thank you all very much."
"Yuichi? When I pass over one day, would you mind if I carried you around again?"
Yuichi, the spirit, nodded. "And please give the snowy-haired boy my best regards, too..."
"Don't worry, I will," Ichigo said. "Now...let's begin the konso."
In his sleep, Toushirou's tears of pain and sadness turned to tears of happiness.
"Ichigo...thank you..."
The hell butterfly flew up into the night sky.
~5~5~5~5~
A/N: Review, please!
Remember this question from the previous chapter: "Can anyone guess what Toushirou just displayed? There's a specific word as to what he is."
The answer: It's "empath". He's actually a spiritual empath. That means, he can sense the emotions and see the memories of any kind of spirit. That's what was slowing him down in Chapter 2, or part of the reason. The second reason is yet to come.