Chapter 13: Two Riders Were Approaching
"GOOD MORN-NIIINGGGGG ICHI-GOOOOOO!!!!"
"What the HELL is wrong with you?!" Ichigo bellowed as he clambered up from the floor where his father had kicked him, "It's the weekend you deranged excuse for a parent!"
"An enemy waits for no time or season to attack," Isshin said sagely.
"You got that from a fortune cookie!"
"The Chinese are a wise people son, you'd do well to-"
But Ichigo didn't give him time to finish his lecture, ushering him out of the room with a swift kick to the gut.
"Heed-…my-…advice!" Isshin said, calling out each word as he hit a new step on the stairway.
His son rolled his eyes and rubbed the sleep out of them, yawning tiredly.
I didn't get a lot of sleep last night. I guess I stayed up too late talking to-…Rukia!
He froze as the cogs turned in his head.
She probably heard all that…
"Um…Rukia?" he said tentatively, sliding the door of his closet.
Expecting an irritable and violent reaction, Ichigo was surprised to find the girl in his closet giggling.
"Your father is very…funny…" she said between titters.
"Easy for you to say," Ichigo muttered, rubbing his stomach, "You didn't get kicked…"
"So, will you really be dueling Ishida-san today?" she asked, her laughter subsiding.
"Crap!" Ichigo groused, slapping his forehead, "I totally forgot about that…I don't suppose you could offer me any pointers?"
Rukia shrugged. "I had never heard of a Quincy until yesterday."
Ichigo sighed. "I really don't want to do this…but maybe I can beat some sense into him…"
"Why…are you doing this?" Rukia asked tentatively, toying with the sleeves of the pajamas she had "borrowed" from Yuzu.
Her orange-haired host frowned, sitting back down on his bed and crossing his arms in thought.
"I guess it's because…I owe him. He saved my life," he replied finally, a wry smile tugging at his lips, "Something you have in common…"
She made to deny his assertion, but was stopped when Ichigo raised a hand an obstinate expression on his face.
"Forget it! I know what you're going to say. From now on, all of your opinions on what happened that night will be rejected!"
"You can't just-"
"Rejected!"
XXXXXXXXXX
After sharing some breakfast in his room, Ichigo and Rukia set off for the park to prepare before the duel.
"Are you sure you want me with you?" Rukia wondered as the pair passed a playground full of children enjoying the early summer sun, "Ishida-san holds a grudge against shinigami and my presence-"
"-Will help me convince him he's an idiot. But if he wants to be stubborn, then I need to be ready to fight him."
"I suppose you're right," she conceded. They walked in silence for a time, as they moved away from the potentially curious children at play.
Looking back at them, Rukia felt a pang of envy. If only I could have grown up in a place this safe…
She soon quashed her jealousy, reminding herself not to be distracted. I need to do my best to help Ichigo prepare. Who knows what that Urahara has been teaching him…
Upon reaching a suitably isolated clearing, Ichigo took the gikongan canister from his pocket and swallowed one of the pills, expelling him from his gigai.
"Nice…bunny…" Ichigo snickered upon seeing Rukia do the same.
"Sh-shut up!" Rukia bit back, slightly flustered as she too exited her artificial body, "At least it's not the unpopular Alfred!"
"Easy boy," Ichigo said, grabbing the back of his gigai's shirt as Alfred struggled in vain to get at the short shinigami.
"She has insulted my honor sir! I demand satisfaction! I must duel her!"
"Well, I need her for my duel, so you'll just have to wait."
"Very well sir," the artificial soul said grudgingly, straightening himself stiffly and going to stand over by Chappy, who waved excitedly at him.
Both shinigami drew their zanpakutō, sizing each other up.
"I appreciate that you're taking me seriously, but there was no need to perform shikai immediately," Rukia frowned, staring at the enormous cleaver blade Ichigo rested on his shoulder.
Ichigo blinked blankly. "What? What's shikai?"
"You mean…you don't know your zanpakutō's name?"
"Of course I do," Ichigo said indignantly, "It's Zangetsu. Why?"
"So Urahara never told you about shikai, the initial release?" Rukia said, shaking her head is disbelief, "He must be a poor instructor…"
"He can be really vague and cryptic y-…hey! What do you mean initial?! Is there another one?!"
"Yes, bankai. It usually takes years of training to achieve though. It is one of the requirements to becoming a captain and is seldom attained by anyone. Perhaps one person in a generation is capable of achieving it."
"So, if knowing your zanpakutō's name lets you do shikai, then what lets you do bankai?" Ichigo wondered, thinking of how he had been unable to hear Zangetsu's name.
"One must be able to bring the zanpakutō's spirit into the physical world and subjugate it. An additional command phrase is also said when unleashing it," Rukia explained.
"Additional? In addition to what?"
"You don't say a command phrase before you release your zanpakutō from its dormant state?" Rukia asked dubiously, quirking an eyebrow.
"No. Ever since I learned Zangetsu's name, he just stays in this form. I've tried resealing it like I saw Urahara do, but I-…what's the matter?" Ichigo said uneasily, finally noticing that Rukia's jaw was hanging open; with an expression somewhere between admiration and horror on her face.
"Wh-what you have is called a…a constant-release type zanpakutō…" Rukia said in a hushed voice, "There's only one other person I can remember in the history of Soul Society that has one: captain of the 11th Division, Zaraki Kenpachi. It's said that the reason his zanpakutō remains in his released state is because of his monstrous reiatsu. It's…possible that you might have almost as much as he does…"
Unable to think of a response, Ichigo could only ponder Rukia's words in stunned silence.
Am I really that strong? Could I maybe do this bankai thing one day?
"I don't mean to interrupt, Master Ichigo, but do you think you might be able to hurry things along?" Alfred spoke up, batting Chappy away as she made an attempt to play with the hair on Ichigo's gigai.
"Huh? Oh right, practice!" Ichigo shook his head and renewed his grip on his sword.
"Are you ready?" Rukia asked, raising her own zanpakutō.
"As I'll ever be," he replied with a grin.
They spent a few seconds staring one another down before they both disappeared in a blur of motion. Reappearing somewhere in the distance between them, their swords met in a clash of steel.
Ichigo's larger frame gave him a distinct advantage, one he did not waste; battering away at his smaller opponent.
Rukia, keenly aware of her height, was used to having to compensate for it. Quickly dodging one of Ichigo's strikes, the raven-haired shinigami made for the opening created by her friend's overshot swing.
Pivoting, Ichigo brought the flat of his blade up to block the point of her stabbing sword. Shoving her back, the pair circled one another, each searching for a weakness in the other's defenses.
"Who's not taking who seriously now?" Ichigo taunted teasingly, "Why don't you use your shikai on me?"
Rukia shook her head. "No matter how strong you have become in the past few months, I have been a shinigami for far longer than you have. There's no w-"
She stopped short when Ichigo disappeared from view.
"I said you weren't taking me seriously," Ichigo said from behind her.
Whirling around, Rukia struck out in disbelief, once again locking swords with him.
From the perspectives of Chappy and Alfred, the pair flickered back and forth across the field; a clang of metal echoing across the park every time they reappeared.
This is impossible…Rukia thought, I've been training with shunpo for weeks and even then I have a solid background in it…how is it that he's as good as I am?
"Fine," she said through gritted teeth, pushing back another of Ichigo's strong attacks to give her some breathing room, "Mae Sode-"
"I hope I'm not interrupting a fight between two shinigami," a voice spoke up, stopping Rukia dead in her tracks.
Both shinigami turned to see Ishida Uryū leaning against a tree, smirking slightly.
"Ishida," Ichigo said neutrally, "You're early."
"Yes, and for once, so are you, Kurosaki."
Rolling his eyes at his classmate's attempt to provoke him, Ichigo shouldered his zanpakutō.
"So are you still going to insist we do this thing? Because I really don't see the point."
"Are you going back on your word, Kurosaki? You said-"
"I know, I know…I just thought you might've…had a change of heart...?" he said, searching Ishida's face for some sign of the remorse he thought he'd seen there yesterday.
"No, of course not," Uryū replied stiffly.
Even if it goes against what sensei would've wanted…on my pride as a Quincy, I cannot back down from this challenge.
"Fine…then Rukia I guess you should-"
"Oh no, by all means," Ishida interjected, "let her participate as well."
Both shinigami did a double take.
"What?"
"Hey, this is between you and me Ishida! Don't drag Rukia into your stupid vendetta!"
"Have you forgotten? I want to prove myself against all shinigami, not just you, Kurosaki. And the contest I have in mind can easily be amended to include her."
"What exactly is this contest?" Rukia demanded, having grown impatient with the Quincy.
"The rules are simple," Ishida said, drawing a small disc from his pocket, "We'll begin with this."
"And what's that?" Ichigo inquired, frowning at the miniscule and seemingly mundane object.
"Hollow bait. If I crush and scatter it, hollows will gather in this town. If I can defeat more than the both of you combined before midnight, then I win."
"You would unleash hollows on the town?!" Rukia balked, aghast.
"You're no better than Don Kan'onji!" Ichigo growled.
"Kan'onji-san didn't know what he was doing. I do."
"In that case, you're worse!" Ichigo spat furiously, "You should know better!"
"Keep your-"
But at that moment a terribly familiar feeling struck them all. The air above them distorted, belching forth a winged, white-faced monstrosity, whose haunting roar darkened an otherwise peaceful day. Mere seconds after its arrival, the trio could feel more fissures opening.
"You BASTARD!!!" Ichigo snarled tackling Ishida to the ground, as Rukia leapt up to deal with the hollows, "What've you done?!"
"It wasn't me…" Ishida said confusedly, lifting the part of his arm that Ichigo hadn't pinned to the ground to show him the still unbroken hollow bait.
Snatching the disc out of his hand, Ichigo tossed it deftly to Alfred, who caught it clumsily.
"Take that back to my house! And look after my family!"
"But sir I can't f-"
"I'll follow you in a minute, just hurry!"
"I don't understand…" Uryū murmured to himself in disbelief, "This is impossible! I didn't crush the bait, so why are so many hollows gathering?!"
Is this my fault? he thought, staring unseeingly at the sky where Rukia was gracefully bisecting the gathered hollows' skulls.
"Hey! Snap out of it!" Ichigo said irritably, pulling the dazed Quincy to his feet and slapping him on the shoulder. "Whatever's going on, we're going to need your help. The two of us can't cover the whole town together."
"But I-"
"Shut up! I don't want to hear it! Either help, or I'll kick your ass!"
"Hmmph…" Uryu snorted, adjusting his glasses and regaining his usual smirk, "As if you could."
Flashing his classmate a smirk of his own, Ichigo called out, "Rukia! Have you-…how are you doing that?!"
Rukia, who was standing on thin air, several dozen feet above the ground, shook her head impatiently.
"There's no time for that now! We must contain the hollows that have appeared. I will take the east part of town. Ichigo, you take the north. Ishida, you take the south."
"What about west town?" Ishida inquired.
"Urahara, my sensei, is there," Ichigo answered, "He should be able to handle it."
"Good luck!" Rukia called down before disappearing in a flash.
"How can she stand on air?!" Ichigo muttered in disbelief.
"Concentrating reiatsu in one's feet allows one to stand on air," Ishida supplied, with more than a little condescension, "It's a simple skill Kurosaki."
"Why you-"
"Quiet! Before you go, you should know that some of our classmates have been effected by your poor control over your reiatsu. I believe they may be able to see spirits now, and therefore-"
"They'll be targets for the hollows!" Ichigo finished, his eyes widening. Without another word, he sped off using shunpo.
Good luck Kurosaki. I now see my mistake…
XXXXXXXXXX
From the shadows, a voice whispered, "This should soften them up nicely…"
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Elsewhere, Sado Yasutora, known to most as Chad, was exiting the supermarket. Although his friend Shigeo Gitano had advised him to go to the store as late as possible for the cheaper food, Chad was not nearly as concerned about saving money.
Quality is more important, he thought to himself as he looked down at his groceries.
Suitably distracted by his food, Chad did not see the person in front of him until it was too late.
"Kya!" the person in front of him squealed in surprise, recoiling and then reflexively head-butting him in the chest.
People around them stared as one of them hit the floor.
Usually, it's me that has accidentally knocked someone down, Chad thought nursing his sore chest.
"Oh! Sado-kun, I'm so sorry!" Orihime exclaimed, scurrying to recollect the groceries that had scattered everywhere.
"It's…quite all right, Inoue-san," Chad replied, standing shakily. She has a tough skull…
Inclining his head, he set off towards his apartment; only to find that his classmate was keeping pace with him.
"Oh, do you live around here too? It's so strange seeing you outside of school…"
She changed the subject rather fast…
"Yes, I do."
"And do your parents make you do all the shopping?" she asked curiously, swinging her arms playfully as she walked beside him.
"No…my parents are dead. I live alone."
"Oh, I'm so sorry…M-mine are too…I also live alone…"
"Really? I had no idea…" Chad murmured, genuinely surprised.
I never would have guessed she was an orphan. She's so cheerful all the time. Or is that all an act?
As he was pondering this, a chill crept up his spine, in spite of the mild weather. He felt a compulsion to look up at the sky. Among the clouds and general blue, there was a haze; like an airborne mirage.
What's this feeling? It's like the air's gotten heavier…
Just then, the hairs on the back of Chad's neck stood on end. Reacting on instinct, he dove forward; taking Orihime with him.
Chad's intuition saved them both, as the place where they'd previously been standing exploded in a shower of asphalt and concrete mere seconds afterwards.
Turning as best he could, the large teenager made sure they both landed on their backs.
Blinking the dust out of his eyes, Chad didn't believe what he was seeing at first. Nothing prior to this moment, not even his adventure with his parakeet friend, could have prepared him for the thing looming over him.
The beast was like something a young Chad had seen at a Dia De Los Muertos festival in Mexico. The creature's body, which resembled a long, thin dinosaur's, was certainly colorful enough, and its head did look like a skull. However, unlike the candied skulls at the festival, the thing in front of him looked far less delicious. Rather, it was looking at he and Orihime as though it might consider them delicious.
Its skull, bulbous and round, sat atop its neck like a ball ready to fall off a precarious perch; pivoting down to leer at them with a single eye, a tongue snaking out between gleaming teeth to taste the air.
Quickly climbing to his feet, Chad gave Orihime a gentle push towards a side street, shouting, "Run!"
I can see this creature, so perhaps it is after me…he reasoned as sprinted away, trying to find a less populated area.
It was several blocks before he dared look behind him. To his shock, the beast had not followed him.
Then what…? Inoue-san!
XXXXXXXXXX
I wish I couldn't see it…Orihime thought as she ran for her life, Maybe then I wouldn't know what it is to be this scared! It's really true what they say: ignorance is bliss…
To the people around her, it appeared as though she was running in front of a series of small explosions. At that moment, she would've given anything to be one of them; to make the monster chasing her imaginary or invisible again.
I don't know what it is, but if I stop running, I know it will kill me and whoever else is around!
Every sound, every sight felt heightened; as though she knew instinctively that it could be her last experience.
In fact, these sensations proved so distracting that Orihime failed to notice when she ran straight down an alley into a dead-end.
No! There's no way out! I have to-
But as soon as the thought formed in her head, the creature's grinning face came around the corner; its yellow eyes locking with hers.
At that moment, something clicked in Orihime's memory, and she remembered things she wasn't supposed to. In her mind's eye, she saw a similar pair of haunted orbs.
That's terrible Orihime! You've forgotten the sound of your own brother's voice already?
Hollow…Abarai Renji…shinigami…restless spirits…
Why…why now? Why couldn't I remember before? Is this a…hollow?
These panicked ponderings were soon driven from her mind, as the cyclopean hollow bore down on her. An entirely new fear gripped her, as her almost certain death approached.
This is how I'm going to die?! Alone in an alley? Scared?!
That's not the way to go, a voice her brain that sounded like Tatsuki, Go down swinging Orihime. Believe in yourself!
"I do so love the chase…" the hollow said, a feral smile coming to its lips, as its single eye began to glow crimson, "but it seems there's nowhere left to run. And I'm hungry!"
Time seemed to slow down for her as the red beam shot toward her.
All of a sudden, the light's color appeared to change to orange. Blinking, Orihime took a step back.
The hollow's attack had not changed color as she'd thought. Rather, a large, triangular yellow barrier had appeared in front of her; distorting the color of the energy and dissipating it.
"Wh-what is…?" the frightened and now confused girl stuttered.
"No need to worry Orihime! We're your power: the Shun Shun Rikka and we're here to protect you!" a voice chirped from her shoulder.
"Huh?!"
Orihime stared in alarm at her shoulder where a group of small, winged people had gathered.
"Who are you?! Where did you come from?"
"You should know," the tiny fairy-like girl who had spoken before chided her, "We're a part of you. We were born from you."
"What?! I don't remember being pregnant!" Orihime exclaimed, feeling her stomach frantically.
"Baka! Don't phrase it like that! You suck at explaining!" growled the fairy wearing a bandana, kicking his companion out of the way and grabbing Orihime's chin. "Look woman, we're a part of you, like an arm or a leg. So you'd better listen to us! Got it?!"
"But my arms and legs don't talk to me…" she mumbled nervously.
"Screw the metaphor! You wanna' live, you follow our instruct-"
"Er, Tsubaki…"
"In a minute! As I was saying-"
"Tsubaki…"
"You had your chance Shun'ō! It's my turn!"
"Ahem."
"What?!" the brusque, fairy-like spirit yelled, rounding on the speaker. His anger evaporated when he saw that the one who had coughed was the hollow, which was feigning polite embarrassment.
"So sorry to interrupt…" it chuckled mockingly, "but I thought it best to move things along. Gragh!!!"
With a cry, it leapt forward to pound Orihime and her tiny protectors into the pavement with a mighty right hook. Mid-lunge though, it changed momentum; its torso swiveling a full 90 degrees so that its left arm, which Orihime now noticed swiveled much like its head and torso, was now reaching towards them from the place where its chest should have been.
Acting as one the miniature spirits pulled their charge down and out of the hollow's reach.
"So you thought I didn't see her, eh?"
"Who is he…talking to…?" Orihime wondered aloud.
"Him!" the hollow said, tilting to the side to reveal Chad, who was currently holding the creature back with a powerful-looking armored right arm.
"Sado-kun! What…what happened to your arm?"
She can see…Chad thought to himself.
"Th-that's not important! Run! I'll take care of him while he's distracted!"
"Fool! You can't distract me! Nothing escapes my notice!" the hollow sneered, its head turning completely around to reveal another face dominated by a large eye to each teenager.
"He has…two faces…" Orihime murmured.
Unshaken by the revelation, Chad heaved with all his might, lifting the hollow off the ground.
Surprised at his strength, the hollow took quick aim and sent a red bolt of energy from its eye at Chad's unprotected left arm.
Letting out a pained cry, Chad clutched his now severely burned appendage; dropping the hollow, who promptly backhanded him down the alley into a dumpster.
"Sado-kun!" Orihime shouted. He got hurt protecting me. I have to do something!
"Tsu…Tsubaki-kun? How can I help Sado-kun?" she whispered urgently to the little man perched on her shoulder.
"You sure woman? If you wanna' help your buddy over there, you're gonna' hafta' kill that hollow. Are you up for that?"
I have to save Sado-kun!
"Mmm," she nodded her assent.
"Alright then, here's what you need to do…" Tsubaki began whispering instructions in her ear.
"Whatever you're planning, it won't work. I killed your friend and I'll-"
As the hollow was saying this, however, several things occurred that made whatever it was about to say completely irrelevant or untrue.
At the alley's end, Orihime held her arms out in front of her, shouting determinedly, "Koten Zanshun, I reject!"
Nearly simultaneously, Chad pulled himself to his feet and, summoning the last of his strength, charged the hollow; his armored fist glowing with a pale blue light.
Confident in its success, the hollow rotated its torso, holding out a large hand on both sides to block the coming blows.
Tsubaki struck first; completely bisecting the hollow's hand and causing it to howl in pain.
This distracted it momentarily from Chad, whose azure fist crashed soundly into its gut; just as Tsubaki split the hollow's two eyes into four.
With a final, incredulous shriek, the hollow disintegrated; leaving Chad to teeter forward and collapse onto the ground, his energy expended.
"Sado-kun!" Orihime rushed forward, turning her fallen friend over and checking for bruises, "Can you hear me?"
When he didn't answer, Orihime turned to her guardian spirits for help.
"Please help me! I have to get him to a hospital! I can't carry him by myself…"
"You don't need to carry him Orihime," Shun'ō explained, flying over to her, arm in arm with another fairy, "Together, Ayame and I can help you heal him right here."
"What do I have to do?"
"Repeat after me: Shun'ō, Ayame…"
"Shun'ō, Ayame…"
"Sōten Kisshun, I reject!"
"Sōten Kisshun, I reject!"
Upon uttering the words, the pair of pixie-like protectors flew over Chad's body covering it in a translucent, golden barrier.
"Now hold your hands over the barrier. This will speed the healing process," Shun'ō instructed from one end of the glowing cocoon.
As she did so, Orihime watched as the burns on Chad's arm disappeared, as well as several bruises and gashes on his head.
When his wounds had all finally closed, she took a step back, swaying on her feet.
I feel so weak…
Pitching over, she was gently lowered to the ground by the Shun Shun Rikka.
"Don't worry Orihime," Shun'ō whispered to the unconscious girl, "We'll look after you."
"Oh, that won't be necessary," a cheerful voice said, accompanied by a succession of clacking footsteps.
"I'd be happy to look after them," Urahara Kisuke said, a twinkle in his eye.
XXXXXXXXXX
Rukia blew out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Killing that last hollow had been more difficult than she'd expected. Somehow the hollow had been able to hide its true strength.
This is odd…so many strong hollows gathering like this. All of them have unique abilities. If Ishida didn't crush that bait, then what is drawing them all here?
She cut her pondering short, however, upon sensing a very strong source of reiatsu emanating from the park.
Wasting no time, Rukia sped off towards the presence.
Elsewhere, Ishida and Ichigo also felt the disturbance and, defeating their respective hollows, made for its origin point.
The trio converged on their way; all three nodding tiredly at one another.
"Have you both noticed it?" Ishida asked as they ran, wiping a bloody hand on the seat of his pants. Firing so many spirit arrows in one day had taken its toll.
Rukia nodded, while Ichigo looked confused.
"Noticed what?"
"The reiatsu has almost disappeared," Rukia answered.
"So?" Ichigo frowned, perturbed that Ishida knew something he didn't.
"So Kurosaki, either this hollow is dead or dying, or it's hiding its presence…which means its leading us into a trap," Ishida explained with an air of terse condescension.
That got Ichigo's attention.
"What?! If it's a trap, then why are we-"
"Because its signal is coming from where the hollows first appeared, most likely meaning that this hollow may have summoned the others, in which case, we may be able to stop any more from attacking the town," Rukia said, coming to a halt in a clearing and reaching out with her senses, "Now help me find it!"
"Er, about that…I'm not very good at the whole sensing reiatsu thing..." Ichigo muttered.
Unless I know the person or it's really huge…
"It can't hurt you to try, can it Kurosaki?" Ishida said, joining Rukia in her search, "Or can it? I'm not sure how a brain as small as yours can process abstract thoughts without writhing in pain…"
"You son of a…" Ichigo growled. I'll show you…
He too focused more on his surroundings. After a few seconds he whispered, "Ishida! I just noticed something."
"What is it?"
"You're not wearing that dorky outfit today."
"I…what?! You…at a time like this?!"
"You just insulted me five seconds ago…hypocrite…"
"Both of you shut up!" Rukia said urgently, drawing her zanpakutō, "I think it's close now."
"Closer than you think, shinigami," a voice said from above them.
Perched atop a tree like some enormous bird, the hollow who had spoken resembled a grotesque mockery of the winged beasts. Although its head largely held an avian shape, its four visible limbs ended in extremely long fingers reminiscent of a bat's and it had a row of spines protruding from its back.
While Ichigo removed his sword from his back and Ishida formed his bow, Rukia leapt at their opponent.
Before she had even made it halfway to him however, the hollow disappeared; a faint static buzz sounding in its wake.
Stopping short, Rukia gasped, "Wh-what was that? Shunpo?!"
Reappearing on the opposite side of the field, this time at ground level, the hollow laughed mockingly.
"Shunpo? My sonído is far superior to that nonsense you shinigami use."
"Do you notice anything different about this hollow?" Ishida muttered out of the corner of his mouth to Ichigo.
"Yeah. He's wearing clothes…" Ichigo said, staring mystified at the hollow's white garments.
"No, not that…well…yes, that, but his voice sounds almost…human…and look at his mask!"
Much to Ichigo's surprise, the hollow's mask did not cover his entire face. Rather, the upper left side of its mask was uncovered; revealing an undeniably human face beneath with short gray hair.
"Human? I'll thank you not to make such comparisons," the hollow sneered, "I, Iceringer, am much more than anything you could hope to be, human."
"So what are you?" Ichigo asked, "and why are you here? Did you summon all those hollows?"
"I am an arrancar," Iceringer replied smugly.
Hmmm, Ishida thought, Spanish for 'to remove.' How appropriate.
"I did summon them, and I am here," the arrancar continued, "because of you, Kurosaki Ichigo."
"Me?"
"Yes. You killed Grand Fisher."
"He had it coming," Ichigo said darkly, "So what? Do you want revenge or something?"
"Not particularly. I had considered allowing him to join our ranks, so I was curious who had done him in, especially once I learned that you weren't part of Soul Society."
He said 'our ranks,' Rukia thought, a shiver running down her back, If there are more like him, I must inform Soul Society.
"So why summon all these hollows then?" Ishida asked, keeping his bow taut and ready to release, should their enemy make any indication he was about to disappear again.
"I was hoping that you were all merely trash, and I wouldn't have to deal with you myself, but it seems you have some strength."
"Damn straight," Ichigo said cockily, "And it's three of us against just one of you, so good luck getting out of this alive."
"Are you so sure about that?" Iceringer laughed coldly, snapping two of his enormous fingers together.
Expecting an attack, the trio formed a circle, back to back. After a few long seconds, they let down their guard slightly.
"Where's your backup?" Ichigo called mockingly.
Kuso…where are those weaklings?
XXXXXXXXXX
Meanwhile, across town…
"Jinta homerun!" the redheaded boy cried, smacking a hollow across the face with a large iron club, "Alright, who's next?!"
Ururu lowered the rocket launcher she'd been using to obliterate hollows from afar.
"I think Tessai-san is dealing with the last one Jinta-kun…"
A ram shaped hollow was currently charging Urahara Shōten's assistant manager; horns poised to gore.
The large man calmly waited until the hollow was mere feet from him. With a casual grunt, Tessai met the hollow's challenge head to head, shattering the hollow's mask with his forehead.
"Mmmm, if there's nothing else…" Tessai said, oblivious to the incredulous looks the two children were giving him, "Urahara-tencho has requested that we rendezvous at the shop once we are finished. We may need to tend some injuries."
"R-right…" Jinta mumbled. He's a monster as usual…
XXXXXXXXXX
"Hmph," Iceringer snorted, raising all four of his wing-like hands threateningly, "Even if there are three of you, you're no match for my Uña Tirotear!"
The space between the combatants was soon filled by numerous bolts of yellow energy; all aimed at ripping the two shinigami and the Quincy apart.
Though they all managed to dodge the first salvo, Iceringer's four arms easily followed their trajectories; turning the clearing into a vortex of deadly yellow light.
Grunting in frustration, Ichigo yelled, "Split up!" and flickered away into the underbrush.
The other two nodded, also disappearing from the clearing.
Uryū did not stop using hirenkyaku until he was a good distance away. Turning back and probing the surrounding area, he found no signs of pursuit.
Expanding his search, he found Ichigo's unmistakable presence and the arrancar's soon behind it.
This was a bad idea Kurosaki…we had a better chance of defeating him together. And you're his primary target. Why would you…? Did he know the hollow would chase him? Perhaps that's giving him too much credit.
Continuing his search, he soon located Rukia's reiatsu; which Ishida realized was now moving towards Ichigo.
Increasing his speed, he soon caught up to her.
"Kuchiki-san!" he called out as he approached.
"Ishida-san, it's gone after Ichigo! He can't handle it alone!" Rukia cried, not slowing down in the slightest.
"I agree," Uryū said, moving in front of her and holding his hand out to halt her advance, "But first we must formulate a plan."
"A plan?!" Rukia said agitatedly, trying to force her way past him, "We don't have time for a plan!"
"Have you no faith in Kurosaki's abilities? Incompetent though he is, I believe that he will be able to keep our enemy occupied long enough for us to devise a basic strategy. Surely you must realize that this 'arrancar' is no ordinary hollow. As such, we may need to adapt our tactics."
Calming down significantly, Rukia inquired, "Such as?"
"To begin with, this Uña Tirotear of his prevents any close range attacks and unless we were to attack with more powerful or more numerous projectiles, it's likely that they will be ineffective in direct combat."
"Then, perhaps we should use the element of surprise to disable one or more of his arms," the dark-haired shinigami suggested.
"My thoughts exactly. Tell me, what abilities does your zanpakutō possess?"
XXXXXXXXXX
Kuso! How does he move so fast?! He doesn't even have legs! Ichigo thought wildly as his flickering footsteps carried him through the forest, Iceringer hot on his heels.
A stinging pain in his shoulder made Ichigo growl in frustration, as one of his pursuer's energy bullets grazed him.
I wish there was some way I could get in close…or better yet, strike from a distance and then get in close…If only I could figure out how to do kidō! Every time I've tried it so far I've nearly blown myself up…and gotten my ears chewed out by Tessai…
He was broken out of his thoughts momentarily as yet another bolt of light struck his shoulder.
Gritting his teeth at the sharp pain, Ichigo chastised himself.
At this rate, I'm going to have burnt stripes on my arms. A sudden thought occurred to him. Of course! Why didn't I think of it before? Zangetsu! Ossan! I need you!
As it had during their previous encounters, time appeared to slow.
His dark, wispy-looking zanpakutō spirit appeared to walk out of a nearby tree.
"Of course you need me Ichigo. You need me to instruct you on many things. First of all, on how to think!" Zangetsu said harshly, eying him irritably from behind his darkened visor.
"Wh-what?!"
"When you were thinking of ways to defeat your foe, your mind went first, not to me, the one who shares your soul, but to kidō! I am your first and most powerful ally! Never forget that again!"
"H-hai!" Ichigo nodded, thoroughly humbled, "But…I didn't…I don't know the rules! This whole thing is…it's still new, you know?"
"I do know," Zangetsu nodded, his tone softening, "I know more than anyone ever could. But I also know that now is not the time for such thoughts. I cannot keep you in this state for long. You wish to unleash the same energy that you used to defeat your mother's killer."
"Yes."
"It won't be as simple as telling you its name. Like my name, you must earn the right to know it. To do that, you must be able to draw your spiritual power directly into me, then release it to destroy your enemy. It will be difficult, particularly in the heat of battle, for you to use it at will, but I have confidence in you. Don't disappoint me."
As his zanpakutō's spirit faded from view, Ichigo tightened his grip on his sword.
I won't, Ossan…No more hesitation.
Time returned to its normal flow and his pursuer soon caught up to him.
Iceringer appeared puzzled by his prey's lack of movement and the look of concentration on his face.
"Although your reiatsu is impressive boy, you have no control. And soon you won't even have a l-"
The arrancar's taunt was cut off, as were several of his fingers, as Ichigo released a torrential blue force in his direction.
Blood spurted from the stumps of his missing appendages, causing Iceringer to hiss at the unexpected pain. Acting quickly he cauterized the wounds with his Uña Tirotear.
"Oops," Ichigo said dryly, "I missed."
The hollow eyed the swath that Ichigo had cut through the forest and the deep trench running along the ground.
I cannot be struck by that directly. He thought to himself.
"So you have some skill after all. All this means is a quicker death for you and less enjoyment for me."
"Well, as long as I get to ruin your fun…" Ichigo grinned, charging forward to take advantage of the momentary opening in the hollow's defenses.
This gap was soon filled however, as Iceringer renewed his barrage, forcing Ichigo back on the defensive.
As the hail of Uña Tirotear bore down on him, Ichigo heard a faint voice off to his right.
"Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!"
The temperature of the warm summer evening around them dropped rapidly, as a wave of ice tore through the trees and into the clearing; startling both combatants.
Ichigo jumped back reflexively, although he needn't have bothered, as the ice wave was still several yards in front of him.
Iceringer however, was not so lucky. Nearly one side of his body was encased in the ice, including the hand which Ichigo had already mutilated; leaving his head and other two limbs unharmed, though effectively stationary.
"You'll pay for that!" the enraged hollow screamed, firing a massive volley of deadly bullets blindly into the trees with his remaining fingers.
Rukia, unable to make out exactly what was said, dodged to the side and avoided the majority of the attack. However, she still caught several in the gut, causing her to clutch her side with a strangled cry and look for cover.
As this was occurring, Ishida leapt out from his hiding place and high into the air; firing a dozen or so arrows at the distracted arrancar.
Unfortunately, as soon as Iceringer had heard his victim's outburst, his attention snapped back to the immediate area. Shifting one of his hands upward and eying the archer above him, the half-frozen hollow managed to shoot down most of Uryū's shots, while still receiving a few injuries to his face and shoulder.
Taking advantage of his enemy's lack of cover, Iceringer peppered the airborne teenager with Uña Tirotear.
Falling to the ground like a rock, Ishida hit the soft grass with a dull thump.
"Ishida!" Ichigo shouted, making towards his fallen classmate, but a salvo from Iceringer prevented his advance.
"You were foolish to get between a hollow and its prey, human."
Coughing up some blood, Ishida chuckled grimly, drawing his bow as he laid on his side, "Perhaps…you are unaware. I am not a normal human. I am a Quincy!"
Aiming for the arrancar's head, he let one last arrow let fly as he lost consciousness.
There was a lot of power behind it, thus allowing it to plow through the bullets Iceringer used in his defense, the hollow was able to block the blow to his head with one of his remaining hands.
"Aggh!" the arrancar screeched in fury, "Enough is enough! I'm leaving!"
"You're damn right you're leaving!" Ichigo yelled. Seeing Ishida fall had been the final straw.
I'm going to finish this, one way or another. Are you with me Zangetsu? How about it? Am I worthy? He thought, charging at his opponent with little regard for his safety.
"Yes, I do believe you are," Zangetsu's voice whispered in his ear, "Now listen closely because I won't repeat it."
"I don't have time to waste on you anymore, Kurosaki Ichigo!" Iceringer spat, firing a dozen bolts of light at the shinigami's chest, "Now die!"
The impact rocked him back, forcing him down to one knee. He could feel blood start to flow down from his stomach, pooling around his bent waist and soaking into the sash that served as his belt.
So preoccupied was he with his agony, that Ichigo barely noticed something slip out of his hakama to fall softly onto the grass.
His opponent, however, spotted it immediately. His tired, bloodshot eye widened as he realized what it was.
That's a hollow's mask…the horrified arrancar thought, Did he have that on him the entire time? But I've been knocking him around too hard for it to have stayed there properly. If that's so, did it just appear? What is this kid?!
"Fight past the pain," Zangetsu encouraged Ichigo, "Recall how it felt. Gather your strength together with my own. Say it! The name of this attack is-"
Ichigo stood, raising his blade above his head, and bellowing, "Getsuga Tenshō!"
Swinging his sword down, Ichigo was nearly blinded by the resulting radiance.
Falling to his knees, he was satisfied to see that the only thing in front of him was a puddle of melting ice, which was slowly mixing with hollow blood.
His vision blurring, he fell to the ground.
Unseen to Ichigo, a small, black hole separating two worlds was closing up.
XXXXXXXXXX
Iceringer was spat out of the Garganta abruptly, staining the pristine white floor he landed on.
"Kuso!" he rasped, looking down at bloody mess that used to be his lower body, "Demōra! Demōra! Where are you?!"
"Ice?" a slow, booming voice replied, "Iz dat you?"
"Of course it's me you idiot! Get in here quick!"
An enormous arrancar lumbered his way around the corner. Catching sight of Iceringer, he let out a startled yell, "Aw! Ice who did thiz ta' you?! I'll kill 'em good!"
"I'll tell you, but you have to listen carefully. I don't have much time and it's very, very important that you tell him everything I'm about to tell you."
XXXXXXXXXX
Ichigo awoke with an unusual, yet somehow familiar weight on his chest.
He opened his eyes to an even more familiar pair of glasses and moustache.
"Oh good, you're awake Kurosaki-dono," Tessai said, crossing his arms and nodding.
"Stop sitting on me like that! It's creepy!" Ichigo yelled, scrambling out from underneath the large man.
"Noisy as usual, Kurosaki," a voice drawled from the doorway.
"Ishida!" Ichigo started, "You're alright."
Although bandaged in several places, his classmate appeared otherwise unharmed.
"As are you, thanks to Tessai-san," the Quincy replied, before muttering, "Although, I would've preferred not to need the help of a shinigami…"
Uryū soon found the shop's assistant manager's large and imposing visage staring him in the face.
"Do you find some flaw in our hospitality, Ishida-dono?"
"N-no…" Uryū stammered, quailing under the Tessai's threatening gaze, "Of course I'm grateful! Very grateful!"
"As am I," Rukia said as she entered the room. She too was bandaged, though not nearly as much as Ishida.
"Rukia," Ichigo smiled, "I'm glad you're okay. Was all that ice your zanpakutō's ability? That was really something…"
"Yes it was. I meant to freeze him completely, but…" she trailed off.
"Hey, don't worry about it," Ichigo scoffed, "Without you, we would've never been able to take him down."
Noticing for the first time how dark it was, Ichigo asked, "How long was I out?"
"It's only been a few hours. It's about 10 p.m. now," Ishida answered, "We were lucky that we were only injured. Those two used up what spiritual energy they had, so they'll likely be here overnight."
"What?" Ichigo frowned, "Who are you…?"
He looked over to where Ishida had gestured, noticing for the first time the room's other two occupants.
"Inoue?! Chado?! What are they doing here?!" Ichigo yelped, shocked at his other classmates' presence.
"I did warn you about the effect your poor control over your reiatsu would have on our peers," Ishida lectured.
"I have tried instructing him in control exercises," Tessai interjected, "but it seems he works best under pressure…perhaps I should demonstrate my knowledge of high level destructive spells at our next training session."
"Stop ganging up on me!" Ichigo said defensively, "What happened to them?"
"It seems Inoue-san and Sado-kun have developed abilities of their own and fought some hollows today," Ishida answered, "You will have a lot of explaining to do tomorrow when they wake up."
"Me? You're just as much a part of this as me!"
"I wasn't the one who caused them to develop spiritual powers Kurosaki. It's your responsibility. As much as I'm sure you're adverse to that…"
"Why you-"
"Enough!" Rukia said firmly, silencing the two bickering teenagers, "Ichigo, Urahara-san suggested, and I agree, that for now you should go home."
"What, but-"
"Your family will be wondering where you are, as I'm sure yours is as well, Ishida-san."
Not as much as you'd think, the Quincy thought to himself gloomily. Nevertheless he nodded.
"I suppose you're right," Ichigo sighed. I don't want to have to deal with old beardo pestering me about being out late.
"Are you coming with me?" he asked Rukia.
"I'll be along in a while. I only just woke up myself and there's something I want to discuss with Urahara-san."
"Alright then," Ichigo said, giving his two sleeping friends a glance. My life is about to get a lot more complicated…
"I'll see you in a bit then," he smiled, taking the hand she offered him.
"Don't wait up," Rukia said, returning his smile.
"Thanks again, Tessai-san," he said on his way out the door, closely followed by Ishida, who also bowed his head respectfully to the both of them.
XXXXXXXXXX
Behind the shop, its proprietor was turning the damaged hollow mask he had retrieved from the battlefield over in his hands as he looked up at the night sky.
"Tencho?" Tessai exited the shop, stepping onto the small deck.
"I do believe we may need to see some old friends about this, Tessai," Urahara sighed, holding up the mask.
"Mmm, I doubt they'll want to be found," Tessai mused, "But the reason for my intrusion is that Kuchiki-dono wishes to speak with you."
"Please, send her out," the crafty shopkeeper replied, stowing the mask in the folds of his robe.
Tessai left, returning soon with the short shinigami.
"What can I do for you Kuchiki-san?"
"Urahara-san, I was wondering what you know about Arrancar."
"Ho? Is that so?"
XXXXXXXXXX
"Well, my house is this way," Ichigo said as he and Ishida reached a fork in the road.
"And mine is the other way."
"Well, it's been a…strange day…"
"Indeed. Look…Kurosaki, while I realize my mistake in trying to unleash hollows on the town…"
"Don't worry Ishida," Ichigo laughed, slapping him on the back, "I still want to kick your ass too."
"I…what? I wasn't going to put it so crudely, but yes, I would like to fight you again, if only to see which of us has the greater skill."
"Just another thing to add to the list of things to do tomorrow…" Ichigo sighed, "Later, Ishida."
"Kurosaki."
And so, Ichigo began his long walk home. There wasn't a bus station around, but the weather was nice enough and he wasn't about to start running any time soon; so he took the opportunity to enjoy the warm, early summer night.
I hope Yuzu left some dinner-
Without warning, Ichigo felt a single cut dig into his spine. Falling limp like a rag doll, he struck his head hard on the pavement.
His consciousness swimming, Ichigo barely made out the sounds of voices before he lost all perception.
"Nemu! Must I do everything?! Hurry up and take him through the senkaimon!"
"Hai, Mayuri-sama."
XXXXXXXXXX
Author's Note: Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl. Be honest. Did anyone see that coming? A lot of people have wondered how I was going to make this fic "original." Is this different enough for you? I don't want to get into too many specifics, but let's just say there will be a role reversal of sorts. Hint hint, nudge nudge. Please review and let me know what you think of this development!
This chapter was late because I cut my fingers up on broken ceramic. Typing has been an interesting adventure! Also, longest chapter yet! It's OVER NINE THOUSAND words!!!!! I had to. It's Internet law.
Now, to be clear, Chad's powers manifested when he fought a hollow on the way to get to Orihime. Although Chad is seriously awesome and one of my favorite characters in the series, I didn't show it because I wanted to move the chapter's pace along a bit faster. Not to worry though. Plenty of Chad goodness will come.
So I will probably be taking a little break now to focus on some of my other stories and ideas that've been germinating for a while. In the meantime, I suggest you check out the fanfiction of carrietheninja. Her Bleach AU fics are the best!
I'd also like to recommend the manga BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad (the manga, NOT the anime). It's definitely one of the best series I've read in a while. I just couldn't stop reading it once I started. I'm actually rereading it for the third time now. I don't think I've read Bleach that many times! Outside of going back to research things of course…I'll probably be writing a fic about it, so you might want to check it out.
Japanese and Spanish Translations (NOW WITH 100% MORE SPANISH!):
Koten Zanshun- Solitary Sacred Cutting Shield (Orihime's offensive attack)
Sōten Kisshun- Twin Sacred Return Shield (Orihime's healing ability)
Shun Shun Rikka- Six Flowers of the Hibiscus Shield
Sonído- Spanish for sound, Japanese for sound ceremony
Arrancar- Spanish for to remove or to rip off (can also mean to start or tear out), Japanese for ripped mask
Uña Tirotear- Spanish: literally a fingernail to shoot/fire, Japanese: wing-shaped claw bullet
Hirenkyaku- flying screen/god step (The Quincy equivalent to shunpo)
Tsugi no mai, Hakuren- Next Dance, White Ripple
Getsuga Tenshō- Moon Fang Heaven Piercer
Garganta- Spanish: throat, Japanese: black cavity