I am the laziest person, for absolutely no reason besides I just don't want to feel like working. Anyone who wants to facepalm me into a building like Shiro did to Ichigo in their inner world fight is totally free to do so now.

~x~

Our Hollow Brother

Chapter 3 – Finally Some Answers

~x~

Chad had never truly been the violent type, not since he was a young, but strong boy of his elementary years. He's been swayed out fighting by his beloved abuelo and promised to his soul to never use his own strength for himself anymore. And then he'd met Ichigo; and now he had a reason to use his fists as long as it protected his dearest friend, through life and now even through Ichigo's death as the Hollow his friend now had become stepped away from the pinned shinigami and stalked back over to where Tatsuki, Orihime, Uryuu, and himself were standing.

"She can't stay here." Ichigo said in a deadly certain, low voice, just quiet enough that the slightly struggling shinigami couldn't hear his words, the Hollow turning his mask towards each of the four humans gathered. "But I'd rather not kill her because then it would just bring more shinigami here and we don't need the attention. Any ideas?" He asked quietly, looking specifically at Uryuu because, admittedly, the Quincy always did have a plan.

The navy haired teen barely changed positions, his kojaku only lowering slightly in its angle from the shinigami's head to her heart instead. The quickly fading natural light was replaced by artificial as the lamps flickered on, lighting up the street and making Ichigo shift uncomfortably at how exposed he felt, his Hollow instincts deterred by the brightness and trying to move him into the shadows. Uryuu remained silent for another few seconds, before barely moving his lips in his answer.

"Are you certain we can't kill her?" Ishida said coldly, loudly enough to make the shinigami freeze in fear and Orihime to gasp lightly behind him. Tatsuki soothed her quietly with words of reason while Chad remained as still as a stone statue. Ichigo silently admired his friend's frigidity and the ruthlessness the Quincy had at times. His Hollow instincts approved of the human's words, hungry for the shinigami's death.

However, Ichigo had years of experience ignoring his primal urges in favor of reason, his motivation being his beloved siblings and the loyalty he held to his friends. Chuckling in a gravelly voice, the once alive Kurosaki flicked his sickle shaped tail tip in small amusement. "Unfortunately, no. Gotta plan B?"

Uryuu's corner of his lips lifted just slightly into a smirk, confidently lowering and dispelling his bow and arrow, letting it vanish into normal, invisible reishi. The shinigami wasn't that large of a threat that he couldn't have the time to summon kojaku again and shoot her through. Turning so that his side faced the pinned raven haired woman, Uryuu stared deep into those gold on black eyes boring into his. "I think the best chance we have is to disable her shinigami powers and take her to Urahara-san's, and leave him to deal with this situation."

Orihime piped up timidly, putting her two cents into the conversation. "Will that hurt her, Ishida-kun?" She inquired quietly, looking up at the Quincy with her large ash gray eyes. Ichigo mentally sniggered at spotting Uryuu's extremely faint blush at the well endowed girl's attention focused on him. Tatsuki sent him a smirk, thinking the exact same thing. Everyone knew that they had a thing for each other, except each other.

Coughing embarrassedly into his fist, Uryuu regained his previous poise. "Unfortunately, yes, Inoue-san, but remember," He fixed the innocent girl with an unwavering look from his deep blue eyes. "It must be done to keep Kurosaki's sisters safe." He may not truly care as much for Ichigo as everyone might think (or denying his true concern from even himself), but he did value the serenity of the two young girls' lives.

Orihime looked saddened for a brief minute at the confirmation of another being's pain, but her expression became more determined at the reminder of Yuzu and Karin. The two were like precious younger sisters to her, almost like Tatsuki, and she would use everything in her power to ensure their safety.

Bringing the conversation back around to the subject at hand, Ichigo spoke in his warbled low voice. "So is it decided? We take her shinigami powers and dump her on hat-n-clogs?" Orihime giggled at Ichigo's given nickname of Urahara while Tatsuki and Chad merely nodded in agreement, Ichigo looking straight at Uryuu afterwards at their confirmation. "Do you know how to do it?"

"Of course I do." Ishida sniffed superiorly, pushing up his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose with one finger. "Don't underestimate me like you usually do, Kurosaki, I've been-"

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki."

The five friends whirled at the incantation, just in time to see the shinigami rip herself off the wall, the remaining arrows staying steadfast into the wall with strips of her black shihaksho as she pointed a pure white blade at their gathering. Her violet eyes were cold with determination and her reiatsu pulsed icily around her tiny frame. Uryuu cursed under his breath that she'd managed to free her sword arm without him realizing, summoning his kojaku but surprisingly the shinigami was faster.

Lifting her zanpakatou horizontally, the raven haired death god sliced her blade in front of her in a half circle. "Some no mai, Tsukishiro." She murmured in a deadly whisper, alarming the group of humans when a glowing white circle appeared beneath their feet.

Ichigo instantly jumped from the circle, flying straight for the shinigami just as Orihime lifted her hands to her beloved hairpins and called out one of her incantations. "Santen Kesshun! I reject!" She cried, a three-pointed orange shield instantly appearing beneath her feet and blocking the ice that shot up just a hair second later, protecting them from being incased in its frigid prison.

Simultaneously, Ishida had successfully summoned his kojaku, Chad had his armor covered right arm in its second stage (Brazo Derecha de Gigante, Right Arm of the Giant), and Tatsuki had gathered the reishi around her body like a second skin. Ahead of them, Ichigo was slashing furiously at the shocked shinigami, the violet eyed woman just barely blocking the furious Hollow's frenzied attacks, stunned that the four humans each had their own individual abilities alongside an unusually strong Hollow.

Shunpoing back to briefly gain space, the shinigami stabbed her blade into the ground, four times in rapid succession before pulling it back close to her chest and aiming directly at Ichigo, and the humans behind him. "Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!" She shouted, a blinding wave of white ice erupting from the tip of her zanpakatou and rushing towards the red plated Hollow.

"Ichigo!" Chad shouted behind him, stepping forward as reishi swirled around his empowered arm. Needing no further prompting, Ichigo sonidoed willingly out of the way just as Chad whispered his power's attack. "El Directo." A pure burst of energy shot out from his fist to meet the shinigami's attack, a blinding explosion resulting in the aftermath as Orihime repositioned her shield in front of herself and Tatsuki to protect themselves from the aftershock.

Stunned that both of her attacks had been successfully blocked, the shinigami was slow in shielding herself from the thick tail that whipped around and slammed into her midriff, Ichigo having reappeared beside her and sending her flying into a painful tumble down the street. Coughing at the dust and pain her diaphragm had just endured, the shinigami looked up just in time to see Tatsuki's reishi boosted kick swinging at her side. It landed with a harsh crack against her ribs, sending her into another agonizing tumble down the slope on the side of the road, only her zanpakatou stabbing into the ground saving her from falling into the icy rushing river.

Breathing heavy through her sure to be broken ribs, the raven haired death god looked up to see the humans looking down over the twisted metal railing down at her, the Quincy sending arrows down at her and once more pinning her clothes to the ground beneath her just as the Hollow reappeared with a static buzz right above her, a bala charged clawed fist about to slam down onto her back. Closing her eyes in terror, Rukia feared for the worst.

"Now, now, Ichigo-kun, no need to be so cruel."

Snapping open her eyes again in shock when instead of the crushing pain she expected to feel, she heard the playful tone of that hated (now almost loved) shopkeeper's voice, Rukia looked up to see him standing over her, almost protectively and blocking the Hollow's clawed hand with his mere cane.

The Hollow remained still for a moment, giving the green and white bucket hat clad male a calculating stare before withdrawing his appendage, unperturbed by his cancelled-out attack. "Urahara-san." Ichigo acknowledged, tail twitching in irritation at the interruption but certain that Kisuke wouldn't have stopped him unless he had a valid reason.

Kisuke gave Ichigo a knowing look before turning and kneeling before the abused shinigami, Rukia watching with wide eyes before they rolled back in her head when the shopkeeper popped a memory displacement device in her face and she dropped unconscious. Tucking the toy-like thing back into his pocket, Kisuke turned to the Hollow and his friends. "It won't erase her memory, it only works on lower reiatsu beings, but it will keep her unconscious until we take her back to her shop and get her wounds healed. Ishida-san, if you will."

Uryuu dissipated the arrows pinning down the shinigami at his request; Tatsuki, Orihime, and Chad following the Quincy down the slope of grass to where Kisuke and Ichigo stood over the limp shinigami. Orihime had a slightly grateful expression for the blonde, unshaven man, always unwilling to witness a death even if it would have been necessary, while Chad remained as unreadable as ever while Tatsuki just looked mildly curious.

Ichigo asked her question aloud. "What's your plan hat-n-clogs? Why'd you stop me from killing her when she was going to hurt our friends?" He said lowly, fighting to keep the words from forming into a growl as his most trusted instincts, his loyalty to his entire family (his friends included in that category along with his sisters), screamed in fury at being denied to eliminate the threat to his loved ones.

Kisuke's cool gray eyes glittered under the shadows of his hat, giving the five gathered friends a wise look. "You do know why, your own logic had you guessing beforehand, yes?" He asked wittily, proving that he had been there long before the fighting had broken out and had only chosen to step in when his secret master plan was jeopardized. He waved his ever-present fan at the slightly scolded looking Ichigo. "I understand your plight, Ichigo-san, and do not criticize your actions henceforth. However, if Sado-san will be so kind as to tote Kuchiki-san to my shop, I will explain everything there."

"Hmn." Chad nodded, stepping forward around Kisuke and gently lifting the limp and battered shinigami with his massive, yet gentle hands, cradling the tiny shinigami in his large arms. She almost looked like a baby compared to the gentle giant, especially since the way Chad chose to carry her.

"Hold on a second." Uryuu began, stepping forward also. "A Kuchiki? If what you've told us before about the inner workings of Soul Society, that name is a noble family. What is a noble doing here?"

At this reminder and realization, Ichigo's hair bristled and a low growl rumbled deep in his throat, hackles rising like a provoked cat's might. A noble. They were especially a threat to his home. Kisuke should have let him kill her, damn the consequences. He would die before he let some rich bastard send his seed down here and try to control their lives.

"Calm, calm, Ishida-san, Kurosaki-san," Kisuke soothed with a low murmur. "She is an unseated officer, a ward of the Kuchiki family, not of true noble blood. And she is no threat to your peace here. She was merely assigned to this city like a normal shinigami would be to the next town." He explained calmly, silently turning and walking back to his shop, Tatsuki and Orihime instantly following as well as Chad carrying the shinigami, Ishida and Ichigo automatically falling into step at the end of the little train.

Reassured, Ichigo shook his shoulders to lay his hair flat again, falling down to walk on all fours simply because it was more comfortable for him to do so after years of doing so with his sisters. Tatsuki sent a tiny smile at him from over her shoulder, her rare expression settling Ichigo's fears like almost none other could do. His oldest friend's reassurance was what he trusted above all else, and if she thought it was safe, then it was.

The remaining walk back to Kisuke's shop was quiet and uneventful, the ex-shinigami captain having picked the most secluded route so that their company of four humans and an invisible beast, one human looking like he was carrying nothing, would attract no attention. Arriving at the humble little shop, Kisuke opened the sliding door and ushered everyone inside, smiling softly when Ichigo gave his leg an apologetic nudge for his earlier hostility when he passed inside. Giving one last searching glance over the buildings surrounding his shop, the blonde slid the door closed.

~x~ Rukia's POV ~x~

Groaning in discomfort, Rukia shifted under the softer than most, but still coarse blanket she was settled under. Sitting up with a huff, a grumpy expression adorning her face along with her tousled raven hair making her look like a very irate bedmate to have. Uncomprehending why she was cocooned within a comforter in an unfamiliar room, Rukia pushed herself to her feet unsteadily, yawning and stretching tomboyishly, uncaring that she was supposed to be acting like a Kuchiki noble all the time. She was in her heart a Rukongai brat, and she would behave like one if not under the watchful eye of her nii-sama.

The previous night's events suddenly slammed into her brain, making her stumble at the force of them and she froze, instantly recognizing the interior of the shopkeeper's store and she felt for her broken ribs hurriedly. Soft bandages circled around her chest and she felt only a mild ache, concluding that the store's assistant, Tessai, must have healed her during the night. That geta-boshi however...

Gritting her teeth, Rukia straightened her plain pink yukata (probably dressed in by Tessai, after all her shihaksho had been shredded by the Quincy's arrows) angrily and without further ado, slammed open the door to the room and stomped down the hall, the main room in mind where she had been kept waiting fruitlessly the last time she'd been here. Coming upon the door, she slammed it open and froze.

Sitting around the large round table, that was covered in breakfast food and drinks, were the four humans from last night, along with the Hollow sitting in the corner opposite of her with those two young girls she's seen earlier yesterday sitting near him, the brown-haired one actually in his lap and playing with his long orange hair while the black haired one leaned on his leg with a yawn.

All eyes focused immediately onto her at her brash entrance and she flushed in embarrassment, realizing that she was indecently dressed after all, and (she realized with a flushing shock of mortification) that she had no idea where Sode no Shirayuki was. Crossing her arms over her chest protectively, Rukia scanned the room of her previous attackers but picked up no obvious threat from the other beings occupying the room, excluding the Hollow who always oozed malice towards her very presence.

"Ah~ Kuchiki-san~!" Kisuke simpered, waving his white fan at her from over his cup of tea. "Please sit and join us for breakfast!" Then in a much more serious tone that sent shivers down Rukia's back, he continued. "We have much to talk about."

Rukia nervously yanked her yukata tighter around her petite frame, wide violet eyes flickering around the room mistrustfully. However, considering her vulnerability without her zanpakatou, she could do nothing more than put her trust in Kisuke that he had some measure of control over these humans and the Hollow.

Gathering her remaining dignity about herself and calling out her training as a Kuchiki, the raven haired beauty sat calmly and gracefully at a space in the round table, looking about herself coolly and returning each stare given to her. Her mouth watered at the food before her, but her pride wouldn't allow her to show such weakness in front of a room of potential threats.

"Well, now that Kuchiki-san has joined us, I can really explain things." Kisuke said cheerfully, fanning himself happily with that irritatingly ever present plain white, yet overly obnoxious fan of his.

"Um, Miss?"

The unexpected timid inquiry made Rukia blink and turn towards the soft voice, realizing that it was the light brunette haired little girl with the Hollow. The girl looked beseechingly out at her from within the masked creature's protective embrace, the black haired girl had also been snagged into his hug soon after she'd entered the room.

Seeing Rukia's attention on her, the smaller girl blushed slightly in embarrassment and fidgeted shyly but stated her words firmly nonetheless. "I know that shinigami are supposed to... kill Hollows but don't hurt our Ichi-nii anymore." She pleaded, hugging a red plated arm closer around her middle. "He's different from those other Hollows, and he loves us very much so please don't take him away from us again."

Rukia blinked slowly, absorbing the human girl's words. Ichi-nii? That Hollow is their brother? And he doesn't feel a hunger for their souls? She must mean again from when he died. It amazes me that they aren't scared of his form. She mused to herself thoughtfully before realizing with a jolt that everyone in the room was expecting her to answer. Coughing into her fist lightly, the shinigami straightened her backbone and tried to tread around her words as carefully as possible.

"I can't really promise anything until I know exactly what's going on here in this town and determine the real threats." She said slowly, keeping her eyes trained on the Hollow's that were just daring her to make his... sister upset. "It is my duty to purify the Hollows in this area, but if I could finally have some answers..." She trailed off, shooting the shopkeeper a quick dark glare. "I might be able to abide by your wishes." The girl gave her such a hopeful look; Rukia knew that she would be feeling infinitely guilty if she had lied. Thankfully, she hadn't.

"Well hat-n-clogs," The Hollow's rough, watery voice growled, automatically making the shinigami tense instinctively. "You'd better start answering her questions, and no beating around the bush either like you usually do. It's a weekend and I want Yuzu and Karin home soon."

Rukia quickly absorbed the two girl's names, concluding whose name was who's when each girl gave a tiny movement in accordance with their name being spoken aloud. It was like invisible strings attached them to their Hollow brother. The black haired one was Karin, and the one who had spoken to her was Yuzu. They probably hadn't even noticed they had shown any reaction to their names.

Kisuke laughed gaily. "I'm offended Ichigo-san~! I never dilly-dally~!" He exclaimed defensively, in which it gained several derisive snorts from most occupants in the room. However, his suddenly cool aura that Rukia had seen the night before, right before she'd blacked out was abruptly back. "Ask away, Kuchiki-san."

Swallowing her nervousness, Rukia straightened her spine. This is my chance; I can't waste it now on foolish nerves. Deciding that the best approach to her endless slew of questions would be an analytical start, the violet-eyed girl stared straight into the deep, ageless gray eyes that suddenly made her voice falter as her first question left her lips. "H-how long has this, Ichigo was it, been a Hollow?"

"Two years. He was killed by a drunk driver when he was thirteen. He's technically still thirteen now, but since his mind has matured, we prefer to say he's fifteen."

"How does he feel no hunger for their souls?" Rukia gestured towards the two younger girls, ignoring the Hollow's growl and continued her interrogation of the blonde shopkeeper.

"His will to protect them exceeds his instinctual hunger for human souls entirely. He has had much time to practice and the heart to ensure that he will harm no innocent."

"I can understand the Quincy's powers, but how have these other humans developed their abilities?"

"Ishida-kun has indeed inherited his Quincy abilities, and Sado-kun, Inoue-kun, and Arisawa-kun have all grown into their abilities." Kisuke flicked his pointer finger to each respective person with each individual name. "Their reiatsu had always been affected by Ichigo's own abnormally high reiatsu. And when he became a Hollow and his abilities became even more powerful, theirs did as well and manifested physically."

"What are their strengths?"

"Ah~ ah~ ah~ how rude of you Kuchiki-san, I'm sure you can ask them those questions directly because you are sure to have more important ones to ask." Kisuke scolded playfully, waving his fan at her and amusedly noticing that their other occupants in the room turning their heads from each of them with each question and answer, like watching a ping-pong match with its returning volleys.

Undeterred by his changed mood and attempt at distraction, Rukia fired off another question. "What class level Hollow is Ichigo?"

"He just recently became an Adjuchas. He's been a normal Hollow for the rest of the past two years."

"He skipped the Gillian stage?"

"In a way."

Mildly frustrated with the vague answer but deciding she had more important questions to ask, she continued. "You said he has strong will to not hurt the innocent, but has he ever before?"

Ichigo growled at the accusation but Kisuke quieted him with a slight raise of his hand. "No he has never, not even accidentally. He is much too careful to be so mediocre and amateur."

"Answer me honestly. Do you consider him as a threat?"

"Only to those who threaten to hurt his family, which includes all who resides within this room."

"So is it safe to say that he is an enemy of Soul Society."

"As long as you plan on telling your superiors of a Hollow you couldn't defeat and his allies, then yes, that would be a safe bet to say."

Mildly insulted at the sly blow to her pride, Rukia hardened her resolve to pry every last answer out of the ex-shinigami captain. "What do you owe to him that you are willing to risk your reputation to protect him?"

Kisuke laughed dryly. "My reputation? I have not given a thought to that since I was banned from Soul Society. And what is my debt to him of any interest to you?"

"I want to know everything so that I can determine for myself if he is indeed a threat."

"Ah, a thorough investigation from a Kuchiki I see. Very well, if you must know, he has saved my two wards that work with me in this store, Jinta and Ururu."

"Saved how?"

"Is that an absolutely necessary question?" Kisuke said smoothly, his tone rather cold made Rukia momentarily realize that she'd forgotten that this man could kill her without her even seeing. Swallowing quietly, she decided to be more careful about her tongue.

"Then what about the loyalty of these other humans?"

"They are his friends, Kuchiki-san. Even you must know about the faithfulness of friends."

Stopped cold, Rukia's memory flashed with her best friend's enthusiasm for her being accepted into the Kuchiki clan, before they suddenly shifted apart to different sides of the universe. Shaking her head to rid herself of such heavy thoughts, Rukia scolded herself for being deterred and looked up coldly at the slightly smirking blonde. "Don't mock me, Urahara Kisuke."

"I haven't mocked you at all, Kuchiki-san. I am just merely answering your questions." The green clad shopkeeper replied cheerily, offering her a muffin when the shinigami's stomach grumbled loudly in protest to her earlier ignorance of the food displayed before her.

Embarrassedly and reluctantly taking it, Rukia munched on it thoughtfully for her next question, realizing that every occupant in the room had remained exceptionally quiet during this whole interview-like session of questions and answers. Sneaking a glance at the Hollow and his sisters, Rukia was mildly perturbed that such innocent young girls could willingly, and happily sit so close to what should in all cases be called a monster.

The Hollow, Ichigo she now knew his name, spared her another wary glare before returning his attention downwards to where Yuzu was weaving a pressed pink flower into his long mane of unruly orange hair, Karin silently sniggering in amusement from where she leaned against the white and red creature's arm.

Rukia's expression softened and her resolve that all Hollows were pure evil faltered. They truly do look like a family still...

"No more questions, Miss Kuchiki?" Kisuke's unexpected quiet question pulled the shinigami's attention back towards the blonde, his gray eyes holding a strong wisdom in them from countless years of seeing tragedy and joy that brought him the experience to be the strongest and the most trusted of this human town.

Looking around the room slowly, Rukia's violet orbs saw each and every member of the room in a new light. Ichigo had just taken the better end of the stick to protect his siblings, and it wasn't his fault that his friends had gleaned powers from his subconscious prowess. The Quincy had a loyalty to the other humans, and Ichigo in some way that she was curious to find out later, and Inoue was linked with Arisawa, who was in turn deeply linked with Ichigo as well as Sado. Who was she to disrupt their peace?

Heaving a slow and heavy sigh, Rukia placed down her half eaten muffin on the tabletop. "Just one. Where are all your families?" Silence instantly met her final question before they all answered one by one.

"My parents moved to America after I entered high school. They send money occasionally and I live with Orihime. I'm Tatsuki by the way." Arisawa answered first, touching Inoue on the shoulder to show who she was speaking about and sparing Rukia a small smile. She had seen Rukia's change in heart through her eyes.

"My parents separated when I was very young. My father was abusive and my older brother Sora took me away and took care of me, before he died a couple years ago in a car accident." Orihime replied next, smiling brightly at the raven-haired woman despite her somber words. "Tatski-chan takes care of me now."

"I never knew mine." Sado's deep, timber voice swelled around the room, bringing a sense of warmth with it. "I was raised by my abuelo to use my strength to protect. He lived in Mexico, and I with him before he passed away and I moved back to Japan."

Uryuu sniffed superiorly and pushed up his glasses. "I don't see why I have to tell you anything, but considering all I have is my no good father, and my deceased grandfather, I suppose saying so will do no harm." He didn't say anything else, but his message and answer was clear enough to Rukia.

Turning towards the last one to answer in the room, Rukia summoned her most apologetic expression to her face. "Ichigo...?"

The Hollow was silent for a moment; his sisters in his arms were also quiet before the echoing voice rumbled out from the broad chest. "Our parents were killed in a car crash when I was nine. Yuzu and Karin were only seven. I was in the backseat of the car and I still don't know how I survived. I saw the whole thing and was stuck in there for eight hours before help finally arrived." Ichigo's somber words pulled at Rukia's heart almost more than when Yuzu hiccupped softly in distress and Karin's expression smoothed into a blank canvas, obviously containing her emotions. "And when I was killed in a car crash as well two years ago, I would be damned if I left my sisters alone to that. So I picked this life, and I've stuck by it, and I will really die and stay dead before I let anyone separate us again."

Rukia nodded, blinking rapidly to keep her emotions contained. They're all linked together by their own tragedies... How have they all survived... No... Of course they've survived through these years. They've done it together. Who the hell am I to try and come here to take that away from them? Chuckling mirthlessly, Rukia knew she should be ashamed of her previous actions even as she looked up and straight at a slightly sniffling Yuzu.

"Alright, Yuzu-chan, I promise that I will never hurt your Ichi-nii, or any one of your friends, ever again." And when Yuzu gave her that brilliantly beaming smile, and Karin and Ichigo those eternally grateful eyes, she knew she could keep that promise.

Kisuke smiled, fanning himself lightly with his fan. It appears as if everything had become settled and calm once more. Rukia had been turned from the enemy, into almost being trusted and accepted as a confidante into their family. It would take a little while longer for that to truly occur, but he believed that it would in time. He just hoped that it was before Soul Society realized that the abnormal amount of Hollow reiatsu in Karakura Town was not just because they had sent a shinigami to attend to it.

On another note, Keigo and Mizuro are not in this story and that's because Ichigo and Chad met them in high school, which is whatever it is in Japanese. And since Ichigo died in middle school, he hasn't met them. I may include them later on in the story during a school scene, but as for now neither of them can see spirits or are close friends with this group. ^^

Oh! One last thing! You may think Rukia is OOC about attacking Ishida, Tatsuki, Chad, and Orihime, but consider her circumstances. There's a Hollow right in front of her, attacking, along with a Quincy that's already attacked her, and the remaining three humans are obviously their allies and a threat to her safety. If you were faced with those odds, would you ask questions first? I think not. P.S. Think of Tatsuki's power as an elementary version of Yoruichi's and Soi Fon's shunko. Also, I had a previous reviewer before this edited chapter say that they didn't believe Rukia would just sit there while they're talking. I'd like to point out 2 things: (1) I wrote it so that it seemed like she was struggling to escape the entire time and (2) in anime, that kind of thing happens ALL THE TIME, so don't give me crap about unrealistic. This fictional fanfic is based on a fictional storyline! Geesh, gimme a break.

I apologize for any grammar errors I might have made, even though I read over this chapters since I recently had a review gently criticizing me for some of them that s/he said kinda ruined the moment of reading it ^^ I apologize if there were any that I missed (though I doubt since I just edited this AGAIN). ^^ Also, another reviewer said that Yuzu calls Ichigo, Onii-chan instead of Ichi-nii, but I simply forgot and no one else seems to mind so I'll keep Yuzu calling Ichigo, Ichi-nii for simplicity's sake instead of going back and editing them all again… though I may throw in an Onii-chan occasionally anyways.

Sorry yet again for the wait, and this obscenely long ending author's note, thanks for all the marvelous reviews and alerts, and the fantastic patience you all have with me and my bipolar muse! ^^ Please review! ;3