This chapter came from my own experience of the State Fair that comes around every year, where I waste a ton of money riding the fastest rides and eating funnel cakes and drinking lemonade until I feel sick. It's so much fun.

Also, more flashback and history along with some plot developing! :D thanks for all the reviews guys, you are all seriously amazing for still reading this after a year of no updates. Thank you! And since this was quickly written (amazingly), I'll remind those that missed chapter 5 that it's there :) I wrote this as compensation for you amazing readers for all the missed time of nothing, so I hope you like it :)

~x~

Our Hollow Brother

Chapter 6 – Given some Light

~x~

Despite being shinigami and Quincy, Rukia and Ishida got along rather well, all things considered. Tatsuki theorized that it was because of their similar professional cool attitudes, though she insisted Rukia was way more fun than Ishida when fun was actually in place. Rukia was flattered. This was how they ended up paired together in the two-seater cart of the mini-roller coaster.

Yuzu, and not as loudly Karin, had wanted to go to the fair that had rolled into town last weekend, and Ichigo had insisted that his friends take his baby sisters. They were playing hooky from school to avoid the majority of the crowd that would be there if they had gone the weekend, but that's alright, a lot of other students were as well. At first, everyone didn't want to go because Ichigo obviously couldn't go on any of the rides with them, or even be able to stay by their sides in the crowds, but the Hollow wasn't having it.

"You're going to the fair, and you're all going to have fun. You're not going to feel guilty, you're not even going to think about me. I'm going to be at Urahara's place, and you know how he is, I won't be bored. So neither will you guys. You got that?" Ichigo had growled ferociously, tail whipping like an irate cat even though his eerie eyes were glittering with amusement. They'd all caved to his words.

Rukia had been amazed by all the large masses of machinery that provided children, teenagers, and adults with seemingly endless screaming enjoyment. Strong smells soaked the air, originating from vending booths were people leaned out the windows shouting prices of their specialties. Everywhere Rukia looked, people were smiling and laughing and enjoying themselves. The atmosphere was enthralling.

Her human companions found her sheer amazement both gently amusing and genuinely beautiful in its own kind of childlike wonder. Yuzu had much of the same starry eyed look, but she had at least seen everything displayed before while every little thing was essentially new to the shinigami woman who had to have everything explained to her. She had been terrified and clung to Orihime's arm when the girls all went on a Ferris wheel ride together, but after the second full rotation and realizing that she was safe (no matter the lurching sensation of rising and falling beyond her control), Rukia let loose of her control and was utterly delighted.

They had gone on several more sedate rides, the Teacups being Rukia's current favorite, before Tatsuki insisted that they all go on the mini roller coaster that was the main attraction of the traveling fair. It was only as tall as the ordinary building, but had sharp turns and dips and got up to forty-five miles per hour at the biggest slope. That's how they ended up in the current situation.

Chad was too tall to go on this particular ride, with all the interlinking support beams, but he murmured that he didn't like the ride very much anyways. It scared him. The honest admission from the giant had comforted Rukia that her own fear wasn't as unwarranted as she thought. But all the other rides had been beyond fun, so she wanted to try this one too. Tatsuki was going to ride with Karin, and Orihime with Yuzu (since the ride attendant insisted that the two young girls needed an older partner in the cart with them), and Rukia was left with Ishida, but Tatsuki had expressed confidence that they were good partners in a mischievous tone. It had made both pale ravens flush with embarrassment and avoid one another's eyes for a little while.

Rukia clenched the bar laid low over her waist in both hands, her eyes wide with both anticipation and fear. Ishida sat calmly at her side, but had both hands on the bar as well. Orihime had whispered to her earlier that Uryuu didn't normally go on any of the rides, so Rukia felt especially happy that he was in the cart with her. It made her feel closer to the teenage boy. Ahead of them, Tatsuki and Karin were chatting about sports while ahead of them, Orihime and Yuzu giggled together with eager anticipation.

Rukia squeaked when the cart lurched forwards, only Ishida hearing it since Orihime and Yuzu had squealed at the jolt as well. The cars curved around towards the slope and began its descent with nearly a deafening . Her heart was pounding in her throat, and her mouth felt dry and Rukia hoped Ishida didn't mind too much when she huddled against his side for some measure of preparation/protection. They peaked at the top of the small hill and crested, seemingly paused for a moment where Rukia could briefly see spiderwebbing streets of Karakura town, and then they fell and Rukia forgot everything.

She felt herself lifted out of her seat as wind whipped her hair around her face but she couldn't even blink and her voice stuck in her throat and then she was slammed back into the plastic seat when the cars reached the bottom and shot back skywards. It was terrifying- the sheer speed that was entirely different from shunpo and the rush of fear she felt fighting powerful Hollows. It was exhilarating in its terror… it was fun!

A huge grin grew on the shinigami's face almost without her knowledge, and abandoning everything beyond her current joy, Rukia recklessly threw her arms into the air and screamed her delight as the cars whipped around turns and dove down slopes and shot upwards to repeat the process. Ahead of her, Tatsuki and Karin did the same nearly simultaneously while Orihime and Yuzu clung on for dear life and screamed. Ishida was silent beside her, but if she had thought to look, Rukia would have seen an unusually wide smile on the Quincy's face.

The ride ended far too soon for Rukia's taste, and she was nearly bouncing in the car seat when the train slid into the starting station despite her eyes and mouth being dry from remaining open for nearly the whole ride. She was laughing, but she couldn't help it. The sensation of pure enjoyment was simply too vast to be contained in her chest, so she had to let it out. The other four girls were laughing too, and Ishida was still smiling.

"Can we go again?" Rukia asked eagerly, joined in by the two teenage girls and twin sisters, and the attendant looked towards the line of people waiting, but it was only a single older couple who waved him the 'go ahead', content to let the young ones have their fun.

The man turned back to the group of delighted teenagers, catching their contagiously good mood and grinning at them. "Sure." He turned back to the dashboard of buttons and started readying them for another fun.

Rukia shot a beaming smile at the man's back before turning her pearly whites onto Ishida, who blinked at her once and softly returned the expression. He hadn't thought shinigami could look so carefree and innocent looking at something so humanly fun, and it softened his icy exterior towards his mortal enemies just slight. At least towards her anyways, the rest he could still care less about, Ishida sniffed to himself, settling back in his seat for another ride of the coaster with an energetic Rukia squirming beside him.

~x~

Ichigo tilted his head, able to hear the sounds of the fair even from inside Urahara's shop, especially the screams of people having fun. He smiled, wishing he could have gone but not regretting not going anyways. He had made a choice and he lived with it. It was, however, the goal. He was striving so hard to become a Vaste Lord, and then he would make the jump to arrancar- and finally have a human shape again. The power was absolutely essential, of course, towards protecting his family, but Ichigo wanted that arrancar shape almost more than anything. What he would give to allow his baby sisters to see his real face again. He didn't want to look like a monster any longer than he had to.

Urahara's white fan tapped Ichigo's mask, making the Hollow jump. He hated that the blonde could surprise him so easily, though Urahara had been the one to teach him reiatsu control, so he only figured that it was natural.

"Focus Kurosaki-san~!" Kisuke teased, despite knowing the direction his pupil's thoughts had taken. That's why he distracted the boy. Ichigo was so young, too young to have such heavy thoughts. "Keep moving boxes now~!"

Ichigo snorted and snapped at the white fan in the usual habit of theirs, curling his talons around several stacked boxes and lifting their weight effortlessly. He strode past the green clad blonde on the way towards the back of the shop where Tessai-san was directing Ururu and Jinta organizing the vast storeroom. Ichigo knelt beside the little girl in pigtails, nuzzling her gently with affection.

Ururu giggled and abandoned her job for a moment to hug Ichigo. "Thanks for your help, Ichigo-san!"

"Of course, Ururu-chan." Ichigo purred. She reminded him so much of his baby sisters when they had been younger, despite not knowing the girl's true age, only that she was three years older than Jinta. She was adorable in her own right, and meek in nature, except when she fought. Then she was deadly, and Ichigo appreciated her strength and often praised her for it in the hopes that it would help increase her confidence.

The little girl giggled again before turning back to her organizing, this time with a smile attached to her face as Ichigo returned to the store front to retrieve more boxes, both of them ignoring Jinta's whining as Tessai kept the redhead from ditching work to play baseball. Ichigo held fondness for Jinta too, enjoying the boy's natural rough nature and fearlessness in facing things. Jinta certainly liked Ichigo more than most too, holding the teenager almost like his own older brother despite Ichigo being a Hollow.

As he fell into the routine of lifting and transporting boxes, Ichigo reminisced about the time he had met the younger duo, as well as Urahara and Tessai for the first time. It hadn't been a too favorable encounter on his part.

Ichigo had been sensing the shinigami for weeks now, and it had only been a few months since he had died and become a Hollow in the first place. He was extremely wary of venturing anywhere near the spiritual pressure, not wanting to prompt the shinigami into breaking their distance and possibly attacking. He was very unwilling to look the gift horse in the mouth, one could easily say.

But the shinigami's reiatsu leaked out all day constantly, seemingly tempting and inviting Ichigo to come investigate. The Hollow avoided the curious urge to for a long time, much longer than any spiritually aware person would have lasted, before he finally caved two months into feeling the sensation. By this time, he had realized that Chad and Tatsuki could see him, and his two best friends had become close to his family once more, and Ichigo was only more cautious of ending his life when he had just so narrowly was beginning to build it again.

The Hollow crept towards the reiatsu tentatively, trying not to feel too meek but definitely looking it. He followed it unceasingly all the way to a small little shop modestly tucked away down the street. A little red haired boy and a little girl in pigtails were standing outside the shop, both holding brooms. The boy was pretending the broom was a bat and narrating an imagined game loudly, while the girl actually swept silently. Some reiatsu was seeping off them, and Ichigo could barely sense it. The only amount of ability Ichigo had of sensing anything spiritually powerful like him was some innate awareness that had been born in him when he'd came back as a Hollow. It had been apparently necessary, in order to be aware of when other Hollows came within his territory, and it helped him know which humans had been like he had when he was alive. These two children were apparently like that.

And they knew he was there.

Ichigo shrunk back on the roof when they looked up at him seconds after he had looked down at them, their childlike appearances tossed aside to show sharp awareness that immediately spiked Ichigo's instincts into survival mode. Those kids were dangerous, that much he knew. The Hollow recoiled with shock when the little girl was suddenly level with him, her sandal clad foot standing in the air while the other bent backwards and her purple eyes were eerily empty.

Ichigo barely got his arm up in time to block her kick from shattering his mask, something he had learned was essential to his life. He felt his new hard skin break and the bone snapped but his mask remained intact even as the force of the girl's kick sent him plummeting through the building behind him. The Hollow realized he was hissing automatically at the pain of his snapped arm, even as he watched it twist and bubble to heal itself. He still wasn't used to his new body's abilities.

The girl in pigtails was suddenly plummeting towards him, sandals first and her pink skirt fluttering wildly, but Ichigo didn't notice in his desperation to escape another of her painfully strong attacks. He accidentally slipped into his first sonido at his instinctual need to flee, unaware of what he had even done and hence being unable to control it, disoriented and abruptly in empty space and rebounding off another building. Ichigo stumbled, frantically looking around for his petite attacker and finding the other instead.

Jinta shouted a war cry as he swung a massive metal bat down at Ichigo's head, and the Hollow again just barely managed to twist enough so that the weapon crunched down on his shoulder instead of his vulnerable mask. He shrieked as bone again broke and crumpled under the unexpected weight of the bat and the strength of the small boy who wielded it, but Ichigo managed to get his foot up and shove the redhead brat back and away, restraining himself just enough to send the boy tumbling harmlessly without injury despite tears in his shirt from Ichigo's talons. Despite the children attacking him, Ichigo wouldn't dare hurt them. He was the monster and didn't blame them.

"Ah, I'm terribly sorry Kurosaki-san~! I forgot to mention that you would be coming to Jinta-kun and Ururu-chan~!"

Ichigo felt cold all over. The shinigami whose reiatsu he'd been sensing all this time was standing right in front of him casually, still leaking his spiritual power deliberately. It was a small amount, but Ichigo could smell that it was only a hint to a vast amount that was hidden somehow. He didn't know how he knew that, just that he did, and it terrified him. The children alone were beyond capable enough to killing him in his current state and pathetic level of power and skill with this monsteresque body, let alone this powerful shinigami. The only thing that kept Ichigo's pure Hollow instincts from ripping open a gargantuan into Hueco Mundo was that the shinigami knew his name.

Ichigo tried vainly to fold in on himself, unable to appear smaller because he was already larger in mass than the blonde. He managed only to shove his back and shoulders into the building, ignoring the painful snapping of his shoulder healing itself from the bat's blow. The shinigami didn't attack, only watched him with a cheerful smile that seemed so much more sinister since Ichigo couldn't see the blonde's eyes because of the striped bucket hat he donned. They stared at each other, Ichigo terrified out of his wits and desperate to make himself appear as unthreatening as possible. He couldn't die now, he wouldn't, not after he'd struggled so hard just to get back to his family. But he had no chance against the shinigami, that much he knew, and he didn't dare attempt to attack or even flee. And so he waited.

The blonde seemed to realize this, and oddly enough he looked pleased with himself for a reason that Ichigo hoped wouldn't be harmful towards himself.

"You're exhibiting an astonishing amount of control, Kurosaki-san. You finally came to investigate me after months of me teasing you to come out, only to find yourself attacked by my wards, and yet you don't try to defend yourself. Even when you do, it doesn't even scratch Jinta-kun and when faced with me stating your name, you suppress your instincts to flee and instead decide to wait for your fate intelligently. Remarkable, I've never seen a Hollow of your level exhibit such control over their human tendencies still."

Ichigo stared at the shinigami with wary eyes, hardly daring to move, only continuing to listen with growing confusion. How did this man know so much about him? Just by those observations? Who was this guy?

The shinigami tapped a white fan to his bucket hat. "Allow me to introduce myself, Kurosaki-kun. I am Urahara Kisuke, the humble shopkeeper of this modest little shop. It's a real pleasure to meet you finally. I've been very interested how you've managed to keep so much of your sanity despite becoming a Hollow. And remarkably, you don't have the typical Hollow hole. You're a fascinating enigma."

"How do you know so much about me?" Ichigo blurted out in a croak, flinching when the redhead, Jinta supposedly, finally ambled back over and the little girl, Ururu, showed up as well, still wearing her strangely blank expression.

Urahara Kisuke noticed Ichigo's flinch and ushered both children behind him complacently. "Now now, I know my wards can be threatening, but it was only because they didn't know you were coming. They won't hurt you any more unless I give them the say so."

Ichigo highly doubted the excuse now, not after hearing such insightful comments on his life. The shinigami had probably let the children attack him to test his reactions. Though what kind of man allowed children to go against a monster was beyond Ichigo, although they seemed all too willing to do it themselves with or without the man's approval. Ichigo wanted nothing more than to leave.

Urahara seemed to realize it too and adopted a serious expression. "I'd like to learn about you, Kurosaki-san, and in return, I can teach you how to mask your reiatsu so that no one else finds you or your family. You can even bring your friends and I can teach them too. Cooperate and everyone will get along just fine."

Ichigo was keenly aware that the suggestion was more of a kindly worded threat, but it was still an offer that interested Ichigo despite the Hollow not having a choice in the matter. He nodded slowly.

"Excellent!" Kisuke cheered, turning around and ushering the children towards a tall dark skinned man who Ichigo hadn't noticed was even standing at the end of the street. "I'll be expecting you and company next Thursday. See you then, Kurosaki-san~!"

And that was how Ichigo had met the occupants of the Urahara Shop. Looking back on it, Ichigo still couldn't regret the fear that he had felt- the defenselessness at the hands of mere children and an unshaven playful man still terrified him, even though he no longer felt that way. He just refused to forget his weakness them, it helped remind him that he needed to advance in power, so that something like that would never happen to him again.

Ichigo had gone to that Thursday, of course he had, bringing Chad and Tatsuki with him as suggested. Together they had learned how to control their developing reiatsu, both to hide it and use it to shape and direct their individual abilities. They had met Yoruichi then too, though the woman had been a black cat at the time. It had been a few months until they saw her transform that they had even realized that she was a woman. Yoruichi had developed a huge level of fondness for Ichigo ever since the Hollow had fled the room at the sight of her nudity. She thought that he was adorable and was the only one besides his sisters that loved to play with his long tangled hair.

Oh and then there was Ishida. Ishida, Ishida, Ishida… Ichigo still wondered why the Quincy hadn't found and killed him in the months before Urahara had taught him reiatsu control. It had only been the day when Ichigo's control had been ignored by the emotional turmoil of the time Ichigo had finally confessed the truth to Karin and Yuzu about their parent's death. That day had been an entire month after Ichigo's first time meeting Urahara. The Hollow liked to suspect that the blonde had been shielding him from Ishida until the shopkeeper had decided that everything was in Ichigo's favor so he could gain the other teen as an ally. Ichigo wouldn't put anything past Urahara at this point. He was thankful, though. He owed so much to Urahara-san.

At nearly the same time as Ishida found out about Ichigo (finally), Tatsuki brought her best friend Orihime to the shop because the orangette had proved to be developing her own unique abilities and had admitted to Tatsuki of seeing the white masked creatures. Her brother had been one, and only quick thinking on Orihime's part (and a lot of pure hearted emotion from the empathetic girl) had saved her life and put her brother's soul to peace. She had still had to stay in the hospital for a few weeks though. Tatsuki had been worried sick.

After her experience with her brother, Orihime understood Ichigo, but she had still reacted in terror when she walked into the shop with Tatsuki and saw him. She hadn't screamed, but the agony in her gray eyes had struck Ichigo harder than any blow ever could. It only reminded him of how much of a monster he was. The gentle girl had once apologized for avoiding him, admitting that Ichigo reminded her of her brother, and the Hollow understood and didn't hold anything against her, telling the girl she was in the right for disliking him. The emotions attached to his form were too raw for her to handle. They'd gotten better around each other though, which Ichigo was glad.

The Hollow sighed and shook his head roughly, shaking loose the thoughts. Once he started remembering, he just didn't stop it seemed. The Hollow could almost be amused with himself. The memories and thoughts just never ceased to circle round and round each other, holding heavier and heavier implications every time they went back around. That coupled with the thousands of overlapping voices in his head, it was a goddamned miracle Ichigo wasn't a true and total monster- that or a completely insane sedate coma induced monster of some sort.

"Ne, Tessai-san?" Ichigo suddenly asked after yet another trip back to the storeroom with an armload of boxes. At the large man's turning in his direction, the Hollow took the silent cue to continue his question. "Do you think that… I mean, I know I can never be human again, but do you think that once I become an arrancar, could Urahara-san make me a gigai?"

Tessai gave the Hollow an unexpectedly warm smile. "He already has it ready and waiting, Kurosaki-san. All that's required now is your final transformation so that he knows how strong the reiatsu barrier will need to be for you to live in the gigai."

Ichigo gaped in shock at the admittance, the heart that the Hollow hadn't thought that he even still had pounding in his chest. "R-really…?"

The man nodded, still wearing his warm near parental smile at Ichigo's blatant shock. Ururu had grasped Ichigo's hand in both of hers, swinging his arm while wearing her own smile while Jinta grinned broadly at the Hollow with both arms folded behind his head.

"Yeah, Ichigo," The small redhead agreed heartily. "Urahara-san snuck into your house once and got a picture. Hey! Old man! Can I show him?" Jinta asked eagerly, looking up at Tessai.

"I don't see why not." Tessai agreed, nodding his head.

Jinta grinned and waved enthusiastically at Ichigo. "C'mon, Ichigo! It's in one of the back rooms!"

"Follow me, Ichigo-san." Ururu agreed quietly, but her purple eyes were shining with happiness and tugging on Ichigo's large clawed hand, leading the mute Hollow through the storeroom after the nearly hopping Jinta.

Ichigo's voice was stuck, and he could only follow the two children numbly. Urahara-san had already made him a gigai…? Ichigo didn't know if he could cry as a Hollow, but it already felt like he could.

Jinta pushed open a door and grabbed Ichigo's other hand, pulling with Ururu. "Urahara-san didn't know when you would become an arrancar, so he made ya look twenty-one so that ya can already legally do all kinds of stuff when ya get a body back." The boy enthused eagerly, but Ichigo barely heard him.

Lying on the floor was him. Orange spiky hair, tan skin, long limbs and lean torso. He'd been fourteen when he'd died, so he could tell that this motionless fake body was him as he would have naturally been as he'd gotten older. His baby fat was melted away into lean muscle, his jaw was strong and mature, his chest and shoulders broader than it had been when he'd been a scrawny fourteen year old.

"I-it's me…" Ichigo croaked, the amazement and appreciation obvious in his voice that made Ururu clap her hands happily while Jinta grinned wide and huge. "I look…"

"You look thin," Jinta laughed. "I wanted to make you ripped but Urahara-san said you'd be 'lean' or whatever."

Ichigo looked down at the two children who were like siblings to him already, and couldn't help himself. The Hollow snatched them up and hugged, obviously restraining himself but squeezing just a bit harder than he normally would to emphasize his joy at what this meant to him. Jinta began complaining immediately, but he still wore a grin, while Ururu giggled eagerly into the embrace. Ichigo carried them from the room, nearly running into Tessai in the hallway but turning it into a giant group hug in the process where the two kids were smushed between both larger chests.

Tessai rumbled a chuckle. "I take it you like it."

"Yes! Thank you, Tessai-san! Thank you so much! I- Urahara-san! I need to thank him too!"

Tessai was quick to catch Jinta and Ururu as Ichigo drew back and darted down the hallway in search for the shopkeeper, chuckling again. He was glad to see Ichigo so happy.

"Urahara-san!"

The blonde shopkeeper yelped when he was suddenly attacked by the Hollow and crushed into red plated arms. Normally it would be a worst case scenario for a shinigami, but Kisuke wasn't in any danger as Ichigo tried to emphasize his utter glee and gratitude into the hug.

"Urahara-san, thank you! Thank you so much, Urahara-san! I can never repay you for this, thank you, thank you so much."

"Aww," Urahara whined despite being swung around like a life sized plushie from the arms of a Hollow. "It was supposed to be a surprise when you became an arrancar!" The man was smiling though, also glad to have brought such joy to a little boy inside such a natural made killer body. "You'll need to come in every few weeks for me to make sure the body is aging correctly with you inside but you're welcome in any case, Kurosaki-san."

Ichigo pressed what could be called the cheek of his mask to the top of Kisuke's hat. "Thank you so much…" Now Ichigo only wanted to work harder than ever to become an arrancar, because Urahara-san had already ensured his return to life as a human. He couldn't possibly be any happier than he was right at this moment.

A bit more filler, where Rukia returns to her prior personality before she became a "cold Kuchiki" and remembers how to have friends and fun, and Urahara giving Ichigo a future which helps the plot and gives future chapters a kind of "light at the end of the tunnel" type feel :3 this chapter mainly gives more time to the beginning of the Bleach story where Rukia spends time in Karakura like in the canon storyline

Renji and Byakuya arrive next chapter :D