Aaand, again a huge rewrite! I think I'm going to quit announcing them. Anyway, here's the newest chapter, and it's stupidly long. Seriously, normally my chapters are a bit more than half of this one. It's ridiculous. Then again, I doubt you'll mind…
Enjoy!
Uryuu breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
That, he admitted to himself, didn't go according to plan. The Shinigami had proved herself to be a far more slippery opponent than he had expected.
But this was the end of the line for her. The moment Ichigo had knocked her down, Tatsuki had rushed forward to kick the sword away and had put the Shinigami in a chokehold.
With a sigh, Uryuu paused to help Sado free himself. For a Quincy it was child's play to find the restraining Shinigami energy where it was wrapped around the larger boy's arms, and remove the offending reiryoku. Sado bowed his head in a silent 'thank you', and together they joined their friends at the Shinigami's struggling form.
Uryuu kept his bow ready, an arrow nocked and trained on the dark-haired Shinigami. This time, he wouldn't allow her to run, even if it meant potentially fatally injuring her. They could not allow her to inform the other Shinigami about Ichigo's presence.
If only she didn't look so human…
There was, after all, a big difference between killing a monster and killing a person. And yet, if she would not sit still long enough to allow him proper aim, he would have to choose between risking her life and letting the life of his friend be put in jeopardy.
Uryuu steeled himself. For many years he had destroyed countless souls for the sake of a few. This was the same principle.
If she does not yield… I will not hesitate!
XXX(xxxx)XXX(xxxx)XXX(xxxx)XXX
Rukia would freely admit she was panicking, her breath coming in gasping, wheezy whimpers, like a dying animal. Here she was, pinned down quite effectively right in front of a very dangerous Hollow. The fact that it had not killed her yet did not bode well for her. A normal Hollow might have gloated before eating her, but this one was eerily quiet.
And there was only one reason she could think of that would make this Hollow wait.
He was trying to gain control over her.
Rukia shivered and struggled against the Human female's frighteningly strong hold, trying to fight her way free. She didn't have much luck. The Human – a teenage girl and a lot younger than she'd first assumed, Rukia had realized once she'd gotten a good, close look at the female's face – was using a move that could have been pulled straight out of a hakuda class. If Rukia tried to move her limbs too far in the wrong direction they would get dislocated without the girl having to move a single muscle. The Kuchiki would have been impressed if she hadn't been so scared.
The only way to get out now would be kidou, and even that might not work. But she had to try. She would never forgive herself if she died the same way as her beloved mentor. She couldn't do that to her Captain. Ukitake-taichou had always been good to her, so she didn't want to cause him grief by reminding him of his Lieutenant's death. Her brother probably would merely be disappointed, so despite how shameful it was, she didn't care all that much about his reaction; in her bleaker moments, she had often wondered whether he had ever cared about her in the first place.
She picked the moment he Hollow was slightly distracted by the archer and the large Human joining them. Closing her eyes to gather her calm, she whispered the words that would either mean her death or her salvation. The archer cried out a warning as her reiatsu fluctuated on the cadence of her words, but by then she had already finished charging the spell.
Moving quickly, Rukia aimed the low level hadou at the Human hakuda specialist to incapacitate her. The young woman holding her cried out as she was sent flying. Rukia breathed a sigh of relief and tried to get up-
Her plan turned out to be a mistake. The moment the short chant knocked the Human several yards away, the Hollow snarled, low and threatening in a way she'd never heard before. Not just anger. The protective rage of a mother bear that saw one of her cubs under attack.
The Hollow's retribution was swift and ruthless.
The Hollow grabbed her and slammed her into the ground. Rukia let out a short scream before she found herself bereft of air. She felt the bones in her chest give out in several places. Oh gods, she whimpered mentally. That hurts! She could feel the sharp edges of her own ribs dig into her flesh and threatening to puncture her lungs. Messy breaks that made breathing almost impossible. If she survived, she would have one hell of a hard time reaching a healer.
But she had bigger problems than a nearly caved in chest.
The Hollow raised his other hand, claws out and aiming to tear and shred. Closing her eyes in terror, she braced for the worst-
A heavy thunk made her flinch violently, but the expected pain didn't come.
"Now, now, Kurosaki-kun," a disturbingly cheery voice said in the unexpected hush, "there's no need to be cruel."
Snapping her eyes open again in shock, Rukia looked up to see the shopkeeper standing over her almost protectively, blocking the Hollow's clawed hand with a mere cane.
She could have hugged him. Unfortunately, with her ribs broken this badly and the Hollow's hand still pressing her down, she couldn't even sit up. But she would definitely forgive the man his insults earlier that day.
The Hollow – Kurosaki? What a weird name for a Hollow – remained still for a moment, giving the green-and-white bucket-hat wearing male a calculating stare before withdrawing, seemingly unperturbed that his attack had been stopped. He even let go of Rukia, who could now breathe a little deeper, now the worst pressure was off her ribs. She would have tried to sit up, but a previous training incident had taught her what a spectacularly bad idea that would be. Though a fairly large part of her was convinced getting away from the Hollow was worth aggravating her injuries.
"Urahara-san," Kurosaki acknowledged, tail twitching in irritation at the interruption. But he didn't attack any further even though it was clear that he wanted to.
Strange Hollow, Rukia gibbered mentally, starting to feel lightheaded due to the damage done to her torso. Even though the battle rush was still going strong, its numbing effect wasn't enough to hide the cringe-worthy sensation of the edges of her ribs grinding against one another with every breath. She was pretty sure she was only moments away from losing consciousness entirely. Which would be an even worse idea than trying to sit up. She did not want to lose consciousness with the Hollow this nearby. Weirdest Hollow ever. What kind of Hollow talks instead of continuing to attack? And what the hell does Urahara think he's doing, talking back?!
She saw Urahara give Kurosaki a knowing look before he turned towards her.
No, you moron! Don't turn your back-!
Something went poof right in her face. Her world went mercifully black.
XXX(xxxx)XXX(xxxx)XXX(xxxx)XXX
Yasutora watched quietly while Urahara kneeled before the injured Shinigami, who had been watching the proceedings with wide eyes until the shopkeeper had popped some kind of device in her face, rendering her unconscious. Tucking the toy-like thing back in his pocket, Kisuke turned to the Hollow and his friends. Ichigo had just finished checking Tatsuki over and helping her back on her feet after her tumble. "That will keep her unconscious for now," Urahara told them, mainly focusing on Ichigo, whose anger still saturated the faint aura of reiatsu he radiated. "At least long enough to take her to the shop and get her wounds healed."
Ichigo nodded grudgingly. "What's your plan Hat'n Clogs? Why did you stop me from killing her when she was trying to hurt Tatsuki?" They could hear the enraged growl rumble just beneath the surface, a clear indication that Ichigo was having trouble reining in his protective anger.
Urahara's cool gray eyes glittered under the shadows of his hat, giving the five gathered friends a calm look. "Striking her down would only bring you trouble. You know that Kurosaki-kun. Or would, if you took the time to think instead of letting your affront rule your actions," Urahara gently rebuked. He waved his ever-present fan at the slightly scolded looking Ichigo. "I understand your plight, Kurosaki-kun, and do not criticize your actions. But if you will be so kind as to bring Kuchiki-san to my shop, I will explain everything there."
Ichigo grumbled, but then shifted his balance so he would have his hands free, his tail stretching behind him as he wavered on his feet. Yasutora knew that Ichigo almost never tried to walk on two legs, since his Hollow form was too animalistic for him to keep his balance easily. With his new form it seemed to give him less trouble than before, but he still wasn't really steady on his feet. Ichigo placed the battered Shinigami on his back with quite a bit more care than Yasutora had expected after the damage his friend had doled out to the slender female, even going as far as to ensure she was at no risk of falling and her weight would not rest on her ribs. Only after he was sure the Shinigami's position was as secure as it was going to get, Ichigo dropped back on all fours.
Yasutora would freely admit to heaving a silent sigh of relief at seeing his friend move past his anger enough to not give in to the temptation to injure the Shinigami further. It was always a tossup whether his friend was in a forgiving mood or not. Even as a Human Ichigo had been able to hold a grudge like nobody's business when he wanted to. Fortunately, his friend had rarely decided that such a grudge was warranted. However, Yasutora hadn't been sure if Ichigo would still be that forgiving after becoming a Hollow, so it was nice to see that not much had changed in Ichigo's temperament.
Though the level of viciousness had definitely gone up. When Ichigo had been alive it had often been Yasutora who convinced his more violent friend to keep the level of serious damage to a minimum and let bygones be bygones. It hadn't always worked, but most of the time the worst their attackers got were sprains and deep-tissue contusions. The sounds of snapping bones when Ichigo had slammed the Shinigami against the ground had been loud enough to make Yasutora wince. As a Human Ichigo had never done worse than broken a limb, but this time he had definitely snapped a few ribs. Maybe even damaged the Shinigami's spine, given the large cracks in the paving stones beneath her.
Yasutora hadn't been the violent type since his beloved grandfather had convinced him to shackle his strength and ruthlessness back when he had been a boy, and had made him promise to never use his fists for himself. Ichigo had given him a reason to use them for good; first when he had been alive, and again when they had been reunited after his dear friend's death. But it was always eased his mind when it turned out he didn't need to use it for more than just a little roughing up. This level of damage… well, he didn't like it, even though he himself would have done just as much to protect his friend. The Shinigami lady had attacked first, so she had been fair game, no matter how his morals flinched at roughing up a girl only a tiny bit taller than Ichigo's sisters. She was a Death God. He knew she was a lot sturdier than she looked, which was evident when she had still clung to consciousness after Ichigo's retaliation. Still, that did not mean he was happy with how the situation had turned out.
"You received our message?" he inquired, scooping up the Shinigami's sword when he spotted it a few feet away. So that is where it ended up, he thought absently. He was a little impressed that Tatsuki hadn't hurt her foot when she had kicked it. A real katana was nothing to fool around with. The group set out towards the Shoten, Ichigo walking at the front with Inoue next to him to steady the Shinigami should she start to slip.
Amused grey eyes met his from their shelter of shadows. "Mm, I did," Urahara replied. "Though not until a little while ago. Unfortunately. I would have advised a different approach."
"Yeah?" Tatsuki replied. "What would you have had us do then?"
Urahara chuckled behind his trusty fan. "Ah, I know it is easy to overlook, but have you ever wondered where the Shinigami officers stay, when they're not patrolling?"
Five pairs of eyes zeroed in on him, some more intensely than others. "With you," Uryuu guessed, looking annoyed that he hadn't considered that before.
Urahara gave him a cheeky smile, half hidden by his fan. "Don't look so accusing, I made sure it would be completely safe for Kurosaki-kun to visit. The Shinigami assigned to Karakura makes use of a well warded set of rooms at the back of my shop, almost completely separate from the rest of the house. They receive strict instructions not to bother me without an appointment, and that if they want to speak with me on the fly they can come to the shop itself or ring a bell and hope I'll drop by."
The Quincy narrowed his eyes. "You would have set up a meeting."
"Or at least arranged a way to confront her more discreetly," the shopkeeper agreed. "It would have allowed us to avoid most of the unfortunate collateral damage of this night."
Yasutora recalled the few craters he'd made in various places of the road and sidewalk, and the holes Uryuu had added to a certain wall, and acknowledged with some regret that the blond did have a point. They could have planned that better. They'd probably see the traces of their fight back in the local morning news. Mysterious holes tended to do that.
"Luckily for you, I took care of the security cameras," Urahara continued musing idly. But Yasutora knew that since this was Urahara, that remark was anything but idle.
They all flinched, and even Ichigo, who didn't have to worry about being recognized, twitched guiltily. Oh. Yeah. They really could have planned that better. Yasutora huffed ruefully. It was so easy to forget the mundane in favor of the supernatural, but given that they were alive, forgetting something as common as security cameras was a grave oversight on their part, especially since there were quite a few businesses located in close vicinity of the river which all employed technology to keep their wares safe.
Yasutora noticed the tightness in Uryuu's jaw and knew that the indirect rebuke had been a solid blow to the Quincy's pride. Uryuu took a great deal of stock in his ability to plan, so that oversight was something he would probably beat himself up over for a while. Tatsuki and Orihime displayed various flavors of deep, painful embarrassment, and Ichigo's tail curl around the Hollow's ankles in guilty shame. Yasutora was fully aware that he spoke for all of them when he addressed the eccentric shopkeeper with a very sincere, "Thank you, Urahara-san."
Urahara responded with a sly smile. "It was no trouble, Sado-kun."
Tatsuki was the first to compose herself. "What was it that you used to knock that woman out anyway?"
It was one of the most obvious attempts to change the topic Yasutora had ever heard. He suppressed a smile.
"Hmm?" the shopkeeper said innocently. "Oh, just a little trinket. It is usually used to make sure that Humans who accidentally fall victim to a Hollow and survive do not remember their encounter with the spiritual world."
"Really?" Uryuu blinked, surprised and just a bit suspicious. "Can't we use that 'trinket' of yours to make her forget Ichigo?"
Yasutora, Tatsuki, Orihime and Ichigo cast somewhat hopeful looks the Shinigami inventor's way. Especially Orihime seemed to prefer the idea, which was in no way a surprise.
Urahara, however, shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. The kikanshinki uses reishi to influence the mind, but the stronger the soul the more reishi is needed. With spiritually powerful beings like yourself or Kuchiki-san here the effects simply do not stick because the spell will get overpowered by your own natural ability. It would be a very temporary solution at best. The fact that Kuchiki-san is unconscious proves that her soul is already working on driving the intruding energies out. When she wakes up she'll remember everything."
Tatsuki looked dubious, while Orihime looked disappointed. "And no one ever designed a more powerful version?" the martial artist asked.
"Of course not." Urahara waved his fan in a dismissive manner, but his words belied the flippancy of the gesture. "The kikanshinki is to keep Humans from bothering officers and to keep them from trying to solve 'disappearances' caused by Shinigami whenever they need to use a gigai somewhere during their mission. Imagine what would happen if someone could make Shinigami forget. It would only take one immoral person to corrupt the entire system of Seireitei. It is bad enough as it is."
"Bad, huh?" Tatsuki frowned, always curious about the afterlife whenever it came up. It rarely did and almost never in Urahara's vicinity, so it was not surprising she pounced on the absentminded remark. Every single one of them showed various levels of intrigue regarding the place that would be their home once their time in the living world came to an end, whether they wished it to be or not. Yasutora couldn't speak for the others, but he certainly wasn't as averse to the idea as Uryuu seemed to be, though he certainly wasn't eager either.
But no matter their questions, Yasutora thought it was quite clear that Urahara didn't want to speak about the place that should have been his home. Yasutora wondered what had caused the man to leave. From the way the shopkeeper kept his silence, it probably wasn't anything good.
Urahara shrugged. "Ishida-kun's people would have never suffered the losses they did if it wasn't," he deflected. It was exactly the kind of cryptic answer Yasutora had expected from the blond, and the others expressions told him they shared his opinion, if Ichigo's roll of his eyes was any indication. Uryuu snorted at the nonsensical answer, but didn't comment. Tatsuki took Urahara's hint for what it was and didn't push.
A few minutes later they arrived at Urahara's shop. They were greeted by Tsukabishi, Urahara's giant employee, who had been waiting for their arrival with his arms crossed and an air of immovable patience about him. Yasutora liked the man. Their temperaments were fairly similar, and from what Yasutora had seen, Tsukabishi's mellow calm was a good counter to Urahara's more impulsive and unpredictable behavior. The two made a good team, for the same reasons that Ichigo and Yasutora did. They balanced each other.
"Tessai!" Urahara hollered cheerfully, waving his fan. "I've got a job for you! Poor Kuchiki-chan had a bit of an accident and needs patching up!"
Tsukabishi took one look at the bloodied, shallowly breathing Shinigami, and sighed almost unnoticeably at the shopkeeper's antics with an air of longsuffering exasperation. Yasutora would have felt more sympathy for the man if he hadn't known that Tsukabishi was more than just a simple employee. From what he'd managed to discern, the large Shinigami had been one of Urahara's best friends for a very long time.
Still, Yasutora felt bad for the work the man had to do to 'patch Kuchiki up', as Urahara put it. Especially given how late it was already.
"I'll help you, Tsukabishi-san," Orihime offered, obviously sharing Yasutora's thoughts.
"That would be much appreciated, Inoue-san," Tsukabishi replied graciously. The man opened the door for them, making sure there would be enough room for Ichigo to enter.
"Let me take that burden off of you, Ichigo-san," the man semi-ordered, already reaching for the injured Shinigami. Ichigo let him lift her off his back without complaint. He even looked a little relieved to have her gone. Yasutora reckoned it was a lot more difficult to keep an unconscious person on your back than Ichigo had made it appear, even with Orihime helping him.
Careful not to aggravate the Shinigami's injuries further, Tsukabishi swiftly carried his delicate cargo deep into the shop to one of the spare rooms near the back, Orihime hot on his heels. The rest of the group followed at a more sedate pace, moving towards the sitting room behind the business area of Urahara's establishment.
Urahara 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. Giving one last searching glance over the buildings surrounding his shop through the windows, the blond slid the door closed.
XXX(xxxx)XXX(xxxx)XXX(xxxx)XXX
Groaning in discomfort, Rukia shifted under the blanket she was settled under. Sitting up with a huff, she pushed a few stray strands out of her face. Still half asleep, she stared uncomprehending at the unfamiliar room she found herself in. Shaking her head to dispel some of the grogginess, Rukia pushed herself to her feet unsteadily, yawning and stretching, uncaring that she was supposed to be acting like a Kuchiki noble all the time. It was not as if there was anyone to see her behave like the Rukongai kid she used to be.
She scratched her head. Now, where was she, and how had she gotten here?
The previous night's events suddenly slammed into her brain, making her stumble at the force of them. She froze, before looking at the room with new eyes. Now she recognized the interior of the shopkeeper's store. Well, that was good news. Seemed that despite his odd behavior he had managed to get her away from the Hollow and his accomplices.
Gingerly and preparing for the worst, she felt for her broken ribs. Soft bandages circled around her chest and she felt only a mild ache. She was surprised. The shopkeeper was apparently more capable than he appeared. Or maybe his assistant was. Regardless of who was responsible, she was grateful to find herself healed.
Glancing around, Rukia frowned when she didn't spot Sode no Shirayuki. Most of her feelings of goodwill towards Urahara evaporated. What kind of Shinigami would take away another's Zanpakutou?
Then again, Urahara had already proven that he wasn't an ordinary Shinigami. What kind of Shinigami would have anything resembling a friendly talk with a Hollow of all things? And why the hell had he been so familiar with the Hollow? It had sounded as if they knew each other personally, but that would be absolutely insane. At least, that is what she would have thought before she had met the crazy shopkeeper. After last night she wasn't so sure. 'Insane' had been a fair description of what had happened.
And now that she was thinking about it, there was something wrong with this whole situation. First she had found out that a Hollow had been haunting this town for far longer than was acceptable. Then, when she went to ask for information, the shopkeeper hadn't been there. She had thought he was just slighting her because she was the Kuchiki Clan's Rukongai embarrassment, but she was starting to suspect that it had at least partially to do with the weird Hollow. Then there were the girls that the Hollow had kidnapped, and then last night had happened.
She swore, if Urahara had had any hand in this she would freeze his balls off. And maybe some other important bits as well.
She ignored the fact that she would first have to find Sode no Shirayuki for that.
Gritting her teeth, Rukia straightened her plain white yukata and threw on the purple, knee-length women's haori that she found neatly folded next to her bed. She wanted answers, and she wanted them damn well now. This time she wouldn't allow the shopkeeper to avoid her.
Without further ado she 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. She could feel there was someone there that possessed reiatsu. And it'd better be that flaky shopkeeper. Coming upon the door, she yanked 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. The two young girls she's seen earlier yesterday were sitting next to 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.
And Urahara was serving them tea, a wide, insufferable smile on his face as he tried to push a steaming cup into the Hollow's hand.
What. The. Hell?
Okay. Looked like insane was the new normal. One thing was clear: Urahara was definitely in league with the Hollow.
A Shinigami in league with a Hollow. What in the name of the Soul King was wrong with this man?!
And she had stayed under his roof. Gods, she had been in mortal peril every moment she had spent here! The moment she would have the chance she would report him to her Captain. This situation couldn't be allowed to continue. The entire town was in danger because of the shopkeeper's treacherousness.
In reaction to her anger-fueled entrance, all eyes had immediately focused on her. Rukia refused to be cowed by the unwelcoming stares, and resolutely ignored the heat that she could feel crawling up her neck in response to the shopkeeper's chidingly raised eyebrow.
Crossing her arms over her chest protectively, Rukia coolly returned the unfriendly looks of her previous attackers. Discreetly she scanned the room for other threats, but didn't find any new hostiles.
"Ah, Kuchiki-san!" Kisuke simpered as if her entry had been perfectly normal and polite, waving his white fan at her from over his own 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 haori tighter around her petite frame, eyes flickering around the room mistrustfully. However, considering how vulnerable she was without her Zanpakutou, she could do nothing more than hope that Urahara had some measure of control over these Humans and the Hollow, and was at least well disposed enough towards her to offer her protection against the dangerous group.
Gathering her remaining dignity about herself and calling out her training as a Kuchiki, the raven-haired Shinigami sat calmly and gracefully at a space in the round table, looking about herself coolly and returning each stare given to her. The food before her was tempting, but her pride wouldn't allow her to show any kind of weakness in front of a room of potential threats. Sating her appetite would have to wait.
"First, let me introduce everyone," Urahara decided. He snapped his fan shut and poked it in Rukia's direction. Rukia glared at the rude gesture. "This here is Kuchiki Rukia, of the Great Noble Clan Kuchiki. This here-" he pointed at the bespectacled Human that had tried to pierce her hakusui the night before, "-is Ishida Uryuu." Next the fan pointed at the Human hakuda specialist. "This is Arisawa Tatsuki, and the girl next to her is Inoue Orihime." The fan moved to the largest Human of the group, who responded with a quiet greeting. "This is Sado Yasutora, also known as Chad."
Urahara smiled as he gestured at the remaining three occupants. "And last but not least, from left to right, these are Kurosaki Yuzu, Ichigo, and Karin."
Rukia took care to memorize the Humans' names. Briefly she wondered why the two young girls had a name similar to the Hollow, but she was distracted when Urahara continued to talk.
"Well, now that Kuchiki-san has joined us, I can explain things," Urahara said cheerfully, fanning himself with his ever-present plain white, yet overly obnoxious fan.
Rukia scoffed, her anger making her forget her caution. "Oh, pray tell," she said snidely, "what in the Worlds makes you believe you can explain this? You are entertaining Humans and a Hollow at your table! Humans are not supposed to be involved in Shinigami business. Why have you not yet freed them from this Hollow's thrall? He's right here! Why haven't you slayed him yet? Have you truly forgotten your old oaths to the point that you would stay your hand against a monster?" Contempt colored her voice. "It seems Ukitake-taichou was wrong about you-"
A chilling look from shadowed eyes killed any other words she had intended to speak before they even left her throat. Kurosaki's low growl and the Humans' outraged outcries didn't help either. Urahara silenced them with a raised hand before he smiled at her, as innocuous as the exuberant idiot he pretended to be, but with the same shadow of lethal intent that Captain Unohana used to threaten any wayward patients into obedience. Captain Unohana's smile was scarier, but Urahara pulled it off well enough that Rukia felt cold sweat drip down her back.
"My, my," Urahara said softly, as if lost in thoughts, fan tapping against his lower lip. "Such a temper from one of such a noble Clan. It seems we need to correct a few faulty assumptions of yours, Kuchiki-san."
Rukia narrowed her eyes at the thinly veiled jibe. With great effort she kept her peace, even though she really wanted to slap the insane shopkeeper. How dare he speak as if she was in the wrong?
"Your first and most important misconception," Urahara continued blithely, "is that Kurosaki-kun is an ordinary Hollow. He is not. Unlike other Hollows, he has retained his Human mind and morals even after he took this form." Urahara gave her a hard look. "He is not, as you so pithily put it, a monster."
"He is a Hollow," Rukia replied, disgusted by the man's pitiful attempt to lie. "All Hollows are monsters!"
Urahara shook his head. "And that is where you are wrong, Kuchiki-san. Through circumstance, Hollows are generally violent and insane, even in the rare cases that they retain their Human memories. Kurosaki-kun is a truly exceptional individual with a strength of character that is simply amazing. He is an innately good person, whose loyalty to his family allowed him to avoid the madness other Hollows succumb to."
Rukia glared, anger fanned by the shopkeeper's ridiculous claim. "A good person? A Hollow?" She pointed at the increasingly displeased looking creature, too furious to care about her personal safety. "He feeds on souls, for gods' sake! How in the Worlds can something like that be 'a good person'?"
"So you believe," Urahara replied, unperturbed. "But the world isn't that black and white. Answer me this, Kuchiki-san," the shopkeeper said, gray eyes holding violet with a piercing challenge. "Who is a better person: someone who lived a peaceful life and never did anything wrong, or someone who had ample opportunity and more than enough reason to do evil, but who refused to even consider it?"
He paused, but Rukia refused to rise to the bait. Kurosaki was a Hollow. There was no way he wasn't guilty of evil.
Reading her defiance in her expression, Urahara sighed. "Let me explain it differently then, to appease your strict convictions."
Despite herself, Rukia felt an angry flush rise to her cheeks. She fought it down. She was used to people having a dig at her to make her bend to their wishes. She was perfectly capable of recognize that the shopkeeper was attempting the same. Did he think she was stupid?
Urahara blithely continued as if he hadn't just subtly insulted her. Rukia wanted to strangle him. "For Shinigami and Humans, the choice to cause harm is entirely theirs. But for Hollows, their very existence requires the suffering of others. Yet despite that, Ichigo has never harmed a Human soul. I dare say you are the first being with a Human appearance to suffer at his hand. And given what you planned to do to him and his, I must point out that his actions were entirely justified even by Human and Shinigami standards."
Rukia refused to back down. Put like that it did sound reasonable. But only if you assumed that he was indeed telling the truth. And she was not so foolish to assume that. "What proof do you have of your claim?" the Kuchiki demanded.
Urahara raised an eyebrow. "Beside the proof you can see before you?" the shopkeeper inquired mildly.
Rukia felt another involuntary blush crawl up her face. "If he can manipulate them into siding with him-"
"Let me assure you," Urahara interrupted, quite rudely in Rukia's opinion, "that Kurosaki-kun has absolutely no capabilities in that area. No matter how difficult it may be for you to believe, these people are here out of their own free will, driven by their concern for a friend whose only crime is being part of a group of souls of which almost every other individual can be rightfully called insane."
Rukia frowned, stubbornly refusing to believe. Clearly she wouldn't win the shopkeeper over anytime soon. And given the glares she was receiving from the other occupants of the room, it might be in her best interests to switch to a different topic. She knew her duty. She had to survive this ordeal to inform her Captain. For that, she would swallow her pride and allow Urahara the victory in this exchange.
She scoffed and looked away, directing a glare at the Hollow instead. Gods, the amount of trouble he was giving her! She dearly wished she could be rid of him right now. "What class level is he anyway?" she asked. Her Captain would want to know that once she informed him of the situation. "He is not an ordinary Hollow, now is he?"
Urahara smirked. Rukia was immediately on guard. That smirk contained way too much amusement to spell any good for her. "Oh, he's a Menos Grande, actually," he answered flippantly. "An Adjuchas, to be exact."
It was as if he had dunked her in ice water so cold it froze even the marrow in her bones. Rukia shivered and could only stare at the orange-haired Hollow. A… Menos Grande? One of the Great Hollows? And… wasn't Adjuchas the second class level?!
She swallowed thickly, feeling faint. "A… an Adjuchas?" …Oh my gods. What do I do? All Menos Grande are the jurisdiction of the elite. I can't even hope to beat one of the first level, and I've been facing off with one of the second?!
She had to tell her Captain. No matter what it cost her. This was way out of her league-
"Ah, it seems that you have realized the position you're in. Good!"
Slowly, she dragged her gaze to the shopkeeper, who was smiling with a truly inappropriate amount of glee.
His eyes were sharp as finely honed steel when he met hers. "Maybe now you'll believe me when I say that Kurosaki-kun isn't a mindless monster. He has no desire to kill anyone." He smiled, like sunshine on razor edges. "Do you really think you would have survived otherwise?"
Rukia had no choice but to believe him. She would have been dead if the Hollow had wanted her to be. It would have taken no effort on his part.
And… now she was thinking about it, a Hollow that powerful wouldn't have gone unnoticed unless it was really trying not to cause trouble.
Why? I don't get it! Hollows are supposed to be insane devourers of souls without exception! How can this Hollow be different?
Her eyes fell on the Humans. Urahara claimed them to be the Hollow's friends. Which was another ridiculous thing. Hollows didn't have friends.
… Maybe they will provide the answer.
All she knew was that right now, she really didn't want to meet those hostile golden eyes.
"You have not told me the Humans' roles in all this yet," the Kuchiki remarked. She ignored Ishida's derisive scoff and the Arisawa's contemptuous snort, preferring to focus on the insane shopkeeper. She wasn't sure yet whether she believed Urahara's claim that Kurosaki did not have the ability to influence minds.
"They are his friends, Kuchiki-san," the shopkeeper replied, as if she was stupid for asking. "Even you must know about the faithfulness of friends."
Stopped cold, Rukia's memory flashed with her supposedly best friend's enthusiasm for her being accepted into the Kuchiki clan, before they suddenly drifted apart to different sides of the universe. Mentally shaking her head to rid herself of such heavy thoughts, Rukia scolded herself for being deterred and cast a frigid look at the still smirking blond. "Do not mock me, Urahara Kisuke."
"I haven't mocked you at all, Kuchiki-san. I am 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 decision to ignore the food displayed before her.
Embarrassed and reluctant, she accepted the pastry despite her reservations, munching on it as she tried to recover her equilibrium before she made a fool of herself. The revelation of the Hollow's class level had shaken her more than she was willing to admit. She took the opportunity to check on the other occupants of the room, who had remained exceptionally quiet so far, apparently content to let Urahara handle the bulk of the conversation.
Inoue was enjoying the large variety of breakfast foods, while Sado was sedately consuming a piece of toast. Both seemed to pay little attention to the conversation, though Rukia suspected they were following every word with care. In contrast, Ishida and Arisawa were following the conversation intensely, apparently having decided to wait until the conversation was done with before they continued to eat. Lastly, she glanced at the Hollow and the two little girls. Both girls were eating freely, but were keeping a sharp look on Rukia at the same time. The Kuchiki was perturbed that such young girls could look so at ease while sitting so close to such a monstrous being.
"Even those two?" she asked, raising a disbelieving brow at the blond as she gestured at the two girls. The Hollow let out a low, threatening rumble. Apparently he didn't like it that Rukia was paying attention to them. Well, tough luck.
Urahara smiled. "Hmm, no, they are a bit different. You see, they are his sisters. His Human sisters."
Rukia frowned. Surely he couldn't mean…"Are you claiming they are his sisters from when he was alive?" she asked incredulously. "That is preposterous! A Hollow's first victims are the people he was close to during his life!"
Urahara shrugged. "That is indeed what I claim. Like I explained before, Kurosaki-kun is an exception to everything you believe true about his kind."
Rukia narrowed her eyes. Everything? He had to be joking. "Then would you mind explaining how these Humans gained the abilities they used against me?" she inquired sharply.
The shopkeeper tilted his head, unfazed by her question. "Well, that is pretty simple. Sado-kun, Inoue-chan, and Arisawa-chan have all grown into their abilities," Urahara explained. "They were affected by Kurosaki-kun's abnormally high reiatsu. They have always possessed the potential to develop their powers, and thanks to Kurosaki-kun's influence they awakened them. I've helped them develop their techniques after that. At first only because they needed to learn control, and later because they insisted learning more so they could help Kurosaki-kun keep his sisters and this town safe."
"And him?" Rukia asked, casting a pointed look at the only teenager Urahara hadn't mentioned. Ishida glared at her, but she dismissed his ire as unimportant. Though she did keep an eye on him to make sure he didn't pull out that weird reishi bow of his in retaliation.
"Ah, him. Well, his story is a bit more complicated-"
Five minutes later Rukia had the solid beginnings of a headache. She had heard about the eradication of the Quincy in history class, but never any details, so to meet one… Well, now she could understand the group's blatant hostility. When two out of five were on the Shinigami's execution list it was no wonder that niceties ended up at the very bottom of the agenda.
"For those that need a bit more in-depth background information," Urahara explained, giving a nod towards Sado, Arisawa and Inoue, who had apparently never heard the full story and were looking increasingly confused and annoyed, "the core of the problem lies in the fact that the Quincy Arts destroy Hollows. Destroy. Not Purify. To be honest, I doubt the first Quincy truly realized the significance of their way of eliminating Hollows when they first developed their techniques. Without extensive knowledge about the migration of souls they simply couldn't know there was a difference between their way and the way of the Shinigami. And even if they realized they destroyed its soul, instead of purifying it… Boom. Hollow gone. It's a monster. What, something happens to its soul? Who cares?" Urahara said, waving a dismissive hand. "It is a hard world. You can't survive if you value the lives of strangers more than the lives of your own people."
Rukia's eyebrow ticked a little at Urahara's casual air when discussing the destruction of souls, but with great effort, she managed to hold her peace. Even though she wanted to throttle him for being so flippant about it.
Really, what kind of Shinigami is he?
"And for a long time, the Gotei 13 wasn't aware something was amiss either," Urahara continued, suddenly almost sad. Rukia was seriously starting to believe the man was bipolar. No one could be that cheerful and then that serious without whiplashing a few screws loose. "The Gotei 13 is a mere two-thousand years old – which isn't that old considering the generation time among the more influential Shinigami – and only after the first thousand years our techniques and technology became advanced enough to track Hollows in both Soul Society and the Living World. The technology to track souls followed about five centuries later. To discover the problem in the first place, both were needed. So by the time the Gotei 13 found out that the Quincy destroyed souls instead of sending them on, and that this endangered the balance of the Worlds because the souls were destroyed faster than new ones came into being, the Quincy had been active for many, many generations, and had already spread far and wide. They had large branches on every continent. When the Gotei 13 told the Quincy their techniques were wrong, the Arts were already well-established and heavily tied to their pride and traditions. And old, proud groups don't like being told their traditions are wrong."
The shopkeeper sighed. "By that time I can imagine they didn't even believe the Shinigami's claims about the danger they posed to the world. The Quincy came into being not too long after the Gotei 13 was founded. To be told that there is a problem after nearly fifteen centuries... Well, I wouldn't be willing to overhaul all my inventions either. The worst is, had the Shinigami had enough knowledge to know they had to interfere when the Quincy were still a small group, they probably could have easily convinced the Quincy to adapt their techniques. But it was too late, and by the time the Gotei 13 understood the threat, the Quincy were as big as the Gotei 13 itself. Bigger even, despite their shorter lifespans.
"And therein lies the tragedy," Urahara concluded. "Because the Quincy refused to change, Central 46 decided that for the wellbeing of the Worlds, the Quincy had to be exterminated. Later, when the Quincy had been reduced to a mere handful of families, some of the Quincy requested to be allowed to work alongside the Shinigami. No longer killing Hollows, but holding them off until the Shinigami could arrive. But Central 46 is as prideful as the Quincy ever were. They refused to revisit their judgment."
Urahara snapped his fan open and grinned, though the familiar expression lacked its usual cheer. "And that is the summary of chapter seven of the Shin'ou Academy Second Year History Book. With the addition of bits the author forgot to mention, formulated by yours truly.~ Ah, I did make such wonderful notes back then."
"… That's disgusting," Arisawa proclaimed, breaking her previous silence with revulsion thick in her voice. "Uryuu, if you ever need a hand kicking those Central guys asses, just ask. I'll gladly help." From the expressions of the others, the whole group was willing to back the Quincy up should he decide to seek out revenge.
Rukia didn't say anything. The Quincy extermination had only been mentioned briefly in history class as one of the many, many large scale operations the Gotei 13 had carried out for Central 46. To suddenly be forced to face the darker side of Shinigami history was very difficult. Urahara was right in calling it a tragedy.
No wonder their eyes are so cold. They know of one of the most terrible things the Shinigami have done.
And she, in all her ignorance and pride, had tried to slay their Hollow friend, for no other crime than for what he was. She hid a wince. Talk about raising the ghosts of past wrongs over the confrontation. Because Hollow or not, these Humans seemed to believe, down to their core, that this Hollow was a person whom they could trust.
Why? How could a Hollow ever be considered trustworthy? A Quincy should know that the only thing you can trust about them is that they hunger for souls!
Yet even Urahara seemed to trust the Hollow. And her own Captain had assured her that though Urahara was eccentric at best and might just unwittingly guide the Worlds into mortal peril with his scientific curiosity, the flaky shopkeeper was a true Shinigami, who would not hesitate to step in to fulfill the most important duties of the Shinigami should the one assigned to Karakura fail to do so.
So what did they see in the creature, that she could not?
Was he really that humane?
She tried to ignore ingrained instincts and looked very closely, as objectively as she could manage, disregarding the way the Hollow shifted warily beneath her gaze. She tried to discern the things that eluded her like evasive mist, but were clear as day to the others in the room.
Ignore appearance. Ignore what you know. Just look, and see…
It took some time, but then it was like a cobwebs being swept aside. What had been frightening when looked at through the haze, changed in an inexplicable but fundamental way once she put her prejudices aside. No longer did she see a monster with two potential victims in his lap. Instead she saw two little girls with someone they explicitly trusted.
Rukia took a shuddering breath and couldn't help but stare. It was somehow painfully familiar, reminiscent of the friends she'd lost in Rukongai. Like the countless others she'd envied since then. Once she disregarded Ichigo's appearance she could see the bonds binding him and his sisters as clear as if someone had drawn thick chains to link their hearts together.
Family.
An older sibling's tolerant amusement for his little sisters' antics, despite being on the receiving end of their mischief. The carefree joy of the young girls, knowing their brother would protect them, no matter what they put in his hair.
Pink flowers, she thought numbly. No one at home will believe this without pictures.
Her Nii-sama had never been that accepting. Never that warm. The Kuchiki Clan Head preferred to speak to her with a cold aloofness Rukia was sure was his own quiet version of disdain. Disdain for the adopted failure, who looked so much like his late wife that it must particularly rankle that she hadn't amounted to anything in all the decades she had been a Shinigami.
What did it say about Kuchiki Byakuya when a Hollow was a kinder brother than he?
Her heart ached. How could she rip apart what she herself so desperately wished for?
For a moment she hung her head in defeat. Then she looked back up, right into the knowing gaze of the shopkeeper. She would have scowled irritably, but honestly, she just couldn't find the energy. She had been wrong. She had been wrong the entire time, and it had taken her way too long to realize.
"No more questions, Kuchiki-san?" Urahara asked, and this time he wasn't mocking her. It was a genuine question.
Looking around the room slowly, Rukia saw each and every member of the room in a new light. Kurosaki Ichigo had somehow managed to find a way to protect his siblings, despite being dead, and it wasn't his fault that his friends had awakened their own powers as a consequence. She was curious how he had won the loyalty of the Quincy, but she did not think they would be willing to explain something so personal so soon.
Heaving a slow and heavy sigh, Rukia placed her half eaten muffin on the tabletop. "Just two. How did this happen? And where are all your families?" Silence instantly met her final question.
Urahara remained quiet, apparently content to let the others do the talking now. Rukia turned to the others.
Finally, Kurosaki Ichigo spoke. "I died," he started. "About two years ago. Car accident. Our parents had already died in a previous accident, and I couldn't leave Yuzu and Karin to fend for themselves. I would be damned if I left my sisters alone to that. I don't remember exactly how it happened, but next thing I know, I was like this. It may not be ideal, but this is my life now and I've stuck by it, and I will really die and stay dead before I let anything separate us."
Rukia hid her wince at the venomous warning in those last words. Not that she could blame him...
"My parents moved to America after I entered high school. They send money occasionally and I live with Orihime," Arisawa said, following Kurosaki's lead, eyes hard as she met Rukia's without fear. "Ichigo and I have been friends since we were kids. I was there when he died. When I finally met him again it was mainly by accident, but since then I've stuck with him. I don't care what he is. He's my friend, and if you dare try to hurt Ichigo again I swear you won't live long enough to regret it."
And she meant it, Rukia saw. Oh, yes, she'd really screwed up with this group. Well, if nothing else, she could respect the Human's loyalty and dedication. She gave an acquiescent nod to the Human girl, accepting the warning.
"Tatsuki-chan, that's not nice," Inoue scolded her friend, before addressing the Kuchiki. "My parents separated when I was very young. My parents... weren't good parents. My older brother took me away and took care of me as soon as he could. He died a couple years ago in a car accident," Orihime told her, smiling brightly at the raven-haired woman as if recounting her misfortune didn't impact her at all. "Tatsuki-chan takes care of me now. I met Kurosaki-kun because of her." The girl grinned. "I think we've got really bad luck with cars."
Rukia blinked at the odd remark, but had to admit she could see what the girl meant. Kurosaki's parents, Kurosaki himself, and now her brother, all dead in car accidents. She had seen the way the Human traffic worked, and though the cars moved fast, she hadn't thought they were that dangerous. But apparently they were.
"My parents died when I was young." Sado's deep, timber voice swelled around the room, bringing a sense of warmth with it. "After their deaths I was raised by my abuelo, my grandfather, to use my strength to protect. He lived in Mexico. After he passed away as well I moved back to Japan. I became friends with Ichigo back when he was still alive. He helped me out of a bad situation."
Ishida sniffed superiorly and pushed up his glasses so the reflection of light hid his eyes. "I don't see why I have to tell you anything, but considering all I have is my-no good father I suppose saying so will do no harm. And Ichigo is my cousin." He didn't say anything else, but his message was clear enough to Rukia.
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.
Never let it be said she was too proud to admit she'd made mistakes though. Her Nii-sama had taught her better than that. If she did not correct her mistakes as soon as she could it would only lead to more problems later on. Given how dangerous this group was, she really didn't need more problems.
"Well," she said, addressing the whole group. "It seems I owe you an apology. I did not know something like this was possible." Rukia forced herself to meet Kurosaki's unsettling gold-and-black eyes. She would not be a coward with this. "Please allow me to express my deepest regrets. I did not realize you were so different from your brethren."
"They're not my brethren,"the Hollow corrected. Rukia was relieved to see he looked more thoughtful than insulted. "Just don't try to come after me or mine again."
Rukia nodded acquiescently, glad the Hollow didn't seem to be holding a grudge. She really didn't need the Adjuchas mad at her.
"Does that mean you'll leave Ichi-nii-chan alone?" the brown-haired Kurosaki, Yuzu, inquired hopefully.
Rukia took a breath and smiled at the young girl. "Yes, it does. I promise that I will never hurt your brother, or any one of your friends, ever again." Yuzu gave her a bright, beaming smile, and as the rest of the group heaved relieved sighs, Rukia knew she would keep this promise.
… Now here's to hoping that Ukitake-taichou will never find out.
So yeah, like I mentioned in the openings note of chapter 2, I don't like what Tite Kubo did with the history of the Quincy. So this is my take on what happened. No god-like 'father' of all, but just a bunch of Humans (like Ichigo's friends) whose talent revolved around having the ability to use ambient reishi, and whose techniques just happened to work a bit too well. And no one figured that out until many centuries had passed, which is why the history between the Shinigami and the Quincy is so bitter.
Honestly, I hate Yhwach, he's a goddamn canon Marty-Stu, only without the romantic interest. With how powerful Kubo made him there is no acceptable way to kill him anymore, so his future defeat at Ichigo's hands will probably be ridiculous. And don't try to tell me he won't be defeated, because we all know that Kubo likes making Ichigo do impossible things. It's annoying, and a miracle I like Bleach as well as I do, given how illogical it is at times.
Okay, mini-rant over. Please let me know what you thought!