Disclaimer: Bleach is owned by Tite Kudo, not by me. If I owned Bleach, Zangetsu would have gotten a lot more screen time. I also would not have written the Quincy Arc, because it is a boring slog fest at this point.
Spoilers: Soul Society, Arrancar, & Hueco Mundo Arcs
Genre: Adventure, Action, Humor, Supernatural
Warnings: Swearing, violence, romance
I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I know this is ridiculously late, but college has been kicking my aft, and I'm afraid I won't be able to get the next update up very soon. I'll give a full explanation at the bottom, but, to make a long story short, I'm losing interest in Bleach. I'm not giving the story up, it's just...(sigh) like I said, full explanation will be at the bottom. And Layman, I'll try to get that Karakura Raizers spin off up, but I can't guarantee when.
Well, now that I've got the depressing stuff out of the way for now, on with the story.
White Out
Chapter 3: Enter the Tiger
"A cursed cockatiel, for real?", a boy asked as a siren went off in the distance. The boy had shoulder length blond hair and light stubble on his chin.
"Yeah. All the people who have owned this bird have gotten into horrible situation and died." replied another boy with black hair in a crew cut. He was currently holding a bird cage containing the subject of their conversation.
"Whoa, seriously? Not a good omen.", the blond boy said.
"So, Shigeo, you want 'im?", the black-haired boy asked.
"Do I look that stupid, Goro?", Shigeo replied.
"Well, what about you Chad?", Goro asked a third boy, Sado Yasutora, while holding the cage up in front of him, "Don't you think he's cute?"
"Hey, knock it of.", Shigeo said, "You know Chad's got a weakness for cute things."
Chad was ignoring the conversation, instead focusing his attention on the bird. Something felt off about it.
Creak
"What was that?", Shigeo asked as the bird started freaking out. The noise happened again and he looked up just in time to see a steel beam falling off the ledge above them and heading straight for them.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
Crash
"Damn it. What the hell is up with that human. No human should be able to stand up to that much weight. And is that Hollow Reiryoku I'm sensing from him. Hmm, looks like this hunt is going to be interesting."
The boys looked up from their fetal positions to see that Chad had blocked the steel beam with his back.
"Uh, Chad, are you alright?", Shigeo asked.
"Yeah. I think I'm okay.", Chad said as he lifted his head to reveal blood trickling down his face.
"Then how come you're bleeding?!", Goro exclaimed.
"Thank you for saving me.", said a small voice. They all looked down to see that the cockatiel just spoke. "Hello, my name is Shibata Yuichi. What's your name, Onii-San?"
"That bird is talking like it's a person.", Shigeo stated. Goro just stared, dumbfounded.
"I'd really like to know your name, Onii-San.", Yuichi said.
"Sado Yasutora.", Chad replied simply.
"And now Chad's talking back to it."
Rukia was once again in the snow-covered meadow. She took in her surroundings, seeing no one there but the Ichigo look-alike, sitting under his out-of-place tree.
"Hello.", Rukia said, not really expecting a response. When one didn't come, she turned to walk away.
"Hey.", the guy said, startling her into turning back toward him. The man even sounded like Ichigo, even if he spoke with an accent. "Ya mind keeping that crazy bitch of yer's under control. She's annoyin' as fuck."
"Crazy bitch?", Rukia wondered. Is he talking about the Yuki-onna?
"I think he's referring to me.", a rich, echoing voice said behind her. Startled, she turned to face the being that spoke. What she saw could only be described as a fox spirit. The girl standing in front of her was completely white, with a white fox tail sticking out of the back of her tattered white kimono and fox ears sticking off the top of her head. Her feet were bare, revealing black, claw-like nails, matching the ones on her hands. On her face was a white Kitsune mask with three red slash marks on the right cheek.
"Who are you?", Rukia asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"Who am I?", the Kitsune trilled mockingly, "That's not what's important right now."
"Then what is?", Rukia asked cautiously as the Kitsune started to circle her. Rukia turned in place in order to keep the Kitsune in her line of vision.
"That you wake up your true power already.", the Kitsune answered matter-of-factually, "I'm tired of waiting."
"What the hell are you talking about?", Rukia demanded. Suddenly, the Kitsune was no longer in front of her, and there was a set of claws at her neck.
"Why, I'm talking about your future, of course.", the Kitsune crooned into her ear. Before Rukia could react, her world started to fade, and the last thing she heard was the Kitsune's mocking laughter.
When Rukia woke up, it was to a pounding headache, stiff joints, and the general feeling of something being off within her own body. Please no, Rukia thought before slowly getting up, only to be greeted by a wave of dizziness. Great, just what I needed. A cold. She walked over to her bedroom door, planning on telling her Tou-Chan that she couldn't go to school, but when she opened the door, she was greeted by the last thing she expected.
"Oh hey, shower's open.", Ichigo said, completely oblivious to the fact that he was standing there in all his soaking-wet-and-half-naked glory. A drop of water caught Rukia's attention as slid down his eight pack and disappeared into the towel riding so low on his hips that his pubic hairs were showing.
So his hair color is natural, Rukia thought before passing out.
Ichigo sighed, exacerbated be the reaction, not only from Rukia, but from almost all the women that saw him without a top on. His annoyance replaced with concern, however, when he saw the heavy flush on her cheeks. He leaned down and put a hand to her forehead, feeling an extremely high fever.
"BYAKUYA!"
Ichigo was sitting on the roof of the school with his head in his hands, thinking about the events of this morning. After everything she's been through this passed week, it's a cold that puts her out of action.' e's brought out of his thoughts he senses several people come out onto the roof.
"Hey, Ichigo-San.", Mizuiro said as he walked up to Ichigo, carrying a bento and a water bottle. Keigo, Tatsuki, Orihime,and Uryu were right behind him, each carrying there own bento.
"Hey, guys.", Ichigo replied while picking up his own bento.
"So, where's Rukia?", Tatsuki asked as they all take their seats around him.
"Yeah, isn't she usually with you?", Uryu put in.
"WAIT! WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'THEY'RE USUALLY TOGETHER'?", Keigo shouted, "ARE YOU TWO GOING OUT?"
"Rukia's home sick today.", Ichigo replied, completely ignoring Keigo.
Orihime came up to Ichigo and crouched in front of him as Mizuiro went to comfort Keigo, who ran off to curl up in a corner, tears running down his face.
"Is it because of the ghosts?", she asked in a whisper, holding her hand up to the side of her face so that no one could read her lips.
"No," Ichigo replied, just as quietly, "It's just a cold."
"That's good to know.", Uryu said, "It would be bad if some Hollow poisoned her."
Ichigo's face remained even as he replied, "I take it Rukia told you."
"Just about everything.", Tatsuki said before taking a bite out of her sandwich. "And if it makes you feel any better," she continued around the food in her mouth before swallowing, "we probably would have figured it out eventually even if she hadn't."
Ichigo nodded once before opening his bento. Inside were three inarizushi, two onigiri, and a strange box with a picture of a fruit on it, along with a note from Byakuya.
Ichigo, I took the liberty of making you a homemade lunch rather then having those blasted cup noodles that you've been eating for the last few days. Byakuya.
P.S. The box is a popular fruit drink in the World of the Living. To open it, stick the sharp end of the straw through the gray circle on the top.
Ichigo picked the box up and flipped it over to see what must have been the straw, wrapped in plastic and stuck to the back of the box. He pulled it off and removed the wrapping. He then looked at the box to find the gray circle. Seeing it, he poked the straw through it. (;p) He then put the straw in his mouth and took a sip. It tasted like a mixture of different fruits, and Ichigo could see why it's so popular.
"So, Ichigo," Mizuiro asked, having successfully cheered Keigo up, "are you going out with anyone? I bet you would be quite the ladies' man."
"Ugh!", Ichigo exclaimed in exasperation, leaning his head back against the fence and placing a hand over his eyes, "Please don't ask me about that."
"Why?", Mizuiro asked, a look of innocent concern on his face that was shared by everybody in the group.
Ichigo sighed and rubbed his hand down his face before answering, "Lets just say that while, no, I don't have a girlfriend, there are several girls back home that would love to fill the slot."
"Wait, that's it?", Keigo asked loudly before bursting into laughter.
"It's not funny.", Ichigo said indignantly, but Keigo kept laughing, to the point that he would have fallen over backwards if not for the pair of legs right behind him.
"Huh.", Keigo said as he looked up to see Chad standing over him. He had quite a few bandages on his face and hands.
"Hey, Chad."Tatsuki greeted.
Chad raised his hand and grunted in response.
"So, Chad," Uryu asked while adjusting his glasses, "care to tell us what happened this time."
This time, Ichigo thought as he took in the bandages, If I'm being honest with myself, those aren't the worst injuries I've seen, but humans are so much more fragile than Shinigami. Is this guy seriously taking this kind of damage on a regular basis?
"I had a mishap.", Chad replied, "A steel beam fell on my head."
"A steel beam!", Keigo shouted. Ichigo raised an eyebrow. Uryu just sighed.
"My hand got hurt when a motorcycle ran into me.", Chad continued, "The rider that hit me got banged up pretty bad, I guess the collision threw him off, so I picked him up and carried him to the hospital."
"Well, that explains why you were late.", Tatsuki said before taking another bite of her sandwich.
Good grief, Ichigo thought, a dead pan look on his face, this guy's as durable as Kenpachi. He was distracted from his musings when Chad placed a bird cage on the ground.
"Hey, where'd you get the bird?", Keigo asked.
"Hello, my name's Shibata Yuichi. It's nice to meet you.", the bird said. Ichigo, Uryu, Tatsuki, and Orihime all stiffened as the bird continued, "What's your name?"
"Wow, that's amazing.", Keigo said excitedly, leaning down in front of the bird cage, "The way this bird talks is incredible. My names Asano Keigo. Can you say that?"
"That bird.", Orihime started, putting a hand over her mouth.
"Hey, Chad," Ichigo asked, "where did you get the cockatiel?"
"Someone... gave me him.", Chad answered.
"Whoa! Hold on a minute!", Keigo exclaimed, "There you go again with your bad habit! You can't just cut the story short like that! Details, man, details!"
"But that was the whole story.", Chad replied.
"That bird has a human soul in it.", Uryu stated as Keigo continued his rant.
"Yeah.", Ichigo replied.
"How is that possible?", Orihime asked.
"The most likely scenario is that the boy was attached to the bird in life and so became bound to it in death.", Ichigo explained, "We'll have to perform Konso on him later."
"Why not now?", Tatsuki asked.
"Rukia's home sick, remember.", Ichigo said, "She's the one with the power."
"Oh.", Tatsuki said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. She then looked at Chad and chuckled lightly.
"What's so funny?", Ichigo asked, a bit of humor in his eyes.
"Oh, just remembering when we first meet Chad.", Tatsuki replied, "Hey, Uryu, you remember, right?"
"How could I forget," Uryu answered, "he had eight guys trying to beat him up, and he wouldn't lift a finger to defend himself."
"Yeah," Tatsuki continued, "so me and Rukia took out the thugs while Uryu checked him for injuries."
"So he didn't fight back?", Ichigo asked.
"Sado-Kun never fights back when it's for himself," Orihime answered, "but the moment someone else is in danger, he becomes the Defender of Justice.", she finished with a fist thrust into the air.
"That sounds a bit like some of my friends.", Ichigo said, "They don't like fighting and will avoid it when ever possible, but the moment you threaten one of their friends, they're a force to be reckoned with."
"Wow, I'd like to meet these friends of yours someday.", Tatsuki said.
Yeah, and hopefully I can see them again soon, Ichigo thought to himself, homesickness making its way into his heart.
"I'm back.", Ichigo called as he entered the clinic.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S NO ROOM!", Byakuya shouted from his office in the back. As he rushed to see what's wrong, Ichigo passed a room full of injured people, the few volunteer nurses that work at the clinic struggling with the work load.
When Ichigo made it to the office, he found Byakuya in his white lab coat, shouting into the phone, "You listen to me! We have four cars worth of crash victims, many of them suffering from severe trauma! We're only a small clinic! We're not equipped to handle this!", there was a slight pause when the person on the other end answered, "Well, you know what! Tell Ishida-Sensei that this is a request from Byakuya Kurosaki! That should clear up some beds real fast! Just do it!", Byakuya finished before slamming the phone onto the receiver.
"Byakuya?", Ichigo asked hesitantly.
"Damn dobe wouldn't know stethoscope from a cellphone."
"Byakuya, what happened?", Ichigo asked again, this time with more confidence.
"A four car pile-up! That's what happened!", Byakuya snapped.
"Is there anything I can do to help?", Ichigo asked, now somewhat nervous. He remembered what could happen when Byakuya got mad.
"Yes.", Byakuya said, in that same honey-and-venom tone that Ichigo heard Rukia use before, "You can curl up in a corner and stay out of the way." With that, Byakuya left the room, and Ichigo curled up in the corner, a gray fog of depression surrounding him.
"Kurosaki-Sensei, we have another patient.", one of the volunteer nurses said as Byakuya comes out from the back office.
"Thank you, Miho.", Byakuya said before he got a good look at the man that the nurse was supporting. He was wearing a floral pattern shirt and beige slacks, and looked vaguely familiar, "You're Rukia's friend, Yasutora-Kun, aren't you?"
"Hello, Kurosaki-San.", Chad replied.
"Well, lets get you looked at, shall we.", Byakuya said as he put Chad's arm around his shoulder and Miho went off to help another patient. Byakuya then noticed the bird cage in Chad's left hand. Upon seeing the bird, Byakuya's eyes widened. The memories flowing from the boy were almost unbearable. A boy that age should not have to go through such an ordeal. Byakuya wished he could comfort the boy, but he couldn't. He had a patient that needed to be tended to.
"I'm going to need you to take off your shirt.", Byakuya said as he sat Chad down on one of the chairs in the examination room. When Chad took his shirt off, it revealed three massive, ragged claw marks that, to Byakuya's eyes, were pulsating with Hollow Reiryoku.
So he was attacked by a Hollow, Byakuya mused as he sent a burst of Healing Kido through Chad's wound to dissipate the Hollow Reiryoku before stitching up the gashes. However, even after the Kido, there was still a trace left, but it felt different. Is that Fullbring? he asked himself as he finished up.
"Thank you, Kurosaki-San. I'm fine now.", Chad said as he got up and put his shirt back on.
"No, you are not.", Byakuya said in a firm tone, "You've lost to much blood to be...", he was interrupted by Chad falling forward, "I tried to tell you.", he sighed before getting up and moving over to the prone figure.
"Kurosaki-Sensei, what was that?", a male nurse asked from the doorway.
"Don't worry, Ryou.", Byakuya said as he bent over to pick Chad up, "It was just a stubborn patient. Can you assist me in moving him to one of the rooms?"
Together, Byakuya and the nurse managed to get Chad into one of the patient rooms, the nurse considerately grabbing the bird cage along the way. Once they had him settled on his stomach, so as not to disturb the sutures on his back, they left the room, and the nurse went to assist the other patients. Once he was out of sight, Byakuya placed a Kido barrier on the room. He then went to his office, where Ichigo was still curled up in the corner. The depressed atmosphere was gone, replaced be a serious look on his face.
"You felt that.", Byakuya stated.
"Yeah.", Ichigo replied. "I was hoping it was just a lonely boy that possessed his pet cockatiel, but this is definitely Shrieker's M.O."
Byakuya sighed, "Rukia is still too sick to leave her bed, and I have patients that need to be taken care of, so we will have to perform Konso first thing tomorrow morning, and then I shall assist you in hunting down Shrieker once I've found someone to look after Rukia."
Ichigo nodded his agreement before leaving the office and heading upstairs. Byakuya then went back to his patients.
Meanwhile, in Chad's room, Chad was staring intently at Yuichi, who had his head bowed in shame.
Byakuya was making his early morning rounds in the clinic, when he stopped in front of Chad's room, both to check on the sutures and to perform Konso on the boy. When he removed the Kido and opened the door, he found that both Chad and the bird were gone.
Ichigo, meanwhile, was in the kitchen, wearing blue jeans and a tee shirt with the number fifteen written on it, eating a piece of toast, when he sensed Byakuya's panic in his Reiatsu. Moments later, Byakuya burst into the room, eyes wide with panic.
"Yasutora's gone.", was all that he said.
"How did that happen?", Ichigo asked as he got up from the table, his own panic starting to rise.
"I did not anticipate him being able to move so soon after such an injury, so the barrier I used was only meant to keep intruders out, not keep him in.", Byakuya replied in a rush.
"We have to go after him."
"I can't leave Rukia alone."
Ichigo mused on the problem for a moment before coming up with a solution. "I'll go alone. I can hold off Shrieker until you can find someone to look after Rukia." With that Ichigo ran to the door.
"Ichigo-Kun, are you sure?", Byakuya asked, stopping Ichigo just in the doorway.
Ichigo turned around and gave Byakuya a reassuring look, "Byakuya, since you left, I've been promoted to Fourth Seat, and Uncle Jyuushiro has been offering me the position of Fukutaicho for twenty years now.", and with that, Ichigo exited the house and was off running down the street, and Byakuya was left wondering just how much had changed since he left Soul Society.
A few streets down, Ichigo stopped for a moment to concentrate. Within seconds, he was surrounded by a blue aura. Then, hundreds of white ribbons appeared in the air around him.
"Found you.", he said as he grabbed one of the ribbons. As the ribbons dissipated, Ichigo ran off in a different direction.
Chad ran down multiple streets before turning off into a construction site, trying to shake whatever was after them.
"You've been really nice, Onii-San," Yuichi said. Chad grunted in response. "But I need to apologize and help you understand something.", Yuichi continued, "Everyone who has ever owned me has had really bad luck."
"Yeah," Chad replied, "I know."
"I'm sorry.", Yuichi said as they entered a large building that looked like it was once a factory, "I should have told you. It's not..."
"Don't worry about it.", Chad cut in.
"Onii-San, please forgive me," Yuichi continued, "and abandon me. Just leave me here and go."
"I can't do that to you.", Chad replied. He then moved to sit under one of the ground-level windows. "I think we lost him."
"Listen, Onii-San, you're in danger!", Yuichi exclaimed.
"Don't worry," Chad said, "I'll be fine. If anything, I should be sturdy enough to handle this." Suddenly, Chad heard a creaking in the rafters above. When he looked up, he saw the outline of something large heading straight for them. He managed to dodge out of the way just before the thing landed.
"He's found us.", Chad said as he ran for the window opposite them, "We better get out of here."
"Onii-San!", Yuichi exclaimed.
"Don't worry. We're gonna make it.", Chad said just before he charged through the window with a crash.
Ichigo was running down the street when he saw Chad rounding the corner just ahead of him. Chad stopped and looked at him for a second before running in the opposite direction.
"Hey, Chad wait up!", Ichigo shouted as he took off after him. Ichigo stumbled but quickly righted himself. Damn Gigai. Even at one twelfth my normal strength it can't handle my power.
"Hey, you smell good.", said a voice from out of nowhere. Ichigo stopped and looked around, trying to locate the Hollow. "You smell wonderful.", Shrieker said, appearing over Ichigo's shoulder. He was a frog-like Hollow with what appear to be bat wings sprouting out of his upper arms. "Simply delicious. Time to eat your soul.", he finished, only to be thrown backwards a good five feet. "Ow! What the hell! That hurt!"
"A word of advice," Ichigo said, his foot still in the air from when he kicked Shrieker in the gut, "you shouldn't monologue, it gives your enemies time to recover."
"Why, you little...", the Hollow charged forward.
"Seppa.", Ichigo said, tracing a swirling pattern on the ground with his foot before stamping down with the same foot. He then jumped over Shrieker, using his head as a springboard. The force of it sent Shrieker straight into the sand pit Ichigo just created. Turning in mid air, Ichigo held his hands out in front of him and began reciting.
"Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws. Hado # 33: Sokatsui!" A large wave of blue flame shot out from Ichigo's palms and made direct contact with Shrieker's back as he attempted to get out of the sand pit.
"Arrgh!", Shrieker shouted before falling back into the sand pit. "You little fucker. You'll pay for that."
"What's that?", Chad asked, hearing something crashing off in the distance.
"It's attacking him.", Yuichi said, distressed.
"Hmm?"
"That man that was chasing us earlier. The monster is attacking him right now. It's going to hurt him really bad."
"You stay here," Chad said as he put the birdcage down on the ground, "I gotta go."
"What are you going to do?", Yuichi asked.
"I'm going to help him.", Chad stated simply.
"Wait, please.", Yuichi pleaded, flapping his wings, "Don't go. It's not safe." Chad picked up the cage and put it on a nearby wall. "No, no. It's not me I'm worried about. It's you. I don't care what happens to me, but you're nice, Onii-San. I don't want to see you get hurt." Yuichi's voice went up in pitch as Chad waved and ran off, "He's a monster, and you won't even be able to see him. He'll kill you. Please stop.", but it was to late, Chad was already gone.
"Missed me.", Ichigo taunted as he performed an impressive triple back flip to avoid Shrieker's wild punches.
"Damn you, Shinigami. I've already consumed two of your kind and you're stuck in that meat suit to boot. Why are you so difficult to kill?"
"Because those two Shinigami you ate were Unseated Officers," Ichigo replied as he stuck a perfect landing, "and I am a Fourth Seat. Now, wanna tell me why you've been using that boy as bait."
"For the fun of it of course.", Shrieker replied, sick glee apparent in his voice. Ichigo clenched his fists in anger. He was about ready to punch the guy's lights out, but someone else beat him to it.
"Ack!", Shrieker yelped as he was flung through the air a second time.
"I hit something.", Chad said as he looked at his fist, "Alright."
"Nice shoot.", Ichigo said, thoroughly impressed, until Chad started punching thin air.
"He he he, it was just a lucky punch. He scared me for a second there. I thought he could see me.", Shrieker said, right before he got punched in the face again.
"Alright. I got him again."
Ichigo started laughing, "Man, that was awesome. You landed two solid punches on an enemy you can't even see. That takes some serious guts." Chad merely grunted in reply.
"Damn you!", Shrieker yelled, just before he spread his wings and took to the sky, "I'd like to see you hit me now, you pathetic human."
"New guy, can you see ghosts?", Chad asked.
"Yeah.", Ichigo replies calmly.
"Where is he now?"
"In the air right above you.", Ichigo answered, curious to see what Chad was going to do about it.
Chad ran over to a nearby telephone pole and, with a yell, proceeded to yank it straight out of the ground.
"What the hell is up with this human!", Shrieker exclaimed as Ichigo once again burst into laughter.
"Which way?", Chad asked, having no trouble holding up the massive amount of weight.
"Bring it straight down.", Ichigo said through his fit of laughter. And with another yell, Chad brought the pole down on Shrieker's head.
"Oh crap.", Shrieker said just before the pole made contact, driving him into the ground.
"I'd give up now if I were you.", Ichigo said with a smirk on his face as he walked up behind Chad and pat him on the back, "There's another Shinigami on his way to finish you off."
"You think you're so clever, Shinigami," Shrieker said as he slowly got up. Ichigo was becoming mildly concerned now, "but I wonder if you'll be able to handle this. Come on, boys."
Ichigo turned around quickly to see a bunch of little blue frog-mushroom-things coming straight at them. He performed a swift round house kick to deflect them from himself, but Chad, being unable to see them, didn't know to dodge.
"Chad!", Ichigo shouted in concern as Chad was knocked to the ground by the force of the hit and subsequently held down by the disgusting little things.
"What do ya think of them apples, Shinigami?", Shrieker shouted in glee, "Those little guys are the reason for my success. They...What the hell!" With another yell, Chad threw the leeches off of him, then proceeded to throw another punch at Shrieker, which Shrieker barely managed to avoid by jumping in the air again. "What the hell is this guy?"
"Chad, if you ever graduate from Shin'o Academy," Ichigo said with a light chuckle, "you make sure to join Division Seven. They could use more guys like you."
Chad grunted in response, then asked, "Where is he now?"
"He's up in the air again, but don't worry. I have a plan.", Ichigo replied with a devious smile.
"Hey, new guy, are you sure about this?", Chad asked.
"Hey, relax," Ichigo replied, that same smile still on his face "I've done this before."
Chad raised an eyebrow at this. He was currently holding Ichigo, who was doing his best impersonation of a cannon ball. "If you say so.", Chad finally replied.
"Alright, a little to the left.", Ichigo said, directing Chad on where to aim, "Whoa, to much. Back to the right a bit. Up a little. Perfect. Now, on my mark..."
"You can't hit me all the way up here with a telephone pole, so whatever you're planning..."
"Fire!",Ichigo shouted, and Chad launched him into the air.
"WHAAAAAAAA!" Ichigo was heading straight for Shrieker. Just as Ichigo was about to collide with him, he turned in mid air and performed a downward kick, sending Shrieker right into the asphalt. Ichigo landed gracefully a few feet away from him.
"Ready to give up yet.", Ichigo asked.
"Not on your life, you little brat!", Shrieker yelled as he got up, "Take this!" Suddenly, the heads of all the little frog-mushroom-things split open, and out came a bunch of purple leeches. Ichigo avoided most of them by dodging backwards, but one managed to latch onto his head.
"Gah! What the hell is this thing?!", Ichigo exclaimed as he tried to pull it off.
"That's one of my leeches. Try all you want. It ain't coming off. Oh, and they can be quite... explosive!", Shrieker said as he stuck out his tongue, which resembled a tuning fork. His tongue started vibrating, and the leech on Ichigo's head exploded.
"Aah!", Ichigo stumbled a bit but remained standing. The left side of his head was covered in blood.
"Ichigo!", Chad shouted in concern.
"I'm fine, Chad.", Ichigo said reassuringly, although the effect was slightly ruined by his heavy panting, "It's just a head wound."
"Just a head wound, you say.", Shrieker said, highly amused, "I'm surprised you're still standing, but I guess it wouldn't be any fun if you were a weakling."
"Why you...", Ichigo said as he started moving forward.
"Ah ah ah. I wouldn't do that if I were you.", Shrieker said while shaking his finger, "We wouldn't want the little birdy to blow up, now, would we?" Shrieker pointed behind him. Yuichi was there, with three of those frog-mushroom-things hanging off of his cage.
"Yuichi!", Chad shouted.
"I'm sorry, Onii-San.", Yuichi said.
"Now, if you two play nice and don't move, the kid stays in one piece. You got that?"
"Chad, stay where you are.", Ichigo said in a small voice, laced with worry, "If we move, he'll kill Yuichi."
"Not if we have anything to say about it, bastard!", shouted a new voice just before a ball of reddish-orange energy hit the street right in front of Shrieker, making him jump backwards to avoid getting hit. A shaft of blue energy followed shortly afterward, hitting the street right behind Shrieker, causing him to fall forward while flailing comically.
"I'm sorry I got here so late, Ichigo-Kun." Byakuya said as he appeared in front of Ichigo and Chad, his back turned towards them. He changed out of the lab coat and was now wearing his fedora, along with his usual dark jeans and graphic tee. In his right hand was Yuichi's cage, now free of the bombs. In his left hand was his Zanpakto, a standard katana in a white sheath, with a tsuba that had an open frame resembling a four pane window, and a black hilt with lavender wrapping.
Accompanying Byakuya were two men that Ichigo had never seen before. One was standing off to the right of Shrieker. He was about 6', with spiky black hair and blue eyes. He is wearing a white gi with a black belt and no shoes. The other man was standing on a wall to the left and a little behind Shrieker. He was about 5'10'', with white hair and blue eyes behind a pair of glasses. He was wearing a gray suit, a light blue shirt, and a tie with a bunch of crosses on it. In his hand was a white bow.
"Byakuya, who are these guys?", Ichigo asked as Chad took Yuichi from Byakuya.
"These are my friends, Ishida Ryuuken," Byakuya nodded his head toward the white-haired man, "and Arisawa Tatsuhiro.", the black-haired man, "They felt my Reiatsu on the move and decided they wanted in on the action."
"Good grief, Bya-Kun. You didn't have to put it so bluntly.", Tatsuhiro said in a jovial tone, a smirk playing across his face.
"I, personally, don't know what you're talking about.", Ryuuken said matter-of-factually, adjusting his glasses, "I just happened to be in the neighborhood and thought I would lend my assistance."
"'In the neighborhood' my ass," Tatsuhiro accused, smirk still in place, "You just wanted to feel the old rush again."
"Like you're any better.", Ryuuken retorted, "At least I had the forethought to put on a pair of shoes."
"Are these guys seriously having an argument in the middle of a fight?", Shrieker asked.
Byakuya sighed and put his face in his hand. Ichigo was thinking 'What the fuck.', Yuichi cocked his head to the side, and Chad just stared.
"Hey, maybe I just like running around barefoot!"
"Then you have just confirmed my suspicion that you are nothing more than a Neanderthal."
"Well, if you're not going to attack...", Shrieker said. Suddenly the frog-mushroom-things start shooting off the leeches. Ryuuken's, Tatsuhiro's, and Byakuya's eyes all narrowed slightly before they jumped into action.
"Long ti! (Lung tee)", Tatsuhiro shouted, performing a round house kick. In the wake of that kick was what appears to be a reddish-orange flame, almost like an after image. The leeches exploded on contact with the flame, leaving Tatsuhiro unharmed.
"Klavier.", Ryuuken said calmly, pulling back the string on his bow. When he released, a flurry of blue arrows come from the bow, skewering the leeches before they could reach him.
"Hado #33: Sokatsui.", Byakuya said, holding out his palm. A burst of blue flame shot out from his palm, incinerating the leeches.
"Whoa.", Chad said.
The hell, Ichigo mentally shouted, A Quincy and a Long Zhanshi (lung zwan-she). Where the hell did Byakuya find these guys.
"You done?", Byakuya asked.
"Eep.", was the only response.
"Now then, before we take you done," Byakuya said as Ryuuken drew his bow and Tatsuhiro held up a fist, reddish-orange flames surrounding it, "you're going to answer some questions.", at Shrieker's hasty nod, he continued, "You killed the boy's mother, didn't you?"
"Tch. Yeah, I killed the brat's mother.", Shrieker said, a smirk evident in his voice, "In fact, she wasn't the only one. I killed quite a few people when I was alive. Maybe you've heard of me. I was pretty famous a few years back."
"You're Denji Fujieita." Tatsuhiro exclaimed, "The serial killer from five years ago. The one they found dead in front of an apartment building."
"The one and only.", Shrieker replied.
"Then that must mean that the spirit bound to the cockatiel is Shibata Yuichi.", Ryuuken said.
"Yes, the child of my last victim, and boy that was a fun one.", Shrieker said with a sick satisfaction, "I stabbed her eight times and she still kept running, trying to protect the brat. I chased her onto the balcony and finished her off, but then the brat tripped me and I went over the railing, twenty stories down. I was dead, I was pissed, and I wanted payback, so I thought up a clever little plan. I sucked out the brat's soul and stuck it in the cockatiel. Then I made a deal with him. If he could run from me for three months, then I would bring his precious Okaa-San back to life."
"Bastard.", Ichigo shouted as Yuichi made a small cry of despair. All else present shared Ichigo's sentiment and were glaring hellfire at the Hollow.
"Tell me, Hollow.", Byakuya said, his voice brimming with rage, "How exactly did you plan on doing that?"
"I wasn't. I just said it to get the brat to play along. And it worked too. Oh the fun I had slaughtering all the people that tried to help him. And whenever he wanted to stop playing our little game, I'd just say 'Kaa-Chan's waiting for you to save her', and he'd be off, running again. Ha ha ha."
One moment, Shrieker was laughing at the brilliance of his plan, the next, he had a sword sticking right between his eyes.
"I certainly hope you enjoyed your life," Byakuya said as he pulled his Zanpakto out of Shrieker's face, his tone dripping in sarcasm, "because, where you're going, there is only misery."
Behind Shrieker, a set of giant red gates with skeletons on them appeared.
"What is that?", Chad asked, worry evident in his voice.
"The Gates of Hell.", Ichigo explained, "Whenever a soul has committed terrible sins in life they are transported to Hell through those gates."
As Ichigo said this, the Gates opened, and a giant sword came through and skewered Shrieker before dragging him back. The gates closed, then disappeared.
"I'm so sorry.", Yuichi wailed, "I didn't mean for any of it to happen. I just wanted to see Kaa-Chan smile again."
"Hey, it's okay.", Ichigo said reassuringly, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder; his spirit had finally detached from the bird to reveal a young boy with brown hair. Byakuya and Chad were standing off to the side, with Ryuuken and Tatsuhiro standing a short distance away.
"But it's my fault all those people died.", Yuichi continued.
"And you had no way of knowing that that was his intent.", Byakuya replied, putting a hand on the boy's head. "You did what you thought you had to, and there is still a way for you to see your Kaa-Chan again."
"Really?", Yuichi asked, wiping the tears from his eyes.
"Yes.", Ichigo replied, "If you pass on to Soul Society, you can see your mother again."
Yuichi smiled and nodded, then turned to face Chad, "Thank you for everything, Onii-San."
"Don't mention it.", Chad replied. Byakuya and Ichigo were mildly surprised at first, but then shared a smile, glad that Chad could say goodbye to Yuichi properly.
"Okay, I'm ready to go now.", Yuichi said. Byakuya nodded and placed the blade of his Zanpakto over his right shoulder before kneeling in front of him.
"Hey Yuichi?", Chad asked, and Yuichi turned toward him again, "When I die and pass on, would it be okay if I carried you around again?"
"Sure.", Yuichi replied with a smile. He then nodded to Byakuya, who nodded in return and pressed the pommel of his Zanpakuto to Yuichi's forehead. He was enveloped in a pale blue light. Moments later, a black butterfly fluttered of into the sky.
"Victory!", Tatsuhiro shouted, thrusting a piece sign into the air and thoroughly startling everybody but Chad.
"Way to ruin the moment.", Byakuya said after he recovered from the shock.
"I couldn't help it.", Tatsuhiro said with a shrug and a goofy grin, "It's like the return of the Karakura Raizers."
"I swear, if you start calling us that again, I will stick you full of arrows.", Ryuuken threatened.
"Well, anyway," Tatsuhiro said, waving Ryuuken off, "I say we celebrate this victory with some of Bya-Kun's home cooking."
"Oh, really," Byakuya replied, "and Tatsuki would be okay with you blatantly abandoning your weekly sparing session?"
"Relax," Tatsuhiro said nonchalantly, "we were almost done anyway, and I told her to meet me at your house." Byakuya and Ryuuken sighed and shook their heads before Byakuya turned to lead the way back to his house.
Ichigo, throughout the whole conversation, had a dead-pan look on his face. Now that they were leaving, he turned to Chad, "So you can see spirits now?"
"They're really blurry, but yeah.", Chad replied. He was carrying the cage with the now-ordinary cockatiel.
"When in the fight did that start?"
"About when Kurosaki-San, Ishida-San, and Arisawa-San showed up."
Ichigo sighed, then continued, "Alright, I won't modify your memory, but you have to promise not to tell anyone but Uryu, Orihime, Tatsuki, and Rukia." Chad grunted and nodded. I wonder what else I'll have to deal with while I'm here, Ichigo wondered while looking up at the sky.
Back at the house, an unsuspecting Kurosaki Byakuya, Ishida Ryuuken, and Arisawa Tatsuhiro walked into the kitchen to find an incredibly pissed off Kurosaki Rukia, Ishida Uryu, and Arisawa Tatsuki sitting at the table, along with innocent by-stander Orihime Inoue, who was standing in front of an open cupboard.
"So, how was Hollow hunting?", Rukia asked in that honey-and-venom tone that seemed to run in the family, although the effect was slightly lessened, due to sinuses.
"Umm.", was the brilliant response given by Byakuya, Ryuuken, and Tatsuhiro.
Ichigo, sensing the danger, acted quickly, "Hey, Orihime, me and Chad are going to hang out in the living room."
"I think I'll join you.", Orihime responded, also sensing the danger.
Ryuuken and Tatsuhiro were worried, and Byakuya sent a pleading look at Ichigo, begging him not to leave them alone with their children.
"Good luck, Byakuya.", Ichigo said with a smile and a wave before making a hasty retreat. He managed to make it to the living room before the shouting started. Something about how immature the three men were. Ichigo smiled and shook his head. He might not know what was in store for him, but at least it promised not to be boring.
You know, I had forgotten how pathetic I had made Shrieker in this chapter...(sigh). Okay, up top, I told you that I'm losing interest in Bleach. The reason is a combination of two things.
Thing 1. Lack of easy access. Toonami, which was already mildly annoying, stopped playing Bleach, and the websites that I use to watch anime for free have become incredibly frustrating to work with. The manga sites are less frustrating, but reading the manga is not the same as watching the anime.
Thing 2. Rediscovery of another fandom. Recently, I have gotten back into Transformers, and I'm not just talking about the Bay movies. Animated, Prime, and the legendary G1 have all caught my attention, and since G1 is playing two episodes, five days a week, at five am (much more accessable then fragging midnight) that attention probably won't deviate for a while.
Due to the above reasons, my Bleach updates are going to remain at a crawl, and the only way that might change is either a. I find a more reliable website, or b. I buy a DVD box set, neither of which are very likely at this point in time. In return, I will be working on to Transformers fanfics that will hopefully be updated much faster; A Different Alignment, a Transformers Prime fic based off of SavvyEnigma's story, Antebellum, and the 'New Dawn' series, consisting of four stories (the first three very loosely following the Bay films and the fourth one following TFP), which is based off of Elhini Prime's 'Dusk to Dawn/Son of the Stars' series (go and check these guys out, they are both awesome). And before you ask; yes, I asked permission before I started writing.
Now, a few things you should know: firstly, with the 'New Dawn' series, I am trying something new. I am going to try writing out the whole story before publishing to see if that causes me less stress, so that one won't be up for a little while.
Secondly, for 'A Different Alignment'... Well, it's M-rated, and it's a crime drama, and... okay, I'm just going to put this bluntly, there is a "gay" pairing in it. It's not the main pairing, and it's not going to be "slashy" or explicit in any way, it's just going to be a realistic "gay" relationship. If that hasn't scared you off, and you have an interest in reading Transformers fan fiction, then the preface will be up around the same time as this chapter.
Okay, that's enough traumatizing the fans for one night, so fav, follow, and review, and lets hope that nothing crazy gets thrown at me.
(P.S. If you want to know why I put "" around the word gay, there is a full explanation in the AN of 'A Different Alignment'.)
(P.S.S. No, I don't have any gay pairings planned for 'White Out', so stop freaking out about that.)