Quetzal- Hello chapter 4 here hope you like it i hate having to go through those first few eps before we get to the fun part though (sigh), but it wont make sense otherwise! : (

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Chapter 4 - never meddle with vampires (for you are tasty)

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(Morning)

Ichigo groaned cracking an eye open and looking around his room in confusion, he had just had the weirdest dream, it had been like a samurai version of the Ghostbusters. Karin had gotten attack by a monster spirit thing called a hollow and some crazy lady had stabbed him in the chest and then he'd killed the monster with this huge fucking sword and his cousin had turned out to be a vampire, he looked at the ceiling blankly for a moment before sighing. "Weird ass fucking dream." (1) He muttered to himself and heard a laugh next to him. Ichigo looked over and saw Seras sitting at the foot of the bed smirking at him with a raised eyes brow.

"Hate to brake it to you Ichigo, but that wasn't a dream." She said brightly red eyes sparkling mischievously at his confusion, he starred at her for a second dubious, she just rolled her eyes.

"Cat got you tongue?" She asked with a grin showing off the inch long fangs in her mouth. Ichigo flinched away wide eyed staring at her.

"THE FUCK?" He yelped and scrambled away from her falling out of bed in the process. Seras stared at him from her spot at the foot of the bed a bemused look on her face at his antics.

"Ichigo I'v been living here for over a month now and I haven't tried to eat you I'm not about to start now...Unless your offering of course? I could do with a snack." She asked drily Ichigo stared at her shocked.

"But...You.. Her ...monster...THAT ALL HAPPENED?" He sputtered yelling the last bit. Seras winced a bit at his volume her sensitive ears aching, and nodded looking mostly unconcerned.

"Yup." She answered unsympathetic to his plight, he stared at her slack jawed for a moment before an alarmed look crossed his face.

"What happened to Karin and Yuzu? Are they alright?" He asked quickly she blinked at the sudden change of topic but nodded all the same.

"Yes, their both fine no harm done, your dads taking care of them now." She said Ichigo calmed down a bit still eyeing her distrustfully Seras sighed and gave him a baleful look.

"Ichigo I'm not going to eat you, STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT!" She snapped he winced.

"But...your a...vampire...don't you, eat people or something?" He asked uncertainly she shook her head no.

"I can, but I don't, seeing as I can eat the Hollows instead." She answered with a shrug.

"Hollows? Thats what those monsters last night were right?" He asked frowning at her she nodded he continued. "So then...I actually did kill one?" He asked Seras snorted.

"You didn't kill one..." she smirked at his faintly disappointed look. "You killed two." She told him brightly and ducked the pillow that was hurled at her a moment later.

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(That night)

Ichigo sat down heavily on his bed and stared at the floor, today had been what felt like the longest day of his life, and considering last night that was saying something. What with that girl Rukia turning up and then telling him he was now a Substitute Death God or something until her powers returned, finding out that heaven apparently was real, and then that little boys soul. Ichigo closed his eyes she was right, he couldn't not help them if he had the power to do so, she was also right that he couldn't just go saving the spirits that he could see he had to help everyone no matter what, but how could he take on that kind of responsibility?

"Bad day?" Asked Seras making him jump, he shot her an annoyed and tired look she frowned. "My advice? Take a nap it'll make more sense in the morning." Ichigo shot her a now slightly incredulous look.

"Do you have any idea of what I'v gotten myself into?" He snapped.

"Yes." She said calmly looking completely unruffled by his attitude Ichigo just stared at her confused.

"But how?" He asked puzzled she shrugged.

"When I drink someones blood I absorb part of their memories. Last night I caught Rukia before she could get away and drained some of her blood, which tasted delicious I might add, because she wouldn't tell me what was going on, so yes I do know what you've gotten yourself into. Probably more then you do." She added Ichigo frowned looking uncertain one more.

"What do you mean?" He asked Seras sighed and stared off into space.

"I'm not entirely sure yet, but I know theres more to this then she's telling you. Just go with it for now I'll try to find out more alright." She answered.

"But you just said you had her memories!" He pointed out Seras rolled her eyes.

"Ichigo getting memories from someone is rather like getting an old box of photos from your grannies attic, dusty, out of order with the odd random tea cozy and five year old birthday party thrown in, its going to take me a while to sort through it all, and make some kind of sense of it. I'v never had to do it before." She answered exasperated Ichigo glared his unspoken "Then what are you good for!" Coming across loud and clear. "Anyway I'll try to help as much as I can, but coming out during the day is not something I'm going to do unless your dieing alright?" She said, he nodded Seras looked thoughtfully at him. "You know, you've gotten over my vampirism really quick." She said thoughtfully making him pale and eye her a little wary again at the reminder. Seras just rolled her eyes and decided she should have kept her mouth shut.

"How did you...um.." He hesitated.

"Die?" She filled in he nodded, she was silent for a moment staring off into space.

"I died about 8 months ago at a little church in a town called cheddar along with the rest of my team." She began looking a bit distant. "We were fighting a vampire and the army of ghouls he had created by killing the entire town. We didn't know what we were up against and were slaughtered. I was the only one left when the vampire finally caught up with me, he was going to rape and kill me and was taking great delight in telling me exactly how he was going to do it. Then Alucard came." She smiled at that and phased through the wall returning a moment later with a picture and handing it to Ichigo. "Alucard is a very old vampire, you would probably know him better as Dracula." Ichigo head snapped up and he stared at her open mouthed.

"Dracula?" He sputtered startled she nodded with a grin and pointed to the picture.

"Thats me and him about 4 months ago." She said smiling

"Um...hmm." He looked at the picture she laughed.

"Not to ferocious in that one is he?" She agreed. "Trust me he's just as crazy and psychotic as the myths say, probably more so. Anyway the vampire tried to use me as a shield to keep Alucard from shooting him." She grinned wryly at this. "So he shot me in the chest to take out the vampire then offered to change me before I died, I excepted, and so I became one of the cursed undead." She gave him a mock bow. "And that, is the story of how I died." Seras stared at him for a second before looking to her left at his closest.

"If you find the story so fascinating maybe you should come out Rukia?" She called mockingly.

"Hu?" Echoed Ichigo looking completely confused, a moment later and the closet door popped open to revile the de powered Shinigami who was giving Seras a faintly freaked out look. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY CLOSET?" Ichigo yelled jumping off the bed and glaring at her. Rukia looked like she was about to answer when her phone chimed, she wiped it out of her pocket an alarmed look on her face, and after one glance at the read out lunged at Ichigo apparently forgetting about the over protective vampire sitting next to him for a moment. Seras caught her with a snarl, but not before she had hit him knocking his soul out of his body. Ichigo hit the floor with a yelp his soul going one way his body the other just as a hole opened up in the wall and taloned arm sent Seras flying through the wall after loosing her grip on the Shinigami. Ichigo didn't need to be told to draw his sword as he tired unsuccessfully to attack the hollow that had just appeared in his bed room.

"AIM FOR THE MASK!" yelled Rukia as he was knocked back again. Ichigo jumped back to his feet and after a few moments managed to score a light hit on the mask braking part of it off to show a human face underneath, the hollow screamed in pain and fell back through another of the black portals. Ichigo stayed frozen in shock at the face he had seen behind the mask, Rukia looked on silently wondering what was wrong now, they had to go find that hollow before it crossed back over. "Whats wrong?" She finally asked a bit annoyed at his silence.

"Thats what I'd like to know." He answered flatly and looked over at her. "That face, it was Orihime brother." He said looking pained and confused, Rukia winced internally, not now, she thought.

"Ill say this." She said after a moment. "Attack from behind, and kill with one strike, thats the most basic thing about killing Hollows. Never forget it." She said this with quiet solemnity.

"Whats that mean?" He asked never taking his eyes off her Rukia sighed slightly.

"It to reduce the damage from fighting and to keep you from ever seeing the Hollows identity."

"What do you mean identity?" He continued Rukia glanced up at him.

"You saw it too, didn't you? Hollows.. Were all formerly human souls." Ichigo flinch looking shocked and angry.

"You never told me that! He's not a monster?" He demanded she just stared him down not letting his anger bother her.

"He's just a monster now." She said levelly Ichigo stared at her incredulously.

"But he used to be human!" He snapped Rukia just shook her head.

"Be it anger or sadness, the souls of those who still have feelings for this world, tend not to except barrel from us and are left to wander, over time, wether they want to or not, they become Hollows. It's your job to destroy them before they kill others" She said quietly.

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Seras cursed as she phased half way through the house before coming to a stop, she growled hauling herself to her feet and prepared to run right back the way she had come when Isshin all but appeared at her side and grabbed her by the scruff of her neck, stopping her. Isshin just shook his head at her glare. "He has to learn to fight his own battles Seras, you can't always be there to save him." He said looking a little pained himself as a crash echoed from the other end of the house. Seras stared at him incredulously for a moment.

"I will notlet some damn hollow hurt Ichigo!" She snarled and twisted expecting him to drop her when she exerted some of her inhuman strength. Isshin just tightened his grip not letting go and looking vaguely annoyed at her squirming, Seras was dumbfounded.

"How the hell?" She muttered eyeing him like he was a poisonous snake, Isshin rolled his eyes.

"Seras, neither me nor my children are humans, though they don't know it, I would have thought you would have picked up on that by now, especially after meeting Kisuke." He said drily Seras blinked at him confused, he sighed. "Clearly your observational skills need work." He muttered drily she growled.

"Well your normal enough and the only odd thing about the kids is that they can see ghosts!" She snapped trying and failing once more to brake the grip the older man held on her neck. Isshin just snickered at this, looking highly amused.

"Thats because their still alive." He said brightly. "And I know how to disguise myself." He answered she paused eyeing him warily now.

"Then...what are you?" She asked hesitantly Isshin sighed and looked a bit annoyed.

"I don't think its time for you to know that Seras, but you'll find out eventually. I will tell you this however, Don't put a line between life and death, the border is as wide as it is vague, understand?" He asked Seras stared at him looking rather unsettled before nodding slowly. Apparently satisfied with that response Isshin released her. "Now I think it's been long enough, go make sure Ichigo hasn't gotten himself into too much trouble." She nodded sharply disregarding the dubious humanity of her relatives in favor of rescuing her trouble prone cousin.

"Yes Sir." She agreed and disappeared through the wall.

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Quetzal- well what did you think? Review! And I hope my one reviewer from Georgia made it though that story in more or less one piece. ^-^