Quetzal - current timeline is about two weeks since Ichigo got his powers and the next hollow will be Grand Fisher.

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Chapter 5 - Something Unheard

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Although she didn't really want to admit it Seras was glade that Ichigo's latest 'adventure' had occurred during the day, and that she subsequently could not be there. The teen had been forced to chase a modified soul possessing his body around town all afternoon, and now the damn thing was possessing a stuffed lion. Seras wanted nothing more then to kill it violently after the third time it had tired to dive into her shirt. It had been two days since then and she was beginning to make some sense out of the memories she had stolen from rabbit lady. She waited patiently half awake in her coffin for the sun to set, she could sense Ichigo a few miles away killing hollows. She would go to him once she could leave the house, she had to tell him about what she had learned, about how that sword of his was a sword in only the barest sense.

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Ichigo sighed tiredly as he sliced through the 3rd hollow of the afternoon, the bastards were swarming today, he thought grumpily as Rukia barked orders at him from across the street. Ichigo waited as the Hollow faded away thankfully not summoning Hell again. He looked up trying to guess how long till sun set, Seras would start helping him then and get could get a rest. Rukia hated Seras even though even she hadn't really done anything to her since she had bitten her, and had tried to convince him more then once to kill her before she went on a rampage, Ichigo just though the Shinigami was being overly dramatic. Sure Seras was dangerous but she wasn't about to go on a rampage as well fed as she was. Seras had sat him down few days after he had found out she was a vampire and explained to him in no uncertain terms that she was a monster, even as nice as she was, if she was badly injured or starving she would try to kill him and anything else with a heart beat in her immediate vicinity, if that ever happen he couldn't hesitate in killing her, she was already dead after all and she was telling him to do so if it came to that.

Rukia didn't seem to get that she wasn't about to attack them off handedly though, not that seras was doing anything to improve Rukia's opinion of her constantly reminding the shinigami about her having been 'dinner' and about how she tasted delicious. Ichigo smiled slightly at this before turning his attention back to said shinigami, she was frowning at her phone which thankful stayed silent. "Well that seems to be all of them for now." She finally pronounced snapping her phone close. By the time she had turned around Ichigo was two blocks away and still running. Rukia stared at the spot he had been for a moment before sighing and putting her phone away.

Ichigo stopped a few minutes later at the river setting down on stop of a parking garage to watch the sun set. A few minutes after the last of the light had left the sky a whisper of displaced air announced the arrival of a winged shadow that quickly melted back into the form of Seras. She sat down next to him without a word looking out over the now dark city as well. She had forgone her normal jeans and t-shirt tonight he noted. Taking in the black cargo pants and tank top she was wearing. "Its a beautiful night." She finally said he nodded, this was one of the few high points of being a substitute shinigami he had found. Sitting out on a moon lit night, invisible to all but a few, waiting for the hollows to strike, it brought home just what he had become, a Death god. As long as he held these powers he was something other, it made his blood hum and made wish he could fly like Seras could, he sighed a little sadly looking up at the crescent moon hanging in the sky. "Whats wrong?" She asked glancing over at him, he smiled wryly.

"I wish I could fly like you on a night like this." He said Seras looked thoughtful.

"Its something else." Seras agreed. "But we need to talk." She added turning to look at him seriously, he shot her a wary look.

"That doesn't sound good." He muttered Seras snorted.

"Its nothing to terrible just something I think you need to know." She answered Ichigo looked at her quizzically.

"And that would be...?" He asked Seras frowned.

"Its something I was able to sort out of those memories I was telling you about, did you ever wonder where that sword you use came from?" She asked Ichigo frowned thinking before realizing he didn't know where it had come from.

"No...i never did." He answered Seras nodded.

"The simplest way I can come up with to explain this is that your sword is...well...alive." She said Ichigo blinked numbplused.

"Hu?" Seras nodded in understanding at his confusion and continued.

"ok a Shinigami sword is not just a piece of metal." She began. "Its...um...how to explain this." She muttered. "Ok its...a part of your soul, but, with a mind of its own." Ichigo stared at her an odd look on his face.

"but...if thats true why didn't Rukia say anything?" He asked puzzled Seras sighed internally, Ichigo was incredibly naive sometimes she thought.

"Maybe she thought it wasn't necessary, maybe she was going to later, but I'm telling you now so pay attention." She answered he nodded and she continued. "Anyways you need to learn to hear the sword, and learn his name, it will make you both much stronger. As I understand it your just def to him you need to listen, it could take a while."

"But...how the hell to I do something like that?" He asked annoyed she shrugged.

"Mediation apparently, just close your eyes and don't try to think of anything, just listen, focus on your heart beat or something. Now, I need to go hunting, I'll try to sift some more information out of those memories later, try to stay out of trouble alright." She said Ichigo nodded a deep frown on his face as he considered what he had just learned, this changed a few things, he thought as Seras leapt off the building dark wings cutting through the night once more. Ichigo watched her go turning back to his thoughts once she was out of sight, had there ever been any sign that his zanpoktou was in fact alive, and that he simply hadn't noticed he wondered?

(4 hours later)

Ichigo dragged his eyes open with a groan and stretched cracking his back, he wasn't entirely sure but he thought he had made some headway on talking to his Zanpoktou, he was at least fairly certain that neither he nor Seras were delusional at the very least. After the first three hours he had started picking up what seemed to be distinct emotions that weren't his own. They were faint but definitely there, it was a start though, and the blade agreed as far as he could tell, if the sense of relived amusement was any indication.

A distant screech caught his attention a moment later and he stood up quickly gaging where it had come from before jumping off the roof seeking it out, he would have to work talking to his Zanpoktou later he had work to do. In Ichigo's inner world an old, black cloaked man smiled faintly from his spot on a flag pole, he would have to thank that vampire when he had a chance for getting Ichigo's attention. Who knew how long it would have take to get through to him, as thick headed as he was, when he didn't even know there was anything to hear?

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(three days later)

Seras twitched in her coffin it was midday but the chaos across town at the grave yard was beginning to wake her, a faint tracery of silver lines pulsed on her shoulder pulling her further into wakefulness despite the sun still being high in the sky. With a groan she cracked one eye open, silently cursing the hour, and pushed the lid of her coffin up, squinting at the faint grey light coming though the heavy shades. At least it looked like it was cloudy out, she thought, trying to cheer herself up. A massive wave of power rolled over her a moment later almost knocking her over, she looked sharply to the west where it had originated from. The power was undoubtably Ichigo's, but it was full of rage like she had never felt from him before. Without further delay she jumped out of her coffin snapping the window open and racing off over the roof tops, she would much rather fly,but unlike the others she was perfectly visible, so flying during the day would be a rather bad idea.

On the other side of town Ichigo all but snarled at the Hollow in front of him as the bastard mocked him about his mothers death. Crackles of black energy hissed around his zanpoktou echoing his anger. In a flash he shot forward slashing at the hollow cutting through the spiked hair and carving a gouge into its side, it screeched and leapt away more spikes shooting out at him. Ichigo snapped his zanpoktou up to block, the black energy vaporizing them as the neared him. The Hollow reeled in pain and Ichigo to the lull to dodg forward again, this time removing an arm from the monster

Ichigo ducked dodging under the Hollows remaining arm, it tripped staggering and he made another slash at its back. Grand Fisher however spun around far faster then he would have thought possible, its talons catching his side and sending him flying into a tree. Ichigo's vision grayed out for a moment as agony cut through him, his side leaking copious amounts of blood, he groaned and hauled himself to his feet in spite of this jumping unsteadily out of the way of another attack. "ha!" The hollow laughed. "did you ever really think you could beat me?" It taunted, Ichigo glared at it and heaved the zanpoktou up again only for the hollow to be bowled over a moment later by a small black blur.

The hollow managed to throw the blur off at which point he identified it as Seras, he looked at her astonished, it was midday! What the hell was she doing here? He glanced up and saw it was cloudy out the low hanging thunder clouds threatening rain any moment, he had been to caught up chasing grand fisher to notice the change in weather. A scream of pain from the hollow drew his attention back to the fight, he had never really seen Seras fight before, and the sight was terrifying, even the hollow seemed unnerved at her ferocity. When he had seen her fight that one time when he had first gotten his powers, he had been to exhausted and overtaxed to really noticing anything but now…. Seras snarled showing off long fangs, her eyes glowing a deep mad red as the shadows writhed around her tearing at its sides as she attacked it from the front. "what are you?" the hollow demanded. " You dare to interfere with my hunt little creature?" Seras stared at it for a moment before throwing her head back and laughing.

"Your hunt?" She asked a slightly crazed grin on her face. "The boy is mine,and you can't have him!" She leapt again the hollow tried to duck but Seras's talons caught the edge of its mask, she twisted using it as leverage and sank her fangs into it's throat. Grand Fisher howled and thrashed trying to tear her off with its one good arm, but it couldn't quite reach her. Ichigo watched tiredly as the monster that had stolen his mothers life met its end dissolving into light that was sucked into Seras's shadows, she hit the ground with a hiss and straightened and looking over at him. Blood ran from both sides of her mouth staining her pale skin red as her shadows drew back into her, she stared him down eyes glinting. "mine!" She muttered as Ichigo shifted warily tightening his grip on his zanpoktou, he didn't want to hurt Seras, but this looked like the blood lust she had told him about, it would be a minute before she came back to herself.

"Seras?" He asked hesitantly after a moment, not breaking eye contact, she blinked a little sanity working its way into her eyes at the sound of her name, she looked puzzled for a moment before taking in his wary stance and cringing.

"Shit, I didn't attack you did i?" She asked worriedly, he shook his head no.

"No, but I was beginning to worry for a second there. Oh and Seras?" He asked she tilted her head to the side looking inquisitive.

"Yes?" He answered he smiled faintly.

"Thanks,"

"For what, it was just another hollow wasn't it?" She asked confused.

"No, that was the hollow that killed my mother, I'd rather have killed him myself but your family to so I suppose it's alright." He said she shot a look back over at the spot the hollow had stood a dark look crossing her face.

"I know what you mean." She agreed with a sigh.

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"Why are we hear again?" Asked Seras in a long suffering voice, Ichigo snorted sending her a sympathetic look as Orihime and Rukia laughed and acted like a pair of idiots, in other words not that different from everyone else there.

"Because Orihime bought me a ticket and you apparently wanted to suffer." He deadpanned you don't have to be here." He pointed out Seras sighed and nodded mournfully.

"But Ichigo I couldn't leave you here all alone with the big scary ghosts, you might get scared!" She mocked he just rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to his sisters and father. Seras, to be completely honest ,wasn't entirely sure why she was here, she just had a feeling that something significant was going to happen tonight, and that she had to be there. What that was she didn't know, but she couldn't let Ichigo get himself hurt if she could prevent it. She watched in bemused silence as the wannabe exorcist went about getting the crowd rilled up, she looked around a feeling of foreboding making her uncomfortable and spotted Kisuke near by with those to annoying kids of his. The supposed exorcist Kan'onji continued to squawk about the evil ghost. When said ghost actually appeared though...Seras knew that shit was about to hit the fan.(1)

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Quetzal- (1) oh poor Seras you have no idea how right you are ^-^ can anyone name a reason why potentially ending up on international tv would be a bad thing? HAHA ^-^