Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of the characters associated with it. All rights belong to the creator Tite Kubo.
This is an AU story with some OOC.
And with nothing else please read, enjoy and review.
Chapter 7: Change
-X-
Szayel has been feeling anxious about the way he could sense all the Shinigami. Fortunately for them, the Shinigami that appeared at the park felt rather weak and they chose not to follow them. That still didn't seem to reduce his anxiety with how they're now following some mysterious man who showed up and asked them to come with him. 'But why are we even following him!' He turned towards Starrk; the brunette was holding Lily close to his chest. Looking her over, he notices her color returning; she was pale before because of the blood loss. Turning his head around to look at Ichigo, who he was holding with his branch-like appendages, the boy was still out cold. 'Just what are you, Ichigo-kun.' With the power he displayed at the park, the thing he became, and the loss of his ivory skin color. Ichigo was becoming a bigger mystery with each passing day.
Coming to a stop, the group was now in front of a small shop. There was nothing special about the place the man brought them to. It just looks like an average store. The only thing it had was a sign that read 'URAHARA SHOP'.
Looking back to his guests, Kisuke said, "Well let us all go inside now." he slides open the door to his shop and gestures inside. "Shall we?"
Szayel stares at the back of the blonde man. 'Does he honestly think we will follow h—' He stops when he sees the way Starrk seems to listen to the blonde. Grabbing one of his arms with his appendages, he whispers quietly to him. "Starrk-san, I don't want to believe that you'll follow this man inside now, are you?"
"We really don't have a choice right about now, Szayel."
"Choice!?" The Hollow hiss back at the word to the brunette. "What do you mean by that Starrk-san! All we need to do is open a Garganta, never look back at this place and be back home again!"
Szayel would never talk to Starrk like this. He was, after all, way more powerful than him, while the mask kept him alive around him, it wouldn't keep him alive if the man fired a Cero at him.
The brunette turns his blue-gray eyes towards Szayel's amber orbs and says, "Can you still sense them?"
The black mask Hollow didn't hesitate to reply. "I can Starrk-san, and that's why I think we should leave and head back to Hueco Mundo." His voice was no longer quiet, seeing how the blonde man was now inside the shop.
Starrk kept staring at Szayel, waiting to see if the Hollow got what he meant. After a few seconds of silence and Szayel not saying anything, he said it again, but this time putting emphasis on the keyword. "Can you still SENSE them?"
Szayel stares at Starrk with confusion, thinking about what the man meant. 'Why wouldn't I?' Then after a second, he finally realizes what the man meant. He looks over at the redhead he was carrying. "I can sense them..." Szayel said, finally getting a grasp on what the Arrancar meant.
Starrk nodded. "Exactly. We shouldn't be able to sense them at all now that we have Ichigo with us."
"Which means right now with Ichigo-kun out cold, he's no longer having his ability on."
Starrk shook his head. "This has never happened before. When Lily and I first found him 2 years ago, he was out cold for a bit, but his ability was still there. But now we can finally sense everything around us."
Szayel was still looking over at the redhead. "Could it be his white skin that kept such ability on?" Letting go of the man, Szayel follows behind Starrk inside the shop.
"Most likely. Seeing how this is the first time I ever saw Ichigo with a peach-tone color and no cloaking around us."
When they both were inside, they started looking around the shop. The place looks just as average on the inside as it does on the outside.
"Welcome, you must be the guest Urahara-dono mentioned, yes?"
Turning towards an opening door, they saw a tall, muscular, lightly tan-skinned man. His hair's cornrowed and has a large handlebar mustache, which connects to his long sideburns. He was wearing a pair of rectangular-shaped glasses. His attire comprises a white muscle shirt with regular pants and a blue apron.
Everyone was quiet. Starrk and Szayel notice the way the man seems tense. Just after a few seconds and done with the silence, Starrk gave him a nod. "Yeah, I guess we're the guest Urahara spoke about. Unless you were expecting someone else."
Tessai went stiff with the man in front of him. He could sense his power; it was actually quite a frightening amount of power coming from the brunette. He looks over at the black mask Hollow; he has seen many Hollows throughout his life, but never with a black mask. Looking back at Starrk, he introduces himself with a bow. "Tessai Tsukabishi."
"Coyote Starrk, but you can just call me Starrk."
Szayel at least returned Tessai's bow with one of his own. "Szayelaporro Granz, you can just call me Szayel for short."
Done with the introductions, Tessai asked them to follow him towards Urahara, who was down in the basement. They both gave him a skeptical look about following him down to a basement. However, telling them how Shinigami could still sense them up here and in the basement was their only option at staying hidden. With that being said, they follow the man—with their guard up. Seeing him lift a hidden door and watch him climb down left them both speechless. Looking down at the hidden door, both Hollows saw a whole new place under the shop. While the man was still climbing down, the brunette got a hold on the Hollow and Sonido down.
Now on the ground, Starrk and Szayel started looking around the 'basement'. The place was immense and appears to be a desert valley. Looking up, they notice the way there seems to be sunlight down here; there were even clouds down here too!
However, squinting his eyes, Starrk notices how the clouds in the sky don't move. They look painted.
"Liking the view?"
Turning around, Starrk saw Kisuke sitting on a rocky hill. He went back to looking at the fake sky and couldn't help but like the view; it has a nice laid-back feel to it. Looking back at Kisuke he said, "Kind of honestly, has a pleasant mood to this whole place."
Putting on a goofy smile on his face, Kisuke replies to the brunette with much jovial pride in his voice. "I'm glad you like it! It took me a single day and night to make all this." The shaggy blonde wanted to laugh at their reaction, but right now wasn't the right time for that. Hearing Tessai coming from behind him, he decided it was time for the hard part now. He doesn't know why they follow him; He expected them to leave through a Garganta if he's been honest with himself. 'I guess saying Ichigo's name convinced him.' Urahara knew how the black mask Hollow of the group had been skeptical of him the whole time, while the brunette had been on his guard, he still willingly followed him. Why? He doesn't know. Maybe the man has his own agenda or something.
Giving them a smile before hiding it behind his fan, Urahara said, "You know, it is rude how you haven't introduced yourself yet."
"Coyote Starrk, but I prefer Starrk."
"Szayelaporro Granz or Szayel for short."
Finally, knowing their names now, Urahara tries pushing his luck more. "If you can just lay down Ichigo and the girl, my friend here could start healing them now."
The atmosphere around the group became hushed and tense. After a few minutes of nothing but silence, Starrk decided it was about time for some answers. "How do you know Ichigo?"
While Starrk still had a relaxed expression on his face, Urahara noticed how his body was anything but relaxed. The brunette was on high alert. "How about a question for a question, Starrk-san?"
Starrk frowned. 'Why would he ask us anything?' The blonde man hasn't done or shown any signs of having something up his sleeves. 'Besides, I could get more answers.' Giving the shaggy blonde a nod, he waited for his reply.
Lowering down his fan and giving him a small smile, Urahara answers him, but not the entire truth. "I know who Ichigo is because I knew his mother." The answer was simple, but he saw how a small frown reached Starrk's lips.
'So he's keeping his answers short and easy.' He was expecting something like this. He gave the man a nod, guess he'll keep his answers short too.
"Why are you here, Hollow-san?" The fan was back up again, hiding half of Urahara's face and his bucket hat shifted down a bit to hide his eyes, concealing his serious face.
Starrk's body went stiff. Before, when the man said Hollow, he was expecting him to be talking about Szayel, but it looks like that wasn't quite the case. 'He knows I'm a Hollow.' Now, with more questions coming to his mind, he answers back to the man. "Ichigo remembered where he was from, so we came here."
Removing the fan from his face and moving his head up a bit, Urahara looks straight to Starrk's eyes. He tried looking for any signs of lying. While Starrk's body was tense, his eyes didn't show any form of deception.
Just getting a nod, Starrk asks his next question. "How did you find us?" Something was telling him that the blonde man couldn't have known where they were. From where his shop was compared to all the way from the park, Urahara had to know before Ichigo's transformation happened for him to show up at the park at a perfect time. 'A way too perfect timing.'
"You could say a little kitty told me." Urahara told Starrk. The brunette nodded and while he sure didn't like the answer, it at least told him how someone either saw or they sensed them. "What was your purpose for coming here? I find it hard to believe you all came to the Human World for some clothes."
Starrk looks down at his clothes. To be fair, the man was right, but it was Ichigo's idea that they even got clothes. He gives the blonde a lazy shrug. "To be fair, we didn't have any plans for coming here. Ichigo just brought us here, we got some clothes, and he started showing us around."
'All right, so he's not lying about it.' Urahara nodded. He knew already how that was the truth. Seeing how it was the same thing that Yoruichi told him. He just needed to be sure they wouldn't be lying about it.
"How do you know who Ichigo's mother is?" Starrk doesn't see how knowing Ichigo's mom should let them 'heal' the kids.
This time not hiding his serious face, Urahara looks straight into Starrk's eyes. "Because I helped save her life before." It was a half-truth statement. It was thanks to Ichigo's father, who sacrificed his Shinigami powers, which saved Ichigo's mother. However, it was also thanks to his invention that saved her too.
Starrk's face has gone deadly serious. It was one thing for Urahara to say he knew who Ichigo's mom was, but to say he knew the redhead's mother by saving her life, that was an entirely different expectation than what he expected the man to say. However. "Let us stop with these questions now, Shinigami-san."
The atmosphere got even tenser than before now. Starrk was still in eye-lock with Urahara. His words didn't faze the blonde.
Putting a hand on top of his bucket hat, Urahara said. "Hmm, and how did you conclude that I'm a Shinigami?"
Starrk brought a hand up before he started counting out his reasons. "For one, you didn't even deny it. Two, you knowing we're Hollows means you can sense us. Three—"
"What if I'm just a human who can sense that you're a Hollow?" Urahara covers half his face again, eyes not leaving Starrk's. 'Quiet the observant one are you, Starrk-san.'
"Three, if you were human, then you wouldn't have invited monsters to your house. Four, you completely said how it only took you one day and one night to create this underground basement. No way a normal person could do such a feat."
"What if I'm a Hollow?"
"Hollow or human, decide on which one you want to be now."
Urahara lowers down his fan and gives the man a good-natured grin. "Well then, guess I should reintroduce myself. Kisuke Urahara, former Shinigami Captain of the 12th Division and the 1st President of the S.R.D.I."
Following his lead, Tessai reintroduced himself. "Tessai Tsukabishi, former Kidō Corps Commander and Grand Kidō Chief."
With that being said, both Shinigami notice the brunette relaxed while the black mask Hollow seems to get a bit paler.
'Both of them were former Captains! What kind of situation did you bring us into Starrk-san!' Szayel was freaking out by this point. There's no way for them to escape from here. He notices how everyone else is more relaxed now. All except for him.
With everyone but the Hollow relaxed, Urahara asked the one thing that had been on his mind. "Excuse me, Starrk-san, but may I ask a question?" Just getting a lazy nod back, he says, "Why did you follow me here and didn't go back to Hueco Mundo instead? While your friend here seems to want to be anywhere else but right here, you came here willingly. Why?"
Szayel turns his head towards the brunette, wanting to know why Starrk followed the blonde to his shop instead of just going back to Hueco Mundo.
With everyone's eyes on him. Starrk started walking over to Urahara, who tensed-up before relaxing again when he saw the brunette put down the girl on the ground. Szayel, while following his example more hesitatingly, did the same and put down Ichigo next to Lily. Urahara didn't even say anything before Tessai went up to the children and started healing Ichigo with a simple Kaidō Spell.
With his blue-gray eyes on the kids, Starrk answered the blonde's question. "The reason I follow you is cause it felt like a safer bet coming here than going back to Hueco Mundo." That got everyone confused.
Before Urahara could ask in what way was it safer, he heard Szayel questioning Starrk first.
"Starrk-san, how can Hueco Mundo not be safer for us?" Szayel moves in closer towards Starrk; the brunette was still looking at Ichigo getting healed.
Looking at Szayel, Starrk said, "Without having Ichigo's cloaking ability, it will only leave us open for anyone to find us. That could be a problem."
"How would that be any form of a problem? Wouldn't that be easier than for us to go out and 'hunt'? You're powerful Starrk-san." Szayel finishes with a bewildered look on his face.
Urahara put in his own remark. "I agreed with your friend on that statement. You're a powerful Hollow yourself, maybe the most powerful I have ever felt. What kind of trouble could you not handle?"
Looking at Lily, who was now getting healed, Starrk only said one word. "Baraggan." While it left Tessai and Urahara clueless, Szayel knew what the man meant now.
"You're thinking without Ichigo-kun's cloaking ability he could find us, or one of his subordinates could find us. But if that was the case, then we could just stay over at Menos Park then."
"That would just be a bigger risk then, you probably don't know this but the Hollow we saved today was the Guardian of Menos Park. He once told Ichigo how the Shinigami sent squads over to Menos Park. If that's true, then there's nothing stopping them from sending a squad over to Hueco Mundo and getting rid of us."
Before Szayel could reply, Urahara interrupted him. "Excuse me Starrk-san, but are you sure this Guardian was positive about Shinigami being in Hueco Mundo?"
Turning over the blonde, Starrk notices the way he got serious again. 'As an ex-Captain, shouldn't he know this already?' Starrk lifts one of his eyebrows before he answers back to the blonde. "Before Szayel over here became a part of our group, we went to visit the once Forest of Menos, where we ended up saving a Hollow's life from a Shinigami. I don't remember everything Ichigo told me, but he said how the Guardian was sure on how squads of Shinigami have gone into the Forest of Menos and started killing Hollows off." He finishes while scratching the back of his head. It was maybe around 3 or 4 months when all of that happened. Hard to tell when you don't have a way to tell time. He looks over at Urahara and notices the way his bucket hat hides his face, muttering to himself about something.
Looking up, Urahara locks his eyes with Starrk's. "That shouldn't be possible Starrk-san, for a Shinigami to go into Hueco Mundo, let alone a squad of them. Are you sure this Guardian senses an entire squad or maybe just one man?"
Now it was Starrk and Szayel turn to look clueless, while Tessai and Urahara seem to get a dreadful look on their face. Before Starrk could ask the blonde anything, he heard him ask another question first. "Tell me Starrk-san, have you ever met a man named Sōsuke Aizen." He noticed how both Tessai and Urahara's body became tense; almost ready to go into action.
Starrk cocked his eyebrow again, this time answering him about everything without leaving out any details. "No, the only ever contact with any other person or thing has been Ichigo. Lily has always been with me, and Szayel over here just joined us. Every other Hollow just dies by being near me." Watching how the blonde only gave him a simple nod and turned towards Szayel was a relief for him. He doesn't know why, but something told him he must have dodged one hell of a bullet.
"How about your Szayel-san, have you ever met said man and before you say anything, care to tell me how you got a black mask?" Urahara questions the only Hollow of the group.
Feeling scared of the dangerous look Urahara was giving him, Szayel truthfully said, "No, never Urahara-san. The only people I have ever been in contact with are Starrk, Lily, Ichigo, my brother, and a few Hollows. I met no one else and for the black mask, that was Ichigo who did this to me."
Urahara kept his eyes locked with Szayel. While the Hollow looked scared, the blonde didn't hear any form of lying in his words. He lets out a sigh of relief. "Well, that's some good news now."
Starrk and Szayel gave each other a quick glance before the amber-eyed Hollow asked the blonde. "Who's Sōsuke Aizen?"
Giving the Hollows a goofy grin, Urahara brought up his fan again and said, "Who's Baraggan?"
Starrk let out an exaggerated sigh. "Not this again."
Losing his goofy expression, Urahara told them the truth. This would be one way to not just gain their trust, but to make sure they kept away from the man. "Aizen is the one responsible for making me live in the human world." Before he could continue on with his explanation, Tessai interrupts him.
"The childrens are all patched up now." With everyone turning towards him, Tessai went over his examination. "Ichigo-kun here seems to be fine. I couldn't find anything wrong with him, he'll just be out for longer." His face turns confused when he looks at Lily. "The girl however is. How do I say this? In a strange situation." Seeing the worried expression on Starrk's face, he elaborated more. "It's nothing to grave Starrk-san. She's all healed up, but her Reiryoku feels… empty and weak. However, her strength is slowly coming back to her. I don't know how she isn't dead with all the Reiatsu you're letting out Starrk-san."
Starrk looks at Lily. So far she seems okay and not dying. 'What did he do to her?' Well, he should be glad about how she's not dead, but still. He looks at Tessai and guesses why she wasn't dying. "Is because of the black mask." It used to be because they were only one soul. However, when he felt what seemed to be their connection severed, the only thing that would keep her alive now would be the black mask.
Tessai looks over at the young girl's mask. Just like the Hollow of the group, it was the same color, but what does the coloration of a mask have to do with keeping one alive with someone like Starrk around? Sending a nod towards the brunette, Tessai sat down on his knees next to Urahara, who was ready to explain.
Clearing his throat, Urahara went over a bit about Aizen and why he's a former captain. "You see around 100 years. I was a newly appointed Captain of the 12th Division before I got fraud for a crime I never committed. Charged with the crime of me putting 4 captains and 4 lieutenants through Hollowfication." He saw the confused look on both Starrk and Szayel. Sure, he was telling them about how he became a former captain, but it all happens because of Aizen. "Around 9 years after becoming a captain, another Captain told me about a series of strange disappearances that had taken place in Rukongai. The Captain for the 9th Division and a few of its members went out towards Rukongai to investigate. Later on that day, a member of the investigation team requested that I send a researcher to the investigation site. I asked my Lieutenant to carry out the task. Later that night, I heard that the Reiatsu of the investigation team had disappeared. I hurried back to the 12th Division looking for my Lieutenant, but I was too late. I requested to go to the site myself, but the Captain-Commander denied my request. I still went anyway and my friend Tessai saw me and came with me."
Both Hollows are still confused about Urahara's story; it doesn't tell them who Aizen is or why the ex-Captains became tense after asking them about the man. However, they both just kept their mouth shut and waited for the blonde to continue on with his story.
"I arrived just in time to stop Aizen from killing one of the captains but he wasn't alone, he was with 2 henchmen. Asking him on what he was doing here, he just gave me some excuse for coming to help his Captain. I noted there were no injuries on the victims, and that someone infected them with 'Hollowfication'. We tried to stop him, but he got away. After that, well, what much can I say? I... help the victims at least. But they found me, put me on trial, and were about to have my powers sealed when another friend saved, not just Tessai and me, but the Hollowfied victims."
The story still puzzled Starrk. So Urahara told them how he became an exile, but still, it kind of didn't tell him much about Aizen or why both Tessai and Urahara became so tense at all. Something was telling the brunette on how there was more information hidden from them. He wanted to ask more, but before he could say anything, Urahara asked them who Baraggan was.
Starrk having mostly no actual idea on who Baraggan is, Szayel was the one who spoke, "Well you see Urahara-san, believe or not, Hueco Mundo has a king," Szayel notice how the blonde's eyes seem to gleam with interest. Well, he couldn't blame him, a Shinigami was learning a little about Hueco Mundo. "Now, the King of Hueco Mundo is a powerful Hollow named Baraggan, no one knows how he became king to be exact. Maybe he's king because he defeated the last one, but if that was the case then maybe Baraggan had been ruling for ages since no one seems to know or remember who the previous ruler was. Or maybe there never was one, and he named himself King of Hueco Mundo. With Baraggan naming himself king, how he began his rule is a mystery. The only thing anyone knows about Baraggan is that he's a powerful Hollow if he could keep an army of his own in check. Any powerful Hollow that appears, or he comes to learn of, gets an invitation to be part of his army. Most Hollows would refuse the invitation. We're predators by nature. We don't really let anyone tell us what to do, we live by only one rule and that is to eat and evolve. Now, when they refuse his offer, Baraggan's subordinates find them and when that happens they report back to their king, then Baraggan himself 'kindly' asks them to join, but whenever he 'kindly' asks, most Hollows die."
Urahara had an idea where Szayel was going with this, but for Baraggan to go after them they must have gotten an invitation already. "How does one get an invitation?"
"Usually one of his most loyal subordinates searches for strong Hollows that either they or Baraggan himself had in mind." Szayel answered back.
Well, that sure made it clear. "So you guys came across one of his subordinates and refused? Is that the reason why you're refusing to go back?" Urahara asks.
Scratching the back of his head, Starrk answered that question. "No, and yes. That's not how that happened. It was an accident. During one of my hunts, I accidentally killed the messenger with my Reiatsu. He only gave us the threat about Baraggan not liking what we did." Starrk started scratching one of his cheeks. "Thinking about it now, with Szayel explaining more, I refused the invitation by killing him. But, damn, that was maybe around sheesh...1 year ago? The only way we ever stay out of Baraggan's radar for so long is because of Ichigo's cloaking ability."
So Urahara had a better idea now, but still, they already had Ichigo. They could have just left now. Right? "I understand the situation you all got yourself into, but you had Ichigo with you. All of you could have just gone back and let the cloaking ability do its work." All he got was a shake of their heads from both of them.
"We believe Ichigo's cloaking ability came from when he had his white skin. Usually within a 10 yards radius around Ichigo will completely hide anyone. But with an amazing ability, there's a flaw, and that flaw is how one can't sense outside the radius." The black mask Hollow answered back to the blonde.
So now both Tessai and Urahara know the situation a little better. Ichigo's skin is a peach color, not the white they have seen on him. So now the group of Hollows has to wait for either Ichigo's cloaking to come back naturally or have the boy learn how to.
Urahara brought up the fan again. He notices how Szayel seems more relaxed now, the same as Starrk. He heard Tessai getting up and said about bringing down some tea. He asks their guest if they wanted anything but they just said no. Starrk apparently didn't need to eat and Szayel probably was still on guard around them. He watches Tessai leave before he turns back towards the Hollows. He pushes his luck again and hopes they have opened up enough trust in him to answer one last question. "Starrk-san, do you mind if I ask you something?" His only reply was a simple nod. "How did you ever meet Ichigo?"
Urahara lifts one of his eyebrows when he notices the small smile on the brunette's face and before he knew it, Starrk was telling him pretty much everything from their first encounter and so on. Finding Ichigo in the white sands of Hueco Mundo, Starrk invites him to come with him and Lily, hunting food for Ichigo, their visit to Forest Park, meeting Szayel, and coming to Karakura Town. The blonde notices every simple smile when talking about Ichigo, every twitch of his eyes when Lily and Ichigo pull a prank on him. It was strange. Urahara could see the happiness in Starrk's face... 'strange.'
When Urahara asks Szayel when he first met Ichigo, he gave him a different story. Apparently, Ichigo saved his life from his own brother… The hell? He said nothing and listened to how Szayel had been spying on Starrk, Lily, and Ichigo. How he one day got close enough to speak with Ichigo, how he asked Ichigo to eat him, and then how Ichigo fixed his mask.
Urahara took a sip from the tea Tessai had brought—the light-tan man was back to his side. Honestly, there were just so many questions he wanted to ask, but there's one he wanted to know for sure. Szayel kind of explained why he joined Ichigo. The kid saved his life, but what did Ichigo do to get Starrk's attention, or better yet, "Starrk-san. What does Ichigo mean to you?"
Szayel looks over at Starrk. That was a question he had wanted to ask the brunette, but felt like it was too personal.
The brunette looked up to the fake sky. What did Ichigo mean for him? He never thought about it before. He looks back to Urahara, noticing how everyone was paying attention. Not knowing what to say exactly, he just spoke from his soul. "Ichigo became our escape from the loneliness that Lily and I live in. Before Ichigo even came around it was just Lily and me, no other Hollow could come near us without dying. I don't know how long we spent like that, we never kept track of it. Then he came, just out of nowhere. He could be around us without dying. He once said if he would end up being alone, so I gave him... no, I gave us a way to stay away from that lonely path.'' Starrk stopped to catch his thoughts. There was more to what Ichigo meant for him. "While the idea was an escape from loneliness for both of us. Somewhere down that road, we became a family." He finishes while scratching the back of his head. He noticed the way Tessai's face became teary and was cleaning his eyes with his apron, Szayel gave him a nod of understanding, and Urahara was hard to figure out and all he got was a nod.
Before the blonde could take another sip of his tea, he heard a small groan. That got everyone's attention and they all turned around to see Ichigo standing up.
"Ugh, w-where am I." The redhead started looking around him. This was not the weird beach where he met Zangetsu, the white desert of Hueco Mundo or the green flourish park. He did, however, spot Lily who was unconscious. He rushes towards her to make sure she was fine when he stops upon seeing the peach color on his skin. 'It's not white? Was Zangetsu right about my skin?' Before he could go back on checking on Lily, he heard Starrk's voice behind him. Turning around quickly, he notices a blonde and a light-tan man.
Ichigo looked at the brunette. "Starrk what's going on?"
"It's an eh... an interesting story."
- Soul Society -
It's been over a day since he locked himself inside his office after being released from the 4th Division; the medical division. Five days have passed since the disaster in the Human World. Word got around fast throughout the entire Gotei 13 about how 2 Captains came into the 4th Division heavily wounded. No one knows what truly happened and only Captain Hitsugaya has been the one who came back the least wounded of the bunch. However, after coming back from the Human World, the young captain has shut down anyone who asks him about what happened.
Tōshirō releases a quiet sigh when he finishes writing his report. His wounds weren't so severe; He just had some burn marks and was just exhausted, so they released him today. While Captain Unohana told him to rest up longer, he softly refused her instruction. There was a report to write about their failure.
The white-haired Captain just kept re-reading his report for the 10th time already. His face turns bland every time he gets towards the end of the report. He didn't want to put in the part where he listens to the Hollow and allowed him to leave. 'I did it to save both Captain Kuchiki and Zaraki.' That's what he was telling himself repetitively as he kept writing that last part.
Lying back in his chair, Tōshirō looks up at the ceiling. He pinches the bridge of his nose and releases another sigh. Turns out both captains weren't in such grave danger as he had imagined. Well, not true, Byakuya was in a mess with his hand cut clean and the gash on his chest. But besides the blood loss, nothing really was wrong, and the gash wasn't deep enough for it to be fatal either. Kenpachi's only problems were the cuts and the blood loss, but even then the man was already out after the 2nd day.
He looks down at his report again. He didn't have any names for the humanoid-Hollows that show up. Thinking back on that day, he heard no names between the Hollows. Well, he didn't that's for sure. So maybe Byakuya or Kenpachi did? Wouldn't hurt to ask them.
Getting up from his chair, Captain Hitsugaya opened his office door and watched as his lieutenant wasn't doing her job and was drinking instead like always.
The lieutenant in question is Rangiku Matsumoto. A young woman with a curvaceous figure with long and wavy blond hair, blue eyes, full lips, and a beauty mark located under the right side of her mouth. Her Shinigami robes were slightly loose to reveal her large breasts.
He didn't want to deal with her right now. He notices all the piles of paperwork still on her desk. He should be all over the strawberry blonde and berating her about doing her job as a lieutenant.
Looking back at the report on his desk, Tōshirō thought about giving her the simple task of having her go over towards the 1st Division to turn in his report. It was probably a bad idea to ask her, but seeing her still drinking made his left eye twitch.
"Lieutenant Matsumoto, mind telling me why you're not doing your job?"
Hearing her Captain, Rangiku got up and embraced his head between her breasts. "Captain, you're out of the hospital!" Well, shoot. There goes her nice vacation now. 'It was nice while it lasted.'
Releasing her Captain, she notices how his eyes went over her desk where all the paperwork was. "You can't expect me to work while I was under stress about my captain being in the 4th Division now! When people become stressed their hair turns gray and I can't have that happening to me."
Captain Hitsugaya just loves how she sounded more worried about her hair than his well-being. With his left eye twitching dangerously he replies, "And what stops you from trying to come by to visit me?"
With an innocent smile on her face, she lies to her captain by saying, "Well, I heard you were in a mess like Captain Kuchiki and Zaraki, so I left you alone while you recover quietly." That seems to not be the right words because she could see how her captain was about ready to freeze her over.
Tōshirō just pinches the bridge of his nose again and starts heading towards the 11th Division since it was much closer than the 4th. Before leaving, though, he looks back to his lieutenant. "I need you to turn in my report over the 1st Division."
"Ehh! Why me! You can ask anyone else to do that."
Not even looking back at her, the young Captain says. "Because everyone else is doing their job."
Rangiku watches as her captain leaves before going into his office. Her blue eyes stare at the report. She should probably do this fast and enjoy more drinking before her Captain comes back or, 'Everyone has been wondering what happened in the Human World.' She looks behind her, making sure no one was there before she started reading.
Captain Hitsugaya just knew he did something stupid. Knowing Rangiku, she'll probably end up reading his report before she gossips about it. He was ready to go back and deliver the report himself when he shook the feeling off. Word will get around eventually. He was sure that any given moment that Byakuya was released from the 4th Division, a Captain's Meeting would transpire.
Not even walking far, Captain Hitsugaya was already at the front gates of the 11th Division. Going through the gates, he looks around him and notices how a few of its members look injured and walking towards the 4th Division. Tōshirō shook his head—the young captain could already guess where everyone was at.
Navigating through the 11th Division by just following Captain Zaraki's Reiatsu, Tōshirō came across the division's training grounds. He notices how every member of the 11th Division was here and right in the center of the training grounds was Kenpachi with a bokken sword.
Kenpachi's blood has been boiling for some action ever since getting out of the 4th Division. The fight with Zangetsu is still on his mind. He could still feel the cuts on his body aching, he wanted to feel that fire when fighting again now that he finally found someone who wouldn't die so easily if he went all out. Looking around the crowd, he spotted Captain Hitsugaya among the rest of his division. He sends the young boy a toothy grin. "Eh, what are you doing here, Captain Hitsugaya?" Turning towards the white hair Shinigami, he rested the wooden sword on his shoulder. "Came here for a bit of practice with me?" He sends Tōshirō a challenging grin, hoping to bait the captain.
Ignoring his challenge, Tōshirō only answers the first question. "I just came here to ask you a couple of things, Captain Zaraki." He said while crossing his arms in front of his chest.
"You can ask me those questions while you give me an easy duel." Kenpachi's grin grew across his face, but seeing how his taunt proved useless, he frowns. 'Tch, so much for that. Guess I won't ever get to fight another captain soon.'
Seeing only a nod from the man, Tōshirō says. "Did you already turn in your report?"
Kenpachi groans before answering back. "Yeah, I did. I turned it in yesterday."
"By any chance did you hear any names between the Hollows?" Tōshirō notices the return of Kenpachi's grin.
"Actually, the wicked-looking Hollow's name was Zangetsu."
It hushed all the 11th Division members upon hearing the name of the Hollow who defeated their Captain. When Kenpachi returned to his division, everyone saw the crazy grin on his face, asking what happened in the Human World. All they got from the man was: "I got one hell of a fight." He didn't go into much detail, and he was battling all the members of his division until he felt satisfied.
Watching Captain Hitsugaya leaving, Kenpachi asks, "Does it matter for you to know the Hollow's name!?"
Tōshirō didn't stop and kept on walking. Heading back towards his division now that he knew the name of the demonic Hollow, but before he was out of earshot, he screamed back to Kenpachi. "No, it doesn't!" 'Because he'll just be like any other Hollow when we're done with him.'
Seeing how Captain Hitsugaya left, Kenpachi looked over his division before he started taping the wooden sword on his shoulder. "So who's next?" He gave them a toothy grin before he picked someone.
- Human World -
Starrk has been watching Ichigo over the past 5 days and notice how the redhead has been quiet for most of the time they were down in Urahara's basement. When he tried to explain everything to Ichigo about what happened, the blonde pulled him to the sides and told him how he shouldn't tell everything to the boy. Especially about Aizen and how Urahara knew the redhead's mom. Not liking it but going along with it, he told Ichigo everything except for what the shaggy blonde asked him to not mention. Soon after that, the boy has been quiet and has been watching over Lily.
He released a quiet sigh. It's been 5 days and Lily was still out, Tessai has been checking on her daily and has been saying the same thing every day.
Seeing Ichigo with the lack of his white skin was an unfamiliar sight for Starrk. Having known the redhead for the past 2 years with white skin became a normal sight; and seeing him with tanner color on him was weird. 'Well, at least he kept his eyes.' Hearing footsteps, Starrk turned around and watched as Urahara came into his view.
"It's ready, Starrk-san." The blonde said while bringing up his fan.
On the 2nd day with Urahara, the blonde asked both him and Ichigo to put in a bit of their Reiatsu inside a special glass flask. After Starrk asked Urahara why he would need that, the blonde told him about how he would create a special Gigai for them while they stayed in the shop.
Following the former captain, Starrk turns back and looks at Ichigo with a quick glance before he whispers over to the blonde. "I know we're done with the questions, but do you mind answering something for me?"
"I guess I can do that. What is it?" The Shinigami replied, not even looking back at Starrk.
"I've been wondering, what is it you saved Ichigo's mother from." Starrk asks. It has been bothering the brunette all this time about why a Shinigami would save a human's life. 'Unless.'
Seeing Starrk stop in his tracks, Urahara turns towards the brunette. The blonde could see the gears on Starrk's head working. 'Did you figure it out already?'
"She was human, right?" While Starrk sounded a bit confused, he was sure about what he said. 'There's actually no reason for a Shinigami to save some random human's life unless she was something important, like a Shinigami.' Watching how the shaggy blonde lowered his fan was a hint he guessed either right or close to it.
"I could tell you, Starrk-san, but I think it would be better if you ask Ichigo's dad instead."
That was all he got from the Shinigami. 'Ichigo's dad? Why would I ask him? Is he a Shinigami as well? Was Ichigo even a normal human to begin with.'
With nothing more said, Starrk follows behind Urahara towards his lab. Apparently, the blonde had a lab here too. When they got there, it left him speechless. It wasn't huge like the valley under them but it was still damn big and with many inventions around. Looking around the lab, the brunette spotted Szayel examining a weird-looking muscle doll.
Urahara mentioned that he would work in his lab to help them stay hidden and the black mask hollow, while still a little nervous around the Shinigami, asked Urahara if he could come and see the lab and he has been here ever since. Starrk was a bit worried, but Urahara just told him it'll be fine. The shaggy blonde has even been joking around with Szayel, calling him his apprentice, much to the irritation of the Hollow.
Hiding a goofy grin behind his fan, Urahara asks Szayel, "Is the Gigai ready, my young apprentice?" Seeing the way his appendages twitch was the only hint to Urahara that he was annoying him. Much to the Shinigami's joy.
Turning towards the blonde man, Szayel replied. "Yes, it's ready."
Starrk lifts one of his eyebrows. "Did you help make the Gigai?"
"No, I was just watching how he created it. This is the same Gigai that Urahara is using to hide Reiatsu." Szayel said.
"I would have made the Gigai faster, but this was my first time working on making one for a Hollow. Especially one who's strong like you, Starrk-san. It had to be perfect so the Shinigami wouldn't be able to sense you and the Gigai wouldn't end up getting destroyed with all your Reiatsu."
Looking at the weird muscle doll ,Starrk looks over at Urahara and asks, "How does this thing work to be exact?"
Coming up to the side of the doll, the blonde said. "It's easy. I fused the Gigai with the Reiatsu sample you gave me so only you can go inside it. Right now it has no characteristic of you since to finish the process you need to go inside the Gigai and to do that all you need to do is spread your Reiatsu around it and the Gigai will start pulling you inside it."
"And to get out?" While Starrk trusts the blonde more now, he won't jump into a faux body and find out he can't get out.
"It's about the opposite of what you did to get in, just push yourself out." Urahara replied.
Going over the muscle doll, Starrk did as Urahara mentioned and spread his Reiatsu around the Gigai. Feeling the pull, he listened to the instructions; he let the doll do its thing. After a while, he notices his body feeling numb.
"You can open your eyes now, Starrk-san."
Hearing Szayel's voice, Starrk opens his eyes. He didn't feel any different, but noticed how he started feeling the cold air around him. Being a soul usually means you don't feel the weather. Looking down on himself, the brunette notices the lack of clothes. Looking around him, he notices how the clothes were all laid across on the ground behind him. Before he could say anything, he started feeling the appendages of Szayel all over his arms.
Looking over the Hollow, Starrk said. "What are you doing?"
"Just making sure there are no flaws," Szayel casually replies.
Moving away from the Hollow's appendages, Starrk asks Urahara what happens to his clothes.
"You mention how the clothes were only covered with Reishi so it just hides them from anyone else's eyes, but they are still normal clothes." Urahara said.
Looking over the clothes, Starrk asks, "So they're regular clothes again then? They don't have any Reishi so people could see them now, right?" Just getting a shrug back, Starrk started putting back his clothes. The brunette started practicing on how to move out and in the Gigai, glad the blonde wasn't lying about it. Done with that task, Urahara shows him the exit. Before he left, Urahara gave him a note with directions. Before he could ask him anything, he heard Urahara whisper to him.
"This is where you'll find the answers you're looking for."
Just giving back a nod, he was ready to walk out before he remembered something important. "What about the Shinigami? Shouldn't they be all over the town looking for us?"
Before Urahara said anything a deep male voice spoke from behind him. "Don't worry about the Shinigami. There haven't been a lot of them lately and there are only a few around this side of town."
Looking behind the blonde, Starrk spotted a black cat that was licking its paws. He kept staring at the feline. 'Did the cat just talk?' He kept watching the cat until it left through a window. 'Guess not.'
Urahara watches as Starrk leaves. Once gone, he heard Tessai speak behind him. "Was it wise to tell them so much Urahara-dono?"
Not even turning to address Tessai, Urahara went back to his lab. "We need them."
"You're using them, Urahara-dono." Tessai said.
- With Starrk-
Starrk was worried people couldn't see his clothes, but his worries vanished when he noticed how everyone was acting normal. Even a couple of them smile and wave at him, most coming from some very gorgeous women. Just giving them a careless wave back seems to bring some of them towards him for a strange reason, he dodges every question they ask him like a bullet.
Getting directions from the last girl who approached him, Starrk started heading towards the 'KUROSAKI CLINIC'. Starrk felt weird being around so many people. Back before he was alone with Lily, he wanted this, to be around other beings without killing them and now here he was, but it felt strange. He still felt alone, and he knew why.
The brunette left his train of thoughts when he felt something landed around his neck. Looking to see what landed, he notices it was a black cat. He doesn't know why, but something told him it was the same cat he saw behind Urahara.
"You're awfully far away from your house buddy, maybe you should go back before you get lost." Starrk reached over the cat to put it down, but before he could touch the cat, he heard the same deep voice but in a whisper.
"Don't worry about me and stop daydreaming before you end up lost."
Starrk stops walking and stares at the black cat, but being so close to the cat, he was able to see the way its lips move and the deep voice that came out. "What the fuck."
The black cat wraps itself around Starrk's neck before it gives him directions. "Turn left around this corner, then keep heading straight for another 20 minutes and you'll be there."
Starrk just kept staring at the cat before he remembered what Urahara said about how he found them. 'Something about a kitty telling him.' Following the directions the black feline gave him, he reached his destination. It was a strange place since it looked like someone connected the clinic to the side of a house.
Noticing the sign on the clinic saying 'OPEN' he walks towards the door, but before going inside, he felt the black cat jumping off him.
"No pets allowed inside a clinic now. This isn't a vet." The black feline said before it disappeared from sight.
Walking inside, he hears the voice of a man. "I'll be there in a minute!"
Starrk didn't wait long before a man around his height with black hair, brown eyes, and a white lab coat came into his view. "Yes, how can I help you?" The man said with an emotionless voice.
Starrk just stares at the man. How should he say this? Ask a few questions if the man knew a redhead kid? Or maybe be more straightforward and ask him if he was Ichigo's dad? Before he could say anything, the brunette could feel a bit of Reiatsu coming from him and he knew what he was sensing. "You're a Shinigami."
"And you're a Hollow." The man replied, still with the unemotional voice.
Isshin knew what this man was. He saw him over at the dojo Ichigo used to go. He couldn't sense that the brunette was a Hollow but when he saw him with the black mask Hollow, the girl and the thing that looks like his dead son, he already knew they were Hollows. He would have followed them around town, but hearing the man saying his dead son's name froze him on the spot. He didn't want to believe that his son was actually there; he rather believed that he was dead. So he can slay the Hollow that took his son's appearance with no hesitation.
Starrk was freaking out on the inside when the man called him a Hollow. He was sure Urahara told him the truth and that the Gigai was hiding his Reiatsu. Did he lie to him?! Was everyone else back in Urahara's basement in danger?! 'No, Urahara didn't lie, if he did then the other Shinigami should have sensed me.'
Calming down a bit, Starrk introduces himself. "Coyote Starrk."
Still not losing his indifferent tone, Isshin introduces himself too. "Kurosaki Isshin."
This was by far the most awkward moment in Starrk's afterlife. At least it answers the question about Ichigo not being a normal child. 'So should I get to the point already?' Feeling how the atmosphere seems to become even more uncomfortable, he blurts out. "So are you Ichigo's dad?"
"Don't you dare say his name." Isshin's voice took a sharp edge.
It took Starrk by surprise in the change of tone. 'What the hell?' Maybe he started by saying the wrong thing first. "Look I just came here because Urahara said you could answer a few things about Ichigo-"
"I TOLD YOU TO NOT SAY HIS NAME!"
Starrk shut his mouth when Isshin screamed at him, and by what the man said, it had to do with saying the redhead's name.
"I think you should leave now, Hollow." Isshin said.
Well, this is going smoothly, he's getting kicked out, and he still has gotten no answers whatsoever. 'What triggered him, though? Could it be that Isshin never cared about Ichigo?' The thought of Ichigo's own father never caring for the boy as a son anger him.
"What the hell is your problem." Starrk sends the man a hard glare.
Isshin, not backing down, returns the glare with one of his own. "My problem is that you're saying my son's name like you know who he is."
"That's because I do, actually."
With a harsh voice, Isshin said, "And let me tell you why that's bullshit, Hollow. My son is dead." The Shinigami looked down and his voice started sounding heartbroken. "I was there when they buried him right along with his mother."
Starrk didn't miss the sad direction Isshin's voice took. 'Maybe I was wrong.' So the man still cares for the boy, but why would he sound so mad about it though. The brunette tries to calm down the Shinigami. "Look, Ichigo has been with me for the past 2 years now. He's fine."
Isshin just shook his head. Rejecting that thing was his son. "Is not my son. That thing isn't my son."
"You saw him and you still don't believe what you saw was Ichigo?" Starrk guesses if he knew how he was a Hollow, then by some chance the redhead's father saw him with Ichigo.
Looking up again and staring into Starrk's eyes, Isshin spoke in a depressing tone. "What I saw was a Hollow who looked just like him. There's nothing left of my son in that thing." Isshin needed to keep his mind clear. 'Ichigo's gone, his soul is somewhere in Soul Soc—'
"I can prove you wrong."
Coming out from his thoughts, Isshin went back into focusing on Starrk.
If Isshin was refusing to believe that Ichigo isn't still the same kid as when he was alive, then Starrk will just need to just mention what the kid still knew. "He still remembers his family. He remembers you, his twin sisters, and his mom. Hell, the only reason we're here is 'cause Ichigo remembered his home."
"That's not enough for me." Why hasn't he thrown the Hollow out? Why was he hoping for Starrk to say the one thing to prove how wrong? Why was he still holding on to hope for his dead son?
Starrk could see a bit of hope in Isshin's eyes now. He was getting close to the man and all he needs to say is more. But what else can he say about the Ichigo that was a son to Isshin? The redhead hasn't said too much about his past life besides his dad, mom, and sisters. 'What else did he mention.' There were actually a couple of things Ichigo remembered before they came to the Human World. "Karin and Yuzu, those are his sister's names, and his mom was called Masaki."
"Some Hollows can see the memories of the souls they ate." Isshin stated.
'So names won't do huh.' Starrk scratches the back of his head. Maybe he should say something more important? Or something only Isshin would ever say to his son. "He who protects."
"W-what?" Isshin stares at the brunette with shock in his eyes.
"Lily was once poking fun at Ichigo's name by calling him a cute strawberry until the redhead told her how his name means 'He who protects', something that his dad told him," Starrk said, he could see the conflicting feelings in Isshin's eyes now.
It muddled Isshin. It's exactly how Ichigo would try to defend his name by always correcting everyone about what his name means because HE told him. 'But that thing can just remember that as well!' The Shinigami shook his head hard. Trying to find some reason for the Hollow to act like his Ichigo. "No! He wouldn't remember something like that! He would have gone through the stages of evolution like any normal Hollow and forget about something like that." It was a stupid excuse, and he knew it.
"Hollow or not. We both know that Ichigo was anything but normal from the very beginning."
Isshin looks down at the ground. Starrk was right. Ichigo was anything but a normal human soul. Especially with his father being a Shinigami and his mother being a Quincy. Looking back up, Isshin abandons the thought about Hollow just appearing as his son and accepts that Hollow is actually HIS son. "H-has my boy been okay?" It didn't feel strange to ask that question. He's a father worried about his son.
Starrk let out a quiet sigh. 'I got to him.' "Well, maybe I should start from the very beginning."
- Urahara's Basement -
Ichigo heard when Starrk left to go with Urahara, but the redhead didn't care. He's too worried about Lily. Tessai had said that she's fine and she'll recover soon, but he has been saying that for 5 days now and the lime-haired girl still hasn't woken up.
"He who protects. Yeah well shit, guess what kid? Have done a little of that, huh? You have never once been in a fight yourself to protect anyone. So let me ask you this. What are YOU going to do once you go back to your friends, eh? You're just going to die." That was the hard reminder from Zangetsu on how weak he was. If he had never let Zangetsu take over his body, then Lily would have been dead, Starrk would be dead, Szayel would be dead. He would have been dead because he's weak. He doesn't know how to protect anyone. Didn't he go to a dojo when he was alive to protect his mom and sisters? He was learning how to fight to protect them.
Ichigo's yellow eyes spark with determination. "I'll change. I'll learn to fight. I'll learn to protect those who mean something to me." He looks at Lily, "I won't let anyone ever hurt you again." Thoughts about asking the strongest person he knew to help him train.
Unknown to the redhead, Urahara was close by to hear the boy. An idea coming into his head.
- Kurosaki Clinic -
Isshin has been listening to Starrk's story for the past 30 minutes inside his house. There was so much he wanted to ask. How did Ichigo stay human instead of becoming like any other Hollow? Half Shinigami and Quincy couldn't have done something about that, right? At least Ichigo didn't become some monster, well not like the rest of the Hollows that's for sure, and his son was more like Starrk.
That reminds Isshin of something about the brunette. All his years as a Shinigami and he has never heard or seen a Hollow that looks human. The closest thing he can think of is Vasto Lorde, but with the only Vasto Lorde he had ever seen before, they still held a lot of Hollow features. What kind of Hollow was Starrk? What kind of evolution was the man at?
Isshin shook his head. The man was the farthest thing from a Hollow at this point. The man did everything he could to keep his son safe in the world of Hueco Mundo.
Even hunted for them. All because the brunette saw his son as part of a family.
Isshin started massaging the temples on his head. He would never in his entire life think about putting the words family and Hollow in one sentence before, but here he was. The man didn't even miss any smiles from Starrk when he was talking about Ichigo in his story.
The Shinigami lay back more on the chair. The thought he would end up killing his own son was such a dreadful idea. At least Ichigo was safe. For now. If what Starrk told him about the park incident was true, then Gotei 13 will not stay quiet about it. They will send captains here soon. Then there was the thing Ichigo turned into. The description of the Hollow his son transforms into closely resembles the one Masaki killed all those years ago. But then Starrk said how Ichigo let the Hollow take over to save them.
Was there something he missed from that Hollow all those years ago?
Then there was Aizen. What is that man behind now? He could feel the amount of headaches coming to him.
His Shinigami's power has slowly been coming back to him ever since Masaki died. Figure since the Gigai Urahara made sacrificed his powers so that Masaki wouldn't die from Soul Suicide because Hollow's and Quincy's powers don't mix.
Talking about the shopkeeper, Isshin was curious about why the man sent Starrk here. "Why did Urahara send you here for Starrk?"
'Oh, that's right!' The brunette almost forgot why he came here. "I kind of wanted to know what Urahara saved Ichigo's mom from. It got me thinking about why a Shinigami would bother saving a human life, but I got the answers already. Guess Ichigo was a half-Shinigami then."
"Not just half-Shinigami."
Starrk just looks at Isshin with a curious look in his eyes. What more could Ichigo be? He was half-Shinigami and now half-Hollow. He was sure more couldn't fit in that pot.
Isshin releases a sigh. "Guess I will have to tell you a bit about my story then. Around 20 years ago, I was a captain in Gotei 13 before I deserted my position and married Masaki, Ichigo's mother. But before all that happened, there were a lot of problems with Shinigami disappearing from a nearby town. Going to investigate the site, I found a couple of my division members there. Before I knew it, they were both killed by a Hollow." Isshin's face turned grimace. "It was a strange Hollow. It was a black Hollow, and its hole was close. But that's about as Hollow as it was because the creature fought like a Shinigami. Ready to finish the Hollow, I was then cut down from behind. I didn't know who it was back then, but Urahara told me about Aizen later on."
Starrk was becoming more worried when he kept hearing that name. Why was Aizen involved in so many things? First was Urahara and now Isshin. Not going to interrupt Isshin's story, he continues listening.
"The Hollow put me in a tough spot and before it could fire a Cero, however, Masaki interrupted it." Seeing the confused look on the brunette's face, Isshin says. "The way she could fight and even kill the Hollow was because she was a Quincy. She was a spiritually aware human able to absorb and manipulate Reishi into spiritual weapons. This is how she could kill the Hollow; However, it came with a prize. Leaving after the incident and then coming back did I learn that Masaki was on the brink of death. She got infected by Hollowfication. Hollow and Quincy powers can't mix because Hollow powers are 'poison' for Quincy. To save her life, Urahara made a Gigai that would attach my soul to Masaki's but by doing so I lost my Shinigami powers. From there I marry Masaki and well, yeah, the rest you know already."
Starrk lay back and thought about the whole thing. 'Shinigami, Hollow and now Quincy.' The redhead was really a giant enigma. From what Starrk could remember, the only thing Ichigo has shown was Hollow powers. 'Actually.' "What powers do Shinigami and Quincy have? I don't think I have seen enough Shinigami to know what they can do, and I have never seen a Quincy before either."
"Well, for starters there's how Shinigami have a Zanpakutō with them, they can use Kidō spells, and have high Reiryoku." Isshin scratches the back of his head. Those were basically the most common things Ichigo could have done if he had Shinigami powers. For Quincy's powers, however…
Isshin gave Starrk a shrug, "Sorry Starrk but can't remember much about Quincy powers besides how they can gather Reishi and make a bow from it." His memory was a little blurry about it. A playful grin came over his face. 'I guess I can go bother Ryūken now.'
Isshin sober up. So now what? The Shinigami will hunt his son now. His powers haven't returned completely, and it will take a few more years for them to come back. Then there was Yuzu and Karin; they would get pulled into this entire mess. What can he do? Or not him. Starrk has been watching over Ichigo for 2 years now, and so far his son has been safe. Should he leave his trust in Starrk's hands to protect Ichigo? He couldn't sense any power from the brunette, but with everything he had told him, he seemed determined to do so. He just needs to motivate Starrk to get stronger now. "Starrk, can you promise to protect him?"
The brunette lifts one of his eyebrows. "That's kind of what I've been doing for some time now."
Isshin shook his head. "That's not quite what I'm asking. I want you to get stronger, to protect him, Starrk. Aizen, Baraggan and the Gotei 13 will be after you guys. You can't stay in the Human World forever and when you return to Hueco Mundo, Baraggan will try to find you guys. Ichigo is just a kid right now Starrk, he doesn't have the power to defend himself. Maybe later, when he's older, you can teach him or when he'll ask you. Trust me, I know Ichigo and he will ask you to teach him, you're the most powerful person he knows so far."
Taken by surprise, in how Isshin was putting way too many responsibilities on his shoulders, Starrks says. "Isshin you're putting way too much trust in me, shouldn't you teach him instead or better yet, you can see him yourself back in Urahara's basement?"
The Shinigami just shook his head. "And teach him what? He's not a Shinigami, so I can't teach him anything I know, and he has shown no signs of using Quincy powers. Even if he showed it, I can't teach him enough since I lost most of my power and I'm barely coming back."
Not hearing why Isshin won't visit the redhead, Starrk said. "Why can't you go see him?"
"Is better right now that Ichigo doesn't know any of this Starrk. This could be too much for him at the moment." He didn't want to stay away from Ichigo, but what can he do? Besides, Ichigo is in excellent hands right now.
Running a hand through his hair, Starrk looks at Isshin. "All right, I'll do it."
Giving the brunette a nod, Isshin looks over at the clock on the wall. School is almost over for Yuzu and Karin. Getting up, he shows Starrk the door. "Thank you for watching over my son." Just getting a simple nod from the brunette, he watches him leave before he closes the door behind him and starts heading towards his daughters' school. His soul rests knowing that Ichigo, while been a Hollow, is still the same boy as he was alive. A goofy expression came to his face when he remembered about the girl his son had taken a liking to. "MASAKI! Our son has found us a 3rd daughter!" Isshin said while screaming at the Heavens.
Starrk has been quiet while walking back towards Urahara. Isshin has put a lot of trust on his shoulder now, but he won't back down. Isshin honestly didn't have to tell him to get stronger. He was already planning on speaking with Urahara about teaching him the basics of how to fight. With the disaster that happened in the park, he will be sure it never happens again.
Reaching the shop, Starrk noticed how there was no one up here. Getting a bit worried, he hurries down to the basement and Sonido towards where he could sense everyone at. Before he could say anything, he saw a kid with raven black hair and amber eyes turn around and started screaming at him.
"STARRK! STARRK! SHE WOKE UP! LILY IS AWAKE!"
Starrk looks over at the kid and notices how he looks like Ichigo. "Ichigo? Is that you?"
Looking down to himself, the kid gave him a nod. "Yeah it's me, Urahara-san kind of made my Gigai different. Saying how people might recognize me so he changed the eyes and hair."
Before Starrk could say anything, he heard the voice of Lily after 5 days.
"Starrk."
Looking over at the lime-haired girl, he notices the strange look on her face. She looks confused. "What's wrong, Lily?" He notices the way her face became blank before she looks at him.
"I'm hungry, Starrk."
The group of Hollow's sweatdrop at her remark. Before anyone could say a thing, they heard Lily's stomach growling.
Urahara and Tessai notice the odd look the Hollows were looking at the girl.
Releasing a long sigh, Starrk started rubbing his forehead. He repeated Lily's comment back to her. "You're HUNGRY?"
Lily didn't even say anything and let her stomach speak for her.
Hearing her stomach growl again, Starrk only said 2 words. "Well, fuck."
-X-
And here's chapter 7.
So before going into a bit of explanation about this chapter let me just say how surprised I am about this story already having 75 Fav and 103 follows. Like wow! I'm gonna be honest and say how I was actually expecting a lot of people do not like the story. A bit with how my early chapters were bad with a few grammar errors and maybe the idea been stupid. With that being said I look at a few of the recent reviews and a few said something about getting a Beta-reader. So I should try looking for one or idk ask around the site? Please remember I'm still new to this site and all I do is write the story. So this chapter took a bit longer because halfway through it I got ideas for 2 other stories ( 1 been a Bleach and the other being a Naruto one.)
Alright, so let's talk about this chapter. So one thing I'm gonna say is how right zubhanwc3 was about how the group should have left instead of following Urahara. Well, I hope this chapter could, I guess explain a bit about why they follow him. Already had this chapter planned out after the last one tbh.
Hmmm so Urahara has something up his sleeves for Ichigo and Co. I guess it's gonna be easy for everyone to know what he's gonna do eh?
So there wasn't a long scene on Soul Society at the moment cause next chapter will be based a bit more there.
So that Isshin scene eh? Kind of like to think he would of become a bit more gloom if both Ichigo and Masaki had to die to Grand Fisher. Having him reject Ichigo becoming a Hollow was hopefully not a bad touch. Also, the part where Isshin said how the hole on the Hollow was close was actually canon and is gonna be a nice touch for later chapters.
Now comes the explanation for the Chap title. Right around here a couple of people will change from there canon-counterpart and only Ichigo going back into a more canon feel to him. The couple of change I'm talking about is how Starrk will stop being lazy and become more serious now, Tōshirō is going to get a bit obsessed about Zangetsu, and Lily is now better but now she's hungry? A few actually guess before where I was going with this.