WARNING: slight Orihime bashing!


3

~Tenebris' POV: Flashback~

Ichigo was learning how to wield his zanpakuto. I told him to start with one to get use to it, and then grab the other to get use to swinging that one around as well. After he was down using both swords individually, he was to work with both of them together.

While he was doing this, Rukia was asking me questions.

"So you never ate a human soul before?" she asked.

I shook my head. "No, I have not. They don't look very tasty," I told her.

"You have eaten hollows though, right?"

"Yes, I eat those, but there are a lot I don't, because they are just disgusting to look at. If they are that, I doubt they would taste good."

"If that is the case then how do you stop yourself from eating the human souls? Like Ichigo for example?"

"Since I was born a hollow I can eat human food, as long as there is spirit energy in it. Ichigo helps with that at times. As for being able to resist eating a soul like Ichigo's, I don't bother trying to eat him because he is my soul brother."

Rukia gave me a confused expression. "What is a soul brother?"

"We are soul siblings. To explain what that is: we are a human soul and animal spirit that have formed a bond. It is kind of like how a familiar's bond works, but the bond is unbreakable. If Ichigo were to die...I would follow. It's the same if I were to die first."

"There has to be a way to break it though, isn't there?" Rukia asked.

I narrow my eyes in suspicion. "Why do you ask...?"

"I just don't see how a bond can't be broken no matter what. So how is it destroyed?"

{Should I tell her?} I asked Ichigo, who I know was listening in.

{I believe you can. You know if she were to give that info up to anyone, Shiro would kill whoever knows.}

{I guess you're right.} I turn my focus back onto Rukia. "The only way to break the bond is if one of our souls were destroyed completely."

Rukia looked a little horrified by this. 'If I had to guess, she is only reacting like that because of Ichigo. His soul is human, and shinigami don't 'destroy' human souls, because that would mess up the balance. Like that ever stopped them before.'

"I think that is enough questions for one day, Rukia," Ichigo said while walking up to us in his human body.

I nodded my head. "Yes, I agree. You'll learn more about me over time. I don't like telling people I don't know every little detail about me without learning about them in the process."

Rukia sighed in defeat. "Alright, I'll stop for today."

"Good, then let's go. We need to get back or else Yuzu will have our heads, Tenebris," said Ichigo.

I shivered at the thought of Yuzu being angry. She may not be able to see me, but she sure had a pretty good idea where I am at times. I don't know how she does it when she can't do it for any other spirit.

We walked out of the park Ichigo had decided to train in; the same one where he killed his first hollow.

We just made it down a block when we heard tires of a car screech to a stop. We took off in the direction of the sound to see what happened. When we got there, a car was driving off again, and Orihime was on the ground.

I felt my irritation rise up. Not for seeing Orihime, but for knowing she was probably hit, and the driver just took off. They didn't even bother to help. I sigh, 'This is why I hate humans sometimes.'

"Orihime, are you okay?!" Ichigo called out in concern.

"Oh, hi Ichigo," said Orihime, her tone making it sound like nothing happened.

"Did you just get hit by that car?" Ichigo asked.

"Um...maybe...?"

"What do you mean 'maybe'?" both Ichigo and I asked. I couldn't help but question it, even if Orihime couldn't see/hear me.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Ichigo asked, holding out his hand to help her up.

Orihime jumped up from the ground instead of taking Ichigo's hand. "Yeah, I'm fine! It was just a slight bump on the head. I'm fine, really!" While Orihime was saying this, she was doing some strange pull in motions with her hands.

"Do you need me to take you to the hospital? What were you even doing out here?" Ichigo questioned.

"Oh! That's right, I almost forgot!" She grabs the paper bag that was on the ground and she pulled out a leek. She named a few more food items that didn't go together at all.

"It's like she is on constant pregnancy hormones, but that should be impossible," I told Ichigo.

{Be nice, Tenebris,} Ichigo scolded me.

I shrugged his words off. It's not my fault that my statement was true. I shake my head, and then turned to Rukia. I noticed she was looking at something, so I followed her gaze. There is a huge bruise on Orihime's leg, but I could tell by the shape of it that it was not done by the run-away car.

Orihime seemed to finally noticed Rukia, and so they introduced each other by lifting up their skirt and dress. I wasn't really paying attention to what they were saying, because my focus was purely on the bruise.

Since the girl couldn't see me, I got in close to take a sniff. I felt Rukia tense up from behind me. 'What, did she think I was going to try to take a nibble? No thank you.'

I take in the smell coming from the injury, and recognized the distinct scent of a hollow.

"I never thought I'd say this, but it was a good thing a hollow was here," I said. I could see the confused looks on Ichigo and Rukia, so I explained farther. "It seemed to have pulled her away from the car. Ask if her leg hurts and if it felt like it was pulled." Ichigo was the one to ask these questions for me.

"It does hurt a little," Orihime said, "and I did feel a pull. Like someone grabbed me and pulled me away from the car, but I think that was just my imagination."

We all noticed that Rukia was taking a closer look at the bruise. I guess she didn't trust my judgment.

"Um...is everything okay, Rukia?" Orihime asked.

Rukia's eyes widened as if she was caught with her hand in a cookie jar. "Uh, well... um... You take care now!" she said while standing straight up quickly.

"Oh, alright..." For once I agree with Orihime. You know you're acting weird when Orihime is thinking you're strange.

"You want me to walk you home?" Ichigo asked. Orihime looked up at him and saw how close he was. She backed away nervously with a blush on her cheeks.

"Uh...no, that is fine. I can walk home by myself. I have...um...something else I need to do first. Well...see ya!" Orihime turned around and waited to see if it was safe to cross the street. Once she made sure, she left us behind.

"Well, that was weird, but with her it always is," I said.

"I can't argue with that," said Ichigo while scratching the back of his head.


We were still making our way home when the sun started to set. Ichigo and Rukia were talking, but I was keeping an eye out for any danger. I knew that with a hollow running around somewhere meant that it will come after Ichigo at some point.

"So, are you two close?" Rukia asked Ichigo.

"Huh?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow in question.

"You know, you and that girl: Orihime."

"Oh, not really; she is a friend of my old friend, Tatsuki. I did meet her a few years ago at my dad's clinic, though."

"Did something happen?"

"Her brother got into a car accident and was brought to the clinic, but there wasn't much we could do. We had to send him to the hospital, but he died on his way there," Ichigo explained.

"I remember that day," I said. "I felt so bad for Orihime that I wanted to cry with her. Her brother was the only family she had left. Hearing her begging him not to leave her alone was heart breaking."

Ichigo gave me a look of surprise. He knows I'm not a big fan of Orihime, and that may be true, but I don't hate her guts. If I did, I wouldn't have commented just now. No, it was Shiro that hates that girl. She just annoys me.

"I don't hate Orihime, Ichigo. She is far too nice for this world. So much so that it will get her killed," I said. "That is what annoys me about her. That she will not fight back, and will allow others to hurt her instead."

"I see..." said Rukia. If I had to guess, she figured out that the hollow was Orihime's brother. I get the feeling he became one by force. The way he pulled Orihime out of the way like he did earlier was a dead giveaway.

'...Did I or Shiro tell Ichigo what hollows are exactly?' I thought.

"I going to go," Rukia spoke again. "See you later." She started walking away from us.

"Where are you going?" Ichigo asked.

{Yeah, I don't see her leaving me alone anytime soon, and yet she is leaving?} I said.

{I didn't think of that,} said Ichigo.

{You never do, which is why I'm here.}

"Back home," Rukia said.

"Where's that?" both Ichigo and I asked.

"Do you really want to know?" she asked.

"I guess not," Ichigo said while rubbing the back of his head.

"Then don't ask me." Rukia turns to leave again, and this time we let her.

'She could be staying at that guy with the striped hat,' I thought to myself. 'Where else would she be staying; In Ichigo's closet?'


"Ichigo, have you seen my PJs?" asked Yuzu as she just walked through the door.

"Yuzu, come on! Knock before coming in here," Ichigo said rudely, which made me feel irritation.

"Well sorry I asked! You have been so mean since you started high school."

"Have NOT!" Ichigo shouted in pain, because I hit him on the back of his head with my tail.

Yuzu seemed to have understood what just happened, because she said, "Thanks, Tenebris!"

"What was that for?" he demanded me to answer.

"You are being mean to Yuzu, Ichi. Now be nice and get back to doing your homework," I said.

"Fine... No, Yuzu, I haven't seen your PJs." He looked at me questioningly, and I shook my head. "Tenebris hasn't seen them either."

Yuzu puffed her cheeks out. "That is so weird. One of my dresses had gone missing too," she said.

"Why are you telling me this? Do I look like I-OW!" I hit Ichigo again.

"Tell Yuzu that I'll help her look for her things, and stop being a jerk before I knock you out, put you in one of her dresses, and take pictures to show to dad later," I threatened him. He gave me a terrified look before shakily saying,

"Tenebris offered her assistance."

Yuzu gained a bright, happy smile on her face. "Really!? Oh, thank you, Tenebris!"

I smiled and brushed my wing against her arm before walking out of the room. I sometimes touch Yuzu with my wing, because it was the only way to communicate with her. She can feel the black feathers on my wing easier than a paw. 'Not that I would touch her with my paw. I have very sharp claws after all.'

I look for Yuzu's PJs downstairs, but after looking in the laundry room, the bathroom, and even the living room I didn't find anything. No even her missing dress was found. 'Now that I think about it... the dress Rukia was wearing looked a lot like Yuzu's...'

Just as I thought of that I heard a shout from upstairs.

"What the heck!? What are you doing in there?" It sounded like Ichigo, and he said something else, but I couldn't make it out. I heard another voice, and I think this one was female, but I only know for sure after I hear her shout too.

"Get down!" Those words didn't sound good, and neither did that crash.

I jumped up the stairs to get to Ichigo's room faster. When I opened his door to see what was happening, I see a naga-like hollow crushing his bed. 'That is going to be fun to explain to dad. What do I say for an explanation as to why Ichigo needs a new bed?' Ichigo jumped and swung his giant sword down at the hollow, but now I need to think of something to say for the ceiling too.

Ichigo hit the hollow's mask, broking off a chunk off of it, which revealed a part of his human face. I was right about him being Orihime's brother.

The hollow cried in pain, and then disappeared through a small garganta.

"It's getting away. We need to go after it!" Rukia said, but Ichigo wasn't moving. "What are you waiting for?" she asked.

"Rukia... I got a good look at that thing's face," he turned to face us, "and it was Orihime's brother."

'Well darn... I guess I did forget to tell him about normal hollows.' I thought with a sweat drop.

No one said anything for a few beats, but Rukia was the one who broke the silence. "Look, what you just saw is nothing more than a monster now."

"Oi," I said after hearing that. I couldn't help but feel insulted.

"It's the truth!" Rukia shouted at me, which made me glare at her in return with a growl.

"Oh, so a lion is a monster? They are no different from hollows," I said.

"Knock it off, you two!" Ichigo shouted angrily, but I could also hear something else. I think it was panic or desperation. "Tell me what I have been killing all this time! Was that hollow once human?"

"Yes it was, but it is a monster now," Rukia said. "That thing will keep eating souls with powerful spirit energy. It must be destroyed."

I face palm myself. "Poor choice of words," I muttered. "Ichigo, ignore her and listen to me. Zangetsu is a weapon that purifies hollows. It doesn't destroy them." I turned to Rukia. "You need to remember that Ichigo never had the training you did, so there are some things that he doesn't know about. Such as hollows once being human that stayed in this world for too long, or forced to transform by other hollows. He also never knew what a zanpakuto does to a hollow once you kill it." I return my gaze back to Ichigo. "I'm sorry that I forgot to tell you about all this. Don't worry. It will be a good thing when you kill Sora. His soul will go on to the afterlife."

"It's fine, Tenebris. I know now what hollows with holes are. I'm use to you..." I could tell he had to stop himself from mentioning Shiro. "You did tell me something about them once before though."

"That would be?"

"Didn't you say that hollows with no heart go after their souls of humans they love?" Ichigo asked, making mine and Rukia's eyes widen – mine for two reasons. I was surprised I did say that, but how did Ichigo not know what that meant? 'Did he think the hollow grew to care for a human, only to go after them later or something?'

"Yes, he did," The voice of Zangetsu told me. Now for the second reason for why my eyes widened.

"Oh shoot! Orihime's in danger!" I shouted before swinging the window open and jumping out. I spread my wings and flapped to start flying. I could sense Ichigo right behind me. I turned to look where he was, and saw he was keeping up with me from the rooftop and power-lines with Rukia on his back.

It doesn't take us long to reach Orihime's apartments. Ichigo goes in, but before he entered the building he placed Rukia on my back... 'I'm not too happy about this.' I sigh, 'At least she's light,' I thought. I turned to look her in the eye. "Try to stab me in the back, and Ichigo will never trust you again." I wish I could say more, like Shiro would kill her, but I can't.

"It's not like I can stab you. I'm in this weak gigai, so I can't even reach my zanpakuto," she said.

I roll my eyes, but didn't say anything. A second later, Ichigo was thrown out of the wall of Orihime's apartment. So some reason, he was getting his butt kicked. That's when I hear Orihime and the hollow speak.

"Ichigo! Let me go!" Orihime demanded to the hollow.

"Orihime, have you forgotten me?" said the hollow. I realized that Sora remembered his human life just fine, but his hollow instincts were making him possessive. Ichigo most likely thought that he could snap Sora out of it long enough to say his final goodbye to Orihime before purifying him.

I landed next to Ichigo's fallen form. "Are you okay, Ichigo/Ichi?" both Rukia and I asked at the same time.

Ichigo got up with blood dripping down his face. "As well as someone being hit with a thick, strong tail of a giant snake and slamming into the pavement would be."

"I'm rubbing off on you, aren't I?" I asked. "Now, why aren't you killing that thing?"

"The room is too small for me to attack properly, and I know Sora is still in there somewhere," said Ichigo.

I sighed, "I had a feeling, but the chances of you succeeding with your plan are 2 out 10, but only because Sora was transformed by force and is a newborn hollow." I move to head over to the building. "I'm going to drag Sora out here for you."

"Wait, Tenebris," Ichigo said. I turned to face him. "I want you to stay out of this. As a fellow older brother, it is my job to handle him."

I stared at him for a solid 10 seconds. I shake my head with a sigh, but I move aside for him. If he wants to do this, I won't stop him. Unless I know for a fact he couldn't handle it.

Ichigo jumps back into the building and pushed the hollow outside in only 25 seconds he was in there. Sora spit something at Ichigo, and my soul brother blocked it with his hands, but it looked like it burned him. 'It must be made of acid.'

The hollow hit Ichigo with his tail again, sending him back toward Rukia and I. Ichigo was just getting up, but there was no time to dodge or block the oncoming attack from Sora. I was about to protect him, but Orihime – the crazy girl she was – blocked the attack by hugging the hollow, making his teeth sink into her shoulder.

I listened to what Orihime said. She was saying that she was sorry that she made him feel lonely and that she stopped praying to him. She explained why she did it. She thought that if she showed she moved on then he would too. She didn't think it would make him feel lonely. She passed out shortly after that.

Sora grew concerned, which made him mask fade in and out. He started to fight the hollow within. 'The benefits on being born a hollow. I don't have to worry about inner hollows trying to take control.' I smiled at this thought.

Sora's mask finally broke off on its own, and he hovered over his sister in worry. He noticed the hairpins. Ichigo explained that Orihime told him that those hairpins were a gift to her from her older brother.

"After you died, she never took them off," Ichigo said, and it was true. I have never seen Orihime without those hairpins. I felt a small tear fall from my eye. I don't bother wiping it away. This is a fine time to let it go.

Rukia noticed my tear, and was shocked. A hollow is crying for a girl who lost her brother. It was not a sight that happened every day.

Sora grabbed a hold of Ichigo's zanpakuto, and got ready to stab himself with it. Ichigo would have tried to stop him if it hadn't been for me explaining what happened to hollows when they were cut down by a shinigami's sword; however, something – or rather someone – else stopped him. It was Orihime.

"Wait, there is something I wanted to say to you on the day you died. Something that I should have said when you walked out the door to go to work that day," she said while she was still on the ground, but she got up so she could say what she wanted. "Big brother, have a nice day."

If this wasn't so touching, I would have said something like: That is what you're going to say as your final goodbye?

"Thank you, little sister," said Sora before he stabbed himself with Zangetsu. I guess lack of goodbyes ran in the family. Orihime started to sob uncontrollably into Rukia's embrace. After Rukia knocked the girl out after she calmed down and started demanding answers about the monsters. She even asked if I was one of them, and about the big sword. I made sure to thank Rukia for that.

Ichigo asked what she just did, and Rukia answered, "Memory replacement. I took her old memories and gave her a new one."

"What kind of replacement?" I asked.

"Well, it's completely at random, so we won't know until tomorrow," she said as she dragged Tatsuki over to lie next to Orihime. "Well, we should be going."

"Wait, Rukia. I have to ask you something." Rukia turned to look at me. "Where did you come from? You could not have gotten to Ichigo before that hollow did in such a short amount of time. So how did that happen?"

"Um...well..." Rukia began, but she couldn't form her sentence.

"She was in my closet," Ichigo said deadpanned.

"WHAT?!" I said in shock. "I was joking about that..." I muttered under my breath, but it seemed that Ichigo heard me still.

"You should know by now that your 'jokes' turn out to be true, Tenebris."

"Shut up, Ichi."

TBC


I really need to get around to writing Tenebris' history in the Bleach world. That way you would understand her bitterness toward the Soul Society. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It was a long one. It took me four days to write it.

Ichi: Yeah, but that was because of the crazy thunderstorm you had of Wednesday.

Enj/Dark: It was crazy. It was making the loudest thunder crashes and brightest lightning I have ever seen. Well, at home at least. I did see a storm like that while on vacation, but I was really young. The lightning was hitting the water.

Shiro: Were you at the beach or something?

Enj/Dark: Yes I was.

Ichi: You're also learning how to speak, read, and write Japanese.

Enj/Dark: Yeah, it's going to take a while, but I got two books to help out in learning Hiragana. Anyway, we need to end this AN. Shiro, it's your turn.

Shiro: Please review! XD