Okay, I needed to think of what to do for this chapter, and it took a moment, but I figured it out. I'll tell you what that was at the end of the chapter.


5

~Tenebris' POV: Flashback~

I couldn't help but stare at what I was hearing. Orihime's memories were replaced with something that made no sense what-so-ever. In a way, I'm hoping that the memory replacer was at fault, but I get the feeling that it wasn't entirely.

Orihime was telling her friends what 'happened' last night. She said that a sumo wrestler broke into her house and wrecked the place – or did she say something about having tea with him…? It was something weird like that.

Ichigo looked over at Rukia. "So that's what it did, huh?" he asked, talking about the device that replaced Orihime's memories.

"Yup," Rukia answered.

"Was this done purely by the device, or does the thing manipulate the mind into believing something the target's own imagination comes up with?" I asked, hoping my question made sense.

"The device takes what the mind would come up with as an explanation and use it as the replacement memory," Rukia explained to us. That also explained why Tatsuki's memories made more sense. She said that there was a gas leak in Orihime's apartment, and that made Orihime pass out right after the explosion so she was dreaming that a sumo wrestler showed up.

"Tell me, how do you opening this?" Rukia asked, snapping me out of my musing. I looked over to see what she was talking about, and saw she was holding a juice box.

"Ah… you got to poke a hole in it. Just use the sharp end of your straw," Ichigo explained.

I couldn't decide if I should help her further, or just sit back and watch as she struggles with one of the simplest things this world had to offer. Since I was watching already, I decided on just continuing to do so, but since I was watching her, I didn't notice one of Ichigo's friends coming up to us.

"Hey, Ichigo, isn't that the new girl with you?" The voice greeting Ichigo belonged to Mizuiro.

"Yeah, she is," Ichigo said. That was when Mizuiro came up to Rukia and introduced himself; however, Ichigo cut him off, telling Rukia that his friend picks up chicks. Ichigo then continues on to warn Rukia further by telling her that Mizurio is a real player. Mizuiro tried to stop my soul brother but failing to do so.

"Besides Ichigo, you know older girls are really more of my style," said Mizuiro.

"Like I said, Rukia, watch this one," said Ichigo, but when they both turned to see her, she was no longer paying attention. She went back to struggling with the juice box, much to my delight.

Keigo showed up not long after, and introduced himself to Rukia after congratulating Ichigo for getting a girl to have lunch with him. He offered to help her with anything she needed, which resulted in her asking him to open the juice box.

'Darn…I was hoping to watch her struggle a little longer with that thing,' I thought.

Keigo agreed to help out, but Chad showed up right behind him, catching all of our attention. 'What the heck happened to him?' I thought as I took in Chad's appearance. His head was covered in bandages. I think I see some more peeking out from under his shirt too.

'What is this smell?" I noticed a scent coming from Chad, and another one next to him. I looked down to notice a cockatiel. I ignore what was being said around me in favor of checking the bird out. I did pick up on what Chad said on how he got him, but it wasn't very informative. He just said someone gave the bird to him.

I got closer to the cockatiel and breathed in. The bird noticed me and squawked, making me jump back in surprise. I wasn't expecting it to start screaming, but I did catch that there was a little boy ghost scent on the bird as well as a hollow's.

"Hey, calm down, I'm not going to hurt you," I said, and it did calmed down, but then it said this:

"There is another monster on the roof with us!"

I made a face that told all those who could see me that I wasn't impressed. "You know what…I'm going to go for a walk in the Dark Forest for a little bit. I'll be back home by the time you get there, Ichi," I said, and then took off into the sky with a strong flap of my wings.

Done below I heard Ichigo's friends ask where that huge gust came from, which made me smirk in amusement.

{By the way, Ichigo, I smelt a hollow scent on that bird,} I told him.

{Okay, thanks for letting me know. I'll keep an eye out for it,} he replied while I thought more on why the scent was on the little boy.

'It is similar to how I printed my scent on Ichigo, but this is more like a predator marking its prey. If the boy's soul is prey though…why didn't the hollow just eat him? Why is the boy in the body of a cockatiel?' I had questions, but zero answers. The only way to get those answers is if I hunt the hollow that marked that boy down.


I was upstairs in Ichigo's room when I heard loud screeching tires followed by crashes. It made me jump and almost fall off the bed, but I quickly recovered and looked outside. I couldn't see anything, so I go up onto the roof.

I could see down the street that there were four cars, and one of them was flipped over. 'I hope everyone is okay,' I thought.

"Hey, Tenebris!" I looked down to see who called me. The voice came from Ichigo. "What are you doing up there?" Before I could answer, Yuzu and Karin came charging out of the house in nurse uniforms and carrying first-aid kits.

"Get out of the way, Ichigo!" Karin ordered as she sped past our orange-haired brother.

"Where's the fire, Karin?" Ichigo asked in surprise.

"Welcome home, Ichigo," greeted Yuzu, also speeding past him.

"Uh…thanks…?" He turns back to me with a questioning and lost look.

"There are four cars down the road that crashed into each other. I don't know how many people were in them, but if they were all full then we might not have enough room," I told him.

Ichigo nodded in understanding. "I'll go ask dad if he needs any help," he said, and then made his way into the house.

Rukia, who was next to Ichigo, jumped up to the second story window that led into Ichigo's room. She landed on the sill and then hopped in through it. I decided to stay on the roof and watch what was going on.

'I wonder what caused the accident,' I thought.

A few minutes go by, and I have not seen Ichigo come out of the house, but I did see ambulances head for the crash site. Yuzu and Karin were able to get a good few people to the clinic, but we're already getting too full. We can only care for five people after all, and just one car had four.

I could hear dad on the phone with the hospital, telling them to take in the rest of the people, but it seems they were giving him a hard time. I don't know why though. Maybe they were also full? After all, there have been weird accidents happening lately.

I looked down and saw that Karin and Yuzu came back again, but this time with…Chad? My eyes widen at the sight of him. He had a lot of blood coming from his back. I jumped down and landed behind him to get a closer look. The smell hit me first before I even saw it. I knew what caused that wound. It was the same hollow that was after the little boy ghost trapped in the bird Chad had with him.

They get Chad inside the clinic and then onto a bed; Ichigo helped out with getting him to it. Now with Chad's shirt off, I can see the wound more clearly. It looked just like a footprint. He must have been pushed toward the middle of the road, which caused the accident. That was my guess at least.

{Tenebris, was this caused by a hollow?} Ichigo asked me through our mind link.

I nodded. {Yes, it was. I can tell just by the scent of it. Be glad you can't smell it. The stench is really awful} I replied. 'It would seem I right. The hollow is after the boy. It could also be going after those that try to take care of the child, but that would indicate that this hollow was a bad person in life too.'

Chad tried to leave the clinic, most likely for our protection, but he fell over due to blood loss. Dad and Ichigo got him back up onto the bed, and then I and Ichigo go upstairs to his room where we met Rukia.

"Did you feel that?" Ichigo asked her.

"Of course I did. I could feel it from all the way up here. Though I don't sense any evil from that bird, but Chad's wound reeks of a hollow," she said.

"You two might want to get some sleep tonight," I said. "I'll keep watch, just in case the hollow shows up here."

"You would stay up all night?" Rukia asked.

"Wouldn't be the first time I pulled an all-nighter." I shrugged.

"Alright, we might have to order out tonight for dinner, so I'll go talk to dad or Yuzu about that. After that I have some homework to do, and then Rukia and I will get some sleep. Do you think we'll have to fight the hollow tomorrow?" Ichigo said.

"I don't think I know you will have to fight that thing tomorrow. I know I'm not going to be in the mood to, since I'll be on my face for most of the day," I said. "Now go get us some dinner, I'm hungry."

Ichigo left the room to get us something to eat.


The sun's rays came pouring into the living room, where I have stationed myself with a book in paws. It had to be about six in the morning now, and I thought I heard something coming from Chad's room earlier, but I didn't bother to look since I didn't smell a hollow. He most likely just moved onto his side or something.

'Everyone should be waking up soon,' I thought. As if on cue, Isshin came down the stairs and into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. After he did that he went to check on his patients, but when he got to Chad's room something was wrong. He was calm with everyone else, but with Chad, Dad became frantic. He bolted up the stairs and slammed Ichigo's door open.

"Ichigo, I got bad new! Chad's gone from his room!" Dad told him.

{I thought I heard something, but I thought Chad was just changing position, not sneaking out the window,} I told Ichigo. I got up from the couch and made my way toward the door.

{What makes you think he went through the window?} Ichigo asked as he ran down the stairs.

"That was the only way he could have gotten out without me noticing," I said out loud for Rukia to hear. She was already outside with me waiting for Ichigo to come out, which was within seconds.

All three of us dash down the streets looking for Chad. I was running a bit slow, however, which was allowing Ichigo and Rukia to keep up with me. Due to my tired state, my sense of smell was also a little off. So we have yet to find Chad anywhere.

I stopped running when an idea popped into me head. The others stopped running too when they noticed. "Ichigo, why don't we try something? Try to sense out the soul within the cockatiel. It should help us track them down."

"Why can't you just sniff them out?" Rukia asked with narrowed eyes.

"I can't sniff them out, I'm too tired. Unlike you, I didn't get any sleep last night," I told her with a quiet growl escaping my throat. 'Does she think it is my fault that Chad had gone missing?'

"Tenebris' senses dull when she is tried," Ichigo explained further before closing his eyes and feel out for the boy's soul.

It took about a minute, but Ichigo was able to summon spirit ribbons and grabbed the right one. After snatching up the white ribbon, he took off in the direction of the boy and Chad.

We ran down a few blocks when Chad came running around a corner.

"There's Chad!" Ichigo said loudly, catching Chad's attention. He looked over, but then turned the other way and took off with the bird's cage in his arms. "Hey Chad, wait up, let me help!" Ichigo called out to him.

"Ichigo, I smell the hollow nearby," I informed him. It was faint, but this hollow's scent was hard to ignore.

"Right," Ichigo said, but before anyone could give chase after Chad, a tired voice – more exhausted than even me – stopped us.

"Ichigo…Tenebris…" We turned to see Karin holding onto the wall. She looked really sick.

"Karin, are you okay? You shouldn't be out here," I said as I move closer to her.

"Don't worry about me. There is something I need to tell you-" She falls to her knees in exhaustion.

"Ichigo, take her home," Rukia said, but I shook my head.

"No, I'll take her home. You will need Ichigo to fight the hollow. I'm in no mood to do so," I said.

"Alright," Ichigo said as he lifts Karin up onto my back. "You'll meet up with us later, right?" he asked me.

"Yeah, I will," I said with a nod of my head. After answering Ichigo, I took off down the road back to the house. After running past the first block, Karin started to tell me something.

"Tene…you need to tell Ichigo what I'm about to tell you. I saw it," she began to say. "I saw the memories in that bird. He saw it right in front of him. His mother's murder."

That shocked me. I wasn't expecting Karin to say that she saw the boy's mother being murdered. No wonder she is in this state.

"That poor boy, to see something so horrible." Karin hides her face between where my black, feathered wings meet my black, scaly back. "You have to help that poor boy, please help him!"

I stayed in a stunned silence for a few seconds. The last time I've seen Karin cry was after mom died. I nodded my head, even though Karin couldn't see it. "I will, and so will Ichi," I promised her.

No more words were spoken on the rest of the way to the house. I climb up through my sisters' bedroom window since it was open for Karin to get some fresh air, and then grabbed her shirt with my teeth. I pulled her off my back gently, and then with my paws I lay her down on her bed. I covered her up with her blanket, and with one last nuzzle I left the house again.


It took a small amount of time to get back to where I last saw Ichigo and Rukia, but something caught my eyes. On the street laid a fingerless, red glove. It was the same glove Rukia used to get Ichigo out of his body.

"Well that's not helping anybody," I said with a sigh. I knew I had to get this back to them as quickly as possible, because Ichigo was not fighting the hollow in shinigami form, and I doubt Rukia was too. I grabbed the glove between my teeth and then took to the sky.

Once above the surrounding buildings, I began my search for them. I noticed some sparks down a few blocks and noticed that a telephone pole had been knocked over.

'That has to be where that are,' I thought with a sweat drop. I flew over there, but all I found was Chad and the bird. The cockatiel's cage was covered in these fog-like creatures, and those things have something hanging of their heads.

I knew I couldn't attack them, or else I would hit the bird, so I did the only thing I could, but I risk the Soul Society finding out about me.

'Hopefully they won't yet,' I thought.

I release some of my reiatsu, which caught the creatures' attention, as well as the boy's and Chad's. I bare my teeth and growl at the fog-like things, which made their eyes widen and start to back away. They know that I was a much bigger monster than their boss. I started to approach them, making the creatures back away further. Once they were far enough from the bird, I breathe fire at them. Sadly this caused them to explode, which I didn't know about.

I moved quickly to cover the cage the child's soul was in, and blocked the shockwave from hitting him.

"Yuichi!" I heard Chad call out in worry, so I spread my wings out fast so the smoke and dust would clear up for Chad to see that the bird – Yuichi, now that I know his name – is fine.

"Y-you saved me…" Yuichi said in shock. I guess I couldn't blame him. A hollow seemed to be using the child as bait for its next meal.

I smiled kindly to the little boy and said, "Yeah, I'm not like that other monster. I'm one of the friendly ones." After that, I thought to myself, 'Well, to my friends at least. My enemies on the other hand…' Yeah, my enemies see most of my darker side, which is a part of my true nature. I have to let it out every now and then. Right now, I'm too tired to take it out on this evil hollow. "Can you tell me where Ichigo and Rukia went?" I asked.

"Oh, the monster chased them that way!" Yuichi said as he pointed with his wing down the street.

"Thank you!" I said before flying back into the sky.

It didn't take long for me to find them; Ichigo has very bright hair that sticks out. Though, I need to get there quickly, because the hollow was about to make Rukia its snack.

I dived down toward it, and just as I was nearing I twisted my body sharply to swing my tail out in front of me and send the hollow flying back a few yards and into a wall. I land on the hard ground and walk over to Rukia. Once in front of her, I drop the glove onto her lap.

I smiled innocently. "You dropped this."

She looked down and saw what it was. Her eyes pop out a little from her skull due to her shock.

"You might want to use it to get Ichi out of his body," I said, and then I turned to Ichigo. "Ichigo, there is something you should know before you kill that thing. It's something Karin wanted to tell you." Once I knew I had his attention, I continued, "I believe that hollow is the same one that kill Yuichi's mother. He did it right in front him." This shocked both Ichigo and Rukia. "Find out why, and kill him," I said calmly, but Ichigo knew that when I speak in that tone of voice it meant I want something dead.

Ichigo nodded his head in understanding. He had this look in his eyes that told me that he was going to make this hollow pay for what it did. That is good.

Rukia ran up to Ichigo and pushed his soul out of his body. It was just in time too, because the hollow got back up.

"What the heck hit me?!" it – he – shouted. I couldn't help myself; I just raised a paw and waved it like a hyperactive child.

"A Vasto Lorde?! What is something like you doing here?!" Yeah, when a soul becomes a hollow they gain knowledge of everything they are.

"I live here. So you are hunting in my territory," I told him.

"Sorry sweety, but I've been hunting in this area before I was even dead! That little brat in the bird body killed me!"

"Oh, so you are the reason his mother died? I call that instant karma," I said. "Ichigo, now that we know for sure, have fun with him."

Ichigo charged at him with Zangetsu, but the hollow blocked it. "Let's take this fight somewhere else," Ichigo said.

"Fine by me," said the hollow. The two leave Rukia and I alone in the street.

"Ichigo?" I heard Chad behind us. Poor guy must think something was wrong my soul brother.

"There you are, Chad. Is Yuichi alright?" Rukia asked.

"Um…yeah…but what's wrong with Ichigo."

"Ichigo is fine. He is fight to protect us all."

"You make it sound like Ichigo is fighting a big baddy," I said. "Don't forget that he play fights with me. Compared to me, that hollow is nothing, yet you made it sound like he was fighting someone worse than me and they wanted to blow up the planet." I turned to the bird afterward. "Yuichi, I know this is going to be hard, but please tell us everything that happened. How did you get trapped in that body and why is the hollow using you as bait?"

Yuichi bowed his head in shame. "After my mom died, and the bad man who killed her fell off our balcony, he came back as that monster and ripped out my soul and placed it into my pet bird's body. He told me that if I stayed and did what he told me to do for three month he would bring my mother back to life."

"HE WHAT?!" I shouted, making Yuichi and Rukia jump in fright. "That evil psycho! Ichigo better tear him apart!" They stared at me in worry, so I took in a deep breath and calmed down. "Sorry, that was a very curl thing he did to you. I'm guessing you're really young, so you didn't want to believe that it was impossible to bring someone back from the dead," I said.

Yuichi nodded. "I know what I did was wrong. I just wanted to see her again. So many have tried to help me, but they were killed because of me."

"And you just believed that? How could you?" Rukia asked like she was appalled.

I needed to do it. I took my wing and smacked Rukia upside the head with it. "BECAUSE HE WANTED TO BELIEVE IT! HE'S JUST A CHILD WHO RESENTLY LOST HIS MOTHER!" I shouted angrily at her. She looked at me in shock. She was so stunned she couldn't form words.

I couldn't stop myself from thinking back to that rainy night when Ichigo and I lost our own mother, Masaki Kurosaki. Ichigo was so sad that I knew he would have done the same as Yuichi here if it hadn't been for his family being there for him.

"I'm going to check on Ichigo," I said. I flew up into the air and found Ichigo. I got there just in time to see Ichigo punch the hollow in the mouth so hard his hand went through it.

"Here take your bomb back!" Ichigo said. I landed on the wall that was next to them. "What's wrong? Aren't you going to detonate it with that tongue of yours?" The hollow said nothing. "Well if you aren't going to use it, then I might as well TAKE IT FROM YOU!" Ichigo pulled his hand back out, but with it was the hollow's tongue.

"OW my tongue! You son of a-" the hollow cried out in pain.

Ichigo had enough of the hollow it seems, because he brought Zangetsu down onto his head and killed it, but before he disappeared like most hollows he became visible again. We found out why when the gates of Hell appeared right behind him.

Ichigo was frightened by the sight – he had no idea what was in front him. Out of nowhere, Rukia shows up behind him and told him that the gates of Hell were only opening for the evil hollow.

"Shinigami's zanpakuto can only purify the sins hollows committed as hollows, but the sins that have been made while alive send them to Hell," Rukia finished explaining just in time for the gates to close. Silence was all that was heard from there, but I couldn't take it anymore.

"Well, I guess now is a good time as any to send Yuichi off to the Soul Society," I said.

"Isn't there a way to put his soul back in his body," Ichigo asked.

I shook my head. "You can check, but I highly doubt it."

I don't know how long it had been, but when we want back to Chad and Yuichi, Rukia checked to see if Yuichi could still be saved, only to prove I was right.

"There is nothing I can do. His soul chain has been severed," she said. "I will not be able to place him back in his body.

"Oh no…" Yuichi said sadly with his head hanging low.

Rukia quickly began saying, "Don't worry! The Soul Society is a wonderful place. You will not have to worry about being hungry."

"Unless you have enough spirit energy to become a shinigami," I said.

"And you won't have to use the bathroom."

"You still need baths though at least."

Rukia glared at me. "Will you knock it off?"

"What's wrong with baths?" I questioned innocently.

"You're going about this the wrong way, Rukia, and Tenebris, stop correcting her like that," Ichigo said.

"Everything I said was true nonetheless," I muttered with my front legs crossed in front of my chest.

"We might not be able to bring you mother back to life, but she is waiting for you on the other side in the Soul Society," Ichigo told the little boy with the warmest smile I have seen in a long time. He is always scowling, so this is the most I have seen it not there on his face.

Yuichi looked happy at hearing this new information, and then turned to Chad. "Thank you so much, Mister, for everything you did," he said.

The two said their final goodbyes, and then Ichigo preformed the konso on the child, sending him to his new home.

"I think it is time we head home too. The sun is going down for crying out loud! I need sleep. So when we get home, I'm eating something light, and then hitting the hay," I said as I turned around and started to make my way home.

"Good idea," Ichigo said as he entered his body and then followed me.

TBC


I couldn't think on how to stop the hollow from being killed off so quickly without either Ichigo or Tenebris staying there with Rukia. So I had to have Tenebris be the one to bring Karin home, and have Rukia drop her glove for Tenebris to find later and bring it back to her so Ichigo could fight. This also helped in building trust in Rukia when it comes to Tenebris. So it was a win/win situation.

Ichi: That was smart.

Enj/Dark: I also found out how to get the Fullbring arc to work the way I want it. At first I thought I would have to change the plot – which would have made zero sense because why would Ginjo change how he feels – but I didn't have to. :)

Shiro: You could have had Ginjo attack the Soul Society.

Ichi: Like the Bounts in that filler arc?

Shiro: Yeah!

Enj/Dark: I'll have you know, I have never thought of that until you just said it.

Ichi: You're writing him, how did he think of it before you?

Enj/Dark: It happens sometimes. Any good writer will tell you this. They will talk to themselves and have it like they are talking to someone else, only for that made up character to come up with something great.

Shiro: Then why not do what I say?

Enj/Dark: It could turn into what you just said.

Ichi: This is going to get crazy, isn't it?

Enj/Dark: Probably. ^-^

Ichi: *sigh* Please review! We haven't had one since the first chapter.