Chapter 2: Kindred Spirits

The Soul Society

As Squad 11 returns to Soul Society, the home of the Shinigami, they are looking worse for wear, particularly their Captain. Kenpachi sends Yachiru off to the barracks with the rest of the squad, as it is customary for the captain to report in with the Head Captain whenever returning from an expedition.

Kenpachi sighs as he opens the door to the Head Captains barracks, expecting a lecture from the Old Man about losing his captain's coat. What greets him, however, is unexpected: all the other captains standing line and file on each side of the room, making a sort of path towards the Head Captain.

Kenpachi snickers, "Well, can't say I expected a whole-ass welcome wagon."

"SILENCE!" the Head-Captain, Genryusai Yamatoto, roars, which causes Kenpachi to cease any further banter. "We are all here to discuss what you fought in the living world and why you return far later than planned, without your Captains Haori no less!"

Zaraki gives a blank look at the living legend demanding answers from him, "A group of Menos Grande led by an Adjucha attacked us as we were finishing off the weaklings."

This causes an audible gasp from many of the captains present, some of which seem to want to voice their thoughts but are cut off as Kenpachi adds, "Also, there was a Gillian much stronger than any Menos I've ever fought there who gave me the time of my life! Looking forward to fighting it again!"

Nearly all the Captains look jaw dropped after Kenpachi drops this bombshell, beaming as he thinks back on it.

Yamamoto is visibly shaking as he grips his wooden cane, containing his rage, "Is there anything else you would like to report, Captain Zaraki?"

Kenpachi nonchalantly adds, "It could talk too, I guess".

Before anyone else can express their further surprise, Yamamoto is now REALLY shouting at Kenpachi, "You fool! How could you let such a powerful Hollow get away alive?!"

Kenpachi shrugs, but Yamamoto isn't done. "If such a Menos is allowed to progress into an Adjucha or, Soul King forbid, a Vasto Lorde, it could present a real, dangerous threat to not just the living world, but the Soul Society itself!"

Kenpachi smirks, "Well I think that's a good thing, because it means our next fight will be even better!"

Yamamoto continues to lay into Kenpachi as most of the captains are still processing the information they've just heard, Squad 5's Captain Sosuke Aizen most of all.

Aizen ponders in his head, "How such a powerful Hollow could escape the notice of both me and my Espada? Especially now that we have nearly complete control over Hueco Mundo… it must be newly born, which means that an especially powerful soul has passed on very recently…"

Aizen then recalls how he arranged for Rukia Kuchiki to head to Karakura Town, home of his favorite side project of sorts: Ichigo Kurosaki. Everything is starting to come together in Aizen's head, which greatly excites him as he looks ahead to the future. But of course, he doesn't let any of this show, as he wouldn't be who he is without his poker face.

As Yamamoto finishes, Aizen raises his voice, "I'd like to know what exactly this Hollow said."

Kenpachi shrugs, "It insisted it wasn't weak and called itself White."

Aizen follows up with another question, "Did it behave in any other strange ways?"

The violence-hungry captain nods, "It tried to protect the Adjucha with it."

This grabs the attention of some of the other captains.

Aizen nods, "I see… that is odd." Internally, Aizen is saving that information for later.

Yamamoto then addresses all the captains present, "Due to such a new, powerful threat, I will be sending two squads to the living world in the cities around Tokyo in order to keep an eye out for this Gillian. It is to be exterminated should you come across it, no matter the cost."

Squad 13 Captain Jushiro Ukitake, known for both his compassion and mastery of dual sword style of fighting, something he shares with his oldest and best friend, Squad 8 Captain Shunsui Kyoraku, steps forth. "Squad 13 already has some members stationed in Karakura Town. I would be more than willing to help Squad 11 resolve this problem, Head Captain."

This causes Yamamoto to raise a brow, "Are you sure you are up to the task, Captain Ukitake? Your squad still lacks a Vice Captain…"

Kyoraku adds to this, "Not to mention the topic of your health, Jushiro. I thought you weren't doing the best these days. It may be best to sit this one out."

Ukitake sets both their worries to rest, "I would have no right to call myself a captain of the Gotei 13 if I made excuses to not fight when a danger is presented to the Soul Society!"

Yamamoto cracks a slight smile for perhaps the first time in the day, "Indeed! To be able to maintain such a hardened mindset despite your condition and peace-loving nature—you are a prime example of what one of the Gotei 13 should aspire to be like! It would do you some good to be around Captain Ukitake, Captain Zaraki. You might actually learn something."

This causes Kenpachi to snort, as in his eyes Jushiro is unconfrontational, sickly, and overall, not someone who he'll ever get to fight, so he doesn't care.

Yamamoto glares at Kenpachi, "Do you object to this, Captain Zaraki?"

Kenpachi matches the old man's gaze, "So long as I get to fight, I couldn't care less who comes along."

Yamamoto finishes, "This meeting is hereby concluded. Squads 11 and 13 are to leave for the living world as soon as possible. The remaining Captains are also to brief their squads on this matter!"

As the captains are leaving, many are voicing their thoughts on the Gillian.

Soi Fon, the rather petite Captain of Squad 2, states coldly, "I think the Head Captain wasn't harsh enough on Zaraki for allowing the Gillian to escape!"

Many of the other Captains agree, the most vocal being Squad 6's Captain Byakuya Kuchiki and Squad 12's Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, although the former taking the stance that order must be upheld, while the latter merely wishes to dissect and analyze its corpse.

Kaname Tosen and Sajin Komamura, Captains of Squads 9 and 7 respectively, discuss what the Gillian said.

Tosen ponders, "It's unheard of to see a Hollow with some sense of justice…"

Komamura to replies to his friend, "More likely than not it was just trying to preserve its prey—the Adjucha."

Tosen nods, "You're probably right."

Toshiro Hitsugaya, the Captain of Squad 10, and youngest Captain in the history of the Soul Society, states his thoughts, "I don't understand why you all see the need to discuss this thing. It's an enemy that needs to be dealt with and that's all that matters."

Gin Ichimaru, Sqaud 3's sly Captain, sighs, "Oh to be young again…"

This agitates the young Captain as if his authority is being called into question based on his age, "Repeat what you just said, Ichimaru!"

Gin instead turns his attention to Aizen, "What do you think about all this, Captain Aizen?"

This further agitates Toshiro, as he is now being ignored, which gives Gin a great amount of joy as he loves messing with people.

Aizen answers Gin's question, "I agree with the Head Captain. This Hollow must be dealt with before becoming even more powerful. A talking Menos Grande in and of itself is something that should be dealt with regardless."

The two continue to walk away until they are out of earshot of anyone else.

Aizen changes his tone suddenly, "I'd like to have a meeting with this Hollow at some point in the future."

His colleague takes the hint, "I'm sure you'll get that chance…"

Gin then flash steps away to an unknown location. Aizen is outwardly beaming in front of the Squad 5 barracks as he states "Ichigo Kurosaki, regardless of if this is you or not, my future plans should prove to be quite exciting…"

Back in the Squad 1 barracks, squad 4 Captain Retsu Unohana is the only one left in the room with the Head Captain.

"What is it you wish to discuss, Captain Unohana?" Yamamoto questions, taking the hint that she's not just here to have tea or something trivial like that.

Unohana gets right to the point, "I'm worried about this new Gillian. Despite all the years of the Gotei 13 existing, never has there been a talking Gillian sighting."

Yamamoto tries to alleviate her worries, "That is exactly why I am sending not only 2 squads to the living world, but also one of my star pupils. This Gillian will die should it dare to show its face in the living world again."

Retsu narrows her eyes, "That alone would normally not trouble me, but considering all the suspicious events that have occurred over the last one hundred years, I suspect something else is at play here."

Yamamoto remains silent for a moment before stating, "I hope you're wrong about that."

A Few Days Later, Karakura Cemetery

It's a lovely, sunny afternoon in Karakura Town. Birds chirping, cicadas buzzing, and the leaves of cherry blossoms drift through the air. It would be an ideal day to go out and hang out with friends and family, but alas, for the Kurosakis there is only sorrow as they stand in the Karakura Cemetery, as Ichigo is about to be buried next to his mother.

Isshin weeps, attempting with all his might to hold back his tears, which is understandable given what he's going through right now.

Yuzu is no better, as she seeks comfort in Karin, clutching her hand as she cries into her twin sister's shoulder, "It's not fair that Ichigo's gone!"

Karin struggles to keep her own feelings at bay but manages to prevent herself from crying, as someone needs to keep it together to thank the guests for attending.

Many of Ichigo's friends have come to the burial to pay their respects, including the usually jovial boy with brown hair named Keigo Asano, who now is a crying mess after losing one of his best buddies. Next to him is a boy with slightly shorter black hair named Mizuiro Kojima, another one of Ichigo's closest friends, who pats Keigo on the back to comfort him. Behind them is a large Latino boy, who faced prejudice based on his skin just like Ichigo did with his hair, which caused the two of them to always look out for each other. This boy is named Yasutora Sado, although everyone always calls him Chad, and he is typically not someone to express his emotions but here he cannot help but shed tears as Ichigo was his best and first true friend. They were among the first to arrive for the burial and had already paid their condolences to the family.

Approaching Karin are two girls who were Ichigo's classmates. The first to speak is a doe-eyed girl with long orange, auburn hair, like Ichigo's, who looks like she just got done giving a prayer.

The girl introduces herself, "My name is Orihime Inoue. I didn't know Ichigo that well on a personal level, but I've always had nothing but respect and admiration for how he could stand up in the face of prejudice for his hair color… something I never could do myself."

Orihime hands Karin some flowers for Ichigo and further explains, in a much more somber tone, "I know what it's like to lose an older brother who you cherish. If either of you ever need support getting through this, I'll be more than happy to lend an ear any time."

This reminds all three Kurosakis of a young man named Sora Inoue who died at their Clinic a few years back and a young girl with short auburn hair the same color as hers who cried for her brother not to leave her. Yuzu can't contain herself and springs from Karin into a hug with Orihime as she weepingly thanks her and is sorry she lost her own brother.

Orihime comforts the younger girl, returning the embrace and stroking her hair, "Don't worry about me… it's all in the past now. As much as I may miss my brother, I am here for Ichigo's funeral, not Sora's."

Meanwhile Karin, addresses that other girl "Thank you for coming Tatsuki."

The second girl present looks much more tomboyish than Orihime, with black, spiky hair shorter than all the boys present named Tatsuki Arisawa, who is Ichigo's oldest friend from childhood.

She gives a curt nod, "Of course, I would never have thought to miss this." Tatsuki gives a brief smile at the younger girl before suddenly shifting to a frown, "I can't believe Ichigo is really gone…"

Karin appears to get visibly upset for a split second before returning to a passive face once again and stating nothing.

Tatsuki then reminds Karin of something, "Orihime's offer to talk is not mutually exclusive to Yuzu, nor do you only have Orihime to talk to. All of us want to help you through this if we can." The guys all nod in agreement.

Tatsuki continues, "You can give any of us a call whenever you're ready to talk." The girl then walks over to give her condolences to Isshin.

This causes Karin to look over to the other side of the gravesite, where there are a few people who must be acquaintances of her father are gathered. She frowns as she realizes she doesn't recognize any of them.

Standing next to Isshin is a professional looking, white haired man in glasses. Karin swears she heard them mention her mother's name, which makes her contemplate the exact relationship this guy has with her family.

Behind him stands a long dark-haired teenage boy with glasses, who must be his son. He looks squarely out of place here, as if the older man forced him to come to pay respects to a family friend he also doesn't know.

"Well, at least I'm not the only one who doesn't know our parent's connection", Karin thinks.

What she sees next completely confuses her. A distance away from her father is a tall shady blonde man who wears a funny looking hat, a large green Haori, and clogs. He's also balancing on a cane, next to which a small black cat with yellow eyes sits quietly and observes its surroundings.

A far distance behind the shady-looking man, nearly outside of the cemetery, stands what appears to be a young, short, raven-haired girl with deep, purple eyes, who is wearing a black Shihakusho. She is wearing a look of pure dread or anguish, as if Ichigo's death was a mistake that wasn't supposed to happen. In fact, Karin thinks that's exactly what it is, as she should have been the one that monster killed that night, not her older brother.

Karin recalls that her father mentioned something about 'not again' the night Ichigo died and how it seemed he knew more about what was going on than what he let on. "I'll have to have a chat with Goat-beard in private later…"

As the funeral ends, Orihime and Tatsuki give their condolences one final time before walking back home. A couple more minutes of walking pass before Tatsuki addresses Orihime in an empathetic tone, "You did a good job not crying about Ichigo in front of his sisters, Orihime."

The auburn-haired girl replies, "His sisters, especially Karin, need to know they have an emotional support to go to. That support can't fail under the sorrow, at least not outwardly. I keep my tears hidden for Ichigo's sake."

Tatsuki raises her brow slightly, "You sure? Do you know you're crying right now?"

Orihime drops the act, "Oh Tatsuki… I don't know how I was able to keep these tears back this long…! I'll never get to confess my feelings to the guy I love and admire, much less spend my life with him… it stings!"

Tatsuki continues to give her friend a look of empathy as she continues.

"I thought I was fine after losing my brother! You and Ichigo inspired me and gave me the strength to cope with that, but now both Ichigo and Sora are gone! I… I don't know how I'll bear it!"

Tatsuki hugs her friend, "I'll always be there for you, Orihime. No matter what happens." Orihime earnestly thanks her best friend and dries her tears before the two decide to split ways.

Before Orihime can get much further, she feels a pressure on her entire body, as though her life is being squeezed out of her. She is suddenly hoisted into the air by some unknown force but doesn't see anything. Little does she know that she is being squeezed between the giant hands of the minor Hollow known as Acidwire.

At the moment, he is trying to get through to the girl, "Orihime! Come with me, so we can be happy once more!"

His calls are ineffective, as she can neither see nor hear him. He realizes he's going to need to kill Orihime to be with her and is about to do so when a sudden blue light rushes towards him, taking nearly the entirety of the right side of his Hollow mask with it.

Acidwire screams in pain and drops Orihime to the ground as he grasps at his face, "Who dares come between me and my dear sister?!"

The dark-haired teen with glasses from the funeral earlier stands before the Hollow, "A beast such as yourself is no longer human. You're nothing but a monster now, as you failed to see that the sister you claim to love so dearly was about to die by your hand!"

The teen adjusts his glasses, "Also, you asked who I am? I am the last of the Quincy, and as such, I cannot let an abomination like yourself roam freely in the living world."

A fight ensues between Acidwire and the Quincy, in which the Quincy is completely dominating. Acidwire is thinking about spitting acid at the boy but ceases all further attacks as he sees the raven-haired girl from the funeral, wearing a Shinigami's signature black Shihakusho, appear behind the Quincy. Realizing he's outnumbered and outmatched, the Hollow escapes through a Garganta, a portal used by hollows to jump between spiritual realms.

As the hollow leaves, he makes an ominous vow, "I will return for Orihime! When I do, I will destroy anything that stands in my way!"

The Quincy then checks Orihime's vitals and breathes a sigh of relief, "It is fortunate that she is not in any worse shape…"

The Shiningami questions the Quincy, "Who are you?"

The Quincy glances back at the woman, "Shouldn't you be the one to reveal your name first? It's impolite to ask for someone's name without giving your own."

The Shinigami nods, "Rukia Kuchiki, of Squad 13. Karakura Town is under my jurisdiction, therefore I am required to know all the Spiritual happenings here."

The Quincy scoffs, "You seem like a typical, arrogant, entitled Shinigami. Just because the Soul Society butchered my people, that doesn't mean you have a right to occupy our territory or to know our secrets."

Rukia is about to question this, but the boy cuts her off, stating proudly, "I am Uryu Ishida, the last of the Quincy! And I hate Shinigami."

This confuses Rukia, "Quincy…?"

Uryu scoffs once more, "It would make sense that your higher ups wouldn't tell you about us. What they did to my people is not something to be proud of. It should've been obvious from how coldly your people treated my Master… you'd rather forget we ever existed."

Rukia is speechless, unsure of how she should react.

Uryu adjusts his glasses, "In spite of this, I saw you at Kurosaki's funeral. This means that you must have at least some semblance of honor, despite your being a Shinigami… Therefore, I propose a momentary truce between us to deal with the increasing number of Hollows appearing lately. I will protect Orihime and destroy that Hollow that is attacking her when next it appears."

Rukia is about to argue but loses her chance to do so as she receives a call from Captain Ukitake, of all people. Uryu is already carrying Orihime down the road towards the direction of the Hospital as she addresses her Captain. Rukia gasps after hearing her Captain's next words.

Two Weeks Later, The Menos Forest

White does not know whether it had been days, weeks, or months since he began to feed. Regardless, as he consumes one final Gillian, he feels a strange sensation as his body glows a bright light before shrinking down and changing shape. As the light fades, a not quite so massive winged Adjucha, not unlike Western depictions of dragons, stands proudly on the sands.

White's thoughts are now much clearer and more rational than they ever were before, "Have I become like him? Am I an Adjucha now?"

The newly born Adjucha examines himself closely. A long orange mane flows out from behind its mask all the way to the tip of its tail and from the mask there are two, sharp long horns protruding from each side. The pattern on its mask has remained the same as it was as a Gillian. Though he couldn't see them, his eyes are still the same gold with black sclera.

After taking in his appearance, the Adjucha snorts proudly, "I'm an Adjucha… no doubt about it!"

Despite just evolving, an irritating sensation yet remains.

The dragon eyes a group of Gillians in the distance, inwardly grinning maliciously, "I'm still hungry…"

Many Hours Later

After consuming hundreds of other Hollows, the dragon Adjucha is still nowhere near satisfied, so flaps its wings, taking flight as it continues making rounds flying throughout the Menos Forest. Suddenly, he hears screaming nearby and drops down near where the noise is coming from. Upon further inspection, he can see that it is a serpent-like minor Hollow who has had part of its mask destroyed. Due to this, its ranting voice sounds familiar to the dragon for some reason.

Acidwire quickly takes notice of the Adjucha's presence, "Shit, an Adjucha! I'm dead now!"

The dragon snorts, somewhat offended, "As if I would be interested in devouring a weakling like you… what was that shouting about? I haven't heard ranting like that since I got here…"

Acidwire, realizing he won't die, yells at the other Hollow, "Seriously?! An Adjucha has no reason to talk to fodder like me!"

White growls, causing the minor hollow to flinch, "Well I guess I really don't have any reason to talk to you since you won't answer my questions! I don't know why I came over here, this is a waste of my time!"

The dragon turns to leave, beginning to flap his wings—a sign that it is about to take off.

The serpent slithers about hysterically, returning to it's ranting as it clasps its head like a mad man, "Ahh! You damned Quincy! Every time I try to see her, you are there! No one comes between me and my sister!"

White pauses upon hearing these words, recalling the last memories of his own sister, who he left behind.

The dragon continues to listen to Acidwire's rant, "Orihime…! I just want to see you again… to make sure you're safe! I'm so… lonely!"

Acidwire lets out a primordial roar of rage and despair, which earns him an empathetic look from White. As the serpent continues to scream, White's eyes harden as he has come to a decision.

"I'll help you see your sister again."

Acidwire abruptly halts his scream, looking at White with widened eyes, "Huh? You'll… help?"

Something within White causes him to speak freely, "Sure… although, there may be Shinigami there to stop us… The way I see it, the Shinigami are our real enemies."

Acidwire is silent for a minute before hissing, "Shinigami! Just as rotten and vile as that irksome Quincy!"

White glares at Acidwire for a moment before letting out an impatient, "Let's get going, then!"

Acidwire shrieks approvingly, opening a Garganta.

Before walking into the Garganta, White clarifies, "Let's get one thing straight, pal—once I'm done helping you with this, we're through!"

Acidwire looks at the dragon confused, prompting the hollow to elaborate, "I can't have these other hollows viewing me as weak! This place does not favor the kind…"

Acidwire has a rational thought at this moment, "Then why are you helping me now?"

White snorts, "It doesn't matter… this is just a one-time thing, got it?!"

The serpent nods in reply before slithering through the Garganta.

"Perhaps I'll see my sister too…", White ponders before following the snake through the portal.

Author's Note:

The story is still going through revisions early on, so the chapters will be reposted as I finalize the revisions. Please understand this will take some time as it requires a great deal of rework on my part (and I'm busy with life stuff).

I want to take the opportunity to include Orihime's brother in this rewrite, as he and Ichigo have quite a few similarities, particularly as older brothers. This is especially relevant in this scenario, given that they are both hollows whose main motivations stem from their sisters in some way. This makes them something of parallel beings in a sense. Kindred spirits if you will.