Hello and welcome to chapter 8. Last time, we went through Ichigo, Rangiku, Orihime, Yoruichi, and Tatsuki helping out Chad and Yūichi against the Shrieker. On a side note, Orihime came into contact with an anime-only filler character. I didn't reveal who that character was, which I will rectify in this chapter, though some may have already guessed who it was by the description. Now, this chapter will be a retelling of episode 314 of the anime, but now taking place during the Substitute Shinigami Arc rather than after the defeat of Aizen. Also, keep an eye out for a certain Sternritter making a cameo appearance.
Author's Note: Now I will admit, I left a lot of unanswered questions from last chapter, but I intend to rectify some of them for this chapter. Also, I'd like to give a shout out to Ikrani for helping me out with writing this chapter, thanks. Now, I was going to split this chapter into two parts, but after seeing how small the first segment was going to be, I decided to release this as one big chapter like I wanted to in the first place.
Chapter 8:
Elsewhere in Karakura Town, the woman who struck down the Shrieker's bombs was at her home, making a phone call.
"Hello?" said the receiver.
"Hello there, cousin," said the woman. "How have you been?"
"Meninas, is that you?" said the receiver. "I haven't heard from you for some time."
"Good to hear from you, too," said Meninas, putting her hand on her hips. "Now listen, I have a job for you."
At Urahara's Shop, Kisuke was drinking some tea when he received a call.
"Hello?" said Kisuke.
"Kisuke, this is Yoruichi," said the caller.
"Oh, Yoruichi," said Kisuke, waving his fan in front of his face. "I have to say I'm disappointed in how you performed against that Hollow. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were holding back during that battle."
"You know very well what would have happened if I had gone all out," Yoruichi reminded him. "Anyway, I have something to tell you. It concerns what else happened during that battle."
Kisuke put his tea down and leaned forward. "Oh? What would that be?"
At Kurosaki Clinic, Yoruichi was in the restroom in her true form, explaining what she saw during the battle with the Shrieker. The others were fast asleep.
"Are you sure?" said Kisuke.
"Without question," she replied. "Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see who fired them, but there was no doubt. Those were Quincy arrows."
"Must have been just a coincidence, but that does raise questions," said Kisuke. "The only living Quincies that we know of are the Ishida family. I'll do more research on this, but for now, keep this from the others until we know more."
"I see," said Yoruichi. Her eyes wandered down, and not to admire her naked reflection in the mirror. She already knew she was hot stuff.
"Wait a minute," Kisuke said, his voice dropping to a foreboding tone. "I just remembered something."
Yoruichi closed her eyes. What was she failing to remember?
"Other than the Ishida's, there's another group of Quincy who are still around," Kisuke explained. "'Them'."
"'Them'?" Yoruichi asked before her eyes snapped back to attention. "Oh... Right."
"But let's not jump to conclusions," said Kisuke. "Again, until we know more, keep this information away from the others."
"Got it," Yoruichi hung up. She then turned back into her cat form, left the restroom, and returned to Ichigo's bedroom. The thought crossed her mind to knead her claws on his sheets, maybe curl up on his chest… and then knead her claws on his shirt, but Ichigo already had his hands full while he slept.
…Not that Rangiku or Orihime seemed to mind, by how close they were snuggled up to him.
Two days later, Kon and Momone were being held up in Ichigo's room and Rangiku's purse, respectively, as a punishment for breaking Ichigo and Rangiku's trust in them. At the same time, though, the two Soul Reapers knew that they still needed them in case any Hollows showed up.
At the moment, Orihime and Tatsuki were shopping with Rangiku while keeping an eye on Momone. Ichigo had decided to stay home, keeping an eye on Kon while handling some of his homework.
"LET ME OUT! SOMEBODY! ANYBODY!" Kon shouted from the window close to Ichigo's door. "I'm being held captive against my will! I'm telling you, it's toy abuse! Somebody call the cops! The kid who lives here makes me do slave work, doesn't feed me, and keeps me locked up all the time!"
"Hey, quiet." Ichigo threw an eraser at Kon's head. "Get away from the window and quit your whining! Last thing I need is the neighbors bothering me about weird things they heard from my room!"
"I don't care what they think," Kon whined. "That's none of my business! I want to know why I have to stay cooped up all day, every day, in this crappy, cramped, filthy hole of yours!"
"First off, gross. Second, I already told you, you moron: you and Momone promised not to do anything weird while we were dealing with the Shrieker. You broke that promise. Just be thankful I still need you to take over my body whenever a Hollow comes around."
"Whatever," Kon huffed.
Ichigo glared at him. "You wanna do your time in the washing machine, instead?"
Kon wasn't listening because he saw something, or someone, walking towards the clinic. It was the very same woman Orihime had bumped into the day they fought the Shrieker. At the moment, she was carrying empty grocery bags and looked like she was lost. The moment Kon laid eyes upon her, he immediately fell in love with her curvaceous body, especially her large breasts.
Suddenly, the window was not as impassable as it once seemed.
"BOUNCYYYY!" Kon cried.
But before Kon could go too far, Ichigo grabbed him and pulled him back in.
"Hey, put me down!" Kon complained. "Let go of me! I want those melons! They're so firm, and fully-packed! I-I'm just trying to help! She's a little top-heavy! I wanna give her a hand or two! Don't worry, melons, I'm coming!"
"Fat chance!" Ichigo replied. "You're not going anywhere after that stunt you pulled! What's the matter with you?"
"Hello, excuse me?" the woman called out.
"Yeah?" Ichigo replied, grabbing the front of Kon's face and covering the plushie's mouth.
"I think I'm lost," said the woman. "I heard that Karakura Mart was somewhere around here. Do you know where that is?"
Acting fast, Ichigo pulled Kon back inside before giving the woman directions. "It's not that far away. Just go back the way you came, and then turn left at the intersection. Go straight and you'll see it."
The woman looked in the direction Ichigo pointed her before telling him, "Okay, I got it. Thank you very much!"
"No problem," said Ichigo.
The woman then left and headed for Karakura Mart.
"Awwww, Ichigo," Kon pouted. "You sent my melons away!"
"What's the matter with you?!" Ichigo scolded. "Get out of the window and back in the room! If she sees you, there's gonna be trouble!"
While Ichigo was giving Kon his punishment, the woman was walking towards Karakura Mart, but with a confused look on her face.
Was that really the boy that Meninas told me to find? she thought. He doesn't seem like much, though I will admit he is handsome.
She stopped, startled by the unprompted thought. What am I thinking? What would my boyfriend say if he could hear me? …He'd tell me to stop being hard on him whenever his eyes wander, probably. 'See, Haruko? Sometimes you just can't help yourself!'
She resumed walking, confident her little ruse had thrown the (admittedly handsome) youth off the scent. Still, I wonder what Meninas and her friends are planning to do, especially with this thing.
The woman put both grocery bags in one arm and, with the other, took out a strange object from her pocket. It was a thin, round, metallic disc, roughly the size of her palm with a strange insignia etched onto its surface. She then put the object back in her pocket as she continued on her way to Karakura Mart.
From the bushes nearby, Yoruichi in her cat form watched, suspicious, as the woman walked off.
In downtown Karakura, the girls were at the mall shopping for new clothes and especially, of all things, bathing suits. While summer was months away, Rangiku insisted on buying them, though Tatsuki had a hunch as to her real intentions.
"How about this one?" said Rangiku, offering Orihime a yellow polka dot micro string bikini.
"That's too revealing for me, Rangiku!" Orihime's face was beet-red while she waved her hands in embarrassment.
"Then what about this one?" Rangiku offered a scandalous pink sling bikini with white trim.
At this point, Tatsuki had enough of Rangiku trying to get Orihime to wear what she could most politely describe as "slut wear". She stomped her foot and shouted, "Rangiku, summer is months away and we've got more important things to worry about, like school grades and homework! Besides, don't you show off enough skin already?"
"Oh, I never actually thought of that." Rangiku put her right index finger on her cheek. This made her forearm press against the snug white fabric around her large breast. This, in turn, pushed her cleavage up slightly through the five undone buttons below her dress collar. Her left foot spread as she leaned on her right, her thighs pulling at her gray skirt. Then again, her calf-high black stockings, capped by slip-on black shoes, already emphasized her long, shapely legs.
Rangiku smiled like a petty office politicker. "But hey, I can't help that men want to fall for me. I'm just that beautiful."
Tatsuki closed her eyes, sighed, and sweat dropped at Rangiku's answer while Orihime just had a blank stare.
Rangiku then picked up a skimpy white micro bikini with pink flower patterns on it. "Anyway, I'm going to try out my choice. Don't feel too bad when you see how good I look."
Rangiku then walked into a dressing stall and locked the door. But upon entering, Momone emerged from her purse and gasped. "Ah, fresh air…!"
"Did you enjoy your punishment?" Rangiku raised her right eyebrow and glared at her Mod Soul.
Momone waved her plush arms in defense. "I told you already: that was an accident!"
"Uh huh." Rangiku still wasn't buying it. "Kon tripped on Orhime's backpack, landed on top of you, and your hand just happened to be on his cock."
While Rangiku was arguing with Momone, Orihime and Tatsuki were still picking out swimsuits for themselves. From the rack, Orihime pulled a yellow bikini with a green clover pattern on the left triangle and straps with beads on them. Although still revealing, it wasn't nearly as revealing as the ones Rangiku offered. It enveloped her hefty breasts enough to give them some support underneath, while leaving her cleavage free for any tall, lean, grumpy boys to look at. Orihime had thought to ask Rangiku why her back wasn't constantly sore, but she could never pluck up the courage. The side-tie bikini bottom with the same green clover pattern on the right side of the back was also flattering, but unlike Rangiku's suggestions, it left her most private areas up to the imagination.
While Tatsuki was trying to pick out her suit, she confronted her best friend about something that had been bugging her for some time.
"Orihime," Tatsuki softly called past her shoulder, "I've been meaning to talk to you about something."
"What is it, Tatsuki?" Orihime asked.
Tatsuki thought for a moment. "After the Mod Soul incident, you mentioned that you were okay with Kon touching you, but did you mean that?"
"Oh, well…" Orihime blushed and pressed her index fingers together. "Since he was in Ichigo's body when he touched me… It was comforting… I guess. But, really… I…"
Tatsuki finished the confirmation for her, turning around and putting her hands on her hips. "You only liked it because it was Ichigo's body, didn't you?"
Orihime reluctantly nodded her head. "But I couldn't bring myself to tell him that, especially after he and Momone told me about what they'd been through."
"You were just trying to be nice to him." Tatsuki crossed her arms. "That's fine Orihime, and I will admit that what was supposed to happen to those two was tragic, but you have to be true to yourself. You only liked Kon groping you because he was in Ichigo's body, and I don't want that pervert taking advantage of you. We already have enough trouble to deal with without Kon and Momone using Ichigo and Rangiku's bodies to molest people. Hell, the night after the Shrieker incident was pretty much the last straw."
"But don't you think you might have jumped to conclusions?" Orihime asked.
Before Tatsuki could answer, Rangiku emerged with her new bikini on. The very sight of it made Tatsuki and Orihime's jaws drop.
"Oh wow, Rangiku, you look amazing." Orihime's eyes sparkled as she clasped her hands together.
The bikini was indeed flattering. The top part showed off a good amount of Rangiku's cleavage, just tight enough to cause a small morsel of bulge around the sides. The bottom thong also showed off a good amount of her hips, once again making her curves bulge around the string, but the crotch was wide enough to cover all her naughty parts. Rangiku confirmed it when she turned around, bent over, and confirmed that yes, despite her athletic buns devouring the crotch piece in the back, it was still wide enough to leave herself decent..
"...I still don't get why we're buying these swimsuits when summer is months away," Tatsuki groused, averting her totally-not-envious gaze.
"Oh, don't be so stuck-up about it," Rangiku said, brushing her off. "With the right company, it can be summer whenever you want."
Sometime later, the three were walking out of the store with their new swimsuits, Rangiku was back in her regular clothes.
"That was fun," Rangiku smiled while carrying her bikini in a bag.
"I agree." Orihime was carrying her bikini in her right arm.
"Whatever," Tatsuki said with a shrug.
Suddenly, Rangiku's soul phone picked up a signal, forcing her to pop Momone out of her purse and swallow the faux Soul Candy..
"I'm going to get Ichigo since he's closer to that Hollow," Rangiku told the two. "Keep an eye on Momone while I'm away."
"Be careful out there," Orihime urged her.
Rangiku then went off to get Ichigo, leaving Orihime and Tatsuki with the difficult task of looking after Momone.
While Momone was busy admiring her temporary sex appeal, Orihime cupped a hand to her mouth and leaned close to Tatsuki. "So, how are we going to keep an eye on her?"
"I think I have a plan," Tatsuki told her. "Hey, Momone…"
She was already gone.
Tatsuki's eyes widened to the point where her eyeballs could almost fall out of their sockets. "...How does she do that?"
"Do what? Oh, she's gone already," Orihime placed her index finger on her lower lip. "How does she do that?"
Back in Ichigo's room, Kon was still complaining to Ichigo about what happened that night, but the orange-top Substitute Soul Reaper wasn't buying it.
"So let me get this straight: you tripped on Orihime's backpack and landed on top of Momone, and your hands just so happened to land on her boobs." Ichigo raised an eyebrow.
"I know it sounds hard to believe, but it's the truth," Kon told him.
"Like hell it is!" Ichigo prodded Kon's cotton torso with his finger. "And you promised us that you wouldn't try any funny business!"
Before the conversation could go any further, Rangiku showed up outside his window. "Ichigo, we've got another one."
"Oh great, another headache," Ichigo sighed.
"We'll have time for that later." Rangiku put the glove on and forced Kon's soul candy out of his plush body.
Ichigo then took the pill and swallowed it, allowing him to take on his Soul Reaper form while Kon inhabited his body.
"No funny business," Ichigo firmly told him.
Kon nodded, his body stiff as a board. The two Soul Reapers then went off to find the Hollow.
At Karakura Mart, the woman from before was walking out with her groceries in hand and a smile on her face, having just finished her shopping. All of the sudden, she saw two figures literally running through the air. These figures were Ichigo and Rangiku in their Soul Reaper forms and the sight of them made the woman's eyes pop out.
"Oh my," she said. "So Meninas was right about that boy. I suppose I'll have to think of a way to earn his trust."
The woman then walked off, still unaware of a certain black cat tailing her. She followed the woman all the way home. It was a three-story apartment building, low-rent and well-kept enough to at least be hygienic, where her boyfriend was waiting for her… Well, he was probably seated in front of the TV playing a video game, but if he was there, he'd be waiting for her like always.
"Are you here, Ken? I'm home!" she called out as she entered her apartment. "I got lost for a while, that's why I'm so late. Sorry, I'll make your lunch right away!"
"Okay, Haruko," Ken replied vacantly. That was fine; it wasn't just anyone who'd choose to move in with her.
Back at Kurosaki Clinic, Kon was in Ichigo's body, lying on the bed, bored out of his mind, wondering what to do. "Man, this stinks. Ichigo is so unfair…! What I would give to have a moment with those beauties."
Kon started picturing Rangiku in the nude while doing a sexy pose. She had her left hand straighten her hair while her right hand was placed upon her hip, showing off her boobs. Rangiku had a seductive smile and she giggled. Kon then pictured Orihime in the nude, also doing a sexy pose. Hers was more modest as she covered her nude cleavage with both forearms while also pointing them upwards. Orihime's face displayed a shy and innocent smile while blushing.
"Oh, the things I could do…" Kon was drooling, his eyes glazed over.
Suddenly, a voice sprung up. "Hey Ko-on…!"
Kon looked out the window and saw what looked like Rangiku, but he could tell right away that it was Momone. "Momone?"
"Come on, Kon." Momone waved him forward.
"Oh, okay," said Kon before he asked, "But what about Ichigo and Rangiku? They'll be mad at us if we ditch them again!"
"Only if we get caught," Momone reasoned with a smirk.
"I don't like this, but okay." Kon then jumped out the window and landed where Momone was. The two Mod Souls then ran off.
Back at her apartment, Haruko set the plate on the table in front of Ken. It was his favorite: a batter-fried fish and mayonnaise sandwich. "Here you go. Thanks for being patient!"
Ken didn't waste any time and dug right in.
"What do you think?" Haruko smiled while resting her head on her hands. "Do you like it? Is it good?"
"Mmm-hmm," Ken concurred.
"Oh, and by the way? Guess what!" said Haruko with delight. "On my way home, I saw two people flying through the air in black kimonos! One was a boy with short orange spiky hair and the other was a woman with long wavy blonde hair! I think they're the ones my cousin told me about, which means that I might actually be able to carry out the job she gave me!"
"Oh, I see," said Ken. "But Haruko, don't you think this assignment is a little too weird?"
"It's nothing to worry about," Haruko smiled. "If I pull this off, I might actually get to join my cousin in the club she's in!"
Just outside the apartment door, Yoruichi was listening. "Did she see Ichigo and Rangiku? And what does she mean about her cousin?"
At Kurosaki Clinic, Orihime and Tatsuki made it back.
"Do you think anyone's home?" Orihime asked as Tatsuki unlocked the front door.
"They'd better be, or we're all in trouble," Tatsuki replied. The two girls quietly made their way through the Clinic, creeping upstairs to the bedroom and listening for any sounds of perverted activity. The sinking feeling in their stomachs only worsened the closer the got to the noticeably silent bedroom. Their last hope lay behind the closed door. Carefully opening it…
"Oh no!" Orihime gasped.
Tatsuki slammed her fist against the door frame. "They must have gone into town! We better find them before they cause more chaos!"
"But where do we start?" Orihime asked.
"Anywhere but here."
As Ichigo and Rangiku got close to their target, the signal suddenly cut off.
"What the-" Rangiku gasped.
"What is it?"
"The Hollow disappeared somehow." Rangiku looked at her soul phone's screen. "We'll have to split up and find it the old fashion way. You go north and I'll go south. If you find that Hollow, notify me right away."
"Right," Ichigo nodded.
On the ground, Meninas was watching from an alleyway as the two Soul Reapers left. In her hands was a set of small, round, white tablets only a little larger than an adult fingernail with writing or symbols circling the flat edge.
"So, the Soul Reapers have caught wind of this Hollow as well," Meninas noted. "The fact that they didn't notice me is very insulting. Still, I can't fault them for that."
Meninas looked upon the tablets she held. "It's time to help my faithful cousin infiltrate Ichigo Kurosaki's home. Good thing I have a more specialized bait for the task."
At her apartment, Haruko was washing the dishes and humming to herself while Ken was playing a video game. Haruko was feeling pleased that she was actually going to be able to carry out the assignment she was given. But at the moment, all she could do was think of what she and Ken would do tonight.
"Hey sweetie, should we go out, or stay in tonight?" Haruko asked him. "I hear Ardman's Chicken Run is quite the interesting movie!"
But Ken's only answer was, "I think we should break up."
This news caught Haruko completely by surprise.
After taking a bite out of a cookie, Ken explained. "I mean, lately, you've been getting more and more peculiar. You see people no one else sees, and you talk to people who aren't there. It's getting really creepy. You're a great cook, and hot, and you've got a great personality and all, but you're weirding me out with all this 'ghost' stuff. Your cousin doesn't help either. 'Assignments'? 'Club'? She sounds like she wants to induct you into some kind of cult, or a crime syndicate."
Haruko's heart shattered like the dish she'd been holding. Tears began welling up behind her glasses as she choked and sobbed, trying to find words, to plead with her boyfriend not to leave her. She'd never have agreed to do all these things for her cousin if this is what it would cost her.
Ken just sighed, switched the TV off, and started packing up his game console. He seemed resigned to the fact that sticking around would only make it harder for both of them.
Outside, Yoruichi was still listening in. Next thing she knew, Haruko emerged from her apartment and walked off somewhere, not even noticing the black cat.
What are you up to, Quincy? Yoruichi thought before noticing the sad look on her face.
Elsewhere, Kon and Momone were walking across a bridge expanding across the Onose River.
"Man, those two were harsh with us," said Kon.
"Tell me about it," Momone sighed. "Rangiku stuffed me in her purse so tight that I could barely breathe."
Kon placed his hands on his chest. "I mean, it's not our fault for what happened that night. Things just happened!"
Two Days Earlier:
At Kurosaki Clinic, while Ichigo and Rangiku were performing Konso on Yūichi, Kon and Momone were doing their best to help Karin. At the moment, Kon was in Ichigo's bedroom, just sitting on the bottom bunk doing nothing, while Momone was giving Karin water. Moments later, Momone crossed the hall back into Ichigo's room.
"How's Karin?" Kon asked.
"She's sleeping now," Momone answered. "That water helped bring her fever down."
"That's good to hear," Kon sighed. "She may not be my sister, but I feel like she is."
Momone smiled at this. "You sound like you've been watching over her for a long time."
Kon smiled, too. "Yeah…? Well, I guess you can say that Ichigo's rubbing off on me."
"The same could be said for me and Rangiku," Momone admitted. "Anyway, we better get showered before they come back. It would be pretty gross to suddenly feel all this sweat on their skin."
Kon smelled Ichigo's armpit before cringing. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Ladies first."
Momone nodded, but told her fellow Mod Soul, "If you peep at me, I'll kill you."
Kon folded his arms and huffed. "Like I'd even want to peep at those giant, fluffy marshmallow funbags…"
Momone then got into Ichigo's shower and cleaned up Rangiku's Gigai. Due to Rangiku's long hair and shapely figure, it took a while to finish, not to mention wringing her hair out. Once she was finished, Kon took his turn to shower, though he couldn't help but enjoy seeing Momone in a towel. After Kon was finished, he returned to the bedroom where Momone was still in the towel.
"I'm done," said Kon as he entered.
But Kon wasn't paying attention to his surroundings as he had his eyes closed for a moment.
Momone tried to warn him. "Kon, watch out!"
But it was too late, Kon's foot struck Orihime's backpack and he tripped. "Ah, look out, Momone!"
"EEP…!"
Momone started raising a hand to catch him, and Kon put his hands out to catch himself. Next thing they both knew, Kon somehow landed on top of Momone, with his hands landing on her melons while Momone cushioned Kon's dick with her right hand. Both of their towels had come undone in the fall.
"Well, this is awkward," said Kon.
"Yeah," Momone agreed before taking notice of two particular hands currently resting on her boobs. "Um… Kon… your hands…"
"Huh?" Kon was confused at first, but then took notice of the massive 'pillows' in his hands, unintentionally squeezing them on impulse.
In response, Momone's hand stroked Kon's manhood on its own.
This is really awkward, the two Mod Souls thought.
At that moment, Ichigo and the others entered the room and saw what was going on. They all gasped.
The two Mod Souls looked and were shocked at who was there.
"This isn't what it looks like," Kon tried to explain.
"That does it," Ichigo shouted. "YOU TWO KNOCK IT OFF…!"
Ichigo and Tatsuki then tackled the two and forced them out of Ichigo's and Rangiku's bodies and back into the stuffed animals. Ichigo and Tatsuki then proceeded to punish them, much to the amusement of the others.
Now…:
"Well, to be fair, the story does sound rather far-fetched," Momone admitted. "No pun intended."
Kon brushed it off. "It's not our fault that Yuzu is into Pokémon."
Suddenly, the two Mod Souls saw Haruko, standing atop the railing of the bridge, looking out at the horizon far out in the distance. Her face was full of heartbreak, tears rolling down her eyes while staring at nothing.
"Hey, it's the babe who owns the melons!" Kon gasped.
"You know her?" Momone questioned skeptically.
"She came by the clinic earlier, asking for directions," Kon explained.
Suddenly, Haruko started walking off the edge of the railing, ready to jump off. Noticing this, Momone and Kon ran to stop her.
"STOP!" Momone shouted.
"SWEETIE-PIE!" Kon shouted.
This caught Haruko unaware and she gasped before losing her balance and started to fall.
"Watch out!" Acting on impulse, Kon jumped to try and save Haruko.
But the next thing that happened was Haruko falling backwards, back onto the bridge, while Kon jumped right off. However, because Haruko was no longer there for him to save, he had nothing to grab onto and plummeted down... or would have, if Momone hadn't shot out a hand and caught his wrist.
"Thanks, Momone!" Kon called out.
"That was reckless, you know! What would Ichigo say if he came home and found you soaking wet?" Momone said.
"…Just pull me up."
Before Momone could start, Haruko got up, reached down and grabbed Kon's other arm. "I'll help!"
Moments later, Kon was back on the bridge.
Elsewhere in Karakura Town, Tatsuki and Orihime were still searching for the two Mod Souls. The two had searched all the places the two had been to before, including their school, Karin's school, and the alleyway Orihime found them in that one time. But no matter where they searched, they found no sign of Kon or Momone.
Tatsuki put her hands on her hips. "This is ridiculous, where are those two?"
"I know," Orihime sighed. "With all the places we looked, we should have found them by now. Unless…"
"Unless what?" Tatsuki asked.
Orihime looked at her friend with an innocent smile and told her, "Unless they might have turned invisible! Maybe they put on some vanishing cream so that we couldn't see them!"
Tatsuki blinked, to make sure she was still talking to her friend and not some looney lookalike. "Orihime, you're letting your imagination run away with you. Vanishing cream only exists in cartoons."
"Really?" Orihime put her right index finger on her lower lip. "I always thought that that was a real thing."
A voice was heard. "Maybe I can help you two."
Both girls looked and saw a familiar black cat walking up to them. "Yoruichi!"
Meanwhile, Kon, Momone, and Haruko had relocated to a bench in Karakura Community Park.
"I'm so sorry," Haruko apologized to Kon. "You almost fell into the river because of me."
"Forget it. It's no big deal," Kon waved it off. "And besides, this body doesn't belong to me, so the bottom line is if it gets wet and catches a cold, what do I care?"
"...Hm?" Haruko looked at Kon in confusion.
Momone was quick to cover Kon's mouth and laughed awkwardly at Haruko. "Oh, don't listen to him. He was just talking to himself, he tends to do that. Ha ha ha ha…" She looked at Kon sternly and whispered, "Ixnay on the odybay…"
"Oh, shrry." Kon's voice was muffled behind Momone's mouth.
"You two must be really close," Haruko noted. "Are you two dating?"
"Huh…?" Kon and Momone both blushed.
"Oh no, no, no…" Kon waved his hands defensively in embarrassment. "We're not dating…"
"What he said," Momone agreed. "We're not even a couple…"
Kon then changed the subject. "By the way, didn't you come by the clinic earlier asking for directions? Did you find the place you were looking for?"
Haruko then got a depressed look on her face and stared off into space. "Yes, but afterwards, I got distracted by a man and a woman flying through the air."
"Huh," Kon muttered.
"A man and a woman flying through the air, are you sure?" Momone asked.
"Yes," Haruko asserted. "Things like that happen to me sometimes. Funny thing is that the man and the woman were both wearing black kimonos."
"Black kimonos…" the Mod Souls whispered.
"Oh, do you know who they are?"
"No, not really." Momone laughed awkwardly. "You probably saw ghosts."
"It's possible," Haruko agreed. "I've been seeing things like that ever since I was a little child."
"Anything else you noticed about them?" Kon put his hands on his knees and leaned forward. "The man and the woman I mean."
"Yes," Haruko confirmed. "The man was carrying an oversized katana while the woman was wearing a pink scarf. Not only that but the man had short orange spiky hair and the woman had long wavy blonde hair."
It had to be Ichigo and Rangiku, the Mod Souls thought simultaneously.
"Anyway, I tried not to let it bother me, but when I got home…" Haruko started telling the two Mod Souls about what happened back at her apartment.
Back at Haruko's apartment, Ken was leaving with his first bundle of belongings, but he had a look of guilt on his face and he looked like he was looking for someone. "What was I thinking? Haruko's the only girl for me and I hurt her feelings! I've got to find her and apologize to her."
A voice came out, "Well, well… if it isn't the man who broke my cousin's heart."
Ken looked and saw what appeared to be a tall, well-endowed girl of slender build with light skin, long wavy pink hair, and short bangs that framed her forehead and purple eyes. "Um, do I know you?"
"I am Meninas McAllon," Meninas identified herself. "And I know you, Ken. You're the man who broke my cousin's heart."
Ken realized who he was talking to. "You're Haruko's cousin?"
"Did you really not realize that the moment I told you my name?" Meninas shook her head. "How insulting…"
"I didn't mean to hurt her," Ken told her. "Please, I need to find her."
"And why should I help you," Meninas questioned.
"Because… Haruko is the world to me," tears started leaving Ken's eyes. "I can't imagine my life without her."
"Either you can't or you won't," Meninas questioned. "And you should have thought of that before you hurt her feelings."
Ken then dropped his head in depression and answered. "I know…" he then picked his head back up and announced. "But that's why I've gotta make it up to her."
Ken then left to go find Haruko, leaving Meninas a bit insulted.
"Did he just leave without asking me where Haruko went?" Meninas muttered. "That's even more insulting than when he didn't realize who I am. He's going to die and it won't be from my hands."
Meninas then disappeared into a shadow.
Back in the park, Haruko finished telling Kon and Momone what happened at her apartment earlier. She then covered her face with both hands and started to cry.
"Ouch," Momone muttered.
"I don't see these visions because I want to," Haruko cried. "They just appear out of nowhere."
"Oh, really," Kon asked.
Haruko then looked at the two and told them, "Then to add insult to injury, Ken told me he was going to leave right after he finished eating, isn't that awful?"
"Yeah, it's kinda odd when you think about it," Kon answered. "I mean what difference would it make whether he left before or after he ate his meal?"
Momone elbowed Kon's side. "Don't be insensitive."
Haruko then stood up, clasped her hands together and announced, "Well that settles it, I'm killing myself!"
"What," Kon gasped.
"You can't be serious," Momone gasped.
"It's too difficult to bear," Haruko explained. "I can't go on living now that Ken's broken up with me. Thanks for rescuing me, even though it'll only postpone the inevitable."
Haruko walked away sadly
"Hey wait a minute, you're not going to like it much when you die," Kon called out.
Before the two Mod Souls could even think of stopping her, they heard a voice. "NOW WE'VE GOT YOU…!"
They looked and saw Orihime, Tatsuki, and Yoruichi standing right in front of them; the latter two were both cross.
"We should have known you'd be here," Tatsuki told them.
"Orihime, Tatsuki, Yoruichi," Kon gasped. "What are you doing here?"
"That's what we'd like to ask you two," said Yoruichi sternly.
"Oh, we don't have time for this," Momone pointed out. "That woman is going to commit suicide!"
Meanwhile, Ichigo and Rangiku were still searching for evidence of what was going on lately. So far, all they found were motionless bodies of humans, whose bodies had been shriveled up. Ichigo eventually found Rangiku in an alleyway where she had found another of those shriveled up bodies, in this case a woman.
"Found another one," Ichigo asked.
"Yeah, at the end of the alley," Rangiku pointed towards the body.
"Do you think a Hollow did that," Ichigo asked.
"Not an ordinary Hollow, there's too much damage," Rangiku answered. "An ordinary would only go after human souls."
"What do you mean," Ichigo asked.
"There are certain Hollows that don't just eat human souls," Rangiku explained. "From the looks of it, this particular Hollow also sucks out the bodily fluids as well as the soul. This isn't the first time a Hollow like this has appeared."
"You mean you've encountered a Hollow like this before," Ichigo asked.
"Not me," Rangiku explained. "Some time ago, another Soul Reaper named Kaien Shiba fought a Hollow that possessed the bodies of Soul Reapers like a parasite and was killed in action as a result of that fight."
"Oh," Ichigo replied. "Could this be that same Hollow?"
"I doubt it," Rangiku answered. "That Hollow was also killed at the same time as Kaien was. Also, that one could possess Soul Reapers. This one seems to possess humans."
"How could you possibly know that," Ichigo asked.
"It's just a hunch, but ever since we defeated Shrieker, as we saw, there were five identical incidents like this one," Rangiku explained. "The spirit energy of the Hollow believed to be responsible for the incidents appears and disappears with each event. This one however seems to be the most recent so whatever attacked her couldn't have made it very far away in a short period of time. We have to stop the next attack before it happens."
On a cliff with a fence, Haruko was looking at Karakura Town, looking more depressed than ever. "What a dummy you are, Ken. Breaking up, after all I did for you. I really should have listened to Meninas and joined the Wandenreich when I had the chance."
Haruko's imagination:
"I'm Home," Ken announced.
"I'm so glad to see you, darling," Haruko said with glee. "Here, enjoy your dinner!"
"I will," Ken told her. "Thank you so much!
Ken then dug in as Haruko enjoyed the sight she was seeing, her boyfriend happy.
Reality:
"You fool," Haruko muttered. "One thing's for sure. When I'm dead, you won't get any more meals from me. I might as well get on with the mission Meninas gave me. Maybe I'll go with her to Silbern once the mission's over."
Suddenly, Haruko sensed something and heard some footsteps from behind her. Looking back, she saw a strange tall man with blue hair that was somewhat curled and combed to the side, blue eyes, and wore red earrings, a white coat, and matching white pants.
"Did I hear you right?" said the man. "You want to die?"
Haruko blinked.
"Well, today's your lucky day," said the man. "I've come here… to grant your wish!"
But while this man looked human, Haruko could tell right away that something was off about him. "Could this be the Hollow that Meninas warned me about?" she thought. "If it is, I might as well play along."
"What? What are you talking about?" Haruko asked.
The "man" walked up to Haruko as he explained, "It's simple, I'm going to help you die."
Haruko soon got a good sense of the man and realized that it was the Hollow that Meninas warned her about. "Just as I thought, but I still have to play along," she thought before gasping verbally.
The Hollow was impressed. "I see. Apparently, you can sense a Hollow's Spiritual Pressure."
"What are you saying," Haruko asked, still playing along. "Are you even human?!"
"Not really," the Hollow answered. "I'm just temporarily borrowing this human body. Anyway, why are you so afraid? You kept saying you want to die, and I'm offering to grant your wish."
I'm afraid because Meninas took my cross away so I can't manifest my bow to protect myself. Haruko thought before saying. "Yeah, I understand, but this is so sudden. It's, well, I feel I have to prepare myself for it."
"Heh," the Hollow smirked. "What a silly thing for you to be focusing on at the moment you're about to die. Relax, my dear, there's no need to be afraid. The pain will only be momentary. Now just open your mouth."
"Open my mouth," Haruko questioned. "Why should I do that?"
"It makes it easier when I do this," the Hollow then shed the human form it had and took on its true form.
The Hollow had a body resembling that of a skeletal worm, its mask resembled a skull, and had a row of grinning teeth beneath its eyes. It also appeared to have a face on the other side of its head, which appeared to have red eyes that popped out, both had a spiral pattern inside and an opening that worm-like creatures come out of. Haruko screamed upon seeing the Hollow's true form, a scream that Ichigo and the others heard. Mere moments later, Haruko was pinned to the fence by the Hollow as it prepared to try to enter her body while Haruko was still screaming, leaving her mouth open.
"Yes, that's good," said the Hollow. "Open your mouth wider! That way, I can leech onto you and suck out your nutrients! You'll end up just like that man over there!"
Haruko closed her mouth and eyes and turned her head away in response.
Suddenly, Kon and Momone came out of the trees and attacked the Hollow. "Kon and Momone to the rescue…!"
"The Great Kon Kick Attack," Kon kicked the Hollow while Momone punched the Hollow, and both sent it flying through the fence and down to the ground below.
Moments after the Hollow was taken out of the picture, Tatsuki and Orihime arrived and guided Haruko away from the area.
At the bottom of the cliff, the Hollow recovered from the initial strike and got back on its feet, if it even had any. "Damn those two! I'm not giving up that easily!"
Suddenly, the Hollow spotted Ken walking around.
"Hello, Haruko," Ken called out. "Can you hear me? Where did you take off to? Guess I should have asked Meninas where she went."
Ken's thoughts were cut off when the Hollow appeared before him and, for some reason, he was able to see it. But before he could make a move, the Hollow burrowed himself into his body through the mouth.
In the air, Ichigo and Rangiku took notice.
"Huh," Rangiku gasped. "The Hollow's Spiritual Pressure disappeared again!"
"Damn," said Ichigo in frustration. "What the hell is going on here?! Could it have possessed another body?"
"It's possible," Rangiku replied. "Keep your guard up, it could be anywhere!"
The two then split up again.
Back in the park, the others regrouped to an open grass field.
"That was close, but we should be safe for now," said Kon.
"'We' might be safe, but you two are still in trouble for leaving the clinic," Yoruichi told them.
"Wow a talking cat," Haruko gasped.
Orihime noticed Haruko and vice versa and they recognized each other.
"Oh, it's you!"
"Huh, oh you're that girl who bumped into me the other day!"
Momone asked, "You two met before?"
Orihime explained what happened the other day when she and Tatsuki were looking for Chad.
"Oh, that explains it," said Momone.
"Well anyway, I don't understand what's happening," Haruko got back on topic. "What was that monster?!"
"It's called a Hollow," Kon answered.
"A Hollow," Haruko asked, but Yoruichi could tell something was off.
"I'm afraid so," Tatsuki explained. "Long story short, it attacks people and sucks out their souls."
"But it looks so human at first," Haruko pointed out.
"And I'm a talking cat, and yet here we are," Yoruichi scratched her head with her right rear paw. "We don't really understand it either. But from what we've seen, it's an unusual type that uses a human as a host."
"Oh dear," Haruko sighed.
"If that's the case, then every single person out there is at risk," Tatsuki realized. "I hope Ichigo and Rangiku find that thing before it infects another victim."
But Haruko had something else on her mind. "But why?"
The others looked at Haruko.
"Why did you save me," Haruko showed her face again, showing how upset she was, tears forming on her face. "I never asked any of you to interfere, you know! Especially you two!"
Kon and Momone gasped.
Tatsuki shouted, "They were worried about you, that's why they interfered!"
"This isn't any of your business," Haruko shot back. "If you hadn't stepped in, I could have died right there, just like I wanted to! It would have been much better if you all had just left me alone!"
Momone had had enough of this and slapped Haruko across the face, much to everyone's surprise, as it was something they'd expect Tatsuki to do. There was a moment of silence as Haruko nursed her cheek.
"Snap out of it, will you," Momone told her. "Do you really want to die?"
Haruko didn't give an answer.
"You can't be serious," Kon put his hands on Haruko's shoulders. "How can you even say something like that?"
Haruko gasped.
"Life is precious," Kon explained. "You should hold onto it with all your might! That guy who was killed back there, I can guarantee you he didn't want to die, especially in such a hideous way!"
"And what about everyone else he probably killed," Momone added. "I'm positive none of them wanted to die, certainly not that way either!"
"How come you two… know so much," Haruko questioned.
"I guess you've noticed by now we're not normal human beings," Kon explained.
"None of us are," Tatsuki explained.
"Fact is, we were each supposed to be killed off a long time ago," Kon continued, not realizing how right he was. "But in spite of everything, we're still here. If we can survive what we had to go through, then so can you!"
Haruko closed her eyes, lowered her head, and replied, "But I'm just so frightened."
"We all were," Tatsuki agreed. "Even so, we were able to pull through."
Momone offered. "We'll help you if you want."
Haruko asked. "What?"
"We promise that we'll help you," Kon told her. "But in return, you have to promise not to give up on yourself."
Haruko thought about it for a moment, "Well, I guess…"
Orihime then said happily, "By the way, we were never properly introduced. I'm Orihime Inoue."
"And I'm Tatsuki Arisawa," Tatsuki introduced herself. "This is our pet cat, Yoruichi. Those two are Kon and Momone."
"I'm Haruko McAllon," Haruko introduced herself. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you."
Suddenly, Ichigo and Rangiku appeared on the scene. "Hey!"
Everyone looked at the two, Haruko immediately recognizing them. "Ah, you're the man and the woman I saw flying in the air earlier!"
Ichigo and Rangiku were surprised.
Ichigo gasped, "You can see us?"
Orihime replied with delight, "Yeah, she can see ghosts like we can apparently!"
But Rangiku, like Yoruichi, could tell that Haruko was far from being just a normal human being. This Spiritual Pressure. It can't be!
"Ichigo, this is Haruko," Orihime introduced. "Haruko, this is our friend, Ichigo."
"Hey," said Ichigo casually.
"It's good to meet you," Haruko bowed before noticing something. "Wait a minute, you look exactly like Kon!"
Ichigo immediately turned his attention to Kon, who was still using his body, and was not happy. Rangiku did the same with Momone.
"I thought I told you to stay back at that house," Ichigo shouted.
"It wasn't my idea," Kon defended himself. "Momone bribed me to do it!"
Before Kon could say anything else, Ichigo took possession of his body again, forcing Kon's Soul Candy back out his mouth. Rangiku did the same with Momone. Once back in their bodies, Ichigo and Rangiku placed their Mod Souls back into their stuffed animal bodies.
"Did you really have to do that," Kon complained.
"Shut up," Ichigo scolded. "It's what you get for leaving when you did!"
"You're in big trouble," Rangiku told Momone.
"Would you just look past that for a moment or too," Momone complained.
"What's going on here," Haruko asked.
"Let me explain," Tatsuki explained the concept of Mod Souls and Soul Candies, to Haruko.
"So that's what they meant when they said they were supposed to die," Haruko sighed sadly.
"Would you stop it," Kon cried while being stomped on.
"I think I'm done, for now," Ichigo sighed before turning to Haruko. "Sorry if he did anything strange to you."
"Oh no, he didn't do anything like that," Haruko reassured Ichigo. "Truth be told, Kon and Momone saved me from a Hollow."
"What," Ichigo gasped in surprise.
"You two," Rangiku raised an eyebrow at her Mod Soul.
"It's a long story," Momone replied before crossing her arms and looking away. "One I'm sure you don't have the patience for."
Ichigo and Rangiku didn't like that their Mod Souls were being stubborn, especially Ichigo. But looking at the situation, they realized that they may have been too hard on them just this one time. In the end, they agreed to hear them out. The two Mod Souls then explained what happened as well as what led up to it.
"So let me get this straight," Ichigo put his hands on his hips. "Haruko here was dumped by her boyfriend and was attacked by a parasitic Hollow and you two saved her from it?"
"Not like you'd ever believe me," Kon crossed his arms and looked away.
"But it's true," Haruko explained. "If it wasn't for Kon and Momone, I wouldn't be here right now."
"You know, maybe we were too hard on our Mod Souls, Ichigo, at least this time we were," Rangiku sighed. "But that Hollow they encountered was probably the very one that's been attacking all those victims."
"You think it's still out there," Orihime asked.
"Probably," Rangiku nodded her head.
"Then we need to get away from here," Tatsuki suggested.
Orihime looked at Haruko then turned back to Ichigo before asking him, "Ichigo, do you think Haruko can stay with us in the room?"
Ichigo was put off guard by this. "What?!"
"I mean just for the night," Orihime explained.
"I don't see any reason why not," Rangiku agreed verbally. Yeah right, I can't take any chances. she thought. Especially if Haruko is what I think she is.
"Hey wait a minute," Ichigo waved his hands defensively. "My room is already cramped enough as it is!"
"Nonsense Ichigo," Yoruichi told him. "Your room has plenty of space and it's only temporarily until Haruko can settle down."
And that way, I can keep an eye on her directly. Yoruichi thought.
"I assure you, Ichigo, I won't be a burden," Haruko reassured the male carrot top.
Ichigo thought about it for a moment. He knew that his room was getting cramped up and it was only a matter of time before it ran out of space. At the same time though, looking at the pleading expression on Orihime, the "why not" expression on Tatsuki, and the desperate expression on Haruko, he realized that he was outnumbered. "Fine… she can sleep with us for now."
But before anyone could say anything else, a voice sprang out. "Hold it right there…!"
Everyone looked and saw a big man, panting heavily.
"Haruko, you know this guy," Tatsuki asked.
"Yeah, he's my boyfriend," Haruko explained.
Everyone was surprised.
"Haruko," Ken got onto his hands and knees and started begging. "I'm sorry! I was way off-base!"
This caught Haruko's attention.
"I made a mistake," Ken admitted. "I want to get back together, if you'll let me! I miss your cooking! It was so delicious! Tell me, is it too late?"
Everyone looked at Haruko who got up and tearfully shook her head, "Oh course not! I forgive you!"
Come on girl, at least play hard to get! Tatsuki sighed mentally with a disapproving expression.
"I'm so glad you apologized," Haruko happily ran over to Ken. "Let's just forget what happened!"
"Come here, Haruko," Ken called out.
Rangiku and Yoruichi immediately detected that something was wrong. While Haruko and Ken reunited and kissed, Rangiku took out her glove and shoved Kon and Momone's pills out of their stuffed animal bodies.
"Ichigo," Rangiku offered one of the pills.
Ichigo took the pill and swallowed it while Rangiku swallowed hers and the two took on their Soul Reaper forms once again.
Orihime asked, "Ichigo, Rangiku, what's going on?"
Suddenly they all felt considerable spirit energy.
"I think we're about to find out," Tatsuki answered.
Suddenly Ken fell to the ground, his body all shriveled up like the other victims, while Haruko turned around and laughed sadistically with a sinister smile and red soulless eyes.
"Just as I thought," Rangiku exclaimed. "The Hollow was possessing Ken and now it's possessing Haruko!"
"Very observant of you, Soul Reaper," the Hollow chuckled through Haruko's voice before extending her fingernails into claws.
"Look out," Rangiku called out.
Everyone dodged the oncoming attack by jumping either to the left or to the right, but the Hollow wasn't done yet. It then extended Haruko's arms like they were tentacles and attempted to grab them. But before they could grab anyone, Kon and Momone, now occupying Ichigo's and Rangiku's bodies, knocked the hands away. However there was something unexpected.
"Nice try, big shot," said Kon from Rangiku's Gigai.
"You're not getting anyone right now," said Momone from Ichigo's body.
"What the hell," Ichigo and Tatsuki both gasped.
"Didn't see that coming," Orihime gasped.
"Oh no," Rangiku sweat dropped in embarrassment.
Apparently, Ichigo had put Momone's soul candy into his body while Rangiku had put Kon's soul candy into her Gigai.
"Rangiku, you gave me the wrong Soul Candy," Ichigo complained.
"We'll have time for that later," Rangiku pointed out.
The Hollow then extended Haruko's claws once more, this time with both hands, sending them towards everyone once more. Its left hand claws aimed at Ichigo and Rangiku while its right hand claws aimed at Kon and Momone. The Soul Reapers were quick to dodge by jumping into the air, but the Mod Souls were caught off guard. Retracting its claws, the Hollow followed up by extending Haruko's arms once more and managed to grab Kon and Momone by the throats. It then moved towards them and got uncomfortably close.
"You bastard, you were determined to take over her body no matter what," said Kon.
"And who's fault is that? You didn't follow up to destroy me," said the hollow. "After you knocked me down and left me, I just so happened to run into Fatso here and guess who he was looking for?"
Momone glared. "You were inside Ken when he found us."
"I think the blonde Soul Reaper already pointed that out," said the hollow. "Too bad the little twit never realized it until it was too late. She dropped the guard, and without giving it a second thought, she ran over and threw herself right into my waiting arms. Though as you can see, I took the liberty of sucking out all of Fatso's nutrients while I was inside him."
"You bastard," Tatsuki called out. "You'll pay for that!"
The Hollow ignored Tatsuki's taunt as it stated, "And just as I thought, this woman possesses considerable spirit energy! I'll have to take my time, sucking every last drop from her body!"
"No way," Kon thought.
"Not a chance in hell," Momone thought.
The two Mod Souls then kicked the Hollow, causing it to lose its grip on them, but the Hollow was quick to regain its footing.
"Nice try," said the hollow.
"Rangiku, what can we do," Ichigo asked.
"I don't know," Rangiku replied. "We can't strike the Hollow with our Zanpakuto while it's possessing Haruko's body."
But then it hit her. "Wait a minute… Kon, Momone, you still have my gloves!"
"Huh," both Mod Souls gasped.
"Use my gloves to knock the Hollow out of her body," Rangiku instructed.
The two Mod Souls looked at their hands and saw that Rangiku's glove was still on her Gigai's hand and answered, "Right!"
"Kon, I'll distract her," Momone told her fellow Mod Soul. "You use Rangiku's gloves to knock that Hollow out of her body."
"Okay, but be careful," said Kon.
As the Hollow extended its claws for another attack, the two Mod Souls made their move. Both ran right towards the Hollow, Momone was in front and deflected the attacks, while Kon moved in with the glove at the ready. The Hollow then tried extending its arms again, but they were ready for it. Momone grabbed onto the arms and leaped up while Kon charged in and used the glove to knock the Hollow right out of Haruko's body.
"Now's our chance," Rangiku signaled.
"Right," Ichigo moved in and sliced the Hollow in half with his Zanpakuto, killing it instantly.
At the same time, Haruko returned to normal and regained consciousness. "What happened to me?"
"You were possessed by that Hollow," Momone answered.
Haruko was caught off guard, "Um, Momone, what is…?"
"It really doesn't matter," Momone shrugged it off.
"Yeah, you're all right now," said Kon
"Well, that guy's gone, for good," Ichigo sighed.
"But why, why did you guys save me again," Haruko asked.
"You could at least pretend that you're thankful," Rangiku remarked.
"Yeah, don't you remember," Momone asked.
"We promised to help you," Kon reminded her.
However before anyone could celebrate, they all turned their attention towards Ken's husk body. Haruko naturally ran up to it and began to grieve over the loss of her ex while everyone else gave her space. It was evening when she finally calmed down.
Ichigo asked, "Are you alright?"
"I think so now," Haruko wiped the tears from her eyes. "I only wish I had gotten one more chance to see him."
"So, what are you going to do now," Rangiku asked.
"I don't know," Haruko got back up on her feet. "With Ken gone from my life, I don't know what I should do now."
Rangiku then offered, "Well, you could always move in with us."
"Huh," Haruko shot a look of confusion at Rangiku.
"What!?" Ichigo gasped upon hearing this.
Orihime clasped her hands with delight. "That's a great idea, Rangiku!"
"Hey, wait a minute!" said Ichigo. "Her staying for the night is one thing, but her moving in permanently…?"
"What's wrong, Ichigo," Rangiku asked seductively. "You already have three beautiful women living in the same room as you. One more wouldn't hurt."
"Yeah and besides, Ichigo, Haruko needs a place to stay after today's events." Tatsuki pointed out. "So how about you be a gentleman and let her stay?"
Ichigo took a deep breath before looking at Haruko. "What about you?"
Haruko thought about it for a moment before hugging Ichigo and answering, "I'll move in with you guys, especially with you, Ichigo. I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me!"
Even though Kon and Momone were the ones doing most of the work. Tatsuki thought.
"I promise, I won't be a burden," Haruko vowed.
Ichigo was reluctant to accept yet another girl into his house, but he caved in and allowed it. "Alright, fine."
The girls all cheered. "Yay…!"
"Anyway, we better," Ichigo started to turn towards home when he noticed something. "WHA…!"
"What is it, Ichigo," said Rangiku before she noticed what he noticed.
The others looked and saw what was going on. Kon was still in Rangiku's Gigai and Momone was still in Ichigo's body and the two were playing around with them.
"Oh, I never thought I'd actually inhabit a woman's body," Kon played around with Rangiku's breasts.
"And I never thought I'd actually inhabit a man's body," Momone hugged Ichigo's body.
Acting fast, Yoruichi handed some special gloves to Tatsuki and she used them to knock the two Mod Souls out of Ichigo and Rangiku's bodies. She then proceeded to put their soul candies back into their stuffed animal bodies.
"Get back in there," Tatsuki ordered them. "You're creeping us out!"
Everyone laughed as Tatsuki proceeded to stomp on the two Mod Souls into the ground for their perverse behavior.
Sometime later, the group returned to Kurosaki Clinic where they introduced Haruko to Isshin, Yuzu, and Karin.
"Wow, she's beautiful," Yuzu clasped her hands with delight.
"Oh, Masaki, our boy found another girlfriend," Isshin cried as he rubbed his face over the picture of Masaki.
"Well what do you know," Karin comically smirked. "You found another one for your harem, Ichigo."
Ichigo groaned. "It's not like that at all."
"Didn't he say that when you moved in," Tatsuki whispered to Orihime.
"Mhm," Orihime nodded.
"I know that you don't have a lot of room, but I won't be a burden, I promise," Haruko reassured Ichigo's family.
"What exactly do you do?" Karin raised her eyebrow.
"I can cook for everyone," Haruko explained.
"Um, I already cook for everyone in this house," Yuzu replied.
"Come on, Yuzu," said Karin. "Even you need a break every once in a while, especially since Ichigo might bring in a few more girlfriends for his harem."
"I told you, it's not a harem," Ichigo shouted in denial.
Everyone laughed at Ichigo's antics.
Later that night, everyone was settling down. Isshin was in his bedroom, Yuzu and Karin were sleeping together in their room, and Ichigo was in his room with Rangiku, Orihime, Yoruichi, Tatsuki, and their newest addition Haruko. However, Haruko decided to reflect on herself and climbed onto the roof to look upon the stars.
What a day, Haruko thought. If I only had my cross, I could have easily handled that Hollow with little effort.
Haruko's Imagination:
The Hollow shed the human form it had and took on its true form. Upon seeing this, Haruko took out her cross and materialized a bow. She then fired an arrow at the Hollow, destroying it upon impact before it could do anything to her.
Reality:
Haruko tilted her head down and thought, Unfortunately, Meninas took my cross since I was supposed to look like a damsel in distress.
Next thing she knew, Meninas emerged from a shadow and appeared right behind her, causing Haruko to gasp.
"Good evening, Haruko," said Meninas.
"You startled me," Haruko gasped.
"Get used to it," Meninas advised. "I must keep a low profile until the time comes."
"I understand," Haruko sighed.
Meninas then changed the subject. "I see you've infiltrated Ichigo Kurosaki's home."
"More like they accepted me in," Haruko pointed out. "But did Ken have to die?"
"No, that wasn't part of the plan," Meninas reassured her. "He simply got caught in the crossfire and that Hollow took advantage of his involvement."
"I suppose," Haruko shed a tear before taking out the circular item. "I'm just lucky I took that vaccine to keep my soul from committing soul suicide when that Hollow possessed me. Still, you want to tell me what this thing is for?"
"Oh that," said Meninas. "Forgive me, cousin, I neglected to tell you what that item is and what it's meant for."
Meninas then whispered to Haruko what the item was and what it was meant for.
And that was chapter 8. So there you have it, the woman Orihime bumped into in the last chapter was Haruko, though some of you guessed that already, and she's a Quincy. Plus, the Sternritter was in fact Meninas, the one who defeated Rukia in episode 5 of the Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War anime. Also, as you can see, Haruko and Meninas, at least in here, are cousins, which makes Haruko more of a villain here, especially since Meninas gave her a certain circular item. I haven't revealed what said item is or what it's used for yet, but I'll bet some of you can already guess from the description. For those who can't, don't worry, you'll get your answer in do time.
Also, yes, I'm aware that Yoruichi should have easily defeated Shrieker in the last chapter, but at the same time, she also should have easily defeated Sui-Feng in canon during their fight without getting a single scratch on her. The reason she was struggling against the Shrieker was for the same reason Sui-Feng was able to land hits on her, she was simply holding back. Now the next chapter will be completely original, but think of it as the calm before the storm.
Author's Note: Again, I'd like to give a shout out to Ikrani for his help in this chapter. Now I'll admit, I didn't follow all of his suggestions since, 1: this was my first time doing something like that, and 2: as I mentioned before, I have the final say, no matter what happens. That being said, I'm still opened minded enough to hear what he, or anyone else who helps me has to say and I'll be sure to be careful and listen to them before making my final decision. This still wasn't a perfect chapter, but hopefully the next one will be an improvement. One more thing, for those who are still wondering where I'm going with all of this, I will announce once and for all in the next chapter whether this is a harem or not. Until then, stay tuned.
Chapter 9: Moving In