Chapter Text
Urahara honestly didn’t even know when it happened. It definitely started out slow, with Ichigo Kurosaki coming over more and more frequently for training. Eventually his sisters (terrifying and sweet, how fun) started to appear with their older brother. Soon, the candy shop owner found himself with a store full of teenagers. With rooms. Who lived there. Urahara doesn’t even know where the rooms came from in the first place, although he suspects that Tessai had something to do with it. Regardless, they all fell into a pattern, and, while none of the spiritually aware children lived there per-say (Ishida remained adamant that he would not be living with shinigami), they were around often enough that they could be.
Then Aizen happened, and Ichigo lost his powers, part of his soul, and the first thing that happened was everyone came back to the shoten for him. Urahara thinks quiety, in the back of his head, that had this small family not been made. Had his innocent candy shop not become home to so many, Ichigo could have been alone for a long time.
He did make the sword to return that missing part of his soul, of course he would. Because, as much as he tries not to show it, he genuinely cares for the band of misfits now under his wing, and damn it all if he doesn’t try to fix the pain he caused.
And they fall back into their routine. There are some bumps, namely Urahara finding out how Isshin “trained” Ichigo and proceeding to make the shoten a permanent home for the Kurosaki children. Not that anyone was complaining, Tessai loves talking with Yuzu, and Karin and Jinta compete to see who gets more work done. Meaning less for him and that is wonderful.
So imagine his surprise when two writhing sources of reiatsu, or something similar, suddenly appear at his front door.
Urahara was in his lab when it happened, and he spent no time getting to the door. Sliding it open, he sees two creatures that look like they could be Hollows, but something’s wrong. Distinctly, profoundly, wrong.
The first thing is how human these creatures looked. One tall and thin, their black body writhing as they desperately claw at their face with one hand. A quick glance shows that their other arm is nothing but a stump. In front of the tall creature is a significantly smaller one who is trembling, but also trying to pry the tall one’s hand away.
The second thing is their masks. Where Hollow masks are made just to hide the face, these ones seem to be encasing the whole head.
The third is the amount of terror pouring out of the tall one. It’s near suffocating, and yet they don’t make a single sound. Not one.
Urahara sees the small one signing something, but he’s not in any angle to be able to see what they’re trying to say. The tall one does though, and seems to grow more agitated before tilting their head back and shrieking.
They start to claw at their chest (with no hole in it), then their face, then their stump, shrieking and definitely waking up at least Tessai and Ichigo, sensing them coming towards the source of the sound quickly.
The small one suddenly turns to Urahara, a sudden spike in their reiatsu appearing as a many-layered voice cries out inside his head.
Help them! Help Hollow! It begs. Sibling in pain! Help them!
Tessai is the first to arrive, pausing at the scene, partially out of the mass amount of reiatsu
“This little creature wants me to help their sibling.” Urahara says. “Although I’m unsure how.”
Tessai nods, looking the tall one up and down. Then Ichigo arrives, and the small creature’s reiatsu flares more, and everyone takes a few seconds to get used to the sheer amount
Higher one! Help them! Help them!
Ichigo flinches, and Urahara tucks away what the little creature said for later.
“Why can’t you help them?” He retorts. Of the three, Ichigo definitely was not the one to go to for healing.
The little one stills, like memories are coming back to them.
Unifying Void. Killing Infection. Saving sibling. Can’t Focus. Can’t use SOUL. Help them! Help them! Higher being! Help them!!
Tessai steps forwards, going near the still-writhing tall creature. The small one watches with a dead look, although it’s hard to get much out of a full-head mask.
Help Hollow? Shell-less Shaman helps Hollow? Ghost thanks! Help them!
Tessai starts to heal the stump, which had started bleeding blackness. The small one’s thoughts continue to be impressed upon the trio, although Urahara’s almost positive they don’t know they’re doing it. Especially with how dark they start to get.
Green SOUL? Wandering Shaman? Higher being? Three higher beings. Danger to sibling? Kill them if danger. No Infection. Radiance dead. Squished. Hollow okay? Hornet okay? Lost sibling okay? King is dead. Kill mother. Shaman heal Infection? Where Shaman go?
More questions than answers, but the thoughts and immense amount reiatsu dissipate, leaving the two creatures. The tall one is sitting up now, looking around and analyzing their surroundings. The second one is signing, now where Urahara can see it.
Hollow! You okay? I killed the Radiance and now I’m here. Think she brought us here. They sign. Is she gone? Shell-less Shaman healed your stab wounds. How is your mask? Do you need a bench?
The tall one holds up their hand, signing the best they can with one arm.
I am fine, sibling. Why do you call me Hollow? Is it a name? Have you bestowed me a name? What is your name, if you have one? It signs back, and the three shinigami (well, two shinigami and one part shinigami), watch in rising horror as the small one (Little Ghost, a name apparently given to them by their sister), is technically a god and a god killer, and a master of the nail, whatever that means.
Hollow does ask about the Nailsmith and the Nailmasters (what are with these names??), and Little Ghost talks about how Nailmaster Sheo now is a Paintmaster, happily with Nailsmith to make their own art and their own path. Hollow is not happy with how Little Ghost calls Sly a conniving bitch, though.
Once the catch-up is done, Hollow looks between Ichigo, Tessai, and Urahara.
You feel like Pale Being. They sign. Like Father and Mother (Little Ghost’s reiatsu screams hatred at the mention of their parents), like Radiance, like the Troupe Masters.
Little Ghost starts to flit at the mention of Troupe Masters, looking through a bag with fervor, but Urahara ignores them in favor of figuring out what is going on here.
“I don’t know what ‘pale being’ you speak of.” He starts. “But if they’re some kind of god, I can guarantee that we aren’t.”
Hollow seems to relax at that. Little Ghost sits down with a soft ‘thump’ and puts something on. Suddenly, there’s a chirp and a small creature that looks like it’s made of fire appears and nuzzles against Little Ghost. Hollow shifts at the creature.
Is that a... Hollow trails off.
Grimmchild! They sign excitedly before jumping and sprouting a pair of wings in pure joy. Didn’t think charms worked- You! They point towards Ichigo. Wield your nail!
They pull out what looks like some sort of sword, and things start to fall into place. Slowly.
Ichigo looks reluctant to fight this early in the morning, so Urahara gestures that he go back inside to sleep. He unsheathes Benihime, and Little Ghost lets him hit them.
Or so it seems because Urahara feels something go through his body, making his very soul quiver, and suddenly Little Ghost is behind him, and Tessai is looking increasingly concerned.
“Urahara-dono, maybe we should do something.” He says, and Urahara almost agrees. Until he sees what Little Ghost is signing to Hollow.
You can be free, Hollow. They sign. Pale King isn’t here. You can feel things, you can finally cry and smile and not hide. You are free. Ghost emphasizes the last word, and in that moment Urahara knows he might just have to bring these two into the family.