Chapter Text
A black-haired woman who was mostly pulled back into a simple long ponytail (since she never tried any other styles, since she liked the simple life especially when it comes to hairstyles), was walking down the mainstream of her town walking back from a long day of schooling but had heard a soft cry coming from around this direction and saw a group of grown men huddling around something. Upon closer inspection, she could see that it was a fallen-over mini memorial to a dead person, above the gang she could see the spirit which was crying.
“Please…my mother left me these.” the spirit cried between desperate sobs, it looked up and could see a person noticing it floating above the gang members.
The women tried to ignore its gazing look but couldn’t let this injustice go unpunished. So, she quickly ran up and gave the nearest gang member a quick sliding leg sweep knocking him off his feet. She then stood between the fallen memorial and the 3 other gang members.
“Whoa…hey midget, who he-.” said one of the other gang members.
But the woman quickly silenced the speaker by kicking him directly in the stomach.
“Now!!! Care to explain what that is?” she asked sharply pointing directly to the memorial site. “You…answer!” pointing at the remaining gang members standing.
“Um…a memorial…fo-for a kid who’d died.” One answered shaken.
“Correct.” the woman congratulated him with a quick kick to the chest, sending him flying onto his butt. “And why are these flowers knocked over?” she continued sharply pointing to the knocked-over small vase of flowers, then glaring at the last member standing.
“Uh…I think one of us knocked it…o-over, whilst w—we were walking n-near it.” The gang member squeaked reading himself for the obvious punishment, but nothing came.
“That’s right, you guys are catching on fast…so how about you’d apologize before you become a distance memory yourself!!!” she raised her voice as the spirit voluntarily appeared behind in an innocent form.
This spooked the gang so much that they were on their hands and knees furiously begging for forgiveness and to please not haunt them, not before running away with their tails between their legs. The woman sighed as she casually picked up the still knocked-over vase, then got on her knees and said a quick prayer.
“I’m sorry you had to witness that.” She said in a soft voice, looking towards the floating spirit.
“That’s all right, I’m glad I was able to help you out.” said the spirit with a smile. “It was really fun.”
The woman got up and with a returning smile, then made her way home. That’s when a figure dressed in black with bright orange hair stood before the spirit, then a flash of semi-bright white light before it was all silent back to the sounds of a casual afternoon. When she eventually got home, she was greeted by her father who was in the spare room of their small double-store house just finishing off his latest calligraphy art piece for the day.
“Welcome home, Rukia,” he said almost flatly as he heard the front door opening, but it was mostly from his tired expression as he’s been working on this commission piece for almost a month now, but still had a long way to go. And her mother was just sitting in the living room reading a good book, and it must have been good, as it took a while for her to notice her daughter had just walked through the door.
“Sorry, I’m late…. I was, just lost track of time.” she excused herself as she took her school shoes and left them in the shoe rack by the left side of the door.
“Welcome home, dinner should be ready soon. I’ll just need some help.” the mother said placing a bookmark where she was up to in the book. Before rising to greet her daughter by casually swept back one of her hair’s long strands on the right side of her face and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.
“Sure,” she said
But she didn’t say anything more as she then walked past the open sliding (her father was in) and then made her way upstairs to her room, she then slipped off her school uniform and put on casual ¾ red shorts, and a white shirt with the Pac-Man eating the Ghost and the dots on it (like exactly from the video game. Then she made her way back downstairs to help her mother with dinner, which was going to be a simple Katsudon (batter and fried pork cutlets with a side of plain rice and vegetables).
Once the meal was ready, both the father and mother sat at opposite ends of the table, whilst Rukia sat in the middle before digging in, with each of them serving their portions of rice. It was mostly done in silence before the brother broke awkwardly.
“So how was school?” the father asked casually.
“It’s Fine, father” she answered after finishing up her current mouthful. “I’m keeping up with my studies, also been giving Renji extra tutoring sessions…but were slowing getting there.”
“Aww...” the mother sighed. “that’s nice of you to help Renji, what are you working on this time?”
Rukia had to think for a moment.
“I think we’re working on English and a bit of Japanese…but he needs more work on his English, especially on his spoken,” Rukia explained.
Then the mother noticed a small graze on her daughter’s face.
“Rukia how did get that cut on your face?” she inquired.
Rukia stopped eating and pulled her hands towards her face, and then pulled it away before noticing it had slightly bled to it, as she noticed a little speck of blood had made her way onto her finger.
“Huh, I never noticed it,” she commented.
The mother then made her way to the cupboard above the fridge and brought out the first aid kit, with a washcloth slightly dampened with tap water, then came over to Rukia and started to clean the graze, it stung a bit. But still, her mother fussed over everything, as she was their only child.
“I’m sure it’s fine Hisana, “the father commented as he excused himself from the table to try and get some more work done on his commission piece before bed.
“Byakuya,” The mother called out, then she sighed as he finished cleaning around the graze with anti-septic cream, before placing a small dressing on it. Then she closed the first aid box back and then excused herself.
Rukia just sighed as she picked up the leftover dishes and placed them into their dishwasher. As she was walking upstairs to her bedroom she noticed a small glow in the corner of her eyes, it was a creepy old man spirit that shuffled past as she continued to make her way to her room. She then made her way to her desk to grab her reading the assigned small novel for English, then plopped herself on her bed and began reading. Time had passed seem had before she could feel her eyes drift off, before then a person had magically appeared through her wall and just landed (leaping over her desk) on the floorboard of her room.
“Close, I can feel it close by.” The person had said as if almost talking to himself.
Rukia tracked silently, with her eyes as the person was a tall athletic build male dressed in a black robe with very bright orange hair, as he was starting to head towards her bedroom door. Thinking the male was going to attack her family she immediately then leapt off her bed and side-kicked the figure straight into her wardrobe.
“How’s that for close, intruder!” she yelled as then standing before the male as he was crumpled on the floor, guarding her bedroom door (lucky think she didn’t damage her wardrobe).
The figure didn’t speak, as he was too stunned to speak as he was kicked almost right in his ribs, to which he had to gasp for needed air.
“You…you, you just kicked me!” he exclaimed rubbing the sore side of his body, now facing Rukia.
“Yes, of course, you were going after my family,” she said getting ready in a fight pose, prepared to guard her family with her life.
The intruder just still looked at her stunned as he turned to face her, still rubbing where she’d kicked him.
“B-but I can’t be seen by any humans.” Saying in protest.
“Oh, yea...? well how’s about next time you try and break into a person’s house…. you don’t talk to yourself.” Rukia sarcastically suggested still ready to take me him.
The intruder was again too stunned to speak, as then a running of feet could be heard outside her bedroom, followed by a voice.
“Rukia are you okay? I heard a noise.” the voice belonged to her mother.
At first, Rukia was tempted on talking about the intruder, but she for some reason decided to lie.
“I’m fine, I just accidentally dropped a textbook.” she fibbed.
“Okay…if you’re sure,” she replied as the footsteps retreated downstairs
Then Rukia went back to face the intruder who was now in a formal sitting male pose.
“See what you made me do…? I just lied to my mother,” she murmured to the intruder harshly mad.
The intruder then bows as he then got up, unsheathing his sword that looked more like a large kitchen knife about the size of his body. Rukia flinch to cover her face as he made his way towards her with his sword still in hand, but when she went to open her eyes, she saw the creepy old man (the one she saw before, just sitting on the stairwell), but his forehead was marked with some kind black ink stamp. The spirit cried out in horror.
“Please…” he cried out in a begging motion. “I-I don’t want to be sent to the underworld.”
The intruder who seems to have placed the stamp with the end of his sword just smiled down at the spirit.
“You won’t, the Soul Society is a peaceful place, you’ll be happy there,” he said as he backed off and stood up as a flash of white light surrounded the spirit as it then morphed into a black butterfly. As it then fluttered around the room before disappearing out of Rukia’s bedroom entirely.
“That old man…what did you do to it?” Rukia quizzed.
“I performed a Passing On ceremony, meant for spirits. I perform these as one of my tasks as a Soul Reaper.” the intruder explained as he re-sheathed his sword to his back
“A-a Soul Reaper, what’s that?” Rukia quizzed
The intruder then fished out a small artbook from his robe along with red and black permanent markers.
“May I?” he asked pointing towards the table in the middle of the room.
Rukia just nodded, as she followed him to the table, he set himself up drawing (taking the sword sheath off his back and placing it beside him) as he was explaining the role of the different types of spirits, the role of a Soul Reaper and his mission. Then showing her the results of his drawings, which were just stick-figures some red angry faces fighting another black figure with a black dress. He then was pointing out and explained each drawing to the best of his abilities.
“Do you understand what I’ve told you?” he finished up.
Rukia just politely shook her head.
“Sorry no…it’s just your drawing aren’t helping,” she explained. “But they’re pretty creative at least.”
Trying to be polite with his really bad drawing skills. The intruder sighed as he lowered the book to be flat on the table, he knew his drawing was the worst of his skills.
“Hey, doesn’t mean there is another ‘Hollow’ out there?” Rukia inquired.
“Yeah, it’s been a very invasive little bugger…I’ve been trying to track it down all day.” he groaned
Just then a loud noise rippled through her ears, and it made her shudder at the piercing noise. It sounded like the dying howl of a wolf.
“What was that?” she inquired suddenly looking around her bedroom. “I just heard the most awful noise, it sounded like the cries of a dying wolf.”
This made him pause, how had she just heard it…when he couldn’t even-. Then he could hear it, the definite screaming sound of a Hollow. Just then a loud CRASH noise could be heard from downstairs. The intruder then grabbed his sword and made his way towards the door, when he opened it this flood of power came rippling from the very house itself. But seem from the Occupants of the house, what were these people?
Just then as he got over his fear, he ran downstairs to see an older male version of Rukia, his guess of the father of the house…just lying on his side with some blood pouring out of a wound from his chest.
“DAD!!!” Rukia scream as she rushed to his side.
But the intruder had ordered her to stay in her bedroom, but I guess when the family’s life is on the line…the brain instincts to protect kick in.
“Dad are you okay?” she asked trying to see if there was any sign of him being conscious.
“He’s all right.” the intruder tried to reassure her. “The Hollow hadn’t taken his soul… so just stay here and I’ll go look for you mother.”
With that, he then began searching the house for a while, then landed on the big gaping hole which had completely smashed into the living room wall. Rukia looked up to see the intruder willing to fight for this stranger. Then a piercing scream of a woman could be heard rippling through the house. Rukia knew that voice, she then left her father where he was and then ran in the direction of the scream. When she come upon the source, she saw the ugliest-looking thing ever, it was a cross between a frog and a bear with a black hole in the centre of its chest and a white-like mask. It had her mother grasped in one of its hands.
“Mum!!” Rukia cried out as she tried to run forward.
The intruder blocked her from moving any closer with its body.
“Don’t, “ he warned. “you’ll only get in the way!”
He then leapt out of the hole in the way and went to fight the thing, to which he then went immediately for the arm holding the mother. to which then Rukia upon seeing the open sliding door of her father’s Calligraphy room, upon which she spied a long normal looking katana, to which she was immediately drawn to it as she picked it off the wall. She observed the sharpness of the blade, to which they then took it and ran outside to see the Intruder fighting to chop the arm which held her mother, to free her. Then from behind him, we could see Rukia holding a sword in a basic starting stance.
“she’s not serious?!” He questioned himself
As just then she blitzed passed him and went after the arm, almost slicing the arm…but the sword just phased right through the arm. This shocked her, as she was about to spin around for another attack thinking that was a fluke. But the Hollow seem to beat her to it, as it turned its white masked head towards her with an open jaw and was going in for the kill shot. She flinches as just then the intruder placed his body in front of her, but it went straight into the mouth of the beast, but not before slicing a large chunk off a portion of its teeth with it. The Hollow screamed in clear pain and vanished into the night, not before dropping the mother, to which the intruder catches her before she hit the pavement.
“Mum!!!” Rukia cried
“Don’t worry she’s just as fine as your father is.” the intruder said laying her safely on the cold pavement below.
Rukia sighed.
“It’s weird.” The intruder suddenly said as holding onto the slightly bleeding shoulder
“What? That my family suddenly almost bleeding to death from this…this thing!!” Rukia said waving her arms and trying to make sense of this.
“NO…that this hollow is still here,” he explained. “Usually, they just chase after high spirits, like that spirit I helped cross over before. But why would it continue to be here unless it’s after something or someone in particular…it could be- “
But Rukia refused to listen or let him even finish his sentence, as what he was saying was implying that this was all for Rukia. All of this was caused by her, this hollow was after her. She was now stressed crying as grip her hair to try and comfort this thought. Whilst she was thinking this the Hollow jumped out of the darkness and went straight for Rukia’s head. But the intruder went for his head as well taking another chunk out of his masked face, but he failed to notice the Hollow’s incredibly sharp-clawed hands as it pierces right through his robe taking a nice chunk out of his chest. He then slumped to the pavement, like a ragdoll almost lying in a pool of his blood.
“Hey, are you all right?!” Rukia shouted rushing to his aid.
The intruder managed to pull himself to the nearest wall structure supporting him.
“I-…I can’t save your family…but you can.” He said lifting his sword weakly from the ground.
Rukia looked at him in bedevilments, all of this she could do something.
“Yes, yes,” she answered immediately making her way towards him. “But how?!”
Then the Hollow with almost half his masked face missing, slowly got up ready for a final blow to finish off this meal.
“I can give you some of my power,” he answered lifting his sword to be in line with her chest. “But it will only be temporary…. if, I thrust my sword directly into your chest.”
“Anything!! I don’t care. Just let me save you for a change, intruder.” she pleaded.
He shook his head as he began sitting in a more upright position. “My name is Ichigo, Ichigo Kurosaki.”
Rukia then grabbed the hilt of the sword and directly lined it with her chest in the ready position.
“My name is Rukia, Rukia Kuchiki…” she said as they both thrust the sword directly into her chest and pierce her heart, to which her whole being was bathed in light as her clothes changed into the same black robe that Ichigo was wearing.
Rukia then turned around and saw the Hollow charge with a sword also the size of her body, then cut the Hollow right down the middle splitting him like a banana. Meanwhile, Ichigo watched this but for some reason, he felt completely drained of almost all his powers; he looked down to see that his black robs had changed to snow white.
“W-what?!” he questioned. “I-I was only supposed to give her half of my powers…”
The hollow began to dissipate into flakes of ash as soon as her blade went all the way through it. Ichigo could only watch on in disbelief as she finished the Hollow easily. Then sheath her sword to the back of her body. Then she looked back at Ichigo to see that his clothes had changed…but before she could ask anything about it, suddenly her mother’s eyes snapped open and then began to question everything.
But before she could say anything else, Ichigo said silent magic words which knock her mother out again and her father. Then Rukia fainted, but lucky thing Ichigo had just enough spare energy to also catch her. As his magic was still working in the background, as it repaired the house’s damage like it was turned the back time itself on the house. Whilst that was all happening, he then brushed one of Rukia’s long strands of hair to amazing at her ability to just wield that sword and it was like she just knew exactly where to cut to defeat the Hollow.
He then picked her up and made his way back into the house, as the hole in the wall closed behind him as he entered through it. Then with quick thinking, he just awkwardly kissed the forehead of both the father and the mother, as they floated by him towards their bedroom.
“Let’s hope this works.” he sighed ad he then dropped like a sack of potatoes, onto the darkened living room couch.