Shattering Foundations

Seprith Li Castia

Attention: Warning: I make no claim to any of the rights and responsibilities for the characters, creations, or other such things featured in this story. I humbly recognize and accept that all forms of ownership for this series and its characters, places, and things belong to their owner(s). I am merely presenting a non-profit form of entertainment based on their original content. I implore any and all readers of this fan made material to purchase the works in which this is based on to not only support the rights owners, but to avoid spoilers caused from this work. I thank you.

Author's Notes: So there I was sitting around talking about Bleach with a friend. Nothing much special about that until we started swapping theories about how the broader world of Bleach worked outside of what Kubo showed. Roughly six hours later on I had the entire basis of this story mapped out and ready.

It is not really much of a thing anymore, but back in 2009 when I first started reading Bleach fics there was an entire sub-genre of "Post-Aizen, Soul Society betrays and tries to kill Ichigo & friends" that always ended the same way: Ichigo goes crazy and burns down Sereitei. Fun in the short term, but ultimately empty as a narrative. Now, here in 2020, I want to try and revive that idea with a bit of dedicated flair; a story without heroes or villains. Soul Society will not be evil, Ichigo will not be evil, and everyone will be forced to make tough choices and hope their plan makes things better.

Of course, there will be more to it and I really want to try and explore the history and mythology of the Bleach world without resorting to "well, the Soul King did it" like so many other stories. Consequently, I will be ignoring everything in Bleach post-Aizen being sealed to the chair. Meaning: no Fullbring, no Vandenreich, no Yhwach, no Unohana was the first Kenpanchi, literally nothing revealed post Aizen being sealed. It is not out of hate for any of that, it just has nothing to do with anything in this story. Sorry if that upsets you.

To be honest, this chapter is some-what of a test/pilot. I have a good idea where this story can go, but I am not sure if anyone else would care to see it. I guess I can only say read and see if it is to your taste? Leave a review and let me know, too. I also recommend playing "Nothing Can Be Explained" lyrics version from the Bleach OST while you read; it sets the tone nicely, I feel.

Now, begin!

I: Hollow Heart

His knees hit the ground before he even realized he had fallen; the sudden movement sending a brief and stinging shock of pain up his spine. It was a distant, minor, insignificant feeling, but maybe that was way he tried to focus on it. On the soft trembling that rattled his every nerves, on the tingling that shook his fingers… It was a sensation that could never compare to being stabbed by Aizen, or slashed by Kenpachi, or of Byakuya's millions of tiny blades rushing through his body, but it was still something solid and tangible. It was something to hold onto, to focus on, to keep him from asking why the weight in his arms had gone still, why his breathe caught in his throat, or why his entire world felt so terribly empty and alone.

Ichigo Kurosaki watched Orihime Inoue die with wide and grief stricken eyes; a scream trapped in his throat and the lifeless body of Chad clutched tightly, desperately, in his hands. He could not see the blow that had killed either of them; not the one that caused a stunned Chad to topple over in the street or the one that forced a surprised gasp from Inoue. But even if he could not see the weapon, he could recognize the tool: a blade, a sword, a zanpakuto… He could see the blood and he could feel as the body went cold.

He was supposed to do something, right? To scream, to cry, to fight, to run, something…? There was some way to help, right? Still some way to save then, right? Still some way to…

"Why?" he finally found his voice, and if he was aware enough to notice, it would have sounded lost and empty. He was not expecting an answer; he was not even sure why he asked the question, but…

"Because those were my orders," was the short, stiff, in-different reply. Pulling – tearing, wrenching, ripping – his attention from the falling body of Inoue, he turned to see black robes, short black hair, and cold eyes. It was faint, distorted, and barely visible, but he could just make out the features of Soi Fon, Captain of the Second Division. Her short sword, held casually yet deftly in her hand, was covered in blood; Inoue's blood.

None of it made any sense. "W-why…? But we— But I thought—" That it was over. That everything about Aizen and conspiracies and his friends risking their lives was finished. His eyes stared vacantly at her; asking, begging her to answer; to explain. And, if his voice broke and his eyes felt heavy—"Why?"

Soi Fon raised a single, curious eye-brow in consideration. Then she nodded. "I'm not surprised you can see me," she started neutrally, casually, easily, simply. "Reports from the Twelfth Division said there was still a chance some of your powers could return, however remote. But it seems…" Ichigo gasped in pain suddenly, nearly falling over completely if not for Chad's body to lean against. "—that your powers have not been restored. Your strength is barely above that of an ordinary Plus soul."

"I-I don't care about that…" he gritted his teeth, trying and failing to lift himself up to face the captain-level spiritual pressure directly. Suddenly, the over-bearing sensation and the weight on his shoulders was gone, and Ichigo took a much relieved breathe. He glared weakly at the being above him, asking again, "Why?"

"Because I have my orders," answered Soi Fon shortly. "Directly from the Central 46 Chambers: to eliminate all uniquely spiritual aware humans still residing within the Jureichi. More specifically: the Quincy, Uryu Ishida; the oddities Orihime Inoue and Yasutora Sado, and all the other humans still conscious when the traitor, Sosuke Aizen, entered the town." Tatsuki, Keigo, Mizuiro, Chizuru Honsho, Don Kanonji… "I've had the Stealth Force deployed to handle the other targets, but this girl—Orihime Inoue—was deemed the most essential and warranted my personal attention."

His fingers tightening into a white-knuckled fist, Ichigo tried to scream, to rage; but his words came out shaken and horrified: "B-but we weren't… They didn't do anything! Why would they order that!?"

"Because the events surrounding Sosuke Aizen and the Jureichi are both confidential," she said plainly. "Because knowledge of the Oken is to be kept strictly limited. Because otherwise ordinary human souls were given abnormal abilities by the Hogyoku. Any one of these would be sufficient reason enough. Combined, it would be sheer negligence to allow such potential security risks to go unanswered."

"So does that mean I'm next? Does that mean you'll kill me, too? My family?" The thought alone would have left him empty and vengeful, all at once; that Yuzu and Karin were both in danger and there was nothing he could do about it, but—

"No," denied Soi Fon. "I have received no such orders to harm either you, Ichigo Kurosaki, or anyone in your family. In recognition of the important role you played in the defeat and sealing of the traitor, Central 46 has deemed you a reliable exception to this order. Your loyalty to Soul Society, and to the preservation of the balance between worlds, is not in question. So long as you agree not to share such knowledge with anyone, there is no reason for us to take action."

"But the others? The ones who helped fight Aizen? They don't matter? You'll just use them up and kill them when you're done?"

"You speak typically of a human," she retorted sharply, dismissively. "So concerned with life here, in the world of the living, that you forget so easily that there are other worlds out there. Each of the targets, after being eliminated, will be given a Konso soul burial and be sent directly to Soul Society. You needn't worry about the chance of them becoming a Hollow. In fact, their souls will be—"

"I'm not worried about that!" interrupted Ichigo, his sudden and very vocal shout surprising the calm Shinigami. "I'm worried about their friends, their families; the people who will mourn them. I'm worried about the lives you've just cut short! Doesn't that life matter to you? I thought Shinigami were supposed to protect humans!"

"Shinigami protect human souls—" she stressed the word pointedly. "Not their life. Given enough time, they'll reincarnate in the world of the living. In the mean-time, they can stay in the Soul Society. The lost life, their tragic memories, their human deaths, even the families they leave behind – given enough time, all those memories will be gone. These humans, your friends and comrades, will find peace in Soul Society and—"

"K-Kurosaki-kun…"

"Inoue!" Her face was blurred; more reminiscent of a face-like shape warped and twisted in a foggy glass window. For a brief, desperate moment he hoped this was all a dream or a nightmare. Then he saw the links of silver chain on her chest. In a last burst of hope, he tried to follow the chain; if it was still attached, she could still be okay. She could— But there, on the floor and pooling around where she knelt, was the severed remains of her Chain of Fate. Orihime Inoue was dead and she had become a Plus soul.

Terror gripped his heart. "Inoue!" he cried suddenly. "You have to run! She's going to—"

"I know, Kurosaki-kun…" she admitted with, Ichigo was horrified to notice, resignation in her voice. "I'm abnormal. I'm an oddity."

"You're surprisingly acceptant, girl," observed Soi Fon minutely; her voice sounding almost approving. "You understand what needs to be done."

"I've only ever fought to help protect my friends," answered Inoue earnestly. Even blurred and distorted, Ichigo could still see the same sad eyes and resolute expression she had used to stare down Ulquiorra. "I can't save Sado-kun, but you promised you wouldn't hurt Kurosaki-kun. If I tried to run, he would try to help me and die in the process. Like this, he can live. I'm happy with that."

"Brave words," Soi Fon praised mildly, but seemingly sincere. As she approached, she lifted her zanpakuto; blade pointed high, grip facing Inoue.

"Inoue, don't—" He tried to shout, to yell, to move, but his body felt like it was being crushed beneath a giant boulder. He tried to say all he could, all he felt he needed to, with his eyes. But Orihime Inoue just met his wide and stricken gaze with calm and serenity. She smiled, and said…

"Kurosaki-kun…. I lov—" But never finished. Soi Fon brought her zanpakuto down on the kneeling girl, enveloping her in a bright and shining light that seemed to consume her. When the light finally faded, Inoue was gone; replaced by a tiny, non-descript black butterfly that flew out the window moments later.

Orihime Inoue was gone… and, a moment later, so was Ichigo Kurosaki.

Kisuke Urahara was not known for heavy drinking. Although the activity was the preferred pastime for most Shinigami, he had never developed the particular taste for it; choosing instead his personal laboratory or his most recent experiment. However, in the present, Kisuke Urahara sat cross-legged on the steps of his shop; sake cup in one hand and a half empty bottle in the other. He promptly filled his cup, set the bottle down, and downed the entirety of the saucers' contents in a single gesture before grimacing at the taste; the one-time no doubt exquisite drink having aged poorly hidden away in a cabinet after one of Yoruichi's drunken visits.

Despite the poor quality sake and despite the cloying ache it left behind in his throat, he gulped it down all the same and began pouring himself another cup. He knew it was going to be a long night, and…

"Kisuke! What are you doing?" Gray eyes looked up from beneath bedraggled blonde bangs; Urahara's signature hat having been set aside for this particular evening. He met the sharp golden eyes of his accuser without emotion. Still, he said nothing. Yoruichi glared all the harder "Are you just going to sit there drinking?" she asked harshly. "You know what's going on right now, don't you?"

He swirled the spoiled liquid of his sake a few times before draining the cup once more. When he spoke, it was flat and without expression: "There wouldn't be any point."

"No point?" she repeated incredulously. "Don't give me that, Kisuke! There are Shinigami all over town, and not just any: Stealth Force. Assassins. Why?"

"Probably to kill to Orihime Inoue," he answered immediately; voice caught between a flat statement of fact and half growled muttering. "They'll probably dress it up a bit. Call it something about security or to protect the souls of the living, but Inoue will be the real target."

"Why would they—?" But the knowing look Urahara sent stopped her. Instead, she asked quietly, "Because of her powers?"

"Mmm…" he confirmed mildly, downing another cup. He coughed briefly before adding, "There'll be a list of other orders, too, but she's the main target; that's why Soi Fon came personally. That's how this whole thing got approved in the first place."

"Surely the Head Captain would…"

"But he doesn't even know yet," he interrupted, surprising her. "This order came directly from the Central 46 Chambers and was delivered not to the captain of Second Division, but to Soi Fon of the Stealth Force. It was a kill order, done for political and moral and philosophical reasons, well beyond the ordinary limits of the Gotei 13." He downed another cup under the stunned eyes of Yoruichi Shihoin, the once upon a time noble girl of Soul Society.

"Central 46's primary purpose is the preservation of Soul Society laws and the order they impose," explained Urahara succinctly. "How many laws have the humans of this town broken? Invading Sereitei, fighting and defeating captain-class Shinigami. Sado had Hollow-like abilities. Ishida is a Quincy. Orihime Inoue had powers that could be considered god-like. All the other spiritually aware humans were still exposed to the Hogyoku's effects and could develop their own powers; who can say when or what those powers might be? Is it any wonder they wouldn't be so forgiving of Ichigo's friends?"

"But not Ichigo? Or his family?" she pressed.

"Even they're not that short-sighted," Urahara shook his head regrettably. "He's already lost his Shinigami powers and too many captains might object if they tried. While it's probable Inoue and Sado might lose their powers after passing on, Ichigo's might still return. Then what?"

"Then we can still stop this!" she started angrily. "We can go to Soul Society and tell some-one! We can hide away the humans for a while until Yamamoto hears about this and over-turns the order. We can save—" She stopped suddenly. As one, she and Urahara turned their heads towards the eerily quiet town around them and the sudden absence they felt in the world.

"No one," Urahara finished her thought; sad and resigned eyes turning to meet hers. "We can save no-one. We couldn't the moment Sado-kun died. We definitely can't now that Inoue-chan just died. Maybe if we could have stopped the order in the first place. Maybe if we could have reached Ichigo first, but now…"

It was then, perhaps for the first time that night, that Yoruichi truly looked at her friend's face. It was distant, remorseful, and resigned to a fate completely lost to her. There was still a chance, right? They could still save the other humans, they could still find Uryu Ishida and whoever else might be a target. Sure, Chad and Orihime were gone, but… "Kisuke, what's about to happen?" she asked instead.

Kisuke Urahara never drank much, she knew. They had been friends as far back as she could remember and she could only recall Kisuke ever truly drinking twice. The first time had been the day after his first assignment for the Stealth Force. Yoruichi did not know what that mission was and had never asked because she remembered what her first mission had been, too. Instead, she had offered him the best bottle of sake she had and left him to process and cope. The second time had been the day he had knelt down before Shinji Hirako and admitted there was no way to reverse hollowfication. Kisuke had blamed himself; for the Hogyoku, for not stopping Aizen, for failing to help Hirako and others. Again, she had offered him a bottle. Now?

Kisuke tossed his sake cup aside and drank straight from the bottle. His eyes were red and distant, but not from sake; they were staring a thousand yards away and a million moves ahead. She would never admit it, but for all her talents, Yoruichi had always been a little jealous of Kisuke's frightening intellect; the way he could puzzle out a problem in seconds and a dozen solutions in the next. Yet, even with that genius clearly at work now, the look in his eyes told her that whatever he saw was still bad.

"How bad is it?" she asked seriously.

Kisuke Urahara drank half a bottle of sake in a single gesture and let the empty remains drop away from limbless fingers. When he spoke, it was with the blank and resigned tone of a man accepting an inevitability: "Best case scenario?" he started blankly. "Ichigo dies in the next thirty seconds."

"Ichigo? But I thought you said—" Exactly fifteen seconds later, they felt it. Yoruichi gasped in horrified recognition, turning pale and cold as her eyes widened in realization.

Urahara merely frowned; the line and measure of his lips his only response to being proven right without a doubt and hating every second of it.

He had never been shy about his opinions. Whether it was calling out Rukia for her terrible drawings or lecturing Byakuya about the natural law of big brothers, Ichigo had always been forthright and honest. There had never been much about his life he truly wanted to hide; if approached and asked directly, he had even been open about seeing spirits. He was honest, or maybe just too stubborn to let other people's opinions change him. Either way, he had never really learned how to lie convincingly. Not to others, and, sadly, not even to himself…

Ichigo Kurosaki was going to die, and it was going to be painful.

Somehow, he had always expected that. Whether it be to some no-name punk who brought a pistol to a fist fight, or to some sneaky Hollow, or to some deranged madman who thought he knew more about everything than everybody else, Ichigo had always pictured his hypothetical death being something bloody and violent and painful. It was not often, he certainly had never hoped he would die, but it seemed the natural end for some-one with his kind of life; before and after he met literal Shinigami.

But he was willing to accept a painful death, because Ichigo had always thought: "When I die, I will die fighting and I will die protecting something." It was a comfort even if it was not exactly a healthy thought for a seventeen year old boy to have. Unfortunately, he was going to be wrong.

Instead, he was going to die after failing to protect anyone, he was going to die on his knees, and he was going to die without even the strength to move, much less fight back. But he was right about one thing: it was definitely going to be painful.

The pain started, oddly enough, with a deep and bottomless cold; like he had swallowed a mountain full of ice and then drained the arctic sea for good measure, too. It made his breathe come in sharp rasps and when he tried to scream, he felt like he was drowning. Then came the aches and the fire as every nerve in his body bloomed in agony enough he felt as though his skin had begun to crack apart. It all moved well past anything he had ever experienced before when he watched the tears spread and his body started to disappear; like it was being licked away by an invisible flame.

He could not move and must have been screaming, but either sensation was forgotten. His vision was dark and endless, every feeling part of his body an absolution of pain, and his every thought was… scattered. Memories, knowledge, past experiences, they came to him like brief flashes of insight before quickly being replaced by the next. He could see Yuzu and Karin's faces, aged three; he could remember some stupid story of Keigo's from last year, had perfect recollection of every one of Shakespeare's works, the weight of Zangetsu in his hands, the feeling of Hueco Mundo's cold sand, the proud look in his dad's eyes, the first time he met Tatsuki or Chad or Rukia or Byakuya… The warmth and happiness he felt in his mother's arms…

Please...

Every thought, every memory, every sensation came to him, slapped him in the face, and fled away. If his body was being consumed by an invisible flame, his mind was being assaulted by an invisible hammer. It was pain, each in its own way; of the body and mind and spirit. It built him up, knocked him down, and repeated the process a thousand times a second.

Just… stop…

He wanted to scream, but he had no voice. He wanted to run, but he had no body. He wanted to cry, but he had no feeling left.

Please, just make it stop…

It was not the pain that made him this way. It was not the agony of remembering everything his life had ever experienced. Instead, it was the thought; the implication behind it all.

Ichigo Kurosaki was going die, and it was going to be painful. And he would die alone.

He wanted some-one, anyone, beside him right now. Not to share in this pain, but to make it go away; even if only for a moment. His family, his friends, some stranger he had never met before; anyone... It was like a need, a hunger… A bottomless desire craving relief.

Ichigo Kurosaki died; he was alone and in pain.

All sensation stopped. All thoughts ceased. It was so sudden, so immediate, he thought he could feel the echoes of every feeling still there, scratching at nerves torn raw and bleeding. But in its wake he felt cold and empty, like he was less than he was. A remnant or shade of his former self, but still wrapped in familiar flesh and clothing. Yet he was naked, laid bare to the world, and lost.

Ichigo Kurosaki died alone and in pain. Then he felt Hollow.

Shaolin Fong had never questioned her purpose in life. From the very beginning, she had always known exactly what she was supposed to do: become a Shinigami, join the Stealth Force, serve the Shihoin Clan, and then die after a lifetime of service. There was a ruthless efficiency in a life without doubt and Shaolin has always been both. She had never question her purpose; instead, she had taken pride in it. There was no room for doubt or second guessing.

When her five older brothers had all died on assignments, she remembered thinking, "They did their duty. I'll do the same." When she finally joined the Gotei 13, when Shaolin Fong had become Soi Fon, she had felt nothing but motivated. When Lady Yoruichi had singled her out for personal training, she had felt proud. When Lady Yoruichi abandoned her, she felt grief. When Lady Yoruichi returned, she felt anger, and then she felt relief. Her life had purpose again.

Soi Fon had never questioned orders before either; she had never been anything but loyal. But sometimes, she wondered...

There was a part of her that liked Ichigo Kurosaki. Yes, he was reckless and foolhardy, he had no refinement or technical skill, and his personality could have been at best described as "head-strong," but he was dependable. Effective. Every time her Stealth Force trained mind warned her of danger and advised suspicion, another part said, "He got results." It was a trait worthy of respect and so that is what she gave him.

But in this case, she might also have to show him mercy.

It happened quickly, in the gap of time between Orihime Inoue's soul burial and the sheathing of her zanpakuto, and at first Soi Fon could only feel it. The sudden burst of energy, followed by sharp, needle-like pricks of spiritual pressure that assailed her senses. The depth and feel of the power was clearly that of a Hollow, but it was oddly mixed with that of an ordinary Plus soul; one half deep and dark, the other void of almost anything.

Then she heard the screaming. Kurosaki had fallen over, face first, into the ground, but the floor did little to muffle the shear agony that twisted his body. While the limbs seemed to flail about independently of the body, contorting in unnatural angles, the back split apart in a sickening snap of bone and muscle and blood. In response, Kurosaki threw his head back in a pained wail that left his face bear to see; the cracked, web-like splintering of his skin giving way to something underneath.

And the pressure... The suddenness of the weight that filled the room, of the dense fog of spiritual pressure that pushed down and tried to grind the world away into dust... It forced Soi Fon, a captain of the Second Division of the Gotei 13, to fight against the strength of it. "Why...?" she asked aloud, eyes wide as she saw the transformation before her. Felt the energy around her. "Why... is he becoming a Hollow?"

Normally, when a Hollow was formed, the human soul would break down into energy before reforming into a newly created Hollow. Such a newly transformed creature was typically weak compared to a more evolved Hollow, but this... "This pressure," she scowled angrily. "It feels like a Menos Grande..."

Everything that was human about Ichigo Kurosaki bled away with each thundering beat of his heart. His living body was broken down and disintegrated under the pressure of his new form, within and without - cracks in his skin and bone spreading to reveal blackened flesh and streaks of bone-white hide. Smooth and rounded nails shredding apart into claws as his back erupted in gore to free a thick and dexterous tail.

Most telling of all, however, was the seeping white pus-like substance that enveloped his face - finally strangling away his frantic and in-pained cries. The face of Ichigo Kurosaki slipping away behind a gnarling skull shaped death mask of pure white. "Argh, hack, hrgh..." The voice that emitted came in harshly modulated utterances of gasps and screams. Pale and muscular arms reaching around his face, his newly formed claws encircling his head, even as the pained groans continued.

"I see you've lost yourself to Hollowfication," remarked Soi Fon shortly, one steady hand resting on the hilt of zanpakuto as she eyed the twitching creature before her. "My orders were to leave you alive, but now that you've become a Hollow, I think its best I free you. Consider this my way of repaying the debt Soul Society owes you."

The Hollow that was Ichigo Kurosaki stirred at her words, understanding either her meaning or intent, and the hulking form of the newly created Hollow seemed to tilt forward. Clawed fingers and toes cutting and digging easily through the floor and stone beneath them as it hunched over like an animal. The seemingly smooth surface of the Hollow's mask tearing open to release a half-snarl, half-growl in warning.

"Don't expect you can intimidate me, Hollow," scoffed Soi Fon, pulling her sword out once more. "I think you'll find I'm more than capable of-" She stopped. No - she was stopped. What started as taunting banter ended in a muffled shriek of pain. ...But, no, first the thing had moved. The lumbering Hollow, all snarls and growls, had disappeared in a buzz of static and movement, only to reappear...

Soi Fon reacted on reflex, on an ingrained instinct derived from decades of training and experience, and that is the only reason she was able to bring her hand up in time to catch the suddenly appearing Hollow - its mask split open to reveal long, narrow teeth that soon sank deep into the defending arm of the Shinigami. "Argh!" she grunted in pain, her other arm already in motion with her zanpakuto to strike at the monster's eyes... only to hit nothing as the Hollow vanished once more in a static burst of speed.

Even through of the haze of dense spiritual pressure and pain, Soi Fon was still a captain of the Gotei 13. 'That was Sonido,' her detached, analytical mind realized. 'How could a newly formed Hollow already possess such an ability? Much less move fast enough to escape my notice?' The Hollow had appeared a short space away, standing on the threshold of the human apartment; fresh blood, Soi Fon's blood, dripped down its angular chin even as its piercing amber on black colored eyes watched her - waiting for another opening, for another bite.

'Even as a Hollow, Kurosaki is still a freak of nature,' she frustratingly lamented. 'Already capable of Sonido and already possessing the power of a Gillian - no, an Adujchas-class Menos Grande. If I'm not careful, this thing might...' All captains and lieutenant-class Shinigami were required to wear a limiter to prevent unduly interfering with the world of the living. As such, Soi Fon now found herself facing an Adjuchas with less than half of her total strength. 'But I still have this...'

Soi Fon tapped the handle of her zanpakuto in thought, a plan already forming. "You must think you've got me at a disadvantage, Hollow," she began aloud, tone confident despite the bleeding wound in her arm. "But I've got more than enough strength in me to handle a mindless brute-"

"N-not mindless," came the overlaid and raspy tone of a Hollow, the effort to speak clearly a struggle for the lurch creature. "And d-don't expect me to hold back, either. I-I can't control this... hunger..." There was a glint in its eyes, one that spoke of pain and suffering and emptiness, but also of...

"Ichigo Kurosaki...?" She wondered aloud, eyes widening slightly. "So, you've retained your consciousness. Unfortunate. I had hoped to end this quickly. Very well, in recognition of all you've done for the Soul Society, I offer this mercy-" She held up her zanpakuto, the blade parallel with her body, and finished: "Bow your head. Accept your end. In return for all you've done, I'll purify your soul of this taint called Hollow and give you a quick death."

"I-I reject your mercy," came his strangled reply, as though the effort to speak was difficult enough; his smooth and expressionless white mask hiding the snarl of anger in his words. Rising up, the once lumber Hollow loomed over the much short captain; his staggering height nearly double his human form. Long limbs, sturdy legs, clawed and webbed talon for toes, razor sharp and jagged claws extended from his fingers, and tufts of white and black fur wrapped around his joints. A long tail of pure white lashed around behind him, one quick snap of power destroying the nearby wall.

The only thing still human about the Hollow was the shoulder length orange hair that fluttered in the cold wind. Nothing else of Ichigo Kurosaki remained. "...Leave, Soi Fon," came the sudden, garbled statement from the monster. "I-I can't control this body yet."

"All the more reason to free you, Hollow," she replied instead. Without moving, without saying anything else, she simply intoned: "Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi..." Ichigo had only ever seen Soi Fon's shikai once: when she, like everyone else, had tried to take down Aizen. It had been fast and sudden and he had never got a good look at it before. That was not different now..

The captain of the Stealth Force disappeared almost the instant her release command was called; the lean woman almost vanishing completely in a burst of speed brought on by one of the fastest Shunpo he had ever encountered. But... "Not fast enough, captain!" Ichigo growled, his black-gold eyes narrowing as the woman appeared a fraction of a second later, arm already raised to deliver a lethal strike to his mask. One clawed white fist met the on-coming blow with easy, ready to catch her extended fist... only to phase right through her hand.

Ichigo's eyes widened considerably behind his mask, the flickering image of Soi Fon dissipating reminding him of the day so long ago; of Yoruichi and Byakuya outside Rukia's Repentance Cell. But as the false, after-image of Soi Fon faded away, the real one seemingly materialized on his other side. Ichgio caught the motion in-time to try and pull back... but not before feeling a sharp sting pierce his exposed chest.

Leaping back to avoid her follow-up, Ichigo jumped out of Inoue's apartment and onto the streets outside. His hand reached up to feel the wound on his chest, but felt only the smallest of pricks along his otherwise unharmed body. Surrounding that prick, however, was a sprawling tattoo in the shape of a butterfly. "W-what...?"

"Is this really the first time you've encountered the power of my zanpakuto, Suzumebachi?" asked Soi Fon smugly as she landed just a few paces across from him. Ichigo ignored her words; instead, his focus drifted to her zanpakuto: the shikai having turned her short sword into a half-golden yellow bracer, and half-gold yellow stinger.

"I guess it is," she continued, noticing his puzzled glance and growing worry. "My zanpakuto isn't as flashy as some of the others you've encountered. It doesn't make me stronger, or faster, or even more durable... Instead, my zanpakuto is capable of killing any opponent I face in two strikes." In answer to the widening of Ichigo's eyes and the sudden tensing of his shoulder, she pointed her finger easily at his chest: "And that mark, my Homonka, is my first hit."

Ichigo Kurosaki was no stranger to power. He had fought, and defeated, any number of opponents who were technically stronger than him; Aizen had been the very definition of power, and even Byakuya was more experienced, Grimmjow and Kenpachi more vicious. But this...

Soi Fon disappeared again, moving at speeds he could barely see, and when he tried to grab her he only met air... and then immediately avoid the lunge at his exposed chest and the Homonka that would end his life instantly. If he slipped up even once...

"Don't think you can escape me forever!" she spat venomously, another sharp jab thrown at chest only narrowly evaded. "It doesn't matter how long you dodge me, my Homonka will never fade away. It's only a matter of time before I catch you and put end to your existence, Hollow!"

"Shut up!" he screamed, a sudden crackle of blood red energy the only forewarning for either of them for what came next. As his clawed thrashed out desperately to hit her, his palm glowed red before quickly expanding to engulf his vision. Within seconds, everything around him disappeared in a flash of energy...

"T-that... Was that a Cero...?" he wondered, horrified, as his eyes traced the sweep of destruction around him; of the homes broken apart, the tiles torn from the road, and the collapsed street lights fallen over onto cars.

"Of course it was," answered Soi Fon shortly, standing a few steps away on a nearby roof-top, completely unharmed. "You're a Hollow now, at the strength of a Menos Grande. No surprise you can use a Cero." Then she noticed his frantic gaze, as black gold eyes roamed the streets in apparent distress. "What's the matter, Hollow? Afraid?"

"How can you be so calm!?" he snapped in response, the lumbering form of the Hollow turning in her direction; black-gold eyes narrowed in anger. "All this destruction... What if there were people in those houses?"

"Then it means you killed them, Hollow," she answered simply, easily, without emotion. "Just like you'll go on to kill hundreds, maybe even thousands more. You think we cleanse Hollows just because we want to? Did you forget? They're monsters who devour souls." She stared down at him, cold eyes judging, and continued, "Why did you use that Cero if you didn't want this to happen? Was it on instinct? If so, why? You did it because you're afraid."

"N-no, I'm not a..."

"You are, Hollow... You're so afraid, you can't even sense it! You're spiritual pressure is crushing everything around you." She gestured to a nearby parked car, its formerly pristine and untouched form slowly breaking apart from seemingly nothing. Ichigo stared blankly, horrified, as he then watched it collapse completely, becoming little more than twisted scrap. Then Soi Fon added, "If there were any humans in those buildings, you likely already killed them with your spiritual pressure alone."

There was a weight, a pressure, that pressed down around them; it splintered the ground into elaborate and sprawling webs, a nearby house splitting open like an invisible fist had punched threw it. Naturally, the Shinigami captain appeared unaffected, but as Ichigo experimentally flexed his hand briefly he was stunned to realize even he could feel the crushing weight of uncontrolled spiritual pressure upon his body.

"This power... is it mine?" It was like when he first met Kenpachi; waves of black energy distorted his vision, slowed his movements, and dulled his perceptions. Over a year without powers and to have even a fraction of it returned... "Soi Fon," he called out roughly, his feelings and the reviberation of his hollow voice casting an echo. "W-we can't fight here. Too many people will be-"

"Hurt? Killed? How generous of a Hollow to care about such things," she replied blandly. "But you're a Hollow - everywhere you go, people are going to get die. If you really care that much... surrender now and face your death!"

"W-wait! We can't-" But she disappeared again in a flickering flash of Shunpo; her form blurring into motion only to reappear mere inches away. His clawed hand moving to intercept the thrusting string of her zanpakuto, his eyes missed the swiftly traced golden triangle from the other hand.

"Bakudo #30: Shitosu Sansen!" Momentarily blinded by a flash of yellow, Ichigo barely had time to even notice the oncoming blocks of Kido; two trapped his arms while another two sealed themselves on each side of his waist... The energy used for the blocks was weak; even Ichigo, dulled though his senses were, could already feel the bindings break apart. But they were effective and it did keep him paralyzed in place. From an opponent like Grimmjow, such a move would merely leave him open to a single, damaging attack. But from Soi Fon...

"Die, Hollow!" she demanded, eyes and stinger focused entirely on the black Homonka mark on his chest. Just a single hit and he would...

"Damn it! Why can't you just..." He struggled against his bindings, against the oncoming zanpakuto ready to claim his life, and against the fate that brought him to this moment. 'No, not now...' he thought in desperation. Not after everything... Not after Rukia, not after Byakuya and Grimmjow and Ulquiorra, not after Aizen. Not after getting at least some of his power back. 'I can still save people... Ishida, Keigo, Tatsuki, someone! I can still save somebody!'

While Ichigo Kurosaki the Human struggled against everything... Ichigo Kurosaki the Hollow fought.

The spike of pressure that crashed down around them would have leveled half the street block if it had not been solely focused on the charging Shinigami captain. Soi Fon felt the down pour in stages: first, as a sudden shift of energy; second, a crashing wave of power; and finally, as a kind of piercing existential dread that felt and hit like a phantom blade impaling her heart. The wave of spiritual pressure was not enough to push her down on her knees, nor was it strong enough to stop her, but it was enough to make her pause. That was time enough.

The flickering yellow bindings of Soi Fon's bakudo burnt away in less than a second, and the Hollow that is Ichigo Kurosaki leapt away from her zanpakuto with the tell-tale buzz of a sonido. But that wasn't the end of it... "A-arghhhh!" He screamed, half cry and half yell, as he thrust a clawed fist forward. The crimson energy gathered in a spiral, coalesced into a sphere, and... "Cero!"

Soi Fon's vision went red; not from pain or anger, but from the sight of the massive blast coming right towards her. To dodge such a thing would be possible, but it would leave the blast to destroy nearly half the town. Gritting her teeth, raising her palms up, and channeling as much energy as she could, Soi Fon braced herself, saying, "Bakudo #81: Danku!" The translucent blue-white barrier had just enough time to snap into place before being consumed by the blazing red cero.

The street around them, Shinigami and Hollow alike, exploded up and around them like an erupting volcano. Soi Fon vanishing behind a wave of red broken against the cliff-face of her conjured barrier. Meanwhile, Ichigo slumped over; the amount of power he had instinctively thrown behind that blast leaving him momentarily winded.

When at last the blast finally faded, it revealed a scarred and burned Soi Fon holding her zanpakuto's stinger form tightly in one hand while the other arm sat motionless at her side. Behind her, Karakura Town was unharmed.

"Thank you, Soi Fon..." Ichgio rasped tiredly from behind his mask. "I wasn't thinking and threw too much power into that cero. If you hadn't dodged..."

"I didn't do it for you, Hollow!" she spat the term, narrow gray eyes focused entirely on the creature before her. "It is the duty of all Shinigami to protect the souls of the living. Your attack would have destroyed countless souls. Now I'll destroy you and..." She tried to move, but found her stance waver; one of her legs had been caught in the blast.

"You can't defeat me..." he said easily, adding, "Don't think I didn't notice. You were focused on using your zanpakuto's ability. At first, I thought it was because of how strong it is - I mean, death in two hits? Come on! - but then I felt your Kido. It was weak. You're being held back too much by the limiter. I bet, if you weren't being limited, I probably couldn't even see your movements."

Soi Fon scowled angrily, but did not deny it. "I suggest," Ichigo continued. "We call it here. You can get the Gotei 13 to release the limiter and then try again."

"You expect me to just let you get away!?"

"No, but I can't keep fighting you..." He struggled to stand, one clawed hand rising to wrap around his mask. "This pain, this hunger... I can't control it much longer. It wants... It's screaming at me to eat you!" Even shrouded behind the reverberating tone of a hollow, there was no mistaking the disgust he apparently held for the idea. "That cero took too much energy. If I have to use any more..."

He left the rest unsaid, his back turned to the Shinigami captain; planning to leave her there. "You'd just leave me here, after killing one of your friends?" asked Soi Fon, unsure of what made her question the motives behind a Hollow-turned Ichigo Kurosaki.

"I... I don't know..." was his uncertain reply. "You killed Inoue, so I feel like I should just kill you now. But you also saved everyone else in town - from me. I don't know what would be the right thing to do. I will, someday. But right now..." He focused on some point far off in the distance. "It's faint... but I can sense one of my friends. It's not Ishida - too weak. Keigo? Maybe Tatsuki? I'm going to save them first.

Whatever comes after, comes after..."

Then he was gone.

TO BE CONTINUED...

End Notes: Consider the pilot done. I was going to include more, but that works enough to get things started. Review and let me know if you want to see more, or if you liked or did not like certain parts. I will make sure to reply to any questions you have, too!