Author's Note: I know this chapter should have been out last Monday but I was on vacation and didn't bring my laptop, but I thank everyone who have followed and favorited this story. Hope you all enjoy this chapter.

"Juha Bach"

"Shiro"

"Aka"

"Ao"

"P.O.V."

'Thought'

"Attacks"

Shikai/Bankai


Chapter 7: The Older Brother's Wish, the Younger Sister's Wish

{Opening Theme: *~Asterisk~ by ORANGE RANGE}

After comforting and informing Yuzu about what Hollows truly are, Ichigo sends her to find Karin and their father so he can explain more about Hollows.

"I just don't get it." Ichigo says calmly as he sheaths his Zanpakutō onto his waist. "Why did Orihime's brother attack us?" He asks.

"Not us, just you. Judging from the last Hollow you killed, I would guess there's a more powerful Hollow behind this that wants to consume your Reiryoku. It probably has several Hollows under its control. It knows where you are now and is sending other Hollows here to carry out its orders. That would explain why Orihime's brother has come to attack you. But what I don't understand is why other Hollows haven't tried until now." Rukia wonders.

"That because of the Kidō barrier surrounding the entire house." Ichigo answers the Shinigami's question.

"Kidō barrier?" Rukia questions as she sees Ichigo open his bedroom window and tap what seems like thin air but then sees a transparent multicolored wall appear and pulse from the tapping of Ichigo's knuckles. "Amazing." She says moving closer to the window to get a better look. "I didn't even know there was a barrier here." She says in awe.

"This barrier is design to make it seem like anyone who is inside this house has basic level Reiryoku. There are two additional effects as well; the first is that it helps keep my sisters' Reiatsu down while they still learn to control it themselves and the other affect is that prevents Hollows from entering but allows others to enter like Pluses or even Shinigami, which is why you were about to enter when we first met." Ichigo explains.

"But then why was that Hollow about to enter when the barrier was still up?" Rukia asks.

"There is a time were the barrier has to recharge at least once every five days for a few minutes before it reactivates by itself. My guess is that's how the Hollow was about to get in because it seems that the barrier just came back up a minute ago." Ichigo theorizes.

"Well at least there's a back up defense for when you're not here to protect your sisters." Rukia says with a small smile on her face but then turns it into a serious stern look. "But what's important now is finding that Hollow and purifying him. If we leave him be, he'll wonder around forever and keep coming after you again and again until he gets your soul." She says.

"You're right but since he wasn't able to get to me this time, he'll go after the next best thing to him." Ichigo says with a stern look on his face as well.

"Orihime." Both Ichigo and Rukia say together as Ichigo bends down and allows Rukia to climb onto his back before jumping out the window and takes off in the direction of Orihime's apartment.


Meanwhile at Orihime's apartment, the girls had finished the food Tatsuki had brought.

"Wow. That was just the best dinner, wasn't it?" Orihime asks happily.

"Yeah, it really was, thanks. You got any dessert?" Tatsuki asks her friend.

"I'm out of ice cream. But I do have some bean sprout and some eggplant jelly we can pour over that." Orihime suggests.

"Ew, no, thanks." Tatsuki says.

At that moment, Orihime's pink teddy bear gets a tear across it's face and falls off the shrine with a light thud that somehow managed to get the girls attention.

"Huh? Did you hear that?" Tatsuki asks as Orihime looks behind her and notices her fallen teddy bear.

"Poor Enroku fell down." Orihime says with a gasp as she crawls the short distance over to the plushie. "Oh, my gosh, how'd you get this big rip in your head?" She asks but then a small explosion gains both of the girls attention.

"Huh?" Both Orihime and Tatsuki ask in confusion at the sudden noise.

Tatsuki looks around the apartment as Orihime looks forward as the same noise is heard again causing her to whimper a little.


Elsewhere, Ichigo was leaping from rooftop to rooftop while carrying Rukia on his back going as fast as he could to get to Orihime's apartment.

"I still can't believe that even though he's a Hollow now, Sora would attack his own sister. She was the most important thing in the world to him when he was alive." Ichigo says voicing his concern.

"It doesn't matter. Brothers, sisters, even children. I know it's hard to believe but Hollows are fallen souls, souls that were not guided into the Soul Society by a Shinigami. Souls that were not protected from other Hollows." Rukia says.

"I know, they've been abandoned, fall and lose their hearts and become Hollows themselves. As sad as it sounds, it's inevitable for those souls that refuse to move on." Ichigo say.

"You're right, it is sad, but now that this Hollow has failed to devour your soul, I'm sure he will go after his sister, like you said she is the person he loved most when he was alive. Remember the bruise we saw before on Orihime's leg?" Rukia asks and receives a nod from her substitute. "She said it was from being hit by a car. But I've seen marks like that before." She says.

"Yeah, it even looked like something grabbed Orihime by her leg and since she couldn't explain how it got there, she said the thing that made more sense to her and others." Ichigo says.

"Right and the mark could only have been left by a Hollow." Rukia says.

"Well, we know he's tried to kill her once and is about to try again." Ichigo says as he tightens his grip on Rukia's legs. "Hold on tight, I'm going to use Shunpo to get us there quicker." He says shocking her.

'He can use Shunpo as well? Wait, why does this surprise me?' Rukia wonders as Ichigo leaps off a rooftop and flashes himself and Rukia away.


Back at Orihime's apartment, she and Tatsuki hear the sounds a footsteps approaching them but can't see anything. It is then that a drop of blood falls onto the carpet and Orihime notices that it is coming from out of Enroku and pooling in her hand.

"What? Is this blood?" Orihime asks shivering at the sight.

As the scared Orihime looks on in wonder at what the red liquid is, Sora's monstrous hand suddenly bursts out of her back, causing her to fall back with a lifeless look on her eyes making Tatsuki gasp in shock.

"Uh, Orihime?" Tatsuki calls to her friend in confusion but is then sent flying into the wall by Hollow Sora, who she cannot see, making her land on the ground, with her shoulder bleeding while also staining her cloths and falling onto the carpet. "What happened? And why am I bleeding?" She wonders before being flung along the length of the wall and after getting to her knees. "Something's here. But I don't see anything." She says in fear noticing the outline of Hollow Sora in front of her before he forces her to the ground gasping for air. "What's happening?" She asks looking around the room as she raises her right arm and feels her hand pressed up against something. "Who's there?" She asks while whimpering.

On the other side of the room, a frightened Orihime is seen shaking as she stares at the sight before her; Hollow Sora looming over Tatsuki with her hand against his chest.

'What's going on? What is that…that monster? And what is it doing to Tatsuki?' Orihime thought as she whimpers but as Hollow Sora moves his tail she notices something across the room. 'Who's that?' She wonders but then gets a better look at the body and realizing something. "That's me. But how?" She asks aloud and hears the rattling of a chain as she looks down to see her Chain of Fate attached to her chest. "Where did this come from?" She wonders as she grabs a hold of the chain. "I…I can't breathe." She says but then hears a scream as she looks over to see Hollow Sora pressing his hand against Tatsuki's throat. "Tatsuki! I can't just sit here. I've got to do something." She says getting to her feet and runs headlong into Hollow Sora's arm, freeing Tatsuki in the process. "Tatsuki! Are you okay?" She asks placing her hand on Tatsuki's arm, but she only sees the imprint of a hand on her causing her to jump back in fear.

"Get back! Stay away!" Tatsuki screams flailing her right arm around.

"What are you screaming about Tatsuki? It's just me." Orihime tries to say to her whimpering best friend. "What's wrong?" She asks.

"It's useless talking to her now, Orihime. She can't hear us. She can't even see us." Hollow Sora says to his sister.

"Tatsuki!" Orihime shouts at seeing her friend fall over. "Why not? And how do you know my name?" She asks.

"That makes me sad, Orihime. Have you forgotten my voice? How could you? It's me, can't you tell?" Hollow Sora asks.

"What are you talking about?" Orihime asks in confusion.

"It makes me sad, Orihime, very, very sad!" Hollow Sora yells as he raises his arm to attack Orihime.

As Hollow Sora brings his arm down to swipe at his sister, Orihime closes her eyes and awaits the impact but for some reason it never comes. She opens her eyes and sees Ichigo in his Shinigami attire blocking Hollow Sora's arm with both his Getsu no Ikari swords in an 'X' shape form in front of him.

"I am the one that you're really after. Leave her alone and fight me!" Ichigo shouts forcing Hollow Sora back with a slash from his Zanpakutō leaving an 'X' gash in his hand.

As Hollow Sora reels back in pain, Ichigo tries to slash him again only for Sora to retreat back into Hueco Mundo through a portal of darkness.

"Huh?" Orihime blinks in confusion at the sight before her and sees Ichigo looking to the side in Tatsuki's direction.

'Damn, Tatsuki, how did you get caught up in all this?' Ichigo wonders seeing his passed out friend against the wall.

"Ichigo." Orihime says.

"Huh?" Ichigo asks turning around quickly.

"Thank you for rescuing us from that thing. But where did you come from?" Orihime asks.

"Whoa, hold on a minute. How in the hell can you see me?" Ichigo asks with a confused look on his face.

"Why shouldn't I?" Orihime asks with a smile as she scratches her cheek but Ichigo looks down at her chest and sees the Chain of Fate attached to her and follows the chain to her body before realizing what was going on.

[Flashback]

Kisuke and a 10-year-old Ichigo, in his newly acquired Shinigami form were walking through the busy market of Karakura Town but Ichigo was hiding behind a telephone pole thinking people would find him weird dressed like he was and carrying around swords.

"Don't worry, young Ichigo." Kisuke whispers patting his student on the head. "As of right now, in your Shinigami form, you are a spirit being. And as such, any human that is not spiritually aware will be able to see you. Only other spirit beings, like myself, will be able to see you." He explains making Ichigo calm down as they continued on through the market.

[End Flashback]

"Then that means-" Ichigo begins to say.

"That's right. She's a spirit being now. In other words, Orihime is dead." Hollow Sora confirms Ichigo's suspicion as he emerges from a cloud of pink mist behind him.

Angered by this, Ichigo tightens his grip on hi swords as he charges at Hollow Sora and slashes at him, only for him to easily dodge the attack. maneuvers around Ichigo and grabs Orihime's Chain of Fate before rising up, causing Orihime to be pulled along with him. When Ichigo turns around and slashes at him, Hollow Sora blocks with his tail before smashing it into Ichigo, who is sent flying through the wall and out into the street as Rukia watches from below while Ichigo stops himself in midair with Hohō.

"Damn it!" Ichigo curses.

"Stay back." Hollow Sora warns as he tightens his grip on Orihime making her shriek in pain while Rukia gasps in shock and then sees Hollow Sora then use his tail to attack Ichigo again from above but he acts quickly.

"Bakudō #39: Enkōsen (Round Lock Fan)." Ichigo says using Getsu no Ikari in a blocking motion, as he generates a dull yellow energy, which takes the form of a large spinning disk of condensed Reiatsu, in front of himself, and blocks Hollow Sora's tail slam but the force behind it sends Ichigo to the ground near Rukia.

"Ichigo!" Rukia shouts in concern running over to him. "Ichigo! Get up! Ichigo! Ichigo!" She shouts to a motionless Ichigo.

"Ichigo, no! He's hurt. I have to go help him. Let me go! Let me go!" Orihime yells struggling to get out of Hollow Sora's grip.

"Orihime, have you forgotten me?" Hollow Sora asks once again only this time Orihime looks into his eyes and notices something.

"Sora? Is that you?" Orihime asks in slight shock.


Meanwhile, in the street outside, Rukia is still trying to get a motionless Ichigo to get up.

"Ichigo, come on, get up." Rukia says shaking Ichigo a bit.

"Stop shaking me Rukia, I'm fine." Ichigo says pushing himself up off the ground onto his knees. "I got too emotional in there and force behind that tail was more than I was expecting." He says.

"You're right, you did get too emotional in there." Aka says in Ichigo's mind. "You let your anger get the better of you and that's why you out here on your knees right now." She says to her wielder.

"A newborn Hollow shouldn't be that difficult but you let him get to you because you're a big brother yourself." Ao says. "You can't sympathize with him because you're not like him. You maybe part Hollow but you were born that way." She tells her wielder.

"My sisters are right King. He's been consumed by his own grief that led him to this. The only thing you can do for him is purify him with one of us so his soul can find peace." Shiro says.

'You're all right. Yoruichi said not to let my emotions take over in a fight and that's exactly what I did. Alright I need to take a deep breath.' Ichigo thought as he inhaled deeply and the exhaled slowly.

As this was going on Rukia was watching as Ichigo closely as if he seemed to be in deep thought before realizing what he was doing.

'He must be communicating with his Zanpakutōs. It's truly amazing that he's able to do it while not performing Jinzen (Sword Meditation).' Rukia thought in awe before hearing Ichigo breathe deeply as his Reiatsu calming down. "I'm guessing you've calmed down now?" She asks and receives a nod from Ichigo as turns to her. "Good, I know this is difficult being someone you know but that doesn't matter. What matters is protecting Orihime from suffering the same fate that he has." She reminds him.

"I know but it doesn't make it any easier." Ichigo says grabbing Getsu no Ikari and getting to his feet.


Back inside Orihime's apartment, Hollow Sora releases Orihime and sets her in front of him.

"Are you really Sora, my brother?" Orihime asks.

"Yes, Orihime, it's me." Hollow Sora says.

"You're lying." Orihime says wide eyed with her hands covering her mouth. "My brother was gentle. He would never do these things you're doing." She says as she tightens her hands into fists.

"I was so lonely." Hollow Sora says.

"Oh." Orihime gasps.

"You were beginning to forget about me, sister, a little more each day." Hollow Sora says.

[Flashback]

A young Orihime wearing a school girl's uniform was sitting on her knees praying to the alter she made for her deceased brother.

"After I died, you prayed for me every day. I watched you. It was your prayers and your thoughts that gave me peace. It relieved me of my loneliness." Hollow Sora says.

[End Flashback]

"But after a year had gone by, things changed. You became friends with that girl." Hollow Sora says thinking about how Orihime became friends with Tatsuki.

"Huh?" Orihime asks in confusion.

"And then…I saw that you began to pray for me less and less." Hollow Sora said remembering Tatsuki and Orihime laughing together in front of his alter. "Then, when you entered high school, you stopped praying for me completely." He says remembering his sister laughing with the girls from high school. "That's why I was so lonely." He says.

"Sora, you don't underst-" Orihime tries to say but Hollow Sora grips her shoulders.

"Just listen to me, Orihime. If you still have even a shred of love for me, you will not betray me again. Do exactly as I say. I will deal with him. It won't take long. I shall devour this Shinigami and put an end to this." Hollow Sora says turning to go and continue his fight with Ichigo.

"No! Don't! This doesn't have anything to do with Ichigo. Leave him alone. It's not right for you to hurt him just because-" Orihime begins to say.

"Shut up, Orihime. Don't tell me what's right when this it's your fault I've become this monster!" Hollow Sora yells grabbing his sister and begins choking her with his large monster hands. "I should kill you first for the way you've abandon me, for choosing this girl and Ichigo over honoring my memory. I'll kill you!" He shouts as Orihime struggles to breathe.

"No, you won't, you freak!" Ichigo shouts appearing through the whole in the wall and stabs Hollow Sora's tail with one of Getsu no Ikari's blades causing him to wail and wither in pain as he continuously stabs the Hollow.

Hollow Sora, overcome with pain, unintentionally lets Orihime go as Ichigo slashes him across the tail. Hollow Sora attempts to grab Orihime again only for Ichigo to Shunpo in between them and cut off Hollow Sora's hand causing him to rear away in pain as Ichigo kneels beside Orihime to check on her.

"Let me ask you something, Captain Overbite…do you know why big brothers are born first? There's a reason." Ichigo says before getting to his feet and turning to face Hollow Sora. "They're born first so that they can look out for their little brothers and sisters and protect them." He says raising his voice a little.

"Ichigo!" Rukia shouts entering the room before going quiet as she listens to Ichigo and notices that he is sheathing his swords.

"And here, you threaten to kill your own sister, even a dead man doesn't have the right to say that." Ichigo growls as he grabs Zangetsu off his back.

"Shut up. You don't know what you're talking about! Orihime is mine. I was 15 when she was born. And I raised her after our parents abandoned us. To me, she is more like a daughter than a sister. Orihime, come with me now, back to when it was just you and me, happy together. If you'll come, then I promise I will spare these other souls." Hollow Sora offers.

"Uh-" Orihime begins to say as she gets to her feet.

"Wait, it's a trap. You can't believe him because he doesn't have the feelings of a brother anymore." Rukia tells her.

"Are you sure?" Orihime asks as tears escape her eyes before her hairpin shines gaining Hollow Sora's attention.

'That hairpin' Hollow Sora thought as he recalls fond memories of raising and growing up with her as a Human. 'I love you, big brother.' Young Orihime words echo in his mind. "Brother?" He asks before groaning and shrieking in pain as he bangs his head against the wall.

"Brother!" Orihime calls out in concern.

"What is this?" Rukia wonders having never seen a Hollow act like this before.

"Orihime is mine!" Hollow Sora yells as he lunges towards Ichigo.

"Cleave the Heavens and Pierce the Moon, Zangetsu (Slaying Moon)!" Ichigo shouts as his stark white daito transforms into an oversized Khyber knife about as tall he is that has no tsuba and no proper hilt with a cloth-wrapped tang and a black blade with a silver edge.

'That's his Zanpakutō's Shikai form? How strange but all Zanpakutōs come in many shapes and sizes.' Rukia thought remembering the Shikais she has seen back in the Soul Society.

"Orihime doesn't belong to anyone!" Ichigo shouts using Zangetsu to block Hollow Sora's oversized mouth. "And least of all, to you!" He says and shoves Hollow Sora outside Orihime's apartment.

Hollow Sora flies into the air as Ichigo jumps down onto the street as the cloth-wrapping extends allowing Ichigo to grip it. Once on the ground Ichigo begins twiring the cloth in a circular motion with his right hand causing the sword itself to spun around by the wrapping at a very fast speed. Hollow Sora spits acid towards Ichigo and even though he's far away and up high, the acid still able to maintain its speed and travel directly at Ichigo. Ichigo seeing this brings Zangetsu downward like a flail and using the blade section of the sword, slices through the acid causing it to split in two and land on either side of him and melting the concrete as well.

'Amazing. Even though melee-type Zanpakutōs are normally used for close range, Ichigo's seems to allow him to have a mid-range distance for attack.' Rukia thought observing her substitute using his Shikai.

Hollow Sora growls at seeing this and lunges towards Ichigo once more. Ichigo spins Zangetsu again before throwing it directly into front of him, aiming for Hollow Sora's mask but he manages to move upwards a bit, however it wasn't enough as Zangetsu pierces his stomach causing him to cry out in pain before continuing his lung at Ichigo with his mouth open, ready to chomp down on him. Ichigo, however, reels his fist back and was about to deliver an Ikkotsu (Single Bone) but, at the last second, Orihime intercepts her Hollow brother's bite with her body, to the shock of both him and Ichigo.

"Orihime." Ichigo says in shock.

"Orihime, why did you do that?" Hollow Sora asks releasing his clamp jaw on her as she falls to her knees.

"Sora, I had to save Ichigo. Because this is all my fault. The reason you're this way…it's because of me, because I begged you not to leave me alone." Orihime says on her knees still hugging her hollowfied brother.

[Flashback]

A dying Sora was on a stretcher being loading into an ambulance with a young Orihime crying next to him.

"Sora, don't die. Don't leave me all alone, brother. You can't. You can't." Young Orihime sobs loudly.

[End Flashback]

"That's why…you weren't able to find peace. And it's all my fault." Orihime says shedding tears.

"Oh, Orihime." Hollow Sora says softly.

"Since you died, I've always had the sense that you were watching over me. Because I asked you to. Even yesterday when that car was about to hit me, you protected me, didn't you? I have this mark because you pulled my leg to get me out of the way in time. That was you, wasn't it?" Orihime asks.

"That explains it." Rukia says walking up to them and stands beside Ichigo as the two continue watching in silence.

"Then one day I realized that if I kept depending on you to stay by my side, you'd never be able to rest in peace. But if I showed you…" Orihime pauses as she sobs. "…that my life was really happy and that you didn't need to worry about me anymore, you could pass on. I never dreamed it would make you sad and lonely. I would never want to do that to you, brother." She sobs before groaning and collapses.

"Orihime-" Hollow Sora begins to say before groaning and screaming in pain as his mask begins to disappear and reappear.

"Now this is something you don't see every day, huh, Rukia?" Ichigo asks in slight shock.

"Indeed. There have been cases where the part of Hollows that are still human with fight for control. Its very rare and hardly ever seen." Rukia says before thinking of something. "Seeing this now makes me think that this one didn't become a Hollow by choice. He must've been taken over." She says.

"Taken over? Doesn't that only happen when a soul is devoured by a strong Hollow and manipulated by said Hollow?" Ichigo asks.

"Yes and that Hollow desires your Reiryoku. So it took over this poor soul planning to use it to attack you. It hoped that since you knew this soul in life, you would hesitate to fight him, but it you didn't hesitate for a second, which explains why it came after Orihime after failing instead of completing its mission." Rukia says as they watch Hollow Sora continue to wail in pain. "Right now, the brother's soul is desperately fighting that Hollow for his sister's sake." She says.

"Orihime!" Hollow Sora screams but then goes quiet for a few seconds before his mask completely, causing Orihime to shed a tear as she sees Sora's face before falling over. "No." He says as he crouches down over her.

"It's all right." Ichigo says as he and Rukia walk over.

"Yes, fortunately, the Chain of Fate is still connected to her chest. As long as it's attached to her, she will not die. I need to treat her." Rukia says kneeling down and rolling Orihime onto her back. "Stay back. The power of my Kidō should be able to save her." She explains as her palm starts glowing a blueish green over Orihime's wounded shoulder where Hollow Sora bit her.

Ichigo watches on in silence and then notices Sora staring at Orihime's hairpin.

"That hairpin she's wearing was a present from you, wasn't it, Sora?" Ichigo asks. "She told me that once. That's why she wears it every single day." He explains as he hears Sora whimpering and notices him straightening up his serpent-like body and pulls Zangetsu out of his abdomen and raises the Zanpakutō up. "So you're going to do it yourself, huh?" He asks understanding what Sora is up to.

"Yes, I only have a short time before the Hollow overwhelms me again and changes me back into a monster. So while I'm sane and can still think clearly, I'll end this." Sora says pointing Zangetsu towards himself.

"The choice is yours, I'm not going to stop you." Ichigo says not noticing Rukia looking at him.

'Despite his young age, Ichigo is truly mature to allow this to happen without putting up a fight.' Rukia thought as a smile forms on her face.

"But…" Ichigo begins to say making both Rukia and Sora look towards him. "Before you do that, I know Orihime has some final words she's been regretting not telling you before you died." He says as they turned to see an awake Orihime looking to her brother.

"Ichigo's right, I've been wanting to tell you this for a very long time after you died." Orihime says as her eyes begin tearing up again. "This hairpin…remember the argument we had about it the day you gave it to me? I said I didn't like it because I thought it didn't look grown up enough for me. I know I hurt your feelings. And you left without saying anything else. And that was the last time I saw you alive. So now, I want to say what I should have said to you when you went off to work that day." She says getting up to her knees with Rukia supporting her. "My brother…have a good day." She says with teary eyes.

"Thanks, Orihime." Sora says with a smile as he impales himself with Ichigo's Zanpakutō, causing him to dissipate into motes of light that fly up into the sky as Ichigo's Zanpakutō falls to the ground.

As she watches this, Orihime turns to Rukia and begins crying into her chest while Ichigo walks over and picks up Zangetsu, reverting it back into its sealed form and sheathing it back into its scabbard on his back.


The next day, at Karakura High School, Orihime was with her friends; Tatsuki, Ryō Kunieda, a 15 year old girl who has long black hair a mole under her left eye and wears the standard Karakura school uniform, Mahana Natsui, a 17 year old girl who has short curly brown hair and brown eyes, wears the standard Karakura High School uniform, which is unbuttoned slightly more than most of the female students, and has E cup breasts, Michiru Ogaw, who has short brown hair, with her bangs pulled back in a clip and wears the standard Karakura High School uniform, Chizuru Honshō, who is a thin teenager with short red hair and purple eyes, her bangs parted on both sides of her face and wears red framed glasses and usually wears her Karakura high school uniform, eating on the rooftop.

"No way!" Mahana says.

"Really. What happened was a Sumo wrestler with a gun blasted a hole through the wall into my room last night." Orihime explains what happened to her last night.

"Huh?" Mahana asks in confusion not buying the story at all. "Please, Orihime, if you're going to make up stories, at least make them sound realistic. Like, maybe a pro wrestling match spilled out of the ring." She says making the other girls laugh.

"Don't listen to them, Orihime. I like your wild imagination." Chizuru says.

"But it's not a made-up story. I swear. It really happened. Right, Tatsuki?" Orihime asks her best friend.

"Yeah, I remember something happening last night." Tatsuki says not sure what really happened.

On the other side of the roof, Ichigo and Rukia were nearby and heard everything Orihime said and had blank expression on their faces.

"So that's what a Kikanshinki (Account-Replacing Spirit Device) effect looks like after use." Ichigo says.

"Mm-hmm." Rukia nods humming in agreement.

[Flashback]

"Ichigo, what's with these monsters and that big sword? And…" Orihime begins asking rapidly but Rukia holds her Kikanshinki (Account-Replacing Spirit Device) in front of her face and releases it causing a bird's head to pop from the top of the device and produces a puff of smoke making Orihime scream as she passes out.

"Was that a Kikanshinki you used?" Ichigo asks.

"That's right. I wiped out her memory of the night's events and gave her a new one. Unfortunately, there's no way to predict what her memory will be replaced with." Rukia says dragging a healed up Tatsuki over next to Orihime. "So tomorrow, we'll find out what she thinks happened tonight." She says.

"Sounds like a major defect in the product." Ichigo says with a deadpan look on his face.

[End Flashback]

"I must say I was very impressed with your Shikai of the Zanpakutō you keep on your back. I can easily tell you've mastered it from the way you used it against Hollow Sora last night." Rukia compliments her substitute.

"Thanks but there's more to Zangetsu than you know but I'll tell you another time." Ichigo says. "But aside from that, another Hollow has been slain and purified." He says smiling down at her as they look out over the town from the roof.

"You're right. I'm glad that you are taking care of things in my place until my powers return, Ichigo." Rukia says returning his smile with her own.

{Ending Theme: "Life is Like a Boat" by Rie Fu}


Author's Note: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. The next one should be out next Monday or the following one after that. Please be sure to review and tell me what you think.