Chapter 30: Justice in the Library

We have another chapter for you guys. This one will be the begining of a rather significant change to the series, one I think you'll all enjoy.

Please leave any comments and criticism in the form of a review. We don't care if its positive or negative, We would really like to hear about how we handled this part of the series.

Thank you once again Greatkingrat88.

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.

It was early Saturday, and Ichigo was just about ready for his daily spar. Early, of course, meant 'so early that you weren't sure if it was actually just very late'. Ichigo had considered complaining about it, appealing to the common sense that if Saturdays were for anything, they were for sleeping in. Then he had decided he would rather not get a particularly savage beating, and kept his mouth shut.

So there it was, the crack of dawn just having passed them- not that either could tell; the basement was in a state of constant daylight, as far as he could tell- his sword hanging over his back, just waiting for his aunt to draw hers so they could go through all the ways in which he was insufficient. Innumerable, he was sure.

Erza walked up to him, standing at about two sword's length from him.

"So what are we doing today?" Ichigo said. "Swords again? Hand-to-hand? Reiatsu?" He fervently hoped it was not the last one. He had some instinctive grasp on the subject, but understanding it and making it work was utterly obnoxious.

"No," Erza said, shaking her head. "Today will be different. Theory."

"Oh, thank goodness," Ichigo murmured. He didn't mind the spars, not like he had when they first started, but a morning of not having your teeth kicked in by your god-like aunt was a nice change of pace.

Erza gave him a look. "We'll move back to physical later," she said, managing to make it sound like a threat. "For now, you must learn about the most essential thing of shinigami-hood."

"Yeah?" Ichigo said, and nodded. He couldn't act like he wasn't a little excited; the very concept of shinigami was mystifying, intriguing, a great big secret finally looking to be unraveled just a little.

Erza pulled her sword out and held it straight at him, the point stopping just an inch short of his nose, which, to Ichigo, was an inch or two too close.

"What do you see?" she asked.

"A pointy metal object that could poke my eye out," Ichigo said, his tone a mixture of snide and a little agitated.

"What do you see?" Erza repeated, and Ichigo knew he could only push his luck so far.

"A sword." He said irritably. "A sword, all right? Zanpakutou."

"You see, and you don't see."

"Aunt, don't be cryptic." Ichigo shot back. "You're really good at scaring people, and kicking ass, but you're really bad at being mysterious and wise."

"I could still flatten your nose." Erza said sharply.

"See? That's more like it."

Erza shot him a glare. "This," she said, drawing the sword back, and holding it straight up, "is the zanpakutou. The shinigami's sword, her tool to purify wicked souls. This much, you know."

"Uh huh," Ichigo said. "Please flatten my nose or tell me what's special about it."

"Oh believe me…" Erza muttered. "The zanpakutou is not just a sword, but a piece of a shinigami's soul."

Now this was more like it.

"When we attend academy, a blank zanpakutou, called an Asauchi. As we learn the arts of shinigami, we shape it and it shapes us. And once we have enough skill… we learn what its name is."

"You go around naming all of the swords once you graduate, or something? Like a tradition?"

Erza shook her head.

"The swords name themselves. They are alive, Ichigo. Every zanpakutou has a spirit, a name, and a special ability. It is a mark of skill to earn the right to know the name of your blade, and to synchronize with its personality and unlock more and more of its power. Many shinigami never get this far, remaining low-ranked and weak. This is what you must do one day, Ichigo- to find a zanpakutou of your own, and learn its name."

A number of weeks ago, Ichigo would have blinked with surprise, confusion and lack of understanding. Right now, he nodded.

"Names. Spirits. Personalities of their own." He stared into space thoughtfully. "Do these things… talk to you? Like voices in your head?"

"Sometimes they never shut up." Erza said with a hint of distaste. "They usually give you a hard time until you get to know what they want."

"You speak from experience, huh? So… what's yours called?"

"This is Tetsu no Tama," Erza said proudly. "I have progressed far down the path of harmony between weapon and user. Allow me to show you- I will make him manifest."

Ichigo watched with anticipation. Nothing happened for a few seconds. Then, Erza glared at the sword. The sword remained contemptuously inactive. Then she shook it, muttering under her breath.

"Come out, you stubborn…" she growled. "Come on, come on! It's just a demonstration- no I will not accept that sort of language, you arrogant little-"

For some time she stood there, arguing with seemingly nothing, and Ichigo started to feel awkward.

"Look, mister, you are coming out here right now or I am not talking to you for a whole month! Oh yes I would do that! Read my mind- where you live, mind you! Without paying rent, like a freeloader! Get out here, NOW!"

Just as Ichigo had started to nurture the growing suspicion that his aunt was actually a paranoid psychotic, there was a faint glow, and a tall man materialized next to her. He had blond, spiky hair, which flew in the face of gravity by standing upright, and wore what looked like a set of golden full plate mail, in western style, with a velvet red cape extending down from his waistline. He looked haughty, like an avatar of arrogance, and looked at Ichigo like he was an ant.

Ichigo had learned to take things in stride. The absurd had become the norm. But there were some things that were just too much, and that included gaudy, glimmering men appearing out of nowhere.

"What are you?" Ichigo breathed, almost in awe of the sheer absurdity of the spectacle.

"I am Tetsu no Tama, peasant," the zanpakutou sneered. "Made manifest on the command of my fool master, who insists on using me like some spectacle for school children, rather than for noble combat, which is what I am intended for, thank you very much!"

"You know, I give and give and give, and it's never enough," Erza said, shooting the man a glare, although her tone suggested she wasn't nearly as upset as one might think.

"Well, I can relate to that." Ichigo mumbled. "But… wow. This guy."

"You may bask in my glory." The zanpakutou said, without a trace of irony.

"He looks like the living incarnation of a pride parade float." Ichigo said, feeling a snicker building in his chest. "He looks like a fashion designer went insane and threw something together at the last moment before he was shipped to the asylum! He looks like a Fate Stay Night cosplayer threw up on a super saiyan! He looks like-"

"Silence, mongrel!" The zanpakutou sneered, and backhanded him across the face. "This is for what you bring me, master?"

Ichigo reeled back, feeling the sting of the slap, but couldn't help himself from sniggering nonetheless.

"So um," he said, "this… is your sword?"

"The spirit of my zanpakutou made manifest." Erza said firmly. "No two are alike. Tetsu no Tama drives me to be the best I can be, and asks the highest he can. As long as I perform, then in return I am granted his power."

"As well it should be." The zanpakutou said, looking at Ichigo like he was something you scrape off the sole of your shoes. "Need I stay in the presence of this low-born scum, master? His presence fills me with even more disgust than usual."

"Charmer." Ichigo said dryly.

"He is… difficult." Erza admitted. "But it is through him and only him I have come as far as I have. The relationship between us is a partnership, as it should be for everyone. Your zanpakutou is not your slave, your pet or your servant, but a partner and friend."

"Which is why I call her 'master', as friends and partner usually do." Tetsu no Tama said, and Ichigo noticed that he was not above having a sense of humor.

"We also do not always agree," Erza said through her teeth. "You are dismissed for now, my sword."

"At last," the zanpakutou said, shooting Ichigo one last death glare before dissipating, seemingly into nothingness.

"So… that was an experience." Ichigo mumbled. "Are all of them that…" He stopped, trying to think of an adjective that wasn't too insulting, and came out short.

Erza shook her head. "No. They are all different. Most of them take after their masters, representing an aspect of their personality."

Ichigo nodded, almost excitably. As toxic as the spirit had been, this was still fascinating knowledge. "So, you mentioned special abilities?"

"Yes. As zanpakutou and shinigami bond and progress, as you learn its name, you unlock the first stage of power. It is calledshikai, and once you know the name of your blade, it will permit you to use its unique power. No two are alike. Mostly."

"What's yours?" Ichigo said, restraining himself a little, so as to not sound too excitable.

"It's not very fancy, despite what impression he might have given you." Erza said, and held the sword out. "You activate it by command. I have come far enough that I can do it by will alone, but I will show you. Strike, Tetsu no Tama."

There was a faint pulse of energy, but the sword looked much the same.

"Is… is it working properly?" Ichigo asked.

"It is not immediately apparent. I will demonstrate."

Suddenly, she was holding two long, sleek katana, one in each hand.

"Balance." She declared. "That is the name of this set. Speed, power, efficiency." The swords shimmered, disappeared, and a vicious-looking, sizeable bearded axe, its blade a vicious dark grey, thick and heavy.

"Breaker." She declared. "To put your strength into destroying what comes in your way."

Ichigo gave a whistle. "So you can change this into anything you like?"

"No," Erza said, shaking her head. "I have a limited arsenal." The axe shimmered, and dissipated. "The next one, you have seen before. Render."

The weapon reformed, in the shape of a huge, thick blade, as long as Erza herself. It was too large and blunt to really be called a sword, but Erza held it over her shoulder seemingly effortlessly.

"Yeah, that heavy thing…" Ichigo mumbled, remembering its weight on top of Erza back when he had first done those pushups. "It looks nasty. And really um, heavy."

"A zanpakutou is nearly weightless. Yet, this thing puts a drain on my reiatsu, and expends a lot of it in its blade. It is heavy to use, but terrifyingly strong." The zanpakutou shifted again, now taking the form of a shield and spear. It was an elegant look for her, rather like Pallas Athena, Ichigo thought.

"Sentinel. Defense and offense combined."

"Got any more?" Ichigo said, unable to hide all the excitement this time.

"No, that is all. So far, at least," Erza said, and shrugged, as the sword returned to its original form.

"So… I get my own, learn its name, and I can do… something like that?" Ichigo said.

"Yes. But that is not all."

"There's more?"

"The bond between shinigami and zanpakutou is paramount," Erza explained, her voice serious and firm. "It takes not only energy to bond with it, but affinity. It is a learned skill. Some pick it up fast, other slower. It took me years to learn the name of mine. Many do not learn it at all. But there is one thing past shikai, Ichigo."

"What's that?"

"Bankai. The final stage of synchronization between weapon and shinigami. It represents the most absolute power and finesse any shinigami could aspire to."

"Huh." Ichigo said, a little dumbstruck. There was something in the voice of his aunt, wistful and serious, as if remembering days past.

"I will put it like this: There are billions of souls in the Soul Society. Out of them, a fraction have more than minimal spiritual power. Out of these people, only a handful have the skill to become shinigami. Out of this distilled elite of the powerful and skilled, a few have the skill, power and patience to become officers. Among the officers, a handful have the potential to develop bankai. To own one is to become part of the absolute elite. To develop one is, in the grand perspective, legendary. It is the absolute pinnacle of shinigami excellence."

"…do you have one?" Ichigo asked, his mind ablaze with visions of excellent shinigami, the crème-de-la-créme of the highest society, having developed their skills the furthest possible.

She simply nodded.

"I do."

Ichigo gave a whistle. He knew his aunt was a big shot, but he had never imagined this.

"It takes a total of ten years minimum to achieve it, if you have the skill," Erza said. "Another ten to master it. Today, I know of only thirteen individuals capable of it, myself not included- the captains of the Gotei thirteen. To have one is a necessity for the highest rank of office."

"That's… something."

"I believe one day, you can develop one of your own." Erza said bluntly. "It is a hell of a thing to heap onto a fledgling shinigami, but I do. You are strong and you are skilled. Just don't let that go to your head."

"If I did, I reckon you'd beat me senseless," Ichigo shot back. "But… you really think I can?"

"Decades from now, but yes." Erza said. "I may have said too much- but it is what I believe."

"Well…" Ichigo muttered. Him, rising to the highest level? A legend? That was… well, it would probably be huge if he had any idea what the scales looked like. Still. Cool. Pretty cool. Right?

"Come." Erza said. "Training. The road to greatness is taken one step at a time. If you call that a platitude, I am going to knock one of your molars out."

"…yes, sir." Ichigo said, feeling a little overwhelmed. The highest height…

He couldn't deny it sounded appealing.

Tatsuki had had a good instructor. Great, even. For over five years, he had taught her, directed her, melded her and turned her from potential into a tournament-winning champion. He was an excellent karate practitioner, always able to show her some way she could improve.

And he was nothing compared to the enigmatic, grinning woman known as Yoruichi. It was hard to get over, really, how huge of a gap there was between a skilled veteran of karate and what was, functionally, a goddess of martial arts. She slowed herself for Tatsuki's sake, she could tell, and even then she was incredible. Every movement was smooth, calculated carefully in an instant, no energy wasted on imperfections. Or well, it might well have flaws, but if there were, then they existed on a level she could not even come close to reading. It was a privilege to spar with her, as she had done about four times so far. She could switch her style at the drop of a hat, seamlessly switching from offense to defense, from karate to judo to ju-jutsu, to foreign arts like Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu, or even the ruthless, unrefined Krav Maga, each one re-appropriated to suit her perfectly.

Tatsuki took all of it in as best she could, drinking deep gulps from the painful chalice of knowledge. She took a few knocks here and there for it, which suited her just fine- no pain, no gain.

It was all kicks, punches, jabs, always at a speed she couldn't really handle. There was no time to think, only to react- if even that. Yoruichi was skilled, but not necessarily very pedagogical.

"All right, all right," Tatsuki said, taking a few steps back, her breath ragged, "break. Break! I need, ah, I need five…"

"Already?" Yoruichi said, a small smirk plastered on her face as usual. "Humans wear out so quick."

"Well, sorry for not being born into being some sort of demi-god," Tatsuki muttered, forcing herself to stay on foot.

"Death-god," Yoruichi corrected her.

"Yeah, whatever," she grumbled. "You used to be human too, didn't you? Isn't that how it works?"

"For most people," Yoruichi said cryptically. She was good at cryptic. Sometimes, Tatsuki suspected her mind built little crypts for her thoughts to live in.

"What, don't tell me there are people actually getting born inside the afterlife," Tatsuki said, somewhat in disbelief, although only as much as her sweaty, raggedly breathing body allowed.

"We're not all the same."

"You're kidding me." Tatsuki said flatly.

"Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not."

"Did anybody ever call you a troll?" Tatsuki said, only half sourly. "Because you are."

"In the sense of living under bridges, being made of rocks and eating people, or posting inflammatory comments on online forums?" Yoruichi said, displaying a shocking level of knowledge of modern technology and culture.

"…forget it." Tatsuki mumbled. Yoruichi laughed, once again walking the line just short of being irritating.

"But…" she continued thoughtfully, "I'm really learning a lot here. It hurts and it's exhausting, but… I'm stronger. Faster."

"Or it's mostly in your head." Yoruichi said light-heartedly, and once again Tatsuki couldn't be sure if she was making fun or not.

"I want you to teach me." Tatsuki said firmly.

"What have we been doing so far, then?" Yoruichi said, and this time she was sure it was sarcasm. Mostly.

"Not just sparring," Tatsuki said, shaking her head. "I want to learn everything you can teach me. Could you… could you please be my sensei, miss Yoruichi?"

She drew a sharp breath as she finished the words, feeling a sense of anxiousness and nervousness rising in her gut. She had asked, really asked, and she couldn't be sure if she had overstepped her bounds or not. Her saying yes would be brilliance. Her saying no, maybe even cancelling these spars because she thought Tatsuki was getting clingy, would be a terrible loss.

"…you want me to teach you." Her voice was flat, but Tatsuki thought she could hear the faintest bit of surprise.

"Yes!" Tatsuki said firmly. She had already taken the plunge; might as well go all out. "You're amazing- I've never seen anyone like you. I need somebody to teach me all of this, or I'll never catch up to Ichigo."

"Even when I can't magically give you powers like his?" She sounded apprehensive, evasive even.

"You have to start somewhere." Tatsuki said resolutely. "I'm not going to catch up by sitting on my ass. I need you. You're good at this. So…"

Desperately, she let her plea hang in the air, unspoken but thunderously loud, and every passing moment felt like a free fall off a cliff.

"I don't think I would be a very good teacher." Yoruichi said, and the mirth was gone from her voice.

"I disagree!" Tatsuki said emphatically. "Just sparring with you, I am learning so, so much, like… you don't even know. Well, except you probably do, but you know! What I mean, that is. Er…"

Stellar work, Tatsuki she thought to herself. With arguments like those, of course she'll be convinced.

"I was shinigami once, you guessed that much." Yoruichi said, looking Tatsuki in the eyes.

"Yeah," Tatsuki said, nodding energetically.

"I wasn't just any shinigami. I was a leader. Nobility. Born into great privilege, power and responsibility, things that suited me way better than I ever liked. You see, I was good at what I did, but I had no passion for it. I'd rather have stayed in bed with a book all day if I could. Or a lover. I took all of one apprentices in all my time."

"That's… something." Tatsuki said, not sure what the appropriate reaction to this was.

Her tone quite serious, Yoruichi fixed her gaze on Tatsuki.

"One apprentice. I failed her, and very badly at that. I may be able to teach you technical know-how, form, skill… but I don't think you can trust me to be what a sensei should be. I am not a reliable person."

It was strange, hearing her say such self-deprecating things. She was not flippant or coy, nor was there any self-loathing in her voice; it was simply a neutral, factual statement.

But more importantly, Tatsuki noticed, she had not said no yet.

"Hey, that's fine," she said eagerly. "You're up front about what I can expect. I can deal with that. No matter how it turns out, I can only get better." She stared back at Yoruichi, her own eyes filled with determination.

"I need this. I can't spend my life being protected. I need to be my own. You can help me do that."

Something passed across Yoruichi's face, an odd look- almost wistful, almost impressed, almost appreciative, and entirely impossible to read with accuracy.

"…see you later." She said simply, and turned around and walked.

"Hey, wait!" Tatsuki cried. "You have to listen-"

But in a blur, Yoruichi was gone, as if vanished. Only the sight of her exiting the basement up the stairs let Tatsuki realize she had not magically disappeared. Sighing frustratedly, Tatsuki stamped her foot into the ground. Well, it looked like she had messed up now…

It was late evening, and Erza had ordered some take-out for supper. Not that she couldn't cook, but between knocking Ichigo around all day, having a job to attend, and looking after Orihime, her life could be quite draining. Some people were naturally good at domestic things; to Erza it was a forcefully learned skill that sometimes meant not cooking for yourself because you were left tired. Orihime didn't mind, naturally, as the two of them chowed down their chicken noodle wok.

"So, how is school going?" Erza asked, in between mouthfuls. "Are your grades coming in soon?"

"I'm fifth ranked in my class," Orihime said cheerily. Goofy and ditzy as she was, she was also deceivingly intelligent. "I climbed up two ranks since last. Pretty neat."

She said it like it were no big deal, because while most student were all but crushed under the weight of expectation, Orihime couldn't care less. She did her best, and didn't let the pressure get to her. Erza admired that in her, and felt some measure of pride knowing she had contributed to it.

"That's good, that's good," Erza said, and nodded. "Any boys I should worry about?"

The subject always was a bit awkward to broach, mostly because Erza had little experience- meaning, none at all- with the subjects of love, romance or sex. Not that there weren't proposals, decent or indecent, but she had never really felt the need, nor had much time for anything like it. Orihime seemed to attract suitors like flies to sugar, particularly since her chest had grown out, and Erza had done her best to amplify her fearsome reputation- she was not a sexist or anything, but teenage boys full of hormones they hadn't learned to control could get up to all sorts of funny business. Besides, it came with mothering. Or something.

"Oh, none at all," Orihime said cheerily, once again demonstrating her selective obliviousness to the world around her. "Everyone's just really nice."

"That's good," Erza said, and nodded. Part of her knew that at some point, she probably would get a boyfriend, and that would be that, but she would make damn sure it was somebody decent, 'damn sure' meaning threats, violence and intimidation. She might not understand romance very well, but she understood fear.

Which only went to show that neither of them were especially less oblivious than the other.

They ate in silence for a while, before Orihime asked,

"So how is Ichigo doing?"

"He's coming along," Erza said, feeling a bit more enthusiastic. Domestic issues were a pain to understand, training less so. "He's good. Unrefined and needing discipline, but good."

"So he'll be able to protect all of us," Orihime said thoughtfully. This should have set off some warning bells in Erza's head, but enthusiastically, she continued her description.

"Oh yes. Give me a few years, and I'll have him at the skill of a basic shinigami. Once he learns to control his power, we'll-"

"I want to help too." Orihime said firmly, and Erza stopped herself immediately. Oh, crud- this discussion again.

"You know that-" She began, but determinedly, Orihime cut her off.

"I can't just stand by and let everyone else do all the work, you know. I heard I should have power, too- so I should make something of it. To help. I don't want to be somebody's dead weight."

"You're never dead weight," Erza said sharply.

"If he's pulling the load by himself, then I think I am. He's a human who became a shinigami. There are humans called quincies with power. If they can do it, then so could I."

"You don't understand," Erza said firmly, fighting to keep a rational perspective on this. Just saying 'no, because I said so' would only make her more determined. "You haven't seen what I've seen. You don't know how dangerous it is, what kind of people could come looking for you. Just trust me on this, please-"

"You're fine doing that to him," Orihime said stubbornly. "You of all people should know it's stupid to treat me like I'm weaker because… I'm a girl, or something."

"I'm treating you like somebody weaker because you are weaker." Erza said bluntly. "You don't have a fraction of his strength or potential, and that's a fact. There's no shame in not being born into power. Let it go."

The words were hard, a dampener on anybody's spirit, but Orihime's spirit was unbroken.

"You could train me," she insisted. "You're way more experienced than anybody else. Train me like you train him. Teach me how to fight, just so I can defend myself."

"You wouldn't survive." Erza said, and if it were possible, her voice grew even blunter. "My lowest level of strength is so far above yours, I don't see the point. I don't know how to grow somebody's power. I only know how to develop what's already there. Orihime, I can't help you, and you're better off letting go."

Erza took a breath, hoping she hadn't been too harsh.

"…I still think I should learn to fight." Orihime mumbled, and her dejected tone made Erza feel like she had just been stabbed. "It's not fair. I should be able to help him."

"Please, just… let it go. You're better off staying out of this." Erza murmured. She was sure she was right, but somehow, this did not stop her from feeling like the earth's biggest bastard who ate bastard pie for supper with a side helping of bastard sauce.

They ate the rest of their meal in silence. When they were done, Orihime left for her room, without so much as a word. Quietly, in frustration, Erza made a fist. She just wanted her to be safe.

Orihime had most certainly been somewhat dejected by last night's argument, but she was possessed of a cheer and optimism that surpassed that of all of her friends, and as such it was with cheer that she opened the door as it rang that morning, just after breakfast.

"Hell-loo!" She said loudly, as she opened the door. It was Ichigo and Rukia, the former scowling even more firmly than usual, and the latter with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Yo." Ichigo said, and his tone matched his face. "I've got about… five minutes before aunt Erza expects me down at that basement, so I thought I'd dump this midget here with you."

"Oh Ichigo, I'm sure you could perform just fine with me watching," Rukia said with a snigger. "If you happen to fall flat, don't worry- it's perfectly normal, and can happen to just any shinigami."

"See the crap I have to put up with?" Ichigo said flatly. "A century and a half old, she claims, and she still acts like a teenager."

"Not growing up is the greatest advantage of immortality," Rukia said, nodding sapiently. "Besides, you make it so easy."

Orihime realized that this was probably one of those things that sailed over her head, because she couldn't quite see what was wrong with what either of them were doing, or why it should annoy them. As far as she was concerned, it seemed like the two of them were enjoying each other's company- albeit in their own particular way.

"Well, you can't keep Erza waiting!" She said cheerily. "Oh and, it's so nice to see you both. I'm glad to see you're getting along so well."

"Getting along. Right." Ichigo said flatly. "I'm dumping her with you. You take her out. Go to a library. Get her to read some history or some crap like that, so she can actually pass for a human being, and not some sort of weirdo oddball freak."

"I take offense to that!" Rukia said sharply. "I can certainly pass for a human being!"

"Quick, who was the first man on the moon?" Ichigo said. "Who assassinated president Kennedy? What was the cold war? Who unified Japan?"

"Trivia," Rukia said dismissively. "I don't have to actually beconvincing so long as I seem convincing."

"That makes no sense." Ichigo said plainly.

"To a plebe like yourself." Rukia said haughtily.

"Well, I love libraries," Orihime said, chipper. "They all have this amazing smell, like all of that knowledge is just seeping out of the cracks, forming together, morphing into a giant blob of knowledge-y-ness in the air…"

"Loads of paper stacked does that." Ichigo said dryly. "Anyhow, if I'm late, Erza will beat my ass even harder, so… you two play nice. Do that female bonding thing, or some crap."

Rukia, the pinnacle of maturity, stuck her tongue out, as Ichigo wordlessly turned and left.

"So," Rukia said, "libraries, eh?"

"I'll teach you all about human history!" Orihime said. "Just let me get my jacket. Um, wait, it's actually summer… no jacket, then!"

"May want to get shoes," Rukia remarked.

"Ah, yes, those are useful," Orihime said, acting like she hadn't forgotten. "Now, the best place to start is at the beginning. Scientists estimate that two hundred thousand years ago, plus minus twenty thousand odd years, the first homo sapiens emerged on the plains of Africa, presumably after wrestling a bunch of cyborg monkeys to death because evolution is hardcore like that, and…"

So Orihime launched into a brief history of mankind, half scientifically accurate and half laced with gratuitous robots, because history wasn't worth telling unless it involved carnivorous mechanical monstrosities from Mars, or Venus, or maybe even Jupiter.

The two of them made their way to the Karakura library, Orihime doing most of the talking, while Rukia kept an amused smile at her antics. Chizuru joined them on the way, insisting that she too loved libraries, especially of Orihime did so. She was a kind and affectionate person, Orihime had noted, one that wasn't afraid of physical contact. She wished more people were like her- the world would be a better place if people would just hug more. Granted, Chizuru was a bit odd about it, but Orihime was not one to judge.

(Unbeknownst to Orihime, Erza had had a talk with the young, red-headed lesbian- mostly about lines and how some of them were not to be crossed on penalty of having a fist shoved down your throat by a larger, angrier redhead. This had held Chizuru back, but only to a bare minimum.)

"So," Rukia said, idly flipping through the pages of a history book, "Tokugawa Ieyasu unites the country, but only after Nobunaga and Hideyoshi do most of the work for him, and then there's an emperor but he's not really in charge, and there's a whole lot of murder, backstabbing, intrigue and war leading up to this… and this is the history the Japanese are proud of?"

"Yup!" Orihime said cheerily, seated on a library couch opposite to Rukia.

"Every human history is grimy and dark, really," Chizuru said dismissively. Sitting next to Orihime was nice, but it was hot in here- literally, not in the good way, and she was starting to question whether it was worth it coming here. "I don't think you can go anywhere on earth without finding a story of king so-and-so betraying lord this-and-that and killing his entire family and ruling like a dictator."

"Fascinating." Rukia said dryly. Muttering, she continued, "With what I know about the afterlife, I'm starting to feel like that 'Game of Drones' series is more of a documentary than fiction…"

"Thrones, Rukia," Orihime said cheerily.

"Yeah, yeah," she murmured. Even so, it was rather fascinating to learn. Human history was complex and, somewhat surprisingly, strikingly similar to what she knew of the Gotei. It shouldn't be, she supposed, but it was all too easy to think of shinigami as somehow above humans…

"So this Hattori Hanzo fellow-"

Her train of thought was cut short, as she felt the familiar rumble, the sense of wrongness as reality ripped and tore. She was weak, nearly powerless still, but it was unmistakable. A hollow had manifested- inside the building.

"Orihime!" She said sharply.

"I know," The girl said, nodding affirmatively with a determined look on her face.

"We have to get out of here," Rukia said.

"Well, that's sudden," Chizuru said leisurely. "But I guess there are better places to spend a Sunday than your local library."

That was right, Rukia realized- she was a normal human, not in the know.

"We can't go yet." Orihime said. "There's a lot of people here. We can't just… run and leave them to their fates."

Rukia groaned. Orihime was young, sweet, and worst of all, moral. She hadn't had the training of a soldier, hadn't learned the important realization that sometimes, you had to just retreat because dying helped nobody.

"There's no time!" Rukia insisted.

"Go hit the fire alarm. It'll get people out." Orihime said. "Erza's not far away. She'll sense it, and she'll come. We just need a few minutes."

"We may not have a few minutes!" Rukia said.

"Can somebody explain what's going on?" Chizuru said confusedly.

Rukia turned to look at her. There was no time for this.

"Chizuru, do as we say and I'll let you fondle me." She said bluntly.

"Well!" Chizuru said, snapping to attention. "Aggressive. I like it."

Naturally, she would never have to make good on that promise- she still had the memory-altering device.

"Fire alarm. Now. I'll distract it." Orihime said. Without waiting for Rukia, she hurried off, toward the source of reiatsu. Rukia blinked. She had sensed it without even thinking, and run off doing even less thinking. She noticed Chizuru looking at her hopefully, groaned, and hurried to find a fire alarm- whatever that was.

Determinedly, Orihime ran toward the energy. It wasn't hard to find, but it was odd how clearly she could feel it- then again, the bookcase being knocked over was a pretty good tell. Turning around a corner, Orihime saw it. The library was spacious, its roofs tall, leaving plenty of room. The hollow, though, was a fair bit smaller than any of the ones she had seen before, and quite different in shape. Essentially, it was a mask, thick, large and round, and a mass of short, stubby tentacles attached to it. Its mask had a beak-like protrusion, and its eyes glowed a malevolent yellow. Its tendrils had already wrapped around three people, whose eyes were going blank, when Orihime put her hands to her mouth, and cried,

"Hey, you! The big, ugly one!"

The monster turned to look at her, like a wolf that only just spotted a juicy leg of lamb.

"Yes, you!" Orihime cried, her mind working overtime. 'Distract it' sounded so simple in theory, but she really had no idea how to do it without getting killed. Improvisation, luckily, was one of her strong suits.

"I'm right here! And I'm like, way juicier than they are!"

"I won't deny that…" The hollow said, its voice a perverse cackle. "I do not know what game you play, human, but I'll take you up on it. I'll make you scream."

The tendrils loosened, but the people it had grabbed still looked dead in the eyes, like zombies, and Orihime could see some sort of parasitic growths attached to each one of them. Not waiting for the hollow to charge, she turned her back and ran. Behind her, she could her the rumbling of a bookcase being knocked over, as the hollow gave chase. Inwardly thankful that she kept fit, Orihime ran as fast as her feet could carry her, feeling one of the tentacles grazing against the back of her head. As she ran, she heard the fire alarm go off, and saw people running toward the exits. Well, so far, so good!

That, however, is a phrase anybody should be wary of uttering. Feeling a tentacle swiping at her, Orihime threw herself forward, managing a clumsy action roll, just barely getting to her feet, running toward the exit. Where the hell was Erza? Come on!

Then, as she ran, she felt a tentacle wrap around her wrist. Quickly she twisted, pulled hard, and managed to break free before it got hold of her, but lost her balance and tumbled across the floor. From behind a nearby bookcase, Rukia poked her head out, followed by Chizuru.

"Orihime!" She cried.

"Would you look at that," the hollow said gleefully. "Two juicy meals. And an aperitif!"

"You're not so tough!" Orihime insisted, ignoring a pain in her ankle as she forced herself to stand up. The monster hovered over her, only a couple of yards away. It was terrifying up close, and she felt the urge to start running again- but what good would it do? Its arms would reach her before she would get anywhere. No, she had to talk, try and keep it occupied.

"Spirit." The hollow cackled evilly. "I like spirit."

"You'd like to try and break us first, wouldn't you?" Orihime said defiantly. "Well, I'd like to see you try!"

"You asked for it." The hollow said, raising a tentacle.

"You idiot!" Rukia cried, and as if out of nowhere, she slammed into Orihime, knocking them both out of the way.

"What-what is going on?" Chizuru said anxiously. "What the hell is that… thing?"

"Ah, loyalty," The hollow said appreciatively. "I do love these weaknesses."

"Orihime, get out!" Rukia said, her tone almost desperate. "This isn't your fight! Run away! I'll… think of something!"

"I'm not leaving you behind." Orihime said firmly. "Erza wouldn't do that. I won't either."

Lazily, the hollow raised a tentacle, and brought it down. It was a measured blow, hard enough to really hurt, soft enough to not kill. Rukia steeled herself, and shoved Orihime back. Gigai were only artificial bodies, but they could feel pain, and she winced as it hit, sending her tumbling over the floor. She moaned, and struggled to get to her feet. The hollow watched gleefully.

"Rukia!" Orihime cried, and hurried to her side.

"Not… your.. fight." Rukia said stubbornly. "You're not a shinigami. You're not trained for this."

"I'm making it my fight." Orihime said. "Not that I really know how to fight, but… that's beside the point."

"Did Erza teach you to die for no good reason?" Rukia snapped.

"She taught me to stand up for my friends." Orihime said determinedly. Rukia blinked. Friends? Just like that?

"Look at the two of you, speaking as if you still had a chance," the hollow cackled. "I shall enjoy stripping hope from you before I eat."

"Silence, fiend!" Rukia snarled, facing it. "I have killed far worse than you. I may be powerless, but I am not afraid of you!"

The hollow let out a gleeful cackle.

"I wonder if you will feel the same after I make the humans I controlled rape you all. The humiliation would be the sweetest tenderizer before I eat."

"You're weak." Rukia said contemptuously. "The strong waste no time on eating to gain strength. You humiliate, torture andtalk because you fear the strength of others."

"You little cretin!" The hollow screeched and raised a tentacle, bringing it down hard.

Time seemed to slow for Orihime, as it came down. It was a large member, swung with force, and it would catch Rukia dead on. She had nowhere to run, no way to counter it. She had stood up for them both, bravely. It couldn't end like this.

There was no explaining how it happened. No matter how much she thought about it later, Orihime had no idea how it happened, or how she knew what to do, or from where it came. All she knew was that she raised her hands, defiantly staring back at the hollow, intent on protecting Rukia…

Then, there it was. A gleaming, transparent golden barrier, roughly the shape of a triangle, large and broad. It blocked the hollow's blow, its tentacle bouncing off it as if it had struck steel.

The hollow looked surprised, stunned, and banged against the shield once, twice, to no effect. Firmly, Orihime glared at it, her brows furrowed in a way that would have made Ichigo proud.

The shield disappeared, and somehow, Orihime knew what to do next. It was primal, like a skill coming right from the backbone, like the instinct to fight or run, like fear, anger, excitement… it was the basest, most direct knowledge, beyond explanation.

"I reject you!" she said, loud and clear, and the golden light appeared again. There was a streak of red, and a forceful surge of power ran forward, slamming into the hollow's mask. Orihime could feel it as it cracked the bone-white substance, as keenly as it had been her own hand, yet entirely different. Had she had the presence of mind, she would have asked herself if this was what Ichigo felt, what Erza felt, but her mind was focused- the hollow.

The beast wriggled and cried, thrashed in the air as it began to dissolve. For a second Orihime stared at it, and felt something different- mostly adrenaline, actually, but something else, too. Something in between satisfaction, pride, relief, joy…

Then she blinked.

"Did I just do that?" She said, sounding baffled. The sensation was rapidly disappearing, with the immediate threat gone. "That was…"

"I've never seen anything like it." Rukia said, looking almost as surprised as Orihime. "What did you do?"

"I have no idea." Orihime said. Then, she cracked a smile. "But it was totally awesome."

"What-what the hell…" Chizuru mumbled, looking dumbfounded.

"That reminds me," Rukia said, and pulled out a small device, looking rather like a pez dispenser. She held it up to Chizuru's face, pressed a button, and the girl's face went blank.

There was a sudden crash as part of the roof came tumbling down, and a distraught Erza landed on the floor, hard enough to leave visible cracks in it. Wildly, she looked around, first at where the hollow had been, then at the state of chaos the library was in, and finally, her eyes landed on Orihime. Her face all worry, she hurried over to her, putting her hands on Orihime's shoulder, rather harder than Orihime thought necessary.

"Are you okay?" She asked, her tone almost manic. "Are you hurt? Did the hollow get to you? Are you all right? Where is it?"

"Uhm," Orihime said, squirming a little, "Yes, no, no, yes, and it's already gone."

"Gone?" Erza said with disbelief. "What do you mean, it's gone? Who got here first?"

"It was Orihime." Rukia said matter-of-factly. "She manifested some sort of… power. Nothing like ours, but it was strong enough to vanquish the monster."

"Oh, lord help me…" Erza mumbled, the worry on her face somehow intensifying.

"I'm going to become a hero of justice!" Orihime said, her face all cheerful determination.

"You'll give me a heart attack, that's what you'll do!" Erza said. Without warning, she pulled Orihime into a bear hug. "I'm just… so glad you're okay, though. I came as soon as I felt it, and…"

"It turned out fine, Erza," Orihime said, straining a little under her adoptive mother's enormous strength. "Really, it's fine. Now I can help…"

Rukia rubbed her arm, sore and throbbing with pain, as she watched Erza fuss over Orihime. The traitor was, it turned out, quite human too. It was always difficult, reconciling these basic facts- that even criminals have loved ones, even criminals were capable of decency.

Somewhere in her mind, she had trouble thinking of her as a criminal, not when she saw the look on her face as she looked out for her adoptive daughter.

"Yes, it's too late to turn back now, isn't it?" Erza murmured, acceptance beginning to slowly pierce the veil of stubbornness. It was a very tough, thick veil, though, and it would take some time for it to break down. "I… I'll escort you back home."

"I want to go to the basement." Orihime said firmly. "I want to train."

"…all right." Erza murmured.

"Really?" Orihime said, practically beaming. "I didn't think it would be that easy!"

"You'll be safer there, anyhow." Erza murmured. "But I'm keeping my eye on you, young lady!"

"Yes, sir!" Orihime said, snapping a salute. Erza rolled her eyes. Good grief, it was one headache after another…

Ichigo was given something of a break after that, Erza wrapping training up early. Orihime's new powers, whatever they were, were something she didn't understand, and even less so Orihime. It was too distracting- and much as she hated to admit it, she would probably have to ask Urahara. In the end, she wound up training by herself, using the rigorous exercise to clear her mind. Well, one thing was for sure, Karakura was no great place to be a hollow these days…

It was late at night when she stopped, slick with sweat, and she was alone- save for the one presence, waiting near the foot of the ladder up. Yoruichi. Erza almost passed her by, when the dark-skinned woman said something half-mumbled, but probably meant something along the lines of 'hey'.

"Yes?" Erza said, stopping and facing her. "Did you say something?"

"Oh, nothing," Yoruichi said, and there was something different to her tone- a little moodier, compared to her usual, carefree self.

"Well, if it's nothing…"

"When people say 'it's nothing', they actually mean 'it's something, so ask about it', you know." Yoruichi said.

"Or people could just say what they mean and not wrap their words up in unnecessary subtleties." Erza shot back. "So you have something to say. What is it?"

"It's nothing, really," Yoruichi said, and she almost sounded frustrated. "A small thing. Tiny, really."

"Uh-huh."

"Did you enjoy being a teacher? Do you enjoy teaching Ichigo?"

Erza blinked. That came rather out of nowhere.

"Do I enjoy it? I need to."

"But do you like to?" Yoruichi insisted. "Teaching people, is that satisfying?"

"…yes." Erza said, and nodded affirmatively. "Guiding ignorant people and turning them into knowledgeable and capable individuals, that's a great thing. Yes, I enjoyed teaching, even though it wasn't my true calling in life. And… I suppose I liked guiding Ichigo, too."

"Good, good," Yoruichi said, and nodded. She was quiet for a little while, so Erza said,

"You're asking for a reason, right? I'm not exactly in tune with the subtleties of human interaction, but it's not like you to ask about random trivia."

"Maybe." Yoruichi said cryptically.

"It's about Tatsuki, isn't it?"

"How would you know?"

Erza rolled her eyes. "Yes, maybe it's about some other hand-to-hand talent that's been sparring with you recently."

"I thought you were not in tune with subtleties." Yoruichi scoffed.

"I'm not. Which means you're being really obvious." Erza shot back. "What happened?"

"She wants me to teach her." Yoruichi said simply.

"So teach her."

"It's not that simple." Yoruichi shook her head.

"You never taught anybody before?" Erza asked. She had her suspicions- in fact, she was all but certain of the answer- but she had never prodded Yoruichi about it, because that was her business and she'd never seemed interested in talking about it.

"…once." Yoruichi said.

"And did she turn out badly?"

"No, she was… talented. She bloomed." Yoruichi said wistfully.

"What's the issue, then?"

Yoruichi sat quiet for a little while, staring into space.

"I had one student," she said, not looking Erza in the eye, "just the one. I let her down, and badly at that."

Yoruichi rarely talked about her past, although Erza had put together enough to know that she had left with Kisuke a long time ago, during that one incident. Who else would she refer to, but the captain of division two?

"Did you fail to teach her the right things?" Erza said.

"Not so much that, no."

"Was your tutelage lacking? Did you lack the patience, the right mixture of encouragement and discipline? Were you inconsiderate or thoughtless?"

"No-oo, not per se," Yoruichi murmured.

"Then what is the issue?" She might be overstepping, she knew, but Yoruichi had come to her with this.

"When it mattered the most, I left her." Yoruichi said. "I'm… not good teacher material, I think."

"Really?" Erza said. "When you are honest with yourself, do you think you would do badly, teaching Tatsuki?"

"Well…"

"If you are honest." Erza said firmly. "No excuses."

"Well, maybe I'd do all right, but…"

"Tatsuki is a big girl. She can take care of herself." Erza said. "But she does need somebody. I'm not that somebody, but you could be. In fact, I can't think of anybody else who would."

"But…"

"This is your decision," Erza said bluntly, "and I will not judge you, whichever way you choose to go. But it seems you're needed. Do you answer that call, or not?"

"You're always so annoying," Yoruichi murmured. "So direct. No subtleties."

Erza shrugged. "You knew what you'd get when you asked. The decision is yours. I've said my piece. Help her be somebody better, or don't. She'd be better off- but you're not obligated. Your choice. All I know is that you wouldn't do badly."

"Thanks," Yoruichi said. "I'll… see. Maybe."

Erza nodded. "Maybe's good enough for the time being. Just don't let it be a 'maybe' for too long."

Yoruichi stuck out her tongue, and Erza grinned back, and headed toward the ladder. Orihime, and now Tatsuki? Well, they might as well. No turning back for anybody, and all she could do was accept it. Move with the times, for they are a-changin'…

That went quite a bit differently than it did in cannon now didnt it? I do hope you enjoyed our own version of it. Now, this is the begining of Orihimes introduction to our series as a fighter. I have no issues with her being a healer, I really dont. But I always felt Orihime had potential that she never livd up to. Yes, she has come a long way, seeing how she managed to block attacks from YWATCH of all people...but the recent chapter also disapointed us in that regard. Here, youll see Orihime living up to her potential. Maybe not the "god destroying" one that Aizen said she was, but more potential none the less.

As for Tatsuki, dont worry, she'll get her time to shine too. Same with Rukia. I know ive pushed her away for the past two chapters, but dont you worry, I have plans for her. :)

Now, a word from my writer, Greatkingrat88

Hi, fellas! GKR88 here. Just a quick note with regards to Orihime's powers: Firstly, they are not a fullbring. Both vogo and I agree that her powers being explained as such in canon was dissatisfying- it removed the mystery. That, and the fullbring is the most cancerous, abominable filth that filler arcs have ever seen, INCLUDING the anime- but I digress. Secondly, her powers manifest differently this time- less cleanly, and less conveniently. This is by design. They will develop over time, and grow in strength, and we intend to keep their exact nature- and power- a bit more on the mysterious side.

I do hope you'll all enjoy the journey that Orihime will go through.

Anyways, I thank you all for reading this chapter, I hope it satisfied you enough. If you have any comments on it, feel free to leave them in the form of a review. Dosnt matter if its positive or negative, im willing to listen