Double Trouble

22. The Blade Awakens

Ichigo watched Shiro read his and Shiro's reports to their mother before going on to tell her about the training they'd been doing with Urahara. They both had argued about telling her about this, but Shiro had been adamant about telling her, saying it was their duty to tell her everything that was going on with them. They were the ones responsible for her being this way, Shiro mostly taking the blame upon himself. It was just as Shiro finished talking about the Menos when they both sensed something. Turning their heads simultaneously they saw Isshin standing in the doorway to their mother's room. Shiro instantly went silent.

"Pop, what are you doing here?" Ichigo inquired, a bit surprised to see his father there when they were.

Isshin stepped inside the room before closing the door. "I wanted to talk to you boys." He stated as he sat in the chair on the opposite side of Masaki from Shiro. Shiro released his mother's hand as he leaned back in the chair.

"So, what is it?" Ichigo asked as he stepped behind his brother.

"I wanted to tell you boys that I'm so proud of what you've been doing." Isshin said. "You've taken it upon yourselves to protect us from things I no longer can see." He looked at both with a serious look. "I know I haven't been the best father to either of you, especially you Shiro, since your mother's accident; but I want you both to know I am proud of you." Isshin sighed. "Neither of you are ready for what will happen because of your last fight."

"A little warning might have been nice a few years ago." Ichigo grumbled. "Then we may have been ready for all of this."

"Masaki wanted to say something." He took her hand in his much larger one. "We fought about it that day, but after she was hurt..." he shook his head. "I lost focus. I'm sorry."

Shiro licked his lips. "You shouldn't worry." He said just as Isshin's eyes met his dark ones. "We've got each other's backs in this."

Isshin worried that the white haired boy had no idea how bad his Hollow nature really could be. Staying silent, Isshin ran his thumb over the back of Masaki's hand. He was about to say something when he saw both boys suddenly stiffen. "Go." He told them, knowing exactly what was about to happen.

Ichigo was the first to run out the door with Shiro quickly following him. As they rounded the corner, Shiro saw Ichigo pop something into his mouth before taking spirit form. "What the hell-" he began to say as he saw Ichigo's body still standing.

"Ichigo?" his brother's body spoke.

"Kon, protect Mum and Pop." Ichigo ordered his body which turned back the way they came.

Shiro felt his eyebrow start to twitch in annoyance. "Ichi?" he questioned.

"I'll explain later." Ichigo assured him.

After hiding his own body in a supply closet, Shiro and Ichigo went outside where they felt the presence of a strong Hollow. Going through the gardens of the rehabilitation hospital, they both froze at the sight of the all too familiar Hollow before them. Shiro's eyes seemed to glow with anger. "I told you Ichi," he began as his sword glowed slightly. "I didn't kill the bastard."

Before them was a Hollow resembling a giant hamster with red bird-like hands, feet and a red tentacle limb that hung from his forehead, similar to the lure of an anglerfish. The monster was the same Hollow that had attacked them when they were children. The one that Shiro had defended them against. The very monster that had put their mother in the state she was in today. He was none other than the elusive Grand Fisher.

Turning towards them, Grand Fisher didn't recognize them both at first, but he did recognize Siro's power and screeched at having found the brat that had injured him years ago. "You!" he screeched, his talons extending. The delicious mouthwatering reiatsu teased the Hollow. "For years you have evaded me boy, but not today!" Then as if realizing they weren't alone, he took in Ichigo's form. "Not even this pathetic excuse for a Shinigami will be able to save you." He suddenly grinned. "But thankyou for the nice appetizer." The bladed hook suddenly slashed at Ichigo, who narrowly escaped from being killed. The next strike Ichigo brought his sword up to defend himself when he heard Shiro speak.

Bringing up his own sword, Shiro spoke his Shikai release. "Consume, Enen Wangetsu." Black fire erupted from the release of the sword. The heat was breathtaking causing Ichigo to cough at the intensity of the heat alone. The green grass beneath his brother's feet turned brown before erupting into fire. With his black/gold eyes seeming to glow, Ichigo realized his brother truly looked the part of a demon at that moment. However, instead of being scared, Ichigo felt relieved at having his brother at his side. The sword itself had gone from looking like a normal katana to a giant sword closely resembling Ichigo's only the colouring was opposite of his own sword with a black, instead of white, ribbon wrapped around the sword handle.

"Crash course Ichi," Shiro began as he readied for the oncoming fight. "Once you know your sword's name, and say it out loud, your attacks will double in power." He grinned at his brother. "Let's see who deals the final blow to this bastard."

Ichigo's eyes sparked with excitement at the prospect of a challenge. Bringing his sword up, he grinned a similar smile at his brother. "Deal." The two boys looked towards the Hollow who was just starting to get a grip on what kind of power his enemy had.

Slashing at the teens with his hook, Grand Fisher brought up his angler with a young girl's face attached to it. The same Ichigo had seen as a child. This time he wouldn't be tricked. As Shiro defended Ichigo from the hook's blade, Ichigo cut the angler off from Grand Fisher's head. Blood sprayed on the ground and on Ichigo's body as the Hollow screamed in pain. Spirits began to escape from the angler being destroyed.

Now pissed off, Grand Fisher got more desperate in his attacks. Lashing out with talons and the blade, the Hollow went full throttle and tried to take Ichigo out only to have black flames thrown at him in the form of a black crescent power from the side. Ichigo slid as the ground became slick with Hollow blood when suddenly the clouds above began to release rain down from above.

Dark power swirled around Shiro as he gathered up his energy to release another attack. Ichigo saw this, but the Hollow did not. To ensure his brother's attack was a success, he rushed forward to gain the Hollow's attention.

Grand Fisher was furious that these boys, these children, were outsmarting him at every turn. He, who had outsmarted Shinigami for hundreds of years, was being outwitted by children! Standing upon shaking legs, the injured centuries old Hollow went to use his blades once more. The tentacles went rushing towards the oncoming Shinigami male, when suddenly he heard the other's voice. "Getsuga Tensho!" The Hollow screeched in both horror and pain as it's body and all the souls it had devoured over the centuries suddenly were cleansed.

Ichigo and Shiro looked at each other as a pillar of light engulfed the area as the souls that had ben trapped within Grand Fisher were released. Lights flashed in the area as the released souls gave off their own energy as they escaped before vanishing. "Okay," Ichigo began as Shiro stood next to him. "Your sword is pretty awesome."

Shiro grinned at him as the spirit of the sword grinned mischievously. You ain't seen nothin' yet. It thought.

Inside Masaki's room, Isshin saw the flash of light off in the distance. He knew it wasn't Ichigo that was in his son's body. Mod souls were illegal for a reason but that never stopped Urahara from using them before. Suddenly he felt Masaki's hand twitch within his own. Turning his head towards her, he watched as the glassy look in her eyes changed. His own eyes widening as her eyes turned to him and spoke for the first time in six years.

"Isshin."