Bleach: The Airheaded Substitute Soul Reaper

Over the town of Karakura, a young, petite woman dressed in traditional attire for an unarmored samurai stood upon the telephone pole with studious gaze as if finding something amiss from the regular sights of the human town. Like an eagle, she spotted her objective and made a gentle leap that glided her to the nearest rooftop. Bodily movement of an apparition, gaze of an angered phantom, yet the speed of a demon; the black-haired woman pursued nothing but what is attracted her attention. Her sword sheathed by her side shook and whipped through the air by the intensity of her shifting motions. It was dark at night and most are already in bed, so that is the usual time she appears to hunt down spirits whose desired nothing but satisfaction for their eternal hunger.

She stopped by an apartment complex where a horrid masked abomination stood as if deciding which room to raid. Inside one of the rooms of the complex was an orange-haired young woman of sixteen who woke up to an ominous premonition. She looked upon the door as if she heard something. It could be cats raiding the garbage. Since the land lady was usually asleep at the time, it would be alright to find out what is going on. Barefooted with slacks and a t-shirt on, the orange-haired woman walked out of her apartment and saw nothing, but a strange scent caught her attention. She usually takes out her trash, but this scent was peculiar in comparison. It is like smelling the graveyard that still kept in memory of her older brother. What caught more of her attention was a weird distortion in one spot alone, so it was not the heat as it is the fall season in Karakura Town. She squinted to get a harder look at that distortion.

She noticed the appearance behind the distortion to be the horror that has a similar hair cut as her older brother. “Hadou thirty-four! Shakkaho!” Shouted the black-haired woman as she appeared in the scene before the horror could take a step forward. The horror heard the shout, raised its long twisted arm, and slapped a red ball of energy launched by the black-haired woman. The fate of the red ball was explosive as it hit against the long twisted arm instead of its head. The black-haired woman clicked her breath in a cuss for her failure to stop it in an instant like her older brother can. She drawn out her sword and posed with the blade dead centered and held with two hands. She glided down with haste while having her sword raised over her head as she intended to cleave the horror in half.

The orange-haired woman stood to watch the two strangers battled outside of her apartment without waking the other tenants. She wondered how they could do that when she cannot get out the door without the land lady knowing during the day. For a moment, the orange-haired woman thought that the land lady can detect her because she was an alien using her microwave as a tracking device, but it is a free microwave, so why she would refuse that offer anyway? She is such an evil alien from outer space! The horror struck the black-haired woman with strands of green liquid. The black-haired woman fell before the horror and struggled to move as her attire burns by the liquid, but apparently, the new injury prevented her to do so. The sight of the black-haired woman falling in front of her interrupted the orange-haired woman’s train of thoughts about the unrelated things.

It is natural for the orange-haired woman to rush out to help the injured woman as the horror watched with intrigue. “Get out of here! That is a Hollow!” The black-haired woman commanded the orange-haired woman. “I cannot let it kill you!” the orange-haired woman protested as she stood in between the Hollow and the black-haired woman. Most humans would have run away at the sight of it, but the young woman’s best friend trained her to be able to defend herself. Seeing that the options are bleak compared to getting killed, the black-haired woman frowned as she thought of one thing that can work, but will get her in deep trouble as Karakura Town’s guardian, but she has no choice.

The black-haired woman thrust her sword into the bosom of the orange-haired woman. Suddenly, a great force pushed the orange-haired woman away and can the woman can see herself falling onto her side. The sword was missing from the black-haired as it was now by the orange-haired woman’s side. The orange-haired woman looked at herself and noticed that she is wearing the same attire as the black-haired woman. The Hollow looked at the two women as if it was as confused as the orange-haired woman was. The orange-haired woman gets up as she rubbed her rump in pain. The Hollow noticed this as a threat and that motion prompted the Hollow to attack the orange-haired woman.

Without thinking, she heard the Hollow approaching her and spun around. She held her hands out in front of her and stopped the Hollow by touching. In actuality, the Hollow paused in the midst of the assault as a piece of its former self was rising in strength. The orange-haired woman was surprised either she thought that she is super strong or the Hollow stopped. She took a moment to look at her hands, thinking that she has super strength. The Hollow gripped its head as it stumbled around in a conflict of its own. It approached the complex’s stony fence and smashed its mask against it. A piece of it crumbled and revealed a human face. The orange-haired woman looked at the Hollow with awe before it turns into shock when the Hollow revealed its human face at her. Half of its mask was broken as the face was very familiar to the orange-haired woman. “Sora?” The orange-haired woman asked the Hollow. “Yes, Orihime. It is your big brother. I thought you have forgotten me.” The Hollow answered in sadness in tone. Orihime was shocked to notice that this is just her at fault when she stopped praying for him when she entered high school.

Orihime stared at the Hollow with a slow belief that is indeed her brother for he knew her name and even talked like did. She wanted to do anything to have him smile because she regretted about not apologizing for her protest about the hairpins before he died. “The hairpins; I see you wearing them. It looks good on you, Orihime.” Hollow Sora spoke in recognition to the hairpins she is wearing, even in bed. That gave her the confidence to tell him. “I’m sorry for not appreciating the hairpins, brother. I’m sorry for not praying for you each day as I should have.” Orhime apologized to Sora as the black-haired woman looked at the two, seeing them like a mirror that grants wishes. “Orihime. Take the sword and allow him to touch the hilt’s end. It will purify him and allow him to go to the Soul Society, where he will be at peace.” The black-haired woman instructed Orihime. Orihime looked at the sword laid nearby her and picked it up. She pointed the hilt’s end at Sora and smiled, knowing he has forgiven her. Sora reached for the hilt’s end and with a touch, there was a bright light illuminating from the sword.

After the light dispelled itself, the Hollow was no more as Sora was now fully human. Orihime and Sora embraced each other for possibly the last time before Sora faded away, taken to the Soul Society as the black-haired woman promised. Orihime looked at the black-haired woman and approached her to see about taking her inside to get first aid. “Who are you anyway? I’m Inoue Orihime.” Orihime introduced herself to the black-haired woman. “Kuchiki Rukia, I’m a shinigami from the Soul Society.” Rukia replied. “Pleased to meet you, Rukia.” Orihime greeted Rukia. “Ms. Inoue?” Rukia asked for Orihime’s attention. Orihime looked at Rukia with a dumb look followed by a brief hum of curiosity. “Are you going to leave your body back there?” Rukia asked while looking at Orihime’s human body laying there in plain sight. “Wah! How do I get myself back in my body?” Orihime panicked as she accidentally dropped Rukia. “Ow!” Rukia barked as she landed hard. “I’m sorry, Kuchiki-san!” Orihime panicked even more as she repeatedly bowed to Rukia like a servant seeking forgiveness from a lady. “Not a problem. Just lay down on your body and you’ll meld into it and become one.” Rukia replied with an annoyed look on her face either from the bubbly side of Orihime or from the pain inflicted by the acid.

“Right!” Orihime barked in acknowledgment before running back to her body. She lied down on her body and she phased through it and disappeared into her body. Now alive again, she rose up and walked to Rukia to recollect her for medical attention. “What happened to your sword, Kuchiki-san?” Orihime asked quietly as both she and Rukia climbed the stairway. “The sword now belongs to you as my shinigami abilities are yours until I recovered and take them back.” Rukia replied as they arrived to Orihime’s door. They entered the apartment room and Orihime helped Rukia sit down before retrieving the first aid kit. “Ms. Inoue. That will not work, but unlike you and the humans, I can heal myself. For now, you get back to sleep.” Rukia told Orihime, leaving Orihime concerned, but has to obey because she is a shinigami, which is not human, so something for humans may not work for Rukia. Orihime puts the first aid kit back and laid down on her bed.

Orihime woke up the next morning to see Rukia missing, which instinctively made Orihime looked around the room for her. By the time that Orihime looked under the couch, Rukia peeked out of Orihime’s closet with tired eyes before yawning off her morning exhaustion. “Ms. Inoue. You lost something?” Rukia asked Orihime. “Yes! I’m looking for you, but I cannot-!” Orihime responded before interrupted when Rukia barked, “I’m over here!” It is most definitely was the bubbly personality of Orihime that irritated Rukia. “Don’t you have school to go to?” Rukia asked after calming down. “Oh right!” Orihime replied with a fist hammered onto her opened palm. The next thing Rukia noticed is Orihime praying at Sora’s shrine while she is still in her pajamas. Rukia nearly forgot about last night since last night was when the Hollow attacked because she did not pray for it daily.

After a few minutes, Orihime is fully dressed in her white blouse, yellow vest, red bowtie, grey miniskirt and brown loafers with white socks. Rukia has to use Orihime’s spare to allow her to blend in. How she have a living counterpart of her, Orihime does not know, but Rukia called it a gigai. So much for Rukia to explain now that Orihime is a temporary shinigami, but for now, it has to wait. For breakfast, Orihime made gummy bear pancakes with red bean paste. However, they look uninviting for Rukia. Luckily for her, Shinigami does not have to eat, they eat to get the energy they needed to use something like the Shakkaho she used last night.

At the school, Orihime was in an assigned homeroom class, but Rukia is included due to her sly dealing with the principal. During the beginning of class, the teacher announced about a new student and that student happened to be Rukia posing as Orihime’s distant cousin. “I’m Rukia Kuchiki from Tokyo; I’m Orihime’s distant cousin. Please to meet you all.” Rukia spoke. Orihime’s eyes are dots with a dumbfounded frown that uttered out, “eh?” After school, Orihime and Rukia walked together with Orihime’s friends, including her best friend, Tatsuki. To Tatsuki, it was a surprise as well while they are walking to Orihime’s apartment. During the walk back, they walked into a boy with spiky orange hair and a grouchy leer.

“Is that Ichigo Kurosaki?” Orihime asked Tatsuki. “Yes. I remembered him as a crybaby during when he and I practice karate long ago. But now his mother died, he is like this.” Tatsuki answered before noticing Ichigo was looking at them. “I can hear you, ya know!” Ichigo shouted to Tatsuki. With the loss of his mother, Orihime felt sorry for him and wanted him to stop being like that. She remembered him as the kind who fights, but for what reason she wondered. As he walked his way home, Orihime just stood there, afraid. She felt like following him, but it would be awkward for her and Tatsuki to see him after getting him irritated like that. “Still a typical hot-head.” Tatsuki commented. She does have a point because she knew him longer than Orihime know about. Most of the time, she is either too distracted with friends or daydreaming to notice him. When Orihime looked at Rukia, Rukia looked like she noticed something about Ichigo that she failed to notice.

Back at the apartment, Tatsuki was cooking while Orihime conversed with Rukia. “Something tells me that Ichigo is stronger than I first thought.” Rukia said to Orihime, given to the metaphor of Orihime being a brick wall for Rukia to talk to about things. “He is strong ever since his mother’s death. We stopped looking at each other and he stopped coming to the dojo as well. I do not know where he gets all this strength from.” Tatsuki informed Rukia. Rukia stroked her chin before looking at Orihime. “Remember, we’re having a night out to catch up with each other.” Rukia reminded Orihime with the innuendo to keep Tatsuki out of the loop and finding out about the shinigami business. Orihime just simply nods away like she understood, but she really does not. For now, Tatsuki presented her dinner to Orihime and Rukia; to Rukia, it is something edible for once.

At night, Orihime is in her shinigami form as the intention for the night was to get Orihime familiar with the basics of being a shinigami. Rukia presented her crudely made drawings with bunnies with recognizable outfits and hairstyles. “Remember, Ms. Inoue. The basic rules are simple; you shall not kill a human being, you can only purify, but destroy if necessary, and to send lost souls to the Soul Society.” Rukia instructed as Orihime looked at Rukia with a dumb look on her face. Rukia flipped to another picture. “This is called a Hollow, a soul twisted by a serious fault like anger, sorrow and ignorance. They posed a threat by primitively finding something to satisfy their hunger like souls and even each other.” Rukia informed and Orihime simply nodded before raising her hand. “What is it, Orihime?” Rukia granted. “What is hadou thirty-four, shakkaho?” Orihime asked before a red ball of energy blasts out of Orihime’s hand and into the sky, causing Orihime to be startled. It even startled Rukia into believing that she can be trainable to use the powers, or it is just a fluke since any seasoned shinigami can say it and not launch it.