//-------------------------------------------------------// The Mage of Karakura -by Samedi of the Spore- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// The Day Magic Disappeared //-------------------------------------------------------// Author's Note Hello everyone! Welcome to what I hope will be something all of you will enjoy. First things first, however. *clears throat* I, Uzusora Yukisho, do not own either Bleach, which is the beautiful masterpiece of Tite Kubo, or My Little Pony, which is the hard work and love of Lauren Faust. However, if I did, Spike wouldn't be just comic relief, and Ichigo wouldn't be an emo twat. Right then! Let's get going! The Day Magic Disappeared Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, Exam Room 1, Canterlot Ten year old Twilight 'Twily' Sparkle danced in place, her frayed nerves disallowing her the ability to stand still. Beside her, her parents watched her with worried and wary eyes. She had studied for months for this, and by the Gods, she would pass! In fact, Twily had made a mental checklist of things to do today. First, pass the exam, and become a student at CSGU. Second, go to Pony Joe's for a celebration. Third, go home and crash due to only five hours of sleep every three days, coupled with some of the best donuts in the wide Kingdom of Equestria. "Twilight, don't worry. If anypony is going to pass, it would be you." Her mother, Velvet Rose, assured her. Twilight turned, a sheepish grin on her muzzle. She knew, logically, that calming herself and remembering that she had spent countless hours reading every single book on science, history, magic, and every other subject that she could get her purple hooves on. It had even gotten to the point that, to make her take a break, they had to threaten to burn her Smarty Pants doll, backed by Shining Armor and Princess Cadence, who agreed that young fillies shouldn't spend all their time inside with books not even adults would fully understand. "Twilight Sparkle, please come inside." The elderly proctor said, his gravelly voice breaking Twilight's panic-induced trance. The young filly trotted inside, and watched as a cart was wheeled out to the middle of the room. "Alright, young miss Sparkle. Try and pour enough magic into this egg to hatch. Take as much time you need, and don't worry about failing. This test is to evaluate just how much magic you actually have." It actually wasn't. The 'egg' was really a fake with a stuffed toy made to look like a baby dragon or a phoenix. The test itself was meant to judge how well the prospective student took an impossible task, allowing professors to see what they would need to work with. If a student calmly said that a child could not logically hatch a dragon's egg when it would normally take Princess Celestia or a team of twenty trained unicorns, then they would simply move on. If a student became frustrated, then steps would be taken to curb any anger issues. If the student simply gave up and lost hope, then the professors would know to encourage the student more. Twilight, however, did not know this, and poured practically her whole mana reserve into the egg, a look of sheer concentration on her face. Sweat began to run down her forehead, and her legs began to shake. Finally, she broke off the spell, gasping for breath, head swimming. "Alright, miss Twili-" A loud, booming roar shook the building, startling Twilight into wildly unleashing her magic, now devoid of any control. Outside, a halo of rainbow fire could be seen, but no one in the room noticed. Twilight was in pain, the feeling of white-hot needles piercing her entire body filling her with silent agony. She could feel her magic, once tame, now slipping away in a ceaseless torrent that she could feel slowly becoming darker, as if the pain was corrupting the normally comforting power that thrummed in her very core. She could vaguely hear what sounded like panicked screams, but distorted, as if heard through water. 'It hurts! Oh, Celestia, it HURTS!' The magic stole away any tears that fell, leaving her unable to even cry. Outside the burning sphere of energy, the other ponies in the room screamed as they felt the wild magic, now corrupted by whatever darkness had swallowed the young filly within, tearing away their souls, forcibly draining away mana and vitality from the onlookers who had only wished to see a filly with big dreams succeed. Princess Celestia tore across the sky to her school, the feeling of dread freezing her heart. She had observed from afar, of course, the unicorn filly who was to be tested today. Celestia had seen into the child's future, and had seen she would wield the Elements of Harmony, and could save Nightmare Moon from the darkness that had corrupted her. The princess hated that she must do this, of course. She always felt disgusted by the mere thought of the chess match she would turn the poor filly's life into, but it was necessary. If she could have, Celestia would have merely harnessed the Elements of Harmony on her own, and Twilight Sparkle would never become more than an excellent student, would never be forced to face foes both ancient and powerful. However, it would seem not even the Sun Goddess herself could truly know the future, as a dark aura began to taint the energies that flowed throughout Canterlot, and Celestia knew that something terrible had happened. Taking flight from the balcony, she sped with all her might to the place where innocent lives could be lost in the chaos of magic without any direction or purpose. Upon landing, Celestia's eyes widened, and tears threatened to pour from ancient eyes. The parents of the filly who would save the world were naught but dried husks, as were the proctors that tested every new applicant to her school. In the center of the room burned a ball of black energy, pulsing like a heartbeat. Celestia could just barely make out the faint soul trapped within, but was unable to do more than watch as, with the chiming of some great funeral bell, the sphere vanished, leaving no trace but the mummified corpses of five innocent ponies whose lives were cut short by nothing more than cruel chance. And Celestia wept for the losses that day had seen, for she was the only one there to weep. Karakura Town, Japan Eleven year old Kurosaki Ichigo walked down the darkened street alongside the park, mind murky with a long day stuck with annoying people at school. He had a habit of walking at night, one he had ever since his mother had died three years prior. The strawberry blond boy looked up at the night sky, and heaved a sigh. On one hand, he was content. It was a warm night, and quiet, good for a walk on a Friday night. On the other, part of him was still broken. He refused to even go near the canal, and sometimes awoke, his mind replaying his mother's death again and again. 'Che. Old Goat-Face is gonna do somethin' stupid again. I just know it.' He merely kept walking, turning into the park. "Ichi, I got a feeling something's gonna happen." A voice spoke. Ichigo looked behind him to see what appeared to be a white-haired, pale clone of himself with golden irises and black sclera. "Hey, Shiro. What'dya mean, something's gonna happen?" Ichigo asked, cocking his head to one side. He regarded his clone with a keen eye. Shiro, short for Shirosaki, was kinda-sorta Ichigo's twin, born from his own soul. His dad had explained that Shiro was what's called a Hollow, or a soul that has lost its heart. Afterward, Kurosaki Isshin, better known to his children as Goat-Face, had explained everything about Shinigami, Hollows, and even the now-forgotten Quincies, like Ichigo's cousin Ishida Uryu. Urahara Kisuke, an old friend of Isshin, had personally trained Ichigo after awakening his latent Shinigami abilities, as well as giving Shiro the ability to manifest whenever he got bored of hanging about in Ichigo's Inner World. "Dunno. Wanna check it out, though?" Shiro asked, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. His ability to predict things was strange, but Ichigo and the others had long since learned to simply go along with whatever he predicted, no matter how unlikely. It was why Ichigo had never had an issue with pop quizzes in school. Shiro would warn him, and he would tell his best friend Arisawa Tatsuki. With a shrug and a nod, Ichigo and Shiro walked further into the park, enjoying the sounds of the trees rustling in the autumn breeze. Suddenly, Shiro darted forward and let out a cry, and Ichigo dashed forward to meet him. Looking at the sight, he saw Shiro kneeling down, gently lifting a girl of about ten with pale skin. She wore jeans and a black shirt with a purple star on the front, and was barefoot. Her hair was indigo, with two streaks in it: purple and pink. The two boys nodded to each other, and they ran back to their house, which was also the family clinic. The two reached the door and threw it open, and Ichigo batted aside his father's flying kick and shouted "Focus! Shiro and I found this kid, and we don't know if she's hurt or not!" Immediately Isshin grew deathly serious, and Shiro laid the girl on an examination table. As Isshin began to work, Shiro let out a dry chuckle and said "Well, I did say somethin'd happen. Che. Figures it ain't somethin' good, like findin' money." "Hey, at least she'll be alright. It's not all bad." "I suppose not." "Where... Where am I?" They heard. The two looked over, and saw the girl slowly sit up. She opened her eyes, and they were the colour of amethysts, but had a ring of obsidian around them. "Kurosaki clinic. We found ya in the park, an' brought ya here so Old Goat-Face can make sure nothin's wrong with ya." Shiro explained, hoping to not accidentally scare the girl. Both he and Ichigo could sense a good amount of reiatsu, or spirit energy, on her, and they didn't know how. "My name's Shirosaki, an' the guy who looks like a coloured-in me's Kurosaki Ichigo. The old man's our dad." "M-my name is Twilight." She answered. "W-who are you? W-what are you? I don't understand!" Who or what were these... creatures? Why did one of them sound like a ghost? Did they mention a clinic? Twilight could feel a panic attack rising, and she began to hyperventilate, her mind rushing at a speed only physicists would be able to fathom. Tears began to well up in her eyes, and she recalled the pain of the magic surge. Ichigo's eyes widened, and he began to think up acceptable answers. "Well, I'm Kurosaki Ichigo, and the guy who patched you up is Kurosaki Isshin. Whitey over here is Shiro, my... brother. And how does a ten year old girl not know what a human is? I'd think you'd learn that in school..." "H-h-human? What's a human? And why does Shiro sound like a ghost?" Twilight demanded, eyes narrowed with disbelief. The eyes of the other three occupants of the room widened with shock. She truly didn't know what a human was? And how would she know how ghosts sound? 'Somethin' ain't right here...' Shiro thought to himself, now wary. Even the dumbest Hollow knew what a human was. For a girl who he could tell was smart for her age to not know, then, was like an alarm going off in his mind. Isshin cleared his throat, and asked kindly "Erm, Twilight? Where exactly did you live, and how would you not know what a human is?" He mentally hummed in thought. If he could learn where she came from, it might explain why she wouldn't know her own species. Her answer, however, confused him even more. "I'm from Canterlot, the capital city of the Kingdom of Equestria, ruled by the Alicorn Princess Celestia. And I don't know what a human is because they don't exist in Equestria. Why would I know about something that doesn't exist?" All three males froze at that. Using a technique they developed, they connected their minds through Kido, and Shiro immediately asked "She ain't for real, is she?" Ichigo shrugged, and replied with an answer that amounted to 'How should I know?' "Do you think she's lying, Shiro?" Isshin asked, eyeing the pale girl with unsureness. Shiro shook his head. Either the girl was telling the truth, or merely believed she was telling the truth, but he could sense no deception from her. No child that young could pull off a lie that well, and Shiro had refined his ability to sense when people lied to a fine edge, using his judgement to weed out the fake people in life, and surrounding himeself and Ichigo with those who actually cared. "I don't think she's crazy, guys. Scared, yes. Confused, most definitely. Crazy, no. Somehow, she actually comes from this 'Equestria', and doesn't know where she is." Ichigo reasoned, watching the subject of their discussion carefully. She was curled into a ball on the examination table, knees drawn up to her chest, and her eyes were watery with unshed tears. The protective brotherly instinct in Ichigo was practically demanding he hold her close and comfort her, and both Shiro and Isshin could tell that the only reason Ichigo hadn't yet was he didn't know how she would react. Breaking the connection off, Isshin turned to Twilight and leaned down, and asked "Well, Twilight, I don't know where Canterlot is, and I know this isn't Equestria, but would you like to stay with me and my family? I know it seems strange, but we can give you a home here in Karakura Town. Would you like that?" Blinking slowly, as if waking from a trance, Twilight looked up in shock at the offer. 'A home? But they barely even know me! Why would they want me to stay with them? But, then again, it wouldn't be bad, would it? Having a home would be nice, and they did save me...' Twilight came to a descision, and looked into Isshin's warm, hopeful eyes. "If you truly want me to... yes." And in Twilight's heart, a tiny flicker of warmth appeared, even if she didn't know it yet. //-------------------------------------------------------// Enter, Maiden of the Ice //-------------------------------------------------------// Enter, Maiden of the Ice Kurosaki Clinic, Four years later "Morning, Ichi-nii!" Twilight said, smiling warmly at her big brother. Four years had passed since Twilight appeared in Karakura Town, and she had grown to love her new family as much as she had her old. She especially looked up to Ichigo and Shiro, as it was them who saved her. Ichigo had even explained to her about Spirits, Hollows, and Shinigami, and his role in the afterlife, as well as what Shiro really was. Twilight, of course, took it all in stride, and told them it changed nothing. After all, she had told them all what had happened to her to send her to Karakura Town. "Morning, Neko. Where's Goat-Face?" Ichigo yawned, stretching his arms up over his head. Five Hollows had been in need of dispatching, and so Ichigo and Shiro were up all night ensuring nobody got eaten. Twilight merely pointed to the kitchen, where Isshin and Yuzu were making breakfast together. Karin just sent a lazy wave to her brother, and went back to watching the soccer game on television. All in all, just a typical Saturday morning in the Kurosaki household. After a hearty breakfast of Western and Japanese dishes, Ichigo and Twilight went for a walk outside, enjoying the cool morning air as various shop owners waved. Ichigo watched fondly as Twilight seemed to come alive, taking in the sights and sounds of their hometown. Soon, the two came up to the local dojo, and walked in to see Tatsuki completely floor some poor fool who thought that, as a girl, she couldn't beat him into the dust. "And THAT is why I'm the strongest, Yamisaru. Don't you forget it!" As the beaten man limped out, Twilight ran up to Tatsuki. "Tatsuki-chan! That was sooo cool!" Twilight cheered, tackling Tatsuki in a hug. The strongest girl in Japan merely laughed and returned the eager embrace. "So, Buruberi, wanted to come see me fight?" Twilight nodded in agreement, giggling softly as Tatsuki easily lifted her, despite Twilight being only an inch shorter than her. "We decided to go for a walk, and just kinda naturally ended up here. What did the poor idiot from before say?" "Ah. Same old shtick. They all assume that, since I'm a girl, they should be stronger than me." Tatsuki laughed, her confidence and easy-going attitude towards such challenges spreading the good mood. Say, Buruberi? Wanna see me kick Ichigo's ass?" "Sure!" Twilight agreed, nodding rapidly. Ichigo just laughed. It was well known between the three that Ichigo was the only one in all of their friends who could even hope to beat Tatsuki in a fight. As Ichigo and Tatsuki sparred, Twilight cheered, though not for either opponent. She cheered because, in her eyes, she was watching a beautiful dance. Every kick, jab, block, and strike, each serving as the steps to a work of art, one that only those experienced in the primal release of combat could truly achieve. "Heh! Let's kick this up a notch, Stawberry! Fighter's Glory!" Tatsuki shouted, the gauntlets and greaves of her Fullbring little more than deadly flashes of silver. Ichigo's face split in a feral grin as he shifted into Shinigami form, and the dance between the two was accompanied by the ringing cry of metal of metal as both gauntlet and greave struck against zanpakuto, each blow sounding like a finely-crafted bell. Finally, with one final roar, Tatsuki and Ichigo lunged at one another, weapons aimed for what, in any other situation, would be a certain killing blow. In a flash, the feral dance ended, Zangetsu's blade laying light as a feather upon Tatsuki's shoulder, edge poised to bite deep into her jugular. "Hmph. Damn, Strawberry. That was one hell of a fight ya gave me. I'll kick your ass next time, 'kay?" "See ya 'round, Tats." Ichigo waved, walking out the dojo door, Twilight at his side. Later, as the duo of brother and sister were walking back home, Ichigo's eyes focused on the sight of three of the local punks standing around the knocked-over flower vase that stood as a memorial for a young girl who died in a hit-and-run there a year prior. Furious, Ichigo stomped over, shouting "What the hell happened here!" The three punks flinched, and made an about face to look at Ichigo, who had gained quite the reputation of smacking down any punks or thugs who caused problems in Karakura Town. "I-i-t were an accident, man! We'll replace the flowers, I swear!" "Ya damn well better replace them! That little girl was my imouto's friend!" "Ichi-nii, try not to kill them too quickly! We still gotta be home for dinner, y'know!" At Twilight's words, the thugs ran off, leaving faint trails of dust in the wind. "T-thank you!" said the ghost of Yanamora Yuki, a friend and classmate of Twilight's who was killed when a drunk driver lost control on the road. "You're welcome, Yuki-chan! Anything to help a friend!" Twilight chirped, smiling warmly. Ichigo smirked at his imouto and her friend. Yuki's ghost would often follow Twilight around, acting almost like an imaginary friend (the rather convenient excuse they used for why Twilight kept acting like she was talking to a girl long since passed). "Buruberi-chan, I need to preform Konso now, okay?" Ichigo said, placing a warm hand on Twilight's shoulder. Twilight nodded, and stepped back. For the second time that day, Ichigo shifted into Shinigami form, and he drew Zangetsu. "Alright, Yuki-san. Time to pass on. If you see Koneko-chan there, tell him the Kurosaki family says hello." Yuki smiled and nodded, and Ichigo pressed Zangetsu's pommel to her forehead, binding her spirirt to a butterfly and sending it through a senkaimon. Ichigo shifted back, and wrapped an arm around Twilight's shoulders, earning a somber smile in return. As the two siblings continued on home, Ichigo thought back on the four years since finding Twilight. It had taken the better part of that first year to teach Twilight as much as she'd be expected to know at her age, and another month to introduce her to everyone the family knew. Out of Ichigo's nakama, Twilight was closest to Tatsuki and Orihime, and frequently dropped by during lunch break at Ichigo's school to spend time with their little council on the roof. Upon arriving home, Isshin greeted them with his usual enthusiasm, which Ichigo noticed had been tempered by Twilight's adoption into the family. "Ichigo! I told you that as a big brother, you must have Buruberi-chan home at a reasonable hour! None of Yuzu's miso for you!" Ichigo, stoic as he normally was, blanched at that threat, and began to sputter in arguement. "A couple of thugs had knocked down Yuki's shrine, and I had to deal with them, as well as preform Konso!" Beside him, Twilight nodded, affirming her nii-san's words. Isshin blinked, then gave a fatherly smile and said "Well, I guess that's a good reason as any to be late. Come on and get washed up. Dinner's almost ready." That night, Twilight tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. A nightmare of her magic surge kept her from a peaceful rest, and so she crept out of bed and silently changed back into her clothes from earlier. Stepping as quietly as possible, she slipped out her bedroom door and downstairs, and eased out the front door and onto the street. Now standing under the stars, she decided to make her way to the park where Ichgo and Shiro had found her, hoping to gain some form of clarity to ease her troubled mind. As wrapped up in her own thoughts as she was, Twilight never noticed the Hollow following from behind, eyeing her hungrily. Once at the park, Twilight sought out the burnt patch of earth that marked her violent entrance to Karakura town, and sat cross-legged on the charred grass, letting the night breeze blow over her, gently mussing her hair. 'I wonder what's happening back in Equestria. Heh, maybe Shining Armour finally became Captain of the Guard... I do miss him, at times, but I also love my family here in Karakura. Maybe... No. That was a surge of pure Wild magic, something that not even Discord could wield without major risk. It was a fluke I even survived that, let alone everything since that day.' She thought to herself, mind wandering over the what-ifs and could-have-beens that woke her in the night. 'Hey... What's that-' Twilight's thoughts were cut off by a black-coloured fist smashing the ground beside her, and she quickly leapt to her feet and began to flee as she got a good look at the Hollow that just attacked her. It had a fish-shaped mask that seemed to stare straight through her, and a dorsal fin stood proudly alond its spine. The beast roared and began to give chase, now eager to catch Twilight. Twilight's flight to freedom, however, was brought to a crashing halt by an inconvenient tree root, and she fell with a cry. Above her, the Hollow roared in triumph, and lunged at her to bite off her head, but a black blur intercepted the blow. Twilight looked up to see a Shinigami, a woman only slightly taller than herself, blocking the Hollow with her zanpakuto, blood streaming from the bite on her shoulder. "Run! I'll take care of- AGH!" The Shinigami screamed as she was tossed aside by the creature. The Hollow now seemed fixated on the downed Shinigami, who was collapsed at the base of a tree, bleeding heavily from her wounds. Twilight struggled to her feet, swaying slightly as she fought to reach the Shinigami before the Hollow could, but knowing in her heart that she was too injured to do so. Suddenly, a voice spoke. "Your body is weak. You can not save her." "Shut up. I will save her." Twilight growled, limping forward. The voice spoke again. "However, just because you are weak now does not mean you must stay weak. Tell me, Kurosaki Twilight. What would you do to protect those you hold dear?" "Everything. Even if it kills me." Twilight answered, now half way to the Shinigami. The Hollow reached down to grab its prey, and Twilight's heart sank, knowing that the Hollow would kill them both. "Then be strong, Twilight, and protect those you hold closest to your heart." As she had been once before, Twilight was surrounded by a burning sphere of dark energy. Only this time, she did not scream. When the energy disappaited, Twilight was standing there, looking uninjured, but she had changed. She now wore the shihakusho of a Shinigami, and at her waist was tied a sheath. She drew a daito-style zanpakuto, revealing a golden tsuba shaped like a Chinese coin beneath a violet blade. The hilt was black, and wrapped in emerald-coloured silk, and capped off with a gold pommel. Twilight dashed forward, slicing upward as she went, and cleaved the Hollow's arm in a shower of blood as the Shinigami looked up at her with shock. The Hollow roared in anger and agony, and Twilight looked back at the downed woman and said "My name is Kurosaki Twilight. Who are you?" The woman answered "Kuchiki Rukia, fukutaicho of Juu san ban tai of the Gotei Juu san. How... How are you a Shinigami?" Twilight smirked. "Heh. Damned if I know, Kuchiki-san." She raised her right hand and began to chant. "Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone! All creation, flutter of wings! Ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and Temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws! Hado no 33: Sokatsui!" Rukia watched in awe as a wave of blue fire washed down upon the Hollow, burning it into oblivion. "H-How do you know kido?!" "Urahara-san taught myself, Ichi-nii, and Shiro-nii. Doesn't the Seireitei keep track of Shinigami who left the Gotei Juu san? Tousan left a long time ago. Unless you're fairly new? That might be why. That, or they still have him down as Shiba Isshin." Twilight explained, earning a shocked look from Rukia. "D-Did you say Shiba?!" Meanwhile, in the depths of a cave stood three men. The first man had straight silver hair, and a smile that would strongly remind those who saw him of a snake. The second man had dark skin, and his eyes were covered by a visor. The third man, however, look plain to the eyes, with messy brown hair and wire-rimmed glasses. To those who could sense intent, though, these three were possibly the deadliest men in existence. Their names were Ichimaru Gin, Tousen Kaname, and Aizen Sosuke. "Report." Aizen spoke, his voice thrumming with power. "Th' Kurosaki brats are gettin' stronger. The purple-headed one just awoke as a Shinigami, an' she did it without outside interference. Kuchiki-chan didn' even know how it happened." Gin responded, his face betraying nothing but possible sadistic glee. "Good. Proceed with the plan, then. Even if we can't trap her in a gigai, we can still make Central 46 believe the Kuchiki Rukia is now a criminal. I will have the Hogyoku." Author's Note Alright! Here's the next chapter of Mage of Karakura! I made it so Ichigo's friend developed their powers earlier like Ichigo, and made them Fullbringers, as it kinda fits in with the fact that they're 100% human but have spiritual powers, and can fight Hollows. Also, just in case someone doesn't understand... In Japanese, the family name is said before the personal name. While in English one would say 'Yukisho Takehashi', in Japanese it would be 'Takehashi Yukisho'. Make sense? By the by, I tend to default to using a lot of Japanese terms, even in real life, so I'll be nice and give translations to terms you might not know. Juu san - thirteen Nii - brother (older) fukutaicho - lieutenant / vice captain Hado - Way of Destruction shihakusho - the black robe worn by Shinigami Shinigami - Death Gods kido - demon magic chan - suffix referring to something one finds cute (i.e. koneko-chan means 'cute kitten') san - suffix that shows respect tousan - father zanpakuto - soul slayer Konso - soul burial Buruberi - blueberry ('cause Twilight's hair is that same colour as a blueberry) Fullbring - a kind of spiritual power that humans get when born from mothers bitten by Hollows, or humans who spend prolonged amounts of time near those with a lot of spiritual power, like Ichigo. Quincy - a kind of human who can take in spirit particles to attack, due to not being able to use their own power for such a thing. Hogyoku - the OP Marble of Hyperdeath, something that is Bleach's equivalent to the Tesseract from Marvel or the Shi no Mei from Naruto, meaning the only way to beat someone who gets their dirty little paws on this damn thing is by author intervention. Supposedly makes the one who controls it a god, but doubtful due to the Winter War arc's ending in canon (seriously, WTF?!) daito - two-handed sword. Basically a Japanese claymore. tsuba - the hand-guard on a katana Gotei Juu San - Thirteen Court Guard Squads Hollows - Souls that have lost their hearts, and have regressed into an instinct-driven beastial state. Hollows are classified into five main categories: Hollow, Gillian, Adjuchas, Vasto Lorde, and Arrancar. Arrancar - A Hollow, usually of Adjuchas or Vasto Lorde classification, that has torn off their mask, gaining a human form and a zanpakuto. They can take a stronger form known as Resurreccion, which is their form of Shikai. Rumour has it that there is a secondary release known as Segunda Etapa, which is the Hollow Bankai. Sorry for the huge delay, though. Things on my end have been kinda hectic, and so I don't get to writing a lot... unless it's college assignments. Ja ne!