《The Mysterious Hunter (Bleach x RWBY)》XI. Some Truth Behind the Madness
Advertisement
————————————————————
Ichigo's POV
After the Sudden Conclusion
Glynda: "Ichigo, I know I'm going into your personal history, but please, you need to tell me." she says softly.
She releases Ichigo, looking into his eyes with nothing but kindness and understanding in hers.
Ichigo: "OK! HOLD ON! Why in the HELL do you think I was a woman!? And secondly, WHY THE HELL DOES THAT EVEN MATTER!? I AM A GUY, ALRIGHT!? A GUY!" he practically yells as he stands up from his chair, pointing to himself.
Glynda: "Ichigo, you don't have to lie to me. I am your professor. I won't tell anyone."
The softness in her voice despite being yelled at tells Ichigo that she wholly believes this, but he's too shocked to really care or acknowledge it.
Ichigo: "And I ask again, why does that even matter!?" he calms down a bit.
Glynda: "I-I know you must think that I'm invading your personal space by asking this, but please understand that this is very important."
Ichigo: "For the love of- I AM NOT A WOMAN AND I NEVER WAS!"
Ichigo (thoughts): 'Seriously, how the hell do I make people think this!? Can't I just get a regular goddamn day without some crazy shit happening!?'
He sees Glynda merely look at him before she opens her mouth once again.
Glynda: "Ichigo, do you have powers not normal to regular Huntsmen?" she asks as she watches him carefully. Very carefully.
He froze. How did she know!? Did he leave evidence!? No, she must be speculating. She can't have figured it out. Calm down. Stop shaking. She can't know...
Ichigo: "W-What are you talking about? Of course I don't. Well, besides the Dust-"
Glynda: "Stop lying." she interrupts sternly. "I can tell by your hesitant response and your shaking. It was subtle, but I could tell."
Ichigo (thoughts): 'Well, shit... So much for that. Great Ichigo, she caught you. She was probably just making up that woman shit just to get you riled up and make a mistake.'
Ichigo: "What? I told you-"
Glynda: "Stop lying." she repeats. "I already caught you."
Ichigo: "I have-"
She merely narrows her eyes dangerous as she holds her grip tighter.
Ichigo (thoughts): 'Shit! I fucked up! I couldn't just stop fucking shaking, could I? Ugh, I didn't think I would get caught this fuckin early either! Think of something!'
He turns back towards Vale, barely glancing over at her.
Ichigo: "*sigh* You wouldn't believe me."
Her tough exterior from catching him immediately softens and she walks over to him, putting her hand on his shoulder.
Glynda: "Ichigo, I-I'm sorry, but... I need to know."
He stays quiet for a few seconds before breaking the silence.
Ichigo: "I'm guessing Ozpin also wants to know." he asks solemnly.
Glynda: "Yes." she confirms.
Ichigo: "Listen, can we talk about it after we complete the mission? It's just-"
Glynda: "Of course." she replies with a tone of understanding.
They stand there in silence, enjoying each other's presence. After a few minutes, Glynda speaks up.
Glynda: "We should get going. We do have a mission to complete, after all."
Ozpin's POV
Currently in his office, Ozpin's overlooking the night sky, thinking. He made an assumption. A hypothesis. No matter how inconceivable it is, it's necessary to make sure if it was real or not. If the hypothesis is true, then Ichigo is a Maiden. He received that power from his deceased mother. That would make sense. When Ichigo was fleeing from his hometown with his mother protecting him, of course her final thoughts would have been of her son. No, her daughter who had a sex change later in life. It could happen. The evidence was there. For instance, his 'Dust' attacks cause too much damage. Like Winter Schnee stated, a single person cannot possibly carry such an amount of Dust on their person. In fact, there doesn't seem to be and slots for his weapon to utilize it. So is it Dust? Or something else...? Maybe a new way to increase Dust potency like Miss Schnee inquired? His Aura perhaps? Unlikely. A Maiden could possibly be the exception. Even if he does have the Maiden's power, which one did he receive it from? It couldn't have been Amber since he already knows that she was attacked by another person that wasn't Ichigo.
Advertisement
Then again, there's also evidence that disproves this hypothesis. First, Ichigo's eyes don't glow. When a Maiden uses her powers, her eyes glow. That large of an attack would warrant such a thing to occur. Furthermore, Ichigo hasn't used any other Maiden powers other than that explosion during the Initiation. He could be hiding them. After all, he hasn't done anything like that since. Hmm... And of course, he is the son of Qrow. Or daughter? What a strange situation to be in. How unlucky of Qrow. And of course, the General.
Ozpin (thoughts): 'I need more coff- I mean chocolate. Hot chocolate. I do wonder when they will-'
The elevator door opens, disrupting Ozpin's thoughts. They a little late, but it's of no consequence.
Glynda: "Headmaster."
Ozpin: "Glynda and Ichigo." he says as he turns around to face them. "So how did the mission go?"
He notes that they make eye contact with each other for a moment.
Glynda: "We patrolled all the main streets and some of the more densely populated areas. Ichigo felt as if something were amiss in a place we had already checked and it seemed his intuition was spot on. A small scuffle between rival criminals. We took care of it and the local police arrived to take over." Ozpin leans forward with his hands together. "That was the mission, but I do believe Ichigo has something to say." she continues.
Ozpin: "I see. So you asked him?" he questions.
Glynda: "Yes."
Ozpin: "I see. Ichigo, I am deeply sorry if we have offended you in any way, but it is extremely important to know." he states sincerely.
Ichigo: "Yeah, I know. You want to know how I did that explosion, right?"
He sits in a chair on the other side of Ozpin's desk.
Ozpin: "Yes, it would be nice to know."
Ichigo: "Well, it's complicated."
3rd Person POV
Ichigo (thoughts): 'I really hope this works.'
Ozpin: "Please, take the time you need."
Ichigo (thoughts): 'Here goes nothing. It'll either work or not, partly depending on if she remembers. Even if she doesn't, it might still work. Ozpin's not stupid, but he does seem very sure of himself. Time to shake the tree.'
Ichigo: "Remember when we first met in the police station and I told you about myself?" They nod their heads. "Well, I told you the basic stuff, but you want to know about my supposed 'Dust' attack, right?" They nod again. "That means I have to tell you about my mentor."
Glynda: "Your mentor?"
Ichigo: "*sigh* When my mother was still pregnant with me, a stranger arrived in our town. Nobody knew him, but the villagers welcomed him with open arms. He helped them and became good friends with just about everyone. He called himself 'Ichigo'. He was fairly tall, wielded a large sword and appeared to be in his late thirties, early forties, a few years older than you are now, Glynda. He said he was a retired Huntsman due to an injury he sustained. However, unlike almost everyone I've met, he had orange hair."
Glynda raises an eyebrow at the description. Suddenly, she sees a very blurry image in her head, a distant memory of someone approaching. She quickly shakes her head to rid herself of the memory to pay attention to more important things. She was about to ask Ichigo something, but he puts a finger to his lips.
Ichigo: "In due time." He takes his finger off his lips and continues. "In time, Ichigo, the other one, became close friends with my mother. They first encountered each when a small group of Grimm invaded. This was shortly after he arrived. My mother told me that on that day, she was going to die, only to be saved by him. Keep in mind, I was still in the womb. Fast forward a few months, I'm born with his help since he had medical expertise and my mother was the village doctor. This is where everything starts." Ichigo says as he prepares himself.
Advertisement
Ichigo (thoughts): 'Please work.'
The Headmaster and Glynda wait patiently for him to continue.
Ichigo: "Since my mother and the other Ichigo were such good friends, she decided to name me after him. As you might imagine, he was very against that, but she persisted. He finally relented and let her name her son 'Ichigo'. The main reason is because he saved her and the meaning behind the name. It means 'One Protector' or 'One Who Protects'. She really liked that. Over time, I viewed other Ichigo as my uncle. A few years passed and everything was great. However... there were a couple of strange things about him." he states with his eyes closed.
Ozpin: "Like?" he asks curiously.
Ichigo: "For one, he never told anyone about himself. Even my mother he never told much. Second, he would say very clearly 'Don't touch my sword', like it was dangerous. It makes sense to tell a kid to not play with weapons, but now, I think it could be something else."
Ozpin: "And did you touch it?"
Ichigo: "Of course I did. This is his sword." he says as he points to Zangetsu.
Ozpin merely looks over at Zangetsu.
Ozpin: "And why do you think it could be something else? You seem to wield it just fine."
Ichigo: "Let me finish first. It will make sense." He takes a deep breath. "Back to the story, other Ichigo and I were pretty close. Everything was looking good. But... a couple months before the invasion, he asked me a question. He said 'Do you want to protect the people close to you?' I answered that of course I did. I wanted to protect my friends and especially my mom. He then asked me something that changed everything. He said 'Do you want to be a Huntsman?' Of course, I answered that I did. He had told me stories over the years. Heroes, defending us from the evil Grimm. He started teaching me everything he knew over those months, even unlocking my Aura a few days before the attack. However, it wasn't until after the attack and I escaped that I noticed something strange."
Ozpin: "And what would that be?" he asked curiously.
Ichigo: "The way he unlocked my Aura. He did the standard thing, you know, putting a hand on my chest and saying the words. But then he told me to carry his sword while he did it. That's not the weirdest part. When I was carrying it before, I put all my strength into doing so. Suffice to say, it was pathetic. I was barely able to hold it at all. But when he finished and my body glowed, my sword just weighed nothing, like all its weight disappeared. I asked him how it happened, but he didn't say. After finishing, he said that he could no longer use it. He said that only I could use Zangetsu now. Of course, I asked more questions, but he didn't answer. He said he would explain later during our training. The training didn't last, as you know. He taught me his sword techniques and strategies, but I didn't master them until I was older. That was when the Grimm attacked. I'm sure you know what happened next."
Glynda's POV
Ozpin and Glynda stood there, digesting this new information. After a couple of moments, Ozpin was about to speak, but Ichigo cut him off.
Ichigo: "Before I continue, my uncle would tell me stories of the people he rescued. I always thought they were cool as a kid. After the invasion, I mostly forget about them. It wasn't until I met you in the police station that I did."
Ozpin: "And why would you remember them now?" he asks while still having his fingers interlocked just below his chin.
Ichigo: "Because of her."
He points to Glynda.
Glynda (thoughts): 'Huh?'
Glynda: "Me?" she says with an incredulous tone while pointing to herself.
Ichigo: "That's right. Glynda, remember when you were a child? You met someone in a forest."
Glynda: "What? What are you-"
Ichigo: "You met my Uncle Ichigo that day in the forest."
Glynda: "What are you...?"
She suddenly sees a memory of when she was little. She remembers herself covering her eyes.
Ichigo: "He had spiky orange hair."
Young Glynda peeks through them her fingers to see an orange haired man.
Ichigo: "He had my sword."
Young Glynda sees a humungous sword. Ichigo's sword. She sees the orange haired individual approach her.
Glynda (thoughts): 'No... I-I met him!?'
Glynda: "Oh my Gods..."
She has a realization as she remembers seeing a man that looked exactly like he's describing when she was little.
Ichigo's POV
Ichigo smiles but is exhilarated on the inside for making her remember. Score one for him! Now, the rest of the plan.
Ozpin: "Glynda?" he asks for clarification.
It took her a couple of seconds before she even moved. Finally, after her brain registered Ozpin's question, she regains her wits.
Glynda: "Y-Yes, I have met him... I think..."
Her voice reflects her shock. She's surprised she remembered at all. Ozpin stares at Glynda before looking back at Ichigo.
Ozpin: "Very interesting."
Ichigo: "That's why I recall my uncle's stories. Glynda looked like the girl he saved, not the mention has the same name. I thought that in case you didn't believe me, I could ask her to confirm his existence. But enough of that. The story's not quite over."
Ozpin: "Yes, please continue."
Ichigo: "Anyway, so when my Uncle said he would explain why Zangetsu suddenly weighed nothing, he obviously couldn't since the invasion happened. Over the years, I kept training to master everything he taught me. That was when I discovered my 'Dust' attack. It isn't Dust though." he explains as he unsheathes Zangetsu. "It's actually the sword itself. Well, the sword and me."
The Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress are initially confused.
Glynda: "What do you mean?" she asks with doubt.
He could understand. After all, he wouldn't believe it either if he had heard, but he does have proof.
Ichigo: "Zangetsu is able to absorb my Aura and concentrates it, amplifying it to such a degree that it can cause those explosions when it does so."
That is how Getsuga Tenshou works, although instead of Aura, it's spirit energy. They're similar though, so technically, he's not lying.
...
...
...
Glynda: "Mr. Kurosaki, while I do appreciate a good joke here and there, this is not the time." she says as she narrows her eyes.
Ichigo: "Don't believe me? Here."
He gets up, walks over to her, and stabs Zangetsu into the floor between them.
Ichigo: "Sorry Oz." He turns back to her. "Do you see any Dust slots for it?"
Glynda looks over the weapon intently with an annoyed look on her face. She quickly deduced that it, in fact, didn't have any room for Dust.
Glynda: "No, I don't. Your point?" she asks with increased annoyance.
Ichigo: "Try to channel your Aura into it."
She merely looks over to Ozpin, who nods in approval. Sighing, she channels her Aura into Zangetsu, but nothing happens.
Glynda: "Are you done yet? Tell us the real truth." she says with a softer tone.
Of course, she did this because she thinks Ichigo was once a woman and he doesn't want to admit it. She doesn't want to admit she's wrong either.
Ichigo: "Now watch this."
He grabs Zangetsu and takes a few steps back. Ozpin watches with interest while Glynda looks unimpressed. Ichigo calmly channels his Spiritual Energy into Zangetsu.
The pair watching watch with surprise and newfound interest. They see Zangetsu appear to be absorbing Ichigo's 'Aura' into itself while it gains the an outline of white with a tint of blue, the same colors of that energy technique used to create the explosion. Ichigo tries to stop channeling his 'Aura' and succeeds.
Glynda was the more caught off guard between the two. She had thought Ichigo was a Maiden, but it appears he was telling the truth. How could this sword absorb Aura? Why didn't it work with her? If that could be implemented into all weapons, then...
Ozpin watched silently, taking in this new information before he cracking a small smile.
Ozpin: "Ichigo, I'm guessing there's still more to the sword?"
He gets up and walks over to the young man.
Ichigo: "Yeah, actually." Confusion enters his voice since he didn't know what Ozpin was getting at.
Ozpin continues smiling, however. He looks at he scroll and clears his throat.
Ozpin: "Ichigo, since it's so late, we shall continue this conversation tomorrow. But before we go, I would like to make a proposition."
Ichigo's eyebrows furrowed at the surprise.
Ichigo: "A proposition?" he asks curiously.
Glynda seems confused as well. Ozpin never mentioned something like this. What could he be... talking... No...
Glynda: "Professor Ozpin! Don't tell me you are going to do what I think you're going to! He's only a student! And he's 15 years old!" she yells profusely.
Ozpin: "And an excellent fighter. I have faith he is capable. I wouldn't suggest it otherwise." he confirms without taking his eyes off Ichigo.
Ichigo: "Um... what are you guys talking about?" he asks confused.
Ozpin: "I would like to offer you the position of a teacher."
Glynda slaps her hand against her forehead.
Ichigo (thoughts): 'A teacher? I wouldn't have to study. I'd get paid. Might get a bigger dorm. Sounds like a good deal.'
Ichigo: "I think I acce-"
Something's wrong. Ichigo senses something in the distance. He hears the elevator door open up behind him, but he's concentrating on this new feeling.
Ozpin's POV
Ozpin: "Ah, Qrow. Here rather late, but your timing couldn't be better. Ichigo, this is Qrow. Qrow, this is him."
Qrow approaches the boy who seems to be... well, for lack of a better word, distracted.
Qrow: "You're Ichigo? Damn, they weren't kidding." He looks at Ichigo's face and takes a deep breath. "I'm just going to get right down to it. Ichigo, I'm your father, Qrow Branwen."
Ichigo breaks out of his trance and looks at the older Huntsman.
Ichigo: "No, you're not." he says coldly.
He runs out of the office, not saying a word after that, and goes down the elevator. The trio of adults are shocked at Ichigo's reaction to the news.
Qrow: "Oz, he barely even looked at me." he says dejected.
Glynda: "Even to you, I'd say that was a little harsh... That reminds me... Qrow, why don't you come here."
Qrow: "Um, sure?" Ozpin knows what's coming but doesn't have the power to stop it. "What's up, Gl- OOH!"
Glynda punches him square in the testicles, causing Qrow to fall over in extreme pain.
Glynda: "That's only the start of your punishment!"
Ozpin sips his hot chocolate while thinking to himself.
Ozpin (thoughts): 'Did you really just reject Qrow, Ichigo? Or was it something else...? What else are you hiding?'
————————————————————
Advertisement
Everyone's a Catgirl!
Participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge! The last thing Matt Kelmer expected at the gym that afternoon was sudden death. The second to last thing he expected was an offer of reincarnation by a goddess intensely moved by his "valiant efforts" before his untimely passing. But when the option of a world filled with catgirls hits the table, Matt is determined to live out one of his greatest fantasies no matter what difficulties he may face. Equipped only with a standard-issue [iPaw] and the clothes on his back, he'll have to navigate Nyarlea one sweet catgirl at a time. Note: Most NSFW scenes after Chater 29 are Patreon Exclusive! Update Schedule for RR Writeathon: Week One: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday Week Two: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and SundayWeek Three: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, SaturdayWeek Four: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday Cover art by JuukahPixel art by Kiora
8 776The Last Primordials
In a world where people can serve as hosts to animal spirits, Huo Lohse Lang (Lolo), daughter of the Wolf Tribe leader, makes friends during her five summers in the training exchange. Little does she know just how critical those relationships will be on a quest to unlock the hidden mysteries of the original primordial spirits and save humanity from annihilation by an ancient evil. A young adult, slow burn progression fantasy written in eight novella-length parts and published together to make one epic adventure. The story is technically COMPLETED though in a rewrite process. See chapter "00- Rewrite: A Living Draft" at the beginning of the story to follow the rewrite process. If you have any comments or suggestions, let me know! I'd love to hear your feedback! Please be advised that this story contains a wide variety of traumatizing content and dark/adult themes. I avoid graphic details, but the content is there. Reader discretion is strongly recommended. If you would like more specifics, feel free to PM me. Story inspired ART!!! Standig Thank you to RenamedUser8903457!! Beautiful work. I am blown away. I had some fun with artbreeder.com to create some loose character sketches. They aren't perfect, and I might replace images from time to time with more accurate ones. However, in case you are curious: Character Images
8 249Project: Outreach
For Derek, gaming was an escape from the miserable failure that was his life. In a twist of fate, the game he wasted his time on turned out to be a training program for an important job; and a key behind him getting the chance to go into space that he always wanted. Unfortunately, he would never make it off earth.. alive at least. (This is a novel in progress. It is based on an existing outline, and will likely have some modest editing done once it reaches the final chapter.)
8 247Deity of carnage - Unholy Kingdom
Book 2 has started: Without body, withouth strenght. How do you fight the strong when you are nothing? Will Keeper survive the ordeals ahead of himself to finaly come out on the top? And become the greatest calamity Terra has ever seen! Authors note: Hello guys, some heads up. Not native in English and got dyslexia. Fret not I atleast have autocorrect. So, I hope its readable for you guys and girls out there. Hope you enjoy :) I will release ones a month optimally.
8 167Lemur Goes to Forash
[participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge] Rakkel arrives in Forash City with nothing but the contents of xir messenger bag and a desire to see the legendary Forash Marketplace. The only catch is that xir body was long ago converted to that of an anthropomorphic lemur. This sort of thing is commonplace where xe comes from. In Forash, not so much. Will the people of Forash accept xir among them? Will anyone even buy the trinkets xe brought along to sell? And in a city full of stock humans, what sort of attention might xe attract from the handful of fellow body-modders who already live there?
8 82Cheating Monster
Book 1 - Cheating Monster: The mightiest tadpole.Book 2 - Cheating Monster: The mightiest spore.A comedy taking itself seriously. Follow Kneeko, a formerly dead man who used to live as a digitized consciousness, dwelling in online worlds commonly known as VRMMOs, who has now returned to the real world with a new body. He now live a comfortable life, working for his father's company as a 'competition crusher'. His job description, ""to hack and create chaos in their competitor's VRMMO worlds."Everything would seem as if he Kneeko had finally met a good ending, but how did having lived for over 10,000 in-game years affect his ancient mind. -Author's note: Those who know my work know to always expect the unexpected... Things are not always what they seems to be.
8 227