Chapter 2: The First New Dawn

Hello again!

As per usual, I will put out several chapters for this new story before continuing with the others that I have already published. After this new chapter, I will finally return to "The Legend of Earth Land." For those of you who don't already know, that particular story is a Dragon Ball Super and Fairy Tail crossover. Feel free to check it out if you haven't already.

As for this story, this new chapter will finally introduce Ichigo. We'll also see how Pyrrha is settling in at the Kurosaki household.

I also feel like I should mention that she and Ichigo will not be very close at the beginning of this story. I want to develop their friendship naturally, and that isn't going to happen overnight. They will simply be housemates for several chapters, but I give you my word that they will bond as time goes on.

I hope you enjoy!

AlucardsBro OUT!

(Karakura Town, Japan)

Pyrrha woke up crying.

She didn't scream, but her entire body did tremble violently.

All night long, she had been haunted by gruesome images of death and destruction. She had been forced to watch helplessly as Team RWBY was incinerated by roaring flames. She'd seen the skin on Ren's body melt away as he was swallowed up by fire. She had sobbed as Nora was burned to death until her entire form was charred black…

Cinder Fall had smiled through it all, and had made certain to make Jaune's fate the most horrific. The air in his lungs had been vaporized, rendering him unable to breathe, and he'd slowly been roasted from the inside out while still very much alive.

Even though she knew the nightmares hadn't been real, Pyrrha still felt like she could smell the stench of burning flesh. Choking back a sob, she pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her face in them. Realistically speaking, she knew it wouldn't do her any good to worry about what might be happening on Remnant, but she simply couldn't help it. She was concerned for her team, as well as for the safety of the rest of her friends.

Lux had promised that most of them would grow up to lead happy lives, but she wouldn't be able to fully believe that unless she saw it for herself…

Wiping away the tears staining her cheeks, Pyrrha swung her legs over the side of the bed and silently walked across the room. Entering the bathroom, she turned on the faucet above the sink and began the process of washing her face. She didn't want to concern her new host family with her personal problems, and Mister Kurosaki definitely seemed like the kind of man who would poke and prod until he finally learned what was bothering her. It wasn't necessarily a bad trait to have, but she didn't really want to receive that kind of attention first thing in the morning.

Turning off the faucet, Pyrrha grabbed the small hand towel on the nearby rack and dried her face off. Looking in the mirror to appraise herself, she deflated slightly upon seeing that her eyes were still fairly bloodshot. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out she'd been crying…

Breathing out a sigh, she exited the bathroom and walked back to the bed. Sitting down on the mattress, she stole a glance towards the alarm clock on the nightstand. It wasn't even five-thirty yet, so she had a good feeling that she was the only person in the house who would be up so early. Had she been back in Beacon, she would have used the private time to train and practice her personal techniques until the rest of her team woke up.

But she wasn't at Beacon, and she would likely never be able to go back…

Her shoulders sagged.

However, Pyrrha quickly forced herself out of that line of thought. Allowing herself to fall into depression wouldn't do her any good. Looking around the room for something else to occupy her mind, her eyes quickly landed on a small framed photograph sitting on the desk positioned perpendicular to the bed.

Standing up again, she walked over and gingerly picked it up.

The photo had obviously been taken several years ago; it depicted the Kurosaki family, and they all looked much younger than they were now. Eyes tracing over their facial features, Pyrrha allowed herself to mull over what she thought of her new host family thus far. They hadn't conversed too much last night before she'd decided to retire for the evening, but she still felt like she'd been able to get a basic grasp of each of their major personality traits.

Mister Kurosaki was loud, and definitely a bit strange. However, it was plainly obvious that he loved his children more than anything. And, oddly enough, he apparently now considered her to be his eldest daughter. In a way, his mannerisms slightly reminded her of the verbal description Ruby and Yang had given of their own father.

Yuzu was a sweet girl, and was surprisingly mature for someone her age. The way she greeted everything with a smile had immediately made Pyrrha think of Ruby. However, she highly doubted Yuzu possessed a borderline obsession with all forms of weaponry.

Karin reminded her of Blake; she was quiet, had a snarky sense of humor, and only really talked when it seemed she truly felt like it. Granted, Pyrrha hadn't seen her read anything like the adult books Blake had been so fond of, but the similarities were definitely still there.

Then there was Ichigo…

To be quite honest, she still wasn't quite sure what to make of the orange-haired boy. He had been very quiet last night, and had allowed her to move into his room without much verbal complaint. However, the scowl that seemed permanently etched on his face made her feel slightly uncomfortable. Was he holding in his anger? Was he angry with her for forcing him to sleep on the couch?

She did feel a little bad about taking over his bedroom, and she'd even offered to sleep downstairs in his place. However, Mister Kurosaki had refused to allow anything of the sort, and had assured her that Ichigo wouldn't mind.

She sincerely hoped that was true…

Shaking her head, Pyrrha focused her attention back on the picture in her hands. Her eyes trailed up to the only adult woman in the photograph, and she immediately felt her curiosity pique. Was this supposed to be Mister Kurosaki's wife? She was very beautiful, but Pyrrha couldn't recall seeing her anywhere in the house. Perhaps she'd been out on business…?

Placing the photo back down on the desk, she prepared to return to the bathroom to take a shower. Looking down at herself, she felt a bit of heat creep up into her cheeks. Given that she'd arrived on Earth with only a single pair of clothes, Mister Kurosaki had seen fit to provide her with one of Ichigo's t-shirts to sleep in. Even though she was around two years older than the shirt's owner, it appeared as though she and Ichigo were generally the same size. The shirt actually fit her quite well. She genuinely appreciated the gesture, and the fabric was certainly comfortable, but still…

Hopefully, she'd be able to travel into town to pick out a wardrobe of her own soon enough. Shaking her head again and gently slapping her cheeks, Pyrrha swiftly crossed the room.

However, just as she prepared to enter the bathroom, a haunting sound filled the air.

It sounded like someone had blended a scream, a wail and a roar together into one ungodly cry.

"What in the world was that…?!"

Spinning around, Pyrrha's eyes widened as she briefly saw a dark shape pass by the window. Her instincts immediately screamed for her to grab Miló and Akuóu. However, her rational mind argued that she was no longer and Remnant, and thus there was no need to prepare for a Grimm attack. In any case, she didn't even have her weapons anymore…

Still, as a former Huntress in training, mild fear did not prevent her from running straight to the window and throwing aside the curtains. However, to her surprise and confusion, there didn't appear to be anything outside. The street in front of Kurosaki Clinic was bare of traffic, and there weren't any people out on the sidewalk. As a whole, Karakura Town still looked to be several hours away from truly waking up.

Even so, a chill ran up her spine.

She had definitely heard something…

She wasn't sure what it had been, but it had sounded very big. Perhaps it had been construction equipment going off in the distance? The thought sounded plausible, but it still didn't explain the shape she had seen pass in front of the window…

Hesitantly, Pyrrha closed the curtain and slowly walked back towards the bathroom. Paranoia argued that turning her back to the window was a bad idea, but there hadn't been anything outside. The thought suddenly occurred to her that perhaps she was just seeing and hearing phantom memories of the Grimm. After living on Remnant for seventeen years, it stood to reason that it would take time for her to get used to a world that was free of the soulless monsters.

Inhaling a calming breath, she concluded that was most likely the case. Entering the bathroom, she pulled off Ichigo's shirt and let it fall to the floor, before proceeding to strip out of her underwear. Pulling back the shower curtain, she leaned forward to turn on the hot water.

A warm soak would hopefully soothe her nerves.

(An Hour and a Half Later)

There was no denying she was strange.

Still, Pyrrha seemed like a pretty nice girl.

She was extremely polite, and Ichigo could tell that she felt genuinely bad about kicking him out of his bedroom. He didn't really mind sleeping on the couch, to be honest, but he still appreciated her initial hesitance to commandeer his personal space.

Spooning another mouthful of cereal into his mouth, the orange-head briefly glanced up at the clock hanging on the wall.

School started at eight o'clock, and he and his sisters would need to get moving around seven-thirty. That being said, they definitely still had plenty of time to finish their breakfast. However, with the topic of school now on his mind, Ichigo wondered what their new guest would be doing throughout the day in their absence. From what he understood, she didn't have any clothes other than the strange armor she had arrived in.

Maybe his dad would decide to take her shopping?

The more he thought about it, the more he realized that would probably be a bad idea…

As clueless as his friends seemed to think he was, even he was aware that it would be extremely awkward for a teenage girl to go shopping for clothes with a grown man she'd only met the day before. Besides, if she needed to buy more personal articles of clothing, she would likely prefer the company of other females. Making a mental note to mention the subject to Orihime and Tatsuki when he saw them, Ichigo lifted his bowl and drank the remaining milk that was held within.

Wiping off his mouth on the sleeve of his brown jacket, he turned towards Karin and Yuzu. "You two already have everything you need packed up?"

Yuzu mumbled something unintelligible through a mouthful of fried rice.

Rolling her eyes, Karin replied with a nod. "Yeah, we put our homework in our backpacks last night before going to bed. Did you really think we'd forget?"

"Not really. It's just my job to remind you."

His dark-haired sister snorted, and Ichigo responded by reaching over to mess up her hair. She squawked angrily, and he laughed lightly as she furiously batted away his hands. Leaning away and standing up, the orange-head prepared to place his dirty dishes in the sink. However, he froze upon remembering something rather important. Frowning, he glanced back at his younger siblings.

"Hey Yuzu, did you keep Bostov in your room last night…?"

Swallowing another mouthful of food, she shook her head. "No. I thought you had him in your room?"

Cursing, Ichigo dumped his plate in the sink before quickly exiting the kitchen and walking across the living room. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he looked up and paused upon noticing that the newest member of the household appeared to be trying to walk down them.

She was dressed in his light grey RADWIMPS shirt and a pair of black basketball shorts. They both fit her pretty normally, but there was still something about seeing a girl dressed in his clothing that made the orange-head heat up slightly. There was no denying that Pyrrha was a pretty girl, and the image he was looking at was a very nice one. However, he forced such thoughts out of his mind and mentally reminded himself that the redhead didn't have any other choice but to wear his clothes until she could purchase her own.

Coughing, Ichigo met her emerald green eyes. "Um, good morning…"

"And to you as well."

"Hey, you didn't happen to see a lion plushie anywhere in my room last night, did you?"

Her expression briefly turned thoughtful, but Pyrrha quickly shook her head. "Not that I can remember? Would you like me to go and look for it?"

"NO! No, that's okay." He wanted to slap himself for the unnecessary outburst. "My little sister was just looking for it. She usually likes to sleep with it, and she couldn't find it last night. I'll go look for it myself."

Awkwardly ascending the staircase, Ichigo brushed past Pyrrha and pushed open the door to his room. Pausing for a moment, he waited until it sounded like she had gone all the way down to the first floor. Once the wooden stairs stopped squeaking, he dropped to his knees and scowled, looking under his bed.

"Where are you, you little turd? I know you're in here!"

Silence answered him.

His scowl deepened, and Ichgio rose back up to his feet and marched over to his closet. Pulling open the sliding doors, he smirked victoriously when Kon let out a terrified screech. "There you are!"

"Please don't hurt me!"

Snatching up the Artificial Soul as he tried to scramble away, Ichigo brought him up to eye level. He felt his left eyebrow twitch irritably as Kon pathetically attempted to bite and scratch at his hand. "Just so you know, things are going to be a little different from now on. You aren't allowed in this room, period. Until Pyrrha finds somewhere else permanent to stay, you get to sleep downstairs in the living room with me."

"Oh come on! Throw me a bone, Ichigo! That redhead is an absolute babe! I mean, it ain't like she's completely stacked like Rangiku, but still!"

Eyes narrowing, the orange-head smashed Kong's face against the nearest wall. "Listen to me you little pervert… I'd better not catch you trying to peek on her. In fact, if I do, I think I might finally let Yuzu permanently stitch you into that dress she's had her eye on."

"Y-You wouldn't…!"

"Wouldn't I?"

"You cuck!" Kon growled, finally ceasing his thrashing. "Fine, you win! But at least let me use your phone every now and then to look at some porn…"

"Not gonna happen."

"I hate you!"

Ignoring the Mod Soul's petulant whining, Ichigo stalked out of his room and back out into the main hallway. Briefly pausing to toss Kon into his sisters' room, he made sure to close the door tightly before heading back downstairs. As he reentered the kitchen, he saw that Yuzu and Karin had apparently seen fit to serve Pyrrha a plate piled high with freshly scrambled eggs and sizzling bacon.

The redhead didn't really look like she knew what to do, but she still seemed more than happy to have something to eat. With a quiet snort, Ichigo noted that she was also currently letting Yuzu braid her hair.

For the next few minutes, they all sat together in relative silence. His sisters asked Pyrrha several personal questions now and then, such as what kind of music she liked and what her home life had been like back in Europe. Their dad had informed them that she was a transfer student from Greece, but Ichigo didn't really know if he bought that. He was well-versed with Greco-Roman history, and although he knew that the Greeks definitely wore battle armor in the past, he was pretty sure those days were behind them. Granted, he wasn't familiar with all of their current customs and traditions, but he had a pretty good feeling Pyrrha wasn't actually from where she claimed.

Regardless, she still answered all of the questions she was asked easily enough.

When questioned about her family and friends her face brightened considerably, and she quickly launched into several detailed descriptions that made Ichigo smile. She spoke of her mother and father, Helena and Alexander, with no small amount of enthusiasm. Her dad sounded like an absolute giant of a man, which was honestly pretty funny considering her mother sounded much more petite. It also sounded like she was an only child; she didn't make any mention of having any siblings.

"What about your friends?" Yuzu asked. "What were they like?"

Pyrrha's smile grew. "They were certainly… an interesting bunch. My friends Nora and Ruby were the most excitable people I've ever met. In fact, you actually remind me of Ruby very much."

"Really?"

"You do. Ruby was a very sweet girl, and couldn't seem to find fault with very many things. She tried to see the best in people, and it was her dream to help the entire world someday."

Yuzu's expression morphed into a smile as well. "I'd love to be able to meet her!"

Ichigo frowned when Pyrrha's smile wavered. However, she quickly readopted a happy expression and laughed lightly, as if recalling a particularly happy memory. "And I'm sure she would have loved to meet you as well."

"What about me?" Karin asked inquisitively. Her tone sounded fairly disinterested, but it was still pretty obvious that she was actually very curious.

"You remind me of a girl named Blake. You both have dark hair, and Blake only really talked when she felt like it. She also preferred to keep to herself, but everyone in our friend group knew she was really a big softie."

Karin blushed.

Yuzu giggled. "What about Ichigo? Who does he remind you of?"

Pyrrha's expression grew somewhat complicated, and Ichigo silently arched a brow as she turned to face him. He watched as she bit her lip and momentarily seemed to get lost in thought. After several minutes of silence, she finally offered a reply. "I honestly don't know if you remind me of anyone just yet. We haven't really talked much."

"Sorry about that."

"Don't apologize. I'm sure we'll become good friends eventually."

Ichigo wanted to roll his eyes. He didn't, but he still actively fought the urge to do so. He wouldn't mind being friends with Pyrrha, but the redhead's statement had been delivered almost robotically. It sounded as if she'd said the exact same thing to many other people, even when it was clear that she didn't sincerely mean it most of the time. That probably wasn't the case here, but still.

Glancing up at the clock, Ichigo's eyes widened slightly.

It was almost seven-thirty. Time to get moving.

Standing up, he walked away from the kitchen table and towards the front door, where their book bags and backpacks were already waiting to be picked up. Shouldering his own bag, the orange-head spared a quick glance back in the direction of the kitchen. "Karin! Yuzu! Let's get going!"

The twins responded in unison, and voiced brief goodbyes to Pyrrha before coming to join him.

The front door was quickly opened, and his younger siblings rushed on ahead to meet up with their friends, who were already waiting on the sidewalk in front of the house. Two older teens were present as well, and Ichigo raised a hand to greet them as he descended the steps of the front porch.

"Yo."

"Good morning, Ichigo!" Orihime replied warmly. As per usual, her cheerfulness soon proved to be infectious. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"It sure doesn't look like it…" Tatsuki snorted.

Ichigo scowled. "The hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Dude, you have really dark bags under your eyes."

"I slept fine," he retorted. "But I guess I did stay up pretty late…"

"Yeah? And why is that?"

"You know why."

Tatsuki rolled her eyes, but seemed to accept the response nonetheless. Satisfied with not having to answer any more questions, Ichigo turned on his heel and began walking in the direction of Karakura Town High. His two friends were quick to follow, and fell into step on either side of him.

They walked for a few minutes in relative silence, with the only sound coming from Orihime, who was chattering randomly about some television show she'd watched last night. However, after a while, Ichigo suddenly remembered what he'd promised to ask earlier. "Hey, would you two mind doing me a favor…?"

"What kind of favor?" Tatsuki asked suspiciously.

"Last night, a transfer student from Greece moved into our house," he replied, evidently taking her by surprise. "It was weirdly sudden, and she doesn't have any spare clothes to wear aside from what she showed up in. I don't want her to have to go shopping with me or my dad, so do you guys think you could take her to the mall one day this weekend?"

"Sounds like fun!" Orihime said, smiling. "Do you know why she decided to come to Japan?"

"I… no, not really."

He knew Pyrrha wasn't really from Greece, but Kisuke and his dad seemed pretty insistent on maintaining that particular cover story. It was definitely strange, but they most likely had a good reason for doing so. When he'd first seen her, Ichigo had assumed that Pyrrha was from Soul Society, given what he could sense from her. She radiated Spiritual Energy like crazy, but it had quickly become apparent that she wasn't even aware of that fact. Therefore, his hypothesis of her being a deceased Soul had quickly been thrown out the window.

Besides, Ichigo didn't think he'd ever seen anyone from Soul Society wear anything like the armor she'd been dressed in. They all wore traditional Japanese clothing, and Pyrrha's outfit had been far more Spartan.

Shaking his head, he focused his attention back on the sidewalk. "I'm not really sure why she decided to move so far away from home, but she probably has a good reason. I didn't think to ask her about it this morning."

"How did she show up at your house?" Tatsuki asked. She wore an expression of confusion, and Ichigo couldn't really blame her. "You said she arrived out of the blue, right?"

"Yeah, she did. Hat-n-Clogs brought her to the house."

"Mister Urahara?"

Ichigo nodded.

Tatsuki's confused expression turned into a frown, and she glanced down towards the sidewalk. Orihime, on the other hand, didn't appear to see anything wrong with the situation. "I can't wait to meet her! What's she like?"

"Well, her name is Pyrrha Nikos. She has long red hair, and bright green eyes."

"What else?"

"I… I don't really know much else about her…"

Orihime pouted, puffing out her cheeks. "Ichigo! You need to make girls feel welcome, especially when they're in a completely new environment! She probably feels so alone right now."

He wanted to tell her that Pyrrha was not exactly what she seemed, but Ichigo wisely elected to keep his mouth shut. He had no idea why the red-haired girl felt the need to lie about where she was from, but it was still plainly evident that she meant no harm. Hollows and other malicious Souls emitted a tainted aura, and Pyrrha felt just about as dangerous as an angry lamb. Granted, she possessed a large reservoir of untapped Spiritual Power, but that in itself didn't really mean anything. He'd been the exact same way before Rukia had initially turned him into a Substitute Shinigami.

For now, it seemed he would just have to sit back and watch the situation unfold on its own.

Perhaps, once she felt comfortable enough with her new surroundings, Pyrrha would open up and tell the truth about her origins. Until that time came, it wouldn't do any good to pester her about anything.

Orihime suddenly called out a greeting, and Ichigo looked further down the sidewalk. They were almost at the front gates of the school, and Chad and Uryu were already there waiting for them.

Waving a hand, Ichigo casually greeted them. For the moment, school required his full attention.

He could think about mysterious redheads later.

(Kurosaki Household)

"I'll be in the clinic if you need anything, alright?"

Pyrrha nodded.

Mister Kurosaki smiled, before disappearing down the hallway. She heard a door creak open, and then quickly close, letting her know that she was completely alone once again. Looking around awkwardly, Pyrrha visually searched for something to do. She wasn't quite sure what was considered off limits, but she'd already gathered that she likely wouldn't be allowed into the clinic while Mister Kurosaki was working.

Standing up from her seat at the kitchen table, she meandered into the living room and plopped down onto the couch. A large blue blanket was folded up in a nearby armchair, and she wryly noted that she was technically once gain intruding on Ichigo's sleeping space.

Pushing the thought to the back of her mind, Pyrrha looked around for a remote to turn on the large, flat-screen television in front of her. Interestingly enough, whereas Remnant's television sets were largely comprised of holographic images generated by small Dust projectors, it appeared as though Earth's TVs were mostly powered by electricity.

Once again, she was reminded of the differences between her old world and new home…

Shaking her head, she finally found the remote under the couch. Pointing it at the TV, she felt relieved when the screen immediately blinked to life. Earth was definitely not the same as Remnant, but it was good to know that at least some things operated roughly the same way on both planets.

Flipping through the multitude of channels available to her, Pyrrha paused when she finally reached one that appeared to be entirely dedicated to explaining Earth's history. She was still very interested to learn everything she could about her new home, and now that she was confined to the safety of an actual house, she didn't have to worry about going back to the library and dealing with the creepy boy from yesterday.

Setting the remote down on the coffee table, the redhead leaned back against the couch and tucked her legs underneath her butt. As an academic-looking man appeared on the screen, her emerald eyes briefly darted over to the heavy blanket in the chair.

Ichigo wouldn't mind, would he…?

After a moment's thought, she finally gave in and leaned over to snatch it up. Wrapping the blanket around her entire body, Pyrrha snuggled back against the cushion behind her and made herself comfortable. It didn't take very long for her to become completely enraptured by the new information being presented to her by the man on the screen.

After a moment of watching, she quickly learned that the program she was currently watching was about creatures known as dinosaurs.

It astounded her to know than such amazing animals had once called Earth home. They came in so many different shapes in sizes; some were peaceful herbivores, while others were ferocious predators. As far as she could recall, Remnant had never been home to any forms of prehistoric life that existed before humanity. According to legend, the planet had been created by the Two Brothers, who had seen fit to give life to the human race nearly straight away. Over time the Faunus had emerged as well, but no one really knew how that had happened.

Focusing back on the television, Pyrrha smiled. As she continued to watch in silence, she learned that the man on the screen was a 'paleontologist.' Evidently, his job was to research all forms of extinct life and discover new things about them by digging up their fossilized remains.

It was quite fascinating.

She had always been naturally gifted in combat, but Pyrrha had to admit that there were some aspects of science and history that had intrigued her all throughout her life. For instance, she had always been curious why Grimm would evaporate whenever they were killed, instead of naturally decaying like most other animals. If memory served, Professor Oobleck had mentioned it once or twice in class; apparently, it was due to the fact that Grimm did not possess a soul like the rest of the creatures living on Remnant.

That was another thing…

She had always been fascinated by the nature of living souls.

On Remnant, a person's soul determined how strong their Aura would be when it was finally unlocked. It also determined how a Semblance would manifest in each individual person. It was a very intriguing concept, and she had often wondered why a person's abilities were so intrinsically linked to their soul.

Ruby was an energetic person— her Semblance had to do with speed.

Yang was a hothead— her Semblance allowed her strength to increase along with her anger.

It was all very interesting to note how a person's soul usually matched their major personality traits. In turn, their Semblance typically went well with their personality in a number of ways. Granted, some people possessed Semblances that were completely genetic, like Weiss, but such a thing was generally quite rare.

Ren was a very calm person, and his Semblance reflected that. Nora's attention span was short, yet she could be very intense at the same time. Ironically enough, she was like a living lightning bolt, and that definitely reflected in her Semblance.

Pyrrha wondered what kind of abilities her new host family would have…

However, she quickly dismissed the thought with a mild chuckle. There was no way anyone on Earth could ever possess powers like those of her friends. Her chuckle turned into a genuine laugh as she briefly pictured Yuzu carrying around a giant red scythe. She supposed that meant Karin would need to have a weapon similar to Gambol Shroud, wouldn't she?

What kind of weapon would Ichigo have?

He didn't seem like the kind of person who would use Yang's dual ranged shot gauntlets…

If she were being completely honest with herself, Pyrrha couldn't picture him with anything other than a sword. However, thinking about that particular kind of weapon quickly made her thoughts drift to Jaune…

By now, she assumed he and the others would be mourning her apparent death.

Had they managed to defeat Cinder in her absence? She hoped so, but her rational mind highly doubted it. Cinder was a brutally powerful opponent, and had been able to almost completely master the power of the Fall Maiden in the relatively short time she had possessed it. Even as much as it pained her to admit it, Pyrrha now knew that she had never stood a chance against the raven-haired woman…

Shaking her head to break herself out of her current train of thought, the redhead stole a glance up at the clock on the wall. To her shock, she had apparently been lost in thought for well over half an hour. Blinking in surprise, she turned her attention back towards the TV, where it appeared the program about the dinosaurs had ended.

Slightly disappointed, Pyrrha wrapped the blanket more tightly around herself and pouted. She would have to do more personal research on the extinct reptiles again in the future.

For now, though, she would be content to learn about ancient Egypt.

(Karakura Town High)

It seemed word travelled fast.

By lunchtime, everyone in class had seen fit to pester Ichigo for information about his newest housemate. Everybody was curious to learn what they could about the mysterious exchange student who had apparently showed up out of nowhere, and they all wanted to know why she wasn't even in school. Ichigo had lied, and claimed that she needed some more time to adjust to life in Karakura Town before actually coming to school.

Well, it hadn't entirely been a lie.

Pyrrha did need time to become more comfortable with her new surroundings, but he had no idea whether or not she would end up joining him at school. Quite honestly, he would actually prefer if she simply decided to stay home. Ichigo didn't have anything against her, but he really didn't want to have to sit through Keigo's attempts to woo her. And if she did end up coming to school, those attempts would definitely be inevitable.

Sinking down into his seat, the orange-head released a deep sigh.

Part of him wanted to tell Chad, Uryu and Orihime the truth, but honestly he wasn't exactly sure what the truth surrounding Pyrrha really was. She definitely wasn't from Europe, but his dad and Kisuke wanted everyone to believe that for some reason. Did they know something he didn't? Or had they simply been able to sense the strange Reiryoku billowing around her body like he had? Ichigo had already resolved to play along for the time being, but he definitely had to admit that he was growing more curious the longer he thought about the situation.

Perhaps he'd stop by Kisuke's place after school to ask a few questions…

Suddenly, the orange-head was startled out of his thoughts when something hit the window to the left of his desk. Blinking several times as he was brought back to reality, he looked out the window and saw two familiar figures beckoning him outside. Quite some time ago, his Shinigami friends had agreed that forcing him to miss class was a poor idea, and thus had promised to stop bothering him during the school day if they could genuinely help it. If they were trying to get his attention now, then it must really be due to something important…

Standing up, Ichigo quickly raised a hand. "Miss Ochi, may I please go use the restroom?"

His teacher paused in her lecture, fixing him with an unimpressed look. "Again, Ichigo? Your bladder really must hate my teaching style. Why didn't you go during lunch period?"

"I… I didn't have to go then…"

It was a childish response, but he couldn't really think of anything else.

Breathing out a sigh, Miss Ochi waved a hand towards the classroom door. "Alright, hurry up. But please try to be quick about it, will you?"

"Yes, Ma'am. Thank you."

As he walked across the room towards the exit, Ichigo made sure to make subtle eye contact with both Uryu and Chad. They both nodded in understanding, before returning their attention to the blackboard at the front of the class. With his friends clued in as to what was really going on, he quietly slipped out of the room and speed-walked down the hall to the nearest main exit. Almost as soon as he was outside, Ichigo yelped as he was grabbed by the back of his school uniform and yanked up into the air.

His world tumbled for a moment, but thankfully he was quickly deposited onto the solid roof of the main school building. As he regained his bearings, the orange-head fixed his kidnapper with an irritated expression. "What the hell was that for, huh? I was just about to come and find you guys."

"No time for that," Renji replied, smirking in obvious amusement. "We're here on official business."

Rising back up to his feet, Ichigo turned his attention to the shorter of the two Shinigami present. "Is something wrong? I know there was a Hollow in the area this morning, but I took care of it without much of a problem. Did something else cross over from Hueco Mundo?"

Rukia shook her head, though her eyes were slightly uncertain. "To be quite honest, we aren't quite sure…"

"What do you mean?"

"Last night, a dimensional gateway opened up within the borders of Karakura Town. That in itself isn't really an unusual occurrence, given that Shinigami and Hollows alike enter the Living World through similar means. However, according to Captain Kurotsuchi, this particular gateway gave off an energy signature unlike anything Soul Society has ever seen."

Ichigo frowned. "You don't think it has something to do with Aizen, do you?"

"Doubtful," Renji interjected, shaking his head. "Aizen is a bastard, but he's also a really smart one. There's no way he would do something so painfully obvious. Captain Commander Yamamoto has already disregarded his potential involvement with this particular incident."

"So… do you think it could be a new type of Hollow?"

Rukia shrugged helplessly. "That is definitely an idea, but we can't say for certain. There are already several Captains searching the town for potential leads, but my brother suggested that Renji and I come tell you everything ourselves. He felt like you have a right to be aware of the situation, given that this is your hometown."

That was certainly appreciated.

Byakuya could really be thoughtful when he wanted to.

Casting his gaze down towards the concrete underneath his feet, Ichigo pondered the situation. He had to admit, it was all quite strange. Soul Society generally seemed to have an answer for everything, and hearing that they were at a complete loss was honestly a bit shocking. A sudden thought darted through his mind, but he quickly dismissed it with a mild shake of his head.

However, the more he thought about it, the more it actually made sense…

Was it a coincidence that all of this was happening almost immediately after Pyrrha had moved in? She definitely had the appropriate amount of Reiryoku to be Spiritually Aware, but thus far she had not displayed any of the outward signs. Did her abundant reservoir of Spiritual Energy have something to do with the anomalous gateway Soul Society had detected?

Ichigo opened his mouth to bring the subject up, but something at the back of his mind stopped him. Pyrrha didn't act like she had a dangerous bone in her entire body. However, if he outed her to Soul Society, there was a very good chance that the Onmitsukidō would be dispatched to abduct her. Then, once she was in the Seireitei, she would likely be examined by Mayuri Kurotsuchi…

The thought made him shiver.

Closing his mouth, he decided to trust Kisuke's decision to let her stay in the Living World.

"Ichigo, are you alright?"

Rukia's question pulled him from his thoughts, and he quickly nodded his head. "Yeah, sorry. Just got caught up in thought, I guess."

"If you say so. We need to go rejoin the search, but let us know if you find anything on your own, alright?"

He nodded again, and his two Shinigami friends quickly disappeared in simultaneous bursts of Shunpo. Running a hand through his hair, Ichigo let out a breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding. Walking over towards the staircase that would take him back down to the ground floor, he acknowledged that it would definitely be a good idea to talk with Kisuke before going home.

Things had just gotten a lot more complicated…

(Urahara Shop; Three Hours Later)

The sun was just now beginning its descent towards the west horizon.

The sky was still bright blue, but the shadows cast by the morning sun were now replaced by those of the early afternoon. Raising the cup of tea in his hands to his lips, Kisuke Urahara took a slow, deep sip. The warm liquid poured down his throat, and settled comfortably in his stomach. It was very refreshing, and he breathed out a pleased sigh before placing the teacup on the countertop in front of him.

Business had been slow for most of the day thus far, but that was understandable. It only just now rolling around to three-thirty, and most kids all over town would be leaving school and heading home fairly quickly. It was during this time he usually saw most of his ordinary human customers.

However, Kisuke had a feeling that a certain someone would be making an appearance before too long…

Even though none of them had apparently decided to pay him a visit, he'd easily been able to sense the arrival of several of Soul Society's Captains a few hours ago. As far as he could tell, they were still patrolling the city in scattered groups, and he had a pretty good feeling he knew why they had decided to suddenly show up in such numbers.

Pyrrha's lingering trail of Reiryoku wasn't something that could be easily ignored. Thankfully, though, the level Spiritual Energy she emitted was considerably less powerful than Ichigo's. She had a lot of potential, but she still couldn't compare to the orange-head in terms of sheer Spiritual Power. As long as she stayed in an area where his own Reiryoku was heavily concentrated, she would be able to hide from anyone attempting to locate her.

That said, she couldn't hole up in the Kurosaki household forever…

Such being the case, Kisuke had already begun the process of crafting a Spiritual Dampener that she could keep on her person at all times. As long as she wore it, she wouldn't have to worry about being discovered and subsequently whisked away to Soul Society. Yoruichi was still asking around in the Rukongai Districts if anyone living there matched Pyrrha's description, so it would only be a matter of time before word spread and her existence was discovered by the Gotei Thirteen.

Until that happened, Kisuke vowed to do his personal best to keep her out of the grasp of the Twelfth Division and their sadistic Captain.

A sudden rustling broke him from his thoughts, and the blond shopkeeper looked up to see none other than Ichigo himself walk into the store. Just as predicted. Throwing on a lazy smile, Kisuke slowly rose from his feet and pulled his fan out of his Shihakushō. "Ichigo, my boy! What can I do for you on this fine day?"

"Cut the crap, Hat-n-Clogs. You know exactly why I'm here."

"No greeting? I'm hurt."

"Kisuke…"

"You are correct, of course." Snapping open his fan, he lazily waved it through the air in front of his face. As much as he wanted to continue joking around, this wasn't the proper time for it. "I do know why you're here, and I assume you have several questions for me. Ask away."

"Earlier this afternoon, Rukia and Renji came to find me at school. They told me that Soul Society had dispatched several Captains to scour Karakura Town, along with additional members of their respective divisions. You know why, don't you?"

"I certainly have a theory."

"This all has something to do with Pyrrha, doesn't it?"

Breathing out a sigh, Kisuke snapped his fan shut and allowed his hands to rest together on the countertop. "I would assume so. You know as well as I do that the Gotei Thirteen can be extremely paranoid when it comes to matters of the unknown. Pyrrha is not someone they are familiar with, and thus it stands to reason that they will want to confront her when they find her. Thankfully, they haven't been able to do so just yet."

"And why exactly is that?" Ichigo asked, raising a brow. "Her Spiritual Energy is nearly as high as mine was back when I first met Rukia. I would think she'd stand out like a candle in the dark compared to everyone else in the city."

"You'd think so, wouldn't you? However, given that your own Reiryoku has had time to coalesce within the confines of your home over time, it has become the perfect place to hide someone with less Spiritual Energy. Your power masks Pyrrha's for now, but you and I both know that she can't stay in there forever. That's why I've been working on something that will help conceal her Reiryoku when she eventually decides to venture out into the open."

"Why go to such great lengths to help her? I mean, I know she isn't dangerous, but she still lied to us about where she was from. And she's obviously hiding a lot more than that."

"Perhaps," Kisuke acknowledged with a small nod. "But I am a man of mystery myself. Does that mean you don't trust me?"

"I… well…"

"People are entitled to their secrets, Ichigo. I imagine that several people you are close with possess some of their own that they have yet to tell you about. Pyrrha is no danger to any of us at the present moment, so I don't see the harm in allowing her to keep her secrets until she's ready to reveal the truth. And who knows? Maybe if you're willing to be her friend, she'll tell you where she's really from one day."

"I guess you make a fair point. Fine, I'll drop it for now… but that doesn't mean I'll let it go completely."

"I know I certainly haven't. Like I said, I'm doing my own research to uncover the truth. However, until I find something noteworthy, I encourage you to go home and treat Pyrrha just like any other ordinary girl. She might attract a few Hollows, though, so you should probably keep an eye open for that."

Ichigo nodded silently, and turned around to exit the shop. Once he was out of sight, Kisuke leaned back on his stool and slid his fan back into the fabric of his Shihakushō. He could understand why the orange-head was so worked up over all of this, but it wasn't really necessary.

If Pyrrha became a problem, there were plenty of people in Karakura Town who could successfully deal with her. However, he honestly didn't think it would ever come to that. She seemed like the epitome of niceness, and the sensation of her Spiritual Energy reflected that. She was certainly an oddity, and her origin was shrouded in mystery, but that wasn't enough to justify unnecessary paranoia.

Kisuke had a feeling everything would work out just fine.

So, yeah.

There's the second chapter.

I'm not entirely satisfied with some of the content, but it still serves the desired purpose. I feel like I may have repeated a few things several times unnecessarily. I will strive to do better in the next chapter, which itself will focus on Pyrrha's interaction with several other familiar faces.

In this particular chapter, Pyrrha caught a very brief glimpse of her first Hollow. It only made sense to have her be Spiritually Aware from the beginning, given that she has unlocked her Aura and Semblance. As explained in the lore of "RWBY", those two things are intrinsically linked to a person's soul, so it stands to reason that if they were to end up in the "Bleach" universe, most of Remnant's population would be able to interact with Shinigami and Hollows. At least, that's how I personally feel about the whole thing. To me, unlocking a person's Aura feels like the Remnant equivalent of unlocking their latent spiritual abilities.

Additionally, I want to talk about why I've decided to have Kisuke be very lax concerning Pyrrha's secrecy. Quite honestly, given that he, Ichigo and Isshin all possess pretty strong sensory abilities, I feel they would be able to tell whether or not Pyrrha is dangerous just by sensing whether or not she holds any malicious intent within her soul. She doesn't, and therefore they acknowledge that there is no need to treat her as a threat. She is definitely a curiosity, but she isn't a threat.

I mean, when Uryu first made his appearance, he endangered the entire population of Karakura Town. As far as I can remember, he didn't receive much of a punishment for doing so. Given that Pyrrha has done nothing on that scale, it stands to reason that she wouldn't be heavily investigated either. Granted, Kisuke is privately investigating her origins, but he isn't outright interrogating her about the subject.

On another note, I think it's kind of funny how many small similarities there are between "Bleach" and "RWBY."

First of all, you have a group of specially trained warriors who are tasked with fighting back monsters that wear bone masks.

The Grimm, like Hollows, are largely controlled by their instinctual drive to consume human beings.

Salem used to be a good guy, but now she tries to usurp the power of the Gods of Light and Darkness. In a way, she reminds me of Aizen— his own personal desire is to ascend past the level of the Soul King and become a god in his own right. Both villains also send their minions to do most of their dirty work until the time for a big battle, and seem to have an additional flair for the dramatic. The comparisons might seem like a stretch to some of you, but I still think they're funny.

I suppose that makes Hazel, Tyrian, Watts and Cinder the Espada, eh?

All joking aside, I need to address something that was apparently forgotten in the previous chapter. As far as the main timeline is concerned, this story takes place after the Bount Assault Arc and before the Arrancar Arc. For those of you who are longtime "Bleach" fans, this means that my story will begin melding with canon events around the time when Shinji Hirako first approaches Ichigo. However, given that I want to properly portray Pyrrha's transition to her new life first, that will not be happening immediately.

Well, I hope all of you are still enjoying the story thus far. It has really surprised me to see how many people apparently seem interested in this concept. Thank you for your support.

See you next time!

AlucardsBro OUT!