Bleach: Equestria

by PaleRider

Volume 2 - Sisterly Bonds - Part 2

The hollow evaporated away, and Twilight sheathed her blade as she ran over to help the spirit of Chrome’s mother.

“Are you okay?” She asked.

The spirit nodded, and got up, “Yes. Tell me, child, are you really a Soul Reaper?” she breathed.

“Yes. At least, for now anyway.”

The spirit nodded faintly and looked over to her daughter, smiling sadly, “Please, Soul Reaper. Help my foolish child, for she will not listen to me.”

“What happened?” Twilight asked, frowning. “Why can’t you accept the Konso?”

“Talk to her, and you will understand.” The spirit said softly, before vanishing. Confused, Twilight galloped over to Chrome, who lay sprawled on the dirt-road, tears streaming down her face.

“Miss Heterochrome! Are you hurt?” Spike called from behind the unicorn as he ran over. The pegasus shook her head in negation as the dragon helped her to her hooves.

“Don’t worry, Spike; my mother protected me,” she paused to wipe her tears and hide her pained expression, “Once again.”

“Spike, what's going on? Where did Chrome's mom go?” Twilight demanded.

Chrome looked over in the direction of Twilight’s voice, “Miss Sparkle?” She gasped, “So it's true: you're a Soul Reaper.” Chrome managed a weak smile.

Twilight laughed timidly in response.

“So,“ Spike said, grinning, “What's your answer, substitute Soul Reaper?”

Twilight smiled and offered her hoof to the dragon.

“Don’t let me down.” Spike continued, clenching his claw into a fist, and bumped her hoof.

“I won't.” Twilight said solemnly, “I won't let Chrome down either. Or Shining.”

Twilight's expression twisted as if she was in pain, however, as she turned back to Chrome. The pegasus in question was sat on her hind legs, staring at the floor. She was holding back tears, but occasionally she whimpered pitifully.

“Chrome, I saw your mom-” Twilight's began, but her voice broke as she her own memories involuntarily came rushing back to her. Shaking them away, she continued, “S-she asked me to help you, but I don't know what she means. Why won't she accept the Konso?”

Chrome looked up, pain etched clearly onto her face. “Miss Sparkle, Mister Spike,” she sniffed, her voice protesting, “Can you wait until tonight, and then come over to my house? I swear I will tell you everything there. Please; I just need some time to myself right now.”

Spike nodded understandingly. “We will be there tonight at sunset, Chrome.” He said softly, before Twilight could protest.

Chrome nodded and stood up. Before taking off, she gave them the faintest of smiles. Twilight could only watch as she left, feeling a vein throb in her forehead.

As soon as she was out of earshot the unicorn swivelled to face Spike, “You know something I don’t.” She said, simply.

Spike glanced round, unsurprised. “That mare and I, we...” Spike said softly, pausing, “I wasn't planning to drag you into this so soon, but there is no turning back now.” Sadness was engraved onto his face.

Twilight gave him a sour look, “Did I ever tell you I hate it when ponies hide things from me?” She growled, the venom was clear in her voice.

The sound of an ambulance stopped the discussion before it could even begin, however. The duo watched it passed, driving in the direction of the school.

Spike frowned, “Where did we leave your body?” He asked, slowly.

“Behind one of the buildings.” Twilight replied. Chills ran down her spine as realization hit her. “Oh for the love of...”

“We need to get back to the University.” Spike stated, interrupting the unicorn's cursing.

Twilight nodded, and said, “Hold me.”

A smirk crossed Spike's face. “Well, this is escalating quickly.” He giggled, waggling his eyebrows.

Twilight scowled, and growled impatiently, “Just do it.”

Spike sighed, placing his claw on Twilight's shoulder. Clearly she still hadn't forgiven him for forcefully evicting her soul from her body.

“Sorry, Twilight.” Spike said softly, as the duo were engulfed in a shimmering lavender light. The following moment, the light vanished, leaving not a trace in its wake.

Only one pony happened to see either of the pair vanish in a flash of violet light.

“My, my.” He chuckled.

---

“I can't believe it. I missed three classes because of that! Three!” Twilight fumed. “How do medical examinations even take that long?” She stamped her hooves on the ground, emphasizing her distress. “And on top of that,” she continued, “Shining made me explain everything, thanks to my teachers calling him over to the school! Luckily he's the kind of brother that swallows almost all my excuses, but sheesh! I felt like it was an interrogation!”

The combo were walking towards the door of an impressive, white house. The fiery, orange effulgence of dusk was already bleeding across the sky, casting lengthy shadows across the freshly-cut grass. Soft rustling of trees complimented the mild breeze that sailed over their heads.

Spike merely shrugged, “The medical procedures in this world are a lot more,” he paused, “Smothering.” Spike giggled as he knocked on the door.

“I missed all my classes today, and it's only my second day!” Twilight complained. “How is this going to look on my report? What if I miss some important notes?” Twilight stiffened. “What if I have a test on them!?”

Twilight was about to start hyperventilating, but was interrupted by Chrome opening the door in front of her.

“Miss Sparkle, Mister Spike.” She greeted, smiling. “Thanks for coming, I'm sorry for making you wait all day. I'll explain inside.”

Chrome motioned for them to enter and retreated back inside her house. The duo climbed the entrance stairs, and followed her.

The inside was peculiar, put bluntly; everything was white, from the ceiling to the walls and floor. Even the furniture was an unsullied shade of white, and camouflaged in with their surroundings rather effectively. It reminded Twilight of something out of a Sci-fi.

Chrome noticed that Twilight was looking around at the room with discomfort, “Is this place not to your liking, Miss Sparkle?”

“I’m sorry Chrome. I don’t like hospitals.” Twilight responded stiffly.

Chrome chuckled unconvincingly as she led them to the center of the living room. She picked up a remote control, and pressed a button, revealing a hidden trap door on the floor. Twilight glanced down into the darkness, and could just make out some steps leading to a secret basement. Violet lights pierced the darkness, and ominous shadows clawed their way towards them.

“Please, come in,” Chrome said. “It will be easier to explain if you see him first-hand.”

Unease crept over Twilight as she nodded. Chrome descended the steps, and was promptly followed by Spike, who looked completely unfazed by the intimidating prospect of the unknown. Twilight was the last one. As she began the descent into the hidden room, she glanced back at the sterile room she was departing, and hardened her resolve.

The huge stairway lead to a deep chamber. Doubts filled the Twilight's head as she walked.

I don’t know what's down here, but Chrome sure doesn’t want anyone getting in.

“We're not very different, you and I, Miss Sparkle,” Chrome said, suddenly. “We were both born with the ability to interact with the spirits of the dead. As a direct result of this-” Chrome hesitated, “This gift, these monsters, these Hollows, prey on us without mercy.”

The group reached a large, iron door. Once again, Chrome used the remote control to open the contraption. It opened to reveal a spacious chamber, as white as the rest of the house, and illuminated with blinding white light. Dotted around the chamber were the strangest gadgets that Twilight had ever seen. A recognizable sensation washed over her.

Twilight stiffened.

I know this feeling.

The all-too-familiar feeling tingled down her spine.

At the center of the chamber stood an iron cage that dangled a few inches off the ground, suspended by a thick chain from the ceiling. The inside was so dark that the contents could not be seen.

“Five years ago, a hollow killed my parents and almost killed me,” Chrome explained. “I was saved by my brother, White Cloud. It's funny, actually; he had the ability to see spirits, but not hear them.” Chrome didn't give any other hint of a joke. “That was a dark night. Even now, it haunts my dreams.

“We were consumed by hatred, and together we vowed to bring down the hollow that destroyed our lives.”

As Chrome finished, she stopped in front of a strange machine, hooked to the cage by many large cables. The only feature of the apparatus that Twilight could identify was a hole on the middle of the surface which looked perfect for a pony’s hoof.

“We built this place together, you know. Just him and I.” Chrome said, her voice beginning to strain. “We used it as our research center into the hollows, and as our little operations base against them. With it, we constructed weapons to combat them but-”

The darkness inside the cage stirred. Twilight gasped as she realized what was she was seeing.

Resting, just behind the bars, was the figure of a pony. Or, at least, what was once a pony; it no longer had a coat, as if it had been scorched off, and its skin was as the color of charcoal. Its mane and tail were chalk-white, contrasting its body, and its hooves were mutated into something that vaguely resembled the claws of a dragon. Instead of wings, two long appendages stretched from the top of its shoulders. They twitched as the creature's chest rose for each breath. Or what was left of its chest, at least; in the middle of it, there was a large black hole. The creature bore resemblance to that of a hollow, and yet it looked more like a sick, twisted version of an equine.

It was asleep.

“-We never managed to slay a single one. We confronted them, but in the end we were always defeated. I think we'd be dead many times over now, if the Soul Reapers hadn't come to save us.”

“That’s how we know each other,” Spike, who had been silent until now, spoke up. He turned to Chrome, “But even being that close to death never stopped you from foolishly attempting suicide, Chrome.”

Twilight was still frozen in place, unsure of what to do; in front of her, in a cage, was a subdued hollow. Or something that bore resemblance to one. She realized she had no blade while she was inside her body. Seemingly unaware of the danger, Chrome placed her hoof on the surface of the machine. She looked around, and smiled weakly, only to be betrayed by the tears forming in her eyes.

“The day that Spike saved us-” she paused, “My brother ran away. He was so angry, angry with himself; he said he was weak, that he had deserved to d-die at the hands of that... that Hollow-” Chrome legs buckled, and she fell to the floor, in a fit of tears. “He-he left me all alone,” she wailed. “He went to continue the hunt alone, to find a way to be stronger than the hollows.”

Spike walked over and put his arm over Chrome's shoulders.

“He tried, but he failed. I thought I was alone, I thought I'd lost him, but those monsters – no - they didn’t even give to him a chance to be their food;” the pegasus motioned to the cage.

“They turned him into this!” She spat. “They warped and twisted both his body and mind, and now... this is all that's left.

Twilight stiffened.

“Hollows are instinctive creatures,” Spike said callously, “But these are the instincts of predators that hunt in packs, like wolves. White Cloud had a strong spiritual pressure, and that attracted the Hollows, and they realized he would be a strong asset to their ranks. A strong member in the pack, means better chances of acquiring better prey.”

The machine had started while they spoke, making strange noises. Suddenly, Chrome cried out. Twilight gasped and moved to help the mare, but Spike stopped her.

“That machine is her invention, Twilight.”

Twilight glanced uncertainly at Chrome, who lay on the floor gasping, and then to the cage. The cage was now bathed in a blue light, and the wires hummed, awakening the monstrosity inside. It let out a window-shattering roar and attempted to destroy its prison. The cage trembled violently, but then the motion ceased and the creature collapsed in exhaustion.

“What's happening, Spike?” Twilight yelled, “Why is Chrome hurting herself?”

“This machine is both a fantastic invention and a terrible evil; it takes pieces of her soul and converts them into Spiritual Energy. It travels through the cables and into the cage, and her brother absorbs the energy. This is how Chrome has managed to keep him here: she is feeding her brother with her own soul.”

The constant humming of the machine died down, and the cables returned to their metallic coloration. Chrome fell to the ground, exhausted, and breathing heavily.

Twilight ran to the pegasus, “Chrome! Are you okay?” She shouted, her voice thick with concern. “How was she was able to bring him here if she can’t even see Hollows?” Twilight asked Spike.

“Because it was me and my squad that captured him,” the dragon replied.

The unicorn looked up at Spike, and gave him a questioning stare.

“I begged Mister Spike to bring him here, Twilight; I don’t have anypony else in this world. I don’t want to be alone!” Chrome sobbed as held her knees, and rocked back and forth, “I keep trying to reverse what they did. But until that time comes, this is the only thing that I can do.”

Twilight could only stare.

Chrome was right: We aren't very different... Shining is all I have.

Twilight realized she couldn't even imagine a world without her brother.

“But Spike said that when a soul becomes a hollow, there’s no way to bring it back.” Twilight said.

Chrome lowered her head, “I know! But I have to try, Twilight; He's my brother.” She said quietly, “He's my only family, and I can't just give up-” her voice cracked, as she broke down into another fit of tears. “I-I can't just give up on him! He was there for me, and I wasn't there for him,” Chrome yelled, “This is my fault!”

Spike intervened, “That doesn't make sense, Chrome! You couldn't have done anything. You can't blame yourself. Not when it was my duty, as a Soul Reaper to protect you.” Spike shook his head, “If you let him be purified by a Zanpakuto, his soul will be able to go to the other side and rest. Why do you keep him here, Chrome?” Spike was yelling now, “Why do you make him suffer like this?”

“You're a Soul Reaper,” the pegasus screamed, “You will never understand!”

The dragon was about to say more, but Twilight placed a hoof on his shoulder.

“Don’t waste your breath, Spike,” she said softly, and trotted towards the stairs without looking back. “She's trapped inside her own Tartarus, and nopony but herself can help her escape.” Twilight stopped at the door, and glanced back. “I'm not going to try and change your mind, Chrome, but remember: whether he's your brother or not, he's a Hollow. If he escapes, I will do what is required of me.”

And with that, she continued out the door.

Spike watched her leave, before glancing down at the distraught pegasus.

“I'm sorry I couldn't save him, Chrome.” He said softly, before following Twilight, leaving Chrome to her own thoughts.

Comments

[chaos2012]

No problem on oc characters. Curious though, will other main characters be played by oc's or my little pony characters?

[Aru]

Nice chapter. And good thing that you are going something else than just conversion of mlp world into Bleach. I like it! And I can wait for characters from mlp showed here. Spike and Twilight are good for now(and Trixie)

Edit: One question. Chain thingie on ghosts chests is going to be in this story too? I remember that this thing was slowly eating itself and final effect was hollow.

[PaleRider]

1421981
I have arranged the cast to be entirely played by the official characters, background ponies or protagonists/major characters. I will try to make she the only OC casting a major character from Bleach. Let's see if I can, because Bleach has much more cast than MLP

1423142
I was going to cover that on the next chapter!

Thanks to both of you and to everypony else for enjoying the history, and for the questions. And if I didn't answers a comment, that's because I keeping you guys out of the spoilers.

[chaos2012]

1423295 haha, true. There is like 40 soul reapers or something to cover haha. Good luck. Also, are you going to skip the filler arcs and stick to the main story?

[PaleRider]

1423360
I trying to focus the fic more on the manga than in the anime, but there two filler arcs that I like. The first one is the bont arc, because it shows Ichigo's unstable condition after his fight in the S.S. and the second is the Zanpakuto rebellion arc, because was damn interesting to see the other spirits. Maybe I will make some chapters dedicated to them, I still deciding.

[butterfield pancake]

I bet Applejack will take Chad's spot

[Dawn Darkling]

1423387
I prefer that last filler arc(which wasn't really filler because Ichigo lost and then regained his powers as-per the consequences of the final-Getsuga) over ALL of the other filler arcs. Plus his bone-suit looks awsome.