Summary:

Ichigo wakes up in a strange world, were the sky falls downwards. He has no idea were he is, or how he came to be in such a place. And most importantly, he cant remember anything about his past before he woke up. He knows he has a past and he knows hes a shinigami, but both have no meaning to him. An older man appears apprently trying to help him to remember.- He meets someone he never expected to meet, who will stop at nothing until he is dead...Ichigo needs to remember his past. If not he will spend eternity in this slient world. As he regains memories he realises why it was that he had forgottern.

The Faded Hero

1. To lose brightness, loudness, or brilliance gradually. To lose freshness; wither: summer flowers that have faded. To lose strength or vitality; wane: youthful energy that has faded over the years. To disappear gradually; vanish: a hope that faded.

Chapter 1 : Blue Metal

I never thought I'd hate the colour blue, or the sight of a bright blue sky. But here I am hating it. The colour always the same. Never changing. Always making me feel uneasy and a huge sense of loss settling into the pit of my stomach. Always that same shade of blue. Nothing more. Nothing less. What A foul colour.

I put my arms under my head to support it against the hard metal ground. If you can call a solid sky scraper ground. I carried on staring into that baby blue sky just wishing to see another colour. Wishing it would go darker, or just change a shade at least.

The clouds were the only other colour. Their white. A complete contrast against the blue sky. But this colour also makes me sick. It never changes. Not one dark cloud has passed by as of yet. Not one. There all very similar shapes to be real clouds. They never change much. But yet they keep on moving by, as if being pulled by a gentle breeze.

But there is no breeze here. No wind. No sun. It doesn't even get cold. Where is here? Why am I in such a place?

I sighed out loud to myself and the sound of it seemed to glide over the sea of unliving buildings. This sky isn't even real. The clouds don't go around this earth (If I'm still on earth?) which is what you'd expect clouds to do. But no. These ones go downwards. Towards this place. But never seem to reach me. They disappear behind the buildings in the distance.

Are they actually moving downwards though?

Which is up and which is down? ...I don't know anymore.

I rolled over onto my stomach to hide my face in my hands. At least that brings some darkness. My eyes hurt. I don't think Ive slept since I woke up here. When did I get here?

A day ago? I don't know. I don't think time exists in this world. Its not necessary. There are no people going about there daily business. There is no moon, nor no sun. So what is the need for time.

And when was the last time I actually talked to another human being? Can I still actually talk?

"WHY" I spoke to myself or to anything that could be listening. my voice echoed for a while, but then faded away just like everything else. At least my voice does still work. Not that its any use. Since I woke up here there hasn't been a single being nor animal. Nothing.

I need to pull myself together before I start going crazy. That's all I need.

I sat up and rearranged my black shinigami robes that had twisted while lying down. My hand reached up and ruffled my orange hair that fell slightly over my eyes. Has my hair gotten longer? Does that even matter?

Hmmm so. I must of been here for about a day, maybe two. But that's just a lucky guess. I don't even know were here is. I could of been here for eternity and I wouldn't of known.

I feel like I've been here before though and I guess that means something. I cant remember how I know that. I just do. So that's no help.

I looked over at my surroundings once more. They might of changed while I wasn't paying them attention, just maybe.

But no. Same old, same old.

I'm sitting on what looks like the tallest sky scraper. Annoyingly it too has a strange sort of blue hue to it. Light gleams off its shiny metal looking surface but there is no sun. There for no rays, so why is it so damn shiny?

I got up feeling my legs for the first time in ages, and they wobbled slightly from underneath me. I walked to the edge of the building and looked down. It seems to go on forever. Theirs no telling if there is even an end.

The buildings around me all look the same only different sizes. All of them tall and sleek. They even have squares for windows. But there aren't window panes and there solid right threw.

My exploring really wasn't doing me much good. What could I find in a world that never changes and is constantly silent?

I sat back down next to were I had left my zanpakuto. Its large for a zanpakuto and is kitchen knife shaped some would say. Its blade is seethed wrapped in white bandage type material. I looked at it hopelessly.

I could usually feel a presence from it. I use to feel it pulse when ever a touched it, like the sword had a living soul. Like it was eager to be used. But now it feels lifeless to me. Empty.

But that cant be true. A zanpakuto is a shinigami's soul. Its my soul.

I picked it up. It felt to heavy in my hands. It use to feel almost weightless. I could swing it around with ease. It was as easy as breathing. But now it was just an object. Something not alive.

The bandages unraveled revealing the shining black blade. A bottomless black. Deadly looking. Sharp. Able to kill.

I looked at my reflection in its surface. My orange hair was longer. It spiked naturally in all different directions and some fell over my brown eyes. I glared at my reflection and the boy glared back. His brows tightly furrowed. The brown eyes kept on looking. Searching for something.

"AHHHHG!" i growled and dropped the blade to the floor. It clattered and the sound rang out eerily.

I folded my arms around my knees and stared at it angrily.

"Why wont you answer me?" I pleaded with it unable to hide my emotions. I had never felt this alone before. Never felt as unable to do anything as I do now.

Nothing answered back just as it never did, which left me wondering why was I even expecting it to?

Its just an object. Just some sword that's always with me.

The clouds were reflected in the black blades surface and i watched as they floated by. The constant movement made me feel sick. But feeling sick is better then nothing. Better then a constant numbness.

Who was my zanpakuto again? What do shinigami's do again? WHY CANT I REMEMBER?

There was a flicker of strange movement in the blades reflection that caught my eye and snapped me out of my haze. A figure of another joined the orange haired boy.