…
"Mom!"
So much blood.
It rained.
"Mom! P-Please, answer!"
The blood spread under his small body and spilled from the heavy wound.
"Mom!"
And it rained.
...
…
"IIIIIII~!"
Ichigo's eyes snapped open and glowered at the ceiling.
"CHIIIII~!"
What the hell is wrong with that Old Man? He thought sourly as he sat up, the covers draped over his long legs.
"GOOOO~!"
Just in time, he stood in his bed straight. His father whirled in the space he'd been and flew out the open window. Ichigo watched as the older Kurosaki cried out in shock and desperately clamped to the window sill. Ichigo scowled, and stripped from his shirt, trying to ignore the hot flashes burning through his body.
He leaned out the window and his scowl deepened, "Shame on you, Old Man." He groused, "What the hell are you doing?"
Sweat dripped down to Isshin's jaw, "O-Ohayo, Ichigo~! H-How are you?" His legs dangled under his body, flailing about as Ichigo watched, eyelids heavy and a light frown playing around his face, "Mind helping your chichi out?" He offered a big, silly grin to his son.
"Not on your damn life, Old Man." He attempted to wring his father's clingy fingers free of his window sill, "Because of you, I had a weird dream!" He grunted angrily.
"W-WAIT! You're gonna m-make me fall!" Isshin cried before he frowned curiously, "Huh? A weird dream? What about?"
Ichigo paused and stared off into space, grimacing slightly, "I'm not sure…"
—A pool of blood—
—"Mom!"—
Ichigo's frown deepened. Merging his eyebrows together with frustration, he shook his head and returned his attention to his father, who was staring at him enquiringly. With one final tug, Ichigo was able to dislodge his father window and watched as he fell to the ground.
"It's nothing," Ichigo sighed heavily, "Nothing to worry about." When he was showered and dressed, he walked downstairs. He was surprised when Yuzu stood there, draped in a sailor uniform, eyes sparkling with happiness.
"Look! Look, Onii-chan!"
Karin sat at the table, quiet and taking her fill of everything on the surface. He decided to join her. After all, he wasn't very excited that school was starting up again and his sisters were already in junior high. It did not make him happy at all. After all, there were harder test, different people, and boys. He sighed heavily as he sat at the table, and instantly scooped up his bowl of rice.
"O-Onii-chan…" Yuzu complained, "You're so mean!" She pouted, crossing her arms over her chest, her sailor suit tie matching her crimson cheeks, "Now, I won't give you the fresh batch of rice, just for that."
Ichigo merely watched as she stomped around the kitchen, murmuring under her breath, "What's the problem?" he groused as Karin continued to eat.
"You didn't even look at me, Onii-chan. I'm starting my very first day in junior year. Can you at least feel happy or something?" She grumbled unhappily as she finished steaming the rice. Scooping it out of the maker, she fidgeted as he glanced at her.
"The zipper of your skirt is down," he replied casually, "See? I was looking?"
She glanced down in mortification, her chocolate eyes widening on her small, pretty face, "O-O-Onii-chan, you pervert!"
"I already knew it," Karin put in offhandedly, toying with her chopsticks.
"SO DID I~!" Isshin danced into the home, bits of grass stuck in his hair and attached to his clothes, "Ichigo is not becoming a man, therefore, he thirsts for the long legs of women, sensual skin, and beyond cute faces that make you want to—"
Ichigo threw his brown shoe at his father, watching as the older Kurosaki splayed onto the floor, holding his face, weeping now, "I'm no pervert, idiot. Not like you."
…
…
As he closed the door to his home, Ichigo glanced up, and one side of his mouth hiked up in a lopsided smirk, "Oi, Mizuiro."
Plucking an earplug from ear, the black-haired young man smiled gently, "Ohayo."
"GOOD MORNING, ICHIGOOOO~!"
Casually, Ichigo lifted a fist and struck it backwards. Instantly, Keigo's face knocked into it, and he flew back, groaning as he fell to the ground, limp and already crying. "Mornin' Keigo," Ichigo greeted lazily before returning his attention to Mizuiro. "Ready?"
"If we don't hurry, we might miss the train." And he turned the other way, heading towards the train station. Keigo followed, complaining about how they treated him.
But Ichigo stood still.
When a shudder went up his spine, his head shot up towards the sky, and his eyes narrowed. Something was off, more different than other days. It had his stomach churning. As he stared up at the blue, clear sky and fluffy white clouds, he'd failed to notice how close Keigo had gotten to him.
"What's wrong, Ichigo~?" His friend asked with a low tone. Ichigo merely watched as he crept closer to him, crooking both brown eyebrows upwards, "Did you just sense something that can't be seen?"
Ichigo pursed his lips, and glanced away, frowning curiously, "Could that be it?"
Maybe.
Rolling his eyes, he looked back towards Keigo, his face uncomfortably close to his. "Sou ka. Maybe I did, then." Keigo's forehead blued and Ichigo watched in slight surprise as his longtime friend flailed about.
"I WOULDN'T KNOW! I can't see things that aren't visible!" Waterfalls of tears cascaded everywhere, and then sprinted away, past Mizuiro and shouting to the high heavens.
"You speak…" Ichigo crooked a brow, "strange Japanese."
"I don't know! I don't care! I'm off!"
Mizuiro watched the dust fly up, "Ara, ara, so lively this morning…"
…
…
"Tatsuki!"
The black-haired women turned to face the three boys, who stopped in front of her, Keigo panting, Mizuiro with a light smile, and Ichigo scowling as per usual. Without warning, she hopped into the air, whirled around, and struck her foot against the side of Keigo's flushed face.
Mizuiro and Ichigo both watched as he cried out and landed on the ground once more for the second time that morning. Ichigo lifted a hand to scratch the back of his head. "Warui, Tatsuki. I was late this morning."
She shook a fist at them, "You better not do it again."
"Gomen ne, Arisawa-san." Mizuiro put in cheerfully.
"Whatever," she turned to the train, where students were boarding quickly, some adults, all speaking with one another. "C'mon. Let's get on before it gets crowded."
…
…
The train moved smoothly against the tracks.
Ichigo stared up at the sun, beaming down at the world, brightening his own.
His eyes narrowed.
The clouds shifted inwards and the air seemed to thicken, darkness embedding itself into the earth, his earth.
—Mom! P-Please, answer!—
His scowl deepened as the headache burnt his head.
Dammit.
What's happening? What were these memories? His mother had died in a freak accident, he hadn't even been there, so what was this? He blinked repeatedly and lied his head against the cool glass window.
"You alright?" Tatsuki asked, rare concern in her voice.
"I don't know," he replied honestly.
Something's happening…
…
…
"Kurosaki!"
Ichigo's eyes snapped from the window, from the sky.
"Ochi-sensei?"
"Please pay attention in my classroom," she smirked a bit, but her eyes twinkled dangerously.
"Right," he grunted, but again, glanced towards the clear sky when she continued on with the lesson.
—Ichigo, won't you do something for me?—
What is this?
…
…
"You've been distracted all day, idiot." Tatsuki put in as they sat on the rooftop, Keigo, Mizuiro, and the breeze.
"It's nothing," Ichigo insisted, but continued to knead his temples.
"Are you sure?" Mizuiro asked with slight concern, raising both brows.
"Yeah, I'm su—" When Ichigo suddenly paused and his eyes nearly bugged out of his head, Tatsuki crooked a brow.
"Ichigo, what's wrong?" She followed his gaze, to the sky, but saw nothing.
Ichigo swallowed.
"There he goes again," Keigo groaned playfully, "Always seeing things…"
Tatsuki grimaced. No, this is something else…
Ichigo's lips parted, "…the sky…"
Tatsuki's frown deepened, "What about it?"
It's cracking.
…
…
Slowly, he walked home, eyes on the sky above him, keeping a sharp gaze on the small crack in the sky, like it was broken. No matter how many times he spoke of it, no matter how many times he stared hard at it, no one saw it and it wouldn't go away.
A dark presence came from the sky. His spine shuddered, and his throat felt dry.
Dammit.
He tightened his grip around his bag.
What's going on?
…
…
A whirl of amber hair.
They're coming.
She clutched tightly at the round sphere in her hands.
They're coming and I—
The girl squealed as she tripped and landed hard on the ground, only for a flash of green light to fly over her head.
"Give it to us, woman."
She stood the next second, scurrying towards the end of the tunnel, hurrying and hurrying.
Faster and faster.
They'll catch me and I'll—
Run.
Run.
Run.
Escape.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she listened for the next charged attack. And when it pulsed towards her, she whispered,
"Shiten Koshun."
…
…
Her world exploded for them.
…
…
Ichigo paused by the riverbank, one had tucked in his pocket, the other holding the bag over his shoulder. He stared out at the deep, rippling water, watching it play with the breeze. It was dark now, and he was sure his family would be worried for his wellbeing.
This riverbank, it made him feel oddly at peace.
It made him think of happier times, times he did not remember but wished to.
—Ichigo, won't you do something for me?—
That voice was definitely his mother's, but never in his life could he remember her saying that to him. Licking his suddenly dry lips, he tried to keep himself from staring at the sky where he would see that crack, and where it would split open, swallow him up, and send him to where he belonged.
It's nothing, dammit.
He closed his eyes with a heavy sigh.
I'm imagining things.
…
…
And that was when the fire erupted from a few yards away from him.
…
…
Ichigo gasped sharply in shock as he was thrown back a couple of inches, landing on his bottom hard. Raising a hand to cover his eyes, he tried to watch as the tunnel before him exploded, bits of concrete and dust flying through the air.
His ears rung, and his heart hammered in his chest. Breathing in deep, he instantly regretted it, coughing out the stink of smoke. When he finally regained his senses, he saw the flames venting from the southern tunnels that ran to the city and downtown. It would be a lot of traffic tomorrow, he realized vaguely.
As he raised his eyes again, he was caught off guard to see a wild slash of orange-red flare into the sky.
W-What the…?
She stood in front of the flames, as though she were a seraph from Hell.
He trailed his eyes up slender, long legs, full hips, tiny waist, bountiful breasts, and long, long silky russet tresses that overflowed down. The face was angelic – plush, pink lips, small nose, heart-shaped face, smooth, ivory skin, and finally, the wide gaze of silver.
When their eyes met, something changed and shifted.
…
…
The sky cracked open and sucked in the air.
It had begun.
…
…
Yay! Another story. I'm such a Ichihime obsesser, but I'm guessing that's a good thing to other people. Anyways, this new story is more high-techy, guns and knives, and martial arts, which means a lot of gore and Ichihime goodness. But there is also something special in store.
I hope you liked it. this is only the prologue, so many things need to be solved. Now, I have to finish my chapter for Left You Behind and Can't Reach. I'm such a slacker.
Please review. I'm very much insecure of this story. I've never wrote anything like this before.
-Star