12One of Those Days: Start
The park was so serene at night.
Ichigo walked calmly through the mostly vacant pathways, observing the trees with wide eyes and breathing in the warm air like it was the last he would ever take. Summer nights like these were the perfect time to walk, to see the world as it molded and changed around him, slowly but surely.
Gently mocking the gentle breeze, Ichigo weaved through the trees and off the worn path until he made it to the pond glittering as if it were filled with the most precious diamonds. The water danced and rippled with the movements of the lily pads across the otherwise still surface.
Finally, Ichigo could breath. He drew in one giant breath and released it with a smile as he gazed around his favorite thinking spot. The murmurs of people were too far off to hear, and only the occasional song of a cricket graced Ichigo's ears.
With his worries left behind, Ichigo reclined into the dry grass and closed his eyes.
"Hey, HQ."
"Hai, hai?"
"Found 'em."
The earpiece screeched loudly as the man on the other end squealed with delight. Laughing and clapping could be heard as the man finally expressed his glee.
"Well, then! Retrieve him, and gently this time, ne? We don't need a repeat of last time."
The man grunted as his superior cut the connection, probably to tell the rest of the team about the new find. He let his eyes travel down to the ground and onto orange hair, and a relaxed face as well, no doubt. The tree didn't even move as the man jumped off the branch and crept along the shrubbery to his prize.
The shuffling of a nearby bush roused Ichigo from his light slumber. He sat up quickly eyeing the still shaking plant with wide eyes.
"A-ah, hello? Is someone there?"
Ichigo went to stand, he didn't want to be underhanded for being on the ground. The short nails dug into his skin as Ichigo balled his fists at his side. He had fighting experience, sure, but it had been awhile and he wasn't that good at it to begin with. Surely a knee to the groin would at least give him enough time to find help.
A dark figure emerged from the bush, its face covered with the white of a mask. It wasn't very big, but it crawled on all fours, coming towards Ichigo with a maniacal expression and rows of teeth covered with saliva and red stuff, Ichigo guessed it was blood. He screamed.
"H-help!" he called as he backed away from the creature still advancing on him. "Someone help me!"
Ichigo didn't think it was possible for the sound that came out of the monster's mouth to be real. He was dreaming. He was dreaming.
The high pitched sound that fell from its mouth hurt Ichigo's head, and he covered his ears as tightly as he could to block out the offending sound. It didn't help. The sound went through all of Ichigo's bearings, and soon Ichigo found himself screaming along with the monster because of the pain. The pain radiated from every bone, every muscle, every pore of Ichigo's body, and he collapsed when the sound finally stopped.
"N-no! No, help!" Even with all the pain Ichigo stood and made a run for it, half limping and half running. He didn't get far before a hand grasped his ankle and he fell graciously to the grass face first.
"Pretty boy."
The sound of the monsters voice caused Ichigo's gag reflex to trigger, and the vomit he was holding in came out in full force. Although small, the monster was strong, and the arm holding Ichigo's ankle suspended his body upside-down in front of its face. The foul breath rolled over Ichigo and went into his mouth, which only made Ichigo expel his contents again.
I'm scared, Ichigo thought to himself hysterically. I'm so scared.
"I can feel the pppppower flowing throughhhh you. You are the Light, are yyyyou not?"
"Wh-wha-!" Ichigo couldn't find his voice. The monster's sandpaper tongue flicked out to run along the soft skin of his victim's neck, and the body in his arm shuddered with disgust and fear. Ichigo let a scream out again, but he knew it was hopeless now. If no one had come before, why would they come now?
"Release him."
Ichigo was too weak to hold his eyes open, but he could still hear. The new voice was deep and commanding, with fear completely lacking in his words. He felt the monster turn to face the newcomer, and then Ichigo was flying through the air.
"Ichigo!"
It felt strange to be flying like that, with your eyes closed and the adrenaline still racing though your body. Ichigo braced for the impact, expecting it to be hard and bone-rattling, but instead he fell into warm arms and a large chest.
"Don't worry, little one. I will protect you, but I need you to open your eyes Ichigo; quickly now." This voice was deep as well, but it was more calming than strong. Ichigo didn't want to open his eyes; didn't want to see the madness around him.
"Ggggive me the Light! Gives it to mmmmme!"
Crashing was heard in the background, along with grunts and shouts. Someone was fighting, fighting the monster that had held him captive.
"Ichigo, please. I need to help Grimmjow. Open your eyes, you will be safe."
He did, reluctantly. The figure in front of him was blurry, and Ichigo blinked rapidly to clear his vision. A man with wavy brown hair and equally deep brown eyes looked at him worriedly. A few more shouts came from across the field, and Ichigo turned his head to get a look at the scene.
"Sssstop this. Doooon't hurt me!"
A man with blue hair held a sword at the monsters neck as it bled out on the ground. The blood was black, and it dripped into the once clear water like poison. Ichigo guessed that the blue haired man was the one who had saved him, the one with the deep and powerful voice. Grimmjow, maybe?
"What's happening?" Ichigo was barely able to whisper through his spent throat.
"Explanations later, I promise." Ichigo nodded and the man stood and pulled Ichigo's weak body up with him. Although he didn't know these people, Ichigo felt like he should have. The feeling of nostalgia battered on his brain, and he tried to place the faces in his mind, but it was to no avail.
"Why do I trust you?"
The other man turned as he heard the whisper, glad that the orange headed man had said 'why do I trust you' instead of 'why should I trust you', saving him the explanations at such a crucial time.
"Shinji!" the brown haired man shouted the name, causing Ichigo to flinch away from him. He pulled Ichigo back to his body, surrounding him with his arms in a protective stance.
"Calm down, little bird. Shinji is a friend."
A shorter man with blond hair ran over to him, bleeding from a few fresh cuts on his face and holding a sword as well; dripping with the same black blood he had seen earlier.
"The fuck you want, Starrk?"
"Take Ichigo to the mansion, quickly. Tell our stupid master that it looks like we may be needing back-up."
It did look like they would need a few more hands. The once clear field was now brimming with assorted black creatures, fighting the blue haired man and others around him. Every now and then a dark figure would look towards Ichigo, but then one of the fighters would dispatch it and move on. Ichigo didn't know what to do. He wanted to run, far, far away from this carnage, but the blonde's insistent hand on his shoulder kept him grounded.
"Come on, Ichi. Hold my hand and close your eyes!"
"Wait!"
Before the teenager could question him, the other man grabbed his hand frantically and called a few words out while touching his wrist. Ichigo barely had enough time to remember to close his eyes before he was spiraling out of control, lost in his own subconscious.
Ichigo vaguely remembered the rough landing that followed. He fell to the ground, barely holding on to the last strands of his consciousness. His name was called over and over by different voices, many of which Ichigo didn't recognize. He was manhandled, transported, and stuck with needles all within a matter of minutes, or so Ichigo thought because he didn't really comprehend how much time had passed.
By the time Ichigo was finally settled down on a bed, he lost that string of consciousness and fell out of it, hoping the people who had saved him weren't evil after all.
Chapter 1: End