King Of All-100FALLS

Chapter 1-Prologue

Disclaimer- Bleach©TiteKubo

“End of the line, Kurosaki.”

The words were spoken, the sword was lifted, but no pain came.

Was it that he didn’t feel anymore? He was hollow.

Hollow.

The word had so many connotations in his world.

Hollow, empty.

Hollow… monster…

He would have liked to believe he was neither. But the world thought he was, and that was all that mattered.

His “friends” thought he was.

And that was all that mattered…

Ichigo wasn’t the same. After the Soul Society incident and Orihime’s rescue from Hueco Mundo, Ichigo refused to speak with anyone, even his own family. Some had seen him, but told that he was different.

The stubborn frown had long since slipped from his face. The youthful glint in his eyes, gone. He looked almost tired, gaunt and harried. The most obvious change was that of his power. It had grown exponentially since Hueco Mundo.

His friends knew that Urahara knew something, but the clogged shopkeeper would not speak.

Soul Society was wary. Never before had so much power been encased in an individual.

Rukia was lonely, as well as Renji. But whenever they reached his family’s house in Karakura, he was inexplicably missing. His father was oblivious, as usual. But Yuzu and Karin did know something.

“M-miss Rukia?” Yuzu started, but stopped, opting instead to fiddle with bottom of her skirt. “Yuzu-chan! Please, if you know something, please tell me!” Rukia pleaded.

“But, Ichi-nii might get mad if I tell you…” Angry? Rukia thought. Ichigo never got mad at his sisters. “Angry?” She asked, voicing her thoughts aloud.

“Ichigo has to take medication. He has anger issues.” Karin interjected from her seat at the couch. Rukia and Renji were so deep in thought; they didn’t even notice the door open behind them, enraged reiatsu slowly filling the air. Yuzu paled, staring behind them with wide eyes, “I-Ichigo!”

Renji turned in time to see a flash of orange rocket past his eyes. Rukia gasped as Ichigo grabbed his sister by her throat, slamming her against the wall. “Shut up! Shut up right now!” He screamed at her, crushing her frail neck. “Ichigo!” Renji roared, pulling him from the helpless girl. Ichigo turned and snarled at him in an uncharacteristic display of vehemence. A small squeaking, however, drew his attention back to his small sister. His eyes widened in fear. He gasped and released his hand as if it were on fire.

“We’re sorry! We’re sorry…Yuzu-chan…” He cried, kneeling and drawing her into a shaky embrace, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. “It’s okay, Ichi-nii, it’s okay…” She soothed, rubbing calming circles on his back, humming softly. Ichigo shook from his sobbing, refusing to let go of her, even when she pushed him up right. “Go make some tea, Ichi-nii, we have guests.” She smiled sweetly in Rukia’s direction. Ichigo turned and looked at them as if he just saw them. “Oh…” Is all he said before he slunk off to the kitchen, it was then that Renji noticed bandages covering his wrists.

“Ich-“ He started, but was silenced by a warning glance from Rukia. Yuzu regained their attention by leading them to the staircase. “Follow me. Don’t worry, Karin’ll keep him company for awhile.” She then proceeded up the stairs. Rukia shrugged and followed, a reluctant Renji in tow.

They walked down the hallway and entered a small room at the end. “Whose room is this?” Rukia asked, peering around at the décor. “It’s Ichigo’s…” Yuzu answered quietly. “What?” Renji asked in shock. He couldn’t recognize the room from his memory. He remembered the walls being white and clean, the furniture neat and orderly. His desk would be clean, or at times covered in homework. But not now.

It looked as if Ichigo had taken buckets of black paint and splattered them all over his walls, covering most of the original white. Newspaper clippings and other baubles covered a whole wall. His bed was far from clean. The bedspread was haphazardly strewn about the mattress, the pillows at opposite ends, one covered with evidence of sickness (throw-up, that is…). The usually pristine desk was covered with deep serrations most likely caused by a blade. Little words and phrases littered the once proud wood, such as “find her” and “kill him”.

Rukia closely scrutinized the newspapers on the wall as Renji picked his way through the debris. “These…these are…!” Rukia recoiled in shock from what she had read. Renji moved towards her and read aloud, “Teen caught in fire, body almost unidentifiable.” Renji frowned, why would Ichigo concern himself with accidents? But he read on, “Teenager identified as…Ishida Uryuu!” Renji shouted, staggering backward in shock.

He moved to the next articles. They all described the deaths of Ichigo’s closest friends. “How…how can this be so?” He muttered, staring at the morbid stories. He then noticed the objects on the wall to be Uryuu’s glasses and Quincy cross, and Chad’s coin. “They all died…” Rukia muttered, in a morbid sense of curiosity.

“At first we all though they were accidents, but Ichigo wouldn’t believe. He kept telling us someone killed them all. It was then that Ichigo told us…what he really was…” Yuzu trailed off, sniffing and rubbing her eyes. Rukia was still in shock, but Renji growled and ran back downstairs to see Ichigo in the kitchen.

“Oh, Renji, what did you-“ This time it was Renji’s turn to slam him against the wall, hand at his throat. “What happened, God dammit, what happened!” He shouted in Ichigo’s face. Ichigo screamed and screwed his eyes shut, bring his arms up in a small show of self-defense. “Please!” Ichigo cried, dropping to his knees, Renji stepped back, unprepared for the strange reaction.

“What the hell are you doing to him!” Someone shouted from behind. Renji turned to see an irate Isshin Kurosaki. “Y-you… can see me?” Renji asked, confusion evident in his wavering voice. Isshin moved passed the stunned shinigami and knelt beside his hysterical son. “Please…D-don’t kill her…D-don’t…Leave us alone…” Ichigo muttered, eyes blank and un-seeing as he swatted his hands at some unseen enemy. “Ichigo…” Isshin sighed, holding him close.

Isshin lifted Ichigo bridal style and carried him over to the couch, where he laid him down and covered with a blanket. Renji was too stunned to speak at the once powerful shinigami’s actions. “You should have never come here.” Isshin sighed, running a hand through his hair, looking down at his now dozing son. “B-but, Mr. Kurosaki…” Renji started. “You’re right, I can’t keep him hidden here forever, it was only a matter of time until you shinigami came to find him…I suppose you’re here to take him to the 12th?” Isshin snarled, standing in front of Ichigo. “No! Mr. Kurosaki, you misunderstand, we’re Ichigo’s friends, we came here to see him, not to take him to Soul Society. And why 12th division?” Renji explained, but confused as to why Isshin would mention 12th division.

Isshin looked surprised, but he calmed his expression and cleared his throat, “If you don’t know, then it is something that needn’t be discussed.” The man left it at that, and proceeded to stroke Ichigo’s vibrant orange locks.

From her perch at the staircase, Rukia witnessed the whole exchange. 12th Division? Did it have something to do with Ichigo being a Vizard? Or something else…?

Well? What do you think? Believe it or not, it only gets darker from here, hope you got a nice set of high-beams.

-100FALLS