Chapter One
For as long as I could remember, I've always wanted to be come a Soul Reaper. Help those in need, get some kickass moves in the process, but I never thought that it would be this much work! Especially, when you're a low-life human whose head is filled with all these wild stories of the good old days from your great granddad. But I wanted to be the one. The first in our family in nine generations who refused their natural calling. I wanted to give my great granddad something to smile about, something to make him proud of his family. But of course I failed again.
I lacked the drive, he always said. I didn't put enough power into my punches, he said. My technique was too sloppy he said. "Shoulders back, head level, legs apart! Stand straight and firm, be stronger than any tree!" He would always yell directly into my ear, swiping at my feet with his bamboo cane. He was more determined than ever, maybe even pleased, that someone in our family would finally be as great as him and that he might one day be able to relate to someone. However, he shortly fell ill when my training was almost completed. I sat at his bedside for days, not eating or sleeping as I watched over him, hoping that Death wouldn't dare come close enough to claim him. But a punk kid as a watch dog, was no match for Death, and he drifted away into his arms on November 5th the year I was about to enroll into the Soul Society.
My parents thought this was a good thing. "He was making you waste you life with all that nonsense of becoming a Soul Reaper! There's no such thing!" My mother would scream at me in frustration for it had been two months since I had gone to public school. "You're wasting your life in here dwelling over a dead loon! It's time to move on with your life," my father backed my mother. I simply stared at the ground, not saying a word until they were fed up with the silence and left. He was my world, I loved my great granddad. But they didn't understand, they couldn't. Because I never loved them the way I loved him.
Chapter Two
I ended up dropping out of school. I was too far behind and I didn't care much for anything after my granddad died so I simply quit. I never had a knack for school anyway. But I was good working with my hands so I simply went out and got a job instead. Once I was eighteen, I moved out the second I got an apartment, if there was one thing I couldn't stand besides my parents criticizing my great granddad, it was about my life choices. I moved out, got transferred, I thought my life was coming together until one day I was cutting through the park.
Everything had seemed fine, it was a nice clear day, there was a soft breeze until suddenly I walked into something. But there wasn't anything there. I reached my hand out and sure enough felt an invisible scaly surface. Poking it, it didn't seem bothered until out of nowhere something hit me and knocked me to the ground. That's when I really started getting angry. The coffee I was carrying got all over my work outfit and all over my brand new shoes that I had been saving for months to buy. "Bastard," I grumbled, running up to the wall and punching it. To much of my surprise, my fist sank slightly into the surface. So it isn't solid like a brick wall after all, I thought, punching and kicking it again. It let out a roar, swinging at me again and knocking me into a I brushed myself off, I saw a carrot top boy running towards me in futile robes with a giant sword in hand. He attacked the invisible thing, being tossed around but determinedly kept coming back until he finally beat it, blood oozing everywhere on him. I ran up to him just as he collapsed, muttering the name of some girl. Confused, I simply piggy backed him and wandered to the closest doctor as I called my boss and told him I would be running late today.
When I got to the doctor, all the employees rushed towards me, shouting what I think the boy's name was. Ichigo, I think it was. There were three girls; two with black hair and one with light brown hair along with an older man. "Thank you for bringing him back to us." The man stated, before carrying the ginger into another room. "Oh it was no problem at all," I called as the three girls eyed me, one suspiciously. "Well thank you for bringing our brother back to us. I didn't quite catch your name..." The taller balck haired girl smiled. "I didn't say it. But it's Ayane, Ayane Ichimaru." I smiled back. "I should get going, I hope he'll be okay." I stated before I turned and left.
Rukia turned and walked into Ichigo's room. "Are you alright?" She asked, Ichigo back into normal clothes. "Yeah. Who was that girl? And how was she able to see me, let alone touch me in my spirit form?" he asked, sitting up slightly. "I have no idea. But at least I caught her name. She was pretty though, a face that you can't forget easily." "Especially after this encounter. But I don't know how she could just full on punch a Hollow without fear." "I don't know either. Why don't we stalk and then ask her?" Rukia smiled mischievously.