This is a rewrite to clear up any confusion and mistakes. Please be patient. I am also continuing this thanks to all the support (^_^)
Summary: Ten years after hollows came into the world of the living, Scarlet and her family had been on the run. Scarlet with her dark past without her father and Crystal with her fair share of trouble in this unforgiving post- apocalyptic world. She is eventually reunited with her father only to be told that she was to marry a boy from another village. So Scarlet, Crystal, and her family travel to the village to meet Ichigo Kurosaki and his tribe. She also meets the hot-headed second in command; Renji Abarai, who seems like an older brother or best friend to her. It is peaceful as life could get in that world. That all changes when Aizen and his group steals away Hope; Scarlet's baby sister, for her strange powers with Hollows in a raid. Meanwhile, the people of the Soul City take Chris; Scarlet's younger brother for his advanced ability to fight off hollows in the same raid. Thus, Scarlet vows to rescue them, no matter the cost. Ichigo insists on going with her as well as Renji and Crystal. On their journey, they will discover secrets about each other past that should remain secret, trails of friendship and family, old friends and new enemies, battling seemingly unbeatable opponents and hollows around every corner. Scarlet has so dealt with all of this while trying desperately to fall in love with her husband Ichigo as her heart is pulled in another direction, and it might help if she focused on staying alive as well and not getting anyone else killed. All this placed upon a young girl's shoulder who only what's to protect her family and live a peaceful life. Can she stay alive long enough to answer the one question that had plagued her all her life? Will she let her soul be chained down to protect her family or will she let her instincts take over and cut away all her ties to responsibility and let her soul be free?
I woke to a hand gently shaking my shoulder. I lifted my head off the slightly damp sleeping mat, smelling the sweet morning dew on the summer grass. I blinked, looking around the little and well-hidden hut made out of the surrounding bushes. The sun was just starting to creep over the horizon, so it was still dark out. I looked up into my father's shadowed face. As always, he wore a hash and guarded expression, hooded eyes always watching. He was a short man, only five six with a large beard which he shaved off for the summer. He looked like one of the old mountain men I read about when I was in school; when we still had school. His copper hair had hints of gray around the edges, but he looked years younger than 50. He looked at me, shaking my shoulder again.
"Scarlet." Was all he said, not a man to waste words. I knew what he meant anyway, it was time to move before our spiritual pressure became too strong in this area and the hollows came. I got up, making sure the hunting daggers were tightly tied to my thighs and boots were dry. I only had two pairs of clothes, one for when it was summer and one when it was winter. I washed my clothes every time we were near a stream, which was every two days or so. The smell of the forest helps hide us from the hollows. I tied my brown scarlet hair back using some vines into a reverse braid as my now dead mother taught me. My mother died giving birth to my youngest sister, Hope, about a year ago. I spent every morning thinking about her, but after an hour or so of going through all the traditions, she taught me, I did not think about her for the rest of the day. It hurt too much and I needed to be strong for my father and siblings.
I looked at my best friend, Crystal, and woke her. She was the same age as I was, and looked just like me. Except she had jet black hair and light blue eyes; thus the name Crystal. She nodded, gathering up the gears and helping me wake up the other two. Christopher Wyatt, Chris or Watt was almost thirteen, already as tall as me. I was only five two, so it was no surprise. He was also getting stronger and getting faster than Dad. He was also handsome, with a cocky, mischievous attitude. He was also a daredevil whenever we were alone but whenever we were in a group, he was calm and mature. The lovable little shit. He looked just like my lost uncle, with dirty brown blond hair with my mother's blue eyes. But with his intelligence, it was obvious that he was my father's son.
I then went over to my little sister's crib. Well, makeshift crib. It was just a small basket made of sticks that we made last night and some blankets. In another fortnight she would be a year old, past the point of the most dangerous diseases. She was a strong child, with my father's hazel eyes and my mother's strawberry blond orange hair. She was a beautiful child, and I promised my mother when she died that I would protect her with my life and do my best to give her the best life none of us ever got the chance to experience. Our collective regret for her was that she had been born to this cruel world.
A roar snapped us back to our collective reality. It was close, a group of hollows. My father curse, quickly gathering up the supplies and pack them into our bags. Crystal and Chris carried the supplies, leaving my father and me to fight off the Hollows and for Crystal to carry little Hope, who was whimpering quietly, knowing not to make too much noise. I picked up the small bag of supplies I carried which held all the tradable goods we had as well as weapons. We dove deeper into the woods, sprinting through the dense forest. We dared not use our reish to go faster because that would have left a trail.
"Scarlet, this way!" My father shouted and he hopped over a log in a single bound. Crystal and Chris were right behind them, me taking up the rear. My father had been leading us to some other rendezvous place for the past week, but I was starting to wonder when we would get there. We had covered miles in a single day, but we still weren't moving fast enough for my father, who got edgier and frantic with every day that past. He stopped when he rounded a small hill and we followed suit. He pointed to a small hillside with a cave.
"We are going there. If we keep this pace, we should reach it long before nightfall," he said, taking off at a more calm pace as if he was relieved that we could see the rendezvous. We could keep up now, but we had to keep a lookout for hollows. They weren't as active in the day, but that didn't mean that they weren't out there. We ran until the sun was at its noon position, then we stopped for lunch. It wasn't much, just a few seeds, nuts, and dried meat. Crystal was getting a rash from the makeshift harness to carry Hope, so I told her I would take her. She tried to object, but Hope giggled and reached out to me; so I picked her up. We drank in the nearby stream and recovered for about fifteen minutes before my father came back from a quick scouting mission.
"I laid a false trail away from the rendezvous, so we should have a more or less uneventful rest of the trip. It's three miles away in a straight line, but we have to climb a hill. Let's get going." He picked up his old hiking bag and started to jog again. We got up and followed, trying to keep with his pace. Ten years of hard and constant running made us all very strong and had a lot of endurance. My brother had the lightest load and ran the fastest, so I gave him my light pack so I could carry Hope better. She had fallen asleep on my shoulder, lulled by the gentle bouncing. I smiled and looked back at her, kissing the top of her head.
We reached the base of the cliff and looked up. It was only a twenty-meter easy climb, so we got ready. My father would wait at the bottom of the cliff so he could catch us if we fell. I restrained Hope to my back and took off my shoes. I almost didn't need them anymore because of all the years of running and climbing. I looked over at Crystal, who was afraid of heights.
"I'll see if I can throw a rope down or something," I called over my shoulder as Chris and I began to climb the wall. He was a natural at his, which infuriated me because he was carrying just as much as I was and just scampering up the wall.
"Come on, Scarlet! We are going to meet your boyfriend!" He called, and I almost slipped. I grunted.
"You little demon. You better hope I don't fall!" I called up to him as he topped out over the ridge. I climbed up a second later, seeing just and empty cave with Chris leaning against the wall, grinning at me and drinking water. I groaned and walked over to him, feeling a few of my joints pop. I gave Hope to him and told him to change her, ignoring him as he complained about getting 'baby duty'; but he still did it anyway.
I walked over to the cliff edge and looked around in our supplies for the rope we always had. I then tied it around the only tree on the cliff and then called down for Crystal to get ready, surprised she was already climbing the cliff with my father right behind her. I saw why when three Hollows burst out of the woods. I paled and began to help pull them up the cliff, calling for Chris to help. It took only a few seconds, but Crystal and my father were both up and over the cliff. Then a flying Hollow appeared out of nowhere and almost took away Crystal, but my father had unsheathed his sword and sliced the creature in two.
Crystal and I sat down heavily with exhaustion, quickly followed by Chris. We laid out and looked at the overhang over the cliff, looking down at the dripping stone from one of our now busted water bottles. The sun told us that it was almost four and we had so much more work to do to get ready for the night. My father bent down and patted my head, smiling one of his rare smiles.
"You did well, Scarlet. Your mother would be proud," he said quietly, getting up. I felt tears of happiness and grief well up in my eyes, but I brushed them away. Crystal smiled widely and thanked me, not one to talk a lot around anyone else but me. I smiled and walked over to check on Hope. I turned and froze, seeing someone bent over her and rocking her gently…
I slowly got a hunting knife out of my belt and quickly stalked over to the stranger. Crystal saw what was happening and froze before she silently tapped Chris's shoulder. I was almost on the stranger and pounced, Chris tapped my father's shoulder; my father turning to see what was going on. My father took a brief glance at the stranger and his eyes widened in surprise. I didn't pay any attention to this seeing how my attention was on saving Hope. I tackled the stranger to the ground and was careful not to hurt Hope, who started to cry as she rolled out of the stranger's arms to the ground. I rolled with the stranger, seeing the red haze of rage due to my protective urge of Hope. No one but my family touched my sister without my say so, no matter who they were or why. I landed on top of the stranger, the stranger fighting back but the punches seemed to be just instinctual jabs. I just ignore them as I straddled the stranger and raised my knife for the kill; a kill I would likely regret later.
"Scarlet! Stop!" My father's booming voice cutting through the red haze. He got into, a crouch to try and pushed me off and protect the stranger. I froze, arm still raised to kill in case the stranger tried to take advantage before looking down at the stranger pinned under me. He looked like my father, but his hair was black and had a much more scraggly beard. He was also taller than my father, but he still had the hard and wise look in his face. His black eyes looked up at me with surprise and recognition, like he remembered me in that moment. Both of us were breathing heavily, waiting to see what the other would do.
A heartbeat later a hand that wasn't my fathers appeared seemingly out of nowhere and grabbed my wrist roughly. I reacted on instinct to the hand, whipping around and grabbing the offenders wrist before pulling him down. Once I had a firm grasp on his wrist I twisted my hips to take out his legs. The person yelled, using a counter move and flipping me under them. I moved my legs and tried to knee them in the groin, not caring whether they were male or female. I saw a flash of orange hair as they dodged the blow, and we both rolled with each other for a few meters. I could distantly make out the stranger and my father yelling at us, but I couldn't focus on them with this new person skillfully using grappling against me.
"Scarlet! Calm down! Let him go!" My father yelled. I ignored him and dodged and kick to my knee, trying to knock them out with a uppercut. They dodged the attack and grabbed my throat, squeezing it as I went for their throat.
"Ichigo! I'm fine, don't hurt her!" the stranger shouted. We stopped after a few more heartbeats, him above me breathing heavily. I looked up into his calf brown eyes, his bright orange hair like an old world traffic cone seared into my memory. He glared at me but his expression softened as when he heard the stranger say that we were friends. I just glared up at him because I didn't trust or like him at all; call it an occupational hazard of trying to survive.
A second later he was ripped off of me by the stranger, allowing me to scramble up to a standing position before my father's arms wrapping around my waist and restraining me. There was silence as the boy, who looked about sixteen or seventeen, stare at me and I stared back. Once it was clear that we weren't going to rip each other's throats out, the stranger and my father exchanged a look and then chuckled before letting us both go. Crystal and Chris darted to my side, Crystal carrying Hope. The other boy I wrestled with watched my father and the stranger clasp hands and draw each other into a hug as if they were long lost, friends or brothers. I noticed that a few people were coming out of the cave, who seemed just as confused and wary as we were. The stranger broke the hug, clapping my father on the shoulder and grinning widely.
"Max! How long has it been, my old friend? Five years? Ten? God, how have you been?" He said loudly, bringing my father into another bear hug. My father laughed and patted the other man's back slightly awkwardly. This must be the man that was my father's best friend from before the Hollow Invasion. I relaxed slightly, feeling less on edge now that we were among friends; of sorts.
"Isshin Kurosaki, it has been ten years since we last saw each other, old friend. I'm pleased to see you and your son were able to make it this far. You son has grown from the uncoordinated lanky little boy I remember to a very strong man. You should be very proud." My father said, looking at the orange haired boy. The stranger; Isshin I guess was his name, nodded and puffed up his chest.
"And your daughter has really turned into a beautiful and feisty women! She certainly has turned into the mirror image of her mother, that's for sure. Where is Lilyan, but the way?" He asked, smiling widely. My breath caught Chris wincing and looked away to hide the look of pain in his eyes. My father turned dark at the mention of my mother, making Isshin stop, his smile faded. He placed his hand on my father shoulder understandingly.
"I see. I'm honestly sorry to hear that, Max. How long my friend?" he asked kindly. My father took a breath to regain his composer, looking old and tired.
"A year. Since then I have gained two more beautiful children and a third adopted daughter." He gestured over to us, making me stiffen with hesitation. My father may know this man, but I didn't and I certainly didn't like being pointed out like this. Isshin smiled kindly at us and beckoned us forward as well as the orange haired boy.
"Come on, I won't bite. Max and I have been good friends since we were little boys. I just want you all to meet each other. Who's the little warrior?" He said, clapping my brother on the shoulder. I growled, clutching Hope closer to my chest protectively while doing the same to Chris. An old friend of my father's or not, I still had the protective motherly instinct to get over with his guy.
"Um, Christopher Wyatt Heart, sir?" he said it like a question, not use to social graces. We only had each other and didn't meet new people who were friendly very often, so we were all a little rusty. It also didn't help that every time my father tried to give us an etiquette lesson the weasel would worm his way out of it. Despite the hostility and awkwardness, Isshin just smiled and patted Chris's shoulder before turning to Crystal.
"So this is the new addition to the family? What's your name?" Crystal hid a little behind me because she was very shy. I patted her head comfortingly but never took my eyes off of Issan.
"Crystal." She whispered, making the big man almost girlishly gush.
"AW! You are too precious for this world!" He yelled and moved forward to hug Crystal. I jumped out of the way to allow Crystal to take care of it. She joined our tribe six years ago and has been training with us ever since and I knew that she could take care of herself. Her eyes widened before she punched Issan squarely in the face, sending him reeling back and falling on his back. Chris started laughing and had to kneel on the ground, clutching his stomach. My father signed and helped a dazed Isshin up, while the orange haired boy muttered about how stupid Isshin was. Isshin stood up and rubbed his nose sourly.
"Are you sure she's adopted?" He asked, making my father chuckle and pat Crystal's head. She just flinched a little and then relaxed, setting down her supplies and making herself more comfortable. My brother followed suit while I watched as Isshin eyes turned back to me with a sheepish smile.
"Sorry if I scared you Scarlet, holding your little girl without warning like that. What's your daughter's name?" He asked casually, causing me to blush and my father stutter in horror while my brother laughed.
"Sir, it's my baby sister, Hope Heart. I'm only seventeen. My mother died giving birth to her." I replied, clutching Hope closer to my chest. Hope gazed at Isshin before holding out a small hand out to him, looking curious. She made a small sound like she wanted to be near him. I looked down at her, bewildered.
"Oh, I think she likes me. Don't worry, Scarlet, I won't hurt her. I have two little girls of my own." He said, reaching out for Hope. I hesitated for second, the carefully gave her over to him even though every instinct in my body screamed for me not to. Issan cradled her in the crook of his arm carefully, like he had done it a hundred times. I started to relax as he smiled down at her.
"Hope, now that's a good name. We could all use someone like that." He handed Hope to my dad and began to beckon to the others coming out of the cave.
"While we are on the topic of introductions, let me introduce my little clan. My son, Ichigo-" He gestured to the orange haired boy, who looked at us and nodded once. A man with blood red hair tied at the top of his head and tattoos stepped forward and extended his hand to my father.
"Greetings. My name is Renji Abarai, second in command. I was from the Soul City in the East Zone, but managed to escape that hell hole and join here." He shook my father's hand confidently and with respect. I watched and cleaned up the supplies, noting the oncoming rain that no one seemed to notice except for two little girls about my brother's age. The next was a tiny girl with black hair and jet black eyes.
"I'm Rukia. Speed fighter and scout." She spoke in a very clear, strong voice. I liked her a lot, but for some reason, she kinda made me edgy. I shook myself, thinking that every new person made me edgy. The next was a sweet looking girl with orange hair like the boys and a huge chest and even the way she walked looked ditsy. I immediately despised her, feeling as if she was more trouble than she was worth.
"HI! I'm Orihime Inoue, the healer! It's so good to finally meet you, how was the trip?" Her god's damn voice bothered me so much! My father smiled and thanked the girl, say that they were only little tired. Orihime jumped at the opportunity to help and dashed to get our beds ready. I rolled my eyes and looked at the next one to come up. It was a busty woman who looked similar to Orihime I thought they were twins, but she looked much older. She walked up to my father in a flirtatious manner that made my hair rise.
"I'm Rangiku. I'm just hanging around, and I also manage supplies." I started to relax with her, sensing that she was more or less harmless. Then a smaller boy came out of nowhere with bright white hair and crystal icy eyes. I felt like I could look into them forever. He was about as tall as my brother was when he was nine, which is to say, short. None the less, the little boy stood up to my father fearlessly, holding out his hand.
"The name is Toshiro Hitsugaya. I am the weapons expert and I mostly deal with the information and news trafficking here. It is a pleasure to meet you." he had such a cold, harsh voice; like ice. My father nodded and shook his hand, not making a comment about the boy's height. A few other people came forward but my attention was pulled away when My father gave Hope to me. I went over to the cliff's edge, trying to stay as far away from the strangers as I could when Crystal joined me.
"So, we seem to be alive and soon to be sheltered and fed. So why are you acting like these people are going to murder us in our sleep? I know I'm antisocial, but I have an excuse to be shy, you just hate everyone."She commented, taking Hope who was playing with an old stick that doubled as a chew toy. I sighed, looking up at the darkening sky, smelling the mid-summer rain breeze drift over me.
"I've been running for so long and have been betrayed by so many people I guess it's just out of habit. And besides." I said, getting up and placing my hands on my hips, sleeveless dull green tunic flapping around me and tan shorts whipping in the wind.
"My father said I was supposed to get married to a guy from here. That the only reason he's here. Sorry if I'm a little bitter." I chuckled darkly. Crystal sighed and walked over to me, holding Hope tightly.
"Just try to relax. We have never been around friends that hadn't tried to stab us in the back yet. Who knows when we'll be safe like this again." She said, putting Hope into my arms and walking back to talk to her new friend Rukia. I looked down at Hope, who was falling fast asleep. I smiled a rare tight smile and kissed the top of her head.
"What are we going to do now, Hope? What are we going to do…" I muttered, rocking her subconsciously as she fell asleep. Then the dark sky opened up and poured cold, fall like rain on top of me, my father called for me to get inside. I darting under the cover of the overhang. I saw everyone filing into the cave, my father turning around and following Isshin inside while Crysta followed the Toshiro. I followed the man named Renji following after me.
The cave was warm, warmer than I thought a cave would be. I've had to sleep in a lot of caves in the past decade, so I can safely say this was the nicest cave I've ever been in. Though… I never really liked confined spaces, so caves were never my favorite spot to hide in. I followed the man named Renji down the stairs or path, whatever it was that we were traveling down; it was difficult to tell with only flickering torchlight to see. I worried about the cave air, worrying that there might be something in the air that could make Hope very sick. I wrapped her up and clutched her to my chest protectively at the thought.
"You are a quiet one, but you seem to know how to take care of a kid." He said, looking over his shoulder at me. We brought up the rear of the assembly, everyone chatting and voices echoing off the wall so no one would be overheard. I looked at him without giving anything away before bringing my gaze down to Hope; resting in my arms peacefully.
"She is my little sister and our mother is dead, so I have to fill that spot. But I don't think I can do as well for her as my mother could." I responded, gently rubbing Hopes back to quiet the small sounds she made. Renji smiled slightly and shook his head.
"I doubt that. You look so much like a mother already, Ichigo is lucky to have you as a wife…" He muttered, shifting the torch so he could see better. I looked up surprised and confused at the same time. Maybe I could ask him a few questions and get a straight answer for once...
"You know about the engagement? Why do we have to do this tribe unification thing when we don't really have a tribe? Isn't he the orange haired boy who attacked me? Isn't his father and I already friend, and if they are friends why would we need to marry?" I asked hurriedly. I was desperately trying to remain as calm as I could, but my frustration and anxiety were getting the better of me. Renji chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly before answering.
"I only know what he has told me- check that, vented to me about. And don't ask me what the old geezer has planned. I've been around here enough to know that if he has a plan then it probably for a very good reason." He paused and slowed down so he could walk beside me. "Can you do me a favor? Please don't judge Ichigo too harshly about this. He's not really that bad of a guy. He was actually one of the ones who wanted to call it off because he said it was unfair."
I really looked at Renji this time, looking into his dark brown eyes; searching for any signs that he was lying. He didn't show any signs of lying, but he gave off this air of an older brother, now that I got a good look at him. I looked back down at Hope, thinking about what he said. Maybe I was being a little harsh with cursing him to marry me, but I hadn't been given much choice in this harsh life to be nice or fair. After a few more minutes of walking in silence, we reach a huge cavern.
I gasped, seeing hundreds of people hidden away here. Entire family's smiling and laughing around cooking fires, while talking with neighbors or calling for their children. There were tents set up like shops, the smell of cooking food filling the entire cavern. There were guards wandering around, but they seemed more as a show of protection rather than any police enforcement. Children were playing games like tag, running around and causing free, childlike mischief until either caught or sent home. All I could do in that moment was stare at this tiny town made of tents, in awe that a place like this could exist in such a desolate plane.
Some of the children saw us come down and ran up to us, mostly going to Isshin and Renji. Renji gave the torch to one of the people there, reaching down and scooped two of the younger kids up. He then began to run around with the children on his shoulders, pretending that they were flying; much to the children's delight. Many of the children were wary of me and Crystal, but Chris seemed to be in his element. He began chatting and flirting with a few of the girls there, earning a quick smack and glare from my father. A small crowd began to gather around us as if they wanted to greet the newcomers and see what we were like. I felt Crystal tap my shoulder to hold Hope, seeing how I was turning into a drooling rag doll. I closed my mouth and handed Hope to who, amused that Hope was now wide awake and gawking at everything; I couldn't blame her.
I faded into the background as my father and Isshin were greeted by warriors and most of the other adults, who made Isshin more than happy to boast about their friendship. Crystal had mingled with a few of the mothers, chatting and giggling despite her shyness. Chris had run off with some of the other boys, leaving me alone to watch the crowd. I watched from the shadows, blinking to make sure whatever dream state I was in wasn't really a dream.
This was what I was looking for ten years, and by the looks of it seemed that they have been living here for years. Everyone seemed happy and healthy, not a care in the world. I began to feel a bitter taste well up in my mouth at their happiness and freedom, but I was too awe-inspired and happy at the new discovery of this heaven on earth to truly be angry. This was a true safe haven, better than any city could ever provide. This was a place ruled by the people and the people ruled themselves. Families help families and protected one another. A place where no one needed to fear the Hollows or be hunted by bandits or Cities. I had no idea how long I stood there gawking, but it only felt like a few minutes had passed when I felt a hand placed gently on my shoulder. I jumped a little and turned around defensively, seeing the Ichigo boy raise his arms protectively.
"Woah, I just wanted to ask if you liked it. My father wants to keep it like this hidden away, but every day we get more damn hollow attacks and every day we get reports of the nearby city scouts getting closer and closer. So my father is going to move all this into two separate villages fifty or kilometers away so that the cities can't effectively attack us. " I looked at the boy who dropped his hand from my shoulder and sat on a rock ledge next to me, looking at the crowd. I sat next to him, a good two and a half meters away and I studied him. He was reasonably tall, very handsome, well built, and had an unconscious air of power and authority. He wore a simple white tunic and gray pants with old world shoes; something that was growing harder and harder to find every year. I decided that I almost couldn't call him a boy because he looked and acted just like a man. But there was something about him that was just… different.
"That's why he wants me to marry you, seeing how both of us are battle tested fighters that could govern a small town. If I take over one of the sister tribes, we can protect at least two hundred people in each village from Hollows and the Cities. With luck, we could create our own city to protect everyone. Maybe we could even get rid of those damn hollows then; make the world safe again." He said, clutching his fist tightly and glaring off into the distance. I looked out to the crowd, which was dissipating as time past and my father and Isshin walked off. This left a soft glow to both our faces because of the countless fires being burned down at the base of the cavern. I rested my chin on my raised knee, just watching the peaceful life that these people seemed to take for granted. His words struck a chord in me, his voice so certain I wanted to believe him. However, I've seen first hand what this life does to idiotic dreamers.
"Those are some pretty difficult goals you have set, Kurosaki Ichigo…" I said, thinking about Hope and the life I could give her if the idea was to come to life. As idealistic as his vision was, the thought was certainly a sweet taste in this bitter life I lived. Ichigo chuckled, looking at two younger girls below us. One with black hair was beating the crap out of Chris while yelling at him and a similar blond girl was trying to get her off, pleading with my brother to let go as well. The way Ichigo looked at them made it clear that he cared deeply for them and didn't even pretend to try and hide that fact. I supposed they could be his sisters...
"We all have something to protect in this world. They make the dream worth fighting for…" Ichigo muttered softly, his voice laced with a deep love and regret. I turned my head to stare at him in utter awe. All this time I have been worrying that I would be forced to marry a guy who was all ego or abusive. Ichigo wasn't that man; he understood. He understood what I wanted for my little sister, for my friend and little brother, the joy of living a life free of fear. But at what cost will we be able to achieve that goal?
Author's note: Hey! I was kinda nervous to post this Fanfic because I have read a lot of fanfiction that follows the storyline, at least, a little bit. Mine's kinda off the wall with the post-Hollowiptic (Bad pun with Apocalyptic, but I like the name so I'm keeping it) thing that no one really seems to like. This still has hollows and the epic sword battles and romance (Which you don't have to like) with plenty of adventures like in the original anime and manga. It will, however, be in a post-apocalyptic setting and will slow ease more into being similar to the anime. I'll try to add as many Bleach characters as I can while staying as true to their personalities as well, but I can't promise everyone will be in it or that they won't be a little OoC. Please be patient with me and the story because I promise it really does get better. I hope you liked it! (^-^)
