Hey guys! So this is an idea I randomly got in class the other day, so I hope you enjoy it! I expect that it will be a longish story, depending on how long I drag out the childhood. Ideas are always welcome!
A little orange head bobbed as the carriage bumped over the stone streets. Ichigo stared out the window of their horse-drawn carriage, he watched as the faces of citizens passed by. Some showed awe and others showed hate. The carriage came to a stop for another to pass in front of it when Ichigo saw a flash of white. The color was so out of place that when he looked again he saw a small boy as pale as snow with matching ashen hair. Without thought Ichigo threw the carriage door open and ran after the pale boy.
Ichigo followed the white head as it swiftly maneuvered around the passing citizens. The orangette kept running into people as he followed the boy and was soon out of breath when he saw the albino take a sharp turn. Determined to get to him, Ichigo pushed himself to catch up to the boy. When he rounded the corner, he saw the pale boy waiting for him with narrowed eyes.
"What d' ya want?" the snowy-hair boy called to the out of breath boy. Ichigo pulled himself together and puffed out his chest.
"I just wanted to know how you are so pale, it's different." Ichigo huffed and crossed him arms. The pale boy glowered at the orangette.
"I'm a leper, whats it t' ya? Ain't you seen 'ne bef're?" the albino scowled at Ichigo as the orangette's eyebrows drew together in confusion.
"Well, no. Whats a leper?" Ichigo asked and cocked his head to the side in questioning. The snowy male blinked in surprise at the confused boy.
"It's a disease that causes nasty lesi'ns." The pale boy said quietly before he lifted his shirt to show Ichigo that he had bandages all over his chest. Ichigo frowned at this.
"Whats your name?" Ichigo questioned, slowly inching closer to the mystery boy.
"Mah name's Shirosaki, but call me Shiro whats your name?" Shirosaki called back. Before Ichigo could answer, some guards came running around the corner and caught sight of him.
"Young master Ichigo there you are! You have no idea how worried your father is! We are here to escort you back immediately." A guard with bright crimson hair pulled back in a pony tail said.
"Yeah yeah Renji, I'm going." Ichigo muttered before he smiled sheepishly and waved back at Shirosaki before leaving with the guards. Shirosaki just watched wide-eyed as the only son of the country's leader was ushered away.
"Well that 'spanes why the idi't ain't seen a leper before." Shirosaki muttered before picking up his minuscule belonging that he'd put down to talk to Ichigo. He walked down the ally to a small hole in the wall of an abandoned building and pulled back the wooden planks over it and crawled inside.
Shirosaki walked into a small bathroom and stood in front of the broken mirror and pulled off his shirt. He looked at his reflection, noticing how his pants seemed to barely stay on his small waist. He frowned and began pulling off the bandages that were tightly wrapped against his skin. The stained bandages clung to the open cuts and Shirosaki hissed as they pulled against scabbed skin. He grimaced at the feeling of blood flowing down his chest. He quickly washed the open wounds and wrapped himself back up.
The albino sat on the floor and opened his small bundle of food he had stolen before Ichigo had followed him. He pulled out a small loaf of bread and munched on it as he thought of the orangette.
"That sure was a rare meetin', n't just everyb'dy gets to talk t' the heir t' the thr'ne." Shirosaki said to himself, "I w'nder if I'll see him again."
Ichigo was ushered into a separate carriage from the one he arrived in and was rushed to the castle. The orangette huffed and leaned against the shaking wall of the carriage as the guards watched to make sure he wouldn't make a run for it again. Once they reached the castle the boy was escorted into the throne room where his father was pacing. When the king saw the guards push the young prince forward he marched right up to his son.
"Ichigooo! You don't know how you made daddy worry! But don't worry, I've got you now my baby boy!" Isshin cried as he hugged his son. Ichigo scowled and pushed his father off.
"Dad! I'm not a kid anymore, I don't see why you had to send the guards after me I was fine! I just saw someone I wanted to talk to so I went after them." Ichigo growled and Isshin's face fell into one of a serious intent.
"Ichigo, you're only ten, you are by all means still a child. I realize you ran off without ill intent but next time think about others before won't you? I was scared I had lost another family member." Isshin whispered and he keeled and put his hands on Ichigo's shoulders. Ichigo looked to the ground as tears welled up in his eyes. He had lost him mom recently so the implication hit home.
"Okay dad. But father, why didn't you tell me that people were hurting in your kingdom?" Ichigo looked at his father with wide eyes full of innocence.
"What do you mean Ichigo? Was the boy you ran after in pain?" Isshin asked his vibrant haired son. The orangette nodded.
"He said he was a leper and it caused painful cuts." Ichigo murmured as he remembered the bloody bandages wrapped around the other's chest. Isshin stiffened at the thought that his son had met a leper and quickly called his medical staff to him.
"Examine my son at once! He had contact with a leper and I don't want him to get it!" Isshin yelled and watched as the men in white dragged his son away.
"I told you I didn't have leprosy dad." Ichigo grumbled and glared at his dad who smiled back sheepishly.
"Sorry son but you can never be too safe." Isshin said before he stood and walked in front of the orangette. "Ichigo, how would you feel if I gave you a personal servant?" Ichigo's eyebrows drew together as he stared quizzically at his father.
"Why would I need one? I'm perfectly fine on my own!" Ichigo bristled, taking the offer as an insult.
"I know, I know. Ichigo I realize that you are very capable but sometimes I feel like you don't have anyone your age to hang out with, all the guards are at least seven years older than you and you never go outside." Isshin spoke softly, he was generally concerned with the fact that his son didn't have anyone his age. The boy seemed to think it over before a small smirk fell over his features.
"You want me to be with someone my age? Go find the boy with leprosy that I spoke with earlier." Ichigo grinned ear to ear as his father sputtered, obviously against having a diseased person being in lose quarters with his son.
"Fine. We will go and retrieve him. What is his name?" Isshin grit his teeth, he wasn't happy but anything for his son. Ichigo blinked in surprise that his request was going to be filled.
"His name is Shirosaki, I think he lived in the area that I confronted him." Isshin nodded before he left the room to collect a few guards to accompany him.
A loud commotion outside brought Shirosaki out of his sleep. The snowy haired male crawled to out into the ally to see the king and his guards looking down at him.
"The prince has requested your presence in the castle." Isshin hissed at the sickly boy that was staring up at him in awe.
"M-me? W-what c'uld y'ur s'n want with m-me?" Shirosaki stuttered, shocked that Ichigo had wanted to see him again.
"I told him that he should have a friend around his age and he told me that he wanted you. Now come quickly, I have matter to attend to at the caste. Bring all of your possessions, for this day forward you will be living in the castle as Ichigo's personal servant."
So what'd ya think? Like? Hate? Drop a comment on how it was! Thanks!