I can't breathe… speak… is this it?

There's a surface here. It's soft… maybe death is like resting, unable to communicate?

Then how can I feel anything? I can see, too. There's a woman there, she's not here to finish it, is she? If I'm dead, then…

Why do I feel so safe?

If only I could go back, I might have been able to see it coming…

Ichigo awoke with the rustling of thick woolen sheets, the pillow a bit firmer than he might have been use to. The air around him was cold and warm at the same time. The humidity stuck close to his body, yet seemed dry coming from his mouth. His tongue felt like wet sandpaper against his teeth.

He opened his eyes, and found nothing there except for a wooden ceiling, which was albeit a bit worn despite it's rich color- cobwebs few and far between stuck to the support beams. This house was made by hand… but there isn't anything like that in the Soul Society.

He tried to sit up, a bit too suddenly as dull ticks of pain spiked into near skin-splitting electrocutions running down his chest. He coughed a bit, mind racing as he clutched the taut bandages applied to his body. Whoever treated me knows what they're doing… the way they applied the bandages is damn near perfect.

He closed his eyes slightly to calm his dizziness, falling back to his hand in order to stay upright. His legs felt like stone trying to step out of the bed, and his legs felt almost bare despite the trousers that hung at his hips, tied with rope strings. He was wearing a robe-like shirt as well, sleeveless and a shade of black almost as dark as the night sky.

"You shouldn't be moving, you know. You might reopen your injuries, you fool." He drew in the form of the one he assumed that treated him, carefully holding his gaze against her biting glare. He had the decency to blush at her near impossibly tight clothing. Her form was almost deceptively beautiful.

"Whatever…" She approached quickly, placing the back of her hand against his forehead before drawing it back just as fast. He felt the need to squirm against her scrutiny.

"Good. Looks like you're just a prude, and not running a fever again." She drew a scythe on him, lifting his chin with the tip of the blade. A kusarigama, he corrected himself. The time he spent training and studying with Yoruichi went to good use after all.

"Now tell me why you were inside our camp, orange." Ichigo almost reacted, hand twitching for the dual blades he donned until he realized that they were nowhere to be found. Typical… they're probably bandits. I did get blasted over to the Rukon in my fight against-

"Speak quickly, or I will start cutting." He cringed at the thought- she obviously knew how to use the weapon she was holding given her composure.

"I… don't know. I was fighting someone, then I could've sworn that I was pretty much dead after that." She clambered onto him, pushing him down against the mattress with her knees locking his hands into place. The edge of the blade shined against the light of a nearby burning candle.

"That much is obvious. Who were you fighting?" He couldn't really say anything- his mind grew fuzzy when he tried to remember exactly who it was, the face distorting in the images that came to mind. Amnesia… he groaned.

"I don't really know. Where am I?" She scoffed, pushing the blade tighter against his throat in response. Did I say something offensive? Or is it something else?

"You sound nervous. Perhaps a bit of encouragement might make you talk, then?" He cringed more, shoulders tensing as he prepared to fight back- for as long as he could in his present state, at least. His shoulders were killing him, though…

"I'm serious, lady. I got no clue to where the hell I am, or what you could be talking about if you want to start slicing and dicing." She frowned a bit at the crass tone, almost as if Ichigo's voice was too abrasive to listen to for any amount of time.

"You… nevermind. Do you have a name?" She doesn't know me, then. That's good…

"Ichigo."

"Surname?" He frowned as well. What was it with women always being so pushy?

"I ought to remove your head from your shoulders for that, but I'm feeling a bit generous. You've got five minutes before I start making decisions, and trust me on the fact that they aren't all as pleasant as it sounds." Did I say that out loud? Must be the blood loss… I'm pretty sure I can still take her.

"I get it… sheesh. My name is Ichigo Kurosaki. I take it you've never heard of shinigami if you changed my clothes." She raised an eyebrow at the comment. Her eyes told him that she was starting to get a bit curious.

"You must think highly of yourself to think you're a deity, orange." He twitched. Now he really wanted to throw her out of the open window. Nicknames weren't anything new… it's just that he found almost every single one more irritating than the last.

"And what if I told you that I am?" She scoffed at the thought.

"And what do you, er, death gods, do exactly?" He sighed. If she can see me, that means that I'm either human again, or that she's actually something special.

"We ferry the souls of the dead to the afterlife. But… we also cleanse the souls who become hollow, and absolve them of their sins so that they can cross over. You ask all these questions… what exactly are you, exhibitionist?" Her brows tightly knit themselves together, and it seemed that she couldn't notice the other woman entering the room. He thought he might have been seeing some type of illusion by the white, almost fluffy tails swishing behind her.

"Alright, I've had it with your mouth. Prepare to meet-" The other woman who'd been stepping along reached out, quickly untying a string holding the mask that covered her face from view. Thank my lucky stars! I was really gonna die!

The female blushed very heavily, frozen as she realized that her identity had been pretty much shown to the world. Huh. She's actually hiding a gift behind that mask.

She blushed harder, trying desperately to fix the mask that had fallen in front of the orange-haired male; she only found that the object was torn to shreds by the fox woman's sharp nails. She spoke almost commandingly, which led him to something else. Is she some type of hotshot around here? She seems pretty important…

"You're not an assassin anymore, Akali. Killing a man who is injured in his bed isn't any way for a member of the Guardian Legion to act." Akali seemed to still be frozen, almost disheartened by the interruption. The woman sighed, looking away guiltily.

"You know what's at stake, Ahri. If the creatures of the void found our camp… it could mean the end of everything." A sudden push left her clinging to his body. Ichigo supposed that he might be feeling nervous with a beautiful woman on top of him, but pain quickly took over. His wounds felt that they had almost healed, but the pain lingered like a dam bursting at the cracks despite that.

"You should know how we are. You might have been an assassin, but you are young. Barely 20. You need to let go of things a bit, see it from our perspective. We've seen the soldiers of the Void transform, but they do not contain the same energy this man possesses. Do well to remember that we are defending humanity, not erasing it for the sake of some silly pride." She crossed her arms beneath her chest, leaving him a stuttering strawberry to his namesake. Akali reluctantly removed himself from him, and he finally sighed in relief as she gently pushed his head back to the pillow, a wet cloth with frost hanging from it's edges laid back inside the bucket on the crudely made nightstand nearby.

"I see. He said he was a shinigami. I feel that there is something more to it." Ahri nodded, studying him with neutral eyes. Her yellow eyes seemed to pierce the dimly lit room with startling accuracy.

"That would explain a bit. During the time he was unconscious, it took me nearly a week to gather the energy to keep him alive from the power sleeping inside Runeterra." She looked at her, almost startled by the fact.

"Wait, you're kidding right?" Ahri sighed, flicking a stray hair away from her face with a huff.

"No, I'm not. There is one thing that bothers me, though… ever since I found him. His heart never stopped despite losing all that blood, so his claim holds merit if the injuries he suffered from are anything to go by." She locked eyes with him. Her gaze makes me feel uncomfortable. The way she seems to be able to read me… I don't like this.

"You are to come with me. I was told to bring you to our commander once you were awake." He grumbled a bit, not moving as he laid back down on the bed, feet still connected to the floor. The female assassin beside him snickered, almost mischievously.

"You've been in that bed for ten days and all you can do is complain? Shows what kind of god you are…" He glared at her, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"Would it kill you to shut hell up? At least I've got some wardrobe decency." Akali grit her teeth, hand grasping the hilt of the chained weapon in wait to release her pent-up anger. Her eyes narrowed dangerously in his direction.

"Less clothing makes less noise… dumbass." Ichigo wanted to retort but found a pair of boots shoved into his chest. He noticed he was wearing socks, apparently.

"That's enough, you two. Ichigo, was that your name? If you would put these on, then we can go." He stared at the footwear with a bit of hesitance. There's so many straps… how the hell do I wear these?

Ahri sighed with a smile at his confusion.

"I'll help you. It gets easier when you see it done right the first time." He nodded, sitting back down as she fitted the contraption to his legs. He noticed quickly how the tails seemed to protrude from an almost forbidden area beneath the small of her back. Are those real?!

It's almost laughable that he didn't notice her ears, either, which surely picked up his surprise from the bedside.

Ichigo nervously stood outside the large, almost oddly so tet he had been led to. Many of the warriors in the camp seemed to be incredibly experienced, some young and others old of all shapes and sizes. The fox woman opened the tent with a thrust of her hand, disappearing inside. He figured that he should follow, so he tried to enter quickly to avoid the odd stares of many inside-

Only to knock down a woman who was leaving the tent in sudden surprise. She gave a small squeak as she landed on the ground, and he near instantly felt horrible. He took notice of her vibrant blue hair, and a large scar that tore along her throat. He extended his hand, to which she took quickly for him to lift her back to her feet.

"My bad. I didn't see you there… uh…"

"So… na. Buvelle. I am… sorry about that." She seemed troubled to speak, as if she hadn't spoken in days, or how one might have sounded if they were dehydrated. Yet her voice was forward, and still soft-spoken. That scar is small and precise... not like a blade wound would. Did she have surgery?

He was left thinking as she scurried away, brushing past without another word.

"Huh…"

"So, are you feeling better young man?" The voice that came to mind was deep, yet commanding, like one might experience as a soldier to his general.

"Yeah. Uh…" Ichigo himself was tall, something he took notice of. The man in front of him seemed to look like he would if he gained 100 pounds overnight. His armored shoulders gleamed, free of dust despite the battle-hardened exterior filled with scratches and mars.

"That's good to hear! A couple of us were afraid that our little fox mistress wasn't up to the task. However, we should probably get down to business." He gestured to a small chair in front of the table, grinning. It seemed the man's heart was as big as his biceps.

"Take a seat. There is much to be discussed." He did as what he was told. It didn't take more than a couple glances to find his dual zanpakuto sitting on the table's surface, unguarded. He's probably confident, not stupid in keeping my blades here…

His thought process was cut short as he sat down in the chair slowly, as if to not incite any more pain than needed. He faced down the man with a steady gaze, and was quickly matched with steeled eyes, level with his own.

"So, I take it you understand the situation you're in, then?" Ichigo nodded slowly, thoughts racing.

"Good. Then I won't bore you with my thoughts, rather what I've come up with. You're not from this world, and maybe, you might be a godsend from some place we haven't discovered yet. You were heavily injured when we found you, and it's not hard to see that none of use own a blade like the one used to cut you based on Akali's analysis of your wound. I have heard stories from Taric, but I never thought that someone from outside our world would answer summons."

"Hold on a second, what do you mean by summons? I could've sworn that I-"

"Died before you awoke here? For a few of us, that seems to be the case that it can happen, but is very odd. You see, there are wizards within the Institute of War that can summon people to our world in times of great need. However, they've always arrived inside the summoning chambers. When I got the report, Akali came in a panic with you in her arms about some intruder, I thought it was strange. I received a letter about their attempts, and as much as I hate having to resort to magic, they gave me an imagery ball to see who they might have summoned. When I saw, it was a dead giveaway that you were indeed the one who was brought to this world."

"Alright, but what does that have to do with me? I'm just some random guy that you know nothing about." Grinning, he reached beneath the table with a small ball, sliding it to him with a bit of satisfaction as images, or rather, recordings flashed along it's surface. Inside were images of his many battles and triumphs from what was now the past, ending abruptly with his draw against Yhwach, who had died like him in the fight.

"How did you…" He traced a finger on the orb, eyes almost pleading.

"We called upon you for one reason, and one reason alone."

"What is that?" Ichigo was hesitant to reply at all- more than likely he would have tried to open a Senkaimon and leave the place after flipping him off, yet he stayed. He doesn't seem like the type to ask for requests… proud and dignified if anything.

"We need help fighting a war to save this world from being swallowed whole. You see, there are creatures emerging and taking over the Frejlord as we speak, slaughtering many of our people. To protect them, we need your strength, as well as your courage." Ichigo gulped, sweating slightly as he stared at the man's hand, extended in wait. No doubt the gathering of people outside was his doing, after all. I don't know if I can return to my world, and I know these stakes all too well.

"Alright. I accept." He clasped his hand in a tight grip, shaking it. The man had a large smile spreading about his cheeks- the bead of sweat that had gathered at the top of his head seemed to dry in relief.

"Thank you. I promise you, when this is over I will find some way to repay you." Ichigo chuckled a bit at the thought.

"No need. I don't need a reward to do what's right. My father didn't raise a man who willingly watched others fall in times of need." Ichigo let out a sigh of relief. I guess things went my way on this one… kinda surprising from how I ended up.

"That's good and all, but I'm not gonna sit here and rely on this guy. I want to see if his skill is the real deal, and not some faux imagery made up by those geezers at the tower." Ichigo turned back, meeting Akali's hot stare with his own, challenging. It wasn't hard to guess that someone who up and appeared randomly wouldn't be challenged- especially since they were literally fighting with the world at stake.

"Why do I need to prove it to you if your commander or whatever already trusts me? Seems kinda pointless." Garen sighed, leveling his eyes between the two, as if lost in thought. No doubt he had a plan.

"Actually that is a good idea. Akali might be an assassin, but she's also one of our strongest on the front line. If you can defeat her… it may put some claim and trust in your words with the others. Action is better than talk after all." Ichigo groaned, angrily fixing his blades to his belt in practice, standing what he hoped to be head and shoulders above her- he was mistaken by the fact she was damn near as tall as he was. Not that I'm complaining or anything… makes it easier to fight her.

"Then where do you want to fight. I'm ready." She scoffed, eying him up and down scrutinizingly, yet she seemed to be on guard around him. That was a bad sign, at least, for him.

"If you're still feeling pain from those injuries, then you shouldn't even be fighting yet. I'm not interested in defeating you… yet."

"Talking shit is just a waste of time… so could we just get this over with?" It seemed to be the last straw for her. She glared at him, and if she were any angrier Ichigo was sure that smoke might be coming from her nose.

"Outside. Now. Let's see how long you last, orange."

I didn't expect this to go at such a pace while I was writing it, but I figured that the concept and idea were pretty easy to follow if you catch my drift. Really no need in adding unnecessary detail or events if they have no impact, you get what I'm saying? That's it for me, and I guess I'll be back with another chapter somewhere in time. I don't really get much motivation to write unless I see something, so I'll try my best.

For any questions about my other stories, I haven't given up on them. I just have no inspiration or motivation for any great ideas to continue, but I'll make sure that all of you are kept posted. The most recent one, (A New Life, Together), will consist of three chapters. As far as I could run with the idea, it's safe to say that I'm not making 30+ chapters for something that doesn't need it.

That's all from me, but make sure to give me a thumbs up or send me a PM if you have questions that can't be asked in the review section. I'll try to respond as quickly as I can, but no promises.

Peace.