Beginnings! A Shinigami is Born!

'So this is Tokyo' I thought to myself, starring out the hotel window at the pouring rain. Not surprisingly, I had been placed in the closest, and cheapest, hotel to the airport. In fact, the view from my window was of the airport itself. The loud rumbling clatter of the jets arriving and departing shook the room every few minutes, and made any thoughts of sleep next to impossible. I discovered this because I had been lying on the bed, trying to block out the sounds of an unfortunate couple who had either been forced here because everywhere else was full or had no knowledge of the area, and had foolishly decided to stay the night. And, since sleep was impossible, they were making the most of their marriage, if you catch my drift.

'This is what you wanted isn't it? You just HAD to be an exchange student this year.' Actually, I was surprised that I was selected at all. Only a sophomore and nowhere near the top of my class, I had beaten out several hopeful seniors and stomped on the dreams of a few juniors. But whatever, I didn't have to see them for a year. My first night in Japan, and I was stuck in this shithole, listening to the sweet, sweet sounds of jet engines, rain and sex. Leaning my head against the window, I watched the few people still on the sidewalk scurry for cover or their cars. And that's when I saw her. Illuminated by a streetlight was a young girl, who was making no move to escape the rain. As I watched her, she raised her eyes to mine and revealed a bloody gash that covered her forehead and looked like it was deep enough to pierce her brain.

I froze, my eyes fixated on her. And that's when I noticed my second strange occurrence of the evening. No one was stopping to help her; as I watched, a policeman walked right past her without as much as a glance in her direction. I continued to watch her as I stifled a yawn. I was tired after that long flight, and getting to bed would be damn near impossible what with the jets and the fornicating couple next door. I reached up and pulled the cord and let it go, lowering the blinds, blocking the girl from view. I turned and was halfway to the pathetic excuse for a bed that the hotel offered when a blue flash illuminated the dark room for an instant before relinquishing to the darkness. I swung my head around and gave the window a good long look. 'Should I?' Maybe something totally awesome was happening and I was missing it. I turned to the bed again; maybe if I took some Nyquil or something I'd be able to sleep.

After a good twenty seconds of weighing the two decisions against each other, curiosity got the better of me. I about faced and almost ran to the window. I pulled up the blinds and stuck my head up against the glass. And saw the third strangest thing since I landed. In roughly the same place as the girl stood a tall man in a black robe; he was holding something in his hand, but I couldn't see it clearly. He shifted his feet slightly and revealed the sword in his hand. As I watched, he slowly raised his gaze to mine and gave me a long calculating glance. I just starred right back at this strange black robed man before tearing my eyes away and closing them for several seconds. When I opened them, the street below was devoid of life. I glanced up and down the sidewalk, but the strange little girl and man had vanished. Yawning, I lowered the blinds again and headed for the bathroom, deciding to have some Nyquil after all.

-----

I've been having the same dream for a while now. Whenever I close my eyes, it's the same dark that you would expect. No lights, no color…but that's just how it starts. In my dream, I don't know where I am exactly; I can't see anything in front or behind me. All I can do is slowly walk forward, feeling my way around. Everywhere I turn, something pokes, scratches, or hurts me in some way. The injuries are small, but they ache and burn as I continue to blunder my way through, all the while sustaining more tiny scratches that burn horribly despite their size before I finally collapse under the pain, and then wake up,

-----

I glance around what's to be my exchange home for the next year. It's nothing to write home about, but it's a damn sight nicer than that hotel. Actually, I probably will write home about it, seeing as how my real parents will want to know how I'm doing. My exchange parents are a middle aged couple, the Tanakas. My exchange mother, Misaki Tanaka, is small in stature but loud in option and voice. She wasted no time in welcoming me to my new home, offering me something to eat, and hitting me over the head for forgetting to remove my shoes when I walked in. My exchange father, Itsuki Tanaka, is the polar opposite of his wife. He keeps to himself more, rarely speaks up, but is as tall as a tree. After several failed attempts to get him to humorously bow multiply times to me, Misaki took me to a table, sat me down, and demanded I eat.

-----

Two hours later, at dinner, I was introduced to the third and final member of my new family. Mizuki Tanaka was ten years old, with big blue eyes, shiny black hair, and she does not like me. Well, she just hasn't spoken to me once except to ask me to pass her something, but her voice had undertones of Just who do you think you are? Well, I starred right back at her. Misaki, of course, noticed the building tension right away.

"Mizuki, this is Kai Ferguson, the exchange student we were telling you about. He's from the United States. He's going to be living with us; won't that be fun? He'll be like a new big brother…"

This was apparently the wrong thing to say, because Mizuki threw her spoon down and ran from the table. Even as she ran up the stairs, I could hear her reply.

"I don't want a new brother! I want the old one!"

Misaki looked over at me. "I'm sorry. Zuki's big brother died six months ago. It's been hard for her"

That got my attention. "What happened tae him?"

Misaki's eyes lowered. "He was killed when the store he was working at was robbed. He was shot twice in the stomach and died in the hospital later." There was an uncomfortable silence that Itsuki broke.

"She'll warm up to you, Kai. Give her some time. Would you like to see your room?"

"Sure."

-----

I followed Itsuki along the hall on the upper floor. As we walked, a door slightly ahead of us inched open, but as soon as the occupant spotted us, she let out a squeal and slammed the door. Itsuki raised his hand.

"Mizuki…"

He was cut off by the click of the lock. He signed.

"She must really be mad. She never locks the door."

We walked in silence for a few more feet before Itsuki opened the door in front of us and walked in, myself at his heels. In terms of rooms, it was about as large as the one I had back in the States. There was a dresser and a bed, the rest bare. Itsuki turned to me.

"I know it's not much, but we didn't know what you were like, so we decided to let you decorate yourself. Alright?" I cracked a half smile up at my pseudo-father.

"Yeah. Looks like I'll have tae hit a few stores. I'll pretty it up, don't ya fret."

Itsuki scratched his head and then shrugged. "Whatever makes you happy."

-----

"What did you do?"

I turned around, having just finished taping up my last poster. Mizuki was standing in my doorway, her eyes wide and shocked. I took two steps and turned down the volume on my laptop, which was playing Iron Maiden at an ungodly high volume. I spun to face her.

"What can I do for ya, lass?"

Mizuki rounded on me.

"What are you doing to this room? This is my brother's room!"

I was at a loss for words. Should I ask her what her brother had been like? Should I say I understand what losing a sibling was like? Should I tell her that my own sister had drowned? I was brought back to reality when a heard a ripping sound. Mizuki was tearing down one of my posters; this one of the band Nightwish. I walked over and grabbed her arm.

"Just whit do ya think you'll doin'?"

She shook my hand off and swirled to face me, her hair tickling my nose as it flow by.

"This room is nothing like the room I knew! Now take it down." If looks could kill her's would have sent me straight to Hell. She gestured to all of the various posters on the walls. "Now take them all down!"

I held up my hands. "I'll nae take doon my posters, but I ken what you're sayin'."

Mizuki signed and started to slowly walk towards the door. Halfway there, she turned to me.

"Why do you talk that way?"

In response, I sat down on the bed and patted it. Mizuki, who still looked like she wanted to kill me, took two tentative steps towards me and then, making up her mind, covered the rest of the distance and flopped down on my bed. I started to talk.

"I wis born in Scotland in a place called Lenie. It's a small toon along the Loch – "

"The what?"

"Do ya nae ken O' Loch Ness?"

Mizuki giggled. "You talk funny, Kai-san."

I raised my eyebrows. "Not Kai-kun yet?"

"Not by a long shot."

"But ya ken o' the Loch, aye?"

"Aye?"

"Means yes."

"Aye, I ken o' the Loch. It's where that monster lives, right."

"Ya insolent wee – Makin' fun o' my accent now?"

"Imitation is the highest form of flattery. Is there really a monster there?"

"Well, nae in my opinion." Her face fell. "But I'm nae learned enough to say. Who knows; anyway, I moved to the States a little over two years ago. I wis nae there long enough to lose my accent before I wis on a plane here. So how about it, am I welcome?"

She pretended to think about it. "My brother used to let me decorate his room…" She gave me a hopeful look.

"I thought ya said I wis nae your brother?"

"You aren't. But you should let me anyway."

Part of me was almost aching to let her run rampant and decorate to her heart's content as my own sister had done to my room back home, but part of me was hesitant to let her get too close, just in case something happened, for both our sakes. But…

I sighed.

-----

Tonight it's the same. The same dark. The same burning and aching scratches and pokes. I can feel myself getting weaker as I stagger across this shadow land. But something is different…I can hear a little…see a little…the ground beneath my feet is uneven and covered with something hard and sharp and jagged that sticks into my feet. Everywhere I feel with my hands I am greeted with razor sharp…ash is a word I might use to describe it. I hear my faint footsteps as they slowly ponder onwards. I feel something else…not physically…but in my mind…something surrounding me….oh god something's behind me! It's right behind me!

-----

Mizuki drags me down the street toward a little shop that looks like the kind of shop where little sisters always drag their, unwilling, brothers. Looking back, I guess I'll regret my decision, but who knows. Maybe some good will come of it. Mizuki's voice snaps me out of my daydream.

"Yuzu!"

She begins pulling me towards a waving girl who looks to be about her age. Walking slightly behind her is an orange haired guy about my age. He, like me, is starring off in a random direction and seems to be a million miles away. Mizuki pulls away from me and runs over to her friend and immediately starts jabbering. She indicates herself, Yuzu, me, Orange-Hair, the sky and the shop where she was taking me. Sighing, I walk over to them, hoping she'll be fast. No such luck. Orange-Hair looks as bored as I am; he's looking around, like he's searching for something. He looks up at me and walks where I'm standing next to Mizuki.

"Yo."

I just nod. Orange-Hair keeps going.

"Friends with Mizuki? Then get used to seeing Yuzu. Those two are together aot."

Orange-Hair is quiet for a second and then extends his hand.

"I'm Kurosaki Ichigo."

A/N Ok, this is my second attempt at a Bleach story. I have this idea in my head, and I'm trying my best to get a good story going to try to share the pure epicness with everyone. I wish I could draw because I would draw a comic instead. But I can't draw worth shit. So I'm trying to write it. If you leave comments, please be gentle with you critisims. Also, Kia Ferguson, the character whose eyes this story is told through, has a Scottish accent. If it helps, think of the way Groundskeeper Willie in the Simpsons talks.