Disclaimer: This story is based around the characters of the Anime Bleach I do not own Bleach so sad but true.
This story came to me after my friend faithNfantasy hounded me to write a Grimm/Ichi story with them starting out as children. So here it is enjoy my imagination.
Summary: Ichigo and Grimmjow met in the most unlikeliest of places and became fast friends with a love that was undeniable and unbreakable. With the emergence of Grimmjow's long lost uncle who has his own secret agenda, and with years of separation between them will the two friends find their way back to each other and back to a love that reached past the boundaries of distance and the spoken word.
He was running through the jungle away from his father. He had perfected the art of running away even though he was only six years old. With his toy fire truck in his left hand he wore blue jean shorts and a red and white striped t-shirt, blue and white tennis shoes and red socks. There was dirt smudge in different places on his face, he had dirty hands and his left knee was scraped, but he was so happy. He tripped over a stray branch face planting in the soft dirt. Lifting his head up with even more dirt on his face and spitting some from his mouth he shook his head dirt flying like compacted dust from his spiky orange hair.
"Ichigo…..Ichigo." He heard his father calling for him he sounded slightly mad but that didn't register to the little tyke. "Ichigo…..come now it's going to be dark soon, we need to be heading back to camp." Little Ichigo understood that but he wanted to play just a little longer.
Isshin Kurosaki was a doctor and a researcher for Seretei Pharmaceuticals he had gotten approval from the CEO of the Company Genryusai Yamamoto to come on an expedition to the island of Tres Cifras to find a special plant that could help him in manufacturing a cure for a virus that, had started spreading throughout his beautiful country. Isshin loved his young son, and although he adored his twin girls he bonded well with his son. "Ichigo…..we need to end this fun game now please come out son." The man said. They had been on a hike through the woods collecting food from the different fruit trees, when Ichigo took off running. Isshin tried his best to keep up with the boy but Ichigo was so small that he was able to duck under and maneuver through the jungle better than the grown man could.
He would never admit it but he was starting to get a little scared, he contemplated going back to the camp where the other three researchers and their native guide were to ask for help locating his son. But he was afraid that if he left he wouldn't be able to find his way back. So he pushed forward yelling his son's name louder trying to keep his rising fear from showing in his voice.
Meanwhile little Ichigo's attention was distracted by a pretty blue bird that had perched on a tree branch right above his head. It was a pretty royal blue color with a bright orange chest and being the little boy that he was he just had to catch it. Misjudging his height he jumped up to try and grab the bird that had to be at least fifteen feet above him, he only jumped a foot off the ground landing back on his feet with a tiny grunt that scared the bird and it flew away. Ichigo immediately began chasing after the bird. He was reaching out at the sky with his right hand his toy fire truck still clutched with his left, he was staring up at the bird shouting at it.
"Is zo kay lil birdie I won't hurt you." He shouted reaching his arms as far as they would go. In his mind if he just stretched his arms further he would be able to grab the bird. So he ran as fast as his little legs could carry. As the bird began to slip away from him, Ichigo felt himself trip on another branch stumbling and rolling forward until he reached a cliff, he scrambled to grab ahold of something to keep from falling over but there was nothing there but grass and as he fell over he screamed for his dad before hitting the ground below blacking out.
Doctor Isshin Kurosaki heard his son scream out at a bird and immediately began running in the direction of his child. He was darting through the trees, branches hitting him in his face creating tiny scrapes he could care less about. He was starting to get angry as he stomped his way through the deep jungle. He was not dressed for a trek through the dense overgrown vegetation, he was wearing khaki pants a blue and white checkered shirt and tan work boots. He stopped when he heard his son scream for him and a sudden jolt of fear reverberated throughout his body bringing him back alive as he took off running towards the scream, yelling for his son at the top of his lungs.
What was he thinking bringing his six year old son on this expedition, he had to be insane Misaki his wife would never forgive him and he would never forgive himself if something happened to their beloved son. "Ichigo…...Ichigo…." No reply he looked left and then right he was starting to freak out "SON PLEASE ANSWER ME." He yelled trying to regain his composure, Ichigo did this he liked to play this game always, he knew that his son was okay that he was about to jump out any second yelling.
"Is okay daddy, I'm here." Beaming up at Isshin with the biggest grin his big chocolate brown eyes with a sparkle. Isshin just stood rooted to the spot waiting for his son to jump out. But nothing he felt a hand on his shoulder and he nearly jumped out of his skin turning around it was his friend and colleague Kiskue Urahara he was fanning himself with a hand fan looking at Isshin curiously, he wore a green shirt, green dockers and black boots.
"Lost the little tyke have we Isshin." The man asked but he didn't need an answer as if the horror that played out on Isshin's face was any indication of the truth. "It's alright we'll find him, he couldn't have gone far." The man looked up at the sky pondering what he just said. "Well actually he could, but no worries it's just us here." He pondered some more. "And the jaguar's and the tigers, oh yeah and there's those mean cheetahs we came across and then there's the-." The man stop speaking when he noticed Isshin's eyes grow wide with fear.
"We have to find my son Kiskue." Isshin said turning away from Kiskue to scan the trees, the bushes and the….the, it all looked the same how was he supposed to find his boy.
"You know once we find him I suggest we put a leash on him." Isshin turned to look at his friend, if he could just get Ichigo back not only would he put a leash on him but he would glue him to his back and implant a tracking device in his son until they were on the plane safely headed back to their home in Karakura Town. Kiskue pulled out his walkie talkie. "Now next time we tell you to take one of these with you, you will listen." Isshin didn't want to hear it.
"Just help me find my son." The dark haired man said in frustration. Kiskue pulled out his walkie talkie to call for help.
When he woke up he was face down in the dirt, no on rocks tiny tiny rocks that were all over and he heard water, his body felt extremely heavy and it hurt all over, he tried to move but there was shooting pain coming from his right arm. His head hurt so badly and his vision was blurred he raised a hand to his head and once again another shooting pain through his tiny body. He began calling out to his father. But the goofy man did not instantly appear, and now young Ichigo was afraid. Goofy man always came running when Ichigo called always. He tried again.
"DADDY." He yelled a little louder this time. He raised his head further off the ground took look around. It was dark now and he couldn't see anything. "Daddy." This time it came out as a whisper almost like a question. Ichigo began sniffling he was on the verge of tears, using the arm he could still move he wiped at the tears in his eyes in doing so they began trickling down his face. He rested his head back down on the cold rocks crying to no one and chanting "Daddy" over and over again.
Until he heard the splashing of water from behind him and he immediately stopped sobbing to hone in on the nose. Whoever or whatever was coming was not alone he could tell that by the splashing. He sniffled wiping at his eyes with his uninjured hand. "Daddy." He asked "I'm here." He said feeling hopeful that his father was about to swoop him up in his arms, this was not a game he was going to play with his father anytime soon ever ever again.
As the noses drew closer to the injured boy lying on the rocks near the edge of the stream, young Ichigo was able to make out the slight cat like hissing sounds. It wasn't his father it was an animal his young mind took him back to a few days ago when they had come across what his father called a 'Cheeda.' He remembered how scary the animal was and knowing he wouldn't be able to run away and that his father was no where around Ichigo began wailing tensing his body up as he prepared to be eaten alive. He buried his face in the tiny rocks and with his uninjured hand he buried his tiny fist in the rocks grabbing a handful as he continued wailing screaming for his 'Daddy.'
A few minutes maybe even seconds later the boy felt the fiery breath of the beast on the back of his neck.
"YAAAAWWW AGGGH." He screamed he was going to die he just knew it he was going to be eaten by a 'Cheeda.' He turned his head to the side and he saw two black paws, and although Ichigo had seen a cheetah not to long ago he knew no other scary jungle animals at the time he just assumed all scary animals in this place were cheetahs. His mommy always told him if he was polite and ask nicely he would get what he wanted "Peas misser Cheeda doens eat me." Ichigo asked nicely but when the cheetah licked the blood that was trickling down the boys face, Ichigo thought it was taste testing him and he begin to scream once more.
Ichigo stop hollering when he heard another hissing sound but this one was different unlike the other this hissing sounded more like a human although it was very close to the sound of the cheetah Ichigo noted. The boy felt hands on his back. "Daddy." He asked before he was turned roughly on his back. The boy screamed out in pain once more. He could barely see and the light from the moon dancing off the river casting only a little light. He looked above him his vision hazy from the blinding pain shooting through his tiny body.
He felt weight on his torso as he shifted to raise his head, there were small growls echoing both animal and human. The boy got scared and tears began to fall from his face as he started sobbing again. He felt the Cheetah lick the tears away from his face and he cried harder he was going to be eaten now and the tears that began to fall were bigger and faster. His body began to tremble and once more the cheetah licked the tears from his face. The weight on his torso shifted as the person on him bent down closer to the boy's face he vaguely made out the face in the darkness but whoever it was he recognized as a child with long hair that fell off it's shoulders and on Ichigo's face, as the child brought his face closer. It looked like a boy but Ichigo couldn't be sure, the child stuck his tongue out licking at the tears on the other side of Ichigo's face and it was then Ichigo realized that they were trying to comfort him.
'The cheedah and the boy.'
It was now morning the sun had risen almost two hours ago the party of five had not rested they were hungry and tired but not one of them wanted to go back to camp without Isshin's boy. The doctor in question was now a walking zombie a complete and total wreck. They had broken up into two groups looking for Ichigo hours ago to cover more ground while they hunted for the little tyke but when the sun came up and both groups had come back empty handed, Isshin's spirit along with the rest of his sanity had vanished.
At first he cried getting down on his haunches grabbing a handful of his hair with both hands just sobbing. He then stood up and started walking back the way he came. He was going to tear down this jungle tree by tree he was going to turn over every rock until he found his son. So that's where they were now still searching for Ichigo.
"Isshin I think we should go back to camp." Kiskue finally said after another hour of searching for Ichigo.
"No you all can go back, I'll understand." Isshin kept walking when every one else had stopped.
"No we're not going to leave you out here by yourself." Isshin stopped walking but not turning to look at the group. One of the other researchers who also worked for the same pharmaceutical company spoke. He was a young man a genius in his own right, his name was Shinji. He had blonde hair that was cut in a bob that stopped just below his chin, usually he wore the most toothy grin on his face but as this was not the occasion to smile he wore a stern look. "We all need food and water and perhaps a little rest and then we can start the search immediately after." Isshin shook his head no before walking forward.
"We don't even have to rest but we need food, you need for Isshin." His other colleague spoke he was a rather large man with braids in his hair he had brown skin and he wore rectangular glasses his name was Tessai. "You're no good to Ichigo dead. Just a little food Isshin and we'll come right back promise." Isshin stopped walking once more and without another word he turned back in the direction of the camp and began walking.
Ichigo didn't remember falling asleep, but he did know that even if he had he should have woken up on rocks. Instead he was laying on his back looking up at solid rock, laying on soft dirt, he looked to the right and more solid rock to the left same thing. It wasn't dark in the rocky place a bright light was shining inside and down on him, but the way Ichigo was laying on the ground he couldn't tell where it was coming from. And the fact remained he had no idea where he was or how he got there he instantly remembered the Cheetah and the boy and he called out for them.
"Misser Cheedah, Boy." As if on cue he heard the low animal growl but this time he didn't yell for his dad and he didn't start crying. He felt something fall on his chest and he raised his head to see what it was. It was a banana, realizing that he was hungry he grabbed the banana from his stomach peeling it by holding on to the tip with his teeth and peeling it with his left hand, before stuffing it in his mouth almost inhaling it in four bites, that his mother would have never approved of. Finishing his banana, Ichigo raised his head to look for the Cheetah and the boy. He winced in pain from his arm and the weight of his own body. Once he was able to sit up all the way he waited for his eyes to focus before he started scanning his surroundings. He was defiantly in a cave facing the the opening and standing at the entrance both Cheetah and boy were looking at him. The cheetah had it's back arched in a defensive position, Ichigo thought it looked 'preedy' not recognizing the danger any longer. It was all white with black paws and the tip of it's tail that swayed behind it was black. It narrowed it's blue eyes before yawning and lying down on it's belly.
Ichigo eyes shifted to the boy that was on all fours next to the cheetah, he was completely naked except for a piece of blue cloth that covered his most private parts. He had long blue hair that was tangled and fell down past his shoulders. He twitched his nose as he mewled at Ichigo his bright blue eyes flickered with excitement as he walked on all fours over to Ichigo before pouncing on the young boy. Ichigo winced in pain from his arm a tear forming at the corner of his eye as fell backwards on his back. The boy on top of him bent down sticking his tongue out and just like the night before he licked the tear away from the corner of Ichigo's eye. He mewled at Ichigo once more before jumping off the boy, using his head he began nudging Ichigo's torso. It took the young boy a minute before realizing what the other was trying to tell him. He wanted to play.
An hour later they were all sitting around camp eating their breakfast in silence. Once Isshin had scarfed down the remainder of his meal he jumped to his feet clapping his hands trying to get everyone's attention. When they all looked in his direction they knew what it was he wanted placing their plates down, they all stood up gathering their bags about ready to head out.
Turning towards the awaiting jungle Isshin took two steps before he froze in his tracks. Ichigo was heading right to them on the back of a white panther and besides the panther walking on all fours was another boy. "Daddy." The young orange haired boy called with the biggest smile on his face. Jumping off the panther's back Ichigo ran over to his father holding his injured arm to his body. Forgetting for a second what he'd just witnessed and overly happy Isshin swooped Ichigo up in his arms and hugged the boy close to his body. He heard the young boy yelp from pain and noticed that his arm was broken. He kissed the side of Ichigo's head.
"I'm sorry my boy. What do you say to us fixing that." Isshin said to his son. There was a loud growl followed by a scream from Kiskue.
Isshin who had been focused on his son hadn't noticed that his colleagues were trying to get the other child away from the panther. The panther was swatting at the men as the young child clung to it's hind leg trembling. The way it was protecting it and the way the child clung to it for protection.
"Don't." Isshin called out to the group. They all turned to look at him. "You'll just make matters worst. Don't you see, the child thinks that panther is it's mother."
Sooooo tell me what ya think...