Chapter 1: Death and New Life
I sighed and tilted my head up into the sun as I walked from the dark air-conditioned hallways of Crest View High into the parking lot for the last time. I stopped a few paces out of the building and closed my eyes simply standing in the sun and enjoying the warm weather. I was finished, my high school days were over. I had served my time, now it was on to the real world. The thought scared me, but could not ruin the serenity caused by the perfect summer day.
"Why can't everyday be like today..." I muttered as the sun warmed my tan face.
A warm breeze played with the leaves on the trees and I smiled, my dark auburn hair dancing in the breeze with them. My light blue tank top and dark blue jeans highlighted in the bright sun. I was completely enjoying the moment till a deep, enthusiastic, and way too familiar called out my name.
"Alicia!"
My mood immediately darkened. My eyebrows furrowed and warm smile flipped into a deep scowl, my hands clenched into fists briefly at my sides before I brought my arms up across, in my opinion overly large chest, crossing them in irritation. I had the body every woman envied and every man drooled over, I hated it.. but had fun flaunting it.
"What do you want Dominic." I snapped, usually soft hazel eyes were cold and unforgiving.
His confident stride and wide smile faltered as he neared me. Tall and muscular, the star player of the high school football team, with bright red hair and a charming smile.
"Hey why don't we go out to eat and talk over some turtle cheese cake?" he asked softly.
I could hear the plea in his voice and see it his soft green eyes. I ignored it. Instead I clenched my fists and shook my head, rage and forming in the pit of my stomach.
"No Dom." I growled, "The time to talk ended a long time ago. When I walked into you having sex with my obviously drunk best friend. I trusted you! And you took advantage of my trust and my best friend."
My gaze never faltered, and if looks could kill the kid would be a corpse at my feet, as the memories flitted through my head toward the end of my words my chest twinged painfully. He had been my first love. I turned my gaze to my truck, my younger brother was waiting patiently his fists clenched at his sides, and dirty blonde bangs covering his eyes. Inwardly I chuckled.
'He is my younger brother I should be protecting him not the other way around' I thought.
I looked at my defeated ex-boyfriend and shook my head sadly as I kicked up into a jog toward my truck. I slowed to a walk as I neared my obviously troubled brother. Stopping next to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Dave this is my problem... there's nothing for you to be worried about. I'll handle it." I said softly.
He raised his head and locked his dark blue eyes with mine and smiled.
"Alright, alright, I don't need to be beating up random people because you couldn't protect your self." He said slyly. (A/N: Apparently that's a word. Who knew)
My eyes widened and eyebrows shot up in surprise at his sudden sarcastic remark.
'Leave it to my little freshman brother to lighten my mood.' I thought happily.
I tried to scowl at him but only succeeded in furrowing my brows. The smile dancing at the edge of my lips and the blush heating my cheeks gave it all away as I punched his arm. Hard.
"You little turd! I'm stronger then you! I've already surpassed you in boxing!" I laughed.
He squeaked in surprise at the sudden jab and jumped away.
'That hurt!" He called out. "And yes I am stronger then you. I'm on the football team and have to help you out of those fights you 'Ichigo' wanna be."
My only response was mirthful laughter. Between my brother and me it was common knowledge that I was a Bleach nerd. Yes, I was obsessed with the manga/anime series. I couldn't go a day with out the stuff. It was often the topic of conversation and point of insult. I didn't care it was interesting and exciting.
"Ah shut up! I am not! I've always been one to pick a fight stupid." I giggled as I grabbed the keys out of my pocket, unlocked the car, and climbed in the drivers seat.
"Come on I wanna go out and eat. My treat." I said, a smile once again spreading across my features. His eyes lit up as he nodded and jogged over to the passenger side and got in.
"So where're we goin?" he asked curiosity swimming in his blue eyes.
I chuckled as I pulled out of the parking lot.
"That's a secret." I whispered conspiratorially, eyes leaving the road to glance at him.
He truly was my little brother. Ever since we lost our parents and youngest brother of the trio of siblings to a 'car accident', at least that is what the official report stated, two years ago when I was sixteen and David was fourteen, David and me became extraordinarily close. Dave and me didn't know how to cope alone, so we supported each other. We both got into boxing to vent and control the overwhelming emotions. Then he went into football, and I went into equestrian sports. My attitude changed dramatically from carefree teenager to a quiet soft spoken violent and constantly frowning. The only one who I acted ridiculously happy around was my brother I didn't want him worrying about me. Some where along the way I became hopelessly addicted to the Bleach anime, finding a welcome mental escape in the bloody battles of Kurosaki Ichigo. And the rest is boring history.
The first five minutes of the drive was quiet as I turned onto the interstate and quickly accelerated, producing a purr from the v8 engine and a manic laugh from me.
"Your such a speed demon." He grumbled
"Yeah I know." I chuckled.
I sighed and flicked the radio on, only to freeze as the tune of Rolling Star by Yui wafted to my ears.
"OH MY GOD NO WAY!" I squealed in delight as I then proceeded to turn up the volume to ridiculous levels and sing along not missing a word.
mou gaman bakka shiterannai yo
iitai koto wa iwanakucha
kaerimichi yuugure no basutei
ochikonda senaka ni Bye Bye Bye
kimi no Fighting Pose misenakya Oh! Oh!
yume ni made mita you na sekai wa
arasoi mo naku heiwa na nichijou
demo genjitsu wa hibi TORABU tte
tama ni kuyandari shiteru sonna Rolling days
koronjatta tte ii n janai no
son'toki wa waratte ageru
norikonda BASU no oku kara
chiisaku hohoemi ga mieta
kimi wo tayori ni shiteru yo Oh! Oh!
yume ni made mita you na Sweet Love
koibito tachi wa kakurega wo sagasu no
demo genjitsu wa aenai hi ga
tsuzuki nagara mo shinjiteru no Lonely days
tsumazuita tte Way to go!
Yeah! Yeah! dorodarake Rolling star!
I began to bounce excitedly in my seat ignoring the strange looks from my brother.
narubeku egao de itai keredo
mamorinuku tame ni wa shikata nai desho?
kitto uso nante sou imi wo motanai no
~ All my loving
sou janakya yatterannai
yume ni made mita you na sekai wa
arasoi mo naku heiwa na nichijou
demo genjitsu wa hibi TORABU tte
tama ni kuyandari shiteru sonna Rolling days
... sou wakatteru tte
tsumazuita tte Way to go!
Yeah! Yeah! dorodarake Rolling star!
My brother just laughed at my antics but didn't say anything against it. As the song came to an end I hastily turned it down and sat there giggling.
"Oh my god! Since when does one-oh-one-nine play Japanese pop! I know it's the mix. But come on! They've never played j-pop before. Especially a Bleach opening.- I said in one breath, my hazel eyes alight with the laughter that danced from my vocal cords.
"Hell if I know." Dave replied nonchalantly, grinning slightly.
I just giggled some more as I pulled off the interstate and headed to our destination; flashes of a super-powered strawberry and epic battles ran like a movie through my head.
Dave immediately began gushing his thanks as I pulled into the only available parking space in the Applebee's parking lot, the one farthest away of course.
"Oh My God Ali! Thank you!"
I chuckled lightly.
"No prob' Dave. Its my treat." I replied as I turned off the car, grabbed my wallet from under the seat and got out of the truck only to frown as a loud clap of thunder assaulted my ears.
I cursed under my breath as I called out to Dave, the wind picking up significantly.
"Dave lets hurry up and get inside!"
He nodded his response and ran to the building. I locked the car then cast a glare at the imposing menacing clouds as I ran towards the restaurant after my brother. The second I set foot into the lobby area rain poured from the dark clouds with abandon.
"Tch. Just our luck. It was so sunny earlier." I grumbled.
Dave just sighed as we waited to be seated. I looked around at the surrounding tabled as the waitress walked us over to our table. Everyone was so lively, seemingly ignorant of the imposing rain.
We were quiet as we ordered food. Yet it wasn't an awkward silence, more of a companionable silence that only we could truly appreciate. Tired of the silence I brought up my favorite topic.
"Hey Dave." I began between bites of salad. "Have you seen the latest ep' of Bleach this week?"
He rolled his eyes as he took another bite of his burger. He finished chewing then swallowed dramatically and responded.
"No I haven't. Dumbass"
"HAY!" I chided. "This is a public place watch your language, stupid, and you're missing out. It's the conclusion to the Ichigo verses the Emo-spada. They've finally animated it and its epic!" I giggled.
He only rolled his eyes once more and took another bite of his burger. I just giggled and resumed eating my salad. After that the conversation consisted of the summer break, grades, my up and coming graduation ceremony, sports, and friend dramas; general teenage stuff.
We finished our meals and I paid the bill and we set out to the car. I got to the doors and sighed before pushing my way through into the downpour of rain. My brother ran to the car and I jogged up after him. As I got nearer the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and a chill swept through me.
"Something isn't right..." I muttered
I rolled my eyes and thought.
'Nice stating the obvious stupid.'
I reached the car and froze. In front of me was my brother on his knees, arms wrapped around his torso, his back facing me. I watched his chest rise and fall in erratic spurts, I was sure if it wasn't raining I could here his strained attempts at breathing. Dark crimson liquid pooled on the wet concrete under him, a person in black, holding a ridiculously long blade coated in my brothers blood stood in front of my disabled brother. I screamed and lunged at Dave's attacker, white-hot rage fueling my actions and dulling my senses. I wasn't going to lose my brother, not like this.
"YOU BASTARD!"
I threw out a round house kick with my left leg only to receive a small cut along the length of my calf. I hissed in pain as I jumped back favoring the injured leg. I spared a glance back towards my brother. I froze in horror, his chest sported three gaping wounds that thoroughly stained his shirt crimson. His eyes were unfocused as shock riddled his features and rain darkened and matted his long hair to his head.
You son of a Bitch!" I growled out outrage and jumped forward again throwing a wild jab towards the man in black. He blocked it and I brought my knee up to his gut and connected with a thick thud. He groaned in pain then punched me, hard, in my ribs. I hissed as I felt a crack. I shoved him back far enough for me to clap my hands over his ears, disorientating him. He struck out with his knife and created a deep jagged slice across my shoulder. I jumped away grabbing my shoulder, the red sticky fluid running between my fingers,.
'What the hell...' I thought. 'He's too fast.'
Rain matted my hair to my face making it harder to see. A blinding flash of white and a agonizingly loud clap of thunder caused me to close my eyes and bring my hands up to my ears, giving our attacker the distraction he needed to jump forward and drive the knife into my chest, slipping between ribs and reaching my heart. I cried out in pain when he twisted the blade slightly, jerking violently as he roughly pulled the blade out. My body betrayed me and collapsed forward into him, wave upon wave of pain assaulting my body making it near impossible to breathe. He chuckled darkly, sadistically, as he then stabbed me once in my gut before he set me on the ground facing my pale brother. His blue eyes wide filled with shock and horror. His muscular frame frozen as the man walked over and behind him. My breath came in jagged, short painful gasps as I watched him step behind my brother, bloodied knife at his throat. My eyes widened as I realized in an instant what he was going to do.
"NO! DON'T! STOP! PLEASE!" I desperately shrieked as he brought the blade across his vulnerable throat, blood erupting from the wound spraying the ground in front of him and my brother gagging then falling limp onto the pavement as the attacker knelt over his body then twisted his neck ending his life.
I lay there frozen, broken, and bleeding. My brother had been murdered in front of my eyes. Tears flooded my face and mixed with the rain, in silent sobs.
He walked over to me crouched and wiped the blade on the edge of my soaked tank top.
"See ya' on tha' other side."
As I gave into the darkness, letting my life slip away my mind filled with grief and self-loathing at not being able to protect my brother, a chill raced down my spine. I knew that voice.
When I started to come to I was cold. I could feel the soft patter of rain on my skin as well as the searing pain in my chest, stomach, and right shoulder.
'Wait...' I thought 'I can feel? I'm not dead?'
My eyes flew open and I sat up only to fall back down to the soaked ground with stars in my eyes.
"Ow." I groaned. I moved a hand out feeling the surface I was currently laying on.
'Grass?' I wondered through the pain.
I attempted to get up once more only for my world to spin violently and cause my stomach to purge its contents; stomach acid and blood leaving a nauseating burn along my taste-buds. Placing a hand on my stomach, my palm rested over the still open wound just below my navel.
"Shit." I whispered
I got to my knees; my eyes and jaw clenched tight against the wave of pain the swept through my body. Keeping a hand on my still bleeding wound I moved one hand to the one on my chest only to gasp in surprise when I found only a rough scar.
"What the hell? Where am I?" I groaned.
I shakily got to my feet pushing the almost unbearable pain to the back of my mind for a moment to look around. I was situated at a tree line at the edge of a park with a street light and an intersection not too far past that. The bitterly cold rain bit into my skin andI stumbled forward falling to my knees as I coughed violently sending another wave of searing pain coursing through my weary body, agitating the some how sealed wound on my chest.
"SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!" I cried out, desperation and pain coloring my words. I coughed once more and dissolved into sobs.
"Someone... please... help me" I gasped between sobs.
'This is so pathetic' I berated my self mentally. I hadn't been able to protect my brother and now I was reduced to a quivering ball. I clenched my free left hand as I slowly got to my feet, gasping at the effort, and began to shakily limp towards the park, despite the sharp protests from my left leg, and the street that seemed to be right at the edge of it.
Never had such a short distance seemed so far. Every step brought a whole new wave of agony across my weary frame as I left a trail of blood in my wake to mix with the slowly forming puddles of water. I made it to the street then collapsed to my knees with a cry of anguish. Unable to go any further I called out in one last-ditch attempt as I felt unconsciousness tugging heavily on me.
"SOME ONE PLEASE HELP ME!"
Unable to do anymore I collapsed completely on to my back sprawled on the wet concrete, which was slowly being stained crimson with my blood. I began to close my eyes as exhaustion and pain began coming in unbearable waves. A voice calling out to me reached my ears and a blur of bright orange and gray caught my eyes as I fell into the very welcoming embrace of unconsciousness.
A/N: Usually I'd end it here because this is the most I've written in a long time, but because I'm just that awesome you'll get more then this :D even though I'm typing this at about midnight.. at least that's when I started... its 2:30 now but oh well... Enjoy the rest!
When I woke for the second time the first thing I noticed was the clean sterile smell, the steady beep of a machine, and the feel of sheets covering me body making it comfortably warm. The second sensation was the throbbing of the wound in my gut, chest, and shoulder as well as the tight feel of bandages around my torso and shoulder respectively. I shot up from my prone position and looked wildly around the room. In seconds, however, I was in groaning in pain and clutching my stomach over the bandages, my skin breaking out in a cold sweat. I sat there panting, sweat rolling down my back as the door flew open and a man with black hair, a goatee, dark-yet-warm eyes, dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and khaki pants under a white doctors coat walked into the room. Something clicked in my head telling me I knew this man but I couldn't figure it out past the haze that had settled over my mind... That was until he introduced himself.
"My name's Kurosaki Issin. I'm the doctor here at my clinic, my son brought you in last night, you were near death."He paused for a second taking in my expression.
My jaw had dropped and my eyes had widened to the size of dinner plates.
' KUROSAKI!' I mentally screamed. 'This has to be some sick joke. I think I've been thrown into some sick twisted world in my mind'
I noticed the confused twist in his face and closed my mouth as I blinked a few times.
"Do you remember how you got those wounds? He asked as I directed my gaze to the white bed sheets. He strode toward me and sat in the chair that had been next to my bed.
My eyes shot up from the bed sheets and found his face. Genuine concern was written across his facial features like a banner. I clenched my fists at my sides and returned my gaze to the blindingly white sheets as guilt shot through me like wild fire.
'I should be dead and Dave should be the one alive right now...' I thought.
My eyes began tear slightly at the mention of Dave.
I sighed heavily then winced as I realized my mistake.
"Shit" I cursed under my breath, the pain causing me to see stars. I swallowed thickly and answered his question.
"Sorry. I don't remember anything." I lied.
I didn't miss the suspicion that flashed in his too-knowing eyes, but refused to think past that. I suddenly just wanted to sleep.
Then out of nowhere a random line of thought cut through my pain like a knife
'How the hell am I able to understand Issin? Isn't he Japanese? And how the hell does he understand me?'
I mulled this over for a second before looking up at him asking.
"How are you able to understand me?"
He blinked a few times then responded hesitantly, the goofiest expression I had seen since he first stepped into the room lighting up his face.
"What do you mean? Your speaking perfect Japanese."
I scowled.
"No I'm not, your speaking English."
He laughed slightly.
"No you're responding in very fluent Japanese."
At this I paled significantly. This has to be some sick joke. The most I know of Japanese is counting and a few, few, select phrases that I picked up from the anime. This HAS to be some sick joke! I stared at Issin looking like a goldfish when the door suddenly opened revealing, the epitome of badass in my opinion, a very disgruntled Kurosaki Ichigo.
"Oi old man, what the hell are ya' doin!" he practically yelled.
Issin turned feigning hurt and cried out.
"Oh son you wound me! I was only checking on my dear beloved patient!"
He then jumped very comically toward Ichigo who snuffed him out with a left hook to the face. Issin crumpled to the ground holding his nose. I just started laughing. Not filled with my once usual mirth but a laugh all the same. It brought a smile to my face, seeing something that was so familiar to me, and having them have no idea that their lives were posted in a globally popular manga, the sick irony of it was just hysterical. Said 'strawberry' then trained his gaze on me just as I started to gasp in pain and laugh at the same time.
"Oi! Easy there." He called as he took a few long strides over to my bed to place a warm hand on my back. I tensed as I felt my stomach wound open.
"Shit." I muttered before I fell back exposing the darkening area of bandages.
Ichigo just displayed one of his trademark scowls before grabbing some bandages from the monitor cart I hadn't noticed and walking back over to me looking.. Dare I say it... Apprehensive? I just rolled my eyes.
"Just fix it. I'm not going to hit you Ichigo. Jeesh damn midget has you paranoid." I mumbled not looking at him but the white ceiling.
I noticed his guarded brown eyes widened significantly before he scowled harshly and gave ma a glare that literally yelled, 'You better explain everything later.' as he set to redressing my stomach wound.
I ended up griping the bed sheets and grinding my teeth together as waves of pain shot through my body while he very gently rewrapped the scarring tissue. Though not all the pain was physical. I was being assaulted on both sides. The still raw memories of my brother's death replaying through my mind. With out me realizing it hot tears began to slide their way down my pale cheeks guilt welling up in my chest.
"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry" I whispered.
Ichigo froze at hearing my words, his astonished gaze snapping over to my tear streaked face and softening slightly. He finished dressing the wound then took residence in the empty chair next to my bed. I lay there quietly willing my tears and memories away for the time being. I felt a warm large hand settle it self on my right-bandaged shoulder and tensed.
"What happened?" Ichigo asked softly.
I opened my eyes and turned my head to face him. He had a look of pain and understanding. I wanted to just tell him... scream to the heavens and curse who ever was up there. My family didn't deserve to die like they had. Then it hit me.
I was alone.
I gripped the bed sheets and turned away staring at the window that I hadn't known was there.
I heard him sigh heavily and take his hand off my shoulder.
"Tell me when you can okay?"
I didn't respond as I heard him walk out of the room into the hall and silently close the door. Tears fell anew when he left; the pain of loss destroyed my insides. I gripped the sheets tighter and silently cried my self to sleep.
A/N : THAT'S IT! Depressing I know but it gets better. 11 pages sheesh that a lot for me anyway. I seriously had trouble ending this chapter... oh well.
Please read and review! Or I shall send rabid bunnies of doom after you :D
EDIT: JULY 16, 2011
Some of this has been rewritten, and grammar has been checked. Sheesh, I had an aversion to comma's.