A/N: Hello, and welcome to my newest IchiHime story! I feel like I'm saying that a lot lately, but I swear these things are just rolling out of me like there's no tomorrow! LOL Anyway, just some necessary note(s) in terms of canon-usage: partly because I know really nothing about the 'fullbring' story, I'm saying this is (essentially) canon up through Aizen's defeat. But (spoiler alert?) Ichigo did not lose his Soul Reaper powers after the final fight – he just returned to his 'normal' state, if you will. I hope that makes sense, but please feel free to ask for any clarification if you need it! And, lastly, please forgive any/all OOCness and/or minor errors – both are bound to happen at some point.
Warning: I struggled with whether or not to label this a Romance/Tragedy, and I'll tell you right now, the only reason I didn't is because when I think of a 'tragedy' I think of sad endings. I ask that you please give this story a chance – it will be emotional in the beginning, but it will also get happier, I promise!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in any way, but it'd be nice if you'd let me dream once in a while…
After Life
Prologue – The End
It was late, and it was raining. Karakura Town hadn't seen a rainstorm this hard in years, and no one was leaving their homes unless it was absolutely necessary. Unfortunately for Ichigo Kurosaki, eighteen year-old Substitute Soul Reaper and soon-to-be high school graduate, his friends had a unique definition of 'necessary.'
Ichigo hunched his shoulders a bit more, his head bowed in an effort to keep the rain from pelting directly into his eyes, as he made his way home. "That idiot," he grumbled, remembering why it was that he was out in this downpour in the first place.
Violent buzzing on the desktop beside him yanked the orange-haired teenager out of his reverie, directing his attention to his ringing cell phone. With a sigh, he put down the pencil he'd been holding (he hadn't actually been focused on his homework anyway), and reached over to pick it up.
"Yeah?" he asked, glancing at the clock. It was mid-evening; not exactly a common time of night for a regular call.
"Ichigooo! Buddy!" Keigo Asano's voice cried exaggeratedly on the other end of the line.
Reaching up with his free right hand, Ichigo massaged his temple and let his eyes shut. "What's up, Keigo?" he asked, managing to keep the hesitation out of his voice. Why do I have a bad feeling about this?
"Well, I know it's a little late, but I need a favor…pretty please?" Keigo was hedging, and Ichigo's bad feeling was getting bigger.
"Just spit it out," he instructed, leaning back in his desk chair and waiting impatiently for his friend to continue.
"Well, you see," Keigo began, before blurting the rest out as quickly as possible. "I've been out most of the day working on that project with my group, and I just got home a few minutes ago, and I kind of seem to have locked myself out. I don't exactly have the number for any locksmith's, so I was wondering if you'd mind maybe coming over and, um, kicking the door in or something?"
Ichigo couldn't help but glare, slightly dumbfounded, at his phone. After a long minute, he said slowly, "Let me get this straight. You want me to come over, in the middle of this fucking monsoon, so that I can kick down your door?"
Keigo laughed awkwardly. "Yep, that about sums it up!"
"Why not just go to a hotel or something for the night? They'll have a directory so you can call a locksmith in the morning," Ichigo argued, trying (in vain) to reason with his obnoxious friend.
"I would," Keigo assured him, "I totally would, but…I don't actually have any money on me, either. Pleeeeeaaaassseeee Ichigo, I'm soaking wet and freezing my butt off!"
Ichigo growled under his breath. He knew he was going to do it, because he was physically incapable of turning his back on a friend in need, but he was still angry about it. "Alright," he relented with a grunt. "I'm on my way. But why the hell didn't you call Chad?"
"Oh, thanks so much!" Keigo exclaimed, before calming down and adding, "Actually, I did. But he didn't answer his phone."
Of course he didn't, he has more sense than me, Ichigo groused silently. "I'll be there soon." Without waiting for Keigo's response, Ichigo flipped the phone closed and pushed himself to his feet. Water-proof raincoat or not, he was going to get soaked.
He was more than half-way home now, and he knew he was going to have to soak in a hot shower if he wanted to have any hope of getting out of this without getting sick.
"If you get sick, you could call Orihime over…I'm sure she'd love to take care of you."
Grinding his teeth at the unwelcome suggestion, Ichigo thought back, "Shut up. And stop thinking about Orihime."
"I would," his hollow responded with a taunting laugh, "but it's kind of hard, seeing as how I'm a part of you, Kingy."
"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"
All he got in response was echoing laughter as his hollow faded back, leaving him alone with his thoughts once more.
Grumbling under his breath, Ichigo shook his head faintly – succeeding only in causing more raindrops to fall from the edge of his hood and splatter across his face – as he jogged quickly across the dark street.
It was nearly impossible to distinguish the splashing of the pounding rain hitting the asphalt from the splashing of the sporadic traffic, and distracted as he was by his hollow, Ichigo never lifted his head to check and make sure that no cars were turning the corner before he started across.
Brown eyes widened a split-second before he realized that he was about to be hit, and he rolled, in a futile attempt to minimize his injuries. Pain seared through him as he hit the ground, dirty water splashing up into his face, and he barely recognized the pain, or weight, of the vehicle as it drove over his body. He was already being swallowed up by the familiar sensation of losing consciousness, when another familiar feeling surged, and he found himself rolling out of his body.
He was still consumed by an all-encompassing pain, even as his subconscious realized that he was in his Soul Reaper form now. He could barely breathe, and he felt…like he had been run over by a speeding truck. Face down on the cold, wet asphalt, Ichigo managed to shift his head enough to look over and assess the damage to his body. The sight made him want to puke.
As his vision swam, his injuries still too great for him to ignore, a startling realization had him falling almost-willingly into unconsciousness.
I…I'm dead….
To Be Continued…
A/N: Yes, a very short prologue, but I felt it was the best place to end the beginning of my story. If that makes sense…LOL Anyway, I hope it's caught your interest, and please continue reading! (Oh, and, if you could be so kind, maybe you could drop me a review?)
