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Title: Voices I See, People I Hear (aka Urban Bleach)

Rating: T- M

Characters: Kurosaki Ichigo, Hitsugaya Toushirou

Parings: Hitsu x Ruki x Bya triangle, Ichi/??? Ren/???

Genre: Supernatural/Horror/Psycological

Guest Character: Yuuko Ichihara from "xxxholic" and "Tsubasa Chronicles"

OC: Wendy Sager

"In this world there are different dimensions, different existences, worlds if you would like to call them, living side-by-side with each other. Either side will never know it while only a select few, such as myself, keep such a dangerous truth a secret. I'm sure you all know of a certain shiningami substitute working with the reapers of the dead… but let me tell you of another Strawberry whose existence has never been told…

He lives in a Karakura that is riddled with crime, overcrowded with people. All of the reapers you many recognize are merely average human beings performing their day-to-day duties… out on the outskirts of this Karakura is a prison…

In the mist of finding a new home I stumbled upon this city and looking about I've conveniently found a place to set up my shop, I immediately knew that all this was hitsuzen"

A woman of long black hair sat on the floor of an abandoned store staring down into a strange mirror. The surface was tangible like water ripping as her fingertips trailed around in circles.

"Kurosaki Ichigo. 16 yrs old. BOD July 15… Cancer… He's a protecter, as expected from his western sign… at age seven he wandered into an old house on Halloween night while trick-or-treating… it was haunted by a certain spirit, and his mother saved him at the cost of her own life…

It seems like this created a guilt which he secretly carried for many years… Mmm, it has only gotten worse. Now he's lost the rest of his family in a train accident. So now he lives with an old classmate that drop out of high school his senior year… Renji… 19 yrs old… well it seems that's all I can get for now…"

The mirror hardened to its original surface and the reflection returned to normal. The witch closed her eyes and fell into deep thought.

"Why am I here? Indeed, what caused me to chase the whereabouts of this boy in a world where I don't belong? Who knows, fate enjoys playing games… But what I do know, is that this story must be told, will you dear reader, be kind enough to listen?"

VOICES I SEE, PEOPLE I HEAR

-An Urban Bleach Tale-

Chapter one: Escaping

"Ah! That's my boy! That's my boy! Hitting it with the ladies, eh? That's my boy!"

"Argh, shut up dad…"

Walking home from school, Ichigo took the alleys and the shady streets of town. He walked with his back hunched, chugging his invisible load of sadness, guilt and misery.

"Ichi-nii! Guess what?! I got a hundred on my math test!"

"That's great Yuzu!"

"Alright, my baby's got brains! Let's celebrate! Yeah!"

"Dad, quit making such a fuss, sheesh…"

"Karin's right, do you always have to make a big deal outta everything?"

"Ahhh, shield me Yuzu! They're going against me…" *sniff, sniff*

"Tch, damnit, damnit, damnit." He shook his head. It was getting harder and harder to pretend to everybody else that everything was alright.

The coach told me to sit out for the rest of the game, I felt awful—I wanted to punch the lights outta him!"

It was 4:30 yet everything seemed dim and somewhat dark. The pigeons huddled on the street floor maneuvering around Ichigo's footsteps and wide strides. He could of taken the train but the subway train system was still closed. Even if it was running, he would of never taken it. He kept walking and turned left, right, another right and then a left, entering a less public, less populated area. Old apartments, empty abandoned stores, bars and clubs littered those streets. The smell of cigarette smoke was thick, a scent he was getting used to.

It was only three weeks ago. He out of school. Friday. His goofy father had already planned a "family day" at this new amusement park that opened up in a neighboring town. He made reservations at a hotel close by. Last week of August, last fun of the summer.

"I'll meet ya at the train station." Ichigo told his father, "Gotta pick up some money Renji owes me."

Isshin frown, "Well alright, we'll meet you there—hey! You can bring him along too!"

"No, dad," he sighed.

"Aw, why not? He's practically family, and he's a huge fan of Yuzu's cooking!"

"Yeah, Ichi-nii!" chimed Karin, "I wanna see him barf at the rollercoasters!" Yuzu giggled.

"Alright—jeeze what a pain." He thought out loud, immediately knowing in his heart that Renji would never refuse such an offer.

He called Renji out on his cell and met up with him fifteen minutes later on the main street shopping district.

"Yo, here," Renji passed him a hundred-fifty dollars. He was wearing his usual bandana and a tank top around his neck leaving his chest and back exposed. His half finished tattoo was glistening a vivid black. His skin somewhat pink from irritation. Just a few more visits to Shuuhei's tattoo parlor would finish off what Renji called his "masterpiece".

"You better keep your shirt on in front of Yuzu and Karin—you got that?"

"Yeah, yeah…" replied Renji with a wave of his hand.

The two best friends walked up to the entrance of the subway after crossing some streets. Numerous people deathly frightened ran up the steps, running out, running away.

"There's been an accident!" Renji and Ichigo heard a person say. They both dashed down crashing against the current of paranoid people. They both made their way through, jumping over the pay booths and down the flights of stairs.

What they saw was horrific. Two trains collided against each other. It seemed after the head on crash; one of the trains slid on its side and glided over on the platform taking people with it.

Ichigo froze, his body immobilized.

Maybe they left, maybe they're outside. Maybe they ran out like everybody else. They can't be here, they can't be…"

"Mr. Kurosaki!" hearing Renji's voice caused him to snap out of it, "Mr. Kurosaaaaakiiii!" Renji called out once more.

"I'm…he…re…" called a struggling voice.

"Dad! Daad!" Ichigo shouted while racing towards him.

Isshin Kurosaki's body was pinned underneath the wrecked debris of the train. The only thing visible of him was from the chest up. Blood oozed from beneath the crushed metal parts.

"For…get…bout…me…Yu…zu…Ka…rin…"

"Eyaa!!!"

Ichigo and Renji looked up and saw Karin fall down into the train tracks.

"KARIN!!!" Ichigo boomed.

"Go after them," Renji ordered, "I'll get your father outta here!"

Something caught on fire. Everything exploded.

He just can't over it, just can't. It was his fault and he knew it, because years ago, he promised to follow that girl and then backed off. He backed off and she took his mother—he backed off again and this time she took the rest of his family.

He made it to Renji's apartment. He felt someone stare and he turned his head around. There was a man on the gaping entrance of a dark alleyway across the street. His clothes, old, torn. His skin was a dirty paled grey, peeling at certain places, with a face that was half-gone. The intact side of his half-gone face contained an empty eye socket. He opened his mouth slowly, blood drooling out between his teeth.

"GAAAHHHH..."

Ichigo stared at him for what seemed like an eternity. Those things, they're not real. It's something that I can see, but it doesn't exist. It doesn't exist. It doesn't exist. It doesn't exist. It doesn't—

"GAAAAAHHHH……" the man was walking towards the curb. He was crossing the street. Ichigo fumbled for his keys. The man was getting closer.

"Damnit!" after pulling the keys from his pocket his trembling fingers caused him to drop it.

"MAAHH…MAAAHHHSSS…TTEEERRR"

Opening the door, Ichigo slammed it into his face, and dashed up the steps.

That's why, that's why I've decided to move out. I've could of lived by myself at the house. But why would I? When everything reminds me of them? When those strange monsters and ghosts will come knocking at my door in the dead of night…

He opened the door to the apartment and walked in. Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief. He settled his backpack down and flicked on the switch. The place was a mess. He found a note on the refrigerator.

Ichigo,

There's take-out on the stove. Gonna be out late again. Don't wait up.

-Renji-

Pulling the note from the fridge he crumpled it up in his hands.

"He's always out late," he mumbled, "What the hell is he up to?"

He went inside his room, which was supposed to be a living room. Renji put up curtains for a door and bought racks to hand his clothes on.

Dropping on his bed, he slowly closed his eyes to take a quick nap.

END CHAPTER

Notes

Hitsuzen – A naturally foreordained event. A state in which other outcomes are impossible. A result which can only be obtained by a single causality and all other causalities would necessarily create different results