(Sorry I haven't been able to post any stories lately, life and all. But I just read some reviews. At first, I was worried that I would get chewed out by some guy, saying that my stories aren't any good, or that I messed up with a fact in my Star Wars story - BTW, the way the Padawans get their lightsabers in the story will be explained later in the plot and story of it. It sure was a pleasant surprise to see all positive!
I'll be sure and make a next chapter of Star Wars soon, since more people seem to like that. In the meantime, there's a Bleach story from me! Enjoy!)
Chapter One:
Hunting Past
A battlefield of grass...
Swords Clash...
Roars Echoes...
Sparks Fly...
Cries are Heard...
Blood Pours...
Two warriors stands face to face, blades locked...
Wind Roars...
Screams cry...
A longing voice...
A woman's cry for her man...
A shining blade pierces a body...
Spinning... spinning.... spinning in a abyss...
Words... a chat... echos...
"Bless me, with the
Leaf off of the Tree
On it, I see
The Freedom Reign
We are, falling
The Light is calling
Tears inside me
Calm me down..."
"Son of a bitch!"
A man shot up from bed, looking like he was 18, maybe younger, shirtless and covered with sweat. He blinked, looking around in his room. He was in a small apartment, messy with empty junk food wrappers and dirty clothes. His bed wasn't on a frame, yet had sheets on it. There was a desk with a small stack of bills on top of it (along with a empty box of pizza from the other night). There was only one window and a door which lead outside, along with another door which lead to a bathroom...
The man sighed, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and rested his elbows on them.
"Same damn dream..."
He stood up, stretching. He was fairly skinny with some muscle on him. He had pure black hair that was long enough to cover his eyes if he didn't comb it. He had sea green eyes, which stood out because of his hair. He ran a hand through his hair, walking to he bathroom wearing nothing but his boxers.
After 30 minutes, he walked out of the bathroom, just taken a shower. He ran a comb back through his wet hair, making him look different after he put his clothes on. He wore baggy blue jeans, wearing a belt so they wouldn't slip down, and a black shirt with long sleeves. Over the shirt he had a silver puffy vest.
Since it's getting cold out side...
He grabbed a key and walked out of his door, then locked it. He was in front of a fairly large two story building, full of door, each leading to another apartment. His was on the first floor, which he preferred.
"Hey, Zack!"
The man turned to see another man, who was in his late 40s, wearing old jeans and a sleeveless shirt.
"Where's my rent?"
Zack scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Sorry, I don't have it right now, but I should be getting my paycheck, so I should have the money either later tonight or early tomorrow."
He began to jog away down a path. The area he was in was much like a regular living area (like Ichigo's), with houses next to one another with high walls that stood all around each house and for the paths.
"I promise!"
The man sighed, watching Zack run down the path, then turned around, mumbling to himself.
About ten minutes later, Zack was walking around an area full of shops, crowded with people. He had his hands in his pockets, silent as he watched the crowds of students and mothers with their children walk about, bags full of groceries. He stopped as he watched a mother and a child in front of a toy store. The child was crying, wanting an expensive toy that was on sale in the shop. He watched as the mother tried to calm the kid down. As he watched, his mind wondered...
How long have I been here? How long has it been since.... since then...
He turned away and continued to walk, his eyes set on the ground now. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice... one which he would have never have guessed he would ear here...
"Ichigo! This way!"
Zack's eyes grew wide as he sharply turned to the top of a building to his right, on the other side of the street. He was Rukia in her Shinigami form, running across the roof tops, holding a cell phone in her hand. Behind her was a boy with a large sword on his back, having orange, spiky hair.... Zack's gawked.
"Ru.... Ruki....a?"
He scowled, looking away as they disappeared. He wasn't one... at least, not any more.... It wasn't his problem, so why think about it?
Besides... her family did this to me...
He walked on... he wasn't like he could DO anything anyway...
Later on...
Zack was on his back, laying on a board with wheels on it. He was under a car, trying to replace a pipe.
"One more twist... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand.... there."
He rolled himself out from under the car and sat up. He wiped his face, getting some grease off of his cheek. He looked around, and saw his boss with a smirk on his face. Zack just grinned back. He know that, once he gets a job, he makes sure he gets it done right.
"Sir, it's done. Gill can drive it out back now."
A girl came out from behind a door. She wore a auto shop jumpsuit, but had the front of the suit zipped open, having a sports bra under it. He had long, blonde hair with soft blue eyes. She was exactly 16 year old.
"Yes sir!"
She skipped out and got in the car. She hummed as she pushed the key in and drove the car away. Zack chuckled as he stood up and walked over to his boss. He was completely bald, yet looked like he was in his early 30s. He was completely buff, his clothes barely able to hold from his muscles.
"Good work, Zack. Here."
He reached in his pocket and gave him a piece of paper, folded up.
"Your paycheck. And... I added a bit extra for your hard work."
Zack blinked, then smiled.
"Thanks, boss."
He turned to the clock... the sun was down and it was getting late.
"Sorry, I got to go! I need to cash in so I can pay my rent The Landlord will probably have my head if I don't pay him."
His boss nodded, his arms crossed. Zack could have swore he heard his boss's shirt rip a little.
"Well... I'll see you tomorrow."
With that, Zack walked out of the garage, his hands in his pockets. As he walked, his mind wondered, as it usually did...
At least work gave me some time to think...
He stopped by a river on the path 20 minutes later to look up at the moon, which was full that night. His eyes were full of the moon's light...
"80 years..."
He closed his eyes... his memories coming to hunt him once again...
The roar of the crowd...
The boos from his peers...
Being alone...
Without someone to hold...
A sword, taken away...
His power, locked away...
As a hammer falls...
Declaring his doom...
Thrown into an abyss...
Banished by those he trusted...
Words echoes from his heart and soul...
"Midnight calling
Mist of resolving
Crown me, with the
Pure Green Leaf"
Zack had never gotten what those words were... but had a feeling that the last part, at least the part he knew by heart and not by his memories, was connected... He gave a small smirk, remembering what would happen when he said those special words...Now though, he was powerless... no matter what he does, or how much he regrets, he can never have it again...
He started, his thoughts interrupted by a scream. He turned around as fast as he could, alert. He saw a busty woman with long, orange hair, running down a path about 50 feet from where he was. She kept on running... as if something was after her. That was when he noticed giant foot prints that were stomping after her... Zack turned back around and continued on his way, his hands in the pockets of his vests.
It's not my problem...
The woman stopped and looked like she picked up a few people that tripped, people that he couldn't see... Zack scowled to himself.
I can't do anything, anyway...
There was a loud explosion, a giant ditch forming in between the woman and whatever was chasing her, dust in the air... Zack's fists tightened in his vest, baring his teeth.
There's nothing I can do...
The woman stumbled back, staring up as if something so tall, it looked like it could reach the sky, was there in front of her.
There's nothing.... nothing.............. nothing..............................................
He spun around and dashed to the woman.
"DAMN IT TO HEEEEELL!!!!"
He scooped her up and jumped over the ditch within a few seconds. After he did, an explosion shot down where they were, causing Zack and the woman to be blown away into nearby woods. They rolled in the trees, Zack holding the woman close, until they slowly came to a stop. He slowly sat up, his head spinning.
"That... sucked...."
He blinked, trying to clear his head. He dizzly turned the to orange haired woman, seeing her just as dizzy.
".... S'up....."
She turned to him, holding her head with her hands.
"Oh.... hi!.... Oh no! The children!"
She slowly got to her feet and ran to the edge of the woods, hiding behind a tree. She gasped, horror on her face. Zack blinked, then he understood, getting up and walking toward her.
"........ You were trying to save a group of children's souls, weren't you?"
She slowly turned to him, gulping. The giant thing, still invisible, seemed to be just standing there mindlessly...
"Y-yes... you can see them, too? What... happened to them?"
Zack stared out to the ditches, his face blank.
"....... I used to be able to........ not any more... tell me, the monster that attacked you and them, is it a Menos, gillian class?"
The woman gave a nod, looking down at the ground.
".... I was too weak to save them..."
"N-no, no!"
Zack placed a hand on her shoulder, hiding behind the tree with the woman just in case the Menos looked their way.
"There's not a lot of people that can stand up against a Meno class Hollow and up."
The woman started, looking up at him in shock.
"You... know all about them?"
"Yep, I do... I sure do...."
Zack was silent for a moment, then sighed.
"So, what's your name?"
The woman sighed, too, leaning against the tree.
"Orihime, Orihime Inoue...."
Zack peered out from behind the tree... he saw what looked like a skyscraper tall swirl of air... he stared out at it, knowing that it was the gillian.... but....
How... how can I even see THAT?...
He gulped, nibbling on his bottom lip, a force a habit of his when he's thinking or annoyed.
Could it be... could my... no, that's impossible, they were locked away since.... THEN....
An unknown voice rang through his mind, one he had never heard before.
Well, if it's locked, then shall we UNlock it?
Zack blinked, confusion on his face.
Wh-wha... who's there!?
There wasn't an answer... he nibbled on his lip again, then nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt Orihime poke his face.
"Hey, you alright?"
Zack placed a hand over his chest, chuckling a bit.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking..."
Orihime crossed her arms, thinking.
"You don't need a life preserver, do you?"
Zack gave a few blinks, slowly turning his head toward her.
"What?"
They suddenly heard an unearthly wail, echoing throughout the area. Orihime looked out, her eyes growing wide.
"Oh no! It saw us!"
Zack scowled, grabbing her wrist.
"Then we need to move, NOW."
Giant foot steps began to walk closer to them, signaling Zack to run, leading Orihime behind him through the woods. The gillian gave another wail as it got closer and closer, crushing the trees under its feet like they were nothing. Orihime gave a smile, looking up. She stopped, which strangely forced Zack to stop, nearly making his feet fly up in front of him.
"Ichigo!"
Zack turned to her, gaining his balance back.
"Ichi... who?"
He looked up... and saw the same orange haired boy from earlier that day... and right behind him... was Rukia... Zack's fists tightened, his eyes locked on her.
"Rukia..."
He let go of Orihime's wrist, seeing Ichigo, apparently, easily slice down through the gillian, killing it in one fell swoop. He was taken back from this.
"He... killed a gillian... with a single strike?"
From what he recalled, only Vice Captains and up could kill a gillian with a single attack... has he really been gone for so long that things have changed so much. His thoughts were broken when he noticed Orihime running toward Ichigo, who was slowly floating to the ground. Rukia was already there, not even having to do anything. Anger flared in Zack's heart, his eyes tightly closed.
How!? How could she look so calm... so... so...
His eyes shot open, a tear running down his face.
Why has fate cursed me so!?!?
You aren't cursed... just... unlucky.
Zack glared forward, staying silent.
So... I think I will unlock your powers for you. After all, what happened to you wasn't right, at least, not to me.
He looked up, confused... how could this... voice... restore him? And just like that? Without anything in return?
He suddenly gave a gasp, a beam of silver light shooting through his heart from behind him. His eyes were wide and his mouth was wide, lifted off his feet from it. He would have landed face first on the ground... when a man in a silver cloak appeared in front of him, a hood over his head, placing a hand over Zack's heart and chest. That just gave him enough support to let him stay on his feet. He looked down at the man's hand... seeing something silver... his arms... they were...
".... Me.... tal....?"
The man gave a smirk, his silver eyes shining down on Zack kindly. Zack gave a cringe, something that looked like a keyhole appearing on his chest, then a sound, as if a lock was unlocked, was heard. As soon as that was heard, energy rushed through his body... the power that was once locked away... was now unlocked, spreading throughout his body, where it once was.
Zack took a few steps back, panting as he looked down at the ground. His hair was messed up, but a smile crept on to his face as he caught his breath. He stood straight up and started to walk toward Ichigo, Rukia, and Orihime. As he walked past the man in silver, he spoke.
"Thank you... you have no idea how long I've been stuck..."
The man gave a nod, slowly disappearing in a cloud of dust, lifting off to the sky. Zack gave no notice to the oddity of this as he walked toward the edge of the woods, his right hand out a bit as he began. His voice echoed unnaturally in the area, as if there were more then one of him, faint...
"Bless me with the
Leaf off of the Tree
On it, I see
The Freedom's reign..."
Rukia quickly turned, seeing Zack coming into view. Her eyes grew wide.
"You.... you can't be..."
Ichigo turned to Rukia, his sword on his shoulder.
"Huh? You know him?"
Zack's smile grew wider as he continued.
"We are falling
The light is calling
Tears inside me
Calm me down..."
Rukia turned sharply to Ichigo, panic clear on her face.... this threw Ichigo off, rarely ever seeing her like this.
"Ichigo! We got to stop his chant!"
He turned to Zack, his zanpakuto at his side.
"Why? Rukia-"
"ICHIGO! There's no time to explain!"
Zack chuckled, his spiritual pressure filling the air easily.
"Midnight calling
Mist of resolving
Crown me with the-"
Ichigo dashed forward and slashed down on Zack... shock was on Ichigo's face, his eyes wide as he saw Zack, blocking his blade with his left index finger. Zack kept the smile on his face, staring straight at Ichigo.
"Pure green leaf..."
Zack was erupted in a column of energy, sending Ichigo flying back. Orihime and Rukia turned and watch Ichigo fly off, then Rukia slowly looked back to Zack, her eyes shaking...
Zack was wearing Shinigami clothing, black robes. He had what looked like bone armor on his right shoulder, as a shoulder plate, which had a small spike on it. Instead of sandals, like other Shinigami wore, he wore metal boots, the main color of them dark bronze while the lining of them were tan. On his neck was a blood red scarf, which went down to his back, but gave a flutter to his side when the wind picked up. On his side was a zanpakuto, the sheath the blackest of black, while the handle had a dark purple cloth that went around it. Zack's hair was completely down, making him look like how he looked before he pulled his hair back.
Zack gave a smile, looking directly at Rukia.
"Did you miss me... Rukia?"
End of Chapter One