Chapter 1: Protection
She was the Red Dragon riding on horseback; her wings opened to the cold, stabbing air of the night. She was always dressed in black; black jeans, black leather jacket and black helmet on a black Harley Davidson. Only certain men knew what lethality rested underneath the black helmet, and only they would know the truth of the woman nick-named 'the Red Dragon'. Others knew her as an urban legend; a suspicious person whom they would not like to meet down a dark alley – lest they meet their demise – they knew not of the destruction and horror of a woman like her.
Those were the thoughts of Ichigo Kurosaki, as he rode on that very same bike, holding the waist of the Red Dragon who he'd heard of in the urban legend. He could quote word for word what Keigo told him every time they would see her as they walked home with their friends in the dead of the night, as the black motorcycle – the one he was currently riding – zoomed past suddenly.
Nobody knew where the start of such an urban legend began, or who created it, all they knew was that the Red Dragon should never, under any circumstances, be approached.
So why was Ichigo Kurosaki, a teenager who just wanted peace in his life, doing what he knew was the exact opposite?
The bike rode into the night, not quite silent, but the engine gave a soft roar that could only be achieved by a motorcycle expert, and even though Ichigo knew he should be at least a little concerned about his current situation; he wasn't. He felt oddly safe. It was unlike him, considering he was wearing any protective clothing or a helmet, oh and the fact that he's riding with the Red Dragon. He had no idea where the mysterious woman was taking him – she could just take him down a dark alley and slit his throat!
But then why did she save him back there?
That's the question Ichigo was asking himself; if she intended to harm him – why did she save him from being beaten up by a group of 20-30 odd thugs? Not that he wasn't able to handle himself if she hadn't come to his rescue; he could just go all Shinigami on their asses and be done with it…but instead she rode through the pack and ushered him to get on and rode off. The men surrounding him backed off in fear of the dark and dangerous woman.
The bike zig-zagged through the familiar streets of Karakura town, until finally coming to a stop outside of his house. Ichigo climbed off of the motorbike and faced the stranger.
"Thanks for the-" he was cut off, for she had sped off into the night. Ichigo watched as she faded into the darkness all-too-quickly, before he headed inside his house.
That night, Ichigo couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned, trying to wrap his head around the mysterious Red Dragon. She wasn't much of an urban legend, unlike some of the ones he knew as a child – she wasn't some psycho-murderer ghost. Her urban legend didn't speak of much, just the undeniable terror of what lay beyond the helmet. Some said she had no face, some said she had the face of the Open-Mouthed Woman. No-one really knew.
But then Ichigo thought; someone must know what lies beyond that mask. Someone must know who the Red Dragon really is and what she looks like.
Little did Ichigo know, the answer to his thoughts were closer to home than he could have ever predicted.
"Hey, Mizuiro," Ichigo began as he walked to school with Mizuiro the next day, "you heard of the Red Dragon?"
"Of course I have! Everyone has! You can't be a citizen of Karakura town and not know about the Red Dragon!" his friend laughed in response.
"Yeah, well, have you ever wondered what she looks like?" Ichigo asked.
"Yeah, everyone wants to know. But why the sudden interest?"
Ichigo shrugged, thinking about telling Mizuiro about what he saw last night but decided against it. "I dunno."
"Some people say she's the Open-Mouthed woman, but I highly doubt that – the Red Dragon doesn't wear a trench coat, unless the Open-Mouthed woman suddenly decided to upgrade to a leather jacket and an awesome motorcycle." Mizuiro said.
"Yeah, I highly doubt those two urban legends are related in anyway other than that they're women. But do you ever wonder why the Red Dragon's called the Red Dragon?" Ichigo asked.
"I heard it was because this one guy that really pissed her off saw some sort of demonic aura that looked like a Red Dragon and that's how she got the name."
"What was she called before?"
"No one knows. The guy that started the Red Dragon legend was the same guy that pissed her off, apparently."
"Are you two talking about that urban legend?" Uryu asked, as he approached. He pushed his glasses up in what Ichigo calls 'that obnoxious way of his'.
"Yeah, what's your opinion on it?" Mizuiro asked.
"If I had an opinion, I'm fairly sure she'd kill me for it." Uryu chuckled.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ichigo asked.
"Nothing." Uryu pushed his glasses up again.
As Ichigo was training with the football team, Karakura High was raided by the gang from yesterday. They stood by the gates, refusing anyone to leave until they had Ichigo Kurosaki's head.
"Why does this feel like Déjà vu?" he sighed, Uryu and Chad were on the scene as well.
"Well, well, well – Kurosaki!" the 'man' who Ichigo assumed to be the leader stepped forward, "Did you really think that just 'coz the Red Dragon saved your pathetic ass yesterday, we'd give up like that? And if you're hoping for the Urban Legend to show up, I doubt she would – she only turns up at night!" he roared with laughter, as did his gang.
"I don't need an Urban Legend to save my ass; I would've been fine without her stepping in." Ichigo replied.
"You met the Red Dragon?" Uryu asked.
"Yeah, long story." Ichigo replied.
"You're a cocky strawberry, ain't ya?! Big talk for someone without a gang, or weapons." He grinned, brandishing a small pocket-knife.
"You're a cocky idiot; big talk for someone without a brain!" a female voice yelled from behind Ichigo.
The voice belonged to a girl in the year bellow him; Kasai Ryunosuke. She was a punk with flaming red hair, who wore black spikes in her ear lobes, with smaller black spikes running up her right ear. Kasai was actually the same age as Ichigo, but because she had missed so much school she had been forced to repeat the year. She was fairly petite, and wore the regular Karakura Uniform, but with her sleeves rolled up, and she wore black, fishnet tights instead of socks and a pair of black, lace-up boots on your feet.
"Who do you think you are, little bitch?! Talking down to me like that!" the leader roared, but his speech fell upon deaf ears, for she let out a battle cry and kicked him in the stomach – sending him flying into his gang.
"Thanks, Kasai-san, but you don't need to get involved." Ichigo told the seething red head.
"It's no biggie," she replied, smirking at him, "I owe you, after all." She winked, as she headed into the mass of gang members, along with Ichigo, Chad and Uryu. Between the four of them, they got rid of them all.
"Well that was fun." She said, watching the last few run away.
"Not really." Ichigo sighed.
"Kasai-san, why did you join in?" Uryu asked.
"Oh, I owe Ichigo from when he saved my ass this one time." She told him.
"You're a good fighter." Ichigo praised the punk-girl.
"Thanks, years of practice." She laughed.
"Ryunosuke! Where've you been?!" one of the teachers yelled at the redhead.
"Crap, I forgot I was supposed to be in detention." She slapped her forehead.
"How do you forget that?" Uryu asked.
"I'm a ninja, anyway, catch you dorks later!" She called over her shoulder as she ran to the teacher.
"AT LEAST WE DORKS AREN'T BEING HELD BACK A YEAR!" Ichigo yelled.
"GET LOST, DORK-BERRY!"
Kasai enjoyed banter with Ichigo; it was one of the only things keeping her sane. Kasai and Ichigo had been friends for a good few years, and she remembered first meeting him at the Graveyard when they were both ten years old; he was standing in front of his Mother's grave, as she walked away from cleaning the graves of her own parents. After that, they both became friends – she protected him from bullies for the most part, but eventually Ichigo became stronger than Kasai and their roles reversed as she started to get beaten up by various people.
And then they both turned fourteen, and everything changed.
Kasai had been on the path of delinquency for a long time, it was in the blood of her wretched father after all, and eventually she joined a gang. Kasai found the gang-life was quite fun, but she strayed away from Ichigo as she started missing more and more school, and then he started missing loads as well, and she had feared he'd joined the gang life, but he hadn't.
He'd joined a much darker, bloodier and more dangerous life; the life of a Shinigami.
Now, how was Kasai supposed to protect the boy she loved from that?