IT'S FINALLY HERE! Welcome back, faithful readers (and welcome new readers – looking forwards to getting to know you)! Thank you so much for being patient with me and I hope you all missed me! ;) I'm so excited about this story – except, there is one slight issue I am facing… I have been debating how to write this story. There is a lot I want to put in it, but I have no idea how to write it all or if it will match up to The Boy With Black Hair And Amber Eyes. I am really hoping that you guys will help me out with this a lot because I really need your help! I've played with a few ideas and here's how I think it's going to work, but I absolutely need your feedback or it may end up being written in a way you won't like! Please read my author's note at the bottom for a better explanation
Anyway, please, other than all this negativity, I am so very looking forwards to The Girl With The White Mask and I hope you are too! Enjoy!
Change, an interesting concept, is a process that occurs to everybody whether or not they wish it to be so.
It is the term used to describe the positive, negative and neutral development of an individual or a place. Change can destroy, build, improve, degrade, cause progression or regression and the list just goes on and on.
Change is a very heavy topic, indeed.
A lot can change in just a few years.
For example, a family of three could multiply into a family of say… six? Where this family of three may have originally been considered as perhaps reckless… impulsive and inexperienced in practically all areas that were vital to ensuring a successful, happy life for the individuals, change had interjected and decided that instead, said family would gain incredible power, unstoppable yet silent authority and perhaps the most well-known, idolised family throughout the entire Soul Society.
But what was it that caused them to be so… untouchable?
It was obvious that each member seemed to have a distinct aura about them, radiating lethality.
They were deadly.
The father, insanely tall and muscular, hair as bright as the sun and his eyes as amber as stones, was not covertly dangerous in the slightest. It was clear to see that he was the last shinigami in existence that one would wish to pick a fight with.
But at second glance, it could have been argued with equal justification that his wife, a petite woman with pleasant curves, hair as black as midnight and eyes subjective to change from vivid violet to inky blue, could have possibly been the most frightening out of the two.
His skin was tinged with a light golden tan, yet hers was as white and soft as linen.
Perhaps it was because her husband was so obviously intimidating why she was actually the most terrifying. She was quite possibly a perfect example of the old theory: 'watch out for the quiet ones'.
The differences between the two were almost too obvious that they appeared practically coordinated. It was as if somebody had selected them to appear so differently on the outside, just to conceal the powerful connection they shared on the inside.
However, once the initial impression of their striking appearance subsided, one would begin to see that there was more to this couple than met the eye. Aside from the prominently attractive differences the Captain and Lieutenant had, they also were so similar, it was incredibly frightening.
Both were completely stubborn, hot-tempered and dangerous, but both so consumed with such a burning passion for the other that it was virtually impossible to be near them and not experience a fragment of the devout devotion they shared for each other. It was apparent to all those who knew them, that their love was the definition of power.
The reason they were so supreme was because of their tightly binding love.
… As well as the fact that they were both incomparably physically strong…
But how their love was so obvious was not due to their actions; it wasn't as though they flung themselves all over the place, making love in public or anything.
…Or at least not very often.
It was in their tiny, concise movements that their love was proclaimed to the rest of the world.
For example, each gesture they made appeared so synchronised or rehearsed, it was like a production. In public, they would walk, never anything more than three inches between them, their hands almost brushing, but never touching; and even though they generally remained silent, every so often a smile so small it could have been passed off as a lip twitch, gently tugged at the corners of their lips – almost as if they had just shared a private, telepathic joke. Or occasionally, much to the delight of onlookers, his lips would part, just for a brief moment, but following this, her cheeks may colour violently. He could provoke a heavy blush to form on her pale cheeks by uttering one, simple word.
That, in a nutshell, was power.
Their back story was well known, but never told by them – so the rest of the Soul Society wondered just how much of it was actually true. Parts of their tale had been offered by those who knew the couple before they became a 'couple'.
One thing was for certain; she was of the noble house of Kuchiki – the top of the top.
He was a mere mortal – the lowest of the low.
Again, both totally opposite.
But by some stroke of luck, fate, or destiny, their paths crossed.
She saved him and his family, but in the process, lost all her powers when she transferred them onto him so he could become a substitute shinigami.
This, of course, was illegal.
Therefore, her own people sentenced her to death.
After losing his temporary strength, due to an unforeseen attack by her brother, he worked as hard as he could to awaken his own true power.
Rumours had been spread, some true, some false – it was impossible to get the couple to talk about it.
Either way, it was clear that he had more than just risked his life to save her by defeating Seretei's most powerful figureheads and then teaming up with some of them to eventually destroy the traitorous scum who had put everybody's existence at risk with his own bloodthirsty desire for power.
The two had been separated on several occasions, battled Hollows, Bounts, Rogue Shinigami, Arrancars and countless other species side by side – and most likely each other, at some point.
But no matter what, they seemed to return to each other, whether of their own accord, or by some higher power.
He battled her brother, the head Captain, fought against the law and broke all the rules… at least twice.
But he did it all for her.
Everything.
And equally, she would have done the exact same for him – except, he just reckoned it was her that attracted the trouble and it always had to be him to get her out of the mess!
That would usually earn him a slap.
But, as gripping as their past was, what they really wanted to know was, between the missions and the separations, what really happened?
Some said she attended his school – a mortal's school.
Others had heard his own Father was a shinigami, himself.
Some believable, others not so.
But never could the public imagine that the rumour about where she slept be accepted.
It was a ridiculous idea.
Her brother wouldn't have allowed it, anyway.
Out of all the places to live… why the hell would she choose his closet?
But, aside from the Captain and Lieutenant of one of the most powerful squads in the Soul Society, a different attraction from others in their vicinity was focused on the children.
Yes, the Kurosaki children.
It was impossible to overlook them.
Their faces were so uniquely beautiful, that one could never forget their appearances.
The oldest, Hiro Ichirou Kurosaki-Kuchiki – or just 'a mouthful' as he called himself, only seventeen years of age, was smaller than his father by about a head. His mop of spiky hair, as raven as his mother's, but eyes as amber as his father's, were a strikingly contrasted, yet inimitably enticing look. He was a progressive learner, indisputably powerful for his age and understandably intimidating when walking on the other side of his Mother.
He was the only child with 'Kuchiki' in his name, mainly due to his Uncle's wishes, but also partially because he enjoyed the idea of being original…
With a charming smile and a heart of gold, it was second nature to Hiro to make friends, and of course, much to his predilection, attract the ladies…
There were only a very few who didn't actually like him – and the major reason for that would have been jealousy.
But the other reason was probably due to the fact that he would sometimes find himself getting involved in very… dangerous fights.
And they were due to… well… his sister.
Not that he would get into fights with her as often, unless he was asking for a quick, yet painful death.
No, his sister was perhaps the most desired, yet feared young lady in the whole of Seretei.
Two words to describe her: Frighteningly beautiful.
One term to describe her: …Untouchable.
With wide, piercingly pale amber eyes, as penetrating as the eternities, and long, loose ringlets of soft, light brown hair – identical to that of her deceased grandmother's – rippling down her slender back, she was dangerously attractive; tall, like her father and brother, but pleasantly curvy like her mother.
Similar to her mother, she showed promising characteristics of being a successful actress.
This was probably because she always seemed to be wearing some kind of a mask to conceal her emotions from almost everybody, including herself.
But at the times she wasn't wearing the disguise she forged to hide behind, she was donning a different mask altogether.
One she despised.
One she hated.
One she was forced to wear.
Like her father, she had a dizzyingly terrifying potential. But unlike him, she had little desire to live up to it.
She cursed the power she had been born with.
Why?
Because, Masaki Hisana Kurosaki was part Hollow.
Perhaps one reason she had grown so accustomed to wearing a mask, was because of the way she was born.
The white mask she wore was one she wished would fade away.
She had tried to break it on countless occasions – and ignored her father when he told her it wouldn't work.
Despite what he told her about how she could use her power for good, Masaki just couldn't seem to see the true omnipotence she compressed within herself – unless… unless she lost her temper.
Aside from her mother, Masaki could become one of the scariest shinigami in existence.
But, also unlike her Father, her reflexes were more… cultivated, and she rarely actually properly lost her temper.
But those she lost her temper with would most certainly get a beating they would never forget.
Because of her gentle disposition, often, other shinigami took advantage of her kindness and used it against her to attempt to quietly manipulate her into falling in love with them.
9.9999999 times out of 10, this would not work.
But, a reason why some of these men took a specific disliking to Hiro was probably because she would rarely get revenge on anybody – so he obligingly got it for her.
Nobody touched his baby sister without receiving at least two broken limbs.
On one hip of both Hiro and Masaki, each balanced a small boy.
Kyo and Kai.
Or… known as 'the twins' – or also, more commonly referred to as 'go to your room'.
They were both only young, but old enough to have mastered the perfect art of annoying every being they came in contact with.
Both boys used their identical appearance to confuse those around them and it worked on everybody – except, of course, their Mother.
Sharing the characteristics of having lightly ruffled black hair, dimples in their cheeks and twinkles in their dark violet eyes, they were both impossible to not love.
…Very possible to not like, however, but annoyingly loveable at the same time.
With a family of individuals who were so alike, yet so different, so surrounded by mystery, yet so blatant at the same time, it wasn't a wonder they were very well-known and respected – and by many, idolised.
So, it was clear to see that yes, change could occur rapidly in just a matter of years.
But… if change ceased, would time cease also?
Well, Ichigo didn't have a freakin' clue.
He had never really been into philosophy – all he knew, is that change could be good, but in his current predicament, it was most certainly not good.
In fact, right then, he despised it.
Why?
Change.
Although it was crucial to the development of an individual, it was also crucial in the trials of an individual, too.
He closed his eyes and thought – yes, he was capable of thinking sometimes.
He just thought.
Why had everything gotten so out of hand again?
After everything they had been through, apparently a few years was a break that lasted too long.
Ichigo was never one to go into too much detail about his issues… but he couldn't help but remember the time when change was something he thrived off – worshipped, almost.
But now… now everything was different.
And he hated it.
A/N: Okay, please don't hurt me. But, what I'm intending on doing with this from the next few chapters is to build up to the present with memories from the past (not just Ichigo's or Rukia's). But anyway, let me know what you think. Like, seriously, I'm going to need a lot of support with this story!
(Excuse any errors/ flaws – I have the valid excuse of being ill right now…)
Anyway, thank you so much for reading and please don't forget to review!