Romantic: Well here it is, the new yet still old story.
Enjoy!
The flames of various white candles flicker, illuminating the otherwise dark room. However, the candles are placed mostly on the end of the room, near the door. The walls are stony white, nothing but outlines of chairs, bodies, and candles are in the room. There are a few people sitting in the shadows; their beady eyes taking in the scene before them, calculating each expression, action, and twitch.
A hooded figure stands in the middle of the room, his purple eyes with rings around them glance at bowed figure in front of him. He tightens his pale, wrinkled hand on his brown staff, somewhat nervous on what he is going to do.
"Do you understand what you must do?", his deep voice echoes off the room stone like room.
"I understand, I am more than pleased to take on this mission", a light voice fills the room.
"Then please tell us the details", a figure in the back scoffs, not believing the young maiden.
"I am to observe Kurosaki Ichigo and his entourage, observe if they are capable standing against their enemies by themselves. If I deem them incapable, I will contact you right away for a team to be assembled. No matter how bad the situation may become, I am not to interfere at any time."
"Lay low", he warns her.
"Of course, I will take me leave now", the figure bows one more time and walks out of the room with grace and confidence.
"That child better not fail", a voice echoed off from the back from the dim room.
"She won't", the hooded man tries to reassure the judgmental audience.
"She better not, or else we will have to banish her like that dark user", another voice grounds out.
"Enough!", the hooded man looks at each of the people in the dark room, his ringed eyes glaring at them, "you are going too far."
"She better not fail, it will be on you", the voice hesitantly says.
"Ahh!", a teenage boy with spiky orange hair growls out, "I miss my days of freedom and fighting."
"School isn't so bad, Ichigo", a dark skinned teen looks at Ichigo's bored face with one brown eye, the other eye is blocked by his wavy brown hair.
"I know, Chad. It's just, there isn't much to do with no one around", Ichigo sighs out, his brown eyes looking out the window.
"After our excitement, how will this seem remotely fun, Kurosaki?", another teen sitting across from them pushes up his glasses.
"Ishida has a point, Ichigo", Chad nods.
"Thank you, Sado-kun", he nods, his straight raven hair moves slightly.
"I know Uryu has a point but", Ichigo groans, "I miss Rukia", he whispers out.
"Kurosaki-kun", a feminine voice calls.
A young teenage girl with flowing orange hair walks to the males with a skip in her step. Her face radiating of pure happiness and innocence. Behind her is another female, her black hair spiked out on the sides.
"Ah, Inoue, Tatsuki", he looks at them in boredom.
"Ichigo, why are you sulking", Tatsuki shakes Ichigo, "Get out of your lazy state."
"Ah, Inoue-san. How are you lately?", Uryu looks at the female ignoring Ichigo and Kurosaki.
"Great after my lunch", she grins.
"I'm scared to ask what she had", Chad whispers to Uryu who nods in response.
"Ah, I hear noise! Don't have fun without me", a guy runs over, his brown hair flipping with the wind.
"Keigo, you idiot", another boy walks behind Keigo calmly. His green eyes never straying from the handheld technology.
"Ah Mizuiro, don't be cruel", Keigo runs to the group, "Kojima Mizuiro is super cruel!" He shouts to the class, prompting a hit to the head by Tatsuki.
"You all are idiots", Tatsuki huffs, "Such pesky idiots."
"Tatsuki-chan", Orihime tries to diffuse her anger, "They are all just boys, super playful."
"You're too nice, Orihime", Tatsuki crosses her arms, "They don't deserve such kindness."
Orihime giggles nervously, she never really knew what to do when her friend acts like that. She turns, trying to diffuse the situation while gaining an upper hand, "Ne Kurosaki-kun, after class shall we-", Orihime's brown eyes look at Ichigo with hope.
"Alright children, back to your seats. Lunch break is over", the teacher comes in, cutting off all conversations.
Ichigo blinks at Orihime's retreating form, briefly wondering what she was about to say. The thought quickly leaves his mind as his teacher starts the lecture, wanting to absorb the lecture. Already bored, Ichigo looks at the buildings he can see out of his school window, contemplating about how he protects his town. There was a small amount of pressure, but nothing he cannot handle. 'As long as it is nothing major', Ichigo frowned, remembering his darker side. He sighs and resists running a hand through his orange locks, 'I can do this.'
Everything is silent and peaceful but of course, nothing can stay still for very long.
Ichigo's eyes widen for a second, his body feeling heavy. His breath is short and uneven, as if someone is gripping his lungs, cutting off all air supply. It may have happened for a second but he was struggling to compose himself. He may not be like Uryu, great at sensing reiatsu, but he knew that the reiatsu he felt for that second belongs to someone strong. Excitement and terrified feelings fill his body. Scared that his darker self might lose control and excited because something is finally happening.
He quickly looks at his friends to see how they are faring. The class in a commotion, some classmates surrounding a desk with shouts of worry. He quickly recognizes a curtain of orange hair spilling over the side of the desk. He comes to a conclusion that Orihime fainted, unable to take the reiatsu pressure. He turns to look at a heavily breathing Chad and a stumbling Uryu, both looking at Ichigo in alarm.
Uryu takes a deep breath, focusing on finding the person responsible for causing so much trouble. Strings unfurl around Uryu, each of them white with select red ones. 'Kurosaki's, Inoue's Sado's', he waves theirs off, 'None.' His eye's widen in shock, he couldn't find another string aside from his friend. 'Maybe it was nothing? Or..tch..', Uryu bites his fingernail, 'looks like we might have to pay a visit to the shopkeeper.'
It was supposed to be a good day for Ichigo, this wasn't supposed to him. After Orihime came to, Chad and Ichigo walked her home. To think that they would be stopped by two men dressed in white. Chad got injured, his blood from his arm stains the grass. Orihime looked at the two until she herself got hurt as well. Ichigo, normally fighting with all that he can, hesitated. Hesitated in fear that the evil in him would come out.
"How weak", a man with green eyes stared down at Ichigo, "Aizen-sama was wrong about you. So was his new acquaintance."
Ichigo grits his teeth, hatred for himself filling every cell. On the ground are his friends, beaten and bleeding. Ichigo himself is doubled over, injured but still faring better than his two friends.
The man looks into the distance, his eyes scrutinizing at the forest trees. For a few seconds all is still, the only sound is the breeze swaying the trees. The man looks back at Ichigo, giving him one last look before going through the opening in the space.
"Ichigo", a woman with purple hair approaches the fallen teenager, "Are you okay?"
"Just let him, Yoruichi", a man with a green and white bucket-like hat stands in front of Ichigo, "We must heal Inoue-san and Sado-kun first."
"Ah Kisuke", Yoruichi nods, approaching the two fallen teenagers, "Alright, I will take care of these two." She quickly picks up Orihime with ease, and stumbles a little with Chad. She looks back at her old friend and Ichigo, knowing they need personal space.
Kisuke takes off his hat, revealing his blond hair, and sheaths his sword. "Get up, Ichigo", Kisuke says, "There is nothing you can do now."
"I am not strong enough", he digs his nails into the soft dirt, "I can't protect them."
Kisuke stays silent, knowing that Ichigo won't listen right now.
In the trees, a pair of feet takes a step backward, "Never doubt.." The soft voice speaks into the wind, her voice far away from the situation a few meters ahead of her.
Kisuke turns abruptly to the tall trees surrounding the clearing, he could swear he heard something when the wind blew. His eyes study the rough bark, the branches branching off, and the bright green leaves.
"Maybe I am paranoid", he mumbles to himself, he turns back to Ichigo, ready to address the current situation.
The feet stay there for a second before disappearing completely from the branch.
Well there you have it, the prologue to the newest chapter. I will be expanding more on the story so look forward to that.
Review, they are like presents to me!