Author's Note: This is my first fan fiction so please tell me if there is anything I need to do to make it better. OK, first I guess I better give you the rundown as to what's going to be happening in this fan fiction. First of all this is going to be an AU and Ichigo's mother, Masaki Kurosaki, isn't dead and I plan on having Ichigo and Orihime get to together. So that means that Ichigo and the rest of his family are going to seem a little out of character from what they are in the actual series and by that I mean they are going to seem a little too cheerful for some people tastes. However, Ichigo and the rest of the family are going to be more aware of the spirit realm. I'm pretty sure that Masaki had some spiritual power. I mean she married a man who used to be a soul reaper for god's sake. Also don't rag on me because I choose to use the English names for some of the stuff (ex: spirit energy – reiatsu). It's just easier for me because I have to deal with stupid Word 2007 and the funky spell-check and it sometime changing languages on me.
'Thoughts'
"Speech"
Disclaimer: I do not own BLEACH. It is an intellectual property of Tite Kubo and is licensed in the United States by Viz Media LLC.
Setting: 6 years prior to the main story
It was a little before four o'clock and Ichigo was waiting on his mom to come pick him up from the dojo. It was raining today. Then just as Ichigo started to get bored, he saw his mom come in through the door. However, there was one other person he wasn't expecting to come. "Hi Mommy. Hey Daddy, what are you doing here? I thought you were busy at the clinic today." "I was but I got everything done quicker than I expected. And does a father need an excuse to see his son?" "Oh, where're Yuzu and Karin?" "They're playing at one of their friends right now, Honey." "Oh, OK." "So, you ready to go, Ichigo?" "Yeah."
With that, they started walking back home in the rain, Masaki away from the road, Ichigo in the middle, and Isshin on the road side of the sidewalk. On the way home, a car splashed through a puddle and pretty much soaked Isshin. Masaki and Ichigo had to try as hard as they could to suppress their laughter. "So you think that's pretty funny, huh?" "Ha ha ha, Daddy's all wet now!" "Well you do have to admit, dear, you do look pretty silly right now. Here, let me at least clean off your face and we can get the rest after we get home."
While they were walking, Ichigo suddenly stopped and was looking out at the river. "Ichigo, honey, what are you looking at?" "There's a girl standing out by the river and… Mommy, is something wrong?" "Isshin, dear, are you seeing what I'm seeing?" "Yeah, I am. Take Ichigo with you; go get Yuzu and Karin and head to Urahara's. Tell him what's going on. I have a feeling this is going to get ugly."
Then a deep, booming, ominous voice spoke up (AN: Guess who), "So, all three of you can see me, the boy maybe not so much. This must be my lucky day, to encounter not one but three people with high spirit energy and by the way you talked, there may be even more. Ha, ha ha, ha!"
"You disgusting monster! You won't be laying a single claw on my family!" Then Isshin did something that surprised the hollow. He transformed into a soul reaper.
"Masaki, go…"
"So, you're a soul reaper. This day just keeps getting better and better."
"Daddy!!"
"Everything's going be fine son. Just go with Mommy. I'll catch up to you later after I take care of this monster."
"Ha! As if one pitiful soul reaper could ever hope to defeat the great Grand Fisher! Besides, look at that pitiful excuse for a zanpaku-tō. You couldn't even to kill a fly with something so small. "
"We'll see about that."
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Meanwhile…
"Mommy, is Daddy going to be all right? And, what was that thing back there?"
"Daddy's going to be just fine, (I hope). As for that thing, I'll let Daddy tell you what it is when he gets back. Also, don't tell Yuzu or Karin what's going on. Your father wouldn't want them to worry."
'Don't you dare die on us, Isshin.'
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"Ah! Damn you! That hurt! You're pretty good, Soul Reaper. This may actually give me a challenge for once."
"Well, what do you expect? Even thought I'm a little rusty from being out of the game for about ten plus years, I'm still as strong as when I was a Captain in the 13 court guards. Second, it's not 'Soul Reaper'. It's Isshin Kurosaki, M.D."
'Damn. I probably shouldn't have told him that.'
"Oh, I'll remember that name, up until I eat your soul. Ho, ho, ho."
"You won't get the chance because I'm going to finish you off here and now."
"Oh, I think not… Ah!!!! You just destroyed my main body! I never thought I would ever have to flee from a soul reaper. Consider your self lucky. I will be back someday and next time, I'll get you AND your family."
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Setting: At Urahara Shoten, 15 minutes later.
"Momma, where's Daddy?"
"He should be here any moment, Karin." 'I hope.'
"Hey, sorry I'm late."
"Daddy!!"
"Don't you EVER scare me like that again! Do you hear me, Isshin Kurosaki?"
"Momma, why are you crying?"
"It's nothing, Yuzu. Daddy was just acting stupid. Now, why don't you go into the other room with Karin and Ichigo for a little bit, ok? Mommy and Daddy have to talk… OK, Isshin what happened? And Kisuke, Tessai, I know you're listening so you might as well come on in."
"What would give you the impression that I would be listening?"
"Well, Kisuke, they're paper doors. You stand in front of one; you're going to make a shadow. Second, I could sense your and Tessai's spiritual pressure."
"I apologize, Masaki, but I was telling Kisuke that perhaps we should wait until you two were done talking to get the details."
"Don't worry about it, Tessai."
"So, Isshin, Masaki, what hollow did you run into?"
"He calls himself Grand Fisher."
"Eyuck. I've heard of him. Real nasty character. He uses a lure disguised as a whole and those who are able to see it he knows have high spirit energy and then devours them. He's been doing this for the last 49 years and every soul reaper that's tried to defeat him has failed. And what do you means, 'calls his self'? Shouldn't you have said 'called his self'? Oh no… Don't tell he got away."
"Just as I was about to finish him off, he turned tail and ran off. But before he left, he said he would be back. Didn't say when, just that he would back. Hopefully, it won't be for a long time."
"Same here, buddy. Also, Masaki said Ichigo could see the lure and mistook it for a girl at first. Have you talked to him about it yet?"
"Damn it. I didn't want to get him involved in my old life, at least not till he was old enough to defend his self, but there just seems to be no way around it."
"Isshin, you and I both knew this would happen eventually. So don't blame yourself for something that you had no control over, Dear. But now that it has, we have a responsibility, as his parents, to tell him. I'll go get Ichigo."
"All right, fine."
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"Ichigo, what's going on with Momma and Daddy?"
"I don't know, Yuzu."
"Ichigo, honey, can you come in here for a moment please. Daddy and I want to talk to you about something."
"Ichigo, are you in trouble?"
'I hope I'm not.'
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"PLEASE, tell me I'm not in trouble."
"Ichigo, what could ever give you the idea that you were in trouble?"
"'Cause you always say you want to talk to me when I did something I shouldn't have."
"You're not in trouble. There are some very important things that your mother and I have to tell you about."
"Like what?"
"Well, like what I did before I was a doctor."
They then proceeded to tell Ichigo about soul reapers, hollows and all other various manners of spiritual beings.
"Wow! I knew you were great before, Daddy, but that. Is. Awesome!"
"Remember, Ichigo, you can only tell Yuzu and Karin about you being able to see ghosts, and that's if they start seeing them too."
"Why is that?"
"…Because if we tell them too much it might scare them."
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AN: Sorry for those of you who were expecting Orihime to show up. She's not in this chapter. This was the prologue. This was something I had to do in order to set up the rest of the story. However, she will appear next chapter, I promise.
