~Dreams and Reality~

Ichigo sat up, unsure of where he was. The last thing he remembered was falling asleep. Now…he was…nowhere. All around him was inky darkness, not a spark of light. The ground was cold and unforgiving as Ichigo ran a hand through his hair. A noise to his right startled him. "Who's there?" He crouched, immediately on guard and ready to fight. He hated not having his weapon at his side but it made sense if he was sleeping that it wouldn't be. Not even the knife he kept hidden under his pillow. A glint of what looked like blonde hair caught his eye.

"We will meet in the place where there is no darkness." Said a voice from the direction of the blonde hair.

"What place? Who are you? What do you mean no darkness?!" Ichigo called after him, trying to follow before the ground suddenly opened up, swallowing him whole and drowning out his yells. There was nothing to hold onto as he fell. Ichigo looked down and gasped, seeing a house beneath him. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for the impact of hitting the hard roof….but what he landed in wasn't hard at all. A bed. Blankets and a pillows thrown everywhere as Ichigo's eyes widened. "I recognize this room…this is-"

"NO!" A woman screamed loudly from another room. A crash followed right after, sounding like the breaking of wood. Shouts from a man coupled with children crying. Ichigo felt his chest tighten as he recognized the memory. "Please…make it stop…" He whispered to the empty air. Suddenly his door was flung open and a panic stricken woman shoved two little girls inside before slamming the door behind her. Long brown hair flowed down to her lower back as her dark brown eyes widened with terror. "Mom." Ichigo whispered softly, wondering if he was appearing to her the way he had back then- as an 8 year old boy. She certainly didn't seem to acknowledge the fact that he was older. "Hide!" she whispered frantically, taking the two young girls and pushing them into the closet. They looked so different from each other. One had light brown hair like his mother and was sobbing hysterically. "Yuzu…" The other had tear stains on her cheeks but was now simply frowning as their mother shut the door softly. "Karin." His mother turned back to him. "Ichigo… Hide…" For an instant, brown and amber connected. Ichigo hesitantly reached out for her, his mother, someone he hadn't seen in 12 years. He wished he could see her laugh again. The way her smile lit up her eyes. The way she used to caress his hair. "Mom." He whispered again as someone began pounding on the door. Ichigo's body moved against his will. "NO! I can protect her this time! I can save them all!" But his body would not listen, forcing him under the bed where he had hidden before….all those years ago. The door burst open and Ichigo saw the same images that haunted him since he was 8.

The dark booted feet of the thought police. The frantic yelling and screaming of his mother. How she tried to distract the men who heard Yuzu's sobbing and dragged both girls out. The look of fear in their young eyes as a sword was drawn. His mother's desperate pleading and begging for the safety of her children as she protect her daughters. The way they tossed her against the wall and slit the young girl's throats. Ichigo could never forget the scream of complete despair that escaped his mother's lips. The way she tried to run to them until her own throat was slit. The blood that dripped onto the floor. The eerie silence that filled the room. The way her body fell so she was staring right at him, her brown eyes now cold. Dark. Dead. Ichigo felt his own tears sliding down his face as he covered his mouth, holding back the retching noises that were coming from his throat. He knew his dad must be dead downstairs. He would have protected Ichigo's mom and sister's otherwise. All he could see was blood. Their blood. Everything was red. Just as the bed curtain was lifted and a flashlight shone in his face, Ichigo's vision went completely red.

Slowly, red faded away revealing a deep violet color behind it. Ichigo blinked, wondering what would happen now. Usually his nightmares ended there. This part was entirely new to him. He blinked again and suddenly the violet eyed girl stood before him. Her eyes sparkled even more in the dim light, her dark, raven hair framing her porcelain face beautifully. Her dark uniform seemed out of place on her body in this light. Her soft pink lips curved upward in a small smirk as she raised a single finger to them, imitating a shushing motion. Ichigo stared, wide eyed at her, unable to move or speak. Slowly, she extended her hand, waiting for him to accept hers. The Keeper hesitated, wondering if there was some untold horror behind her. Amber met violet once more. Reflected in those deep purple eyes was a single emotion that no one had shown Ichigo in over a decade. Trust. Slowly, Ichigo reached out and gently grasped her hand, raising his eyebrows at how much smaller her hand was than his. As soon as he touched her skin, the girl's smile widened into a full grin. For some reason, Ichigo felt his heart skip a beat. What was it about her smile that had him so…flustered? He didn't have much time to think about it because suddenly two beautiful feathered wings appeared behind her, seeming to connect at her upper back. A slight smirk on her face, the violet eyed girl wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, hugging him as they rose into the air, cold air whipping around them. Whether his heart was pounding with adrenaline of the flight or because she was hugging him, the Keeper couldn't tell. Suddenly everything stopped. He felt solid ground beneath his feet and the raven haired girl pulled away. Her wings were tucked back and hidden from sight. He wanted to speak…to say something… but was suddenly distracted by their surroundings. The ground beneath his feet was smooth and seemed to be made out of ice but without the cold. The was a beautiful…castle- there was no other word for it, in the distance carved from the same material. It sparkled softly, invitingly to him. Looking to the right, Ichigo could see the earth, spinning and rotating along its axis. Aizen and his destruction too insignificant to see. If he could see the earth and wasn't on it anymore than that must mean…."The moon?" he whispered, looking back at the girl who had brought him here. She nodded but her appearance made his breath catch. She was no longer dressed in a standard uniform. An ornate, beautiful white dress now rested against her pale skin, violet accents sewn in intricate moon symbols. A diadem adorned her brow, its delicate gems only highlighting the darkness of her hair. His mouth was opened in what could only be described as a comical gape as he stared at her. She chuckled softly, a sound that sent his heart fluttering again, and motioned for him to look at the clear glass-like ground. His own clothing had changed. No longer was he in his Keeper's uniform or his sleeping sweats. He was dressed in a black suit; a gold embroidered sun over his heart. On his head, a thin crown of deep gold with dark stones sat among his tousled hair. Ichigo was unsure why but this…felt right. He turned back to the girl, seeing a smirk on her lips as she watched the various emotions dance across his face. Abruptly, her smirk turned into an annoyed frown as her gaze shifted to something behind him. Ichigo felt himself being pulled back to reality, a twist in his heart at leaving. Amber met violet once more as the raven haired girl and her world started to fade from his view. "Wait!" Ichigo reached out for her. "Who are you?" Her violet eyes sparkled in an almost mischievous manner. Her lips moved as if she was speaking but Ichigo could hear no sound. Her brow furrowed softly as he was pulled farther away, the girl fading from his vision. "No! Wait!"

Amber eyes opened as the blaring alarm from the televisor sounded over and over again. " A dream? That was a dream?" Ichigo ran a hand through his hair, surprised to see he was drenched in sweat. He sighed, sliding the charm under his pillow, next to his knife and getting up to start his day.

"Whoa boss, you like hell!" the short, dark haired man commented as Ichigo took his seat at his desk. He handed Ichigo a stack of files. "What happened? Lose sleep last night again?" His tone was casual but his dark eyes were sharp, observing every detail of his boss.

"Can it." The orange haired keeper muttered, taking the stack of files. "Go make yourself useful, Mizuiro. That's what assistants do. "

With a shake of his head and a sigh, the dark haired man was gone, leaving Ichigo alone to review the case files. An assistant. It was all Ichigo would accept. His captain had offered to place him with many partners, always insisting that everyone have someone else with them at all times. But after Kaien…Ichigo refused. Anybody else just didn't feel right. After a heated debate, he finally consented to having an assistant to at least tend to the clerical work. Ichigo never let Mizuiro come on any missions. His job was office work. Plain and simple. Mindless reading made the minutes tick by painfully slow as Ichigo, tossed file after file on the floor. None of them had a single clue to help him complete his mission. His mood was only made worse as his mind seemed to wander at every possible detail. ' The dark haired girl was found D.O.D.' Inevitably, the dark hair of the violet eyed girl would appear in Ichigo's mind, stealing his focus. This file is colored purple…but it's not the same shade as her eyes…wait. What the hell am I thinking about?! Finally, in an effort to save any shred of dignity he still had, Ichigo dragged himself off his chair. "I'm gonna take a lunch now. Tell me when you find anything useful." He waved dismissively at Mizuiro as he walked outside.

The sun shone down brightly as the young Keeper sat down under his favorite tree. The other keepers looked at him curiously from time to time but the scowl on his face kept everyone at bay. i I wonder if anyone else has dreams like this…Is it just me? I guess I could be going crazy. No one could really blame me. I wish I was in a different time. A different place. Somewhere Aizen didn't exist. I wonder what would happen then? Like that moon place the girl brought me too. You couldn't even see a single "Aizen is watching" poster. It was…beautiful. She was beautiful. I wonder what it would be like to live in a place without this corruption? It must be nice to be able to do something without Aizen knowing. From what I've seen from illegal evidence, this world used to be a much brighter place. People used to be happy. Free. "Now no one is…" Ichigo muttered, tossing his half eaten sandwich into the trash can.

"Boss! Boss!" Mizuiro ran toward him, barely able to stop in time as he panted. "I have…a lead…" He handed Ichigo the file and bent over, holding his knees.

"A lead?" Ichigo flipped through the file, his eyes scanning the pages. After several minutes, he raised his eyebrow. "Good job Let's g-" He froze mid sentence. There, in a tree in front of her building, sat the violet eyed girl. She was nestled precariously on one of the higher branches, no fear in her body language. Amber met violet once more as she stared intently in his direction, not bothering to hide the fact that he was being studied. For some reason, an image of a leopard stalking its prey flashed through Ichigo's mind and he shivered. Who is she? Why does she stare at me like that? Did she dream the same thing? What if she's working for the thought police? I've got to watch my back…She could be undercover.

"Ichigo?" Mizuiro looked curiously up at the keeper, starting to follow his gaze. Ichigo blinked, seeing the curiousity as Mizuiro turned and slapping an arm around him. "Great job! You did finally get something! Let's go inside and review this okay?" He started walking, making sure to step inbetween the violet eyed girl and his assistant. There was nothing wrong with her watching but for some reason, Ichigo felt like it was an intimate moment. Like some sort of secret game he and the girl were playing exclusively. I just hope I figure the rules out before she murders me. He muttered, leading Mizuiro inside and hearing the door shut behind him.

The wind blew slowly through the branches of the tree as violet eyes continued to watch the door way to Squad 5's office. A light smirk played at her lips as the girl jumped down, brushing any debris off her clothing. "Until next time." She whispered, humming as she returned to her own building. "Until next time. Ichigo Kurosaki."