Author's Note:
Hi everybody ^-^ I'm back with a new chapter. I'm so sorry for taking so long to update . . .It was exam week and it was the finals at that.
I would just like to thank everyone who reviewed. And I encourage everyone to leave me a comment . . .it's very much appreciated :)
So here you go guys . . .enjoy!
Chapter One:
Embers of Hope
"Stars are beacons of hope, darling" a gentle voice spoke, "the gods have put them there to guide us so that we would never have to live in darkness". Her soft orange hair blew with the night breeze as her kind eyes stared at the flickering lights decorating the night sky.
A young boy, with a brighter shade of orange hair, sat on her lap and stared up at his mother. "How can stars help us?" he asked, "They're really small I can't even see them during the day. I think the Moon is better".
"Oh but the stars are always there. Even if you can't see them, they're still there" she told her son with a smile.
"How do you know?"
"Hmm" she thought for a while, "Well my love for you, your sisters and your father, of course, is like the stars. You may not always see me or I may not always be with you but my love will always be with you and it will never ever leave you"
The boy's brows furrowed in confusion "but I'll always be with you Mom, I'll make sure we're always together. I'll protect you from anyone who tries to separate us" he said, determination sparkling in his chocolate eyes.
The woman smiled tenderly at her son and embraced him with all the love in the world, "Oh you're such a brave boy, my little protector"
The two continued to gaze at the stars. The little boy snuggled closer to his mother. She was his world; she was the center of his universe. Their whole family revolved around her. He couldn't imagine how their family would live without her.
"Ah there she is" his mother suddenly spoke
"Who?"
She pointed to a certain star on the horizon, "She's the star of Lyra. Her name's Orihime" she said.
"She's so small" he complained
"Yes, that's because she's just a child but she shines the brightest"
The orange haired boy scrunched his nose, "If she's the brightest, then why is there another bright star just next to her?" he asked.
"He is Hikoboshi. He's the star of Aquila. He's her playmate" the mother answered.
"He's small too" he said.
"That's because he's just a boy like you" she laughed.
"I bet I'm bigger and stronger than him" he grinned boyishly. "I'm sure you are" she chuckled at her son's ego.
"Mom"
"Yes dear?"
"How do you know about stars like Orihime and Hikoboshi?" he asked
"Well" she begun," when two new stars emerged in the sky. The Clairvoyant sai-"
"What's a clair- a clairovant?" the boy interrupted.
"A Clairvoyant" the mother corrected. "A Clairvoyant or a Star Gazer is someone who the gods talk to so that we humans may know what goes on in the heavens or to warn us of plagues if we have displeased a god. She can also determine a person's fate through the stars" she explained. When the boy nodded in understanding, she continued her story about the two little stars. "The Clairvoyant said that the two stars were Hikoboshi and Orihime. The goddess of fate had already destiny. They are destined to be together but are bound to be separated. That's why on the seventh eve of the seventh month, we celebrated the night Orihime can play with Hikoboshi"
"I don't understand!" the boy whined, "Why can't Orihime play with Hikoboshi on other nights, Mom?"
"You see, my dear, Orihime is the princess star. She's the Sky King little sister and he's very protective of her" she explained.
"That's cruel. He should just let her play whenever she wants" the boy grunted.
"No it isn't. He's just trying to protect Orihime from those who try to harm her" his mother tried to clarify. "Wouldn't you do the same if someone tried to hurt Yuzu or Karin?"
"Maybe" was all the little boy said.
"Mom"
"Hmm?"
"Do stars die too?"he inquired
"Sadly, they do too, my son" she said in a sad tone. "When a star is dying, their light becomes a faint red. But you shouldn't worry for when their life comes to an end, they become embers and they join the river of star, the Amenogawa so that even in their afterlife they continue to light our sky and look upon us"
The lady glanced at her son who had begun to tear up. "Why are you crying Ichigo?" she asked, worried.
"I-I'm not crying" he began to sniffled
"What happened, Masaki?" a deep voice inquired from behind them. The two turned. A tall man stood before them holding Ichigo's two little sisters. He was Kurosaki Isshin, Ichigo's father. He was part of the honorable army that protected their Kingdom, in fact, he was one of the King's 13 captains and for that Ichigo was proud of his father. He was a wacky person, carefree and boisterous but when it comes to serious matters, he was calm and composed. Though Ichigo may not always show it, he loved his father a lot and despite always fighting with him, he admired him very much.
"Why are you crying?" he asked the little boy
"I-I'm not!" Ichigo protested
"Yeah you are. See, even your nose is crying" he pointed to the snot running down from Ichigo's nose. He began to snicker only to be stopped by his wife's disapproving stare. Immediately, Masaki wiped Ichigo's nose and cleaned his tear stained face.
"Oh Ichigo, you really are a 'mama's boy'" the father chuckled
"I am not!"
"Yes you are" Isshin grinned, "Man up son. If you stick too close to your mother girls won't like you"
"You man up dad!" the little boy answered back.
"I am a man. A great man in fact!" he proudly chuckled
"Boys, boys that's enough now" Masaki said with a reprimanding voice. "Isshin, honey, let Ichigo be. He's too young to think of girls" she told her husband as she wiped Karin's fingers which have become sticky from the candy she was eating.
"But honey, I just want to make sure he becomes a charming young man like his father" he insisted.
"I know you are just concerned Isshin but you should worry about that when his not eight years old" she turned to him, a beautiful smile gracing her seraphic face.
"Yes. Yes, of course" Isshin simply said, smiling back at his lovely wife. Why she chose him, he would never understand.
Ichigo observed the scene before him. His parents lovingly conversing, his sisters happily playing. It was perfect.
A pair of chocolate orbs opened. It was just a dream, he sighed. When was the last time he had a dream about his family? Years possibly. His dream was a memory, the memory of the last night his whole family together. The last night he saw his mother.
After that night, Aizen's men raided their village, Karakura, a small town at the outskirts of Seireitei. They were looking for an elixir, and when they couldn't find one, they burned the village down.
Ichigo will never forget the legion of soldiers in black and white armor, the bone masks that donned their faces, the glint of madness and the desire to kill in their eyes. They attacked ruthlessly, sparing no one, not even women, children or aged. It was like a furnace. Everything was on fire, dead bodies littered the ground
"Ichigo!" came his father's voice, "take you sisters, find your mother and run to the forest. I'll met you there" he said before drawing his sword. The last thing Ichigo heard was "Protect them Ichigo!" and his father disappeared in the sea of black and white.
Ichigo ran desperately, almost dragging his sisters just so they could find their mother. He scanned anxiously for any sign of his mother.
"Well lookie here" he heard a rough voice from behind him, "a bunch 'alost brats" he laughed. Ichigo trembled at the sight of the man, baring his teeth at them. His sisters have begun to cry and all he could do was hold on to them tighter. The man grinned at them as he lifted his sword at them.
"ICHIGO!"
After that moment, all Ichigo could remember was a blur of orange hair and his sister's cries increasing in volume. He woke up a few moments later, his bloodied mother hovering above him with the most beautiful sad smile on her face. "I-Ichigo" she breathed, relief in her voice. "L-live my son" she said almost inaudibly, "L-live for m-me" her eyes became glossy with the tears forming in her eyes, she closed her eyes and breathed her last then, she was gone.
It was a scene that would be forever imprinted in his mind.
Forever.
Urahara Kisuke had appeared all of a sudden lifting him and his sisters and running towards the woods. The young boy was still in shock, he was still shaking.
"Are you alright, Ichigo-kun?" Urahara asked, bending on one knee to check if Ichigo was injured.
Ichigo couldn't speak, couldn't nod, couldn't even think.
"M-mom" he croaked, the tears rolling down his cheeks.
The leaves rustled and a figure staggered towards. It was Isshin, clutching his dear wife near his chest. He stopped just a few feet away from Ichigo and his sisters. He knelt down, carefully laid Masaki down and began to sob.
Yuzu and Karin approached their mother and cried. Slowly, Ichigo neared them. Tears obscured his vision.
"D-Dad" he quivered, "I-I'm s-so so-sorry" he wept. "I-I couldn't–p-protect M-Mom"
Isshin lifted his eyes to his son. "I'm so proud of you son, you protected your sisters" he said trying to smile despite the tears that were at the brim of his eyes.
"b-but I-I couldn't protect m-mom" he sobbed harder.
He felt a pair of strong arms wrapped around him, "No son, I'm sorry" his father said, "I shouldn't have left you alone". Ichigo clutched his father's tattered clothes and let all his tears out. Isshin embraced his daughters and together they mourned for Masaki.
After the death of their mother, it took Ichigo a while before he actually started speaking. He thought that maybe, just maybe he could still live because he still had his father, Yuzu and Karin.
He and his sisters stayed with Urahara Kisuke in his orphanage where he met a lot of friends who like him, have lost their loved ones. But unlike the other children in the orphanage, Ichigo still had a family, he wasn't an orphan.
Until two years later, the Arrancars ambushed the Shinigami's base. He had lost his father and his sisters. H had lost everything.
It was the night Urahara told them about Aizen's treasure. Everything was so fast that Ichigo couldn't remember anything. A few days later, he woke up in the house of a woman named Shihouin Yoruichi, who turns out to be a friend of Urahara. When he asked where his family was she just looked at him with so much sadness in her eyes and he knew. He was now an orphan.
He's world shattered, he wanted to cry but he couldn't. What was the point in crying? His family was gone; they wouldn't come back no matter how much he cried so, what was the point? He wanted to die. What was the point in living? He'd lost everything.
Ten years have passed since he lost his family. Ten years and he had long lost his cheerful and hopeful disposition. Ten years and his eyes have become intense and piercing. Ten years and his expression had turned into an almost permanent scowl that repelled almost everyone. Ten years and he's grown into a man with a built that Isshin would have been so proud of. Ten years and he still felt empty.
Ichigo stared at the sky. Damn weather, he cursed silently. The sky was gray. It was always like this, the sun never shone not did the rain ever pour. It was like the Sky King's mood never changed, just always gloomy like the heavens.
The orange haired man let out a sigh. He stood up, dusting his hakama in the process. He had fallen asleep in the woods again. He liked the woods, it was peaceful there, he could always think there.
The East was Aizen's least visited kingdom. It was as provincial as provincial can get and there was nothing he could get from the East. There weren't any real threats there, nor were there anyone who had the qualities to be considered a potential ally to him. So Aizen let the East be.
Ichigo walked through the country side of the East Land. It was just another day in Ichigo's empty life.
Suddenly he saw a ball of green hair heading straight at him. Before he knew it, it had crashed into his stomach, making him gag.
"IIIIITTTTSSSSYOOOOGGGOOOO!" the ball said in a shrill voice.
"Are you trying to kill me Nel?" Ichigo scolded the little girl. Her head was like the skull of a full grown man. He was sure his stomach was internally bleeding after coming in contact with the kid's head.
"Where have you been Itsyogo? I thought you crept inna hole an died" she cried
"Huh?" a sweat dropped from Ichigo's head, where in the world do kids get their thoughts these days?
Ichigo looked down at the little girl with disheveled green hair grinning at him with missing teeth. She was the youngest in the orphanage. She was brought to the orphanage a few months ago. Kisuke had brought her in from the Southern Realm. At first everyone was anxious because Southerners were born ruthless killers. The children despised people from the south because the men who killed their parents were of the south but they just couldn't resist Nel. Ichigo was spitefully hostile to southerners but he eventually warmed up to Nel. Besides how could he ever ignore her when she lisps?
"Itsyogo"
"Ichigo" the young man corrected for the nth time
"Doctor Hatsi arrived" she announced
"What? Who the heck's Hatsi?" Ichigo asked, his brows knitting together
"Hatsi, ya know. Da big fat man wit the pink muthtache who bringth medithine and checkth on Rukia" she tried to expound to Ichigo.
Ichigo thought for a while. Did he know any Hatsi? he thought. Brings medicine and checks on Rukia? Finally it hit him. "Ah you mean Hachi"
"Dats what I thaid, Hatsi" she grinned
Ichigo simply nodded. There was no point in arguing with Nel when it came to her speech. Last time he insisted his name was Ichigo and not Itsyogo, they spent half day the squabbling.
He picked Nel up and placed her on his shoulders, "Yay" Nel cheered as they begun to walk home.
Before Ichigo opened the door to the orphanage, he held his breath. This is gonna be wild, he thought. Slowly he slid the door open. The scene of a bunch of kids running around, playing, arguing, laughing and wrestling greeted him. It was chaos but it had a homey and comfortable air to it. This has been Ichigo's home for the past 10 years. And they were his family for the past years.
"Ichigo nii-chan's here!" one child announced. All the children turned their heads towards him and like a stampede, they rushed towards him, talking to him at the same time.
"Ichi!" a little pink haired girl beamed. "I thought you died. Do you have candy?"
Why do they keep asking if I died? He thought. "No Yachiru, I don't have candy and even if I did I won't give you any" he frowned.
"Meanie" Yachiru stuck her tongue out at him.
It was specifically ordered by Tessai that Yachiru should not be given candy especially after sunset. It was better to deal with a grumpy mischief maker than an imp pumped full with sugar.
"Okairinasai, Ichigo-san" a meek voice greeted from behind him. Her name was Ururu. She had jet black hair that was held into a pony tail and a pair of droopy dark blue eyes.
"Tadaima" Ichigo replied. Every time he saw Ururu, his heart wrenched. Karin and Yuzu would've been the same age as her, his mind said.
"Hey Orange puss" Ichigo turned to see a young boy with red hair standing at the door post, "the red pineapple's looking for you" he said.
This boy was Jinta. No one really knows where Urahara found Ururu and Jinta, he had just turned up one night with an additional two kids to the orphanage. Jinta is often mistaken for Renji's little brother, the two fight so often, they did seem like siblings.
"Watch your mouth, Jinta" Ichigo scolded, "The little ones might imitate you"
"Tch, yeah like you don't call other people names" the young boy scoffed. Ichigo was about to reprimand the boy when suddenly Urahara stepped out of Rukia's room with Hachi. They were talking and Hachi had a grave look in his eyes. Ichigo stepped closer, trying to listen to what they were talking about.
"How is she, doctor?" came Urahara's voice
"I'm afraid she's not getting better" he said sadly, "I don't think she'll live much longer"
"That's not true!" Ichigo interrupted, "She's getting better"
Hachi only gave him a sad look, the same look Yoruichi gave him the day he found out he no longer had a family. "No damnit!" He pushed the two men and entered the room. Inside, Renji was kneeling beside Rukia who was lying on her futon. Noticing his presence in the room, Rukia smiled at him "Ichigo you're here"
Immediately, Ichigo's anger lessened, Rukia's violet eyes staring up at him. She's been struggling; it was obvious in the amount of weight she has lost and with the dark circles under her eyes. For three years Rukia has been fighting an epidemic that was gradually and literally sucking the life out of her
Ichigo's eyes softened a bit "Yeah, Tadaima" he said. He turned his gaze to Renji who was glaring at him, "What?"
"You were supposed to be here hours ago. Where were you?" the red head asked
"What the hell are you yellin' for? I was in the forest. You sound like Tessai" he retorted. Renji only glared harder, "I was just askin' jackass"
The two boys or rather guys heard a light giggle from the frail girl lying on the futon, "you sound like a married couple". They turned to her, glad to see that she was at least giggling but their happiness was short lived for the small girl began coughing and gasping for air.
Ichigo rushed to Rukia's side, clutching her hand. "I'm fine. I'm fine" she said to the two with annoyance in her voice. She let out a sigh and smiled at Ichigo, her eyes gleaming. Ichigo smirked back at her. It was these eyes, these velvety violet eyes that kept him breathing. When his family died, he was never the same again. He wouldn't speak, he had no emotions but Rukia had slapped him back to reality and shouted sense into him. Rukai was his life source. He thought that if Rukia would be with him, then maybe he could still go on living. Soon Ichigo and Rukia's platonic relationship became romantic.
Renji also had feelings for Rukia. He had known Rukia longer than anyone. He was with her through thick and thin. And even though Rukia loved his best friend, he would still stand behind her, he would still love her. Renji stared at the two lovers. Unrequited love is painful, his heart wrenched at the sight. It was so excruciating he wanted to just pull it out. But he loved Rukia too much and he respected Ichigo a little more than he should, so he let them be, as long as Rukia was happy he would also be content. And so with a heavy heart, he let the two have a little privacy.
"I always wonder what you find so interesting in the forest" Rukia said.
"It's quiet there" he replied.
Rukia laughed, "I see. Well compared to the orphanage I think the market is more peaceful"
Ichigo smiled at her statement but his smile never reached his eyes for his eyes were filled with worry. He took her frail hand into his, "How are you feeling today?" he asked.
"I'm okay, I'm hanging on"
It really saddened Ichigo to hear Rukia say that. It was as though she was tired of the sickness, tired of the pain. "You can get through this Rukia" Ichigo clutched Rukia's hand tighter.
Rukia tried to squeeze his hand back but she didn't have the energy. "There is just one thing I would like to do before I die" she suddenly said. Ichigo was getting more and more frustrated with how Rukia was speaking, it was like she was giving up. It wasn't like Rukia to give up.
"All I want" she began, "is to see the star festival again
Author's Note:
I wonder what's so special about the Star Festival . . .maybe it's like Christmas to them . . .hmm .
Oh by the way, Amenogawa is the Milky Way or literally River of Stars. And if you're wondering what Rukia's sickness is. . .well it's either Pneumonia or Tuberculosis, either way they didn't have the cure to the epidemic during that time.
Be back soon :)
~Ember~