Chapter 2

"Mommy?" Her hand tightened around his, Ichigo stumbling as she pulled him, whispering for him to walk faster. He fell to his knees when she pulled too hard, tears brimming in his eyes when he scraped his knee on the cement. She picked him up, Ichigo wrapping his arms around her neck.

"Don't cry Ichigo," she whispered, Ichigo looking to the people who followed them, their eyes seeming to glow in the dark. He sniffled, his mother looking over her shoulder when a loud screech rang in the air. Ichigo looked to his mom when she put him down, her hands shaking a little.

"I need you to walk the rest of the way home, can you do that?" His mother asked, Ichigo seeing someone running up behind her. Hands wrapped around his leg, Ichigo screaming as he was pulled down, the cold mud freezing the skin of his exposed arms and his legs and stomach erupted with pain from the harsh contact. His mother reached for him, Ichigo screaming when he was dragged away, watching as the people attacked his mother.

"Mommy!"

...

Ichigo sat up suddenly, putting a sword to a pale throat. Renji stood by his bed, his hands slowly rising to show he held no weapon.

"It's just me Ichigo," he whispered, Ichigo panting as his mind tried to distinguish who was in front of him. He lowered his sword when he did, Renji slowly lowering his hands. Ichigo wiped his eyes, sighing as he put his sword on his lap.

"What do you want?" He asked, his voice hoarse from sleep. Renji sat down in a chair next to his bed, Ichigo placing his sword next to his nightstand. He looked to the clock, the red digits reading 3:15 am. He frowned, looking back to Renji.

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier, I had acted out of line," Renji told him, Ichigo laying back down with a sigh.

"It's alright Renji, I had been a tad harsh," Ichigo replied, Renji wiping his face before sitting forward, placing his elbows on his knees.

"No, I could have got us all killed. But, putting memories aside, today is your birthday Ichigo." Ichigo rolled over with a groan, Renji chuckling as he tapped his shoulder.

"You're finally turning 20 Ichigo. Why so depressed? You can drink with the big boys now!" Renji told him with more enthusiasm than Ichigo thought he should have, Ichigo sitting up and sighing.

"And? What's so good about that?" Ichigo asked, Renji raising a finger. He pulled a bag from behind himself, Ichigo narrowing his eyes.

"You snuck alcohol onto the premises?" Ichigo asked, Renji shushing him.

"It's just some brandy, it's not going to kill you," Renji told him, taking off the bag. Ichigo frowned, shaking his head.

"I'm not drinking that," he told him, Renji rolling his eyes with an irritant sigh.

"What are you a saint? Just one sip," Renji urged, Ichigo wrinkling his nose when he passed it towards him.

"For one, no one is a saint, and two I said no. Stop peer pressuring me." Ichigo couldn't help but smirk at the irritant scowl Renji gave him, Renji sighing before opening it.

"I will watch you sleep til you try some, now try it." He pushed it towards him, Ichigo turning his head away when a smell worse than any other entered his nose, Renji pressing it against his chest.

"Just one sip and I'll leave. I promise on my sword." Ichigo looked to him before to the bottle, thinking of just kicking him out. He was curious though, slowly taking the bottle. Renji smirked, Ichigo looking to him.

"This isn't payback is it?" Ichigo asked, Renji shaking his head.

"Nope, just your first drink as a twenty year old," Renji told him, Ichigo almost puking at the awful smell it had. He plugged his nose, taking a small sip. He nearly spat it back out, Renji laughing at the face he made.

"Drink it quick," he told him, Ichigo swallowing it quickly. He gave it back to him, Ichigo putting a hand over his mouth as he coughed.

"God that tastes terrible," he whispered, Renji drinking some himself. He took it down a lot easier, putting the top back on it. Ichigo wondered how he could drink it like it was just water, Renji relaxing back with a small sigh.

"Happy birthday Ichigo," he congratulated softly, Ichigo lowering his hand from his mouth.

"Thanks, Renji… I'm never drinking that again."

:::+:::

"Ichigo more control!"

Ichigo grunted when he blocked Renji's attack, their wooden sticks coming together with a loud snap. He panted, a bruise on his shoulder from where Renji had managed to get a hit. He had managed to place a bruise on Renji's thigh, both of them covered in sweat as they circled each other.

Soifon, their drill instructor watched them fight, her eyes calculating. Ichigo respected her, but was tired of hearing her voice. Like everyday he sparred, she told him he lacked control, attacking his opponents with more power than was needed. Ichigo fought with his strength, finding their weak spot and attacking them with enough power to bring them down. Renji was the fifth person he had fought this day.

"You heard the boss Ichigo," Renji teased, Ichigo charging forward and bringing his sword down, Renji blocked it, Ichigo kicking out and hitting his gut. Renji stumbled back, Ichigo placing his sword in front of him diagonally.

"I suggest you watch more than you listen," Ichigo replied back, the many people who had came to watch cracking up. Renji wiped the side of his mouth, raising his sword.

"Says the Strawberry." Everyone chuckled, their eyes looking to Ichigo whose smirk fell into a frown.

"I thought we dropped the names Samson." Renji charged forward, Ichigo side stepping his attack and hitting his back, Renji falling to the ground. Ichigo smirked, looking to Soifon who walked towards them. He bowed, Renji getting to his feet and bowing also, Ichigo seeing him wince.

"Ichigo, you have lacked control once again. This is a friendly spar, we do not aim to kill here." Ichigo tightened his hand around his sword, Soifon looking to Renji.

"Go to the infirmary, you must be in pain. Ichigo, meditate for three hours till you find a balance in your movements," she told him, walking away. Everybody dispersed when it became apparent the spar was over, Ichigo sighing as he straightened up. Renji did not move as fast, putting a hand to his back.

"Sorry, Renji," Ichigo apologized, Renji shaking it off.

"Isn't the first time you beat me. I guess its payback for all of the times I beat you up when you were younger," Renji sighed, Ichigo frowning when he saw him limp.

"Are you alright?" He asked, Renji chuckling.

"You are good Ichigo, better than the rest of us. Don't get put down when you use that power." Ichigo frowned as he watched him walk away, heading for the restoration chambers. They were just all white rooms, sleeping gas slowly released from air vents. It was only in small doses, helping those who couldn't relax as quickly get into a state of unawareness. A wire is attached to their arm, and when it reads they are calm enough the vents stops releasing the gas. The elders thought of it, to help people like him restore the power they had lost or make them aware of their power and learn how to control it.

All in their dreams.

Ichigo didn't think he needed it, but he understood he had hurt Renji pretty badly. He knew he lacked control sometimes, but for his mind, separating reality from memories was getting harder and harder by the day.

"Hey Ichigo!" Yachiru stood by the door that led into the hallways the chambers were in, Ichigo giving her a small smile. She monitored everybody, making sure no one got addicted to the sleeping gas. There had been a few cases in which some did. They did not end well.

"Who sent you?" She asked, Ichigo resting his shoulders to show he was not lying.

"Soifon, she wants me to find my equilibrium," he told her, Yachiru shaking her head with a smile.

"She needs to realize you don't have one." She pressed a button she only seemed to be able to see, the doors opening.

"How long?" She asked as she led him inside, Ichigo sighing softly.

"She said three hours but I'll just do two," Ichigo told her, Yachiru tsking.

"She's going to send you back you know that right?" She asked, pointing to the third door on the right.

"That one is all ready for you." Ichigo nodded, pushing open the door. He walked in, closing the door behind him. It locked automatically, Ichigo sighing as he got the black wire that hung on the wall. He wrapped it around his wrist, hearing his heart beat echo in the room. He sat down in the middle of it, breathing deeply before closing his eyes. He heard the gas release, keeping his eyes closed, calming his racing thoughts.

...

"Ichigo!" His mother barreled through the bodies that tried to gang up on her, Ichigo crying out for her as he was dragged into a dark alley way. He was suddenly released, his ankle scratched on something. He screamed, his mother running into the alleyway and grabbing his hand. She pulled him towards her, pulling out a small book.

Ichigo didn't hear what she said because of the loud ring in his ears, looking to her face as she spoke. Light exploded around them, Ichigo clinging to her as he cried. She touched a hand to his ankle, blood pouring down and darkening his brown sock.

"Ichigo stay here, okay?" She told him, Ichigo shaking his head as she slowly let him go.

"Mom ple-"

A hand reached through the light, the skin burned and blistered, Ichigo cut off mid sentence as it reached for him. His mother smiled, Ichigo looking down to her hand when he felt something warm touch his skin. Blood stained her arm and sleeve, having ran down to her hand, droplets slowly falling to the ground. The hand grabbed her shoulder, Ichigo tightening his hold on her.

"I'll be back… I promise."

All of a sudden she was gone.

…

Ichigo's eyes snapped open. He shook as an unbearable hunger ran through him, the door swung open. Yachiru ran towards him, Ichigo looking to her.

"I'm fine," he panted, Yachiru stopping half way towards him. She sighed, Ichigo willing the hunger to go away.

"I'm fine." Yachiru looked to him, Ichigo looking to her neck. The hunger returned, Ichigo's eyelids getting heavy as he saw her steady pulse.

"Ichigo?" Her looked back to her face, willing the hunger away once again. He stood, shaking a little as he tried to remember what he dreamt about.

For some reason, he couldn't.

:::+:::

"Happy twentieth birthday!" Ichigo smirked when Rangiku congratulated him, a cup of sake held in her grasp.

"Let me guess, I'm old enough to drink?" He inquired, Rangiku pulling him into a hug.
"Of course darling, there is nothing more important in life than sake!" She exclaimed, Ichigo shrugging her off.

"I don't want to to drink," he told her, Rangiku grinning.

"I thought of something better! We all talked about, and we decided to take you to the club!" Ichigo frowned, turning away from her. She grabbed him, Ichigo stiffening when he felt her boobs press against his back.

"Come on Ichigo! Maybe, if you come, I'll let you do it on my-"

Ichigo pushed her away, his cheeks a fiery red as he raised a hand.

"Enough Rangiku, I'm not going!" He told her with finality, Rangiku pouting. She started to open up her shirt, Ichigo looking away.
"Stop!" He barked, Rangiku giggling.

"I swear we won't stay long Ichigo, a few hours at most," she told him, Ichigo slowly mulling it over in his brain.

"If you don't I'll tell Soifon you drank alcohol on the premises." Ichigo looked to her sharply, Ichigo clenching his hand into a fist when he saw he was trapped. He would probably get kicked out for it, looking to the sake Rangiku was drinking.

"Wait a second, you're drinking some too!" he told her, Rangiku blinking in fake innocence.

"What? This is water." Ichigo gawked, Rangiku walking up to him with a smile.

"Tell me you'll go and I won't tell Soifo-"

"Tell me what?" Ichigo tensed, Rangiku grinning.

"I'll go dammit," Ichigo hissed, Rangiku clearing her throat.

"Ichigo did his meditation today. I think he's finally learning to take orders."

Soifon walked on by, Rangiku giving Ichigo a smirk.

"Get dressed, we're going in an hour."

Ichigo sighed in defeat.