The sky was pure blue, and there was a figure standing in a field of green grass and flowers. No matter how far the orange-haired boy ran, the figure seemed to become more faraway. As he ran towards it the figure became more familiar and as he ran, he became taller and his features became more matured. And the only word that could be heard coming out of his mouth was, "Okaa-san!"
Even as the figure become more closer, the vision became blurry and dizzy until the darkness was all that could be saw. As that darkness him, he noticed a very familiar voice. "You do know, it was your fault. It was your fault she died. If you hadn't ran towards that thing, she wouldn't have been sacrificed.", the voiced whispered, echoing throughout the darkness. A shinigami with a white robe, white hair and white skin came forward from the never ending pool of darkness. The only color that was different was the black of his blade and more strangely, the yellow of his eyes. It was Him.
"No...Not...Okaa-san...I know it's my damn fault! I dealt with it!" Ichigo yelled to his inner hollow. His hollow just laughed out of Ichigo's pain, as if he was finding some sort of dark joke out of it. Was he? Ichigo didn't know, he just watched him laugh, in his inner pain and sorrow.
"Y'Know Ichigo, you really are pathetic. You think you can say you've dealt with it, huh? Well here's something for you, King.", he disappeared, shrieking in laughter. The laughter continued to fade away slowly, as a bright light with the similiar figure came back, but more clearer than the first. As the light begun to fade, he realized who it was, causing his heart rain, like that June night when he lost her to hollow.
"Hello, Ichigo!" she smiled, holding her hand out to him like she did back then. He tried to keep himself from going forward, because he knew from the bottom of his heart that his mother died because he had failed to protect her, and that this wasn't real. He was feeling as if any moment, his heart would wither and die in the flood of guilt that night had left behind, other than the rain and tears that had been kept in his soul, storming until he found something to avenge her or he would try to accept the fact and move on, but could he? He was staring at her beautiful smile, the smile she had given him before she died.
His heart was aching to go to her, but his mind told him to remain how and where he was. He didn't know what stupid tricks his hollow might pull and what's going to happen if he does. As he looked over to her, Masaki's beautiful smile was fading and began looking at him as if she was worried. "Ichigo? What's the matter? Didn't you miss me? Or...don't you like me anymore?"
"N-No...N-Nothing's w-wrong...W-Why?" he stuttered, hesitating as he said it.
A large amount of reiatsu surrounded him and his dead mother, who was rapidly becoming agressive towards him. Out of thin air, she summoned a sealed zanpakuto without calling it's name or drawing it from anywhere. He watched as she closely examined the katana with her eyes and as she ran her finger across the blade, gaining a small cut. She looked up at him, her eyes were looking at him as if he was some sort of outsider, freak, as if she was looking down at him.
"Goodbye, Kurosaki Ichigo.", she said, running the blade into the heart of his chest. It was so fast, Ichigo couldn't feel the pain. All he felt was the gushing of his own blood, in his hands. Was this there because, he could've never protected her? Or maybe, because she took her life for him? The answer was always the same, it was his fault. His fault his own mother died, trying to protect him. If it weren't for him going after the hollow's bait, then his mother would still be alive, caring for him and his sisters. But, if she didn't die, how was he supposed to meet Rukia and become a shinigami?
He just knew one thing for sure, it was his fault. The loss of blood made him feel dizzy, but the feeling felt clear as crystal.
Ichigo found himself in his usual bed at home, was it a dream or a message? Ichigo thought deeply as sweat rolled down his cheeks, as he panted heavily. He sat up and slid his fingers through his hair as he thought. No matter how hard he thought, the feeling had disappeared and he couldn't get an answer.
He decided to have a walk around town, to clear his head. Hopefully he'd walk into a hollow, a little fight would clear his mind, wouldn't it? Or maybe he'd go and annoy Hiyori. Either way, he'd be fighting a hollow and either way it would clear his mind and maybe he'd forget. He wanted to forget, hopefully he'd not walk into Urahara or Yoruichi, because they know when something's wrong and they'd interigate him until he spit it out. He just wanted to keep it to his self...for now.
Dedicated to my first reviewer, Personal Riot!