DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BLEACH, though if I did then it would be pretty awesome.

Chapter Two: Have I met you before?

The day after the incident with the mysterious Rukia Kuchki was quite the wreak, there was reports all on the lawn of the Kurosaki Family Clinic and they all wanted answers on the topic of the roars and crashes and how there managed to be a giant gapping hole in their living room. Ichigo managed to brush them all away with answers like, "Drunk driver blowing his horn" or "Honestly, your guess is just as good as mine is. Yet for some reason those simple answers would not suit with his family, but none of them seemed to even recall a roaring sound or a crash than ended with the hole in the living room, that left Ichigo with only one explanation Rukia... That Shinigami must have had something to do with this, how could my family not remember they were almost devoured by a giant hallow?

"Ichigo..." Isshin looked into his son's eyes, "You have some explaining to do.." He seemed more that a little angry with him, but that couldn't be avoided speaking that there was a hole the size of a truck in his living room busting through the kitchen and their brand new 58' flat screen television.

"What is there to explain? It was probably some drunk driver or something for all I know. Why on earth would I have the answers while you didn't? I was asleep just as everyone else was." Though he was lying through his teeth his face showed no betrayal of what he had claimed, and with the hope that this was true with his father so he could escape this situation without further questioning. Yet there was this look about his father that seemed to have a hint of fear, or stress, or something that made Ichigo fell oddly uncomfortable about the cold eyes that were now looking at him.

"Ichigo... There's something you're not sharing, and I'm going to find out what it is." Isshin began his departure and Ichigo felt a strange disturbance as if an unknown force was attempting to crush him or force him into a form of submission. The second his father was around the corner the feeling had passed as if it were never there, Wow that was way to close for comfort, Ichigo thought to himself, still not changing his facial expression. Why on earth was he questioning me so hard? And what the hell was that weird feeling I got as he was leaving? There's so much I need to learn, maybe Rukia is still nearby and I can get some answers from her.

As Ichigo left for school he felt as if he was being watched by someone, but every time he even glanced backwards the road or sidewalk was clear of any and all kinds of traffic, if it be spirit or human neither of them were in sight for him to discover. And since he was running late as always he didn't have time to stop and figure out just what this feeling was, but it was there the entire way he walked to school and even as he entered the building he felt as if something was glaring into his back. This is so weird, what is going on here? I mean damn it. First dad now this feeling that is accompanied by no person or spirit of any kind? I need to make sense of things, I need to find that Shinigami before today is over so she can answer anymore questions I have anyway. Right as that final thought crosses his mind the teacher announces a new student has transferred to Karakura High School and that she would like to introduce them to the class.

"Oh but you don't have to do that." A shy giggly voice said, "I'm sure I can become quite acquainted with the students at my own pace if you don't mind."

"That's fine by me," The teacher was defiantly not in a very good mood today, "The only open seat is next to Kurosaki-san, so please be seated and get all of your supplies as soon as you can. I don't need anyone in here not doing well from the lack of supplies necessary to take this course with any seriousness."

"Okay then.. I'll take my seat now then." Right as the words came out of the young females voice Ichigo looked up to see the face of a familiar Shinigami, Rukia Kuchki.

What is she doing here! Who is this person!? What the hell am I supposed to do now? There's no way we can have a private conversation at this rate! Oh well.. I'm sure she'll think of... Hm, what's this.. Ichigo looked to his right a bit and noticed the slip of paper gave the location of where they were to meet after school was over. Well it's good to know that we're on the same page then. All throughout class Ichigo was zoned out thinking of what happened last night and why on earth was Rukia still here, it made him uncomfortable to think that something must have went wrong because after the hallow was eliminated last night she should have left back to the Soul Society. With his thoughts racing on he heard the faint sound of a bell and the rustling of papers as the students began to depart the room, but he sat there still ignoring the sounds around him.

"Ichigo?" Rukia looked at him, with those deep violet eyes bringing him out of his trance, "Is everything okay? You didn't seem to focused today."

"Yeah, I'm fine." He looked around and the classroom was empty, even the teacher had left the room while he was out in his daze. "I'll see you tomorrow I guess, hope your first day was alright."

"Okay, thank you." With that Ichigo had left the room and was heading down the halls, it was deserted already which for some reason didn't seem to phase him. It was heading on three o'clock and it was Monday, which meant when he got home he as going to have a great deal of work set out for him as he tried to balance out this next week with the constant questioning from his father. With that he heard a set of light footfalls behind him, he began to turn around to advise whoever was following him to leave him be when all of a sudden he fell to his knees and felt the air leave his lunges.

"Ha, poor kid... And I thought he was going to be difficult to handle.. I mean just look at this taicho, he's falling under this thin amount of pressure." The voice was thick and rough but Ichigo couldn't determine whom it belonged to.

"Now now now, quit playing games, we have a mission to get on with. And this guy is obviously not who we're looking for, the other guy has power that this one lacks." Another voice, much less gridded than the last, in fact it was almost soothing to hear but still he couldn't recognize either one of them.

"Fine.. Let's go then before I feel the need to kill him." There was a loud whoosh and the pressure was gone, still it was difficult for him to breathe but he was able to manage. He picked up his pace as he approached his house and felt a sense of urgency rush over him, those men were looking for something and there was no way he wanted to get between them and their goal anytime soon. He opened the door to a surprising smell of burnt meat in the over, there was a thick gray smoke in the entire house that was being produced from the small oven in the kitchen. With a jerk Ichigo opened the stove and what was suppose to be the family's dinner was burnt to a crisp with a sheet of paper attached to it, though surprisingly it was undamaged.

"Ichigo..." It was Rukia, and there were tears all down her face. "I couldn't stop them Ichigo... They took your family... This is all my fault..." She fell to her knees, Ichigo rushed over to her and wrapped his arms around her in attempt to comfort her.

"Hush Rukia, it's okay." He had no idea what happened but he was going to find out and fast. He looked at the paper and ripped it out to read what the letter concealed.

Ichigo Kurosaki,

I would like to inform you that today as of four thirty-five we, and there shall be no names, have taken your family away from you. The only way you can dream of them having a safe return is if you return what you have wrongfully taken, Rukia Kuchki is now a federal criminal in the Soul Society and we demand for her return and for the powers that you stole from her to be returned. There will be major repercussions if you choose not to comply with this demand, do not try and find them Ichigo or we will be forced to kill them and have you watch. We did not want it to come to this but there have been many serious laws broken in the last twenty-four hours and if this is what it takes for us to bring a criminal to justice then we sincerely apologize. Meet this demand in three weeks that way you can be prepared to say your final goodbyes and discover the location of our fugitive, or else.

The Gotei 13

"Rukia... Is this true?" Ichigo fell, never before has he felt so weak and helpless as his family was just taken out from underneath his nose.

"I'm afraid so Ichigo... I arrived just ten minutes after it all happened.. I only wish I should have been faster." She was standing again, looking down to Ichigo with a tear forming in her eye that she quickly shook away.

"I will get them back." He stood back up, "I will save my family. This is not your fault Rukia, I have to go and save them."

"Ichigo! You're being crazy! They sent a captain! You can't take them on!"Her voice was frantic as she got in the way so he couldn't get out of the door.

"Listen" He hissed to her and grabbed her arms, "I HAVE to save them, and you HAVE to get out of my way!" He lifted her up snatching a glove out of her pocket, a strange sensation passed over him and he pressed the glove to his head and his body fell back as his spirit emerged from it.

"Please Ichigo... You have no idea what you're getting yourself into by doing this..." Rukia attempted one final plea with him, but he just walked out of the door ignoring what she had said.

There was an odd feeling in the air as Ichigo searched for the Shinigami that had broken into his house and kidnapped his family, he closed his eyes and tried remembering the feeling that he got when he entered his house and tried to focus on it. Ribbons appeared around him as he focused harder, the longer he had the thought in his mind the more ribbons appeared. He felt the presence that was in his house after several minutes of this, then when he opened his eyes there was a light pink strand in his hand and he knew where had to go.

After countless hour of wandering the streets of Karakura town he felt the energy grow stronger as he approached the center of town then he felt that same force that he felt earlier that day, he started to run down the road cutting across side streets and climbing on the top of a building to get a better view of the city, he saw a faint blue aura filling the air roughly four hundred feet to the west of him. He took off as fast as he could possibly go in attempt to ensure that he would recover his family, and ten feet in front of two Shinigami he landed one hand on the ground the other on the hilt of his sword as he prepared for one to attack him.

"I thought you said..." the rough voice from earlier started.

"I didn't feel anything from him before..." the smoother one declared.

"So, maybe I should have killed him.."

"Maybe, but it's too late now isn't it?"

"No, I can still kill him now. That is unles-"

"How about," Ichigo cut him off as he stood up, "You stop talking about killing me and actually try it before you make such rash claims."