There was a horrifying laugh. No, it was more like a cackle that mocked him.
Everything was dark but it felt like he was floating, he looked around trying to see some sort of light but there was only darkness.
"What's the matter king? Not going to fight back?"
The mocking voice laughed again and in front of Ichigo a shadowed figure began to form. He looked like a ghost and Ichigo could just barely see the yellow glow of his eyes.
"Who are you?!" Ichigo yelled. And the figure seemed to disappear with a flash.
He appeared right before him with a blade drawn and slashed it down across Ichigo's chest.
With that Ichigo awoke, he quickly jumped up and went to check that he wasn't injured.
"It was only a dream" He whispered to himself. It felt so lifelike though. That figure.
Who was he?
He got dressed and ran out the door. Chad was waiting for him near the entrance to the school and waved as he got closer.
"Hey Chad, whats up?"
They smiled and walked as Chad explained that there would be new students today.
Kiego snuck behind them and grabbed Ichigo by the shoulder attempting to get a reaction from him. To which Kurosaki simply kicked him in the stomach and continued on his way.
"Hope you remembered the exam today Kiego." As he walked to the doors
"Seriously? We have an exam? Did anyone else know about this?"
Chad nodded and walked alongside Ichigo as they made their way to the classroom.
"Yo." Ichigo waved and walked over to Tatsuki, Inoue, and Ishida who were with several others.
A man who looked to old to be a teenager, he had long red hair that was tied back and several tattoos. Ichigo stepped back for a moment, taken back by the man's appearance. The man waved as if he knew him and smiled at him.
"H-hi. I'm Ichigo. This is Kiego and Chad." Kiego and Chad waved awkwardly, both knowing exactly who these strangers were.
The man stared at him for a moment and then smiled courteously and held out his hand.
"Renji. Renji Abarai. This is cap- this is Toshirou Hitsugaya and Rukia Kuchiki."
"Yeah we met yesterday." Ichigo smiled over at Rukia who waved back.
Ichigo looked back at the other person who he could only assume was Toshiro. He looked like a child! He had spiky white hair and giant eyes. Ichigo looked at him and Renji. Both of these students did not look seventeen at all. It was strange but Ichigo thought it would be pointless to bring it up. They had already seemed to fit in with the rest of the group and it was as if they had known each other for years.
"It's nice to meet you all." With that Ichigo turned and walked to his desk and sat down, all the while glancing out the window. Yet again he was already falling asleep, these dreams were consistently making him exhausted.
"Ichigo?" His head swung up to see Orihime staring down at him.
"Hey Orihime. What's up?"
She had a sadness in her eyes. Something Ichigo couldn't quite figure out.
"Orihime? Are you alright?"
That sparked something in her and she sat down in the seat in front of him.
"No, no I'm fine Ichigo. I'm perfectly fine."
"Orihime." Ichigo practically whispered it. Orihime and him hadn't spent much time together till recently. It wasn't till a few months ago that she really hung out in the group at all, she would usually hang out only with Tatsuki. Things felt different around her as well. She seemed older, and more sad ever time she looked at him.
She looked at him with that same sadness. It was as if she had seen the most horrible things in the world and something inside Ichigo made him want to reach out and help her.
I MUST PROTECT HER! He could hear himself scream in his head. He could hear the words it was him he was sure of it. But he had never said or even though such things before.
As Ichigo thought about his he saw a flash of something in his mind.
A mask with white and red. It was dark and terrifying. And the same yellow eyes from his dream stared at him.
And then it was gone.
"Mr. Kurosaki, are you paying attention."
Ichigo sprung his head up to look at the teacher at the front of the room. The entire class was sitting and staring at him. When had they even started class. Ichigo's face went red and he quickly shouted.
"Yes sorry." His head sunk down into his book and he did his best to listen close. The teacher turned back around and Ichigo sighed. He looked around to see that Tatsuki was giving him a 'smarten up' sort of look. He smiled and looked over to see the new girl Rukia stared at him with concern. He hardly knew her, why would she worry about him?
He shook off the idea and focused on his studies.
Ichigo stayed behind at school to clean up and walked the long way home. He couldn't figure out what was going on with him anymore. He felt so different from who he remembered. He could always remember being determined, wanting to protect and connect with people he cared about. Now he hardly had the energy to even carry on a conversation.
And he knew that if they found about about him seeing things and his dreams that they would all believe he was insane. But the fact was in the last couple of weeks they had been getting worse. He saw flashes of the mask, a large sword, and sometimes he could even picture himself in a fight. He could never see an opponent or really even much of anything, but he knew. He knew he was fighting to protect someone and it felt so real every time.
Walking over the bridge he noticed how late it was but decided to rest and lean on the bridge railing anyway. He sighed at the idea, he didn't even recognize himself. He seemed so strange from who he used to be. What happened that he changed so much so suddenly?
He tried to think back to an event or some moment within the last few months that it would have happened but he came up with nothing.
"Ichigo?"
Rukia walked toward the teenager as he continued to stare into space. It was so unlike him, he looked tired. He looked distant and lonely. He had always had a serious and slightly depressed look on his face but now it was almost as if he didn't have the energy to care at all.
"Ic-Ichigo?" He sprung his head up in surprise and met her gaze. He smiled at her and lifted his arm up to scratch behind his head as if he was embarrassed.
"Rukia? Sorry, I guess I spaced out for a moment." He looked behind her to see that Renji and Toshiro were there as well.
"Oh hi." They waved and Rukia turned towards them, signaling that she needed to speak with him alone.
"Well we better be going, lots to do. We'll see you later Rukia, Ichigo." With that the walked away. Ichigo stared at them dumbfounded but turned as Rukia sighed and leaned on the railing right next to him.
"So tell me what's wrong?"
Ichigo stared at her and looked away, something about this girl was intimidating. He glanced up at her only to see her eyes focused directly on his, he looked down again and sighed.
"Nothings wrong. I'm perfectly fine. I'm sorry to worry you Kuchiki."
She was taken back by him using such a formal word. It wasn't like him at all. But if she knew anything its that the old Ichigo was still in there somewhere.
"You idiot!" Ichigo scrunched his face in confusion and turned to the girl he had only met a day ago. As he turned she struck him right in the face.
"Ouch you freakin' midget that hurt!" She stopped and looked at him, she wasn't expecting that reaction but she was never so happy to hear herself be called a freakin' midget again.
"I said you're an idiot Ichigo. You think I can't tell that somethings bugging you."
He looked at her shocked as he rubbed his face where there would most likely be a bruise. He opened his mouth to speak but didn't know what to say. As he looked at her he pictured her but with a dark sort of kimono, smiling at him. He rubbed his eyes and looked again, this time seeing her same school uniform and frowning at him.
Again he sighed. "Do you ever feel like your losing your mind Kuchiki?"
She stayed quiet, unsure of where he was going with this.
"Sometimes it just feels like your missing something, something important. You know?"
She nodded and thought about it, if Ichigo was thinking these things then maybe just maybe, his memory was going to start returning.
He shook his head and looked at her, smiling a big grin.
"So tell me Rukia how do you know everyone?"