Chapter 8

"Hey, Seika! Seika, wake up," Haruka persisted and I put my hand on his face before pushing him away.

"Go away." I mumbled.

"Dad hasn't come back since before you left last night. We can't even locate his spiritual energy with anything."

I sat up and something pinched the back of my neck, making me get a headache. "So what you're saying is that dad isn't in this town anymore?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. Daijiro's going to check out the store and Kyouhei and Takashi are looking around his favourite places. Mum's gone shopping with some friends."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Go tell your Soul Reaper about it," Haruka ordered and I looked at him.

"How do you know about that?"

"I went on patrol after you didn't come back and then spotted you two lovebirds on a roof near the river. I left pretty quickly and no, I haven't told anyone else." He said quickly.

"Fine. I'll give his house a call and meet him somewhere." I grumbled.

"Just follow his spiritual energy. The idiot obviously doesn't know how to control his energy, I can feel him from here."

"Fine, fine. Just get out so I can get dressed," I said and started taking my shirt off. Haruka was gone long before that happened.

I dressed into a white button up shirt with a short black pleated skirt. I brushed my hair and pulled up my black socks before sliding into a pair of sky blue sneakers. I raced down the stairs and twirled in front of Haruka.

"Nice. But this is a recon mission, not a date. Now get going." Haruka informed and I headed down the hall and opened the door to see Ichigo no longer in Soul Reaper form.

"Are you going somewhere?" Ichigo asked and I leaned against the door frame.

"I was going to find you, actually. What's up?" I questioned and he pulled out a black tie with a silver skull on the end. "That's my dad's."

"Yeah, he must've dropped it when he left. I thought I'd give it back to him."

"My dad never came home last night," I informed and his eyes widened as my hands wrapped around the tie. "My brothers are searching the town but we can't feel his spiritual energy at all in the area. It's as if he left the town."

"Is it alright if we talk inside?"

"Sure. Haruka's here but don't take notice of him." I informed and led Ichigo inside where Haruka was in the kitchen, drinking the rest of the milk. "So you're the one who drinks it all!"

Haruka gagged and dropped the bottle to the floor, milk going everywhere. I growled something inappropriate and cleaned up the mess as Haruka talked with Ichigo.

"You smell weird," Haruka pointed out and I rolled my eyes.

"God, I could kick you in the ass." I muttered and began to feel dizzy.

"Right, so, Ichigo, what time did our dad leave your place?"

"It was weird. We were having this conversation and then I could feel this strange spiritual energy. Then your dad said he had some business to attend to and he left. It was about midnight or something."

I dropped the empty bottle of milk.

"Strange spiritual energy?" I squeaked and Haruka looked at me funnily.

"You okay, sis?" He asked and I leaned up against the bench.

"I don't know. I feel strange. Did this spiritual energy feel like one of ours?" I said uneasily and Ichigo went to stand up but Haruka beat him and led me to the table.

"In a way. It was so strong and–"

"Corrupt?" I questioned and Ichigo nodded. "I felt it while I was sleeping but I didn't think much of it."

"And you didn't tell me?!" Haruka snapped.

"I couldn't wake up! So don't go snapping at me!" I hissed and Haruka calmed down. "I felt something on the back of my neck."

Haruka gave me a strange look before lifting up my hair.

"It's... a tattoo." He informed and Ichigo took a look.

"Look closer. It looks like it's injecting something into her." Ichigo pointed out.

"We have to get her to a hospital!"

"They can't do anything because that tattoo feels a lot like the spiritual energy I felt last night! Seika, you have to come with me," Ichigo ordered and pulled me to my feet, nearly making me puke.

"Hey, careful with her!" Haruka snapped.

"It'll be conspicuous if I carry you around the town in my body. Can you get into your soul form?" Ichigo asked and hit himself in the chest with something before he split apart from his body.

"Mizu o Tsuki," I breathed and the pleasant tingle greeted me before disappearing.

"You ready?" Ichigo said and stretched in his Shihakusho before I wrapped my arms around his neck and he picked me up close to his chest.

"Take care of her, Soul Reaper, or I'll kill you," Haruka said and Ichigo nodded before we weren't in the house anymore.

Flash step, I thought and my head got dizzier from the moving so I buried my face into his chest and clung onto him tightly.

"Stupid Soul Reapers and their stupid flash step," I muttered and felt Ichigo laugh.

"You mustn't be that ill if you can still complain. Just hang in there." He said and I was about to say something when a pulse of the strange spiritual energy hit up and then something hit us to the side and we were thrown off course. I had let go of Ichigo at the impact and hit a nearby wall before dropping to the ground in a heap. Ichigo had smashed into a large garbage bin and left a huge dent in it.

"Your blood smells so sweet. I see my mark has left you weak." A male voice purred and I looked up to see a man with long black hair and piercing blue eyes.

"Go to hell, scumbag." I snarled and coughed up blood.

"Save your breath, child. It'll be useless." He said and Ichigo got to his feet just as the man grabbed a fistful on my hair and pressed a blade to my neck. "You move and she dies."

"What... do you want with her?" Ichigo snapped.

"After what her poor father had told me after hours of torture, I want her heart. She belongs with me."

"What did you just say about my dad?!" I snarled and elbowed him in the gut before flipping out of his grasp. "Hado seventy-three. Soren Sokatsui!"

My outstretched hands exploded into two streams of blue spiritual energy towards the stranger. He didn't have enough time to dodge before it hit him in the chest and he just disappeared afterwards.

"Let's just say your father no longer exists." The guy panted and I looked up on the roof to see him panting as his chest bled. "Until next time, my bride."

He disappeared into a puff of smoke before I dropped to the ground, puking up my blood.

"Seika!" Ichigo yelled and I wiped my mouth.

"The poison," I gasped and spat out what horrid blood was in my mouth. My shirt had blood stains on it which meant I'd have to get rid of it if I made it out alive.

Ichigo picked me up again and we continued to our destination which I didn't know until we came to a small shop where two kids stood sweeping out the front.

"Hey, carrot top, what are you–"

"Open the door now!" Ichigo yelled, interrupting the little red headed boy. He took one look at the body Ichigo was carrying (which was me) and slid the front doors open immediately, letting Ichigo in without stopping. "Urahara! We've got a problem!"

"Some problem," I gasped and almost puked again before a blonde man wearing a green and white hat walked in casually.

"Good morning, Ichigo." He began and stopped when he saw what Ichigo was holding. "Oh, boy."

The Urahara guy had called a few people and I was amazed to see Orihime, a big burly guy called Chad who was in our class, and a geeky dark haired boy called Uryu.

"Oh my god! Seika!" Orihime screamed and rushed to my side.

"Orihime, I need you to see if you can remove that tattoo from her neck." Urahara said and I immediately lurched to the bucket beside me in order to puke more blood.

"If I keep going like this, I'll have to resort to my Altered form to stay alive." I groaned and grabbed the already bloodstained cloth to wipe my mouth. "No mouthwash is going to get this taste out."

"Where's Rukia?" Uryu asked.

"She had to go to the Soul Society to report that strange spiritual energy."

"Orihime, please!" Ichigo exclaimed and I dropped back onto the futon before pulling off my shirt to reveal my white bra.

"Sorry boys," I mumbled and rolled onto my side, pulling my hair over my shoulder.

"Is-is that the tattoo?" Orihime asked and Urahara nodded.

"Her skin's so pale. You can see the poison going straight through her veins." Uryu informed.

"Shunou, Ayame. Santen Kesshun, I reject." Orihime exclaimed and a golden hue enveloped me. "Just close your eyes, Seika."

"I don't want to. In case I don't wake up," I said quickly and curled up into a ball on my side.

"So what happened?" Urahara asked.

"We were attacked by this guy. He was the one who put the tattoo on her." Ichigo informed and I laughed humourlessly.

"He wasn't just a guy. He was the Dark Prince, Kane, the first of my kind. I know that because of his eyes; bluer than the sea and filled with such pain. Anyone who isn't my kind is forbidden to look into his eyes because their body erupts into agonizing pain." I muttered and sat up. Uryu and Chad looked away but Ichigo seemed intent on watching my progress.

"I take it you know what that tattoo is." Urahara stated and I nodded.

"I didn't know it at first but after seeing him, I'm positive. The tattoo injects a toxin into the person until they're resorted to their soul form. The tattoo will continue to-" I stopped so I could puke again but it wasn't as bad, "-inject the toxin until the person goes to their Altered form. Depending on how strong the Alteration is depends on how long it takes for the toxin to wear out or for their soul chain to become severed."

"So it's like survival of the fittest?"

"Yeah. He gives his kind the toxin as a test to see if the person is strong enough to become a royal guard."

"But he said he wanted your heart and called you his bride," Ichigo informed and I heard Orihime sigh in relief before the shield disappeared

"The poison's gone and so is the tattoo." She breathed before I stood up and nearly stumbled again.

"Thank you, Orihime," I smiled and went to put my bloody shirt back on when Ichigo took of the top half of his Shihakusho and handed it to me. He had a great body.

"How do you feel now?" Urahara said and passed me a cup of tea.

"I need a bath and an extra dose of mouthwash." I informed and drank the tea down in seconds before asking for another one.

"Now Ichigo said that the more human the Altered form is, the more stronger the Darksider is. Do you know how strong this Dark Prince is?" Urahara explained.

"Is that what you call us? Darksiders?" I asked and Urahara shrugged. "I've heard stories that his Altered form resembles him a great deal but it also says that he looks like a scheming demon."

"You said that you would look human if it weren't for your wings." Ichigo stated and I murmured in agreement.

"Yes, but where he takes on an demon, I'm a little different."

"What did he mean that he wanted your heart?" Urahara said and I shrugged.

"I only know so much. I haven't heard or read any legends about Kane claiming a bride. I guess he's just decided that he doesn't want to be lonely."

"Are you willing to be his bride?"

"Hell, no! Not after the stunt he pulled before," I smirked.

"Where are your brothers?" Orihime asked.

"They're looking for my–" I froze as Kane's words sunk in.

"Let's just say your father no longer exists."

"Seika?" Ichigo said quietly and I guess I was a bit shocked because I didn't react at first.

After several moments passed, my emotions caught up with my mind and I began to cry. I cuddled into Ichigo's bare chest and he wrapped his arms around me.

"That bastard killed my father! And he has the right mind that I would become his bride?! The murderous narcissist!" I wailed.

"Seika," Orihime said carefully and I pulled away from Ichigo.

"I have to go tell my brothers." I said abruptly and flicked my hair from my face. "And you're coming with me, Ichigo."