This chapter was extremely fun to write! Enjoy!
To an extent, Ichigo Kurosaki had grown accustomed to the mortal world and its strange ways. Although, more often than not, the past and the present would merge together, the memories of his old life, plaguing him.
The strawberry had been spiteful of the fact that his royal bloodline had once controlled his every action. Throughout his childhood, he was surrounded by vigilantly appointed care and a respectable amount of luxury.
Despite this, the demon was not a stranger to the hardships his kind had been enduring from the moment the two worlds had been created. From the beginning of time, demons were forced into an ecosystem based on Survival of the Fittest. They were forced to kill for the mere purpose of living their seemingly wasteful existences. Ichigo was no different. He was raised as a worrier, trained to fight and kill from a very young age. The demon had grown strong, nearly the strongest of his House. And yet, he had become extremely bored of fighting, of taking the lives of his own. Something was missing deep within him, he just couldn't place what. Although, Ichigo knew something for a fact; he didn't want to consider that this was the only way to live. He wanted to believe that he had a greater purpose in this broken world.
"To protect," His father, the ruler of the realm, had answered simply when the subject of reason had been asked, his son's eyes void of feeling and drive.
There has to be more.
A war that that dominated the demon dominion and had raged on for five centuries between the clansmen and the peasant lives, had finally seceded. With much spite, things had calmed, and a shallow peace of sorts had cloaked their world. Even though both sides were bitter due to the extreme losses on both ends, the citizenry had settled back into their rightful place. There was now no need to continuing fighting.
Thus, briefly before Ichigo's coming of age ceremony, a time that served to pull young nobles away from bloodshed, the treaty had been settled. Now the ritual had been used to determine that the prince would decide his own fate.
He had two choices: To stay and prepare to rule his land or to become a reaper of the World of the Living until his rise to power was necessary.
Ichigo knew it was his duty to inherit the kingdom. It was only logical and the demon had grown to accept that truth but the void within him had grown incredibly deeper over the years. It felt as if it were driving him to insanity. He couldn't stay in this pointless, dreary routine.
So, he had begun bargaining with human lives. A truly cold-hearted reaper that enjoyed the games he played. The prince was still heir to the demon empire until his father's ruling came to an end and for centuries to come, Ichigo spent his days serving humans and devouring souls.
"You are better than this, Ichigo." His mother's words had been full of sadness, an emotion the reaper couldn't comprehend.
He had returned home to the palace after his most recent contract had expired. The emotions his loving mother were able to express filling him with envy and confusion; "I'm not, Mother. I promise you."
Her eyes had softened and Ichigo wondered momentarily if she could clearly see the emptiness still raging on within him.
"Come with me. I'd like you show you something."
His mother was a great woman who always put others before herself. Masaki Kurosaki held great power and yet she was not pushed by greed or deception. She was kind, understanding and gentle—characteristics unbefitting of the queen of the demon empire. But Ichigo was grateful. She allowed him to see things in a different light.
They made their way down the broad hallway leading to her personal study. "The dark arts?" Ichigo questioned dully and the woman had smiled at him in reply. There was hardly anything dark about it.
A room filled with nearly nothing besides an unusual sphere resting on its place in the center of a plush tabletop.
The demon queen was not a sparring combatant. And although he had never seen firsthand, his mother had abilities like no other—the power of magic and spells.
"The orb that shows you what you need the most. Do you remember, Ichigo?"
His younger self had been fascinated by his mother's arts and the orb that saw into the human world at the desire of the demon possessing it was no different.
Ichigo had asked her to hold it many times. "You told me that I was too young, Mother."
"You had been at the time." She started with a soft smile still in place, "You are all grown up now, my son. It is time."
The globe had fit in his palms perfectly and his mother took a step back after handing it to him with tender care.
It had been heavy yet light in his grasp, warm yet icy to the touch.
"Mother, what do I do with it?"
The orb had been a glossy color of blues, purples and grays, nearly filling with what he noted to be thick fog as the demon ran a thumb timidly over the glass surface.
Her reply has been simple yet incredibly complex; "Feel."
He had looked up at her then, confusion clear but Masaki simply nodded and gestured for the demon to continue.
So, Ichigo had stood, orb in hand, before closing his eyes with a sigh. He was older now, wiser; he knew magic wasn't something to bother with. It was just a fairytale not meant to see the light of day.
But knowing that he could not bring himself to refuse the request, the young demon let out a calming breath. The prince did his best to clear his mind.
He remained motionless and it was a simple change of color and deepening temperature that had gained Ichigo's attention. As his gaze fell to the object in hand, the orb's dull, nearly lifeless pigment shifted into soft ripples of pink.
Ichigo glanced up at his mother briefly and it seemed that she didn't notice the change. It must only change for its handler.
Returning his gaze to the sphere, the hues of pink merged together, giving the demon an image of what he suspected would be his view if he were gazing down on a world through thick patches of fluffy cherry clouds.
"What is this…?" He had breathed out to himself, amber eyes growing wide as the images cleared and a family happily playing within a beautiful garden was set before him. But the strangest thing of all was that the scene was in black and white besides a young girl, no older than five, staring back at him with the most beautiful shade of blue-violet eyes he had ever seen.
The female with short, midnight locks and an innocent gaze of lilac had seemingly stared back into his very being and the ache in his chest had been so intense that the crystal ball nearly slipped from his grasp.
The demon had stumbled some, hands bracketing against the table's edge; "Mother…?"
"Did you see it?"
He managed to look at her, his eyes wide and heart violently thumbing away, "What was that?"
The woman smiled meekly, eyes closing as she leaned against the wall behind her; "It's what you desire the most, Ichigo."
He didn't understand. What he desired the most? A child? His mother wasn't making any sense and Ichigo pushed the event aside at first. He had refused to think about such nonsense.
It would have been perfect if he were able to continue his days the way he had grown accustomed to but the image of the young girl with large innocent eyes was left burned into his mind. Why couldn't he let her go? It meant nothing… absolutely nothing.
And yet, after that event, he found himself in his mother's study day-after-day, the orb set before him. The demon watched the girl trapped within with clear desperation in his gaze. As if he were a small puppy, shielded away from its master.
As time passed, her everyday life became precious to him. Her bright smile and childish nature brought deep warmth to the demon, much to his surprise. As she played, he would guard her from his dimension, eyes soft and filled with a protective nature that never existed in the past. Ichigo no longer wanted to reap; he wanted to remain where he was, gazing into the crystal at his nameless human. Watching her live, watching her life unfold as if it were he own soundless moving picture.
Could it be that this little girl was what he was missing?
That thought had plagued him at first. It seemed ridiculous.
But as the years progressed he found one thought dominating his mind at all times.
I will protect her, no matter the price.
She had become his obsession.
The butler felt weak and disoriented even as the soft feel of the cool sheets that tangled around his naked form caused him to let out a content sigh. The man weakly rolled to his back, eyes closed, fighting against sleep.
The scent of everything Rukia was surrounding him, calming his movements. Accepting his sleepy fate without thought, Ichigo reached for his human at his side, prepared to wrap her in his arms and drift back off to complete unconsciousness.
But when his palm met the cold silken bedding beside him, amber eyes snapped open in response.
She wasn't there!
Something deep within him rumbled and roared at the realization. He couldn't quite place the feeling but the sensation that originated in the pit of his stomach and stemmed off into angry branches of desperation caused the demon to jump quickly to his feet. Ichigo's heart hammered away in his chest cavity as he crouched low, now fully alert.
Where?
His gaze, now a deep blood red, shot about the room desperately and in a clearer state-of-mind he would have found the action be absolutely absurd.
After all, his darkness had awoken him, every one of his animal instincts screaming that his beloved human was not by his side. A clever ability that only his kind possessed that allowed him to know the whereabouts of his master at all times.
Considering this, she was obviously not in the room due to his inner alarms shrieking as they were. Nevertheless, Ichigo's mindset was altered; he wasn't thinking clearly. When it came it his master, he could never seem to think clearly.
Find her!
It was a brash, angry order that nearly had the butler hyperventilating.
He rushed into the washroom, hoping to find his little human possibly bathing or using the facilities, but to no avail.
She was gone.
Turning on his heels, the desire to simply destroy something played strongly in the demon's mind.
If he hadn't been resting, this wouldn't have happened. She would still be in safe in his arms; a pained shudder left him.
Dread was filling the man quickly now. Something horrible might have happened to his little master and it was completely his fault.
"Damn it!" Without thought, the demon struck at the tiled wall, his powerful fist breaking and splintering the woodwork set before him.
Once…Twice...Three times, Ichigo let his rage overtake him, the monster's punches unsympathetic. He felt a mixture of emotions then. As if he were either a young child whose favorite toy had been snatched from his grasp or a beast snared in a hunter's trap. He couldn't calm himself; his demonic nature setting in as he growled lowly in the back of his throat.
As the burn in his shoulder blades returned, shining crimson closed. The butler moved to rest his head on the area of tiles still intact to his side.
No, Ichigo wouldn't allow his instincts to control him now. This situation was too important for him to get lost in his demonic actions.
The male took in a trembling breath.
Without warning, demonic eyes shot open, the fiend's scarlet gaze now a bright blue. As Ichigo stared blankly ahead, his mouth opened in breathless pants, canines extending, claws sharpening and curling into the marble surface.
Find her!
The order was screamed once again and for once, he had to agree with animal instincts.
Yes.
Hmm, I wonder what Ichigo is gonna do... Stick around to find out! I wanna thank those of you that reviewed! Although, I didn't seem to get a lot of feedback last chapter so I hope no one's lurking! Reviews encourage quicker updates so stop by and say hi, ne? Hoped you enjoyed. See ya next time!