A/N: So thanks to everyone who reviewed and favorited. I really appreciate it. Here's chapter 1 rewritten and revised with Ichigo's point of view added. Hopefully, I'll be able to upload Chapter 3 this week too. So in the meantime, enjoy!
Chapter 1: Getting Ready
(Rukia's POV)
8:45 p.m.
June 2012
Tokyo
I was running. The sound of my panting and the snapping of twigs underneath my feet were the only sounds in the bitter cold night. The tree branches were tearing at my arms and face, and I had splinters in my feet due to the fact that I lost my shoes a while back from running. They were probably bleeding, but I didn't dare stop. I had to keep running. I needed to keep running in order to survive.
A howl sounded in the distance. I speeded up although I knew my efforts were futile. I refused to give up. I wasn't going down without a fight.
My heart was pumping a thousand miles per minute, and I felt a stitch in my side. My breathing was labored and I knew at that moment I was reaching my end. I wouldn't be able to keep running, but I had to try. I had to.
In my haste to get away, my foot got caught in a hole. As I attempted to get back up, a sharp pain ran throughout my leg. My ankle was twisted. Another howl sounded throughout the night. This time it was closer.
"GET UP, RUKIA!" My inner-self shouted at me. "YOU CAN'T LET THEM CATCH YOU!" As I tried to force myself to get up, I heard a twig snap about 10 feet away from me. Shit. They found me. I tried to force the overwhelming panic and fear back down, but it was no use. I was going to die here and there was no one to save me.
A beast the size of a car came into the clearing. It had yellow eyes that glowed silver in the moonlight, and fur that was color of the night sky. Its mouth was in the fiercest of snarls which displayed all of its whiter than white, sharp teeth. A growl resonated deep within the beast's body signaling to me that I've reached my end and I better not move. Others soon came out into the clearing, all the same size of the first one and were slowly gaining upon me.
Tears of panic and dejection were coming down my face as I made pathetic attempts at trying to get away. I knew that there was no point in even trying. I just hoped that they made my death a quick one. I didn't want to suffer.
All of a sudden, the beasts immediately stopped in their pursuit of me. They seemed to be afraid of something behind me. Despite my confusion and fear of the beasts in front of me, I turned my attention to the presence behind me only to receive the shock of my life.
It was a man who was in a word, gorgeous. His face was calm, but his eyes revealed unimaginable fury. He made both a terrifying but yet beautiful image.
"Rukia," the gorgeous stranger called to me in his deep baritone while walking towards me. "Don't worry. I'll protect you."
I should have felt fear, but all I did feel was this sense of relief and happiness that this man found me.
"Give me your hand." He said reaching out towards me.
I shouldn't have done it, but for some reason, I trusted him. I felt that I could trust him with my life.
I grabbed his hand in front of me and he picked me up into his arms. As I wrapped my arms around his neck, he turned and walked away from the dangerous beasts. I should have worried about them attacking us from behind, but I felt a sense security within his arms and I also had the feeling that he was a lot more powerful than he looked.
As he carried me through the woods, I couldn't help but feel that I knew him from somewhere, but where?
"Who are you?" I asked, this beautiful stranger.
He smiled at me and my breath caught in my throat.
He truly was gorgeous.
"My name is-"
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!
I was interrupted from my dream by someone knocking at my door. I tried not to focus on my disappointment on not finding out the name of the man who has been haunting my dreams for the past two weeks. Like every dream for the past three weeks, I never learned his name. But tonight's dream was different. I actually saw his face.
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!
"Coming!" I shouted at whoever was knocking as I rushed to put on my robe. I finally made it outside my room and down the hall of my apartment to open the door for whoever was persistently knocking at my door. Looking through the peephole, I saw that it was my neighbor, Orihime conversing with some black-haired stranger.
"Hello Orihime."
"There you are, Rukia-kun! I was just about to leave."
"Sorry, I was sleeping and didn't hear you knock."
"Ah, it's fine. It's my fault for disturbing you." She said while smiling apologetically.
Orihime has got to be one of the kindest and most beautiful people I have ever met. Standing at 5'9'', with reddish-gold hair that cascaded to middle of her back in waves, big storm-grey eyes, full lips, high cheekbones, a heart-shaped face, golden sun-kissed skin, breasts that most women can only get with surgical implants, and a body that puts most models to shame, she is a force to be reckoned with.
I will admit that I am a bit envious of her beauty. Compared to her Amazonian features, I am rather average looking in appearance. I have blue-black hair (a common feature found in Japan) that reaches my shoulder blades, pale skin, sapphire blue eyes, a heart-shaped face, a slender body with some curves, barely there B-cup breasts, all brought together on a body that stands at most 5'4 on a good day. So, yeah, I'm pretty much average.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" She exclaimed, interrupting me out of my musings. "I forgot to introduce you to my boyfriend, Uliquiorra Chiffer. Uliquiorra, this is my new neighbor and friend that I've been telling you about, Rukia Kuchiki."
"Nice to meet you. Uliquiorra"
"Likewise," he responded in an extremely monotonic and deep voice.
With emerald green eyes, jet-black, shoulder length, shaggy hair, a very pale complexion, lean-muscled body, an aristocratic shaped face, and a stature of almost 6 feet, Uliquiorra was quite a handsome man. No surprise there, considering who his girlfriend is. Unlike his girlfriend however, he had a much colder personality. How they got together, I'll never. But you know the saying: Opposites attract.
"Rukia-kun, I was wondering if you would like to accompany me and Uliquiorra to the opening of our friend's new club in the Rippongi District called Pantera. I thought it would be a great time for us to get to know one another better since you're new to the area. Plus I could introduce you to some of my friends." She asked me while giving me a timid smile.
"I don't know, Orihime. I'm really not the clubbing type." I said in hopes that she'd quickly drop the subject. I never liked being around crowds of people. I've had enough of that during my younger days when I had to accompany my older brother, Byakuya, to all of his business banquets. They were always filled with superficial and extraordinarily arrogant people who were only interested in me because of my family's wealth. I may have been adopted into the family due to prodding of my late sister, his wife, Hisana, but it meant nothing to those power-hungry, obnoxious assholes.
"Aww, please Rukia! It's Friday and I refuse to let you sit in here by yourself all night. Come on, live a little. Hang out with us. I promise you'll have fun." She said, giving me the puppy dog eyes.
I hated those eyes.
"Okay, fine." I sighed, relenting. "Let me get dressed. You guys can come in and wait." I said whilst leading them into my apartment and closing the door behind them once they entered.
"Yay!" She exclaimed. "I can help you get ready. Ulqui, you won't mind sitting here while I help her get ready?" She turned and asked her boyfriend.
"Not at all." He responded in the same monotone voice. Really, how on Earth did these two end up together?
"Oh, goodie!" She responded and kissed him on the cheek and I may have to check my eyesight, but I thought I saw the faintest hint of a smile on his face. It was probably just my imagination.
"Come on, Rukia. Let's find you something to wear." She said while guiding me to my room. "I have a feeling that tonight is going to be one heck of a night to remember."
"Yeah…..I can't wait." I said with feigned enthusiasm.
This should be interesting.
(Ichigo's POV)
9:00 pm
Tokyo
The sound of my feet rhythmically hitting the ground beneath me was the only sound in this cold winter's night. A long night's run in my wolf form always calmed me when the world became too much to handle.
I had no idea where I was going. I just let my instincts take me to where I needed to be. I looked up towards the night sky and thought how beautiful the stars and moon looked tonight. They reminded me of home and of my family. I missed them dearly but I needed to get away from them for a while. The loneliness was becoming too much to bear. I didn't want to burden them with my problems.
Soon, my feet brought me to a large meadow where the moon illuminated everything within its path, including a woman who was standing in the middle of meadow.
Although she had her back turned to me, I could tell she was very beautiful. She had long black hair that was brought up in a traditional Japanese hair bun and she was wearing a long white kimono with an intricate gold and red dragon extending over the left side of the kimono, along with a scarlet red obi tied around her waist.
Every instinct in my body is forcing me to go to he and I'm not one to disobey them. I slowly make my way towards this mysterious woman and suddenly, as if sensing my presence, she turns around and faces me. My earlier opinion about her being beautiful was incorrect.
She was absolutely stunning.
Her eyes, oh her eyes, were the deepest blue I have ever seen. The moonlight reflecting in her eyes revealed her joy and happiness at seeing me. Her doll-shaped mouth was pulled into a soft smile.
"Ichigo," the angelic beauty said to me in her melodic voice. "I've been waiting for you."
As soon as I was about a three feet away from her, I realized how small she was. I was close to a foot taller than her and her body was rather thin. A sudden urge to protect her came over me.
When I finally stopped in front of her, she reached out her hand to grab mines. As soon as I felt her touch, electricity shot throughout my body. Never has a woman's touch affected me so. I found myself wanting more. As if reading my thoughts, she reached out her other hand to put on my cheek. I leaned into her touch and closed my eyes, reveling in her caressing my skin as if it were my last lifeline to this world.
"Please. Who are you?" I asked desperately. I needed this woman more than I needed air.
Her smile grew and my breath hitched.
God, what is this woman doing to me?
"My name is-"
Watch me! Watch me! I got it!
Watch me! I got it!
Hey! I got something that makes me want to shout.
I got something that tells me what it's all about.
I got soul and I'm super bad!
I got soul and I'm super bad!
James Brown's "Super Bad" blaring out of the speakers of my phone startled me out of my dream. Still feeling the dredges of sleep, I decided to let it continue to ring, hoping that whoever was trying to get in touch with me, would leave a message and not call back.
Finally, after two full minutes of hearing the same 6 verses repeating over and over again, it stopped ringing. I could finally go back to dreaming of the woman that has been staring in my dreams for the past three years and hopefully learn the name that goes with that angelic face.
Watch me! Watch me! I got it!
Apparently not.
Only one person I know has the audacity to aggravate me when I'm trying to sleep. Irritated that I wouldn't be able to finish my dream, I answered the annoyance.
"The fuck do you want, Grimmjow?" I answered my phone, not bothering with answering politely because the person on the other end didn't deserve such luxuries.
"Wow. Is that how you greet your best friend since childhood?" The voice on the other end answered. I could just picture the arrogant smirk on that smug face of his.
Asshole.
"Ex-best friend. I was sleeping you ungrateful, son of a bitch! You know this is the time when I take my naps!" My temper was rising steadily. I hate being woken up before its time for me to get up. I'm not the most pleasant person to deal with when that happens, as you can see. And seeing how he interrupted me finding out as to whom the woman was who has been haunting my dreams for the past three years, I was even more pissed.
"Ichi, you wound me. I'm hurt that you would think that way about me. I only have your best interest at heart."
"Bullshit. You did this on purpose, you asshole. Now what the hell is so important that you felt the need to interrupt my nap?"
"You and your beauty sleep. I don't see why it's so important to you. You're still one ugly ass motherfucker."
"Tch. Even on my worst day, I still look better than you. "
"Fuck you."
"Asshole."
"Bitchface."
It's been like this ever since Grimmjow and I first met as children. The first time we met, we hated each other's guts with a passion resulting in many fights. Some were more violent than the others resulting in us having to stay in bed due to injuries. Somehow though, over the course of our childhood, the fights turned into grudging acceptance that we both were equally matched in our skills, and then into friendship. He's practically my brother now. We still fight a lot but, it's not as bad as it was when we first met, though. Our fights nowadays consist of 2 hour shouting matches and maybe the occasional punches. We've gotten a bit too old for the full out brawling. And besides, I'm much more mature now than I was as a child. I can't say the same for Grimmjow though.
He's worse than a 5 year old kid high off of sugar.
"Anyway, what the hell do you want?" I asked, shaking my head to clear my thoughts.
"I was just calling to make sure you're bringing your ass to the club tonight."
"Yes, mom," I replied while rolling my eyes. He's been pestering me about coming to the opening of his club for the past 3 weeks. Hell, if I didn't go he's liable to bitch about it for weeks.
"Fuck you, Strawberry! I was just making sure that you'd be there to witness my success!" He replied arrogantly.
"More like complete and utter failure." I muttered under my breath, knowing he could still here me. I didn't care.
"Haha. You're funny. Just get your ass ready, pretty boy. Everybody else is on their way here already. And your brother just walked in."
"Who?"
"Who fuck do you think I mean?"
"I have two brothers, you dumbfuck! You gotta be more specific!" Seriously, why the hell are we friends?
"Oh, right. Shiro just walked in-" I hear yelling in the background, definitely confirming my twin brother's presence. "And he told me to tell you to hurry up. We haven't seen you in weeks, you ungrateful bastard and I do believe it's time you grace us with your miserable presence. So hurry it the fuck up."
"Alright, alright. Let me get dressed. Damn. I seriously wonder how in the hell does Soi-fong put up with you without killing you at every opportune moment." I said while shaking my head. How those two ended up together, I'll never know.
"She can't resist my sexiness. And besides, she doesn't seem to have a problem with me when she's screaming out my name every night as I"
I hang up. I really don't want to taint my mind with the image of those two having sex.
I force myself out of my king-sized bed and into my bathroom to take a shower. As I was waiting for the water to heat up, I thought back to the dream I was having before Grimmjow called. It was different tonight.
For the past three years, I've been dreaming of this woman every night and I never really saw what she looked like…..
Until now.
I wanted to know who this woman was. I've spent the last three years searching for her only to reach dead end after dead end. I'm beginning to lose hope believing that this woman, my other half, my perfect mate, doesn't actually exist. She's only just a figment of my deepest desires to find someone to help end this solitude that has been plaguing me for the past 600 years.
Shaking my head clear of these morbid thoughts, I focus on getting ready for the opening of Grimmjow's new club called Pantera. He's been working hard on getting this club off the ground for the past two years and I can't help but be excited for him that all of his hardwork has finally paid off. I couldn't wait to see him and the rest of my family and friends that I've been too busy to see for the past 5 weeks.
Getting out of the shower, I dried off and wrapped the towel around my waist. Going into my walk- in closet I try to find something to wear while towel drying my hair. Deciding on wearing white button up, with a black vest, and dark blue jeans with a silver chain hanging from the pockets, I get dressed.
Now usually, I'm not a vain man usually, but I can't help but notice that I look pretty damned good. My deep orange hair, which I decided to let grow out a little, reaches down to my shoulders in layered waves, my cinnamon-brown eyes are bright with excitement, I have sharply defined facial features that many of the ladies love to comment on, my toned forearm muscles are on display since I pushed my shirt sleeves up to the elbows, and the jeans accentuate my 6'1 almost 6'2 height. And to top it off, I put on my black and white Chuck Taylors that finishes off the look.
Grabbing the keys to my black Aston Martin V8 Vantage Coupe, I head out the door and into the busy streets of Tokyo.
Let the hunt begin.
A/N: Ah, this took me forever to write. Hopefully you guys like it. Review and let me know!
EDIT 03/05/12: New chapter should be up this week hopefully.