Chapter 1

Ichigo stared at his mother's corpse. "Please, wake up...Mamma, please..." He shook her body with his fragile hands, tears streaking down his face. "Please, Mamma." He croaked.

The creature in front of him laughed. It had a white mask and greenish fur covering its body. It reminded Ichigo of a sick, twisted hamster with a-What was it? Oh, right-a lure dangling in front of it. "Silly boy! Your mom ISN'T going to wake up! She's dead!" The creature laughed again.

Ichigo whimpered, fisting his mother's shirt. The creature took a step forward. Then another. Another. It's massive jaws opened slightly, forming a red sphere when a voice rang out.

"It isn't polite to pick on someone smaller than you,ya know." Ichigo turned. There, was a blonde boy around 17 with brown eyes. A sword hung in his right hand, But that wasn't the part that fascinated Ichigo. There, on the right side of his face, was a pure white mask-Just like the monster that had killed his mother.

Was Blondie going to eat him too? Or stab him? Or maybe Blondie would fight off the monster and then eat him. Maybe Blondie would call the cops. But then why would Blondie call the cops if Blondie had a sword? Did people even use swords anymore?

Ichigo blinked. He had a mountain of questions he wanted to ask, but he knew that Blondie wouldn't want him bothering him so that way Blondie could defeat the monster...If Blondie even was going to defeat the monster, that is. He whimpered again. He was confused, cold and overall he wanted Mamma to wake up.

His Mamma felt cold, like the monster had sucked the heat out of her body; Maybe that was one of the monster's abilities, he wondered. He was startled from his thoughts when Blondie lunged at the monster with his sword.

The monster dodged, but Blondie turned and stabbed the monster. The monster howled, ropes extending from its fur. "Watch out, Blondie!" he heard himself screech.

"Blondie! I have a name,ya know!" Blondie seethed, lunging at the monster again.

Ichigo blinked. "Sorry, Blondie!" he called, just as Blondie cut the monster in half with his sword. Ichigo watched as the monster disappeared and Blondie put away his sword.

Blondie sighed. "My name isn't Blondie. It's Shinji. Who are you?" Blo-Shinji asked. Ichigo smiled, momentarily forgetting his mother. "I'm Ichigo and this is my Mamma- Oh." he looked down. His mom was still asleep, but she seemed even colder than before. Her lips were slightly blue, also.

Shinji cringed. How should he put this? "Look, kid..Your mom isn't gonna wake up because..well..She's dead. "

Ichigo sniffed. "No, she's not! She's just sleeping!" But inside he knew that she truly was dead.

Shinji shook his head. "Look, kid. I'll take ya home if ya show me where ta go." Ichigo nodded. "Wait..Your name's Ichigo? Like the strawberry? Ha!"

Ichigo glared at Shinji. "It doesn't mean strawberry, it mean 'one who protects'!"

"If ya say so,kid."

"Stop calling me kid!"

"Alright...Strawberry."