Chapter II: Fly From the Inside

The grass and fallen leaves were hardened with frost. Not all the trees were bare, but a good number of them were radiant with fall colors. It was early morning, and there were a handful of people walking about with jackets on. Some pulled the collar of their coats up to shield themselves from the cool, chilling air. No one seemed to pay any mind to the woman walking along the top of a tall, cemented fence surrounding the edge of a park. You would think with a bizarre moment like this, she would be receiving the most awkward of stares. Instead, everyone that walked by or were near treated her like she was non-existent. Of course, ordinary people were not capable of seeing the ones who could pass through the dreaming.

Rukia Kuchiki found it amusing to walk across the barricade and pretend she was on a tightrope. A pair of white and pink earmuffs helped to shield her ears from the cold. A white trench coat trimmed with pink was wrapped tightly to her body, ending just below her hips, and white boots were loosely fitted on her petite feet. Ruffles from a white shirt could be seen peeking out just above the collar. She had on a pair of brown leather gloves, which matched her long, ruffled skirt. Her arms extended out to the sides, helping to keep her balance. She smiled happily, and each time she almost lost her stability, a light giggle would always come. Eventually, she walked far enough to see a lake ahead of her with a dock. She jumped down effortlessly off of the concrete barrier, as if she were floating downward touching the ground toes first, and ran towards it.

The view was just outstanding! The sun was high enough to reflect its light all across the water, making it seem like it was aglow with the suns rays. There were swans and ducks of all sorts flying just above her. Obviously, it was getting around that time of year for them to be off and out of reach from winters cold grasp. With how large the lake was, certain parts of it seemed to go on forever, melding with the color splashed sky. Each hue of color seemed to radiate with it's own sense of personality. The blues bringing a sense of calm and tranquility, the copper hues with the reds and oranges were set ablaze in all its glory, bringing that edge of urgency. Gracing the sky with its presence, a few large clouds took on like colors of the sky, as well as reflecting happily into the wavy waters of the lake. As contrasting as it was, the purple aspects complimented the bright yellow tones in the clouds greatly.

Rukia walked out to the very front of the dock. She used her arms to lift herself up and lean out, while a foot was used to hook onto the lower part of the wooden railing. Her face was just as radiant as the landscape, and it showed in the reflection she contentedly stared back at. Regardless of how many times she had been in other peoples dreams, there were those that still managed to take her breath away.

The vibrant cast of orange near and far began to bring a familiar image to her mind. One involving bright orange hair and amber eyes that felt like it could pierce into your soul. A blush started creeping onto her face as she recalled his last words before he disappeared.

"Beautiful…"

Shaking her head furiously, Rukia tried to brandish the thought of him from her mind. What was the point in thinking about a guy she just met a week ago? Yeah, this man happened to have the strength to see her when she appeared in his dreams, but… there were more people out there able to do this than you would imagine.

Although the way his eyes were looking into mine once I told him my name.. the care and sincerity in them and in his voice.. You can't fake something like that no matter how hard you tried.

Memories of Ichigo calling her short also came to mind. Closing her eyes shut, she growled in frustration, clenching the railing with her hands tightly.

"That bastard! He's nothing special! I'm sure he's just like every other guy I've met! Smug, egotistical, arrogant, immature, and doesn't give a rats ass about the people around him!"

Rukia felt better letting out her frustrations verbally. Although, it didn't quench the nagging feelings in the back of her mind.. Maybe if she..? Using her legs, she managed to stand tall on top of the railing. She took the time to take a few deep breaths. Each exhale could be seen and blown away by the wind.

Maybe if I could manage to cleanse myself from these speculations consecutively plaguing my mind, I wouldn't have to think about such trivial thoughts?

After giving herself a moment to reflect, she finally took a plunge head first into the chilling depths of the lake.

It was already dusk and Ichigo Kurosaki was out and about on his Kawasaki 2009 Ninja 650R. The candy thunder blue paint contrasted nicely with his hair and eyes. He had bought it brand new a couple of years back after graduating high school. Much cheaper in comparison to buying a new car, and the gas mileage was definitely worth it. Yeah, it was considered dangerous, but that was the way Ichigo liked it. Why not live on the edge if all you're supposed to have is one life? Depending on what you believed in, of course. Either or, Ichigo never found it pointful to delve into such trivial matters.

He had on a blue zip up trench coat with a high collar and white fur trimmed around the sleeves. On the front were a pair of lions wearing crowns. Together, they stood with their paws resting against a crest. His hands were covered with mint green gloves, which were wrapped with gauze around the palms of his hands. The jeans he had on were faded and worn out, being held up by a black belt with a silver dragon buckle. He had on a pair of black sidestreet boots; the underside was grooved and bits of the sole were bright orange. Ichigo never cared to dress up the way he was now, but he had a show to do with his band mates at a fairly good sized nightclub. It was located downtown of Karakua, featuring local bands, drinks, and a small café.

A guitar case was strapped to his back. It didn't make riding any easier than it already was, but Ichigo had become accustomed to the awkward weight shifts as he turned and swayed through traffic. He had finally arrived at the café bar, and he could tell by the look of the crowded line that tonight was going to be "one of those nights." Hopping off his bike and turning it off, he headed towards the entrance of the nightclub. One hand was tucked away in his pocket, while the other half-hazardously held the strap to his case. He met up with a very tall and large bouncer keeping the cluster of people in check, as well as letting them in single file. The man and Ichigo made eye contact.

With a smirk, Ichigo waved with the hand holding the case; his thumb still tucked under the strap. "Hey, Jidanbou." The bouncer stepped aside, away from the doorway. Instead of the scowl he had kept while working, he gave Ichigo a rich and genuine smile.

"Hey, Ichigo! Long time, no see? The others are already here and waitn' in the back. Break a leg, why don't chya?" Jidanbou let out a hardy laugh and patted Ichigo harshly on the back of his guitar case while he passed through the doors, nearly causing Ichigo to fall over. Exasperated, he rolled his eyes with his classic scowl planted on his face. Ichigo didn't mind Jidanbou, but sometimes he just didn't realize how much oomph was let out in those powerful thumps of his.

Everywhere Ichigo looked, it was packed with characters of all shapes and sizes. The vast majority were scandalously clad women dancing to the music being pumped throughout the building. The bass of the music was so loud, he swore it was causing his heart to beat in unison. There were colored lights flashing in all sorts of direction, as well as glow sticks being tossed around or worn by some. It was almost suffocating with how difficult it was squeezing through the army of people swaying, be it to the beat, in a drunken stupor, or attempting to squeeze by themselves. Looking at the club on the outside, you wouldn't think it possible to fit a large crowd, such as the one Ichigo was being swarmed by inside. Instead, it seemed all anyone could do is take a step in and there wouldn't be anything but the back wall. However, once in, you find yourself flabbergasted by everything incorporated within the structure, bar and all, as well as the people inside it.

The bar and café separated from the dance floor was dimly lit. While passing by, Ichigo could feel eyes on him, and hear several catcalls from women, who were heavily inebriated. Well.. Not all of them were intoxicated with alcohol. Some with dates tried to burrow holes into the back of his head, but in all honestly, Ichigo could care less. None of these people were worth his time, and all he was interested in was having fun with his friends on and offstage afterwards.

Eventually, he made it to the rear of the club. He placed his case on the mini-catwalk of the platform, and using his arms, pulled himself atop of it with ease. Renji was on the stage as well, putting his drums together while Tatsuki made sure the cables to her synthesizer and keyboard were plugged in and out of the way for any of the guitarists positioned in front of her. Picking up the guitar case by the side handle, he walked up to the two prepping their instruments and waved a hand over at them. Ichigo noted that Chad's bass and Uryu's guitar were already hooked into their amps and resting on guitar stands.

Renji was first to respond by nodding his head towards Ichigo. Obviously he wanted to finish setting up his drums before plunging himself into a conversation. Tatsuki finished setting up her instrument before Renji did and walked over to Ichigo enthusiastically. You could see a glow of light radiating from her. She was definitely excited about playing on stage, again. Even he couldn't deny he had butterflies fluttering about in his gut.

"'Bout time, Kurosaki! Everyone else is in the back waiting for curtain call."

Placing a hand on the back of his head, he smiled and a small sweat drop dripped down the side of his temple.

"Heh, yeah, sorry about that. Traffic was heavier than I thought it was going to be…"

Tatsuki placed her hands on her hips, letting out a sigh.

"Don't worry about it. At least you're here. You should probably go ahead and set up. We've still got-" She checked the leather bound watch on her petite wrist," about twenty minutes left."

He nodded to her in understanding. Setting down his case next to an empty guitar and microphone stand the orange headed man crouched down and began to set up his instrument. Ichigo already knew it was Uryu that had left the two objects for him. Bastard knew I was gonna forget.. He was irritated at himself, but knew he'd have to thank Uryu later for it regardless of how much it was going to hurt his pride.

He could see Tatsuki leaving from his peripheral vision, then noticed she stopped abruptly to approach him once more.

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask you something…"

He didn't bother to glance up at her. Instead, he found it more appropriate to talk to her while still working on his task at hand. Save a bit of time in the long run.. ran across his mind.

"Yeah? What is it?"

Twiddling her fingers, Tatsuki attempted to seem as nonchalant as possible.
"So that new song you came up with last week… How'd you come up with it?"

"Oh, that.. I just.." He hesitated, attempting to choose his words wisely," I just found my muse, is all."

That's when her fingers stopped fidgeting. Her eyes were wide, and a worried expression settled in place of her energetic one.

"It-… It's not her is it?"

Anger flickered in his eyes, but only for a moment. Ichigo opened a small compartment in the case that held his personal microphone, picked it up, closed the case all together, and stood up to face her. He made sure amber locked with brown; it helped intensify his meaning behind his words and helped make sure Tatsuki understood completely.

"No. It's a different source of inspiration this time."

Relieved by hearing this, she smiled.

"Oh, great!" She slammed a fist into the side of his arm. An 'oomph' sound came from Ichigo. "I'm happy for you, Kurosaki! Glad to know things are starting to look up for you." She started heading towards the backstage room, but turned around to face him with a winking eye," This new 'source of inspiration' of yours is a lucky one. Or should I say 'unlucky?'"

With that last remark, the dark haired woman left to hang out with the others. Ichigo rolled his eyes. It was obvious with her words that she knew his latest basis for inspiration was a woman. How women knew certain things, such as this baffled him beyond belief. Even Tatsuki, a tomboy whose usually far from being feminine in any manner whatsoever save for occasional fashion sense, had some kind of ESP!

Ichigo finally placed the microphone in its rightful place on the stand and plugged it in, along with the cord to his guitar. His setup didn't take much to handle, unlike Renji who was just now making the finishing touches to his drum set. He was already done and headed towards the small stair case leading into the backstage room next to it. It was then, something that Tatsuki said finally hit him. It really had been a week. A week since he had seen or heard from his violet eyed muse. Every night since then, he found himself looking forward to seeing her, again. Yet, every night in the same empty town he envisioned himself to be, Rukia Kuchiki never seemed to be there no matter how many times he tried to will her into his world. Which was a lot more complicated than it needed to be, Ichigo thought.

I mean.. how hard is it to re-create a person I, in fact, know, conjured up? It shouldn't take this much effort. And even so.. By now, you think she would've appeared. So why hasn't she-…?

Another thought struck him at this moment. The week had been so busy with band practices and thinking of, in a very literal sense,'the girl of his dreams,' Ichigo never realized something else was missing. Not that the orange headed man was going to complain, but for something he hated, you think he would've noticed.

Ever since that day… it's always been raining wherever I went in my dreams. Even with Senna around, I could never escape that cold, unwanted feeling inside.. And now I realize once I saw her…

"… it hasn't rained since."

"What was that you were sayin', Ichigo?" A pink furry arm with a baboons skull was slumped lazily around Ichigo's left shoulder. It startled him, but he refrained from elbowing his friend in the gut after realizing the pink monstrosity wasn't trying to strangle him. He turned his head to face his friend on his right.

"I was saying, Renji, that you should put on a shirt under that jacket of yours."

The red head glared at Ichigo. He lifted his arm off of Ichigo's shoulder and crossed it with his other. The jacket he was wearing was the typical black leather one you would see on a biker, save for the left sleeve and across the shoulders and collar, which were covered in an interesting pink, furry material. On his hands were fingerless leather gloves, which exposed his knuckles. Part of his torso was wrapped with gauze, and he had on very worn out grey jeans riddled with cuts and tears.

"Please.. Just because someone else is conscious of his own body," Renji nudged his head towards Ichigo's upper body, which may as well have been covered completely," doesn't mean someone like me has to hide his own perfectly sculpted figure."

Ichigo scoffed while rolling his eyes.

"Yeah right.. If anything, you're just drawing attention to yourself. And let me assure you, Abarai.. Receiving attention isn't necessarily a good thing." he took the time to wink at his glaring friend," So keep that in mind."

His friend crossed his arms, eyes closed and tattooed eyebrows furrowed closely together.

"Whatever… Anyway, let's hurry up and get backstage. I wanna chill with what little time we have left before we start the show."

Ichigo had to agree, following his spiky haired friend. It would be nice to sit and talk to his closest friends before going all out in front of a crowd, once more.

Rukia Kuchiki continued to swim down into the bowels of the vast, freezing lake. Water stained in brilliant tinctures of orange soon became a dispirited shade of cerulean. Then to navy. Then to grey. Darker. Deeper. In her mind, she was diving into the depths of her subconscious in order to wash away unwanted attachments. Regardless on how she felt on the situation, there wasn't a reason for her to become entangled with such trivial thoughts. This man isn't, and will never be a part of the dreaming. It was something Rukia knew very well, yet her emotions loved to tell her otherwise.

This man is not meant to live as I live. He will never exist on this plane as a whole, nor will I ever stand by his side in the world he is destined to reside in. He will never age as I age… Over time, he will succumb to the winged one, whilst I remain trapped in this accursed body- a youth forever frozen in life's cruel twist of fate.

Pressure could be felt building around her petite form the further down she went. A vast amount of air bubbles emitted from her mouth. She could feel the lack of oxygen constricting her lungs, and the compression of water surrounding her was beginning to feel suffocating.

My obligation.. my duties must come first. I have to continue with my responsibilities; to keep the dreaming safe and free of the blight threatening to overtake it. 'Lest I fall back into my own self-pitied tragedy. Back when I…-When he..

A stunning shade of teal for eyes and dark hair flashed within her consciousness. She could feel her heart constrict as she imagined a playful grin graced upon that mans lips, the pure bliss of happiness when he laughed, the way her name rolled off his tongue effortlessly when he wanted her… It felt like her body was beginning to die from the inside out. She wanted to scream, but all that came out were bubbles within the darkness.

No..! I can't take this.. I just need to…- I gotta.. I-.. Oh God… no! Just…-

A flash of light, and Rukia Kuchiki found herself breaching the surface of another dream. She felt her body instinctively take in a massive gasp of air. The sensation was intense, putting her in a daze as her body went limp in the cool, calming ocean. Closing her eyes, she listened to the sound of waves crashing onto a beach not far from where she appeared. The sound of seagulls also helped soothe her irrational thoughts, as well as the feeling of warm rays gracing the pale surface of her skin. Winter wear that once adorn her physique was now replaced with a white bikini. Splashes of violet flowers were strategically placed throughout the bits of fabric. The shade of purple matched the intensity of her eyes.

"Just breathe, Kuchiki…. Breathe."

In and out, her chest rose and fell. The steady breathing helped put her in a deeper plane of relaxation. Letting the calm, serenity of the dream engulf her, she was finally able to be at ease with her thoughts. The sun was at its peak in the bright blue sky, indicating it was only midday. Not that it helped her in any sense. Passing through dreams meant various terrains, different times of day or night; practically anything, if you set your mind to it. Surprisingly enough, no one was on the beach at this moment. Not that it bothered Rukia- it helped to take in the beautiful scenery all the more. It was just her, and the vast ocean surrounding her. Nothing else… Just calm.. Quiet.. Serene..-

Rukia's body shot straight up. Her eyes were wide, fear evident within them. Her head shot from side to side, looking for something.

I'm absolutely certain I heard it… I know I…-

Closing her eyes and lowering her head, she began tuning out her surroundings- as if she were feeling for a certain source she was all too familiar with. A blood-curdling scream could be heard off in the distance, causing here violet eyes to shoot open once more.

"There!"

In the blink of an eye, Rukia Kuchiki disappeared from the calming oasis that was a strangers dream.

Once Ichigo and Renji made it inside the backstage room, they both greeted Chad and Uryu; who both happened to be lounging on one of the sofas provided for performers. Tatsuki noticed her friends in the reflection of one of the brightly lit mirrors, but was too preoccupied with last minute make up touches. Once Uryu and Ichigo locked eyes, the black haired man gave the other a self-satisfied grin. It was obvious why he was acting so cocky, and the more Ichigo thought about it, the more he could feel his pride being kicked down and stepped upon. He was about to retort with a witty remark, but stopped abruptly. The red head bumped into a rather tall stack of boxes, which almost toppled over on both musicians if it weren't for cat-like reflexes and team work. Both Renji and Ichigo's hands were tightly clenching the boxes to make sure the objects couldn't move. Neither of the two could help but let out a sigh of relief. A sheepish smile was plastered on Renji's face as Ichigo glared daggers at him. Turning from applying mascara, Tatsuki began to glare at Renji as well.

"Oi! Watch where you're goin', ya big ape! Otherwise, you're liable to injure or conk someone out, and then where would we be?"

Making sure the boxes were straightened out and not likely to tip over, he quickly turned to face his verbal attacker.

"Chill, Arisawa! No one's hurt, and even so, what's the worst thing that could happen if me or Ichigo were knocked out cold..? I mean, I doubt anyone's going to the hospital with the junk decorations loaded in these boxes."

Tatsuki rolled her eyes, turning back to the mirror and re-applying mascara.

"Well, I don't' know about you, but I'm not up for the idea of giving back everyone's money that paid to see us.. Did you not notice the huge-ass crowd out there? It's PACKED!"

All Renji could do was make a "tch" sound and shrug, but he knew their keyboardist was right. Had anything bad enough happened to either of the two, it would more than likely mean their chances of getting famous would be that much farther than it already was to begin with. He already had plans for the money he was going to earn for this one gig, and he knew everyone else in the band had plans as well. No way could anyone afford such a blow. Each member has put their life into making this band or not making it at all, which meant it wasn't only Ichigo that was struggling to get by in life.

Ichigo remained where he stood while Renji made his way to the couch to join Chad and Uryu. His nerves were getting the best of him, and the idea of sitting could not abate the anxiety growing deep within. It wasn't the idea of being on stage that irked him, nor the idea of a massive crowd watching his every move. It was the idea of failing that set him on edge. He knew the risks if this band did not succeed, and knowing his friends would fall just as far as he would was more than unsettling.

'Just breathe, Kurosaki... Breathe.'

After taking a few deep breaths, he felt his body beginning to relax. Freaking out over such matters wasn't going to help him in this case. Ichigo has done plenty of shows with his band mates before, and he knew that if he set himself up for such failure, it was sure to come. No... He could do this. Tatsuki, Uryu, Chad, Renji.. they can all make it! Their attempts in the past brought them so close! Had it not been for Ichigo's last episode, they would've made it to fame. He would be damned if he was going to let something like a woman or anything else bring him and everyone down, again.

Uryu finally spoke up, turning his head to Tatsuki.
"So, I thought you said your friend Orihime was going to be here?"

After adding the final touches, the short-haired woman closed the small bottle of mascara and set it down on the counter. She turned around and approached the three men sitting on the couch.

"Yeah, she's here. She said she had to go to the bathroom, so she should be in there."

At that moment, a door next to the row of mirrors swung open. Long burnt orange colored hair cascaded around the woman emerging from the small washroom. A couple of sky blue hair pins kept her long hair from getting into her face, save for her bangs, which were too short to be held in place. Her body definitely screamed "curvacious" especially when it came to her large breasts. It was obvious her chest was just itching to be unbound by her long sleeved polo shirt. The orange, yellow and lime green horizontal stripes didn't help draw away any attention and her red zip up collar was down all the way, showing just enough, if not more, cleavage than needed. Her jeans hugged her nicely and her shirt was just short enough to somewhat show off the slender curves of her midriff.

Uryu, pushing up his glasses with his index and middle finger, sported a blush upon his cheeks while he looked away in embarrassment. It wasn't that Orihime looked unbecoming- far from it, in his opinion. Of course, for the short raven haired man, that was the problem. Renji, having gotten used to looking past the woman's endowed physique, grinned and waved at her.

"Hey, Orihime! Long time no see!"

The burnt-orange haired woman gave a sheepish smile and waved full heartedly at the red head.

"Hey Renji! Uryu! Chad!"

While her eyes scanned the room, her eyes finally caught sight of orange. She felt her heart skip a beat and a small blush crept onto her cheeks. It was hard to keep in her enthusiasm any longer. Giggling like a giddy school girl, she flung her arms up in the air.

"ICHIGOOOoo~! It's been so long since I've seen you!" Running in the orange haired mans direction, she tackled him in an abrasive hug. Uryu's gaze became a glare in the amber-eyed mans direction.

Being unprepared for such a greeting, Ichigo had little time to react. His stance was just strong enough to keep the two on their feet. However, his body bumped into the stack of boxes behind him.

All Ichigo could remember was everyone screaming his name, and then.. darkness.