Chapter 3

"Tell me Ichigo, would you kill to save a life?" Ichigo looked to Shiro in confusion, the question a tad odd to him. He cleared his throat and answered anyway.

"It all depends on the situation and person. For my family, I would kill to save them. For you, I'll take down an entire nation," Ichigo replied, Shiro smiling softly. They were quiet once again, watching the movie Ichigo had picked. Shiro looked away, looking to ichigo's face. Ichigo blinked, feeling his eyes on him. He looked to him, seeing a question deep in Shiro's eyes.

"If given the chance, would you take the opportunity to live forever?"

"Never. I would have to watch everyone I love die." Shiro understood, looking back to the TV.

"If I was doomed to that fate, would you follow me?" Ichigo frowned, grabbing Shiro's arm and pulling him close, placing a kiss between his eyes.

"Always. I would follow you to hell and back."

Ichigo looked into Shiro's eyes, touching a hand to his cheek.

"Than, forgive me."

Ichigo frowned in confusion, his eyes widening when Shiro's skin became fog, wafting away in a softly blowing breeze. Only his eyes remained, the blue irises bleeding yellow.

They glowed in the dark, Ichigo screaming as all of sudden he was falling. The eyes became farther and farther away, taking the form of the moon.

Ichigo slammed into the ground, his eyes snapping open. He gripped his chest, his lungs burning. He gasped for breath, his entire body covered in sweat. He couldn't breathe.

"Shinji!" he gasped, rolling off his bed. He clawed the ground, feeling weak and vulnerable. Tears gushed from his eyes, his scream unable to escape as it felt one of his lungs collapsed. The pain spread all over his body, Ichigo turning onto his back.

His breathing was quick and rushed, his eyes wide in fear as he tried to breathe. His door opened, light flooding into his room. He was blinded by it all, his breathing become farther in between as he began to gasp in pitiful breaths of air.

Shinji appeared in his vision, his expression blank. But he wasn't the only one, more people flooded into the room, every single one but Shinji dressed in black robes.

"Ichigo, Ichigo," Shinji tsked, touching a hand to his neck. Ichigo felt like his entire being was thrown into flames, his eyes shutting tight as he gasped sharply.

"You are so careless," Shinji sighed, Ichigo opening his eyes when he felt something sink into his neck. This time his scream could not be ignored. Shinji's hand was inside him, sharp claws digging into his skin. Shinji snapped an artery, Ichigo bleeding out onto the floor. Shinji pulled his hand away, looking to the splotches of black blood mixed with red on his hand.

"We didn't make it in time," he sighed in disappointment, looking down to Ichigo who was coughing up black blood, his eyes wide with fear and pain. The people in robes spoke amongst themselves, Ichigo raising a hand to grab Shinji's. Shinji took it with a sad smile, squeezing it.

"Don't worry Ichigo," Shinji soothed, leaning down and licking the gaping wound he had made.

"It'll all be over soon."

Ichigo closed his eyes, hoping to God his words were true.

One of the people in robes removed their hood, his face chubby. He had a pink mustache, a small smile touching his lips.

"I promise, he will not feel a thing," the man soothed, Shinji rising up, his hand sliding from his. He turned, facing the pink haired man.

"Do what you must."

Ichigo tried to reach for him but his body could hardly move now, his eyes getting heavy. He was so cold now, a small gasp escaping his lips.

XXXFeelXXX

Hachigen looked down to the orange haired boy, a small frown touching his lips. He would have been a powerful ally, if they had made it in time. He pressed his hands together, his skin prickling with goosebumps. His body rippled, Hachigen clenching his teeth as his skin tore, fur coming out from the rips. He spread his arms out, a roar escaping his throat as his body grew, fur growing and bones breaking.

Steam escaped from his nose as he finished his transformation, looking down to the boy.

Shinji stood outside the door, the other's having left. He closed his eyes, flinching when he heard the tearing of skin. He could hear the screams as clear as day, his hand clenching into a fist.

It took everything in his to not open up that door, the blood on his hand dripping to the floor. The echo carried across the wind, yellow eyes opening.

XXXHeartXXX

Ichigo felt weightless. His eyes were heavy so he didn't try to open them. He just wanted to sleep. He took in a small breath, the smell disturbing. It smelt like blood and tar, Ichigo rolling onto his back. He felt something hot and sticky on his skin, the disturbances making it hard for him to go back to sleep.

He tried to open his eyes but failed. He tried again, seeing a dark sky. The moon was up, the surface a light yellow. Ichigo couldn't look away, never seeing something so beautiful before. He rose up, looking down when he sunk into something. His eyes widened when he saw he was sitting a pit of tar, screaming.

He pulled against it and managed to get free, standing up with shaking legs. He calmed down though when he managed to walk. Tar was pitless, yet he wasn't sinking. He lifted his foot, the tar releasing him. He looked around, seeing a bridge not far from where he was at. He walked out of the pit of tar, his feet touching onto soft grass.

He sighed in relief, the grass that of heaven to his aching feet. He walked to the bridge, lost in a daze. He couldn't remember how he got there. All he remembered he was going to the club with Shinji. He didn't remember leaving though. He frowned as he got to the bridge, seeing a small lake beneath it.

He looked down to himself. He was completely naked and covered in tar, not the best look for anybody. He walked over to the lake, thinking this was all a prank Shinji thought up. He was the worst at doing pranks, meaning he went way too far.

Ichigo stepped into the cold water, sighing softly. He wiped the tar off his body, having to use his nails when it proved to be near impossible. He stayed in there for what seemed like forever, the tar proving a lot harder to get off than on.

"Hey!" Ichigo looked up, seeing a young lady standing on the hill that led up to the bridge. Ichigo raised an eyebrow, unsure as to why she could have spotted him.

"Were you the one to get out of that pit?" she asked, Ichigo nodding. He had feeling she couldn't really see him so spoke instead.

"Yeah, my friend pranked me," he told her, the lady smiling. She stepped into the light of a street lamp, Ichigo raising an eyebrow at her green hair. She looked to be no older than fifteen, Ichigo raising a hand when she tried to get closer.

"I'm kind of naked right now, so if you have some spare clothes that would be nice," he told her, the girl's smile falling.

"I apologize but i don't. And by friend do you mean Shinji?" the girl asked, Ichigo's sudden hopes and anger rising.

He was going to choke him when he got his hands on him.

"Yeah," he replied, the girl's eyes widening.

"Ichigo?" she asked, Ichigo nodding, glad that someone recognized him.

"Yeah."

The girl looked up to the bridge. She signaled for someone, Ichigo surprised when he saw Shinji. His eyes were wide saucers, unbelieving.

"Hey Shinji, why did you prank me like that man!" Ichigo yelled, Shinji not saying a word.

The girl smiled, taking a few more steps closer, at the lakes edge.

"He didn't prank you Ichigo, you went missing three days ago. Everyone has been out looking for you," the girl told him, Ichigo frowning in confusion.

"What do you remember last?" the girl asked, Ichigo shrugging his shoulders. It was getting a little too cold in the water.

"I went to the club with Shinji. I don't remember leaving though," Ichigo told her, the girl smiling. She waved to someone on the bridge.

The SWAT team that had been standing there unbeknownst to Ichigo lowered their guns, backing down and leaving.

The girl looked back to Ichigo who just looked more confused.

"We believe you were drugged then kidnapped. The knews thought you would be dead, but we found you thank God," the girl explained in relief, Ichigo nodding with a small smile of his own. He didn't remember anything, but he was just glad he wasn't dead. He was given a towel, Shinji staying with him as he toweled dry and put on some spare clothes Shinji gave him.

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?" Ichigo asked, Shinji looking to him. He looked like he was trying to convince himself he was dreaming.

"You've been gone for so long, I had thought…" Shinji became silent, Ichigo frowning. He put on the clothes, a pair of shorts and a wife beater. It wasn't much, but a lot better than just wearing nothing. He followed Shinji up to the bridge, a single car waiting.

The girl stood by the driver's seat. Shinji stopping. Ichigo stopped walking, looking to Shinji with question.

"Forgive me Ichigo."

Ichigo was about to ask what he meant but then a large arm wrapped around his chest, a cloth put over his nose. Ichigo took in a whiff by accident, his eyes becoming heavy and his body limp.

Shinji looked to Ichigo like he was an alien as he was put into the car, looking down to the tar pit. He had watched as the pieces that remained of him were thrown into it. He watched as they slowly gathered back together.

He should have expected this, after all, Ichigo had never been human to begin with. He had just hoped he would be able to hide the truth just a tad longer.

Author's note: Kind of rushed, but I'm trying to put it like one would an anime. Please review and tell me what you think of it, would help my muse and confidence. Thanks for reading!