Chapter 7

Author's note: Am I on a roll or what?

Shinji looked around as did everyone else, the sound of a baby's cry echoing in their eyes. He slowly turned around, pushing past someone.

"It's time," the person whispered, Shinji stopping. He looked to him, the man turning to him with a lunatic look in his eyes.

"Ichigo has betrayed us." There was sudden uproar, all the still people becoming a sea of anger and noise. Shinji grit his teeth, quickly turning to hurry to Ichigo's room. A hand grabbed his arm.

"It is no use, he had already left," Hachigen whispered, shinji looking up to him with a frown.

"The Planet will tell him that we are after him. It still remembers what we had done before to throw it into chaos." Shinji pulled his arm away, narrowing his eyes in anger. He could have got him out if he had just waited a bit longer!

"Yamamoto has given the order. Ichigo is to be killed, along with the child." Hachigen looked down to him, his eyes sad.

"This will be the last time you disappoint him Shinji. Do not anger him another time, he will not show such mercy this time around."

Shinji growled, his skin and clothing tearing as he shifted with a mighty roar.

"Starting today, war has been declared!"

XXXHeartXXX

Ichigo looked to the sea. He had seen the line of females they have chosen for him. He knew that saying he was gay wouldn't stop that line from disappearing. He sighed, placing his head on his arms. He was far from the building they hid in, alone. No one knew he had managed to escape, but he knew he would have to return.

The last thing he wanted was for them to try and kill Shiro.

"Deion?" he called softly, his body relaxing when he heard that familiar voice.

"Yes Ichigo?" Ichigo pursed his lips, gathering his thoughts.

"Why was I chosen?" he asked, Deion silent. In the absence of his voice, the waves crashed against the mountain he sat on, Ichigo thinking if he would die if he jumped.

"I wish I had an answer. But, Ceasar had asked me the same thing. All he wanted was to live a normal life."

Ichigo understood that one.

"I had a family. I lived a normal life until all of this. I had loved, hoped, and went to work and had friends. My family was a little strange, but some of the best people I had the pleasure of meeting."

Deion chuckled, the waves splashing against the edge, the water rising up the rocks and touching Ichigo's shoe. Ichigo felt like it was a touch of comfort.

"Everyone wishes their life was more exciting, not normal. But I guess when you experience such, normality is what you search for the most." Ichigo nodded, glad someone understood.

"They expect so much from me. I am just one person, no matter how big and important this Soul might be," Ichigo sighed, looking down to the water with a frown.

"I am not the Soul. I just harbor it. And because of this, in mind I am just an ordinary person," he told Deion, the sea rumbling slightly. Ichigo heard it as a thoughtful hum.

"It can be returned to the planet. But you would die in the process unless a vampire or werewolf turns you," Deion told him, Shiro flashing behind Ichigo's eyes.

"Him again,"Deion sighed, the water leaving his shoe and rising higher, touching his chest.

"He was supposed to be the one to lead you towards fulfillment." Ichigo was confused, the water leaving his chest and falling back into the ocean.

"Fulfillment?" he asked, Deion humming again.

"He is the one who gave you a reason to love. Like Ceasar and Cleopatra, you were supposed to bear his child." Ichigo's eyes went wide, scooting closer to the edge at that.

"But the contract forbids it! And how, I am a man," Ichigo pointed out, his eyes going wide as a large portion of the water rose up, the water splashing against itself, the random blob forming a man. It was Shiro.

"You can create and destroy life Ichigo, yourself and the life around you." Ichigo gasped when the vision of Shiro dropped, the sea returning to its original path of splashing against the edge.

"Life is growing inside of you Ichigo. But no one should know, if this so called contract is broken, war will be the last on every werewolves mind. You will become their enemy, just as Ceasar and Cleopatra did." Ichigo frowned.

"Ceasar and Cleopatra committed suicide," he pointed out, the sky growing dark.

"That is what they said. But not all of history tells the truth." Ichigo grew still, rain falling from the sky.

"Run, Ichigo. Do not make the same mistake Ceasar had. Run! Get far away!"

Ichigo got up slowly, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Shinji. Yamamoto. Mashiro.

He touched his stomach, his heart speeding up.

"Run!"

Ichigo looked up at the sound of a howl, his legs feeling weak. He turned towards the forest he had went through, thinking back to the way to Shiro. he took one step then another, his arms moving next to him. He bolted when the sea crashed against the edge, his eyes wide with fear.

They had killed Ceasar. They were going to kill him too.

He growled low in his throat, the person he had forgotten he was returning.

He was Ichigo Kurosaki. And he was not going to let them hurt what was his.

"Conceal me," he ordered, the trees growing more leaves. The bushes grew thicker, the rain becoming harder. Fog rose up, Ichigo running quicker.

He took a sharp turn, running onto a roadway. He looked around, looking for a sign. He saw a sign saying Karakura Town then pointing towards the right. Ichigo sprinted down the street, the fog becoming heavier and concealing him.

He was going to return to Shiro, and they were going to raise this child together. He was not going to die just because they hadn't wanted it that way. Fuck the contract, fuck Shinji and all who followed him. He heard another howl from behind him, Ichigo gritting his teeth.

"Destroy the path," he hissed, rocks rising up from the cement, the road torn apart behind him. The ground shook like there was an earthquake, but Ichigo ran on, his legs and lungs burning from the cold air.

Shiro, please still be there.

Ichigo yelped when he was tackled to the ground, a large wolf hovering over him. Ichigo growled beneath him.

A large rock flew by and smashed it in the head, Ichigo getting back up.

"Kill," he hissed, the rock smashing again and again against the wolfs head. It yelped and whimpered but couldn't move. Ichigo started running again, feeling the wolfs pain.

That wolf had been part of life, he knew that, but sometimes things had to die.

They had to die so he could save a life.

He ran until he saw the beginning of a freeway, the sign saying he was thirty miles from Karakura town. Ichigo wanted to stop and rest but knew he couldn't, seeing a car. He raised a hand, the woman in the car looking to him. He could see two children in the car, the woman pulling over.

"Do you need a ride?" Ichigo gasped when the car was suddenly turned over, the children's screams echoing in his ears as the car began to roll down the hill.

A werewolf stood in front of him, it's large hand wrapping around his body.

Ichigo struggled, screaming when it squeezed him tight.

"Forgive me," the werewolf growled, Ichigo's eyes snapping open.

Shinji.

"Pain!" he screamed, his body suddenly dropped. Shinji was on the ground, twitching and whimpering loudly as pain speared through his entire body.

"Forgive me my ass," Ichigo growled, turning and running again, no longer feeling the warmth and fear of the mother and her children. He had killed them.

Ichigo growled, running faster.

'Shiro!' he screamed in his mind, hoping to god he would hear him.

'Shiro help me!'

Ichigo was pushed suddenly off the freeway, a loud roar following him. His shirt was tore, pain radiating in his side. He clutched it, gasping when he fell into the water. He closed his eyes, trying to hold his breath as long as he could.

'Air!' he screamed in his mind, the water caressing him gently. He couldn't connect with it for some reason, struggling against the current as he tried to get to the surface. He felt something grab him, his body pulled up from the water. He gagged on some of the water, screaming at the sight of a werewolf, it's claws tearing at his shirt.

"You are nothing but a failure!" It roared, Ichigo gasping as it thrust its claws into his chest.

"You are better off dead," it growled, Ichigo gasping.

"Drown!" he screamed, the water suddenly rising up. The werewolf released him as the water surrounded his head, slowly drowning. Ichigo was dropped onto the ground, his entire body erupting with pain. He got to his feet, clutching his chest as he began to run again.

He stumbled as he returned the forest, the trees branches creating a shield where he had entered. They closed off the area around him, creating a thick patch of branches and leaves. Ichigo continued to run till he reached a clearing, falling to his knees.

The trees and wildlife were screaming in anger, everything attacking those who dared hurt their Soul. In the forest, the werewolves fought against the plants, insects, and animals, Ichigo falling to the ground as his pain and anger mixed with all of the things around him. He could feel many things die, hear so many screams and pained yells. Everything was fighting for him, but in the process thousands were dying.

They were all willing to die to save his life.

He wanted it all to stop.

Ichigo looked up, seeing a lake not far from him in the middle of the clearing. He grunted as he reached up a hand, his entire body screaming in agony. He fell against the grass, tears building up in his eyes. His blood was pouring onto the ground, his body becoming weaker and weaker. The grass tried to help him but it wasn't strong enough, Ichigo smiling softly.

"It's okay," he whispered, the grass crying out to him. Ichigo forced himself to his feet, stumbling forward and falling to his knees. He was so weak, his eyes finding it hard to stay open. He coughed up blood, looking to the red liquid with dazed eyes.

He crawled slowly to the lake, falling heavily next to it.

"Please," he whispered, his blood seeping from his body and into the water.

"Please just make it all end."

The water did nothing at first, Ichigo feeling slowly it rose up, a hand forming in the water. It grabbed his waist, Ichigo hissing as it rushed into his wound. He was gently pulled to the water, his eyes closing as he broke the surface.

"Sleep," a woman's voice whispered, Ichigo opening his eyes.

"Sleep my child."

Someone told him a long time ago that wars were never won. They just ended when there was no one else to fight.

Ichigo felt like he couldn't fight anymore. His body was to weak to move from blood loss and lack of oxygen, the red liquid floating up as he sunk farther and farther into the lake. His war to survive ended here.

He almost wanted to laugh at the irony of it all. He had always loved to be in water. Now he was going to die doing what he loved.

No one would know though.

The surface was barely visible now. It had been so beautiful… So blue…

Ichigo smiled as beautiful blue eyes appeared in his vision. He remembered those eyes. They had always been so happy whenever they looked to him. But they were worried now.

Ichigo's eyes slowly closed as the pressure in his chest and head became too much, feeling arms encircle him.

Shiro…