Strawberry Protector

Chapter 2: The One With No Name

He was completely alone, running along the flooded river bed even though he could only hear it. For whatever reason his visibility was poor, he was only able to see a few feet away from him in all directions, beyond that was nothing but darkness. Something was stalking him from within that black abyss even though it was beyond his sight and never made a single sound. He could feel that it was there and he knew he had to get away. There had to be somebody, anyone out there that could help him.

Suddenly he tripped and fell face first into the ground. As he placed his hand down to pick himself up, he felt something wet underneath the palm of his hand. Blinking slightly he looked down to see what the cause was, it was a pool of blood. He followed the trail it made with his eyes until they fell upon the source, the very thing he tripped over. His mother's dead body...

His eyes widened at the sight, her lifeless body was just laying there on the ground. Her glazed over eyes seemed to bore into his very soul, he couldn't bring himself to look away. The one person in all the world he wanted to protect. And he failed...

He was startled out of his stunned state by a sound coming from within the darkness. It was truly coming for him now... But wait! That lizardlike creature would save him, right? It had come to his aid in a moment of deep depression and had led him home. Surely the creature would come to his aid again, wouldn't it?

But where was it? He allowed his gaze to wander around for quick moment but the creature in question was nowhere in sight. His eyes snap back to the source of his fear when he heard it move closer. Maybe he should try calling out to his unusual guardian. Surely the caring creature would come to his aid if he asked it to...

He opened his mouth to yell and paused, he suddenly realized he didn't know it's name. How could he call for someone if he didn't know what to call them by?

He could just see the outline of his stalker now and he couldn't help but start to visibly shake. It was large and clearly not human. He could also see it's eyes now, it's large red glowing eyes. And they were looking right at him. Suddenly, it let loose a wail unlike anything he'd ever heard. He finally did the one thing he had yet to do... He screamed.

His eyes snapped open and he shot right up into a sitting position while breathing heavily. Ichigo's eyes darted around the room wildly, as the minutes past it started to sink in that it was all just a dream... Well more like a nightmare, but it was fading now. Then the reality of last night started to hit him.

Ichigo remembered the girl by the river. He vaguely recalled hearing his mother cry out to him then there was a gap in his memory. The next thing the young boy remembered seeing her unmoving body, it was still vivid within his mind. Then that strange but kind creature...

That's right! That lizardlike creature had led him home, but after that Ichigo couldn't really remember much. He had been so out of it that everything was just a blur in his mind by that point...

But where was that odd being now? Ichigo glanced around his room, but it was nowhere to be seen. His heart dropped a bit more at that realization. It had said it would stay with him, maybe it meant long enough to get him home. Either way, it was clearly gone now...

Ichigo reluctantly pulled himself out of bed, maybe if he went to school it would help get his mind off of everything that happened. He got dressed and grabbed his backpack, then Ichigo quietly crept out of his room and down the stairs. He really didn't want to see his family at the moment, he couldn't face them just yet.

Soon enough, he was out the door and on his way. Ichigo made his way through town only half aware of his surroundings. The sound of running water brought him back to reality. Without meaning to, he had wandered to the river. Back to where it had happened...

They have long since removed his mother's body from the scene, even the blood had since been washed away. Not even a trace remained of the horrifying event or the gentle monster that he had met soon after.

Suddenly, Ichigo heard a sound almost right behind him and his nightmare came flooding back to the front of his mind. He turns his orange head of hair slowly to look over his shoulder. The first thing to greet his gaze was a scary bone white face that looked like a skull.

Jumping slightly, Ichigo let out a startled cry while stumbling away a step or two before falling onto his rear "Woah! Oi! Oi! Oi! There aren't nothin' ta be afraid of!" Came an equally surprised voice in response to his reaction. Upon hearing the familiar echoing voice the orange haired child truly look at the one that stood behind him.

It was the creature he had met just yesterday. The orange haired boy was silent for a moment, then he quickly picked himself up and hug the odd being. "Where did you go?" He questioned, on the verge of tears.

The creature couldn't help but blink at the child's words and actions. "Ah... Oi... I just had ta go out for a bit..." He said in way of explanation, Ichigo pulled back a bit to look at his masked face. "Ya were still asleep and I thought I'd back before ya woke up... Guess not, huh?" He gives a humorless chuckle. "Sorry. Did I give ya a scare there?"

Ichigo nodded his head slightly. "Yeah, but it's okay." He frowned ever so slightly as a question came to mind. "By the way, what you're name?"

The being glanced off to the side as he raised a hand to rub the back of his head. "I ain't gotta name." He admitted after a long moment of silence.

Blinking slightly, Ichigo tilted his head to the side as the frown on his face got a little bit bigger. "Didn't your mom and dad give you one?"

"Don't got any." The creature said with a shrug.

The frown on the boy's face grew even bigger at that news. "What about your friends? What do they call you?"

The being never knew what it was like to have friends. But he could think of one person who ever called him anything, sadly it wasn't much of a name. And he really wasn't interested in thinking of that person anymore, in fact he now found himself not wanting anything to do with them. "Ain't got no friends. No family. Nothin'." He finally answered with.

"That's not true!" Ichigo snapped at him, which caused the being to blink at the boy. "You have me." The child said firmly a slight nod of the head. A small smile crossed the creature's hidden lips. The boy folded his arms over his chest as he began to think. "A name... You need a name... But what?" Ichigo looked upon the being's white form and it hit him like a brick. "Shiro."

"What?"

"Your name will be Shiro." Ichigo declared with a slight nod of the head before explaining. "Cause you're mostly white... You don't like it, do you?" He asked with a slightly downcast expression.

The creature took a moment to allow the name to sink into his mind before answering. "Shiro, huh? I like it..." A small smile crossed Ichigo's face upon hearing those words. "Heh! And yer right! I am mostly white, so it does fit." The newly dubbed Shiro said with a chuckle then tilted his head and asked. "So what were ya doin' out here?"

"I..." Ichigo turned his gaze to where his mother's body had laid just that night. "I was looking..."

"For what?"

He shook his head slightly before looking back to Shiro. "Doesn't matter anymore. Come on Shiro." Ichigo replied with as he began to walk along the river bank.

Shiro tilted his head to the side as he followed after. "Where we goin'?"

"No place special." Came the simple response.

"No idea, huh?"

"Nope."

"... Do ya have some place ya need ta be?"

"Yup."

"And yer not goin' there cause...?"

"Don't feel like it."

"Fair enough." Shiro followed in silence for some time after that, it was obvious that Ichigo was deep in thought and he didn't want to bug the kid. So he simply followed along and observed the child. Sometime later Ichigo finally stopped, then he crouched down. "Oi, ya okay? Ya've been walkin' for a while, maybe ya should stop and rest for a bit."

Ichigo shook his head as he picked himself back up. "I'm okay." And with that he started walking again. It went on like that for several hours, until finally... "Shiro?"

"Hmmm?"

"What are you?"

"Ah... Was wonderin' when ya'd ask that..." Shiro moved over to a large rock and hopped up onto it. He watched as Ichigo sat down on a nearby rock, then he settled down as he thought about how best to explain it. "I'm what's called a hollow."

"What's a hollow?" Ichigo interrupted with.

"Heh, if ya give me the chance I'll tell ya." Shiro informed him in a teasing manner.

"Sorry."

"Don't sweat it kid." He replied with before continuing, seeming unfazed by the interruption. "A hollow is a spirit, kinda like a ghost."

"But I can't see ghosts." Ichigo said once again cutting in.

"Ah! But ya can! Ya just might not have known it!" Shiro said with a bit of a chuckle. He couldn't help but find some amusement in the fact that he, a 'hollow', was explaining this kind of stuff to a spiritually aware human. Sure, Ichigo was just a kid but still someone should have been able to see that he has abilities by now. If so, why didn't they tell the kid? Well whatever the case, it was now left up to this hollow. "In fact, it's harder ta see hollows then it is ta see ghosts. Ya can see me clearly, can't ya?"

"I can see you as clearly as anyone else." Ichigo replied with a small shrug.

Shiro gave a small nod of the head at his words, then his eyes narrowed as he continued speaking in a more serious tone of voice. "Keep this in mind Ichigo, if ya ever, EVER see a creature with a mask and a hole in it's chest that isn't me, get away from it! FAST!"

Ichigo tilted his head to the side with a small frown. "Why?"

"Cause they'll kill ya, that's why." He told the kid bluntly.

"But why? I mean, you're not trying to kill me..." The orange haired boy couldn't comprehend what Shiro was trying to tell him. Shiro, after all, was one of these hollows and he wasn't trying to do anything harmful. Surely there were other friendly hollows.

"I'm different Ichigo, an outcast of my kind. Unwanted by those who could be called my kin." An angry growl escaped from Shiro and his tail flickered greatly in agitation as he remembered the things the other hollows would do to him. Shiro then returned his gaze to the small human child in front of him. This boy was the first being to ever except him, his anger faded quickly at that thought. There, in the world of the hollows, he had nothing, was nothing. But here he was slowly becoming something to this kid. He had to do what he could to protect this child, to prepare him for things to come. Whether it be with just intelligence or by teaching the kid how to fight. "Always remember Ichigo, hollows are monsters. They would sooner kill ya then make nice. Got it?"

Ichigo nodded his head slowly in response, he knew Shiro wasn't a monster and he was sure that's there had to be other hollows like him. A single thought brought all others to a complete stop. "Shiro... You said that someone else was behind... That someone else killed mom... Was it..." The hollow remained quiet as the boy put two and two together. "Was it a hollow?"

Shiro was silent for a few moments more, until finally. "Ya really want me ta answer that?" But that was all the answer that Ichigo needed.

A look of determination crossed the boy's face and Shiro couldn't help but blink slightly at the change. "I wanna get stronger! No..." Ichigo shook his head. "I HAVE to get stronger! Can you help me Shiro? Help me become strong enough to beat anyone!"

Shiro simply stared at first then he threw his head back and burst out into laughter, his mask mouth opened to reveal the mouth underneath. "HAHAHA! Now that's the kinda spirit I like ta see! I'll teach ya everythin' I can kid! I'll even teach ya the best ways ta attack a hollow!" Ichigo smiled at his new friend and now teacher. And somehow, he knew that Shiro was smiling back. "Ya better be ready kid, this ain't gonna be easy!"

"Right! Can we start now?" Ichigo was obviously anxious to get started.

Another laugh erupted from the hollow as he hopped off the rock. "Sure kid! But ya might wanna take off that bag, it's only gonna slow ya down!" In response, Ichigo quickly took off his backpack and set it on the ground. "Okay! Come at me with everythin' ya got!"

"Huh? Why?" The boy asked in confusion.

"Are ya questionin' yer mentor? DO IT!" Shiro snapped at him, Ichigo shook his head as a look of determination once again crossed his face. He charged at Shiro with a battle cry... And was quickly thrown onto his back. Shiro let out a sigh, his tail flickering back and forth. "I have a lot of work ahead of me... Oh well! Get yer butt up and try again!" And thus began Shiro's training lessons.

Made some minor changes to this chapter which consisted of fixings some spelling errors, altering a handful of sentences and once again bolding Shiro's text. Nothing major. Until next time! R&R.