The King's Death

Chapter 1:Preface

During the mist of a battle with a hollow, I can feel something stirring in me and tearing me apart. Falling to the ground I clutch at my chest the pain becoming nearly unbearable as my vision blurs. The edge of my vision blackens as I watch Uryuu hits the hollow in the mask and it turns to ash. I clutch as my throat and cough loudly trying to bring air into my lungs as it seems to be pressed from them. Uryuu runs over with Chad by his side and they kneel worry creasing their brows.

"Ichigo are you alright you took a pretty hard hit? Ichigo!" I feel my hearing slowly fade from view and it feels like someone stabbed me through the heart. My vision goes completely grey and I feel my father's energy rushing toward me. Looking up I catch his eyes as they stare at me. Is this what it's like to die? My vision slowly goes black and I feel my chest rise slowly before becoming quicker and quicker as my hollow side surfaces to see what's wrong. Then, nothing; not even the air against my cheek or the annoying voice of Hichigo and the calming voice of Zangetsu.

Out of nowhere I feel a power rush through my bones and into my blood boiling in it for some time before Hichigo and Zangetsu return to me speaking softly at first and then growing louder as time wears on. Before my eyes even open my body propels me forward in pain and I grab at my heart as it races forward.

"Kurosaki-dono you must relax we cannot have you hurt yourself, I know it is painful but it is worse if you move!" A very flustered girl says pushing me back into a rather comfortable bed. She very pretty with bright honey colored hair pulling into a tie allowing the long strands to fall to the middle of her back. Bangs falling across her forehead curving around her crystalline eyes and framing them to look wide and innocent. I sigh and close my eyes for a moment trying to stay calm and relax to stop the pain.

"What is your name?" I ponder aloud she gasps and mumbles nervously much too softly for me to pick up. "Pardon?"

"My name is Yasu Kichura, Kurosaki-dono." She murmurs again but slightly louder this time. I open one eye and look at her noticing just how afraid of me she seemed to be. Her small feminine hands shook terribly and her wide eyes barely withheld the fear that seemed to radiate through them. Yet, every one of her movements was precise as if she was afraid to mess up or she had been doing them for many years. To calm her I try to push a small smile onto my face before asking my next question vaguely remembering the time Ruki told me that my smiles calmed people. Rukia would ask me to smile at the oddest of times but I did so understanding that she needed something from them.

"Why do you keep calling me that Yasu?" She looks at me wide eyed her lip quivering slightly and she looks as if she is about to cry. What did I say?

"I-I apologize, Kurosaki-dono, would you rather I called you something else?" I look at her slightly confused. She drops her head and eyes to the floor while sitting on her knees. Her hands roll around each other and she reminds me of a young child that has been scolded by their parents. I barely suppress the urge to chuckle at her knowing that it would only make her more uncomfortable than she already is.

"Please explain to me why you are addressing me as such I'm just a substitute soul reaper I'm no lord." Her eyes go wider, if that is even possible, as my father walks in and she stands and bows before walking toward the open Shoji screen kneeling and crawling out. She bows quietly before sliding the screen shut and I vaguely pick up on her soft steps fluttering across the wooden floors as she practically runs from my room.

"It's nice to see you up son." He says sitting down beside me and smirking. I feel a glare hardening my soft eyes as I stare at him demanding answers with just that one look. His eyes dart from mine and I can see a smile turning the corner of his lips. Ass it's not funny...I'm confused as hell.

"What the hell is going on, goat-chin?" I gripe and the harsh pain that comes with the harsh words removes the breath from me and I clutch my stomach in pain. My father chuckles and removes my hand from my stomach before waving a hand, glowing with kidou, over the area making the pain lessen until it is bearable. I sigh and relax into the bed my energy getting increasingly lower with each movement.