New Beginning

chapter 13

In his short life Ichigo had face many opponents that were frightening. But only two people that he has met weren't evil villains. One was the fourth squad captain, Retsu Unohana, the woman scared the orangette when he ended up in her care. The other was standing in front of him now hands on her hips with a disapproving smile. Ichigo could remember his mother quite well but it was mostly smiles and sunshine. He certainly doesn't remember her looking at him like this.

"Mind telling me what you were doing young man," the Queen asks so sweetly. A dark arura surrounding her.

Ichigo shutter and was trying to find a way to hid into the sheets on his bed forgetting that he was very dirty and most likely was getting his bed dirty in the process. But he was having no success as the Queens eyes watched his every move.

"Uh, well" he says finally like a child caught with his hands in the cookie jar.

"Because it looks like you were out of bed without mine nor Johns say so and it looked like you were trying to train without someone nearby," she continued plucking out stray leaves and twigs. "Is that correct?"

Ichigo swearing that he was seeing a demon floating behind her hung his head in defeat. He just couldn't stand up to the woman. Seeing that she had made a point Masaki ran her fingers through the orange hair dislodging the rest of the debris he had collected.

"Now I know that after all that excitement that your bored and yes you are better off than Shiro and Grimmjow but until I say otherwise you are to stay put," scolded Masaki. "This is your punishment."

She places a kiss to his orange spikes then leaves with a hum. Ichigo stared slack jaw at her retreating back. She had just grounded him as if he was one of her sons. It was one of the things that he has been trying to avoid and he was failing. Groaning he picks himself up wondering over to one of the rooms huge floor to ceiling windows and stares out into the glaring snow.

"Great now what," he asks himself getting no reply from his swords. Sighing he resigns himself to his fate. He hated being stuck indoors for too long. He wanted to train.

"Man I don't think that mom ever grounded someone, on yeah now I remember, Shiro's was always getting his ass spanked for doing crazy shit." Kaien's cheerful voice breaks Ichigo out of his moping. "Yo Ichigo how's life on the inside."

Ignoring the admitted joke, the orangette scowled at the First Prince.

"Aw don't be like that I come baring gifts and possibly a chance to break ya out of here."

Ichigo perked up before getting suspicious. "What's the catch," He asks.

"Aw come one bro I wouldn't do that," the raven pouted. Ichigo didn't buy it for a second.

"Yeah right," Ichigo said. "As if you can overrule your mother just like that without getting her to scared you into submission."

"She not that bad" though Kaien never had to face his mother's wrath like the others of his family had, he knew not to get caught. "Besides, it's not fair that you spend nearly a month with Shiro and I hadn't got the first chance too."

'is that what this is about? What's with this family?' Ichigo thought. Out loud, "It wasn't like that was plan you know and it wasn't all that great."

"So." Kaien said not really caring about the difference. "I still want you to come with.

"I guess if it means that I can get out of here." Ichigo said a bit reluctantly. "What were you planning?"

"I was thinking that you come with me on an investigation into one of southern villages." Kaien said as if he didn't just implied that he be taking Ichigo into something akin to the orangette's last adventure.