New Beginning

Chapter 18

Ichigo woke form what he thought was a pleasant dream. It had been a long time since he had been able to sleep and dream so soundly. But the one thing that made his dream become reality was the note from Kisuke informing him that the Queen had grounded him. it said nothing else.

True to her word of grounding Ichigo the orangette found himself stuck in his room. It was a surprise when he woke up and was told that he was grounded and he didn't know why. He had spent the next few hours trying to get out but it would seem that Masaki was ten steps ahead of him. A barrier had been placed on his door and windows.

It didn't help that both Zangetsu was enforcing the punishment and he knew that Shiro Zangetsu was having a field day keeping the reason why from Ichigo. The two refuse to allow him into his inner world or to summon them.

'what the hell; what I do and why am I grounded? I am not a kid damn it,' he growled mentally.

Everyone would disagree with him though. Ichigo was the youngest of his new family. So deciding to wait till someone came to visit Ichigo sat by one of the windows. The time spend drew up things that the orangette himself had been repressing.

With nothing to distract him the teen was force to face the hidden fears that he had pushed to the back of his mind. The sadness of losing his home, friends, and his family. The fear of it happing again to the ones who want him to be part of theirs. He is aware of what he said to Kaien it was him given in to a selfish desire. He was out of his element in this new world where he could and couldn't do the things that made him a power house in his old world. And add in the new abilities.

"I don't want to be alone anymore," he said to the air.

It was truth that he was wanting something stable but the idea that he would be replacing his family with another held him back from fully accepting the new one. Though he blamed it on that he would be replacing their dead son. Both were true though. But what Ichigo didn't figure was that he wouldn't be replacing his dead family and none of the royals wanted him to. just like he wouldn't be a replacement from Mugetsu.

So it was these fears that Ichigo faced while alone in his room. When Isshin came to check up on him Ichigo was still in his spot by the window head bowed. The King sighed he didn't remember any of his son's being so full of angst. Isshin wasn't going to let Ichigo wallow here so he yanks the orangette up earning a surprise yelp and pulls him out of the room and to one of the training fields.

Ichigo stared confused when the man tossed him a wooden sword. He was more confused when Isshin took one up as well.

"Come let's get all the heavy feeling out of you," then without given a single Isshin charged.

Their sparring lasted to what felt like hours but in truth it was only thirty minutes. One thing was clear Ichigo was getting his ass handed to him. he did manage to get a few hits of his own in but it meant nothing once Isshin gave a fatal blow that had the orangette landing on his ass.

"Too much thinking can cloud you vision in a fight where spilt second counts. So Ichigo what has your head so full?" Isshin asks taking a small break on the railing.

"It's nothing," Ichigo says robotically.

"Do actually think I would believe that? I helped raise two sons who went through their teens there is nothing that you can hid from me," the King said before sighing. "Is it your past?"

He knew he hit the nail on the head by the way Ichigo tried to hid his flinch. The way the teen wouldn't look him in the eye.

"I see well I think I know just what you need. So get clean up and meet me back here when your done I have something to show you."