Spiritfox: "Welcome to the prolouge of ED(eternal Determination), my new story! Yes you can kick me for starting something new when EM remains unfinished. And yes you can kick me for putting "eternal" in the tittle of my story once again. Yeah kick me plently, but this idea wouldn't allow me to write my other story lest this one was posted. Mind you, this story is an experiement. This will be quite different from EM, very different. I will twist it when ever I please or see fit. Yes I'm cruel."

Ichigo: "Why am I here?" -Confused-

Spiritfox: "Toshiro is my sidekick for EM; your my sidekick for ED. Now shutup!"

Ichigo: -Stares at blankly-

Spiritfox: "This story to will be updated sparodicly due to my lack of computer so bare with me." -apologizes- "So now proceed to read Eternal Damnation."

Prolouge

Bored, aggravated, irritated.

They were excellent words to describe a certain genius who was currently slouched upon his couch, television remote hanging limply in hand, cerulean eyes shining with uncanny knowledge, and who appeared to be completely dissatisfied. Occasionally, his gaze would shift towards a weeks-worth of college homework that lay completed and perfected on his table, eyes betraying the look of annoyance because it was the only source of amusement he had. It wasn't his fault that he was a 16-year old genius who was acing his way through college like it was elementary school. That was simply who he was. However, his genius did come with a price; like say his social life was nearly nonexistent. He didn't have time to experience or pursue any type of romance, nor did he have many friends; one of the reasons so happened to be because of his childish appearance. Despite the fact he was 16, puberty had seemingly decided to avoid him at all costs, which was the cause of the many unjust, jeering commentary he received on a daily basis. And it didn't help when his hair was unusually coloured and gravity-defying, drawing the attention of many passing pedestrians who would sometime inquire if he dyed his hair, to which in turn, he would give a frigid glare and an equally frigid scowl. They just didn't get it. He wanted to be left to his business without having to exchange petty words concerning his hair and height.

Sighing in his insatiable boredom, Hitsugaya Toshiro got up from his spot before heading into his small but cozy kitchen to rummage through his fridge. It would seem that food shopping was in order because all his supplies consisted of was half-a-dozen eggs, cheese, milk, and something that went unidentified. Which meant he was going to either get some take-out, not eat at all, or go food shopping with the little money he had. The second of his options didn't bode well with his mind or his stomach, the first option was deeply considered, even if this was like the seventh time this week he would be eating that unhealthy stuff. If his friend, Hinamori Momo found out, she would be over at his door step with a home-made dish containing an assortment of vegetables, meats, and starch. It was usually a good meal that greatly deserved his gratitude and appreciation, but he preferred if his friend didn't take it upon herself to provide for him each time he didn't have a proper dinner on his table. He was extremely capable of taking care of his needs, even if sometimes it didn't appear that way.

Grabbing his keys and cell-phone off the table, Toshiro shouldered on his jacket, and left towards the supermarket, his hands coming to rest in his pockets as he walked down the street, completely withdrawn into that knowledgeable mind of his. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't realize it when he bumped into someone, sending him falling onto his posterior, unaware of the mumbled apologizes that were being spilled from this other person's mouth. With a rude comment about to erupt from his mouth, Toshiro gazed up to get a good look at this person, only to hold his tongue when he took in the person's looks.

The guy had the looks of someone who was sculpted by the life-giving hands of God, no flaws tainting his perfection. It almost seemed impossible for such a beautiful creature to exist in a world so rotten, where someone might ruin his beauty with impure, sinful hands. But still, the sight was breath-taking and memorable for the stunned genius, for not a single soul on this planet ever had such an impact such as this. He had never seen anyone with such mesmerizing, passionate eyes that burned with the intensity of an overly full furnace. And his skin! It looked as if he was kissed by the sun until he had a perfectly tanned complexion, not a scar marring his perfection. His hair -and what a remarkable sight it was to look upon- was a vibrant, light orange, which stood out like a beacon in an impermeable fog, stunning passersby with its brilliance, for they knew it was totally natural. And how could Toshiro not shamefully gaze upon the mouth-watering sight of Ichigo's toned muscles pressing against his white t-shirt, attracting onlookers from a mile away with his impressive build. All together, the guy was a walking piece of magnificence that made others' self-esteem seem nonexistent.

"Uh, sorry 'bout that. I was kind of in a rush." The guy apologized quietly, offering his hand to assist Toshiro who just climbed back onto his feet, blatantly ignoring the friendly gesture that caused an annoyed scowl to form on a formerly apologetic face.

"It's not a problem. I wasn't exactly paying attention either." Toshiro mumbled as his ears twitched at the unfamiliarity of listening to such a smooth voice.

The guy just shrugged indifferently, his beautiful amber eyes shifting towards the direction of his destination with the plain intention of heading there, only remaining in his spot to ask this mysterious kid a question. "What's your name?"

Toshiro hesitated slightly, unsure if he should reveal this information, but he did anyway, simply because of the hidden need to hear the smoothness that was this god-like person's voice, "Hitsugaya Toshiro, yours?"

"Kurosaki Ichigo." Ichigo froze for a minute as his mind got a chance to register the kid's name, only to go slightly wide-eyed when he realized who this person was. "You're that genius kid aren't you?"

"Kid…?" Toshiro hissed out in annoyance at how Ichigo just referred to him.

"I got to go, see ya!" Ichigo literally bolted once he saw that angry vein pop up on Toshiro's face, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he heard the short prodigy shout out a harsh profanity, obviously not foreign to colourful language.

"Rude bastard," Toshiro mumbled angrily as he continued towards his original destination, a frown tight on his soft lips as it became apparent that he wasted time conversing with a rude, handsome bastard.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

"Yuzu…what is this stuff doing on my plate?" Ichigo inquired lowly as his nose twitched in disdain, eyes burning holes into the plate of unappetizing veggies.

After his little encounter with the prodigy, Ichigo resumed the walk to his family's house since this was a daily activity that was forced upon him by his manic dad. It was either that he visited them everyday, or they would unexpectedly pop into his flat unannounced, which would be an annoyance he'd rather not deal with. It was bad enough that college demanded his attention and energy, so coming home to meet his family settled rather comfortably in his flat would be very unnerving and chaotic, especially if he was looking forward to going to sleep…undisturbed. Not to mention, that his family wasn't human, including him. They were in fact werewolves, a supernatural race that lived amongst humans who had no idea about their existence, seeing as werewolves took two different forms, completely fooling the primitive human eye. However, it is extremely difficult in maintaining this illusion for so long, simply because werewolves cannot remain in human shape for long periods of time. The desire to cast away the complications of human life and enjoy the beautiful freedom of being a wolf was too great to ignore. Also, werewolves are forced to change during the full moon, which meant that they had to take shelter lest they draw the unwanted attention of the humans. Humans weren't stupid enough to not know that seeing a large amount of oddly coloured, huge dogs -as they put it- to be very abnormal and a cause for alarm.

"Dad told me to give it to you since you were five seconds late. Sorry Ichi-niisan." Yuzu apologized while trying to block out Karin's -her twin sister- loud snickers as the girl tore into her delicious steak.

Ichigo swore violently under his breath as thoughts of ripping his father to pieces entered his mind, obviously affecting his hand since he was gripping the chopsticks so hard that they threatened to snap if he kept on applying pressure. He was just so angry that his dad was the cause of having disgusting vegetables served on his plate, making his wolf blood pump furiously at being denied meat. Eating vegetables was like telling a human to resort to cannibalism of his own free will -which was repulsive. That was basically how he felt right now, especially when he had the scent of Karin's mouth-watering steak wafting through his nostrils, making him bare his teeth in raw hunger. He could remember the times when his father would make him eat veggies to punish him when he was being bad. Half the time, Ichigo would sneak out the house and creep into the forest to hunt for a deer, which served as proper meal to a growing werewolf. But he wasn't a child anymore, so he wouldn't stand for being denied what he craved. Meat…

"Dad, you better give me something I can actually eat, or else I will hurt you." Ichigo growled warningly, getting out of his seat in preparation of a fight.

"But son, you're a growing boy. You need to eat your vegetables!" Isshin shouted loudly as he flew down the stairs, still in his clinic uniform.

"I'm 19. I don't need any goddamn vegetables! I need something I can sink my teeth into!"

"Nonsense my boy! You still have to eat your veggies!" Isshin protested further, increasing Ichigo's temper.

"That's it old man! I warned ya!"

Karin and Yuzu sat back with vivid amusement as they watched their brother tackle their dad at being denied his precious meat, while their father still foolishly protested, despite the brutal punches he received to his soon-to-be bruised face. Of course this rather violent form of rough-housing was considered to be a normal routine between the two, especially since they were males. The wolf in them commanded that they fight and it could never be disobeyed, even if they were kin. It was in their blood, which was one of the many reasons why Ichigo departed and went to live by himself. If he would have stayed, than the fighting would be frequent and gradually began to get more violent, demanding the assistance of Karin and Yuzu, who would have to soothe their anger and boiling blood. The two sisters were lucky that during Ichigo's younger days, he didn't fight his father because he didn't have a need to establish dominance in their family, or pack.

Very soon, the two Kurosakis separated from each other with the help of the twins, both of them sporting bruises on their faces that were beginning to swell. To help ease the tension in the air; Karin dutifully engaged Ichigo in an interesting conversation to distract him and fetched him a nice raw steak, while Yuzu tended to her father's wounds, trying her best to convince him that fighting without a cause was unwise. But her dad was stubborn and insisted that a reason to fight wasn't needed and he was only spending quality time with his son. Being the rather civilized one in the family, Yuzu couldn't understand how exchanging blows was spending quality time with her brother. But her family was original so she couldn't expect any different.

"It was nice seeing you Ichi-niisan. We'll see you later, ok?" Yuzu said as she waved a goodbye to her departing brother with Karin at her side, while trying to control her eccentric father.

"Yeah…I'll see ya."

Ichigo waved to his family in a simple goodbye before putting his hands into his pockets, amazed how time flew by- because it was now dusk, which meant the moon was about to make its appearance in the soon-to-be star-tainted sky. He couldn't help the grin that popped onto his face as he thought about what was to come. Yep, it was time to become a wolf once again, to enjoy the freedom of running through acres of forestry, to hunt game, and taste fresh meat that wasn't prepared by human methods. Despite the awesomeness of it all, there was still one major bad point: he was all alone. His friends were away on a mission that given to them by their alpha, Kuchiki Byakuya, one of the 13 leaders who ran the pack of werewolves. And the only reason why he wasn't involved or given frequent missions was because he wasn't born into the clan, he was an outcast -a mutt, which was the proper term used by werewolves. But it wasn't like he was incapable of joining the clan; he just didn't want to. He didn't have the drive to take on missions and leave the town frequently; he just didn't feel comfortable with it.

A snort rose from his throat as he came to Karakura Park which was like a secret entrance way to the forest, which humans avoided at all costs due to them having a fear of its sinister appearance, weird animal sounds, and the fact that no one survived if they stayed there too long. Of course this was meaningless human fear and superstition to Ichigo because he went in there all the time to transform, and the only thing that should be the cause of fear was him. He didn't like to brag, but his wolf form was a sight that would awe spectators and strike fear into their hearts, seeing as he was pretty huge and possessed other fearsome qualities when compared to other natural wolves. For example, his claws were basically knives, his fangs were sharp enough to crush steel, and his howl was enough to scare away any curious trespassers who might dare to tread onto his territory without even confronting them. Because this was his domain, where he truly was the real Kurosaki Ichigo, and not the falseness that he presented to human society.

With an exhilarated cry of wild energy, Ichigo tore through the forest as he escaped the confines of human life, intent on finding a tranquil spot to change forms without being disturbed. But the need to change was powerful, mainly because the moon's slivery light was coaxing him to transform where he stood, to be free of the primitive bonds of a human. He just couldn't resist…not anymore; not when the moon's light was enveloping him like this. Now was the time to change.

Finally succumbing to the will of the moon and his own desires, Ichigo shed his clothing -because it would only tear when he transformed- leaving him completely naked to the nighttime breeze that caressed his nude body coolly. He sighed softly and concentrated on the beginning stages of his transformation, which started instantly. His legs gave out on him, forcing him on all fours as the ability to stand upright left him. Callused fingers began to meld together into huge paws, orange fur sprouting from the skin, fingernails growing and extending into razor sharp claws that dug into the ground as the transformation began to progress faster. By now, he had orange fur completely covering his body as his mouth began to extend and twist, allowing his teeth to grow into flesh-ripping fangs. A shudder racked Ichigo's spine as his tail grew and his pathetic human ears shrunk, only to reappear atop his head as advanced lupine ears. To put an end to what a human would call the freak show, Ichigo's burning eyes snapped open, his amber pupils melting into a liquid gold that captivated victims who fell prey to his powerful gaze, unable to escape from its piercing intensity.

He was complete.

Throwing back his head majestically, Ichigo howled into the nighttime sky with vigor, the musical sound vibrating in his throat as it echoed into the forest, turning around slowly to pad away deeper into his domain, golden eyes glowing in the darkness dangerously. But when familiar, answering howls rung through his ears, Ichigo froze as his heart began to beat faster, excitement pulsing in his ears. Those voices belonged to his friends, the ones who were supposed to be far away from here. It just couldn't be them, yet he couldn't stop hoping that they had returned to him, to destroy the overwhelming loneliness that ate away at him from the inside.

Another howl left Ichigo's throat as he raced towards where he heard his friends, going so fast that he appeared to be an orange blur to the naked eye. His excitement was so blinding that he didn't see the red blur barrel into his side, sending him tumbling to the ground rapidly as a yelp of surprise left his muzzle. He growled vehemently when he found out getting up was an impossible task for an abnormally huge paw pressed against his throat, keen claws digging into his neck fur. Right then, Ichigo knew he was at the mercy of his unknown assaulter; that he could die on a mere whim. It made him furious of course that he was taken down so effortlessly, increasing his embarrassment and further insulting his pride. If his friends saw him now, in such a helpless state, they would forever laugh at him after they rescued him.

"Giving up, Ichigo? That's not like ya." An amused voice remarked in the wolfish dialect.

"Renji?!"

"Obviously." Feeling the weight of the hefty paw leave his throat, Ichigo rolled back onto his paws, his golden eyes shining happily as they took in the sight of Renji in his wolf form, a shape that he hadn't seen for what seemed like ages.

Renji had dark red fur decorated with black, inky, tribal tattoos that curved and traveled around his entire body, twining along his tail and back, giving him an intimidating image to other werewolves who managed to address him without looking down to hide the obvious fear. His eyes were a blood red color that was as piercing as a lance and almost as deadly as a basilisk's glare, which made eye contact difficult to maintain when looking at him directly. Those paws of his were humongous and heavy enough to smash someone's skull with ease, while his claws were as keen as daggers. Yes, Renji was magnificent wolf and he never got weary of proving that fact.

"Don't act all high and mighty Renji. I can still kick your ass any day." Ichigo teased playfully, not even noticing when his tail started wagging in his happiness, causing the other to snort in amusement.

"Don't brag pup. Not after what just happened seconds ago."

Hearing the hidden but definite challenge sparked in his friend's rough tone, Ichigo pulled his lips back into a furious snarl, sharp claws digging into the ground, hackles standing up, as he growled his acceptance to Renji's quiet challenge. As expected, Renji snorted wolfishly, piercing ruby eyes twinkling in amusement as he got into a hunter's crouch, waiting for his sparring partner to begin the battle. With a vicious growl, Ichigo leapt at Renji directly, claws outstretched, teeth bared, as he collided with his opponent in mid-air, both falling to the ground harshly as they tried to get a good grip on the other's neck, only succeeding in getting a mouthful fur. But they stubbornly kept on biting at each other until Ichigo kicked Renji off with his hind legs, letting out a growl of satisfaction when he heard the yelp of pain from Renji as he landed on his side brutally.

Not one to be beaten, Renji climbed back onto his paws quickly, startling Ichigo as he literally rammed into the other wolf's ribs with enough force to have shattered a regular wolf's rib cage, the impact making Ichigo slide to the floor, momentarily dazed. He didn't remain that way for long once he realized that Renji was attending to claim his victory, a victorious smirk already settling comfortably on a smug muzzle at the idea. With a hidden plan in mind, Ichigo feigned weakness, playing the classic role of possum acting dead, waiting patiently as Renji crept closer, still smug and not knowing he was falling for a quickly devised rouse. And as fast as the king cobra, Ichigo's jaws parted as he latched onto Renji's unsuspecting leg, yanking it forcefully until he was witnessing the sight of Renji's flabbergasted features as he fell to the ground, completely vulnerable. Ichigo wasn't one to hesitate when victory was within his grasp, so he got up quickly and placed his paw on Renji's unprotected neck, eyes shining with a substantial amount of mirth and triumph.

"I kicked your ass, like I said. I was merely stating a fact." Ichigo grinned wolfishly, observing as he watched the other growl vehement curses and vengeful promises upon the winner of their little sparring session.

"Whatever."

"Can't you two greet each other without trying to bite the other's tail off?" The two conversing werewolves froze as they gazed upon the speaker who disrupted their usual banter, a huge grin coming upon Ichigo's joyful features as he leapt off Renji to greet his other life-long friend.

It was a beautiful, midnight-colored she-wolf, standing proudly before the two dazzled wolves, her gracefulness becoming painfully apparent when she took a few mere paw-steps forward. Her eyes were a magnificent shade of violet which glistened like refined jewels, allowing others to see the vast intelligence swimming beneath the surface -and the vicious ferociousness that went along with it equally, which easily dominated lesser beings into a state of fear with just minimal eye contact. And when she growled, it sent a clear warning to others to take her seriously like any another male, or else they would find themselves facing a premature death, due to their throat being suddenly ripped out, their deaths so quick that they would never be immersed in the agony of being killed. She was just that brutal, her drive to gain her rightfully deserved respect causing her to be that way, which actually made her earn the title "Midnight assailant".

"Rukia!" Ichigo exclaimed exuberantly as he nuzzled her pitch-black fur warmly with his nose, earning a swift lick of greeting on his twitching ears.

"God Ichigo! We've been gone for like a month and your acting like a pup who finally gets to hunt." Rukia mused as she lay down upon the grass, her tail flickering with amusement as Ichigo's nuzzles grew more persistent, trying urgently to coax the lazing she-wolf to play with him.

"How many times must I be called a pup this night? Can't I show a little enthusiasm for being reunited with my friends? Jeez, next time you guys just leave like that, I'll make sure to be less enthusiastic about your return", snorted Ichigo with a perturbed annoyance as he lay down next to Rukia, his eyes watching the semi-forgotten Renji join them, the red wolf obviously enjoying the comment Rukia made about his friend.

"Relax. We're just teasing ya'." Renji let out an obnoxious yawn as he curled up, absorbing the warmth he was receiving from his friends while closing piercing, ruby eyes, his sharp ears still erect and flickering, keeping a lookout for unwanted company.

"Besides Ichigo, we missed you too." Rukia assured the orange- haired wolf sincerely, laying her head upon her paws as she finally began to relax after just getting back from an exhausting mission.

Not needing any more convincing from his weary friends, Ichigo just lay there, completely submerging himself within the comfortable presence that his friends graciously presented him, the loneliness completely ebbing away like it never existed. For a minute, his mind began to speculate if this whole touching scenario was just a hallucination that his desperate consciousness created to torture him, while he still was in his room, still drowning in that endless void formed when the solitude finally wreaked havoc upon his mind. But the warmth radiating from both of his friends' fur pushed away all doubts and fears of being utterly alone, making him inwardly smile as he realized he had everything he wanted -well, at least he thought. He still had this indescribable feeling that something was missing, a missing piece of a soon-to-be finished puzzle. Ichigo snorted quietly at the absurdity, but he still couldn't shake it off, like how a stubborn person wouldn't request for help when it was needed. It was like he was missing a companion of some sorts, but that would be impossible since he had two perfectly good ones resting at his side. He snorted again as he ignored this attention-hungry feeling, choosing to dive into the reality that was with his precious friends while they bathed in the pale, illuminating rays of the moonlight.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

"Take my word on it Momo; Kurosaki Ichigo is a complete jackass." Toshiro argued calmly with his friend through his cell phone while carrying heavy shopping bags into the kitchen.

"-My God Toshiro! That can't be your impression of the guy when you just met! What I heard about him is that he's a complete hottie!-" Momo protested, huffing at her friend's stubborn unwillingness to totally look at Ichigo in a different light.

Toshiro was resilient. "I firmly believe my words are the proper description concerning Kurosaki's personality."

Momo sighed heavily, rubbing her temples as she tried to get her words to penetrate the stubborn cranium her friend possessed. "-There you go again, acting completely judgmental. Why can't you reconsider your opinion on him? You two could possibly become great mates.-"

"Fine, but right after my hair turns purple." Toshiro bit out sarcastically, earning an aggravated noise to assault his eardrums, making him wince outwardly.

"-I've had it with you Hitsugaya Toshiro, and your undying stubbornness! You're a loss cause.-" The girl hissed irritatedly through the other line, which came out as feline growl, deserving the raising of an inquiring, beautiful brow that signified that Toshiro was momentarily lost, or that his mind refused to process her befitting complaint about him since it was surprisingly true.

"Undying stubbornness? Lost cause? I fail to see how that description fits me, Momo." His voice sounded thoroughly confused with a small shade of amusement echoing within his words, still retaining that amazing calmness.

"-Oh it fits you alright,-" Momo growled out, still aggravated, "-I can't understand how you won't try to give some more juice to your dying social life. Do you hear me? It's D-Y-I-N-G! I'm sure your genius brain understands that right?-"

"Indeed it does." Toshiro coughed passively, sitting down at his study which was located somewhere in his decent-sized living room, taking out a book to mindlessly flip through the pages, the text never sinking into his mind. "And I value your advice and concern about my 'Dying social life' as you put it."

"-When will you ever learn to take a break from your work and live a little, Toshiro? I'm pretty sure that the word break doesn't even exist in your vocabulary. I bet your probably reading something educational right now.-"

Toshiro, just in a need to prove his disapproving friend wrong, looked at the title of the book and sighed dejectedly as he realized his friend was right. The book was called "The Fields of Science", a book regarding work and nothing that was enjoyable to read.

"You are correct. I was reading a work-based book. Well technically, I was just flipping through it." Toshiro admitted sourly, his lips tightening into a thin line of anger as he heard her voice gloating triumph.

"-Exactly! Now I want you to discard it and go take a nice jog through Karakura Park, ok? It'll help you decide if you should talk to Ichigo or not.-" Momo suggested, or more like instructed, the finality in her tone decisive and permanent.

"Whatever."

Knowing that she meant it, Toshiro hung up to comply with Momo's demands, all other activities planned for the night becoming irrelevant because he knew if he didn't go jog at the park, she would somehow find out and haunt him. And as little as he wanted his friend to haunt him and put him through unimaginable tortures, Toshiro really wasn't in the mood for a midnight jog, even if it would do him some good. He needed to do something other than sulk around his house inwardly complaining about how his homework wasn't enough to keep him busy despite the fact that it was a whole weeks-worth. Usually, if someone did their homework as rapidly as he did, than they would be hanging out all day, enjoying themselves to the fullest, with friends. But 'friends' was the key word, the icing on the cake. He didn't have a lot of companions, thus bringing him back to the topic of trying to get acquainted with Kurosaki Ichigo, a road which he didn't want to consider due to earlier events. It wasn't his fault that he strongly believed that first impressions were the ones that made the most impact when defining the characteristics and personality of a person. And it definitely wasn't his fault from coming to the hasty, yet deserved conclusion that Ichigo was a 'jackass' -a totally hot, sexy jackass. You couldn't blame him for being attracted to Ichigo's well-defined body, just like many others who were and were never acknowledged, which was the unlucky fate that was allocated to them.

Rolling captivating teal eyes, Toshiro suited up in an appropriate attire for a nighttime jog, locked his apartment door securely, and without haste, began walking towards the park -which wasn't far away- enjoying the tranquil quietness that was the night. It wasn't common for him to experience moments like these, so it was best to relish it while it lasted. Toshiro knew that in short space of time, he wouldn't be exposed to this rarity for any longer, instead being forced to listen to sounds of hard breathing that would be spawning from his throat, disturbing the established peace. This disappointed him a little because he knew that often the busy town was still alive with distracting, city-like sounds even at night, which meant he didn't have an excess amount of time to enjoy silent serene of the night. Oh well. It was good while it lasted.

Coming to a complete halt, Toshiro eyes roamed the deserted area that was Karakura Park, silently observing the movement of Mother Nature in detail, disregarding the fact that she was barely moving on this lovely night. The only movement his keen eyes could detect was the inconspicuous rustle of leaves on aged trees and the gentle rippling of the pond that severed as the center of Karakura Park, which failed to bring any type of interest into the prodigy simply because they were seen every day. However, the park did seem to posses an ominous feel to it, like he shouldn't be here, not on this night where the moon wasn't barred by drifting clouds and going through one of its beautiful phases; not on the night of the full moon. Honestly, Toshiro began to wonder if the useless, superstitions Momo told him in attempts to feed his buried fear were getting into his head, tainting his rational reasoning with rubbish and nonsense. He must have been intoxicated if he even allowed her to feed him this irrelevant nonsense in the first place. Really, there were no such bloodthirsty animals that roamed the sinister woods beyond the protective confines of Karakura Park's tree barriers. Occasional, there might be a stray, hunger-starved dog wandering the place in search of food, but the dog catchers never let it stay too long in case it was maddened enough to attack a civilian. The chances of that happening were as likely as him dying his hair maroon -which was not going to happen, even if a millennium passed.

Shivering slightly, Toshiro wrapped his sweater more securely around his small form to conserve heat, pushing his legs into a light jog that would end once he did a couple of laps around the perimeter of the pond, which was pretty huge. But he took his time and was rewarded with the tingle of perspiration seeping from the pores of his body, along with his even breathing transcending into a heavier rhythm, his lungs and heart pumping wildly from the strain of his exercise. Pretty soon, he was done; taking a five minute break as he wiped the sweat off his brow, taking off his sweater as he no longer required its services. Toshiro was actually unafraid of admitting that this short jog really did help clear his mind and gave him something to do rather than sitting at home and watching the ceiling, expecting it to fill him with an immense amount of fun. He even considered talking to Kurosaki once more to appease Momo and her girly delights, which was one action he did mind going through with. All that was left to do now was to request that his weary legs carry him back home quickly because his once dormant fatigue was finally catching up.

With a pleased sigh, Toshiro turned to walk towards the park exit, only to stop when he heard the dangerous sound of a growl behind him. Out of reflex, Toshiro twisted around to confront a possible threat, freezing up when his mind couldn't efficiently process the gut-wrenching image he was now fearfully gazing at. It was some type of humongous canine with russet-colored fur, frigid, blue eyes, a single ear missing, glistening white fangs coated with thick saliva, and bone-crushing paws. Immediately, Toshiro perceived this barbaric beast to be some type of genetically-enhanced wolf, because never in his life had he seen such a huge wolf, which seemed to possess humanoid intelligence in its eyes. It was actually nerve-wracking to the frightened Toshiro because he realized that this wasn't just an ordinary, dumb beast that he could outwit; no, this was something more terrifying, something that could end his incredibly short life in seconds. He theorized that if he was to beg for mercy, that this monstrosity would understand and simply laugh at him cruelly as it enjoyed his fear. Toshiro could tell, just by gazing scaredly into hungry, aquamarine eyes that this was a creature that didn't dish out mercy.

"No, please don't." Despite himself, Toshiro still found himself begging for the inevitable, knowing that he wouldn't be spared, especially when the wolf radiated hunger.

The wolf growled viciously in response to the desperate plea, eyes gleaming with a twisted glee as he heard his prey pleading for his life, a last wish which would never be granted. To make things worse, the wolf wasn't planning on giving the pathetic human a quick death, he was going to make it agonizing and torturous, make it so painful that the boy's throat would go hoarse from all his shrill screaming. It wasn't his fault that he loved to play with his food before devouring it, having a complete sense of gratification when he was done with his meal. And he was positive, that this meal would be best he had in years, because never had his food been so young and beautiful, filled with a delicious fear that would satiate his thirst for terror. One might refer to him as a sadist. And you would be entirely right.

Following his brain's frantic screaming, Toshiro turned around sharply, bolting away from the monstrous wolf that desired to feast on his young flesh, fear and adrenaline colliding together to form a perfect mixture of wild energy. All he knew was that he had to escape from the predator who now decided to pursue him; to escape claws that would tear into his skin like melting butter; and to get away from fangs that would crush his bones like brittle toothpicks. It suddenly dawned upon him that his pursuer was playing with him right before he would go in for the kill; that if the wolf wanted to, he could end this game with a powerful leap, with fangs aiming for his milky throat. This sudden knowledge was enough to make Toshiro groan and despair as the chances of survival vanished right before his mind's eye, the thought of giving in to death sounding much more bearable than running for a loss cause. Luckily, he would get his wish sooner than he predicted.

Right then, the wolf grew tired of the chase so he lunged at Toshiro, listening wickedly to the wonderful sound of Toshiro gasp in horror as he fell to the ground, his body being forced into the cold earth from the sheer weight of the wolf's horrific form, the hair on his neck rising as the putrid feel of the wolf's hot breath burned his throat. Toshiro could literally feel keen fangs graze his skin, heightening his fear and increasing the volume of his soft whimpering, aching for the moment for where his death would finally come for him. He just couldn't take the choking suspense anymore, for it was dancing around the border of his pressured sanity. It was true, anymore of this miserable waiting and his mental balance would cave in.

As if hearing the frightened teenager's horrid wishes, the wolf's jaws parted as they closed around Toshiro's left leg harshly, letting out a weird, guttural sound that was akin to a laugh as he listened to the scream of immeasurable pain erupt from the boy's soft lips. And they only continued to grow louder as the wolf fangs kept cutting into sinew, tissue, and tense muscles until he could feel the hardness of bone, the blood soaking his tongue with the sweetness and the milky texture of it, enjoying the convulsing, torn muscles that rested in his powerful jaw. The wolf was correct in assuming that this teenage boy was the best meal he had ever, because he only started on one of the kid's legs. He vividly wondered if the rest of him would taste this good.

Already on the brink of unconsciousness and insanity, Toshiro's vision began to waver in his suffering as he was vaguely aware of the hungry wolf gnawing tirelessly into his leg, which was probably just damaged bone, dead skin, torn muscles, and stained with a hopeless amount of bright red blood. He was sure if he didn't die from the unbearable pain that was surely going to be intensified soon, than the blood loss would surely finish the job. He just couldn't take it anymore, allowing his brain to finally go into a welcomed numbness, unconsciousness and seeing death not so far away. The prospect triggered a surge of memories to overwhelm his fading vision, making a faint smile grace his pained visage. He remembered all the times when Momo made him smile, his hardships, his failures and disappointments, his success, and finally the face and voice that would forever stain his fading memory. Kurosaki Ichigo, God's masterpiece and gift to the world. The dying teenager couldn't help but think how ironic it was that he was thinking of the very person that he was determined to ignore right before he vanished out of existence. But he would still always remember those amber, passionate eyes, remarkable orange hair, and the smooth texture of his beautiful voice.

Teal eyes closed tiredly as the owner finally succumbed to the darkness, failing to see the huge blur of orange racing towards him with reckless determination.

'Wait for me, Hitsugaya Toshiro and cling onto the threads of life, for I will save you and bring your existence into eternal damnation as payment…'