Samhain was never one of Ichigo's favorite days, just for the fact that ever since he was little he has been able to see things that no one else can and the veil between the living and the dead is even thinner than normal on that day. Because Ichigo could see the dead, he was dubbed a witch at a young age. The people of the village avoided him like he was the plague. Never having anyone else to play with, Ichigo was lonely as a child and didn't think twice about playing with a spirit that said they wanted to be his friend. The spirit looked like an exact replica of him, except that the spirit's coloring was different. Ichigo called him Shiro. But what Ichigo didn't know about Shiro was that he was a demon, a demon that wanted to devour his soul. Shiro wasn't the only demon that wanted to devour Ichigo's soul. There were many more that wanted to devour him. This is what caused the death of his mother.

Ichigo's mother had been killed by a demon that had been trying to kill him. While Ichigo had been filled with grief over his mother's death, Shiro could have easily devoured his soul, but the white demon had become attached to the small boy. So, he offered to do something that no demon would have ever done. He offered to live inside Ichigo and always keep him safe. Ichigo would also never truly be alone again. The offer had been accepted more than willingly, if for nothing more than to try and fill the aching hole in his heart. Ever since the day that the two had begun to live together in one body, Ichigo had been told that his eyes glowed gold when his life was threatened on more than one occasion, which was due to Shiro's promise that he would always protect him.

A couple years later, a man named Sōsuke Aizen moved to town. Aizen had expressed his interest in Ichigo on more than one occasion to which Ichigo ignored to the best of his abilities. When Aizen had requested that Ichigo become his lover, Ichigo had blatantly refused. Aizen had been furious with him and assured him that dire consequences would befall his refusal. True to Aizen's word, dire consequences did befall him the next week. Aizen had proclaimed that Ichigo was to be burned at the stake for witchcraft.

Ichigo walked solemnly between the two villagers leading him to his death. Hands tied in front of him, he looked like a true prisoner about to be sentenced. They had placed a crown made rose thorns on his head to keep any demonic presences from helping him to escape, which even kept Shiro from helping him. Ichigo regretted telling the villagers that rose thorns kept demons away. His head hung in defeat as he was lead up to the cross he was to be burned on. The villagers untied his hands only for them to tie his wrists to the cross. Ichigo lifted his head to look at his wrists adorned with rose thorn bracelets, too, tied tight to the cross making him look like a human cross.

As the villagers were making the final touches, Aizen strode into the clearing with a satisfied smirk on his face. Shiro raged even worse within Ichigo at the sight of Aizen. If it weren't for the rose thorns on him, Shiro would have taken over and already killed Aizen by now. Ichigo stared dully at the man striding towards him that had sentenced him to die a witch's death.

"I can stop this all," Aizen said, his dark brown eyes watching Ichigo hungrily. "All you have to do is reconsider my offer."

"No," Ichigo replied without hesitation.

"So be it," he said, his eyes turning to ice in mere seconds. "Being burned at the stake is such a fitting death for a succubus, such as you. The thorns fit you so well, my dear."

With that Aizen strode away in a flourish, leaving Ichigo alone to hang his head in defeat.

"I'll kill that bastard," Shiro snarled in rage.

As Shiro continued to rage in Ichigo's mind, Ichigo's eyes flickered between amber and gold continuously. The villagers stopped working and stared at Ichigo in fright.

Aizen sneered in impatience at the cowardly villagers. "He's only trying to frighten you, but he has no power with the rose thorns on him."

Ichigo scowled at the man he wished dead unlike any other person in this world. The villagers went back to work, albeit skittishly. It didn't take long for them to finish up with everything. The full moon hung high in the sky and the crickets chirped endlessly, as Aizen was hand a torch. He easily set the torch on fire, holding it like he was going to light the way into a new ear, instead of killing an innocent teen. The fire blazed and crackled in Aizen's hand, with the light from the fire seeming to bring to light the monster that he truly was.

"Any last words," Aizen asked, his face seeming to twist sinisterly as he grinned, "witch?"

"Yeah, I do," Ichigo said, looking Aizen in the eyes. "If I am truly a witch, I curse you to die an agonizing death befitting the monster that you are."

"It's too bad that those thorns suppress your powers," Aizen sneered, dropping the torch on the wood surrounding Ichigo.

The fire quickly blazed to life, making quick work of the wood leading to Ichigo. Most people would have closed their eyes at this point, but Ichigo stared Aizen down even as the flames burned higher and higher. The flames licked at his clothes slowly burning them away and burning the flesh beneath them. The villagers danced around the fire, happy to be rid of the witch in their midst. It's too bad that in exchange for a witch, they were getting a monster.

The fire suddenly engulfed Ichigo completely, his screams ringing out into the air, silencing even the crickets. Fire exploded upwards with a boom, changing from orange to black for an instant. Only Aizen noticed the brief change in color, but didn't comment on it. The ritual had actually worked like the legends told. If someone is sacrificed on Samhain, the devil will take them down to hell with him. Aizen smirked sadistically as he watched the fire roar before him greedily.

A/N: So, what do you guys think of this so far? I've also decided to continue writing Spin Me a Fairytale, so expect another chapter for that to be out in the next couple days. Reviews and all that good stuff greatly appreciated.

Ichigo: How could you let me burned at the stake? D=
Author: I don't know. It just sounded like a cool beginning to a story, don't you think? I was, also, kinda influenced by a song.
Ichigo: No, I don't think it's cool! And kind of messed up song would make you want to right about me burning at the stake?
Author: You're so mean Ichi-berry! And it was a good song. It's called Bottom of the River by Delta Rae.
Ichigo: Your taste in music is questionable.
Author: D'=