Welcome to my first fan fiction ever. I thank you for reading this. So this will be quite long, ambitious for the first story, I know, but I am certain this will come to an end. There will be romance eventually, but I haven't decided who it will be, or how it will work, but it will be there.

This will be about an AU where Ichigo dies in the past alone, well before the start of the canon story. We will be going through a few time skips, so I hope you all don't mind. Other than that, thank you again, and reviews would be welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, or anything affiliated with it, only the story written here is mine.

Pain. Intense, mind numbing pain. Then nothing. That was all that the young boy remembered. That, and seeing a man in black pajamas with a sword attack something that he couldn't turn his head to see.

The boy lay on the ground, in his blood, motionless, except for his brown eyes following the "man in pajamas" as he moved in and out of his field of vision, doing whatever it was he was doing.

For a while, that was all he could do, just lay on the ground and hope the man in black would stay where he could see him. Then a very large, hamster like creature moved into his field of vision. The hamster thing turned his head towards the older man, giving Ichigo a quick glance at his face, or rather his mask. He didn't get a good look at it, but the sight of its mask's creepy smile terrified him, causing the boy to make the first sound since he had fallen to the ground.

The man in black heard the frightened shriek and moved in front of the boy to protect him from the giant masked hamster. The creature then disappeared into the darkness of the rain in the night. The man turned around as the young boy's eyes closed, and a second one came out of him with a chain connected to his chest. The boy was an average height for his young age, had fair skin, and bright orange hair, and a very confused expression. The man in black understood his confusion, it unfortunately wasn't the first time he had seen it.

"You are going to be ok now, kid," he said as he moved in front of the boy, preparing to send him to the next life. "You do not need to be afraid of what comes next, young one."

"Next? Where am I going? Who are you? Can I touch your sword? What was that hairy thing? How come you are wearing your pajamas outside?" The little orange haired kid rambled off the questions rapid fire, unaware of what had happened to him.

The robed man couldn't help but chuckle at the attitude of the kid. He sighed soon afterwards; he wished it hadn't come to this.

"Listen kid, you got a name?" he asked.

"Yeah, Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Good, that is a good strong name. Those with Ichi in their name are often strong and talented. I hope that proves true where you are going."

"Where is that?"

"A place for people who have died" the man said solemnly.

Ichigo gasped, then looked down at his broken body, to the chain in his chest.

"I am dead? What about the one who was with me, I think it was a lady," the little boy asked, tears brimming in his eyes, though the older man couldn't tell if it was from his death, or the person who was with him.

"The woman who was with you survived, she couldn't get to you before that monster did, much like I couldn't, and then I protected her from the Hollow."

"Oh, that is good I guess. I don't remember her much, but I think she was important to me, so thank you mister pajamas," Ichigo said, with a slight smile, though he didn't know what the man was talking about.

"Look kid they aren't… you know what, it isn't important. What is important is that you have somewhere to go."

"For dead people?"

"Yes, for dead people."

"What is it like?"

"Someplace I hope that you find some friends and some safety. I can only hope it is a better place, and if not, one that you make better. Just know that you should look for someone to help explain your next world to new. Think of it as a new adventure for you to do with your friends that you make there."

Ending with that, the man flipped his katana around so the hilt was facing Ichigo, and tapped him on the head with the bottom of the katana.

"What was that for?" Ichigo complained, rubbing his forehead where the hilt of the sword made contact with his face. Then a bright blue light suddenly surrounded him, blocking everything out of his vision. Not only that, he couldn't seem to speak, or make any noise at all.

Then, just as quickly as it came, the light disappeared, leaving Ichigo in a new area. The village he opened his eyes to was run down, nothing like where he was before. The place was dirty, very dirty, and the buildings were in varying states of fallen apart, from completely fallen apart to help together by small pieces of wood and metal, barely holding up against the wind.

Looking around, he saw different groups of people, doing different thing. One man was trying to sell pitchers of water to the others. Ichigo saw a group of adults standing around talking. Then he saw a small group of kids just sitting there, doing nothing. Surprisingly, or at least to Ichigo, the adults were ignoring the kids, and some of them were not moving. He didn't understand what was going on, shouldn't the adults be helping the kids?

"Excuse me?" Ichigo asked as he walked up to the adults. "Don't those kids need help?"

"Why should we help them? There isn't enough water for everyone, why waste it on them, they haven't moved since they arrived. Leave us alone and find your own water brat." The adult turned away from Ichigo, his piece finished.

Ichigo scowled, and walked off, towards the man selling water.

"Excuse me sir, can I have some water?" Ichigo tried to be as polite as possible to the older man with graying hair.

"Of course young man, as long as you can pay for it"

"But I don't have any money"

The man scowled, his persona changed completely as he all but yelled at Ichigo, "Then get lost, this isn't a charity!"

Shocked, Ichigo backed off and ran away from the graying man as quickly as his feet would carry him. He ended up in an ally some distance away from the water stall. He was trying to understand this land for the dead he was in. he now knew he was alone in this new world, and that he shouldn't trust the adults here, since they wouldn't help those that needed it. He also felt that he could only look out for himself, since no one else would.

"I will survive, and when I do, I will leave here, and return when I can make it better!" Ichigo declared to anyone who would listen, and then wiped his eyes of tears, and began to prepare for the next day as he laid down to spend his first night in the Soul Society.

About one thousand words for the first chapter, which isn't too bad, I didn't want to draw things out. I don't know when the updates are going to happen, the next one should be soon, hopefully by the end of the week, if not then, the weekend. Familiar faces appear next time. Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this and will continue to read.

-Jimba

PS- If you haven't read it already, read Captain Hair's Death is only the Beginning, you should, because it is good. It starts off similar, but I promise they wont be the same.