Hello guys!

It's been a while!

So here's the next chapter, I hope you like it. I've decided to keep this story because I believe it's going alright.

I have officially decided to reply to comments so please do comment and I shall be replying from next chapter on! ^_^

Read it, comment and most of all LOVE IT!

His white hand travelled up to the young girls neck, where he slowly gripped tighter and tighter, denying her the opportunity to breathe.

"Inoue!" Ichigo cried out, watching painfully as the scene before him unfolded and having a feeling of dread grow in his chest as he could do nothing about it.

"Save me Kurosaki-kun," She pleaded silently as she struggled against the hollows grip, "Why won't you help…me….?"

Ichigo stood there, watching, unable to move, paralysed in fear as he watched the person he hated slowly kill the girl he loved.

'Move goddammit!' He thought, but it was of no use, he could not move an inch, he could only watch.

"Ku…rosa…ki-…ku…n…" The red headed girl whispered in her final breath before she died, her body slumping against the wall behind her when the hollow let go of her.

"Some King you are," The hollow laughed, walking over to Ichigo and raising Zangetsu against his throat before slitting it, "Aren't even able to save your own queen…"

Ichigo jolted from his bed, gripping his throat, panting heavily. With each day, the fear inside of him seemed to be growing bigger and bigger and it scared him so much. He was so scared that he wouldn't be able to control himself.

That instead of protecting his friends, he would be hurting them.

The thought made a shiver run down his spine as he got out of bed, picking out his school uniform for the day.

"IIIICHIGOOOO!" His Father shouted cheerfully, bursting into his room and making a straight beeline for his son.

"Gaah!" Ichigo grunted as he fell to the ground, his Father on top of him, "God, would you stop doing that!" He shouted in anger.

"Sorry…" Isshin mumbled, a pout spreading across his face as he exited the room.

"No wait…" Ichigo muttered, watching as his Father walked out of the room, his feelings hurt.

Watching…

Just….watching.

Watching.

Slowly, he stood up, brushing himself off as he got dressed. He felt bad now, he hadn't meant to get so angry, he hadn't meant to snap at his Dad, geez, had he just dodged it like the usual none of this would have happened!

Why didn't he dodge the goddamned kick?

Why?

Why did he feel so fucking weak?!

He shook his head and walked out of his room, "Morning Ichi-niisan!" Yuzu greeted as she placed his plate on the table, "I made your favourite today!" She beamed, only making him grin at the effort she went and put into everything.

"Thanks, Yuzu." He said, patting her head as he sat down to eat.

"Yo." Karin greeted, as she finished her breakfast and grabbed her bag, "Come on Yuzu, we'll be late if we don't hurry."

"Okay, okay!" Yuzu said, grabbing her bag as well, "Bye bye!" And with that, the two sisters were out the door.

"Huh? It's not even that late…" Ichigo said, glancing at his watch.

"Karin and Yuzu made plans for before school with their friends." Isshin answered, sitting down at the table, across from Ichigo.

"Oh…" Ichigo said, "And Dad, sorry about snapping at you like that."

"My son is worried about my feelings?!" Isshin gasped in pride, "Masaki," He ran over to her portrait, "There is still hope!"

Ichigo rose from his seat, grabbed his bag and punched his Father not so lightly in the stomach, "And that's payback for this morning."

"I spoke too soon Masaki…." He whined, rolling on the floor as he cradled his stomach.

Ichigo left his Father, knowing he was perfectly fine and headed towards school, somewhere along the way he caught up with Orihime, blushing lightly, he greeted her as she came bouncing up to him as always, "Gooood morning Kurosaki-kun~!" She sang.

"Morning, Inoue." He replied, walking side by side with her.

"Such a beautiful girl…" He heard a voice inside of him mutter, causing Ichigo to freeze, stock still, in the middle of the pathway.

"Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime asked, walking back to him, "Are you alright?"

"Uh yeah…" Ichigo said, snapping out of his trance.

"What happened?"

"I just had a thought, that's all."

"Okay!"

"Heheheh…interesting…" The hollow chuckled evilly as Ichigo continued to talk with Orihime.

"I'll see you later, Ori- I mean, Inoue!" Ichigo said, blushing furiously, he had totally forgotten about honorific's, it was like this every time she talked to him.

Orihime blushed as well, hearing him say her name –well almost- like that, "See you Kurosaki-kun!" She waved and headed off to her class as Ichigo turned around and walked to his.

"IIICHIGOOO!" Keigo cheered as he ran at Ichigo.

Said red head, moved an inch to the left, causing Keigo to crash right into the wall behind him, "Morning Mizuiro!"

"Morning Ichigo!"

"How could you Ichigo?!" Keigo whimpered dramatically in the background as he watched his two friends walk into class, before getting up to join them.

"Don't you treat your friends nice, King?" The hollow commented as his smirk grew ever wider.

Ichigo shuddered as his hollow spoke to him yet again, the interlaced second meaning in his words were giving off a dangerous feeling and Ichigo didn't like it.

"Calling attendance for Ichigo Kurosaki?!" The teacher repeated for what seemed like the thousandth time as she stared at the red headed boy who was off in his own world.

"Oh right, present." Ichigo answered after a while.

"Oh really now?" The teacher whispered under her breath as she asked for the next student.

"Next time I won't lose you know, you're little friends won't be there to help you, it'll just be you and me."

Ichigo began to wonder what the true meaning of those words were now. His friends won't be there to help him? Anyone could take that as it would be a situation where his friends weren't physically there to help him, but seeing as it was his hollow, god knows what it could mean.

One thought did cross his mind though, but he didn't want the meaning to be true. What if his hollow meant that…his friends would all be…dead… before he came after him?

And what's even worse is the fact that, for that to happen, Ichigos hands would have been the ones who finished them.

He felt the icy clutches of fear grab his heart again.

He could not, no…he would not let that happen, he would not lose them like he lost Rukia.

He refused the mere thought of it.

Standing up out of his seat he rushed out of the classroom, ignoring his teachers protests as he did so, "I can't stand this anymore!" He said to himself, as he heard the voice of the hollow laugh at him inside his head.

Orihime sighed as she wrote down notes in her class, lately she had grown worried about Ichigo. He seemed disturbed and out of it lately, much unlike his normal self. She had wondered about the many possibilities causing him to be like this and the conclusion that made most sense to her was the incident that his hollow caused.

Was his hollow still bothering him?

Was he worried about who he might hurt next?

Was he scared it might even happen again?

Frowning, she looked over to the classroom window, where she saw Ichigos red hair flash by, she rose from her seat and excused herself from class before running out of the room and chasing after him.

"Kurosaki-kun!"

"Get away from me Inoue!" He shouted as he continued to run.

Orihime froze at these words, undoubtedly her thoughts had come true, she wasn't an idiot, even though she acted it, she could figure out what was wrong, "But I want to help you!" She cried, running after him yet again.

Thanks for reading! Expect next chapter soon!