Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

Remember to leave a review! Your thoughts much appreciated.

Death and Strawberry II

Through the second floor window above the entrance to the neighborhood clinic, an approaching head of orange hair could be seen between the fruit runners that formed a beautifully simple pattern on the windowsill, bearing a single, solitary strawberry.

It happened again. He just had to save someone. It was as if he was always near trouble. And for some reason, he always had to get himself involved. Sighing, he pushed open the side door leading to the kitchen with slightly bruised knuckles; tired and irritable.

"I'm home."

Whack!

A foot clad in white socks met the side of his head, and he fell hard.

"What time do you think it is, you delinquent son?" shouted a tall man wearing a doctor's lab coat. "You know dinner is at seven every night!"

"You!" the teen shouted jumping up, "Is that how you greet your son who just returned from saving someone's life?"

"Silence!" his father shouted even louder, "No matter the reason, to he who breaks this household's iron harmony, only a punishment of blood can be rendered!"

"Oh stop it both of you." a small pre-teen girl with blonde hair spoke up, her voice hinting on exasperation, "The food is getting cold."

"Leave em alone Yuzu." her ebony-haired sister interjected, a bored expression on her face with two chopsticks sticking out of her mouth. She extended her empty bowl "Another."

The sisters sat at the dinner table at the left side of the homely kitchen. There were various food items scattered on the under-cupboard counter located at the left wall and empty packets of ramen and various other instant meals almost overflowed the lone bin standing near the exit.

"First of all, the rules in this house are too strict!" the tall teen shouted, a vein popping up on his forehead, "In what world is there a parent who sets a curfew for a healthy male high school student at seven p.m.?"

"You're a famous junior champion." The black-haired girl said before her father could shout his reply. "You can protect yourself, protect others plus you have exceptional health and stamina. Your troubles are fourfold. I bet Dad is concerned that others wanna ambush you." His little sister continued. "Must be tough having high specs, Ichi."

"I'm a little envious of Ichigo." Yuzu swirled her bowl of ramen, "I can't even swat a fly." She added dejectedly.

"Forget about that." her sister said dismissively. "I thought of a new project. Listen."

Opening a folded piece of paper she took from her pocket, she read, "Need a tall, handsome protector? A personal bodyguard and chauffeur? Only during May. Karakura Town's very own champion fighter."

"Karin!" Ichigo was about to explode like a volcano, "Stop trying to make money using me!"

"An opening!" his father tackled him to the floor.

"Graaaarrrrr!" Ichigo wrestled himself away from his father.

He was tired, but no longer irritable. He was upset. Upset that he can't even come home in peace. All he wanted to do was come home and have a quiet evening; eat then go to bed.

Homework can go screw itself.

"Forget it!" stomping up the nearby staircase, he shouted, "I'm sleeping!"

"Ah! Brother!" Yuzu was dismayed by the turn of events.

"Oh well, he's gone." Karin stated blandly, seemingly unperturbed, "It's your fault daddy."

"B-But..." their father pouted like a child who lost his favorite toy.

"Ichigo's had a hard time lately!" Yuzu turned to her father, steaming, "He's in a pinch because more people are pressuring him for duels."

"What?" he was shocked, "He talks to you about things like that?"

Yuzu dismissed her father's question, "I'll take dinner to his room later."

"That kid…" the middle-aged man mumbled to no one in particular, "He doesn't tell me any of his troubles…"

"Of course not." Karin commented, "Even I wouldn't talk about my problems to a father over forty, who only has such childish communication skills.

The neighborhood doctor was visibly stunned. He turned to a wall, bearing the picture of a beautiful smiling woman. She had fair skin and long, light, wavy brown hair down to her back with bangs down to her chin in the front. The highly stylized phrase 'Masaki Forever' was emblazoned above the image of her head.

"Our daughters are awfully cold to their father these days." He lamented, "It must be adolescence."

"What should I do…?" he stared up at the picture pleadingly.

"You can start by taking down that ridiculous poster of mom." His seemingly apathetic daughter suggested.

A door with the number fifteen tacked unto it slammed shut, the sound resounding from upstairs to the three tenants on the ground floor.

"Jeez." Ichigo muttered, "Why's everyone in our family like that?"

A black swallowtail butterfly fluttered past him, minding its own business.

"What is this?" he wondered aloud, "Where'd it come from?"

He looked around his empty bedroom, scanning his belongings simultaneously to check if anything was missing. He walked towards his closet and opened it quickly, tensing himself for a surprise attack. Seeing nothing, he let out a relieved sigh. He turned away and stopped in shock, his eyes widened at the impossible sight before him.

A short and petite woman stood on his study desk gazing towards the wall on his right. Her scarlet-red eyes paid him no mind, not once breaking the unblinking gaze. She wore wholly black clothing, her demeanor calm and her stance unbroken. The lock of hair that fell between her eyes casted a small shadow over the bridge of her perfectly shaped nose and her lips were set in a line; her entire face forming a solemn expression. She hopped down from the desk silently and gracefully, completely ignoring his existence.

"It is near." She said to herself aloud.

Coming out of his momentary state of immobilized surprise, Ichigo grabbed the nearby baseball bat and held it poised, taking a defensive stance.

"You're a pretty confident burglar, eh?" he exclaimed, "By 'It is near' do you mean like the safe is near or something?"

Her entire body remained stationary; the only movement was her eyes, which snapped to her right, looking at Ichigo curiously.

"I made sure cloak myself." She turned to him slowly, her eyes never breaking contact with Ichigo. "It is not possible for ordinary humans to see me."

She spoke as if pondering a mathematical equation aloud.

"Who the heck are you?" Ichigo pointed the bat at her, "I don't hit women, but I might be forced to restrain-"

"Kneel." She interrupted in a clear, commanding tone.

Thud!

Ichigo fell on his knees, his body immobilized.

"You aren't ordinary, are you?" her tone made it evident that she was not addressing Ichigo, but instead observing a very intriguing specimen.

RWOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRRR!

A loud roar erupted from nearby, the force of it nearly destroying Ichigo's eardrums as it echoed out into the distance.

What was that? Ichigo thought, Just now. What made that sound?"

"Hey you!" he shouted to the pale-skinned woman, "Didn't you hear that just now?"

The woman slitted her eyes and glared at him questioningly.

"Didn't you hear that huge roar just now?"

"Huge roar?" the confusion on her face was noticeable but not obvious, "When did-"

RWOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRRR!

The roar erupted once more. This time, the expression on the woman's face was visible; she was very surprised.

I heard it! She thought, This is undoubtedly the roar of a Werewolf!

But it sounds as if there's an invisible filter out there. What exactly is this feeling? No, more importantly, how did this human hear the roar before I, a Vampire, did?

A loud scream came from the first floor.

That's Yuzu's voice! Ichigo thought.

The scarlet-eyed woman turned towards the bedroom door.

"Wait!" Ichigo shouted, "What was that?"

The slender woman paused with her hand on the doorknob and looked back at the kneeling figure of the boy.

"A Werewolf." She said ominously. "I'll get rid of it. You stay here."

"Cut the crap!" he shouted, "My family is being attacked! Release me from this spell!"

"Silly human." She turned to him slightly while pushing open the door. "Even if you come, there is nothing you can do. Leave it to me and stay here quietly."

As she opened the door, she felt a tremendous rush of power surging from the corridor, like a strong gale blowing away everything in the middle of a stormy sea.

Such a powerful aura! How could I have not noticed until now? What has happened to me?

"Ichi…" a weak voice came from beside the vampire's feet.

"Karin!"

His little sister was on the ground, bruised all over. Her forehead sported a deep gouge that was bleeding profusely. She had apparently crawled up the stairs in such a state, because there was a trail of blood coming from that direction. She struggled to keep her head upright.

"I-It happened so suddenly." She explained, "Blood started pouring out of Daddy's back and he fell. Then Yuzu and I were attacked by something huge while we were still in shock and I thought I had to-had to warn you… "

Her head fell unto her arm and she struggled to continue speaking; her breathing labored, "Ichi… Before it sees you… Hurry… Get away…"

Her eyes closed and she slipped into unconsciousness.

Ichigo grit his teeth.

"Do not worry. She is still alive." The scarlet-eyed vampire began before stiffening in surprise at the actions of struggling teenager.

It felt as if the part of his brain responsible for movement was caged and locked behind a steel wall. Try as he might, he could not access it. He pounded on it with his fists. He was determined to destroy it and take back control. The mental strain was so great, it began to manifest itself physically; blood trickled from his nose as he shouted out with force.

"What are you doing?" the pale woman asked curiously, "You cannot release yourself with a human's power. If you force it, your mind will-"

The steel wall shattered.

Ichigo gripped the baseball bat, the veins and muscles bulging from his skin.

How?

He dashed towards the short woman.

To release a vampire's command with a human's power?

She stared at the young human, shell-shocked as he sprinted past her, his face set in grim determination.

I've never heard of such a ridiculous thing!

He skipped down the steps four at a time.

What exactly is he?

Reaching the landing below, he saw the crack in the wall of the kitchen entrance, pieces crumbling to the ground. He ran in there and everything was topsy turvy. He saw a bloodstained tray of food overturned on the ground; the rice bowl shattered, spilling its contents on hardwood floor. He could smell the aroma of his favorite spicy ramen, which was lying beside the rice grains, the noodles strewn out in the opposite direction. The dining table was broken into pieces, smashed against one of the walls. His father laid on the ground beside it, unmoving and unconscious, blood staining the back of his lab coat. There was a huge hole where a wall once divided the kitchen from outside, and through that hole, Ichigo saw a huge menacing creature.

It was a hulking monster, almost seven feet tall. It had a huge expanse of fur, pointed wolfish ears, a long snout with a salivating mouth, housing a set of powerful jaws that revealed many jagged and sharp teeth. The canine teeth found in the upper jaw extended much farther than the rest, whilst the ones of the lower jaw extended only by a small margin.

Overall, it looked like a mutated wolf that gained massive humanoid shoulders, chest and arms, standing only on its two hind legs. It smelled of stale blood and the musky scent of a wolf's fur; the fur itself had a silvery sheen and it bristled like the spikes of a porcupine whenever it roared.

T-This is a Werewolf?

I saw the Twilight movies, so I thought it'd just look like a giant dog.

But this…this is a monster!

Ichigo felt his body spasm uncontrollably. His knees buckled, his arm vibrated, his head blanked out for a few moments.

Damn it! He grit his teeth, Why am I shaking?

He tried to calm himself mentally, while also grabbing his shaking left arm with his right hand.

I'm not scared! I'm not scared of something like that!

The werewolf lifted its massive hand to its face, as if scrutinizing an object it picked up on the street. It was Yuzu.

"Yuzu!" Ichigo screamed.

The werewolf grasped Yuzu in its right hand. She was still conscious, but there was a sharp incision on her cheek, ad she had tears streaming down her face, the mixture of blood and tears running down to her chin.

"Ichigo…" she said weakly.

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!

Ichigo charged.

He jumped into the air and swung the bat in a swift arc at the werewolf. The creature blocked it with an outstretched left arm, shattering the flimsy weapon, and then it smacked him away, sending Ichigo tumbling in the street.

Ichigo sat up on the pavement, coughing while trying to catch his breath. A palmed shadow swallowed his own. He looked up to see the clawed hand of the werewolf about to end his life.

Splshhh!

Blood spewed. The werewolf howled in pain. The petite vampire had somehow slashed open a deep cuts in both arms of the werewolf. It let go of Yuzu suddenly, jerking away quickly. Ichigo shouted Yuzu's name and caught her before her motionless body splattered on the cold, hard concrete.

"Why is this happening?" Ichigo shouted at the vampire standing between him and the werewolf. "Why is it attacking my family?"

"Werewolves wander, searching for humans with naturally strong auras to turn them." She replied, her back to Ichigo, keeping her gaze fixed at the injured creature, "Nearby humans not targeted by them are sometimes attacked."

"What do you mean…?"

She hesitated before answering, "I have never seen or heard of a human who can see cloaked beings and break my command on their own."

Ichigo started in surprise.

"Nor have I ever come across a human with such a naturally concentrated aura." She continued.

"Its target is most likely to be…" she glanced back at him, "You."

Ichigo was speechless.

It came for me? So that means it's my fault?

The reason my dad's over there almost dead…

The reason Karin and Yuzu are covered in blood…

It's all because of me?

Ichigo had never felt such an overwhelming emotion come over him before. He never felt so disgusted at himself. So utterly… Guilty. It washed over him, bathed him in dark thoughts. Thoughts so horrifying, he regretted ever being born.

He had to make up for it. He had to make it right. There was no way he was going to live with such a burden.

The werewolf regained its senses and lifted its shaggy head towards the duo. Blood and sweat stained its fur, and cuts on its arms had healed rapidly, leaving dried blood that had run down to its claws.

Ichigo stood up with resolve. He was willing to sacrifice himself to protect his family. It was his duty. His way of repenting. He dashed past the vampire and charged headfirst into oblivion, determined that he wouldn't go down without a fight.

The black-haired woman stood by, watching him curiously.

The werewolf was too strong, too fast, too powerful for Ichigo to land a single hit. Every punch was blocked by its enormous hand. Every kick was absorbed by the thick muscles it sported. The werewolf was playing with him, like cub would play with its food. It socked Ichigo left and right, tore his back open with its claws and stomped on his chest, crushing him into the ground.

Ichigo lay pinned between its claws on the asphalt, coughing up blood and wheezing from several cracked ribs. He was going to die. No doubt about it. It was the end. At least he tried. He hoped his actions now would make up for his incompetence before.

The werewolf brought its head down to Ichigo's broken body and sniffed him. Satisfied, it opened its jaws to bite Ichigo's shoulder.

No! Ichigo realized its intention was turn him not kill him, I don't want to become a monster! Let me die!

He felt the werewolf's body jerk suddenly and warm, wet liquid cascaded unto his face. A hand covered in blood protruded from the monster's chest and the claw holding him firmly unto the asphalt went slack, as it crashed unto the pavement, revealing the scarlet-eyed woman standing behind it.

Ichigo let out a sigh which came out as a blood-filled wheeze. His breathing was labored, his arms crushed and his left leg was bent in a direction it shouldn't. The vampire looked at him keenly.

I'm about to die. He thought to himself, I can feel life slowly draining away from me. There's no turning back now.

He stared at the beautiful woman who was studying him intensely.

If only, if only I had one more chance. I'd live to protect them. My family.

He saw the scarlet-eyed woman's mouth move, forming words.

What is she saying?

The words came a millisecond later, her voice sounded muffled through his blood-filled ear canals.

"Do you want to live?"

He nodded in pain.

His eyes began closing down involuntarily, as he saw fangs extending from her upper jaw.

Then blackness.

His eyes shot open. His back arched as he felt a sharp sting at his neck, while his head was cradled in a pair of slender arms and his face upon a woman's chest.

She's a vampire! He thought accusingly.

Yes. Her voice resounded in his head, I am.

The vampire can read my thoughts?

Yes, but only when I am biting you. And it is not 'the vampire'. I am Kuchiki Rukia.

He began to feel his blood vessels burning as if liquid fire was running through them.

W-What's happening? He screamed.

I am giving you new life. You will die. Then be reborn.

The liquid fire slowly made its way to his heart, the pain increasing tenfold the nearer it got. He struggled not to scream out.

What is your name, human?

The pain was intense, almost unbearable.

Kurosaki Ichigo.

Lightning seared in his chest, his heart made its final beat the moment he replied and he died.

Back at the windowsill of the second floor, where the fruit runners flourished, a brisk wind blew and the single, solitary strawberry detached from the world it knew, plunging headfirst into the vast realm of the unknown.

Author's Notes

Twilight reference! Lol.

Thanks to all those who reviewed the 1st chapter. Hope to get feedback on this chapter as quickly as possible!

Shadowman 747 pointed out that Orihime should be Shaman since she's a Fullbringer. And I'd like to discuss that here. I've already sent a PM to him about my thoughts, but after completing this chapter, I thought I might as well give my views about it here.

Orihime, in my eyes, is not a Fullbringer. Hence, for the transition of the story, she wouldn't be a Shaman, so I made her a Summoning Mage.

Why? Because her powers do not resemble a Fullbringer's aside from the activation from an object (her hairpins).

1. Her powers show no sign of "evolution", which is the standard for all Fullbringers. They start out with incomplete Fullbrings and their power evolves until it becomes a complete one.

2. She cannot use Bringer Light to speed up her movements and she has shown no ability to manipulate the souls of other objects.

3. Her powers involve more of a summoning of creatures to help her instead of the Fullbringer transformation of an everyday object into a weapon.

4. Aizen had said that her powers were actually awakened from the Hōgyoku when she cursed her powerlessness with all her heart and the Hōgyoku answered her desire.

Okay, now back to the chapter discussion:
I incorporated a bit of the usual Bleach humor and retained the childish actions of Ichigo's father.

I'm wondering though, does it negate the dark feel of the story I'm aiming for? Or does it compliment it by having some comedic relief?

I'd like some feedback on that.

Thanks for the follows and the favorites! I'm looking forward to seeing your reviews!