Darkest Blue

Darkest Blue

"I keep fading into you, drowning in your darkest blue..."

- Lostprophets

Chapter 1: It's Not The End of the World (But I Can See It From Here)

"It's not the end of the world now darling,

But I can see it from here!

Oh baby, don't cry tonight, your tears they will bleed.

Underneath this blood red moon I'm defended by your screams."

- Lostprophets

xx

'I forbid it!’

‘Does that mean, you're abandoning Inoue..?’

‘Indeed. There is no point in weighing the life of one person against the fate of the entire world… Your power will be needed in the upcoming battle. I cannot permit you to act selfishly and die like a dog. Stand by until you receive further orders. That is all.’

Ichigo bit into his nail, on his lips the beginnings of a snarl forming at the memory of the Captain-Commanders cruel words. He earned a sharp glare from Ishida as the Quincy straightened out his cuffs, brushing away imaginary specks of dust from his pristine uniform.

‘What?’

‘Do you have to look so feral, shinigami? I’m beginning to fear for your sanity.’ Ishida quipped. Ichigo gave him the finger and jumped down from the rock he had been sitting upon in Urahara’s basement. Being entirely unlike Yoruichi in these matters, he stumbled as his feet hit the ground, and slipped over onto his ass, narrowly missing Chad in the process. Ishida smirked from his position aloft the large boulder as he too alighted, employing a great deal more grace than Ichigo had.

‘Show off.’ Ichigo taunted, ‘OY! PERVERT! WHEN IS THIS THING GOING TO BE READY TO GO?’ The pervert in question poked his hatted head around the rock face and threw his striped fan at Ichigo’s head.

‘It will be ready when it is ready,’ Urahara retorted, grinning that stupid grin of his, ‘Can I have my fan back now please?’ He almost whimpered when Ichigo broke it in half across his knee. ‘Why Ichigo, how rude of you! Lucky I always keep a spare.’ He grinned, pulling a fan out of some hidden place in his jacket. A scowl graced Ichigo’s face, forcing Urahara to relent. In his eyes Ichigo did always look so adorable when he scowled. ‘I’d say about another 2 minutes and 34 seconds approximately. Can you told on that long Kur-o-saki?’ he teased.

‘Hmph. I suppose.’ A slight smile twitched at Ichigo’s lips, ‘Go on then, I’m timing you.’

Urahara smirked, ‘Oh Ichigo, you know I just love a challenge.’

2 minutes and 34 seconds later they stood in front of the gaping maw of the garganta, every breath drawing anticipation from their chests and expelling it into the cool air of the training ground. Above them lay Karakura Town. In front, Hueco Mundo and God knows if all of them would return in one piece, or at all. Ichigo shivered briefly, before pushing thoughts of unknown terrors to the back of his mind, his thoughts fixated on Orihime and his resolve to get her out of this mess he had dragged her into.

Urahara stood with them, regretting his decision to not accompany them. He knew Isshin would murder him if anything happened to Ichigo as a result of his sending him to Hueco Mundo, and beyond that fear of his old friend, he also knew that if anything happened to the redhead, he’d never forgive himself either. Suffice to say, Urahara had become quite… fond of the boy over the course of their training and, friendship? Could you call it that? He wondered.

‘Well, we’d better get going then.’ Ichigo was the first to break the uneasy silence, and Urahara silently thanked him for it. His thoughts were straying towards dark places, and he knew he couldn’t let his resolve falter, not now at this crucial juncture.

‘Ah yes you’d better do! Go on boys, get out of my basement! And, be careful, all of you.’ He turned to Ichigo, with a hint of sadness about his usually stoic voice, ‘You especially Ichigo. I know what you’re like in battle, hot headed and stupid. So take care of yourself and… stay alive. I wouldn’t want to be the one to face your father if you don’t come back in one piece.’

A blush painting his face that was part embarrassment and part something else, Ichigo muttered, ‘Thanks, I’ll try.’ Ishida glanced between the two men, sighing, and turned to Chad, whispering,

‘Let’s get out of here, the amount of pheromones flying about is making me feel ill.’

Urahara smacked Ishida on the head with his fan, messing up his hair before shouting, ‘Away with you!’ and ushering them all into the threatening dark hole above them. Ichigo turned back briefly to see Urahara waving them farewell with his hat, his eyes shining free from their usual shadowy confines, until the darkness swallowed them completely and he had to concentrate fully on not falling off his silvery path.

Back underneath the Urahara Shōten, the shopkeeper pressed a hand to the darkness and said a silent prayer.

---

What the hell had happened? Everything was going so well. They’d met up with Rukia and Renji, and they were so close… Then Urahara and Yoruichi had shown up, shouting something about a trap and ushering everybody back through the garganta. He had opened his mouth to protest, to refuse to leave Orihime in this place one minute longer, trap or no trap, but had got no further when the garganta snapped shut around his friends and he was pounced upon by a snarling hunk of muscle, bone and blue hair. He thought he heard Urahara scream, but surely that can’t have been right. At any rate, they were gone, all of them. And he was here alone. In enemy territory. Facing off against a creature that wished nothing more than to rip him limb from limb. And somehow Grimmjow had gotten his arm back. Shit. Shit. Shit.

He unsheathed Zangetsu. His hollow screamed for blood. His eyes took on a silver tint as he summoned his mask. Grimmjow snarled, his eyes narrowing. Without even bothering to throw the usual threats and insults, he ran straight at Ichigo, fangs bared. Ichigo swept his zanpakutō up behind his head, summoning all his energy to throw one massive getsuga tenshō at Grimmjow.

‘Sorry but I don’t have time to play around with you. I’ll end this now.’ The fierce redhead threatened, swinging his sword downwards only to find it immoveable.

‘That’s a shame shinigami, but you see, neither do we.’ Grimmjow grinned manically as Ichigo glanced behind him to see a dark haired, pale faced hollow with teardrop-like teal lines running down his face holding onto his sword. Then Grimmjow barrelled into him at full force. Bones and skin broke together as all light was knocked from him and Ichigo fell into the dark chasm of unconsciousness.

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A/N: I'm sure you've noticed that this chapter is insanely short, the next few are quite short as well but once we get into it they get much longer.

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