Bleach Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Who will protect me now? The Substitute Shinigami & the Shikon Priestess ❯ Decisions ( Prologue )

“Who will protect me now? The Substitute Shinigami & the Shikon Priestess”

Bleach / Inuyasha crossover fiction

Main Pairing: Ichigo x Kagome

 

 

 

Prologue- Summer Vacation

Disclaimer: I do not own the Bleach or Anime series. These characters and the series they are in belong to Bleach - Author Kubo Kite and Inuyasha - Author Takahashi Rumiko.

 

Characters in this chapter:

Higurashi, Kagome; Mama Higurashi; Higurashi, Souta; Jii-chan Higurashi; Kuchiki, Rukia; Abarai, Renji; Kurosaki, Ichigo; Sado, Yasutora (Chad); Tatsuki, Arisawa, Inoue, Orihime; Ishida, Uryuu

 

 

 

 

Ichigo sat on a rock nearby looking out at the distance. The view here was quite beautiful. Vast and seemingly unending, the ocean's blue depths seemed to give off a calm and serenity Ichigo had not experienced in a long time. Being here gave him a chance to relax and clear his tumultuous mind. Even if it was a brief getaway from his everyday hectic life, it was something to be savored while it lasted.

 

His red swimming trunks rode low on his hip as the sun shown on his tanned flesh. Ichigo closed his eyes, stretched and yawned.

 

Raising his arms high above his head as he did so, the strong muscles in his arms and abs rippled and flexed with his movements. Even though his eyes were closed, he could feel her eyes on him. Watching and longing for him.

 

He wasn't dense enough not to notice Rukia might harbor feelings for him. The longing stares she gave him when she thought he wasn't looking. The far away look she got shortly after. It was obvious to even someone with a thick head like himself.

 

He glanced over to see her quickly look in the other direction. He wanted to laugh as she innocently tried to pretend she wasn't ogling him.

 

Rukia sat next to him sipping on a juice box daintily. Some of her mannerisms were a dead giveaway to her royal status. Adorned in a ruffled white and orange polka dot bikini, the petite ebony haired woman looked almost fragile; delicate. Slim figure; her body was toned and her breast were just enough for a man to get a handful.

 

But Rukia was anything but fragile. The real life warrior princess was strong willed, protective and motivated. She could kick your ass in a heart beat and Ichigo was certain that if she weren't sister to Kuchiki Byakuya, she would have made captain status long ago.

 

He found himself drawn to her as well. He was a man after all. He had entertained the thought of what it would be like to be with Rukia.

 

But there was also the situation with Orihime as well.

 

Orihime was in love with him. She had admitted it on a whisper before she made the brave and selfless decision to go to Aizen willingly to protect them all. He had thought it was a dream until he realized she was gone.

 

Ichigo watched as Orihime push her soaked orange hair back out of her eyes as she emerged from the water. Her wet flesh glistened in the sunlight and the tight pink, green and yellowed swirled monokini she wore left little to the imagination. Her curvy figure and generous bosom looked ready to break free of their restraints.

 

Orihime, regardless of her temptress appearance was anything but. She was smart, sweet and innocent with a fierce loyalty that would make any man proud. She constantly worried about them all and it made him want to comfort and protect her from all and any who would do her harm. After all, her sweet voice brought him back from the dead to protect her, to protect them all. It still confused him to no end the power her tears held over him.

 

So now he was stuck in a supposed love triangle with two girls secretly desiring his attention. Most guys would kill to be in his position and would go so far as to exploit it. He was never that type of guy. While he had to admit both women were gorgeous in their own right, he couldn't unfortunately get past the fact that he only felt a deep sense of camaraderie for them.

 

If he had to choose, he would say his favor leaned more towards Rukia. But he was still unsure about what he wanted in a woman and thus did not want to make an outright decision. Did that make him a two-timer?

 

Rukia shifted next to him and sighed. Clearing her throat she asked him the question that would chain his future.

 

“So, Ichigo…have you made a decision?”

 

Ichigo glanced over at Rukia to see if she saw him staring at Orihime. She did look slightly annoyed. She didn't mention it so that was at least good right? Ichigo went back to observing their friends playing on the beach. Orihime let off a childish squeal of delight as she and Tatsuki were being chased by Chad. Not far from them, Renji made several poor attempts to catch a wave on his surf board while Uryuu watched them unaffected as he drank a soda.

 

“Hai…I'll stay here and be a substitute Shinigami. I've decided to attend University with the rest of them.”

 

Soul Society had offered to let Ichigo become a full pledged shinigami and wanted him to enroll in the academy. He had suspicions it had to do with who they now realized his father was.

 

His father, Kurosaki Isshin had finally revealed to him that he himself was once a captain in the Gotei 13 making Ichigo and his sisters part Shinigami. He remembered the argument - more like brawl - they had when he found out that his father was withholding information. Of course, Isshin's rebuttal came with a kick to his head that it's a parent's job to withhold information from their children. He claimed it was to protect his beloved Karin, Yuzu and Ichigo. Yuzu and Karin of course got enraged since they now knew that their father was not-as they previously believed—the only person in the house that didn't have the ability to feel or see spirits. After all he was the very reason why they all had inherited said ability.

 

Rukia looked a little crestfallen and that hurt his heart a little but his family had to come first.

 

Yuzu, Karin and Otousan. They had been the real reason he made the choice he did. Ichigo had decided he wanted some semblance of a normal life. He didn't know when that choice would no longer be his so he had to grasp at what he could while he still had a chance. He'd have plenty of time to serve as a full pledge Shinigami once he past on.

 

 

 

~*~

 

 

 

Kagome swept the stairs as the last of the visitors to the shrine fled down the stairs. The sun was beginning to set as the sky blended from a bright baby blue to hues of orange and purple.

 

A gently breeze blew by tugging and gently lifting the billowing sleeves and legs of her priestess uniform.

 

She had been frequently told during her quest to Sengoku Jidai that she uncanningly resembled the deceased priestess Kikyou when she adorned them. As much as she hated being compared to Kikyou, Kagome could not pull herself to break Jii-chan's heart by not wearing it. After all, they lived in and ran a Shinto shrine. One of their main purposes was to keep the old traditions alive.

 

Kagome finished sweeping the steps, mindful of the people leaving the shrine and headed towards the storehouse to lock up. She gazed over at the old well house and sighed.

 

The magic that once emanated from it was gone. She had been trying everyday until about three months ago, willing it to let her go back.

 

After her wish, the jewel no longer existed. She would never forget turning in her mother's arm to thank Inuyasha and watching him fade away. At first it felt like she couldn't breathe. Not seeing him, touching him, and not being by his side. She felt like she failed him.

 

Then she had a dream two months later. In her dream she and Inuyasha were talking on opposite sides of Goshinboku. His gruff voice had an unusual soft quality to it as he spoke.

 

Inuyasha had told her to live and that it was enough that she was alright. He said knowing she was okay and safe made him happy and that she belonged with her family.

 

After that she'd woken up. The strange thing was that she was covered in leaves that had blown in through her open window.

 

She had told Mama, Jii-chan and Souta about the dream that morning at breakfast.

 

Jii-chan called it the gift of foresight and symbolic messages many priest and priestess have in the form of dreams. Souta said she was going crazy in which she promptly threw her juice box at him. Mama scolded her for throwing things at her brother and scolded Souta for teasing Kagome.

 

Later, when she was alone in her room, Mama came up and talked to her privately. Mama then told her that she believed it was Inuyasha's wish or feelings being carried to her by Goshinboku's will.

 

“Inuyasha wanted you to be happy Kagome. I'm sure if he knew you were living like a shell of your former self, he'd be very sad.”

 

That much was true. Kagome thought. She had been acting very zombie-like since she realized she could no longer travel between times to see him. She would refuse to go to school, rarely ate and spent most of her days locked in her room, in bed wasting away.

 

“You don't have to trust or believe what I'm saying. Just…just think about what that dream truly meant Kagome.” Mama added before walking away and leaving Kagome to her thoughts.

 

Kagome always trusted Mama's judgment. Plus she wasn't one to second guess the power of Goshinboku. Goshinboku always had a mysterious air about it. It's presence at the shrine always made their home feel safe; watched over.

 

After that day, she decided to live for him…for all of their friends in the Warring states era. She finished high school and decided to go to University.

 

Kagome headed towards the house, finished with her duties. Mama Higurashi met Kagome at the back door just as she was about to enter.

 

“Kagome dear…dinner's almost ready. I also drew you a bath. I thought you might like one before dinner”

 

Kagome smiled. “Thanks mama. I'll take a quick bath and be right down.”

 

Mama laughed. “Kagome, baths are never quick where you're concerned.”

 

 

 

Authors Note: This chapter has been revised and edited as of 7/18/10. Read and Review. I will be editing my chapters as I go along. I'll keep you all posted. Thanks for reading.