Anata no pikupiku un.. ... Watashi no yōfu wa shidearu. ...((Yeah your jerks.....my adoptive father is Death....))

He walked into the lavish apartment who said monks lived in little shacks in the middle of nowhere or temples that had no other real purpose had never met his step father. Oh no.....the lavish lush apartment was anything but sparse and that had been Mujo's normal home. When he wans't traveling around that was.

Ansho Ichigo walked down the block listening to Keigo prattle on like it was nothing three years ago his world ended and began. When his sisters and father died and left him orphaned and in that same day be accused of killing them to be freed of it and accept becoming a Shinigami, moving in with Mujo who seemed to take quickly and happily into role of adoptive father. There were some very vast differences and some similiriaties in life one thing he had to go to school and finish getting his education the other well.....

Ichigo walked down the block.
Ichigo Ansho
Age: Nineteen
Hair color: Orange
Eyes: Brown
Occupation: High School Student and Shinigami.

Not exactly something he could put down on any future college apps that was for sure. At least not the last part. Although he didn't wear the gloves anymore that hide away the markings on his hands and wrists, Mujo quickly helping him accept them since no one would know what they meant unless he himself told him.

"Dam Ichi it's still impressive I mean the apartment you live in with them. Nice of them to take you in." Keigo said as he shook his head moving and walking off as Ichigo glared at him and waved bye.

Yeah he didn't regret moving in with Mujo and Zuma. He just didn't like Keigo reminding him every other day of the week that he lost his family before the move.

Ichigo walked up the stairs to the front of the of huge complex and in walking through the grand front hall and up to the elevator taking it up to the top floor and stepped out looking at the huge open living room spiraling staircases and huge balconies. Yeah......they lived in the ritz but then again this was nothing compared to Zero's place and he had seen that as well. It may not be a castle but it sure was close. Ichigo didn't get the chance to say he was home as he dropped his bag and caught a flying mass, also known as Inzuma who was burrying his nose in Ichigo's shirt collar and sniffing down. He always did then again when Ichigo accepted becoming a Shinigami that bastard Ningyoshi disappeared off of the radar again. Going into hiding.

"No bad scents." Zuma said as he sat back and Ichigo smiled placing his hand on top of Zuma's head.

"No no bad scents....Mujo around here somewhere Zuma?" Ichigo asked and Zuma nodded pointing off towards the study which meant either he was going over a case file Zero sent over or Zero was here or Tamashi checking up on Ichigo himself again. Who knew.

Mujo sat there, chin rested in the palm of his right hand and sighed in frustration. How could he ask him without scaring him with it? How could he ask Ichigo in a gentle manner to become his true child, his vampire chylde? How could he....

His thoughts trailed off when he heard Ichigo's voice. Too late to think about it any more. It was either ask him now...or never ask him at all...

After a moment, he stood up and moved to the door, leaning out of it and looking down the hall at Ichigo. "Ichi, could you come here for a minute please...there is something we need to talk about..."

Ichigo looked up at that tone. Something was on Mujo's mind. He ruffled Zuma's hair again as he stood up. "Be right there." he said lightly as stood up and watched as Zuma pounced next his school bag sniffing through that some of his habits might seem a bit odd but Zuma learned so much through scent and well it was harmless that...and he swore Zuma just liked doing crazy seeming things to throw people off.

Ichigo walked down the hall to the study that Mujo was in and stepped past him into the study and into the room looking over at him a he shifted. Not sure what was going on. But he looked at Mujo quietly a moment before speaking. "Yeah?" he asked not sure if he should sit down or not.

Mujo shut the door behind him and moved over to his seat behind the desk and looked at Ichigo for a long while in silence. He was afraid...afraid of how Ichigo would react to the question, afraid of Ichigo's answer.

"You've been living with us for quite some time now Ichi...and I want to know something..." he began lowly, looking at him and shifting in his chair uneasily. "I want to know if you would like it make it official...if you would like to become my true family...."

For as smart as Ichigo was he could be rather dumb as he moved over and sat down a confused look on his face. "Aren't....we family now?" he asked suddenly worried that he was about to be kicked out the door not at all understanding what it was that Mujo was asking of him. He could be soo dense at times. "I....don't understand what.....it is your asking..." he said and he honestly didn't know, not realizing that for a vampire the bond between father and chylde wasn't there until the father sired the chylde. But as confused as he was and worried he wasn't looking ready to bolt not yet anyways. He just wished he understood what it was that Mujo was asking of him.

Mujo sighed and nodded. "By human standards yes...but by my standards...by vampire standards...no...." he said lowly and shifted again. "What it is I'm asking you....is this...." he moved and sat in the chair beside Ichigo and took his hand into his own.

"I want to know if you want to become my blood chylde...my son...if you want to become a vampire..."

Ichigo stared at him a moment old fear surfacing in him fear of a child a five year old boy as he tensed at the question to become a vampire, but to keep Mujo from pulling away on some level his hand closed almost desperately around Mujo's own so that he could not pull it away before Ichigo could get himself around the question and think. Normally he thought quickly on his feet very quickly, but this caught him off guard.

After a moment Ichigo looked down at Mujo's hand trapped within his own as he held on with something akin to a child's desperation. He lost everything almost four years ago, he had been a few months shy of sixteen when his family was ripped out from him and Mujo and Zuma became that family. Teaching him keeping him safe bringing him over to a Shinigami to a reaper. And as far as the human world was concerned yes Mujo So was his adoptive father. But.....

But there were times when Zero would cast a concerned look his way and then whisper something to Mujo. When in school different vampires would leer at him calling him a bastard son. He had learned after asking one what they meant after making them nearly swallow all of there dam'd teeth was that because he was a human chylde with a vampire he was a bastard son, a none vampire there for he was not truly Mujo's Chylde. And they assured him a Chylde was different then a Child.

What Ichigo failed to realize was Zero's concerned look was wither or not Ichi would ever be able to handle being asked to become part of the family truly part of the family that while Zero didn't have a problem with it and never would, would Ichi himself.

Ichigo's brown eyes moved up to look into Mujo's own dull grey and after taking a steadying breath answered him. "Yes." He just hoped Mujo didn't ask him if he was sure or to repeat himself. He wanted to be part of Mujo's family he wanted a family again, to be truly part of one he just didn't know if he could steady his nerves enough past his fears a second time to answer a second time. And Ichigo would be pissed off with himself if he coudln't!

Mujo looked at him for a long moment in silence, pure silence. He had said yes, but would Ichigo be willing for the pain that came with the transformation? Would he be able to get past his fear and not be able to fear himself once he became one?

If Mujo was right about him...he was certain that Ichigo could get past anything. But if he was wrong...he would no doubt lose Ichigo and never be able to forgive himself...and of course never hear the end of it from Tamashi.

"All right...I will have to make arrangements for your schooling...you will be out for a month or more...so please bear with me...and please don't give up...and even with the pain...don't hate me for it...not even Worm Eater will protect you from this..." he said lowly and stood up, breaking Ichigo's grip on his hand.

Ichigo looked up at him as he sat there in pure silence before speaking and then suddenly seeming to become cold and distant but it was his words that Ichigo was paying the most attention to. Arrangements for schooling since he'd be out for about a month or more. To please bear with him and don't give up. Not to hate him for the pain. It was fair enough warning that this was going to hurt something tough.

Ichigo watched him stand up and the grip on his hand broke he took a deep breath nodding the school year had just started so he had no doubt he'd hear it later in school but he'd deal. No what concerned him even now wasn't even the idea that it would hurt. Hell he'd taken a beating a few times by a rogue Reaper he had mistakenly tangled with in the last couple of years not Ningyoshi some chick with an insanity streak a mile wide and a world tall. Ichigo won in the end she had knocked his preferred 'scythe' out of his hand and he had pulled the second blowing her ass to kingdom come.

No what held his attention was. 'Don't hate me for it....' Ichigo looked at Mujo. "That's not possible." he said looking at him. "Maybe...if you were doing something like this to hurt me sure.......but.....there's no way I'd ever believe you were doing it just for that. So there's no way I'd hate you....and I'll deal with the pain." Ichigo said shrugging. He adapted to most things quickly enough.

Mujo chuckled lowly and smiled at him. "That's my boy..." he said lowly and ruffled his hair lightly. But after a few moments, he sighed and shook his head. "You've grown up so much...and I'm honestly so proud of you..." he told him lowly, seriously sounding like Ichigo's father.

He couldn't help it. He was indeed a very proud man. Ichigp had defied the odds and became a reaper and even though they were still searching for Ningyoshi, Ichgio became stronger every day. Ichigo had done what no one but Mujo had believed he couldn't do.

Ichigo had kept from breaking and became one of the best and brightest students in Japan, and for that...Mujo was very proud of him.

Ichigo snorted. "Shit are you getting all mushy on me now?" he asked looking warily at him not that's my boy comment he was used to those. They were something of a comfort to him, no....it was the 'You've grown up so much and I'm honestly so proud of you' comment that had him ready to jump out of his seat and bolt for the door. Although Mujo had clearly shown himself to be different then his birth father those comments were usually followed up by a flying lunging bear hug.....it had become something of an ingrained reaction to dodge first ask questions later.

Ichigo looked at Mujo though as he stood up and shrugged looking at him. "I've gotta call that idiot and tell him he's on his own for studying this weekend." he said idiot in reference to the one and only Keigo. The truth of the matter was....Ichigo simply refused to break. To allow anything to break him. The fact that Mujo was proud of him for it only worked to fuel it that much more for him. Ichigo refused to fall. Refused to let anything make him fall no matter what that was he was determined to overcome it even his childhood fear of Vampires after all....Mujo and Zuma were both vampires and all they wanted was Ichigo to be part of there family.

Mujo chuckled lowly and ruffled Ichigo's hair a little and shook his head. "So what if I am? You like it and you know it," he said lowly as he moved over to the door and opened it and walked out into the hallway and smiled at Zuma before he turned his attention back to Ichigo.

"Take it easy on him now...the kid's got a gentle heart. If you're too cold to him, you'll break him," he told him lightly and smiled at him before he looked over at Zuma again and nodded. It was a very settling thing...to know that soon, Ichigo would become his official chylde.

Zuma smiled up at Mujo happy for him. Ichigo had accepted. Mujo had been pacing around the place like an expectant mother. Waiting for his child to come home. Only now he would be having this one as his actual Chylde, be able to proudly say to the vampire world that Ichigo Ansho was his son and woe be it to any who try to deny that bond between Strawberry blonde and fiery red. Zuma was happy that Ichigo had accepted he wasn't sure he'd be able to pick up the pieces of Mujo's heart if the kid had refused.

Although Mujo may not always show it or show it in a way that made perfect sense he really did adore the kid as if he was already Mujo's son, his Chylde. Zuma moved along with Mujo quickly helping him get things ready to bring Ichigo fully into the family.

"Mujo.....is happy Ichi said yes then..." Zuma said as he moved with Mujo.

Ichigo sighed as he shook his head. "yeah whatever...." he said a bit flustered wither or not he liked it it didn't fit into his cool image he worked so damn hard to maintain so he wasn't about to get all mushy back. Then snorted and laughed waving as he walked out of the room and into his bedroom to make the phone call going up the stairs to his second floor room in the penthouse sitting down on the bed as he made the phone call talking to Keigo telling him something came up and hearing the whining about 'But Ichi......' and feinted off the complaints. The easiest way possible when he said his father wanted to do something Keigo understood since Mujo had become just that to Ichigo who could not by human standards not have a father or parent figure in there.

Ichigo hung up the phone and brought one sock foot up onto his bed having kicked off his shoes in the house and rested his arm there looking at the markings and frowning a bit not all that unsual for him....smiling was the rare treat his face was usually set in a scowl to begin with not that Ichigo was mean he just found it warded of unwanted trouble. For the most part...

Mujo looked down at Zuma as they moved about, getting things gathered up and ready for the transformation. "Yeah...Ichi said yes..." he said lowly, but after saying it out loud, he smiled happily to himself as he moved about his room and began to hum a light melody. It was amazing what simple things could make Mujo happy, but anything pertaining to Ichigo made Mujo happy.

When everything was ready, Mujo stepped back and smiled at it before he took a deep breath and moved, walking out of his room and up the stairs and to Ichigo's room. When he peeked his head into the room, he sighed and spoke up, "There's that frown again...even I don't frown that much Ichi...is something wrong?"

Ichigo looked up and shook his head. "No thinking." he answered as he dropped down off of his bed and walked towards Mujo. "Everything ready?" he asked in truth Ichigo was worried he'd end up letting Mujo down somehow. Mujo really asked very little of him even as a Shinigami. He asked him to study let him do his own thing with his friends and now asked him to actually become his son fully.

Ichigo honestly was worried he'd somehow drop the ball and let him down as he walked up to the Monk before him.

Mujo sighed and stepped into the room fully. "No matter what you're thinking, I wouldn't have picked you, wouldn't have taken you in if I didn't believe in you, and nothing you can do will let me down. You may hurt me with something, but everyone gets hurt Ichigo...but everyone also heals..." he explained to him lowly and smiled at him and ruffled his hair again.

"Now, come on...everything's ready...." he said and turned, walking back into the hallway and waited for Ichigo to follow.

It sounded corny, but nothing Ichigo could do now would lessen anything Mujo felt for the kid. He had taken him in as his own son because he loved him and was willing to put his own life on the line to save to, to protect him from Ningyoshi. Mujo didn't just do that for anyone.

Ichigo sighed. "One of these days I'll figure out how you get in my head and know what I'm worrying about...." he grumbled to himself lowly as he watched the back of the man he came to love and respect as a father walk away from him. Shaking his head the deathberry moved out of his room following behind him. Shoving a hand in his pocket.

Nothing to worry about sure....this was a big change he was facing his fear's changing races again and well....to be honest a bit nervous he'd screw up somewhere but Mujo was confident in him. Ichigo just wished he could be as confident in himself on this one. Being a Shinigami sure that seemed natural to him like riding a bike.....becoming a vampire well....not so much.

Mujo chuckled lowly to himself as he turned and began walking down the hall and down the stairs. "A vampire can sense people's emotions...we know when someone's worried or scared...and a reaper can hear someone's soul...together, it's almost like I'm reading someone's mind...but I'm not like Aoi...I can't do that...never could..." he explained lowly as he walked along.

But when he reached his room, he stepped aside and let Ichigo go in first. He was ready to do this, to help Ichigo with himself, and so that he could finally call Ichigo his real son- by blood. Not a piece of paper from the humans. "Go in and lay down...and just relax...nothing is starting yet..."

Ichigo looked over at Mujo nodding as he said between the Reapers abilities which he was still learning all the ins and outs of and being a vampire it was almost like mind reading. Before being told to lay down. Yikes.....laying down on his 'dad's' bed. Oh boy Ichigo shifted a moment before nodding. "Alright...." he said as he took a deep calming breath this was really happening and he needed to get his head on straight and fast.

It wasn't that he feared Mujo it was that this was soo far out of anything he could or couldn't control for one and for the other. He really had no clue what he was in store for. Ichigo walked over and climbed up on his dad's bed taking a deep breath as he laid back and laid down staring up at the ceiling part of him wondering what was going to happen next and part of him just focusing on staying calm.

Mujo moved over to the bed and climbed into it with his 'son' and sat there staring down at him for a moment in silence before he broke that silence by taking a deep breath and exhaling. When he opened his mouth again, "Close your eyes...or look away...I don't want you to panic..." he said lowly and moved, leaning over him, placing his hands on Ichigo's arms as he moved to straddle him, holding him down gently to keep him from hurting himself.

When he leaned in, he closed his eyes and kissed Ichigo's throat, a silent apology for the pain about to ensue. With that, he opened his mouth and gently sank his fangs in, taking another deep breath as he began to drink, taking slow, but deep gulps.

Ichigo had chosen to do both it wasn't that he didn't trust Mujo he didn't trust himself. His breathing steady he had tensed momentarily when Mujo moved over him. Laying there as he felt his 'father' grab his arms to keep him still keep him from fighting back. The silent kiss a moment before the fangs found his skin and took purchase and Ichigo gasped tensing up as if something inside of him screamed to fight back and then felt cool fingers in his hair opening his eyes and looked at Zuma.

Zuma would not interfere would not stop this but he 'pet' Ichigo's hair. A gesture that brought he himself great comfort and continued to do it. "Sush....Ichi....deep shallow breathes.....Mujo does not do this to hurt you.....you know it deep past any instinct to run. You know....breathe....." he said gently.

"I know....Mujo wouldn't hurt me." Ichigo agreed after a moment speaking lowly as he heard the sound of hsi father swallowing in his ears he forced himself to focus on other things to keep calm.....

Ichigo focused on the sound of Zuma's voice because he was right he did know. He knew Mujo wasn't doing this to hurt him and after a few moments managed to relax he could hear Mujo swallowing feel him drinking and as each deep gulp made it's trademark sound the seconds ticked away and Ichigo found himself being lulled into an almost sleepy state, his breathing relaxing it didn't hurt this didn't at least once he calmed down his heart beat slowing down unaware that he was falling into a rather common state before one took in the their sires blood and accepted the change. Or for that matter how much time passed as Zuma simply sat there petting his hair to help keep Ichigo calm and keep him from hurting himself. But what calmed him the most was reminding him after the bite what he had momentarily forgotten that the one whose fangs sunk into his neck was not some stranger but Mujo.

Mujo had looked up at Zuma, but when he saw what was going on, he relaxed again, knowing that now Ichigo would calm down, and calm down he did. The moment he began to fall into the limp state of one who was about to be turned, Mujo retracted his fangs from Ichigo's throat and licked his lips, wiping the excess blood away to keep Ichigo from tensing again.

When he leaned back up, he smiled down at Ichigo. "This is the part that I warned you about...please bear with me..." he said lowly and brought his right wrist up and sank his fangs into his own flesh, tearing gashes into it. When he removed his fangs, he put it to Ichigo's lips and held it there. "Drink..." he instructed lowly, gently.

Ichigo hesitated drinking blood at first he kept his mouth closed but Zuma sighed. "Mujo is right Ichi, you need to drink.....Mujo's blood will help you now." Zuma said softly as he continued to run his hand gently soothingly through the boys hair.

Ichigo after a moment longer opened his mouth and began to drink, he choked at first his body wanting to refuse the crimson fluid that rushed into his mouth but there was simply too much to refuse and as it made it's way down he went from refusing to drinking. Mouthfuls of the crimson fluid flowed down his throat, entered his system hit his stomach, he drank for how long he wasn't sure everything seemed sort of surreal and then pain ripped through his stomach before darkness over took him. He simply seemed to cease to be..........his brown eyes seeming to roll up and go white no screaming nothing........as if his body had rejected the change.

Zuma paused and went wide eyed......such a thing should not happen......"Ichi......no..."
~*~
Ichigo was bordering on life and death at the moment wither or not he wanted to be he was there. His body fighting and accepting the change to such a degree not even his immense heavy reiatsu could be felt at the moment as if he had simply ceased to be. Pulled into the depths of his soul to watch his 'life' flash before his eyes more or less he viewed towering skyscrapers while he himself was wrapped up in chains that pulled him down into water the pain so intense suffocating he could not breath he could not scream he could not even fight back as he sank down into the darkness hitting the bottom of his soul the darkest depths struggling to breath struggling to fight back and live.........

Something or rather someone glowed and appeared before him Tamashi stood there pushing his glasses up.

"How pathetic.....we are never wrong.......how disappointing......." he said as he looked at the dying boy........who seemed to be already gone on the outside world....to Mujo and Zuma, this Strawberry this Ansho Ichigo was already dead......

Mujo, the man who was usually so strong, just stared in silence, a broken and shocked expression on his face before it twisted into pain as he screamed in agony. Why? Why couldn't he just be given this one thing? He had never asked for anything else, never complained about his own pain...so why? Why was he being punished?

Screaming and crying, he held Ichigo's limp body to his chest, his face buried in the boy's strawberry blond hair as he screamed and cried. He sounded just like a mother who had lost her child. But he couldn't help it. He had never desired a relationship with someone so much before, and just when he was about to get it, it was ripped away from him and he was denied it.

"No...No...please God no....I don't want this...I want my Ichigo...please..." he pleaded as he cfried, rocking back and forth with his body as he held it to his chest still. Pleading to God would ost likely not help him, but it was the only other hope he had left....

Tamashi looked at him. Moving his hand as he sent it out what Ichigo had yet to learn was how to hear the cries of another's soul another's anguish so Tamashi was going to be nice and show him he was loved and pathetic all in one move.

"Can't you breathe? Funny this is the depths of your own soul you should be able to breathe just fine......how truly pathetic you are though crushed by the weight of your own reiatsu, your own fears I told you if you stopped running you would die. I was right." he said blandly.

The ripple came through but that ripple belonged to someone he knew someone he cared about tears.....

Mujo.....Ichigo realized in that moment. Mujo was hurting his soul screaming in agony because Ichigo had.....his body had died out there although his soul clung to the last vestiges of life......Mujo was...he was.....Ichigo looked back at Tamashi as he turned his head and the man the Library turned to walk away. To leave him here.

Ichigo screamed in anger inside of his own soul inside of his own heart bringing his head down hard and fast slamming it into the ground so hard he sent a shock wave through his soul and out a pulse but it didn't fade as Ichigo struggled against the chains fought back feeling his arms straining but he honestly didn't care. The chains one by one snapped although it all seemed as once as the ocean that he was drowning in shot up and out. Ichigo himself seemed to coil against the ground in his own soul and jumped flying hard and fast back out of it. Back up past the skyscrapers there was no way he was gonna die here and now. .....

Tamashi turned and looked up at the figure flying towards his life flying back to the one who needed him to live. "We are never wrong Ansho Ichigo.......not until it comes to you.....continue to prove us wrong." he said and closed his eyes as he left the boys soul. He had done what he came to do.....he made the boy remember how to fight.
~*~
At first nothing seemed to change but Inazuma went wide eyed and wined as a heavy insanely immense spiritual pressure flooded the room and surged out as if unable to be contained in that room surging through Tokyo as the ground began to shake shock wave after shock wave. Ichigo's head lulled back but where there had been nothing but white glowing blue iris's could be seen with black pupils. His mouth opened and a brutal defiant scream left the boy as if Ansho Ichigo was defying life and death itself. Shockwave after Shockwave of Reiatsu the Ichigo's body remained limp as Ichigo quiet literally fought his way back to life....refusing to fall....refusing to die......