After the training, I rushed back to bed and hadn't spoken a word to Hichigo. He was silent himself as he slept on the couch opposite to my bed. Although that zanpakuto is full of rage and sass twenty-four hours a day, there were bags covering the tiniest corner of his eyes. It was surprising to see all of this was beginning to stress him out since all he's done so far is insult me.

The very thought makes me snicker and look away, remembering all that has happened within less than a month. My sense of time here is off balanced because of the eternal winter surrounding the outside of his cage. 

My thoughts begin to drift off as my mind remembered that certain day... the day my world changed...

~~~~~~~~

My mother and father took me out on a nice day for a picnic. This was back in their better days when they didn't travel around for less than a month. We originally stayed in Japan for five months and planned to move around the country, but it was a certain situation that changed all of that in less than a second. 

My father held my hand as we walked and my mother held the picnic basket in her hands. They were talking with smiles on their faces as my father swung our hands to the motion of our walking speed. I was looking forward to this for months since my parents hardly left the house. 

I didn't understand why since they moved after the incident. But... now that I know so much.... it finally makes sense. 

"Akatsuki, would you mind setting up the blanket for us?"

He beamed and kissed her cheek, making me barf in my throat. "Anything for my Akemi~"

I was young and grossed out by kissing, even though I am too this day. Maybe it's because I don't see my parents kiss too much anymore in my day and age. They're too busy with discussing plans I hardly ever see them kiss or do other couple things they normally would do. 

"Gross!" I shouted, sticking my tongue out at them. 

My father smirked and kissed my mother from her kiss to all around her face, making her giggle in surprise. It was then I saw a boy with bright orange hair walk hand in hand with a lady full of brightness, cheerful and beautiful. Her long and light bronze hair complemented her face perfectly.

I became memorized by looking at them, seeing this boy beaming with joy by being near his mother. It made me ashamed that I didn't look at my mother the same way as that boy did. It was then, a single drop of water landed on my head. I looked up and saw gray clouds were covering overhead fast.

"Akemi, what's wrong?" My father asked my mother, her face becoming pale at the sight.

"We need to leave... now."

My mother's voice became urgent, but I didn't understand at the time. It was just cloudy, what could they do to harm us? I began to turn around, but I came face to face with the first hollow I ever saw. It was huge, and it had a light dangling off the top of its head. I screamed and ran towards my parents, but the force of movements threw me straight into the river.

I heard my parents scream my name before my head ducked underwater. Because of the storm, the river was flooding and neither could me or my parents keep up with each other. At some point, I remember passing out and washed up on shore. My head was splitting open from the pressure of water inside me as I hacked it all up, a tiny bit of blood coming up from the water as well. 

I turned my head to see it was the lady and the boy from earlier. My eyes widen at the sight of blood pouring out from the lady's body, I didn't think humans could have that much blood inside them. I crawled over to the boy, shaking him, but he wasn't waking up. His chest was rising up and down, so I knew he was still alive. 

But... when I touched the area near his heart, a strange sensation came over me. The rain stopped for a mear second before pouring again. It was then I heard his voice... Hichigo's voice.

"Who... who are you...." Its voice whispered inside the back of my mind, lingering and mingling with my thoughts.

"I'm (y/n)... who are you? Are you a monster?"

The voice crackled, an invisible smirk appearing in my mind's image. "No... I am the king. I will forever be the king! And you will be the horse!"

After that, my parents found me and the situation. Ever since that day we've been moving house to house, even to countries at times. We only recently came back to Japan because my parents missed it, but now I understand all the avoiding... the lies... the worried glances every time they left an old house for a new one...

~~~~~~~

I opened my eyes and saw it was still the middle of the night. I looked over at Hichigo, he was snoring quietly away as I quietly stood up and walked over. Deep down I was still mad at him, but the old memory made those feelings disappear. This face was deathly white in the moonlight, but it highlighted the features of his chiseled face. 

His nose twitched before he woke up, his rube eyes blinking at me. I smiled softly at him, "Did you know your nose twitches before you wake up?"

Hichigo clicked his tongue and turned his back against me. "Shut up. I thought you were still mad at me."

"I am... but an old memory of long ago came into mind."

His back became still as I told him about the whole memory. How I felt, to the minor details that I had forgotten to wear matching socks that day. He eventually turned around, but only to yawn in my face. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

An irk mark appear above my forehead, knowing that I was getting tired of his act of not caring. "What do you mean you don't know? You have to have been there on that day."

He shrugged and stood up, stretching his arms and legs. "Okay fine... I was there on that day, but it seems like you miss some information in that memory."

"What information? That you were secretly a zanpakuto inside a little boy, who is now known as Ichigo, and didn't come out until that day? That's not the piece of information I want-"

Out of nowhere, he picked me up bridal style, his red eyes blurry from sleep. "Listen, if you're still mad at me, I understand. Let me sleep. A king must have a restful night sleep before taking the world as his own."

I didn't know what to say as he came into bed with me. He put me down on the right side as he stayed on the left side. "I'm sick of sleeping on that damn couch. I get left side, you get right side."

He became quiet and continued to sleep. My rage meter rose to the top, but I sighed and gave it up. He did seem uncomfortable on that couch, so it's only fair I share this king size bed. I looked over at him once more before going to sleep. If a demon was beautiful in sleep, it would be him.

"No... I am the king. I will forever be the king! And you will be the horse!"

"Huh? Why am I the horse? That doesn't make any sense."

"Hmmm... you're right, so you should be my queen. A king isn't a king without a queen by his side. What do you say, will you be my queen unto death do us part?"

"Uh, I don't know about death do up part, but why not? If I'm a queen then I can be your princess! Since we're not married yet, I'm still a princess and you're the prince."

"Ha! Foolish queen, I have been born a king and will kill and die as one. If you wish to be called the princess then so be it, but I will claim you as my precious queen, (y/n)."

I promised you on that day you are and will forever be my queen. I may be some damn tool for a fool's world, but I will become my own person and be by your side. You were the first human I laid eyes on and knew I could rule the world.

So please, let me become your king and you become my queen, (y/n). I will rule this world under my power alone alongside yours. It is all I ask in this sad life as a zanpakuto spirit.