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    Everlasting regret

    What if she never wakes up? What if she's gone forever?

    These were the thoughts of a very anxious Ichigo. These were the thoughts which plagued him

    most; these were the thoughts which Ichigo feared.

    It was a few months after the war, but the effects still lingered for quite some time after. Ichigo

    had spent most of his time at the recovery centre at the squad four grounds. He didn't like stayingthere but he had no choice, she was there. The girl who'd changed his life, the girl who he'd

    risked his life for on numerous accounts and would continue to do so, the girl who he secretly-

    loved.

    Sitting next to a pure white ward bed, Ichigo slumped in his chair, asleep. He was slouching in a

    wicker chair resting his head on one arm snoozing away. He'd been there most of the day; in fact

    he had been there the whole day, and the day before that and also the day before that. He needed

    to stay by her side; he wanted to stay by her side.

    In result of the serious injuries inflicted on her during her conflict in Hueco Mundo, Rukia hadfallen into a coma and had remained that way since. Everyone could understand why Rukia

    pushed herself so hard in her fight and for the many reasons it had done a huge amount of

    damage on her. It was apparent that she was hanging on with the little spirit energy she had left.No one, not even squad fours best, knew if she would be able to hold on.

    On the night Ichigo defeated Aizen, no matter how serious his injuries were, the first person hewanted to see was Rukia. He rushed off after making sure Keigo and the rest of the gang werefine. He didn't stop to get himself checked; he swiftly made his way straight to Rukia's room. He

    placed himself in the unoccupied chair next to her bed and had dominated the seat ever since.

    It was a painful sight watching his closest friend fight for her life; fight alone, without his

    assistance. It was excruciating knowing he could do nothing to help her; she was completely onher own and there was nothing he could do to change that.

    Throughout his life, Ichigo had only a few things to regret. The only thing he regretted most wasletting Rukia get hurt the way she had. The things he could've done to prevent what had

    happened could've saved her from this ache, and maybe have spared Ichigo from the pain.

    He woke slowly stretching slightly and groaning quietly. He slumped back into his chair and

    looked around the ward. He saw many of the stereotypical things you'd find like a vase offlowers on the cupboard next to the bed; a bunch of cards with 'get well soon' printed across the

    front and other good wish titles. He turned his face to the main article of the room. The bed lay inthe centre of the room sticking out like a sore thumb; its pristine whiteness was a complete

    contrast the dark brown wood of the floor. The metal frame was gleaming against the morning

    sun and the light reflected into Ichigo's eyes making it a little harder to take in the scenery.

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    He stood up reluctantly and cracked his back. He sighed, ran his hand through his hair then sat

    back down. Turning his chair to face the bed he studied the being under the sheets. The light

    shone through the window onto Rukia's pale face. Her eyes weren't open but he still rememberedthe special shaded colour they'd always been. Her face was placid and peaceful but he could tell

    that inside she was suffering a great deal. He wanted to look away but he couldn't, he wanted to

    study her just as much. He wanted her to wake up just as he watched her breathe, but he knew alltoo well that no matter how much he wished it she wasn't going to awaken anytime soon...

    Ichigo looked at his hands and saw the cuts and bruises, the evidence of past battles hauntinghim. He stroked the longest scar on his right hand; it ran up his whole hand to the top of his

    wrist. He looked back at the sleeping girl and sighed deeply. Reaching out he took hold of her

    hand and squeezed it lightly. Her skin felt so soft and sensitive under his touch; slowly he

    stroked her hand with his thumb. He looked at her face again, it hadn't changed. He pulled herhand up and kissed the top of it gently. Everyday Ichigo went through this same almost ritual-

    like plan, in hope that it may stir her slightly. So far all it had done was sadden Ichigo further as

    everyday his hopes would rise only to be smashed to pieces before him. He hoped one day she

    would awaken, so he could tell her. So he could say the things he never had the guts to saybefore. This scare had shocked into him that life can be taken away from you at any moment. 'If

    you're going to live life, make sure you live each day like it was your last' that was a quote Rukiahad once said to him, oh the irony.

    I have to tell her he swore to himself, I'm going to as soon as she wakes up, I'll tell her. He'd

    never told her the secret; he hadn't shared it with anyone, not even his little sister Karin. Heloved Rukia; he loved her with all the passion his heart could muster.

    A loud crack snapped Ichigo back into reality and he looked toward the door, it was a squad fourmember. She walked over to the bed after closing the door softly and smiled sympathetically

    toward Ichigo. He only half smiled back, still holding Rukia's hand. She was quite tall, longbrown hair which flowed freely down her back. Her face was well built, no need for make-up shehad natural beauty and wasn't afraid to show it.

    "I wouldn't worry Mr. Kurosaki; she's in the best hands. If anything goes wrong then we'll havethe best in here to help" She tried her best to be comforting but it was to no avail.

    "Thanks I wouldn't want anything less" He looked down at her and watched her breathe.

    "Listen, the others have decided that the best thing for you to do is to...well return home- to your

    family" She looked at him still, but this time with more concern for him than for Rukia.

    "Wha...what? I can't do that, I have to stay by her side in case she wakes up!"

    "Look we'll send a messenger over when we see any sign of movement but we're really worried

    about you, how about you go home, get some rest and then come visit again huh?" She askedsmiling caringly. The option did seem tempting but what if something happens? He won't be

    there. Then he remembered the woman's promise, he stood up and looked down at Rukia. She

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    was just lying there so peacefully with almost an angelic-like smile. Sighing in defeat he nodded

    and left the ward getting one last glance at her before making his departure.

    ...

    ...

    Ichigo took as long as he possibly could to return to the living world. He remained lingering bythe door of Rukia's ward for quite a while after the nurse had closed it. He placed his hand on the

    wooden frame and looked into the room through the tiny window carved into the door. He kept

    his vision focused on the girl in the bed. He wished so hard that she would wake up, that she'd situp and he could see her signature smile. He wished that she would wake up so he could declare

    his feelings.

    He sighed and turned his face away from the door, removing his hand from the frame. Slowly hewalked out of the squad four grounds. He didn't want cause a nuisance even if he wanted to stay

    by Rukia's side all day. Walking around Sereitei, he spotted the usual characters doing the usualthings on these usual days that he was so familiar with. Yawning loudly and stretching he sathimself down under a cherry blossom tree leaning his back against the bark. He'd spent all his

    time inside that one room that he'd forgotten how beautiful the outside world was. The blue of

    the sky was so vibrant it was almost like it was smiling down on Ichigo. Clouds slowly driftedacross the blue atmosphere in various shapes and sizes. He could've sat there all day, trying toforget his troubles watching the clouds roll by. He could have- if it wasn't for the eleventh

    division captain coming to pester him for another sparring match. Why did he have to bother me

    now? Well Ichigo thought that's what Kenpachi'd wanted, but instead all he did was sit next tohim placing his Zanpakuto on the ground. A few uncomfortable moments passed by ever so

    slowly.

    Almost seeing through Ichigo's awkwardness, Kenpachi spoke "There's only a certain number of

    things one guy can love. I remember taking those things for granted" Ichigo didn't quite know

    what to say so he kept silent still staring at the sky, listening to the gruff voice coming frombeside him "Kurosaki-san... don't make the same mistake that I did. I was told once that no

    thousand men can change their pasts, but it takes one man alone to change his fate" Ichigo heard

    the soft jingling of bells and turning his head saw Kenpachi resting his head against the treelooking toward the clouds. Blinking Ichigo copied him sighing slightly "You love her Kurosaki;

    it's as obvious as Abarai's tattoos" Ichigo turned to protest but was cut short by a hand in the face

    "Don't Kurosaki; don't regret anything you do- because in the end- it makes you who you are.

    But tell her; tell her before it's too late" Staring at Ichigo with stern eyes, Zaraki stood upslinging his soul cutter over his shoulders "Besides" He turned away then looked back over his

    shoulder smirking his usual threatening smile "You'd be crap in a sparring match if all you did

    was cry" Then without waiting for a response he shunpooed off to perform his captains duties.

    The rest of the day went in a blur. Ichigo spent most of his time under the tree pondering

    Kenpachi's words. What did he mean? I can't tell her now she's...well she can't hear me. Closinghis eyes and sighing, he stood up and flexed. I guess there's nothing I can do now he thought in

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    defeat. After bidding farewell to the tree he'd made accompany with, he slowly made his way

    back.

    Ichigo arrived in the living world not too long after eight. Yuzu must be making dinner he

    thought standing outside the clinic. He smelt the air and delightful scents of teriyaki chicken and

    sweet sticky rice intoxicated his nostrils exiting his senses. Maybe I can forget my problems atleast until I've eaten thought Ichigo positively. Walking into his house the smells got stronger

    making Ichigo realise that he hadn't eaten in days. After staying by Rukia's side and worrying

    about her, he'd forgotten the basics on how to live.

    "Hey, I'm home!" He yelled to no one in particular and was greeted back by a hug from waist

    height. He looked down and smiled wrapping his arms around said person "Hi Yuzu" He felt hergrip tighten around his stomach and was grateful for having such a loving family. He felt little

    trickles fall down his stomach; he pulled away and looked down.

    "Hey Yuzu why are you crying?" He asked wiping away her tears with his thumbs

    "B...Because I missed Ichi-nii!" She wailed even louder than before causing Ichigo to shed a tearof his own. He'd spent so much time at the Soul Society that he'd lost track of time in the living

    world. Watching his little sister cry in front of him because she'd missed him so much, tugged at

    his heart. Wrapping his arms around her again he gripped her closer and made cooing noises totry and calm her.

    After being greeted by Ishiin with the usual martial art move to the face Ichigo was welcomed byKarin in her usual style. They all sat down for a meal after the greetings were over and Ichigo

    explained about Rukia's condition. Discussing Rukia dented Ichigo's happiness but he tried not to

    let it show as best he could, he didn't want to worry the others. The homely feeling settled with

    him all night, laughter, one thing he'd missed the most. He hadn't laughed since rescuing Rukiafrom her execution almost a year ago. He'd been so empty almost... hollow.

    They went on until the early morning, talking about what they'd been up to. Karin had become

    the captain of her local soccer team and had leaded them to the championships. Ichigo felt bad

    for not being able to go watch her play and promised her that on her next match he would tag

    along to cheer her on. Yuzu had been tidying and making sure the house was ship shape. She'dalso been doing double shifts at the clinic resulting in her making a new friend with one of the

    patients.

    "Hitomi Kazuko is his name, he's really very nice" Explained Yuzu with a slight blushing tint on

    her small cheeks. Ichigo smiled at his little family, it was great to see them doing so well without

    him. He couldn't help but feel guilty though, he'd spent so much time away that he'd left his

    family to take care of everything.

    The peace was overwhelming that was until Ichigo's indicator went off, a hollow was close by.Looking over to Ishiin who nodded, he nodded back. Both of them stood up and went to the

    door, changing into Shinigami form they both scattered out into the night like a couple of ninjas.

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    "Ichigo, since you've been away there has been an outstanding number of hollows appearing

    around town. We haven't been able to keep up; I've had to get Karin to help too." He spoke in a

    serious tone whilst shunpoing next to his orange haired son. "To be honest with you, I'm gladyou came, we could use you" He faced off in the direction of the spirit wave.

    "Have they really been that bad?" Ichigo asked in a tone just as serious as his dad's

    "Not exactly, the strength of these Hollow's is pretty weak but with the amount of them rising it's

    causing a huge problem in daily life" He almost had to shout over the wind. Ichigo didn't reply ashe knew what was to be expected. He just carried on running with only one thing pre-occupying

    his mind. Rukia...

    ...

    ...

    The two spent a few seconds running in the cold night air. Ichigo sided next to his dad, gentlybounded from rooftop to rooftop. He could feel the fresh bitter wind biting at every piece of skinexposed to the night atmosphere. His hair rustled softly as the breeze blew almost making him

    shudder. His black robe followed his hair as he quickly shunpooed toward the threat awaiting

    them.

    His mind kept on getting flashbacks, mainly of her in that room, alone. It had been a while sincehis last battle, in some weird way he'd missed the thrills and spills of combat. His heart raced as

    he thought about the last fight he'd had, the fight with Aizen. It was the most anxious fight he'd

    ever experienced. Most people with sense would've stopped fighting then and there, but of

    course, Ichigo wasn't a person who had much sense and he certainly wasn't most people. There

    was a thing about fighting which just made him enjoy something in life. He wasn't so sure if thiswas a good thing or an obsession, he often thought that maybe it was his inner hollow. He hadn't

    heard much from his inner hollow after using the final Getsuga Tenshou. Most nights, sitting byRukia, he thought that his inner hollow had finally ceased. That after using nearly all of his

    reiatsu, he'd finally wiped out his annoying other. But then most of his power came from his

    inner hollow and the fact that Ichigo was still alive meant that he had to be using extra power. He

    had a feeling that one day his hollow would return and be even more powerful than before, butIchigo would wait- he would wait until then.

    They stopped short of a football field; it was the one which Karin had spent most of her time at.The pitch had barely any grass alive on it, it needed a desperate watering and green was not the

    colour shade which it appeared. Standing in the white 'o' shape in the centre of the field stood a

    tall dark creature. Its eyes were completely transfixed on the two shinigamis hovering on thin air.

    Ichigo studied its features in depth. Its mask was the shape of a normal human's head but twohorns protruded out the sides which looked remarkably like ears. The eyes stood out most; they

    were a dark shade of red, something which strangely unnerved Ichigo. The body was well built

    with muscles showing themselves out for all to see. The hollow stood on all fours, almost like afrog it had two huge back legs. Though instead of frog feet, bird claws jutted out from the stubs

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    at the bottom of its legs. Staring at the feet made him shudder as he remembered the night he

    defeated Grand Fisher.

    Looking over he nodded at his dad almost as to say 'ready?' Ishiin in response, nodded back.

    Almost in sync they hovered along and touched down on the brown dead compost.

    "OOOh! Feels like I have new toys to play with" Smiled the Hollow

    Looking at Ishiin, Ichigo questioned the fact to why the Hollow had to feel them out rather than

    actually look at them. Turning back to the Hollow he bellowed out "Hollow, can you see us?"

    genuinely interested.

    "Hehe does it matter if a blind man can see, it determines on his soul to which you judge.

    Fortunately for me, I HAVE NO SOUL!" It shrieked out in laughter, almost startling Ichigo with

    its cold words. "Well since you asked, I am indeed blind, wave and I will not see you with myeyes BUT don't think you've won yet. My eyes may not work but I sense through the ground and

    vibrations" It grinned its now famous grin and slammed its front arm down on the floor makingthe ground shudder. "Take your shot Shinigami, that is, if you're wide eyed enough to see" Itlaughed aloud again.

    "What's with this guy?" asked Ichigo readying his soul cutter

    "I'm not sure but don't threat, this one's just like all the rest- weak" At the sound of the last wordthe smile fell from the Hollow's mask. Everything went silent except for the sound of Ichigo and

    Ishiin's breath gently going in and out of their respiratory systems.

    "WEAK? WHO ARE YOU CALLIN' WEAK YOU JACKASS!" screamed the Hollow down to

    the Soul Reapers. But its face changed so suddenly. A loud sound was coming from its mouth; itwas almost a groan but also a laugh. Then a crack tore down the Hollow's mask eventually

    splitting it in two and falling from the dark creatures face. Ichigo and Ishiin couldn't believe it,the Hollow dispersed from in front of them.

    Silence expanded around them and the wind finally brought them back to life. The night was stillyoung and people staggered by in their drunken state. Ichigo was thankful sometimes that

    humans couldn't see him, sometimes he would go around and terrorise punks and thugs by

    picking them up off the ground. Of course from the guy afloat in the air's point of view thiswould seem weird since there wasn't anything holding them up, at least through the human eye.

    They decided to make their way back, still wondering what could've killed the Hollow withoutthem noticing. They didn't mention anything when they got in, it was quite late so Ichigo bid his

    father goodnight and trudged up to bed, knackered. He pushed open his door which looked rather

    battered from all the surprise attacks which had gone wrong. He stood looking into his emptyroom feeling empty himself. This was the first time he'd returned to the room since before the

    war. There was a familiar smell in the room which made him reminisce; the smell was of her- of

    Rukia. He couldn't bare the thought of not having her in the room with him.

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    He stepped in slowly, avoiding the litter and clothes scattered across the floor. He reached over

    and flicked on the light, brightness illuminating the room. He sighed and slumped himself on his

    bed, feeling the springiness under his weight. He stared up at the ceiling with his hands tuckedbehind his head. He had something bothering him which he couldn't put his finger on. He spent

    most of his time staring at the ceiling, trying to work out what the matter was. It took quite a

    while before he realised what was up. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of his bed. Hethen lifted up his head and stared straight forward. The closet was open, in full showing of itscontent. The closet was the only way he could be close to Rukia since that was where she'd spent

    most of her time. He stood up and walked toward the doors, he stopped short of a few

    centimetres away. Ichigo finally knew why he felt so empty, so- lonely. He placed his hand onthe door and slid it shut looking away. It felt painful, no matter how much physical pain he'd

    endured, nothing could mount to the emotional pain he felt then. He looked up and remembered

    he'd done the same thing when leaving Rukia at the squad four grounds. He missed her, he felt so

    lonely without her.

    He turned away and revisited his bed, lying away from the closet. Maybe he couldn't let go of the

    problems but maybe he could turn his back on them for now, at least...

    ...

    ...

    Ichigo spent the night tossing and turning, agitated by the dreams torturing him. Every time a

    night mare ended, a new one began. This caused Ichigo to wake continuously throughout the

    night. By the time it was early morning, he'd given up on sleep.

    He rolled over and looked at his alarm clock, two thirty a.m. He groaned, sitting up. Rubbing his

    eyes he listened for any signs of life in the Kurosaki household. All dead, well, asleep actually.After removing his hands from his tired eyes, Ichigo looked out the window. The randomly

    scattered street lights shone with as much glow as a Christmas decoration in June. Even with the

    dismal amount of light given off by the lamps, it made it a little easier to make some features out.

    Sitting on the end of his bed he opened the window and felt the fresh morning air burst in around

    him. Ichigo loved the morning air it made him feel almost- alive. Slowly and carefully heperched himself on the window seal. He didn't want to fall out the window, imagine explaining

    how he died to the other Shinigami. 'Oh I fell out my bedroom window at half two in the

    morning still in my pyjamas'

    Kneeling down on the frame he grabbed hold of the top part of the window. He yanked himself

    up performing a back flip off the ledge, landing gracefully on the roof. His landing would've put

    the Olympic athletes to shame, but Ichigo didn't care how or what he did. He only had onereason for being on the roof at two in the morning.

    He sat down on the chilly tiles which felt icy under his touch. Resting his arms on his bent legs,

    Ichigo looked out into the night. Karakura town looked so different in the night, even stranger

    early on in the morning. The town was almost a silhouette against the moonshine. Ichigo counted

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    thirteen lights out of the whole town, which were on. There was a cool biting wind which blew in

    slight intervals. It was a peaceful scene, not a voice was heard. Ichigo sighed inwardly and

    closed his eyes.

    Rukia, before she went to soul society for her execution, would sit up there when she thought

    Ichigo was asleep. Little did she know that every time she went out the window, she wouldaccidentally wake him, in the end he would just pretend to be asleep. Once he couldn't help

    himself and observed what she did. First off she meditated; sat in the spot Ichigo was in and

    breathed slowly. Then she hummed whilst looking up at the gleaming stars. The next thingsurprised Ichigo; Rukia started talking to the skies but she saw it as talking to her sister. When

    she'd finished, Ichigo heard her sob quietly. At first this made him smirk as he thought of the

    embarrassing things he could ridicule her with. Then his conscience kicked in and he empathised

    with her as he remembered all the times he'd cried at losing his Okasan. All the times he'dneeded support from his family when he lost his way. Rukia never had that she was completely

    on her own. At this time Ichigo found new respect for her as he realised, he could never face the

    world alone, she hadn't been given a choice.

    Ichigo placed a hand on the cold slates next to him and almost stroked them. Opening his eyes,

    he looked up into the sky. The stars seemed brighter than on previous nights and this almostmade Ichigo slightly happier. He laid back folding his arms behind his head. How could she sit

    up here all night doing nothing? He thought blinking. The chill kept biting at him even through

    his clothes, but Ichigo didn't care. He just wanted to feel what she had.

    His eyes locked on to the brightest star, he didn't know why but out of all the stars, he felt more

    comforted by that particular one.

    "Y'know, you shouldn't leave your bedroom window open as wide as that, you'll get bed bugs"

    Startled, Ichigo sat up readying himself to fight if need be.

    "It's ok son, it's only me" Ichigo relaxed as his dad sat next to him taking up the same position

    and lighting a cigarette. Isshin contemplated whilst taking in puffs of the toxic smoke, turning his

    head he saw Ichigo staring out into the distance. Taking his attention back to the cigarette he

    smiled "You know, your mother always thought smoking was a bad habit to have. She wouldconstantly moan about the ash and smell being left everywhere. I gotta say though, I should've

    listened to her sooner, poor Yuzu has to hoover three times as much as any normal person"

    Ichigo just kept staring out, he knew his dad was about to give him a lecture but he didn't care

    "It's strange, in a weird sort of way; smoking almost makes me feel closer to your mother odd

    huh? Something she hated now brings us closer..." Isshin took a drag and then breathed out the

    smoke "no matter where she is..."

    As a child Ichigo never knew what happened to people when they passed, being young andinnocent it hadn't really crossed his mind. If anyone had asked it would've been pointless because

    they'd get answers like "Ichigo want ice-cream!" But, when his mother died, it bought a whole

    new light to the situation. At first all he did was morn and cry whilst tending to his baby sisters.

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    After he got over the worst of it, he tried asking his otou-san but Isshin would say things like 'Oh

    she's in a better place now' or 'She's moved to a new home' Ichigo got too curious and one day

    resulted in asking a passing soul. Of course this didn't help because the soul was banished to theEarth until its release from its attached place. All the information given to Ichigo was useless as

    he understood none of what the soul had explained being so young at the time. He felt lost for

    many years, he then decided to let it go and focus on helping the troubled souls in any waypossible. Then of course SHE came along and changed his life, forever.

    "Dad- what was life like before all- this? Before human life, children...love?" Asked Ichigosolemnly

    Isshin smiled looking at his hand holding the cigarette "Life- now that's a strange concept. Ofcourse I didn't have one in Soul Society" Isshin laughed "Don't beat Hitsugaya-taichou down,

    being captain of the tenth squad is no joke, credit goes out to the little guy doing it at such a

    young age. No wonder he's the prodigy of Gotei thirteen. Even with the responsibility you need

    to lighten up, you need to get him to do that sometime, I've never seen him having fun. Life at

    Soul Society is hard, you and I both know that" Isshin took another drag "Lots of work meantless time for myself, but then again the duty of a soul reaper isn't to protect himself. I got hardly

    any spare time, spent most of it filing papers. Then I was resigned to the living world where thepapers were replaced by Hollows and the filing with fighting" Isshin scratched at his chin "Then-

    I met your mother" He looked out into the morning shade still clinging onto the now damp

    cigarette. He sat quietly as Ichigo shifted a little looking up into the star filled abyss. "Ichigo..."

    Isshin looked at him with harsh eyes. Ichigo could feel a case of Dj vu "The rules don't applyto you, you can love who you wish, I didn't have that freedom" He turned back toward the town

    "Of course- I wasn't very good at obeying rules" He stood up and flicked the now stub into the

    guttering. "But don't lie to yourself and the rest of the world; admit to the one you love. It mayjust be the best thing you do..." With that Isshin jumped off the roof and Ichigo was once again

    left alone in the cold, in the same spot he'd sat in all night. He could feel for his father, having

    loved and lost. But Ichigo still had a slim chance of hope. But for Isshin, his one and only love,

    was gone- forever...

    ...

    ...

    The morning came quicker than Ichigo'd expected. He remained lying on the rooftop, watching

    the sun rise. His dad's words had rattled him more than Zarakis had. Maybe it was because Isshin

    was family, and blood related, he didn't know. It could've been because his father had firsthandexperience which Ichigo could relate to.

    Ichigo sat watching Karakura come to life gradually. The thirteen lights had all been switched offnow as the sun warmed the air with its vibrant rays. Now that people were waking from their

    sleep, it would've been weird if they saw a random boy sitting on his roof in his pyjamas. He

    stood up and almost slipped. Just managing to stop himself, Ichigo sighed in relief. Jumpingdown off the roof, Ichigo swung from the guttering and back through his window. He landed

    softly on his bland carpet barely making a sound. His room looked just as bare as he'd left it the

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    night before. The same coloured walls, the same plain bed, the same tidy desk. Then again it had

    only been a night, but it'd felt like a week up on the roof.

    He sat down on his bed, wiped at his brow and squinted at the sunlight blaring through the

    window. Rukia often teased him that if the wind changed direction when he frowned, his face

    would remain the same and he'd get so many wrinkles that his face would fall to the floor. Ichigonever took too well to those comments and resulted in calling her the infamous 'midget'

    nickname. Though this had never pleased Rukia so SHE resulted in kicking him in the shin. This

    was a ritual they would go through continuously; he missed it in a weird way. Their argumentswere a sign of true friendship, a sign that they were meant for each other. They were the ying and

    yang of Karakura town; you wouldn't have seen one without the other.

    He leaned over and looked at his clock, nine forty five. He decided that sleep was a far gone

    option and got up. Picking up a pair of baggy shorts, he changed out of his pyjamas. A blue zip

    up hoody and a white tank top occupied the top half of his body. Stuffing his hands into his

    hoody pockets, he walked out of his bedroom picking up his trainers on his way.

    Ten minutes is all it took for Ichigo to get ready; he had decided to go for a jog to take his mind

    off things. Pulling his trainers on, he took a minute to breathe then opened the door and startedoff down the road. Bounding up and down he felt the fresh air wisp passed. He didn't have any

    music on but he liked the sound of the wind blowing by, it made him think he was running the

    speed of sound.

    Ichigo ended up losing himself in the moment and instead of running, he almost shunpooed out

    of town. He stopped short of the soccerfeild in which his dad and he had watched the Hollow dieat. Breathing furiously he bent over and took deep breathes to reduce his inhalation. He stood up

    straight and stretched his back. Relaxing himself he took in the scenery and people around him.

    It was a nice day, the sun was now high in the sky and a pleasant breeze flew by smoothly. Thevibrant sounds of birds, dogs and children's laughers and cries made Ichigo think. Wouldeverything be this peaceful if the public knew about the Hollows?

    He started letting his feet wonder to wherever they pleased. He kept studying the surroundings,

    the scenes which stood out most. Looking at his phone he saw that an hour and a half had passed

    by. Children rushed near Ichigo after a Frisbee making him smile as they laughed and giggled.Really what made him smile most was that one of them tripped and fell into a sandpit. Ichigo

    always had a terrible sense of humour, sometimes Rukia had been disgusted by it. Walking over

    he helped the little boy up and stopped him crying.

    "Hey don't cry, tell you what, why don't you go buy yourself some Pocky?" He handed the child

    some money and smirked as the boy ran off to tell his Okasan about the recent event. He

    followed the boy with his eyes wearing the same smile. Eventually he met eyes with the boysmother and saw her mouth her thanks. Ichigo just nodded back and started walking, he felt

    strangely- good.

    Still grinning he walked up to the soccerfeild and watched the children playing. He watched as

    the ball flew from one side of the pitch to the other. Then he noticed a familiar face and observed

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    as they controlled the ball with exceptional skill. It didn't take long before the ball was in the net

    on the opposite side of the pitch. Smiling he walked round the side of the pitch following the

    person.

    "HEY!" He yelled whilst waving a hand in the air. His grin broadened as the person ran up to

    him.

    "Hi Ichigo" Karin beamed at his older brother. She passed him the ball and hugged him.

    "Hey Karin, nice goal there" Ichigo felt great, he wasn't sure why but he felt on top of the world.

    Fiddling with the ball Ichigo kept his eyes focused. "Do you have much planned today, I wasthinking about taking you out for a coffee or something..." He continued looking at the ball.

    "Erm I can meet you around four if that's ok?" Karin said almost surprised at her brothers' offer.

    "Sure, that'd be nice" Ichigo was still smiling and felt happy for the first time in a while, a warm

    feeling creeping up his stomach.

    The two decided to walk home together as Karin was meant to be going shopping with Yuzu as

    soon as she got back. They chatted about random things like school, the things Ichigo had missedout on, and his life in Sereitei. Then the subject changed.

    "Ichigo, do...do you ha...have feelings for Kuchiki-san?" Karin kept her eyes adverted from hisas he looked at her blankly.

    "Where...did that question come from?" Asked Ichigo whilst stuttering

    "Well I heard you and Otousan on the roof last night, and well- do you?" this time she looked athim demandingly.

    Ichigo looked at her blankly still then turned away, face tinting slightly. Why should he tell herthe truth, it wouldn't matter anyway. Almost instantly an image of his father and mother flashed

    into his mind, both of them so happy and- in love. Silence remained for a while, awkwardness

    rose from within. Sighing in defeat, he nodded.

    "I knew it" Karin broke the silence and smirked

    "What?" bellowed Ichigo "You say nothing ok? NOTHING!"

    ...

    Ichigo felt good for the time being, he spent most of the day grinning maniacally to himself.

    Feeling on top of the world, he made his way toward his old school. The day seemed to be brightand lively, much to Ichigos delight. The sun shone greatly and loud noises chirped up every now

    and again.

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    Karakura high still looks the same, same features, same boring colours thought Ichigo as he

    walked through the grounds, hands in his pockets. Smiling he stopped short of the entrance. The

    doors towered over him slightly. Strange, these doors used to be huge back in the day, back whenthings were normal... Ichigo's thoughts were restless as he thought of all the cheery memories

    he'd shared in the scraggy building. I wonder if the insides are still the same, He thought placing

    a hand on the door and pushing it open slightly.

    All of Ichigos friends still attended Karakura high. It had only been a few months after the

    Hougyoku had claimed Aizen but Keigo and the rest had already returned to school. They mayhave known what had happened that day but the rest of the world didn't. They decided it would

    be best if they went on as normal, the only thing they couldn't explain was the disappearance of a

    certain orange haired young man.

    The hallways were as clear as a whistle (A/N cheesy I know) there wasn't a soul in sight. Lessons

    must have already started thought Ichigo, they're probably in maths. I wonder how much work I

    have to catch up on. That startled him, even after a life-threatening war Ichigo was worrying

    about school work. He smiled, well that just proves how much school sucks, he mocked. Pushingpast the door slowly, his smile broadened as he spotted the usual features like the scummy

    lockers with the dents and broken locks.

    The clock hit one and then a bell rang almost making Ichigo jump from his skin. Since the

    combat Ichigo had become even more cautious, you could've mistaken him for a skitsofrenic. Hehad never been easy to scare but as the days drew on, his nerves worsened. Of course not many

    things had made him jump in Rukia's ward since he was the only thing that ever moved.

    "Rukia..." He missed her now that he thought about her. A sudden cannonball of misery made his

    high spirits drop a few feet. He wanted to see her, to tell her about his visit back so far. He

    wanted to tell her about Kei...

    "ICHIGOOO!~" He barely had time to react before he was plummeted to the floor. A heavy

    weight was squashing him, well a person was squashing him as they remained sat on him cryinginto his chest. Groaning he tried pushing the person away, after failing for the third time he just

    laughed.

    "Hi Keigo" feeling the cannonball disintegrate, he smiled even greater than before.

    Still crying Keigo began to cuddle Ichigo. It was short lived as a foot sent him flying a fewmeters into a nearby classroom. Looking up, Ichigo saw an enraged Tatsuki watching Keigo fly.

    Smirking he sat up. "I see you two still get on like a house on fire"

    "Hey don't push your luck Kurosaki, my foot works better when the targets on the floor" Tatsuki

    growled at him with fists clenched. Worry started working its way through Ichigo as he winced

    at the butch girls' threat. "Well I see that you're still as gullible as ever" She laughed holding outa hand to Ichigo. All fears suddenly dropped as he grabbed hold of her hand and felt her strength

    pull him up. "It's great to see you again Ichigo" Smiled Tatsuki modestly.

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    "Same, it's been real lonely without you guys" Replied Ichigo in an honest tone.

    "I...Ichigo?" A small and innocent voice squeaked from behind him. Turning around he saw thevibrant orange hair that belonged to Orihime.

    "Hi Inoue ho..." He couldn't finish as he, yet again, found himself on the floor, this time withOrihime crying into his chest.

    "I...thought...I'd...lost...you!" she gasped between sobs. He felt her grip tightly on to his hoody,

    she's shaking Ichigo noted.

    "Hey hey, you can't get rid of me that easy" He smiled sympathetically.

    "But...but...you...weren't...here!"

    "I know but I am now so...um stop crying yeah?" He sat up and brushed away the nodding girls'

    tears.

    "Hey Ichigo" A low but steady voice erupted from behind him. Following the outstretched handhe placed the voice to a face. He didn't really need to since he knew straight away who the

    distinct voice belonged to.

    "Hey Chad" Standing up and brushing himself down, he studied the group before him. There are

    three missing he thought. "Where are Mizuiro and Uryuu?"

    "I'm right here soul reaper" Ichigo turned and saw the Quincy pushing his infamous glasses up

    the bridge of his nose, the light reflecting off them, into Ichigos eyes.

    "And I'm next to him" Came a cheerful voice from quite a small person. "Hi Ichigo" beamed

    Mizuiro.

    "Guys... It's been a while huh? You all look a little different" noted Ichigo.

    "You can hardly announce that Kurosaki-san, you don't look anything like you used to, look at

    your hair, its grown longer. You can almost plat it!" Exclaimed Inoue. Laughing Ichigo scratched

    the back of his head and just as she'd said, he could feel his hair almost reach his shoulders.

    "Well I guess I can't talk eh?" He almost blushed. "Anyway are you guys off for lunch? Do you

    mind if I join?" He hadn't forgotten the third person missing...

    "Sure, we were going to grab a coffee, you can tag along if you like. You can fill us in on where

    you've been and what you've been up to whilst you weren't here. There had better be a good

    reason..." Warned Tatsuki playfully. That third person should be here, here with us thoughtIchigo...

    "Ha yeah I will, shall we go then?" They should be here laughing...

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    "Yeah! I want a chocolate and cheese coffee!" yelled Inoue out the school doors. That

    person...needs me

    "Ok lets go" Ichigo smiled and started walking. Inside he was breaking...

    Rukia...

    "So when did you get back? What happened whilst you were there? Did you say hi to Rangikufor me? How's Rukia doing? Is the food in Sereitei any good? What are the sunsets like there?"

    "Orihime stop!" Laughed Ichigo putting a hand on her shoulder "Breathe, if you don't they'll

    probably blame me for your death, making you ask so many questions" He joked. The group had

    been making their way to the local coffee shop, along the travels Inoue had be interrogating himon his where abouts and such. No matter how much he kept saying 'I'll tell you when we get

    there' she would continue to ask questions.

    "But I want to know now Ichii!" Squealed Orihime clenching her fists and stamping on the floor.

    "But why I mean we're, like, a few seconds away from the shop"

    "But!... wait, we are?" Her face looked blank for a second "Ok then!" she beamed. Like Ichigohad said it only took them a few seconds to reach their desired destination. The shop was small

    and it didn't grab too much attention unless on weekends when it would take an hour just to grab

    a napkin. The shop looked like an average cafe, nice sign on the top, pleasant touches like potted

    plants scattered the insides. A couple of plants dangled from the sign above giving a homely feel

    to the place.

    Opening the door released a burst of sweet smells of cakes and various types of tea. A fewbustling noises emitted from different areas of the room. They all filed in through the small

    doorway, Ichigo being the last to enter. They followed the waiter over to a big table and sat

    down. Keigo and Inoue argued over who sat next to Ichigo whilst Uryuu pulled out a seat forTatsuki. Smiling at the scene, Ichigo asked who wanted what and stalked over to the cashier to

    order.

    "Hello and welcome to the tea house, may I take your order?" perked a friendly waiter.

    "Hi, can I have four teas and two hot chocolates?" Ichigos mind was elsewhere and he hadforgotten everything his friends had ordered.

    "Chocolate Supreme or just plain chocolate?" Asked the cashier whilst typing something into thetill.

    "Hmm I'll have whatever you recommend" replied a very distracted Ichigo.

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    "Coming up sir, we'll bring them to your table when they're ready" the cashier smiled at him and

    he nodded in return. His concentration drifted again as he stood at the desk for a few moments

    after.

    "Um sir, hello?" The cashiers' voice woke him out of his trance and he flustered slightly rubbing

    the back of his head.

    "S...sorry my mind was wondering" He said after bowing in apology to the waiter who only

    laughed a little.

    Ichigo turned around and watched his friends with a slight smile on his face. Sado was sittingquietly on the side with Mizuiro talking about how stupid Keigo was. Unfortunately Keigo didn't

    take too lightly on this and started protesting, loudly only to fall backwards off his chair. The

    group burst into laughter making Ichigo laugh to.

    He'd missed things like that, things that made him laugh. He'd missed his friends. There was one

    thing that kept him together throughout the tough times and that was the love he had for hisfriends.

    "Hey Ichigo, are you coming over?" Orihime exclaimed as she waved at him

    "Yeah I'm coming" He beamed back. Grabbing a chair and sitting down (next to Keigo which

    upset Orihime greatly) he started explaining where he'd been and what had happened. After awhile it was clear why Ichigo didn't want to talk about it in school.

    "Oh no! Poor Kuchiki-san!" yelled Inoue in shock and horror

    "I agree, I hope she awakens soon" expressed a worried Ishida

    "Yeah, I hope she does too" Said a rather emotional Chad. Ichigo remained silent looking into

    the cup of hot chocolate which had been delivered whilst he'd explained Rukia's condition. Keigo

    had surprisingly understood when to speak up and when to stop his mischief. Mizuiro had alsokept quiet during Ichigos explanation only moving to comfort Ichigo a little, placing a hand on

    his shoulder. The whole group didn't know what to say or do.

    "Here's your bill, guys" The chirpy cashier placed down a plate with the receipt on top breaking

    the awkward silence. Everyone in the group was relieved when she came over, rendering

    someone the job of grabbing the full attention of everyone in the group.

    "Oh I'll get this guys" Ichigo said pulling out his wallet

    "No let me, my treat" Keigo said putting a hand on Ichigos wallet.

    "No I owe you guys for being away so long, let this be a little repayment say" Ichigo said smiling

    slightly. He pulled out some money and placed it on the plate making sure there was enough for

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    a tip. Standing up he took the plate to the till and paid the check. Making his way back to meet

    the others, he felt the usual beeper go off inside his pocket.

    Surprisingly it wasn't coming from his Hollow tablet, but from his mobile. Flipping it open he

    could see a little brown envelope on the top right hand corner of his screen.. Remembering the

    squad four nurses promise he felt his heart drop and his mind blank as he braced himself for theworst. Clicking open his inbox he saw '1 new message' Oh man please, please let Rukia be

    alright, don't let her have stirred or awaken. Please let nothing bad happen to her and please don't

    let her awaken, not without me...

    'Hi Ichigo, heard you were back in town, we need a chat

    Regards

    Urahara'

    What?... What?, Ichigo felt like throwing the phone to the floor and stamping on it a thousandtimes.

    Frustrated, Ichigo slumped in his chair next to an ecstatic Keigo who started singing aloud abouthis drink to try and lighten the mood.

    "Ichigo~ don't you think this drink is good, the only thing that's missing is some food~ what do

    you wa..." A punch to the face ended Keigos frantic subject change, Ichigo really didn't feel up to

    his antics. Falling backwards off his chair again, Keigo wailed as pain surged through his face.

    Without looking down at Keigo Ichigo could hear him cry. "Why Ichigo? Why? All I wantedwas to make people happy...is that such a bad thing?" Sobbed Keigo with a rather odd purple

    face, still lying on the floor.

    Looking over the table Mizuiro shook his head. 'You'd think he'd know when to shut up' He

    thought pitifully. Sitting back down, he could feel something in the air pulse. Confusion struckhim as a headache suddenly split across his forehead. He groaned loudly and started rubbing his

    head.

    "What's wrong Mizuiro?" Asked Inoue with her moronic features showing. Whilst Ichigo had

    been yelling at Keigo for being a 'dense, idiotic fool' Orihime had been studying the rest of the

    group. Noticing nothing special her attention spread to Mizuiro who was cradling his headtightly. All of a sudden a pulse flew across her senses, awakening them. Looking over to Ichigoshe saw that he was still arguing with Keigo 'What shall I do? Maybe I can handle this on my

    own' she thought bravely. 'Yeah, I can do this, the Hollows these days aren't so tough, I can take

    this one on' She smiled and inside thought highly of herself.

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    "Erm I just need to... use the little shojo room" she beamed trying to act as natural as possible.

    Her performance was flawless (in her mind). Standing up she bowed down to the rest of the

    group and scurried towards the exit.

    Completely oblivious the others carried on trying to pull Ichigo away before the temptation to

    kill Keigo grew too great. Well, they were completely oblivious until there was a huge crash asOrihime tripped and fell into a nearby table. Turning around the others saw her lying face down

    in some guys lap on the floor, with coffee steaming from her hair.

    "Inoue!" shouted Ichigo as he rushed over to help her, grabbing a few napkins on the way. He

    bent down and lifted her up a little, rolling her off of the man's lap. Apologising to the man he

    picked up the now unconscious orange haired girl. Nodding to Tatsuki to say 'Won't be amoment' he walked out the door carrying Orihime in his arms leaving the gang to tidy up the left

    behind mess.

    Wow she's getting heavier thought Ichigo as he placed her down on her bed in her flat. After

    what seemed like an extreme walk Ichigo had finally made it to her flat, problem was, she didn'thave a key. Not wanting to hang around, he kicked the door in. Not really the best idea Ichigo'd

    had but it got him in so that was one less problem to deal with. Of course the broken door addedto the problems.

    Looking at her made him realise how much she'd changed whilst he'd been away. Her face wasbroader and her hair had grown. She still wore the same hair clips, whether or not this was

    because they were the source of her power or that her brother had given them to her. Her fashion

    sense had always bemused Ichigo, quite like his fathers' choice of paint for the outside of theKurosaki clinic (A/N pink and yellow in case you're wondering). Her clothes often matched her

    taste for foods. It was apparent that while Ichigo was away, her cooking had worsened. Ichigo

    often thought that Inoue had no taste buds at all and that everything just tasted the same nomatter what she ate.

    Watching a lump slowly form on her forehead, Ichigo felt a spirit wave pulse past him. Eyeswidening he stood up from kneeling beside Inoue and started to make his way towards the front

    door.

    "Ichi...Ichigo?" Stuttered a confused Orihime

    Turning around he saw her dreaming peacefully, the lump now huge and protruding further thanbefore. Smiling slightly he turned only to stop dead in his tracks. The spirit wave's gone! The

    hollow has vanished; it didn't even give the tablet time to go off Ichigo thought astounded.

    What's going on? He decided to pay a visit to Kisuke earlier than he'd originally planned.

    "Ichi...Ichigo" He continued to watch Orihime sleep soundly before walking back in (after fixing

    the door) he took his firm place in a seat near her bed. He turned the chair to face the window.The day was still pretty young and the sun was shining so brightly in the sky it could've burnt a

    hole in the earth.

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    Rukia... Sighing he rubbed his eyes ...Rukia... His eyes were getting heavy even though the day

    was so fresh. Rukia...What was with the disappearing Hollo... Ichigo fell into a much needed

    sleep.

    Rukia...

    Shojo- (i believe) girl(s)

    (see the repeating pattern ;) kinda given it away there huh)

    """"""""

    The night surprising flew by without a hitch; no nightmares plagued Ichigo during his sleep. As

    uncomfortable as the chair was, he sat there all night without fidgeting.

    Light poured through the window onto his pale thin face, warming him slightly. The day was still

    quite juvenile and it was still pleasant outside. Sitting up rubbing his eyes, he felt the warm sunrays tickle every inch of his face which made him smile. It was so quiet in Inoues' flat; the

    particles in a dropped pin could've been heard bumping together. Ichigo enjoyed silence; he'd

    grown accustomed to it in the Soul Society that he'd made friends with it and loved its company.There was almost an eerie feel to Orihime's flat, it unnerved him slightly.

    Standing up and stretching, he walked around to the kitchen. Her flat was pretty open planned,with just one room for the whole layout. It wasn't a bad size for someone like Inoue who spent

    most of her time on her backside or in the kitchen making food containing god only knows what.The worktop counters were shining against the midday sun and sparkled as if they were in a TV

    commercial for a kitchen cleaner. Even though Inoue was bad at cooking, she sure knew how to

    keep her kitchen tidy. Opening up one of the cupboards, Ichigo saw that all the boxes of tea andcoffee and various other drinks had been stacked and sorted into alphabetical order. Ichigo wasn't

    surprised; he'd been in Orihime's' home many times, though the first time he was quite takenback by the approach. Reaching out he took hold of the apple flavoured tea and started boiling

    some water.

    Eyes widening, he could hear the familiar buzzing sound. Reaching into his vibrating pocket he

    pulled out his old damaged phone. Ichigo often wondered why he hadn't asked for a new phone

    or upgraded. During his many combat missions, the damage had taken its toll on the mechanicaldevice. Sometimes the buzzer would sound for a Hollow but really it would just be a passing

    soul, this caused Ichigo to only trust the skull emblem. Flipping open his mobile he saw the

    familiar '1 new message' Oh god not again, please please please, not Rukia...

    "Hey Ichii-ni

    Sorry but I have to cancel today, the clinic has been getting busier and busier

    Maybe another time

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    Karin"

    Sighing, partly because it wasn't Rukia and partly because he'd completely forgotten that he wasmeant to be taking Karin out for tea and would've been late. Returning his phone to his pocket,

    he checked the time, half four. Yawning he placed a mug on the side and emptied some of the

    contents of the tea box into it. Spoon spoon, I need a spoon.. He thought as he went on a rampagethrough the kitchen in search of something to stir the tea with.

    "Oh hey Ichigo! When did you get here!" Beamed a familiar voice from behind him. Turningaround he saw Orihime rubbing her eyes in her pyjamas, he had removed her coffee stained

    clothes when he brought her home.

    "Oh Inoue, you're awake, are you feeling any better? Does your head hurt?" He asked turning

    back to look for a spoon.

    "Um I'm feeling just fine Ichigo, can I ask, why are you in my flat?" She had the dimmest

    expression on her face

    "What? You mean you don't remember what happened?" Ichigo stopped looking and turned to

    face her again.

    "Nope" She shook her head forcefully "Wait! I wasn't abducted again... was I?" She looked

    terrified

    "Wait what? No no it wasn't anything like that" Ichigo led her to a seat and explained everything,like why she had a huge bump on her head.

    "Oh no! Am I alright?" She asked shocked and petrified all at the same time

    "Yeah, you should be fine Inoue"

    The two sat in an awkward silence from then on, just looking at each other. If it wasn't for

    Ichigo's mobile going off, they probably would've stayed like that all day and night. Clicking it

    open he saw a Hollow beeping across his virtual map. Standing up and bidding Orihime farewell

    he raced off to investigate.

    After changing into his Shinigami form, and stashing his body away safely Ichigo sped off in the

    Hollow's direction. Breezing through the air, he readied himself for the battle which awaited him.

    He clutched at the hilt of Zangetsu as he sprinted toward the site of an abandoned shoppingcentre. It was due to be demolished the year before but was purchased by an unknown buyer who

    unfortunately died shortly after, leaving it a literal ghost town. Ichigo closed in on the building,landing softly on the ground just outside the entrance. The doors were boarded up with panels of

    thick wood even still they would be no match for his Zanpakuto. Bracing himself he stepped

    forward when, like before, the spirit wave vanished. Standing stuck to the spot, arm outstretchedto push back the wooden panels. No...it can't be? Not again? What the hell is going on? He

    yelled in his head. No matter how hard he tried, he could not sense nor pick up the same spirit

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    wave. The Hollow had been killed by something other than Ichigo, but it wasn't a Shinigami or

    another Hollow. In fact there was nothing there to kill it. Time I think, to go and see Urahara

    Ichigo thought stepping back.

    "Ah Ichigo, I'm glad you could finally make it, care for a drink?" A very chirpy looking Kisuke

    answered the door to the little shop. After regaining his body back Ichigo had made his waystraight to Kisukes shop to find out the mystery of the disappearing Hollows.

    "No thanks, I just want to talk" Ichigo kept his face sharp and focused. Even though Urahara haddone so much for Ichigo like teaching him how to regain his powers back, deep down Ichigo still

    couldn't trust him.

    "I like a man of principle" Smiled the shop keeper as he whipped open his fan to cover his face.

    Leading him through the shop, Ichigo studied the merchandise on sale, there was all kinds of

    nick-knacks to buy. Walking through the back, he noticed the absence of Uraharas two helpersUruru and Jinta, he didn't want to question mainly because he had bigger fish to fry. After taking

    a seat in the room they used to talk in so often before, Ichigo got right to the point.

    "So you want to talk about the Hollows right?" He looked straight ahead at the ex-Shinigami

    "mm indeed" Kisuke replied in his bored tone " You may have noticed the odd sense whichappears every time a Hollow descends to Earth? Well that my friend is due to a major change in

    a certain place. Since the war between Aizen and well, you, its left a huge dent not only in the

    Soul Society but in Hueco Mundo also" He removed the fan from his face and flicked it back"Because of the lack of energy in the atmosphere here, it differs from the spirit level back at

    Hueco Mundo. This means that the Hollows get weaker causing the soul inside to regain a little

    consciousness if you like" Looking over to Ichigo he almost smiled, lowering his hat.

    "Essentially, the Hollows weakness and the souls strength is causing a major rip between the twoforms. Now if you remember basic soul reaper training you'll know that all souls want to end up

    in Rukongai and the process to get them there is Konso. In the research we committed, we've

    found out that the soul fighting the Hollow will walk to the place it's attached to. Then, to put itsimply...it destroys itself to pass on, removing and killing the Hollow inside" still looking at

    Ichigo, Urahara stayed quiet.

    Dumbfounded, Ichigo sat horrified as he tried to sum it all together.

    "So what you're saying is, the soul pretty much obliterates itself?"

    "Well in a way yes but because it's at its resting place it can pass on to either Soul Society orhell" Looking down and sighing Kisuke continued "Without the soul present the Hollow diesleaving no trace of its existence"

    ....

    """"""""""

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    Ichigo needed Kisuke to explain the whole concept again because he hadn't quite absorbed the

    information, even after the third time Urahara explained it to him.

    "But what happens to the Hollow?"

    "For the last time Ichigo, the Soul passes on to Soul Society and the Hollow ceases to exist. Idon't understand why you can't grasp it" A frustrated Kisuke explained for the last time before he

    lost his rag. "I can understand why it would come to you as a shock but why do I need to explain

    myself over and over?"

    "I just don't understand how this would work I mean, what happens to the Hollow?"

    Growling Urahara stood up flicking his fan open again to cover his face. "Ichigo I've explained

    everything there is to know, in time the information should set in so just go home and sleep it

    off" Holding out a hand to the stunned orange haired boy he waited for him to take it. Losing hispatience ever so slightly Urahara coughed to break Ichigo from his trance.

    "Oh sorry Kisuke, yeah...I think you're right, I'm gonna go home and- sleep" He took hold of theshop keepers hand and heaved himself up. For an oldish man Kisuke still had quite a bit of

    strength in his gigai form.

    Bidding fair well to the man in a hat and clogs, Ichigo started making his way home, reflecting

    on Uraharas words. He checked his watch, half seven, he hadn't realised that he'd spent so muchtime at the shop. Yuzu's probably wondering where I am, She's been so wary of me going out,

    always thinking that I'd never return thought Ichigo trailing his thoughts from Hollows to his

    little sister. Have I really been that bad of a brother? I spent so much time away from them that

    they've grown without me. I spent so much time away that they probably thought I wasn't

    coming back Ichigo closed his eyes and winced as the memories of his baby sisters crying overlosing their mother tortured him. Ichigo still blamed himself for his mothers' death, no matter

    what people said he would always feel painful guilt creep up and burn inside him. He used tothink that if he lost his life that the guilt would go away, but that was the cowards' way out. Not

    only would he be redeemed as a pitiful fool, he would be selfish for leaving behind the remainder

    of his family. He was the person who held the family together, kept them strong, and ironically

    alive. Without him his sisters would probably become hollow themselves out of grief so he hadto keep on living no matter what.

    He walked up a steady road watching as the sun sunk into the horizon almost like it was beingswallowed. It gave off a steady warm orange glow which spread across the whole sky giving the

    atmosphere an autumn tint. A cool breeze shot through the evening air making Ichigo's hair

    swish slightly. At times like these he would love nothing more than to whip out his music and

    listen to upbeat tracks that he could run along to. But he didn't feel like running today, he feltlonely and confused, not really what you would consider as a running mood. He stopped, shoved

    his hand in his pocket and pulled out his phone. I suppose I'd better let Yuzu know I'm going to

    be late, don't want her crying when I get in. Dialling in the number Ichigo looked at the floor ashe heard the dial tone ring constantly. Hmm that means someone's using the phone he thought,

    no one ever uses the phone unless the clinics still open. Thinking for a moment he remembered

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    Karin saying that the clinic was busier than usual, maybe it was Isshin making a few phone calls

    about some patients. Or maybe it was Yuzu talking to her new 'friend' Hitomi. Either way he

    tried ringing the house phone again- still engaged. Damn he thought Yuzu's sure as hell going toworry if I don't let her know soon. Scratching at his head he thought about ringing Karin then

    remembered that she might too be busy to answer. What's the point in having a phone if you

    won't answer? He thought trying the phone again. This time it started ringing. Finally sighedIchigo inside as he heard the sound of Yuzus voice. The relief was short lived as it turns out ithad gone straight to voicemail. Damn it! He grieved heck I'll just leave a voicemail he

    exasperated.

    "Hey Yuzu its Ichigo, text me when you get this, I'm going to be late home sorry so just put my

    dinner away and I'll warm it up when I get back, bye" with that he hung up finally happy.

    Stashing his phone back into his pocket, he carried on walking heading in the direction of the

    local park. Ichigo liked this time of day, there was hardly anyone around and the people that did

    venture out were still sober so all they did was bid him a hello and went on their way. He

    preferred that rather than the "Oi you, you- are my friend" he would get from drunken strangerswho would try to hug him. Sitting down on one of the swings he looked around. There wasn't a

    soul to be sighted, in both terms, the park was completely deserted. The swing creaked andswayed as he sat down clinging to one of the chains. If there was a prize for the most boring park

    in the whole of Karakura, Ichigo had found the best candidate. There really wasn't much to the

    playground, which would explain why it was empty. There was a slide in one corner, a set of

    swings which he occupied, a climbing frame which was worse for wear and a roundabout whichhad been chained down due to 'vandals' wrecking the paint and mechanisms. Ichigo laughed in

    his head, vandals yeah right, I'm thinking of a word, it begins with a 'H' and I think the rest is

    obvious.

    Yawing and stretching, he started to swing slightly, back and forth, just to occupy his legs withsomething to do. Feeling the air brush passed him at a fast pace made Ichigo relax. That wasuntil his mobile went off. Well it's about bloody time he thought, secretly glad that Karin or

    Yuzu had finally enough free time to pick up the phone. Slowing his swing down he reached into

    his pocket and pulled out his phone. Flipping it open he clicked a few buttons to read themessage and ran his eyes across the pixelated screen. His hands grew all sweaty and the phone

    slipped out making its gradual descent to the floor. Just before it hit the rubber tarmac he

    swooped down with lightning reflexes and cradled the phone tightly. Breathing heavily now, he

    lifted up the phone again but slower than before.

    "Hello Ichigo, this is Minami of squad four, Rukia's attendant

    We need you here right away

    Please contact us in any way possible and return to Soul Society as fast as possibly

    Thank you"

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    Over and over Ichigo read the text, taking in every little detail unlike his ability to do so before.

    Has it really happened? Has Rukia woken up without me?...

    """""

    Making his way to Soul Society as quickly as he could, Ichigo stifled any thoughts that weren'tof Rukia to the back of his mind. His legs were aching by the time he arrived at Soul Society but

    that didn't stop him running at full speed toward the squad four grounds. After receiving the text

    he sprinted straight back to Urahara and demanded he transport Ichigo to Rukongai. Problemwas he ended up so far away from Soul Society that it had taken him a while to reach it. Panting

    ferociously he carried on dashing toward the girl he cared for most.

    Soul Society looks a little more lively thought Ichigo then he laughed at the pun he'd

    unintentionally made. Maybe he was losing his mind, but he didn't care, nothing could bother

    him at that place in time. He stood just near of the entrance to the fourth division gates peeringinside. Everyone seemed to be rushing around fetching blankets or bottles of acids and such.

    Tilting his head he watched as a relatively small squad member rushed into a room carrying anarm full of blankets. Moments of silence passed by until the girl ran out of the room almost in

    tears. A loud booming voice followed her out the room. "I don't need anyones help! Damn it!"Instantly placing a face to the deep harsh voice he walked up to the doorway of the den from

    which the voice had bellowed. Zaraki Kenpachi was sat on a ward bed holding his left arm whilst

    blood poured down from his head.

    "Zaraki? What happened?" Ichigo asked

    Looking up all Kenpachi did was grunt. "Lucky bastard got me from behind, I could've dealt

    with it there and then but oh no, I had to come back and get treated, humph I hate these new

    pathetic bloody rules" He growled through gritted teeth. Not wanting to question who or whathad hit him, Ichigo just nodded and left the old captain to scare the living crap out of the young

    squad members. Standing by Zarakis door Ichigo'd almost forgotton why he'd arrived at Soul

    Society. Feeling stupid and shameful he rushed off to find Rukia.

    It took only a few moments to locate her; the power of her reiatsu had grown since the last time

    Ichigo was here. What surprised him the most was that he'd only returned to the living world fora couple of days so in Soul Society time; it was like he hadn't really left at all. In that short space

    of time Rukia had gotten a whole lot stronger. This made Ichigo almost rejoice, he would've

    danced if it wasn't for the passing Shinigami who would've thought him crazy for doing so.

    Stopping outside a wooden door, which was different from the last one, he breathed slowly and

    heavily. It looks like she's been moved to a different ward he thought hope arising slightly.

    Reaching out he placed his hand on the door and lightly tapped, the knocking sound echoeddown his spine. Nerves sprung up all over his body, he felt like he was standing outside the head

    teachers' office waiting to be punished. What am I going to say? How will she react? Will she be

    mad that I wasn't there by her side?

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    Pushing all questions and thoughts aside he reached for the handle and pushed it down. Hearing

    the slow creak as the door opened made him shudder. The first thing he saw was the evening sun

    beaming into his eyes from the window across the room. Anti-bacterial smells wafted their wayup Ichigos nose almost making him cough. Readjusting his eyes he tried focusing on one

    particular thing, the bed. Walking in he saw that the room wasn't much different from the one she

    was in before. Maybe she hadn't moved and Ichigo'd just imagined the window in the door lasttime...

    She's not awake... Ichigo frowned looking at the Shinigami under the white sheets. What gives, Ithought they'd only contact me if she woke up? Just as he was thinking that question Minami,

    Rukias nurse, walked through the door.

    "Ah Mr Kurosaki" she whispered "I'm glad you could make it, I have some good news" She

    smiled brightly rising Ichigos hopes even more. Good? That means she's ok right? He thought

    frantically. "Now I know I said I would contact you if she woke up, well in technical terms she

    hasn't regained consciousness. Take a seat and I'll explain, but be quiet though she may be

    startled" Doing what the doctor ordered he sat down being as quiet as he possibly could. "I betyou think I'm crazy for asking you over when she hasn't awoken yet?"

    "Just a little and to be honest I'm a little annoyed too" He admitted fighting back the anger.

    Laughing slightly the nurse continued "Well the reason we didcall you over is because she hasn'twoken up yet but she will do soon. As you can probably tell she has strengthened these last few

    days which is a good sign. It also means she's close to awakening, because she's been out for so

    long she won't have the ability to control or mask her reiatsu properly so when she starts comingto, you'll be able to tell as her spirit wave will increase" The nurse carried on explaining quietly

    with a broadened smile. Ichigo couldn't read the smile, it seemed happy but at the same time

    concerned. "Now we've taken a few tests and it's been apparent that her power has increased byeighty percent so by calculations she should wake up in the next half hour or so. And being theperson who stayed by her side throughout the whole journey we figured the first person she

    should see is you" She gestured toward him. On the nurses lap there was a wooden clipboard and

    a pen, written on the piece of paper clipped to the clipboard was some terms which Ichigocouldn't understand. He didn't know why he kept zoning out he should be ecstatic that Rukia was

    going to awaken soon but deep down he was still riddled with sadness.

    "So what you're saying is, she's still not with us yet?"

    "Well when you put it like that it sounds rather cruel but yes as of now she is still unconscious ifyou like" Looking toward the floor Ichigo nodded and mulled over the nurses words. "I'll just

    leave you alone now Mr Kurosaki, if you need anything just call" She said smiling and holding

    out her hand. Taking the hand and shaking it Ichigo smiled half-heartedly back. She's still nothere... he thought. Watching the nurse walk out the room and close the door he sighed.

    Looking over to the bed he could see that Rukia still shone her angelic like smile. This comfortedhim some-what as he hadn't seen her smile in what felt like a decade. Her hair had grown a little

    more than when she was in Hueco Mundo. She had more features to her which made Ichigo even

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    more attracted to her. Her skin had picked up a little more colour and shone for all to see with the

    sunlight pouring onto her. She really did look like an angel.

    "You know, I don't know how long I've sat in one of these damn wicker chairs beside you" He

    smiled as he spoke to her knowing there'd be no response. Looking down at the floor he took

    hold of her hand and laughed a little. "They aren't very comfy; I think I have a square bum now.They make awful beds as well, can't say I'd ever want one in my room, I think I'd throw it out the

    window. It was all worth it thought, sitting here next to you. You didn't let go, you held strong, I

    admire you Rukia" Is this what I've been leading up to? Is this what Zaraki and dad were talkingabout? He pondered. Forgetting everything he breathed in and then out forcefully. "It's been

    quite a journey huh? I still remember the first day we met, clear as day. I can't thank you enough

    for what you did that day, you changed my life. I know I've never really said any of this before

    but, well, I guess I'm just no good at all this sentimental crap" He sighed and raised he head so hewas staring at the wall. "I hope you'll wake up soon; I need to tell you something, something

    really important. I haven't had the guts to admit it until now, I've been a coward and it's taken me

    this long to finally pluck up the courage to say, I...I love you Rukia" Feeling warm streams

    appear down his cheeks he looked up toward the ceiling and felt them turn icy. He could'veimagined it but he felt Rukia's hand tighten around his. He looked down and saw her purple eyes

    wide awake. Her eyes were filled with warmth and tears, but happy tears. She was also smiling,no grinning a huge grin.

    "Shut up you soft Baka!" She let go of his hand and punched him on the arm

    """""""

    """""

    He couldn't believe it, she was awake! His arm ached so much but he didn't care, because shewas awake!

    "Uh err huh" He couldn't speak, the words just wouldn't form and his voice had ceased up. His

    face was completely blank, he didn't know if he was dreaming the moment. Maybe he was dead,

    a Hollow had actually killed him and all the things he wanted to happen in life, he dreamt up. He

    suddenly dropped that theory when the pain from Rukia's punch set it. She had indeed grownstronger and her punch was more forceful than before and Ichigo could already feel a bruise

    arising from the dent in his arm.

    Rukia started laughing at Ichigos expression placing a hand to her mouth. Ichigo snapped back

    into reality and shook his head. Her laugh sounded so good, like music to his ears. He couldn't

    help but smile back. "Your face Ichigo, you look so sour" She carried on laughing whilst Ichigo's

    face turned a deep shade of red. He still couldn't quite believe what was going on, it was a dreamcome true. "It's great to see you Ichigo" She smiled at him with an almost sympathetic look.

    Smiling back Ichigo nodded in return. The two continued to stare at each other still smiling; they

    didn't need words to express how they felt. Rukia surprised Ichigo after a few minutes more; sheleapt forward and wrapped her arms around him. Almost flinching he felt her arms cling to him

    tightly. Not quite sure what to do, he stalled for a second. Grinning even more than before, he

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    clung to her and thought to himself 'I won't let go Rukia, not now not ever, I won't let you leave

    me again' He didn't want to let go but she started pulling away. "It feels really odd being awake,

    it's like I've been asleep for a very long time" She sounded surprised.

    "Do you want to know how long you've been out?" Feeling the right place to ask Ichigo

    questioned her.

    Shaking her head she explained how she didn't want to live in the past anymore and wanted to

    look to the future. He nodded his head and smiled, he could understand why she didn't want toknow though if it was him he'd want to know otherwise it would plague him until he knew.

    Respecting her wishes he changed the subject. "Do you remember much of the war?"

    Punching him on the arm and scowling at him she cried "What did I just say Ichigo! I don't want

    to live in the past, I've just been out cold after the most awful thing in anyone's experience and

    you keep reverting back to it! Please Ichigo nothing of the past, not now" She smiledempathetically placing her hand on his. Looking at the floor Ichigo apologised profusely. Lifting

    her other hand and placing it on his cheek, she directed his face towards hers. She spent a fewseconds staring into his chocolate hazel pools.

    Ichigo looked into Rukias deep purple eyes and felt his heart beat twice as fast. What's

    happening to me? I'm starting to sweat uncontrollably, why is this happening? Her eyes areamazing, such a beautiful face, I love her... Ichigos' mind sprung up with a crazy idea, well itwas more of an urge, an urge to lean forward and make their lips meet. Their faces were so close;

    all he had to do was move forward and...

    Rukia pulled away but kept her hand on his, squeezing it tightly. "Smile Ichigo, you look like

    you've been sucking on a lemon" Her smile dropped as his face remained the same "What's

    wrong?" He watched as he saw straight through her, almost to her core.

    "Tell me something Rukia... Did you hear the first thing I said?"

    "First thing you said? What do you mean?" She asked tilting her head in curiosity

    "When you woke up, what was the first thing I said? Do you remember?"

    "Well I'm not sure what you said, it was all quite a blur I just remember seeing you and hearing a

    few of your words, and well that's about it" Ichigo looked down but then smiled and sighed.

    Somehow he felt relieved, the way he expressed himself wasn't exactly the best way to tell

    someone you love them. Maybe he'll get his chance to say it again one day and with this newfound strength which he'd gained from Rukia, there was no stopping him. Although there was a

    rising fall, it didn't stop Ichigo believing. Looking over he caught her yawning and laughed.

    "After all that sleeping you're still tired?" he mocked

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    "Hey...It's not my fault that I got hurt! Besides you're the one who was worried about me, if

    anything you should be tired. Can I ask you something, did you stay by my side the whole time I

    was...?" She gazed at him questioningly unable to finish her sentence.

    "Uh well" He could feel his face starting to blush slightly "Yeah I guess I did" Not wanting to

    mention the fact that he hadn't been by her side for the whole time, Ichigo lied a little.

    "Wow, you stayed here just for me? Now I do feel honoured" she winked at him and giggled

    yawning shortly after.

    Half smiling Ichigo leant over and hugged her again. "It's great to have you back Rukia, I...Ireally missed you"

    "Hey you sound like you're about to say goodbye" Rukia said with a bit of concern

    Pulling away Ichigo stood up and stretched. "I am, you are obviously tired so I'll leave you to

    rest and once you've slept I'll come back" He said smiling. After letting go of her hand, Ichigofelt his go slightly chilly from the absence of her touch.

    Taking a bow he bid her farewell, and started for the door. "Ichigo!" Rukia sat up straight as sheshouted his name.

    Turning around he answered "Yeah Rukia?"

    He watched as she shook her head "Nothing" She smiled as she watched him turn around and

    open the door. She could sense that he didn't want to leave but he was right, she was tired and inneed of sleep. As he closed the door behind him, Rukia sat and listened as his footsteps echoed

    through the hallway. Sighing she sat back leaning against the pillows of the bed. She closed hereyes and whispered "I love you too, Ichigo..."

    .

    """"""

    After leaving the room, Ichigo could've sworn that he'd heard Rukia say something. He reallywanted to go in and find out if she had, the temptation was all too great but Ichigo resisted, just.

    He wondered if it was something he'd said that made Rukia hesitate at the end. Maybe asking her

    if she'd heard him say 'I love you' made her a little distant. He could only hope and pray that he'd

    done the right thing.

    He stood outside her door listening in to whatever sound he could trigger from the silence. When

    nothing arose he decided to leave her in peace. Wishing he had pockets to stuff his hands into,Ichigo slumped off thumping as he went. The wooden flooring must've been reinforced with

    something like steel because Ichigo made a huge impact whilst walking away. He didn't really

    know why he was so upset; it wasn't like Rukia had turned him down. Maybe it was because

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    deep down he knew that he hadn't truly told Rukia he loved her. He still had time though, he still

    had his moment, he just had to wait for it.

    Feeling slightly hopeful after his little thought, he lightened his footsteps and decided to question

    Zaraki about his previous encounter. Leaving behind Rukia, little did he know for the last time,

    he dropped all bad thoughts and made his way out the door. The grounds were still very busywith squad members rushing around like headless chickens; a dust dune had formed from so

    many people running in different directions. Raising a hand to his face to block the dirt from his

    eyes he started towards the room to where he last saw the eleventh squad captain.

    "How many times have I told you, I don't need your help!" It was apparent that he hadn't moved

    rooms from the time he'd been there. Almost laughing to himself, Ichigo made it to the doorway.Placing his hand on the wooden doorframe he watched as many soul reapers darted to and fro the

    room.

    "Stupid bloody kids, why don't they understand the simplest of instructions? If I was the leader

    of this dump, I'd make it a dog-eat-dog world! Damn it" He clutched at his now bandaged arm.

    "They're only trying to do their job right" Ichigo defended walking in the room and sitting

    himself on a nearby cupboard.

    "Well they're trying too hard, besides, I could be out fighting Hollows right now!" He clenched

    his hands as he glared out the window at the passing members.

    "What else can they do if they don't do their jobs right?" Laughed Ichigo, watching also the

    people rush by.

    "I guess, what do you want Kurosaki?" Kenpachi asked with a slight annoyance in his voice afterbeen beaten.

    "Well" Slightly taken back by Zarakis tone Ichigo stuttered a little "I really just wanted to ask,

    what happened, you know, how did you get hurt?"

    "I didn't get hurt!" Bellowed Zaraki standing up and facing Ichigo "I was injured there's a

    difference! I don't feel pain, I'm invincible remember!"

    "Ok Ok I'm sorry" Ichigo backed off

    "Yeah you should be Kurosaki" Kenpachi glared at the orange haired boy with a slight tremble."Well since you asked I'll tell you. I was busting up a Hollow when all of a sudden the bastard

    disappears. It confused me a little and whilst I stood around to wonder why the Hollow hadbuggered off, something or someone attacked me from behind. The coward didn't even stay

    around to finish me off, honour my arse!" He growled.

    "Did you see who attacked you?"

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    "If I did do you think I would be sitting here rather than chasing the bastards' ass!" Zaraki

    jumped up and stomped over to the window picking up his Zanpakuto. "I may not have seen his

    face, but I can tell you one thing, they have a very distinct spirit wave"

    "Do you think it was a Hollow?"

    "Yes, if there's one thing I know it's how to sense a Hollow" He scratched at his chin, staring out

    the window at the Sereitei sky.

    "Do you think I could tap into the same spirit wave?" Asked Ichigo inquisitively

    "You tell me you're the one who stopped the worst person to ever exist" Ichigo thought he could

    see a slight smile creep over Zarakis face whilst saying this.

    After a while of talking about Hollows and such, the conversation dropped.

    "So, Kurosaki... Did you tell her?" Zaraki turned around and stared straight at Ichigo in the eyes.His stare almost bore directly into Ichigos soul.

    "uh...Well" He didn't know what to say, he could admit that he hadn't but that wasn't entirely sure

    that was the truth.

    "Hehe I see, you're not as man enough as I once thought" Zaraki smirked. Hoping he would fall

    for the taunt, Zaraki started toward the door. "Do it Ichigo, don't let this last chance go" He

    walked out the room to presumably to go to fight some unexpected Hollow.

    .

    """

    Zarakis taunt had reached Ichigo's core, he had the confidence of a rabbit in a lions' den. What

    did he mean I'm not man enough? I saved the damn world and he says I'm not man enough? WellI'll show him, thought Ichigo triumphantly I'll show them all. He grinned to himself then wiped it

    from his face when a worried and rushed squad four associate came trotting in. Panting she asked

    "Whe...Wher