"Ichigo!" Rukia Kuchiki screamed out as the orange haired boy, Ichigo Kurosaki, fell at her feet. The enemy, a shadow faced creature, fell and disintegrated, blood in its place. Rukia knelt beside him, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Ru….kia…" Ichigo managed, looked up at her. Blood was smeared all over his face and welled from his mouth. Rukia let the tears fall on his chest as she began to cry over him.

"Why did you go and do that? Why didn't you let me die instead?" she cried, sides shaking fiercely.

"I'm not going to die. Rukia I-"

"No Ichigo! This one was my battle! And now I must ignore the fact that you can be alright! Your missing an arm and your bleeding to death!" Rukia interrupted, falling on him.

"Rukia…. I couldn't let you die either…" Ichigo stroked her head with his remaining hand.

"And why not? No one cares if I die." Rukia looked at him, his blood now on her face. She was talking nonsense of course, the hysteria getting to her head.

"A lot of people would care if you were dead! I would care! I couldn't bare to live without you!" Ichigo shouted. Rukia sat back up, a surprised look on her face.

"Why is that Ichigo? What have I done besides twist your life up?" Rukia whispered.

"You have given me a feeling I cannot doubt! You give me strength and courage and you have always pulled me through! Don't you see? I love you Rukia!" Ichigo hugged her head to his chest. Rukia gripped his shirt.

"I love you too Ichigo…" she told him. Ichigo smiled and closed his eyes.

"Good… at least that was cleared up before I went." Ichigo chuckled. Rukia pulled from his grasp.

"That still doesn't change the fact-"

"After all this and you still treat me like a child." Ichigo mused. He grimaced in pain and hacked up blood. He reached out to touch her face, eyes opening. Rukia trembled as he did but it was only to last a second.

Ichigo's hand went limp and his body cold. His eyes clouded. Rukia gripped his hand. "No…" she breathed. "No!" she began to get louder and threw her head back to the sky. "IICHIIIIIIGGGGOOOOOOO!"

~*15 Years Later: Soul Society *~

Rukia started awake. She put her head in her hand as she held back tears. "Fifteen years have passed…. But yet his memory stays…" she choked, bringing out a picture from under her pillow.

She remembered this one well. The year she and Ichigo had gone to the beach with everyone. He looked so happy…

"Rukia?" a voice called through the door.

"Yes Hanatarou?" Rukia quickly replaced the picture under her pillow and got out of her bed.

"Mr. Abarai is waiting for you. He says that you were suppose to meet him half an hour ago to go check out the progress on the wedding setup today." Hanatarou explained.

"Oh yes. Tell him I will be there as soon as I get changed!" Rukia instructed. This doesn't feel right still… I thought I would get used to the idea after a while… but I can still feel him behind me. Rukia thought as she changed.

Ever since Ichigo's death, Rukia felt that he was still there… somewhere. Even if he died in front of her eyes, she refused to believe he was all the way dead. Finally after ten years she stopped worrying everybody and tried to pick up her life again. But nothing worked. Even after she agreed to marry Renji, it never felt right.

Rukia went to her door and left her room. Zanpactou at her side. She patted her cheeks to help wake herself up. She hoped she hadn't been crying in her sleep again. Lately shes been feeling worse than she ever did. Like Ichigo had died all over again. What was happening? Her feelings seemed to keep growing stronger.

"There you are Rukia!" Renji called over to her, grinning happily. He seemed to be the only one oblivious to her pain deep down. Even Byakuya could sense she still loved Ichigo. Maybe he did see it… maybe he was just denying it.

"Kanichiwa Renji." Rukia greeted, waving her hand tiredly. Renji looked at her curiously.

"Did you just get up?" he asked. Rukia sweatdropped.

"It's the afternoon isn't it?" Rukia sighed. Just what I need, another sign of depression. she thought unhappily.

"Yeah its 12:300pm. I thought you would have been up hours ago. I also heard you rejected being the thirteenth squad lieutenant again," Renji looked at her with a stern gaze. Rukia looked down. It was true. Ukitake had been offering her the position relentlessly but she didn't want it. This of course meant she had declined many a times even though it made both her brother and her fiance upset.

"You know I don't want the position Renji." Rukia reminded him. Renji grunted.

"I will pass it for now. Lets go check things out. I already snooped around a bit but I want your opinion too." Renji looked behind him. Rukia nodded and walked with him through the layout. Rukia made small opinions but in her mind the whole thing was wrong. Everything was too plain… too dark…. Too…. She didn't dare even go further.

When they were finished she was ready to go back to her duties for half an hour. Renji saw her anxious and frowned. She looked back at him. "What?"

"I like how you are a dedicated girl Rukia but I wish you would find some enjoyment in spending time on our wedding." Renji grumbled.

"One, I am a woman Renji… not a girl. Two, I'm sorry but I really like my job." She listed. And it keeps me busy so I don't think about him. Rukia added silently. "Now I have to go, bye Renji."

Renji leaned in to kiss her cheek but she was already running off. She felt bad, but she really wasn't into this. She ran a corner and barely stopped herself from running into someone.

"Gah! What the hell?" the boy gasped, arm raised in preparation for collision but lowered it slowly as it didn't happen.

"I'm sorry I-" Rukia cut herself off as she stared at his face. Her eyes tearing up all over again. "Ichi…..go….?" her eyes were almost popping out of her sockets. The boy she believed dead. The one she loved, was standing right before her…

(To Be Continued…)