It wan't raining anymore. Just a mass of dark gray clouds spread across the sky.
'But why should the clouds weep for them if I can't bring myself to shed a single tear?'
The procession was slow, with people that Ichigo only knew from faint wisps of memory approaching the caskets and speaking words that were nothing but foreign tongue to him.
'Damn the world'
Ichigo couldn't see his father anymore. He was probably off to hell knows where, crying his 'manly tears'.
If Ichigo could, he would cry for them for the rest of his life.
'And not hide it.'
Not many people were at the funeral, considering that Ichigo's closest relatives consisted of two twittery aunts and some sweaty old grandfather.
Though Mr. Urahara and his three assistants had come to pay their respects. The big bulky guy was kneeling before one of the caskets, shoulders shaking. The girl was crying silently, and the kid with the weird red hair was standing by the other casket, lips pressed so tightly together that they were almost white. Mr. Urahara himself just stood there solemnly, hat held over his heart.
None of his friends had knew what had happened. They were probably wondering where he had been on Thursday and Friday.
They would find out soon.
"YUZU! KARIN! WHAT THE HELL!"
Their eyes were blank, hands were slack, skin was white.
"Why..."
Blood dripped, dribbled down their limbs from deep gashes.
"This isn't right.."
Plip, plip, plip.
"THIS IS WRONG!"
Ichigo remembered the dark hollow feeling emanating from deep in his chest. He remembered taking Yuzu's thin limp hand into his own. He remembered as her blood dripped down his wrist. He remembered as his soul stopped feeling, and he sensed no more.
"Let go Ichigo!"
"No! NO!"
"They have to go now."
" You should listen to your father young man!"
At that moment Ichigo had wanted to slap his blank faced father rather than listen to him.
' Didn't I get my powers for a reason? I'm supposed to protect my family!'
Rukia would be so disappointed.
Then why did he want her here more than ever?
" I've decided... to stay here."
" Thats good."
" What?"
" I mean... If thats what you want. If you want to stay here... then you should stay."
Her happiness had warmed his heart, her smile tucked away into his mind.
But that image had been lost long ago, that warmth,dissipated into nothing but sand.
Ichigo had nothing to cling to anymore as he descended into the deep, cold, pit of apathy.
His only companion now was fear.
(A.N) I'm contemplating about whether I should continue this into a full length story, or keep it in it's one shot form.
