Genre: General/Tragedy
Rating: K+ - T
Characters: Ichigo Kurosaki, Masaki Kurosaki implied Isshin, Yuzu and Karin Kurosaki, Uryu Ishida, Sado "Chad" Yasutora, Keigo Asano, Arisawa Tatsuki, Mizuiru Kojima
Pairings: None
Spoilers: Slight Soul Society, Arrancar and Hueco Mundo arc
Summary: After forever, the fire finally burns out.
A/N: Ichigo isn't my most favourite character; in fact he's pretty down the list. I guess if he were to die for good I'd feel bad. Not for him. For those left behind. He's died like, three/four times already. It's hard to take his death(s) seriously now.
Burnt Out
After all Ichigo had been through, it was a surprisingly quiet death.
He lived through the pain of his mother's death, the wounds multiple Hollows and Arrancar gave him, and even survived Ulquiorra's wrath. Somehow.
Rather, he was dying from blood cancer. Kind of boring after everything he'd been through, but there you go.
Everyone was there. His family, his friends, his rival. Arguing, laughing, reminiscing. They were a very odd bunch, but they were there. A former shinigami captain, fraternal twins, a Quincy, ghost seeing friends and two people whose lives he altered all on his own. It had been a fun ride while it lasted.
The machine's line went flat as Isshin pulled the plug. There was no reason to make him stay longer than necessary. His soul popped out his body, and he was draped in the black shinigami robes.
The doors to Soul Society appeared and opened up. Light blinded him temporarily before a dark figure and two hell butterflies appeared. Ichigo's eyes had never been wider. "Mom?!"
"Hi honey," she smiled as sweetly as she had all those years ago. "Are you ready to go?" Her voice was as melodious as ever.
"Yeah," he smiled. Together, they left for "heaven" with a final wave.
For those left behind, it was like the light of the fire was gone, leaving lingering embers behind to cuddle near for warmth.