This is Chapter 4, currently Untitled in my one-shots collection Snow and Smiles. this will serve as a kind of Prologue to the story. So if you've read it before, you can go to the next chap right about now. )
It has been nineteen years... Nineteen long, freakin years since I last held him... since I last heard him call my name...
"Toushirou, it's too dangerous to face him alone! Please..."
Rukia was on the verge of crying. They were in the middle of a war. Chaos was everywhere—blood was spilled, lives were taken...
This is the moment of judgement—the day when the fate of everyone will finally be sealed.
"Rukia, she's my oldest friend. I can't let her die by that bastard's hand. If I don't save her, who else will? Please understand..."
"But...but...there's no guarantee you'll make it out alive..."
"I will try my best to live...to survive."
She couldn't help but let her tears fall. She embraced him tightly, fearing it would very well be the last.
"I love you, Rukia. Always remember that. Not even death could stop me from loving you. I promise."
She watched as he entered Aizen's throne room. Hoping...praying...sobbing.
Hitsugaya Toushirou died during the Winter War.
It had been his best battle.
He was fighting in full glory, the winter chill suiting him as Hyorinmaru is an ice zanpakutou. He defended Soul Society. He fought with his everything for a good cause and yet he died.
However, his death was not in vain.
He managed to save Hinamori Momo from the traitor and fought him valiantly up to his last breath. He inflicted grave damages to Aizen Sosuke which managed to make the traitor considerably weak.
Kurosaki Ichigo picked up the fight from where Hitsugaya left it. He managed to kill Aizen effortlessly.
With the price of several lives--one of which belonged to the Juu Bantai Taichou, the white haired prodigy--the human world, Soul Society and the whole universe was saved.
It has been nineteen years, yet somewhere in Seiretei, a heart continues to mourn.
Kuchiki Rukia went on the verge of breaking down upon hearing the news of Toushirou's death. It hurt her like hell, yet she didn't blame anyone. Not Unohana Retsu or Kotetsu Isane for not being able to heal him; not Hinamori Momo for being the one he risked his life for; not Inoue Orihime for allowing herself to be kidnapped and used by the enemies; not Urahara Kisuke for creating the Hougyoku that started the war; not even Aizen Sosuke for his power-lusting nature and for causing Toushirou's death. She kept all the pain to herself. It was indeed hard to continue living without him. She remained cold and lifeless—closed off.
It was four years later that when she found the courage and strength to look at the world again. She was informed, and by no less than her brother, Kuchiki Byakuya, that Hitsugaya Toushirou's soul was reincarnated. It was odd, since it was a law known by everyone that once a soul dies, it disintegrates and becomes one of the many spirit particles comprising Soul Society. Maybe, it was the king's gift to one of the heroes of the Winter War.
Rukia wasted no time and immediately went to the living world in pursuit of the person Toushirou was reincarnated into. True enough, she arrived at one of the several houses in Tokyo looking at a one-year old baby boy with white hair and striking emerald eyes. There was no mistaking it. It was him, indeed.
Every now and then, she would find free time so she could visit him in the living world. She has even lost communication with her other friends from the living world because the only place she goes to when she visits their realm was Tokyo, and the only person she visits was a young lad called Yuki.
"Oi, midget!"
Ichigo scowled at her unresponsiveness.
"Oi!"
He poked said midget on the forehead, hoping to gain her attention and wake her up from her usual daydreaming.
"H-huh?" Rukia blinked, obviously just breaking out of her trance. "What?"
"Let's go."
"Huh? Where?"
"Baka! Where else?! We've been doing this for the past year together! And you've been doing this for what? 14 years before I came here?"
Kurosaki Ichigo died a year ago because of his innate kindness and heroism.
He pushed a young boy out of the way when a car was about to hit him.
It goes to show that having immense spiritual powers wasn't counted as an excuse for immortality.
Rukia opened and closed her mouth, finding no words to say. Finally, she stood up and said, "Fine. Let's go."
It had been a habit for them to go to the living world together, then separate upon arrival to fulfill their own purpose. He, to check up on his family; She, to make sure he's okay. They visit different people, yes, but their visits all boil down to one simple purpose—to protect the ones they love.
It has been three months since Rukia's last visit in Tokyo. She had been busy with her vice-captain duties, thanks to her oh-so-diligent captain(let's hide his identity under the name Kurosaki Ichigo, the new Go Bantai Taichou). She travelled the familiar route she has gotten so used to for the past 15 years. To her surprise, the house he once occupied had new residents. There were no signs of a white-haired, emerald-eyed 16-year-old lad anywhere, or of his parents. Her heart instantly fell to her stomach. Now that she had no clue where he was, how could she see him again? She decided to meet up with Ichigo and perhaps ask his help to find him.
Said carrot-top was in his birthplace, Karakura Cho, checking his family: Isshin, Karin and Yuzu, and perhaps glimpse at his 15-year-old daughter who has been living with his family ever since her mom died (she must be somewhere in Rukongai now). Although Ichigo didn't really loved his wife, he at least cared for her. But it was nothing compared to the love he feels for his own flesh and blood. He was broken when he learned that his daughter was orphaned – first, him, then soon after, her mother left her. Ichigo immediately asked his dad to take her under his wing and his dad agreed almost instantly. That day though, she wasn't home. Ichigo decide to meet up with Rukia and ask for her help to find his daughter.
The two met at the Karakura Park. They both couldn't help but feel nostalgic. Rukia was sitting on the park swing when Ichigo arrived. He immediately sensed the gloomy mood of the petite woman.
"What's wrong?"
"He's gone..."
"Huh?"
"He's not there anymore. Maybe his family decided to transfer somewhere else."
"Oh...Well, let's go find him. It's hard to miss a kid with white hair, well, assuming he still looks the same. Does he?"
"Yes. He's still the same." She sighed softly. "He's as handsome as ever. I've seen a lot of girls following him around the city. It's a surprise he doesn't have a girlfriend yet."
"Heh, as if you want him to. You'll probably go crying like a baby. Or even perform an untimely konso on the poor girl's soul." Ichigo chuckled.
She looked at the setting sun for a moment before replying, "Maybe. It'll be hard seeing someone you love with someone else."
Ichigo winced. Hell yeah. he knows how it feels, surely.
From a distance, they saw a girl with black shoulder-length hair walking towards the park.
"Oh, shit! Rukia, hide! Quick!"
"Huh?"
Ichigo grabbed her shoulders and pushed her down to hide behind the bushes.
"Why are we hiding Ichigo? Who was that?"
"Baka, that's my daughter! She's inherited my spirit powers, so she'll most likely see us. I wouldn't want her to involve herself in shinigami business..."
"Ah. Good thing she didn't inherit your loud orange hair."
"Well, she...she looks exactly like her mom."
It was hard for Ichigo to move on. No matter how hard she tried to deny it, she fell in live with a certain raven-haired midget shinigami. And he fell hard.
For a long time, he resigned himself to the fact that he would never move on. he couldn't bring it upon himself to care for another person, much less love. That was until he met a certain woman.
The lady was too beautiful and kind beyond compare. But what Ichigo first saw in her was her shoulder-length black hair and deep blue—almost violet—eyes.
It was unfair, he knew it, to fall in love with a memory. But he couldn't help it. This woman reminded him greatly of Rukia. Even though she eventually became his wife, he would never dare say that this woman surpassed Rukia in any way. He liked this woman, but he loved Rukia. But he also knew that Rukia loved someone else--someone who had white hair and bright emerald eyes called Hitsugaya Toushirou.
"Where is your wife?" Rukia asked. Ever since she closed herself off from the world, she had no news of about her friends. She knew that Ichigo was married, she was even invited but didn't show up, and had a child. She never got the chance to meet them, though, for she was too preoccupied in drowning herself in her own sorrow for tha past few years.
"She...She died a few months ago due to...depression."
"Depression?"
"She...she didn't take my death well...and she just kind of stopped living her own life as well."
"Oh, I'm sorry. She must have really loved you."
"Maybe..." Ichigo suddenly felt guilty. His wife loved him indeed, yet Ichigo couldn't return the feelings. Although by now, he has completely given up all thoughts of being with Rukia. As he couldn't get over Rukia, she couldn't get over Toushirou.
"But, it's okay. You don't have to be sorry—"
"Rukia."
Her eyes widened. That voice .That stern, commanding yet loving, voice. She knew that voice too well. She's heard it a lot of times before, persuading he, scolding her, calling her...
It has been nineteen years since she last heard that voice mutter her name.
She slowly stood up from where she was hiding behind the bushes to look for him. He was standing there, his hands in his pockets. But he wasn't looking at her direction. He was looking somewhere else.
"Yuki!"
The girl with the black shoulder-length hair ran towards him and embraced him. He embraced her back.
The raven-haired shinigami felt tears forming in her eyes. Her carrot-top companion stood up and saw the scene.
"That's...that's your daughter, right?"
"Yeah...That's...Kurosaki Rukia."
Ichigo felt even more guilt. Hearing Toushirou's voice call her name must have given the petite woman false hope. He slowly glanced at the little woman beside him. She was crying, but what caught him off guard was the look of sudden realization in her eyes.
"Rukia--"
"Arigatou, Ichigo."
"H-huh?" He was really confused now.
She slowly looked up at him, tears flowing freely from her eyes. "Through your daughter, Toushirou fulfilled his promise to me."
She looked back at the young couple. " 'Not even death could stop me from loving you', that's what he said to me. And now, he has proven himself true to his words. Arigatou."
They watched the young couple walk away, hand in hand.
And for the first time in nineteen years, she smiled.