"Well, Ichigo, you fool, you should be able to manage from now on, shouldn't you?"
"You really are stupid, huh? Of course I can!" said Ichigo, flexing with his sorely missed Zangetsu.
"Who're you kidding? You let somebody rewrite your whole history-" "That wasn't my fault, you know! Even your precious brother-"
"WHAT? WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY, MORON?" Rukia screamed at the orange-haired shinigami, punching him squarely in the face.
"Oi, oi. Cut it out. Ichigo, don't try to get Rukia so worked up after all that. We still have a lot to do back at Soul Society."
"Renji-" Ichigo and Rukia said, but in different tones-the former completely surprised while the latter in defeat.
"Rukia, let's go," cut an ice cold voice that was Byakuya's.
"Yes, brother," Rukia said obediently, as she slowly turned and walked towards the Senkaimon.
"Well, well, our meeting's been brief, Ichigo! But we'll be seeing you soon!" Ikkaku said, hitting Ichigo at the back of his head before heading to the portal.
"Later, Kurosaki," said Toshiro.
"Let's battle it out again next time, boy," Kenpachi smirked.
"Don't worry. They'll keep us posted, Ichigo!" Urahara cheerily piped in. "Uh... wait, you're leaving so soon?" Ichigo asked, unable to hide his disappointment and confusion over the immediate departure.
"You got your powers back, Ichigo. Surely, you wouldn't have any problems protecting this town?" said Captain Hitsugaya, raising an eyebrow back at Ichigo.
"Uh... yes, but-" Ichigo started.
"Seriously, later-" Renji stuttered as Ichigo suddenly pulled Rukia's hand.
"Can't you stay a bit longer?" Ichigo asked, looking only at the petit shinigami who did not look back.
"Ichigo..." Rukia muttered, but nonetheless surprised at her friend's actions.
"Oi, Ichigo!" Renji spit out, slapping Ichigo's hand away from Rukia's. "You can't just go grabbing the hands of somebody else's fiancee, didn't you know that?"
"F-fiancee?" Ichigo, for reasons he cannot understand, suddenly felt his insides squirm.
"That's why I told you we'd be seeing each other soon, impatient one! You just had to wait for the invitation, really," said Ikkaku.
"It's going to be quite a feast, Ichigo! Let's make our battle the highlight, eh?" Kenpachi (sadly unjokingly) said.
"Kurosaki Ichigo, you have delayed us for quite some time now. We have to get going," said the head of the Kuchiki clan, leading the rest of the shinigami into the awaiting gate.
"Oi, Rukia..." Ichigo feebly said, staring only at the closing Senkaimon.
Ichigo was clearly in shock. His friends were leaving his world too soon. And Rukia didn't even bother to bid him goodbye, either.
The heck, she didn't even brag, not even jokingly, about her lieutenant badge now.
And she was also getting married. To the red-haired moron who couldn't even fight for her life when she was to be executed, who personally brought her back to Soul Society to be executed.
Just like that.
Just when he thought it had just stopped raining, the storm simply raged on.