He had the kind of smile that lit up a room. It was beautiful because it was pure and innocent and so, so sincere. He smiled so easily, once upon a time. All it took was his mother entering the room, and it didn't matter what was happening because no matter what, he would break out into the happiest grin and run straight into her open arms. Tears could still be lingering on his eyelashes, but if his mom came in, that big, goofy toddler's smile would break across his face. His mother was his whole world, and you could see it in that dazzling white smile.

Then one day Ichigo just stopped smiling. He didn't laugh anymore, didn't light up the room with that silly grin. That was the day his mother was killed, the day he blamed himself for every waking moment. He'd been walking home with his mother on a rainy day when he saw a small girl at the riverside. She looked right at him, then stepped out into the water. Ichigo ran to help her, not thinking about anything else because of that protective instinct that ran so deep inside him even then. But before he could help her, something heavy knocked him to the ground, and when he looked up, the girl was gone. He looked back to tell his mother what had happened, and that they had to call the police or someone…only to realize that she couldn't hear him. She would never hear him again. It wasn't until years later, long after he had stopped going to that same spot every day as though waiting for her to come back, that he learned that she was killed not by a vehicle but an evil spirit called a Hollow.

Ever since that moment, his smile had gone. It was a very, very long time before he could manage even a weak shadow of that once-bright expression. He turned serious, grew up far too quickly, and made it his personal responsibility to protect everyone around him like he felt he'd failed to do with his mother. The biggest smile anybody saw after that day was the most fake one. It was the one he plastered on the day before the anniversary of his mother's death.

The world was just a little darker without his smile.

But then one person turned his world upside down. A Soul Reaper by the name of Rukia Kuchiki was tracking an evil spirit, another Hollow, when he saw her. She'd been sidetracked by his massive spirit energy and had entered his room to investigate, completely at ease. Mortals, after all, shouldn't be able to see a Soul Reaper. Or Hollows. Or spirits of any kind, really. But Ichigo, with his immense spiritual pressure, could see all three, and when he found Rukia injured while battling a Hollow, she had no choice but to transfer some of her Soul Reaper powers to him. It wasn't supposed to be permanent, it wasn't even supposed to be very much power, but Ichigo unconsciously sapped nearly all of Rukia's powers.

That wasn't the end of their story, either. Adventure after adventure, battle after battle, rescue after rescue, Rukia and Ichigo stayed together. They became the golden team. Nothing could beat them. And somewhere in the middle of all of that chaos, that smile of his slowly began to resurface. Yes, he risked his life over and over and nearly died many a time, but he did it in order to realize his life's one great goal: to protect. And he didn't know what it was about all those experiences. He didn't know what it was about her, but Rukia brought out that brilliant smile that Ichigo had believe dead. Something about Rukia reminded Ichigo of what "happy" was, and gave him someone else to live for.

For the first time since he was born, Ichigo's world no longer revolved around his mother, and someone else could bring out his full, beautiful, goofy smile. He lit up the room for the first time in years, and brought back just a little more light and joy to the world again.

Thanks to Rukia Kuchiki, Ichigo Kurosaki was happy.