Blood.

It was everywhere, covering everyone, staining everything crimson. Urahara's blade, Benihime, had fully assumed its name, the crimson princess. Renji—laying dead on the ground near Aizen's feet—was soaked in the red liquid. Rukia, shaking with fear, had her own red gash down her kimono. Hitsugaya, tenth squad captain, was kneeling over his vice-captain, Matsumoto, trying to stop the blood flowing from her stomach with his shihakusho. Ichigo could still hear the moans of both Izuru and Hitsugaya when Matsumoto died, regardless of all the kido healing they tried. Eventually, Hitsugaya covered her with his captains' haori, let one tear fall onto the dead woman, and killed Ichimaru with his bankai. He moved too fast for eyes to see; in less then a second, Ichimaru was dead at his feet. Seconds later, both bodies disappeared and Hitsugaya returned to the fight with a stony expression on his face.

It was all so clear in the world, Ichigo thought, everything is even worse then it was last time.

A few seconds after thinking that, he woke up in a cold sweat.

Ichigo trudged off to school that day, still wondering how to get the faces of the dying from his face. That bastard Grimmjow survived and he was still out—or maybe soul society had captured him, but then again they hadn't been in the best of condition when he'd last seen them two years ago. They probably didn't have time to search after one rouge arrancar. Then again, Grimmjow hadn't killed any shinigami in the last battle. He hadn't killed at all, had he? He'd almost murdered multiple times, but he'd never quite got along to it…

He sat in his desk, defeated. Why couldn't he stop thinking of the war? It was so stupid…then again, his eyes drifted to the two empty seats. Tatsuki seemed to look even more depressed than he did today. Gathering up a spot of courage, Ichigo stepped across the classroom and asked, "Any news from Inoue-san?"

Tatsuki just shook her head. "She's still unconscious. Orihime showed slight signs of an advancement last month," Ichigo nodded to show he remembered, "but after that…" she couldn't finish. "Ichigo, I don't like going to school without her. It makes me feel like a traitor because I'm carrying on without her, almost completely forgetting sometimes. When—when I least expect it I think she's there with me and things are normal. But they'll never be that way again."

"Inoue will wake up eventually. We just have to wait," Ichigo lied.

That was another part of the sad truth. When he'd been fatally injured from the final fight with Aizen, Inoue had rushed to his side and used her powers to heal him. Unfortunately, she used up nearly all her life force doing so. Seconds after, she passed out and didn't wake up.

And she still hadn't woken up.

Rukia had survived in soul society, but Ichigo hadn't talked to her since the war two years prior. After Renji had died, Rukia had barely spoken to him, only to wrap her arms around his neck, and cry into his shoulder. Ichigo, uncomfortably and pleased, only hugged her back and said, "It's going to be alright."

He was stupid. Two years of separation had been more then enough time to admit to himself that there'd been many other things he wanted to say to Rukia. Not the least of them was that he loved her.

Everyday before he went to sleep, his last thought would usually be for her. It wasn't something he could stop and it wasn't something that he liked. In fact, he was more uncomfortable with that then the fact that Inoue's current state was his fault. If he'd just told Rukia on his last day in soul society, he could've been rejected, plain and simple, and there wouldn't be this awkward wondering and hoping that she might return something.

Ichigo Kurosaki stayed up until one in the morning every day because he was afraid of going to sleep. He didn't want to see friends die, he was sick of bloodshed, he was sick of seeing Rukia in pain because he wasn't there to save her. He was sick of the war that had long since ended.

Hinamori Momo sat next to Hitsugaya Toushirou. He squeezed her hand gently as they stared at the shrine in silence. "Do you still feel guilty about it?" Momo asked him.

"No—not guilt anymore. I'm just sad and angry that such a thing happened. I didn't think it would end like this," he answered, staring blankly. His blue eyes were watery, but he wouldn't cry.

Momo put her arm around him protectively, smiling. She'd hurt him so much in the past, yet he'd always been there trying to support her. It was odd now that they'd changed roles, but Momo knew that she had to be there for Toushirou, her best friend and boyfriend. Matsumoto had tried to get them together in her last days, right before the war started, and they'd both didn't appreciate her interference. She probably had no clue it was really her death that had united them.

"Toushirou-chan—I'm glad you asked me to come here with you today. I was worried about you."

Hitsugaya looked away and said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't make you worry like that, Momo."

Momo rolled her eyes and kissed his cheek. "Shirou-chan, stop being so polite. I don't mind worrying about you. It's fun sometimes." They poured a small amount of sakè into two glasses and set out a third one, which they put more in. The one with the most they set onto her shrine and the two drank the smaller cups. They were both too young to have much of a tolerance for it—yet Matsumoto always had.

Rukia woke early that day. It was somewhat cold out and she liked it that way. When it was really hot out, she felt like melting. After all, her zanpakuto was an ice based. Today, she kept it sheathed, though her hand occasionally reached to it out of instinct.

It read Shiba Kaien. Rukia's eyes filled with tears, remembering both Kaien and Ichigo. She'd taken Ichigo's humanity and she'd taken Kaien's life, both with her zanpakuto. Maybe both of them had been for the protection of others, yes, but that didn't change anything. If it wasn't for her losing to that hollow that attacked Ichigo's family, none of this would've happened. Ichigo could've went on living as a human, there would've been no war casualties, and soul society would've remained the same. One of world's strongest shinigami was killed in that battle by Aizen; Yamamoto, the first squad captain, had been killed. Soi Fong was now the head of all the squads. Rukia knew of countless deaths and injuries. Yet, when you looked into it, it was all her fault.

Kaien's shrine was untouched again. She bent down and prayed for him, hoping that he was happy somehow. Ever since the thirteenth squad suffered heavy losses, she'd been given fifth seat. Ukitake had promoted her regardless of her older brother's wishes, claiming that it was in her best interests. He stepped down and allowed her to take on harder missions. But today, Rukia had pleaded for a day of from her captain and he'd happily agreed.

Now the sickly captain sat next to her in front of Kaien's shrine and put his hand on her back. "Rukia-san," he started slowly, "I knew I'd find you here."

Rukia lowered her eyes to the ground and muttered an apology, but Ukitake just laughed. "I never said that I didn't want to find you here, did I?" he asked. Rukia shook her head. "I'm restationing you in the real world, Rukia-san."

"What!?" she exclaimed. "Where!?"

Of course they both knew the answer before it was said. "You're going back to Karakura town."

The war might've had ended two years ago that day, but the effects were still there, effecting many.