Author's Note: As most of you should know, Steve Irwin is dead. On September 4th 2006, at around 11am, a bull short-tailed stingray barb went through his chest and his heart. He was pulled ashore his boat The Croc, but died before paramedics from a rescue helicopter could reach him. He was diving in shallow water while filming shots of rays for his daughter Bindi's TV show, because the weather was too rough for his own documentary. Teri has since been notified.
Steve did many things for Queensland, Australia, and the world's wildlife. He should be remembered with pride and a smile. We'll miss you, Steve. Rest in peace.
-
Sighing, Rukia slipped through the open window of the Kurosaki's window and surveyed the living room.
"Where have you been?"
Rukia glanced at Ichigo, who was seated on the couch watching TV. "Cairns."
"Where's that?"
"Australia."
"Australia! Crikey! What the hell'd you go there for?"
"Delivering a soul, moron. What else? Wait. Did you just say 'crikey'?" She didn't wait for an answer, but mumbled to herself. "Funny, the same thing he said..." She perched on the armchair and continued. "It was a special case, which is why they sent me all the way there. Weird guy though. Kept saying 'crikey' when he first saw me, and then asked if he could use his soul chain to capture crocodiles."
Ichigo was silent for a moment, his eyes fixed on the TV. Then, "Was it that guy there?" He motioned with the remote towards an image of a grinning, khaki-clad Australian holding an infant koala.
Scrutinising the photo, Rukia nodded. "It's him. Why? Do you know him?"
"Baka." Ichigo's voice was quiet. "Everyone knows him. He's Steve Irwin, world-famous conservationist."
"Oh."
"Irwin died around 11am local time before medical staff could get to him. The official cause of death is unknown, but it is believed cardiac arrest could be the reason. The body will be flown to…"
Ichigo switched off the TV and threw the remote to the ground. "A body," he snarled. "That's all they call him. As soon as he'd dead he's no longer a person. And you," he turned to Rukia, "You have the guts to just sit there and say 'oh' and not do anything about it. You just took away a man, a man who's left behind a wife and kids! Don't you care!"
"Calm down, Ichigo." Rukia crossed the room and settled herself beside him. "Of course I care. But I'm a Shinigami, and that means I can't cry every time I collect a soul. You'll learn to deal with it.
"I see people die every day. You remember some of them clearly, the ones that were special. Sometimes, you go back, and visit their families, just to see how they're doing. But you never forget, not one of them."
Ichigo stared at the carpet. "He has a family. Two little kids." His fists tightened on one of the cushions. "He died while filming something for his daughter's TV show, for God's sake!"
Rukia rested a hand on his shoulder, but kept her eyes carefully on the window. "I spoke to him," she said shortly. "He's glad he died doing something he loved. A car crash or a fall wouldn't have done him justice."
He nodded slowly. "How will they deal with it? How do you deal with it?"
She blinked at his question. "Moving on. It doesn't mean forgetting, but he would want them to live again, to love again. To live is to love, and he'll hold a place in their heart no-one can take away."
"Thanks." Ichigo squeezed Rukia's hand and moved to gaze out the window. "Do you think he's there, in Soul Society?"
Rukia stood beside him. "Of course. I took him there myself." She gave him a small smile. "He did great things for this world. He won't be forgotten."
"Yeah."
-
Now this was odd, he reckoned. It looked like something out of a feudal history book. And there were odd looking people everywhere, and…what was that? A little moving thing with pink hair? What a beauty!
Oh, snap. He didn't think it was supposed to charge at him. Oh, no! It bit him!
"Crikey!"