A young man was standing on a bridge and looked out over the ocean that lay before him and that flowed under the bridge. The wind played with his orange hair and in his brown eyes nothing but regret and sorrow could be seen. All who passed him looked once more over their shoulders because they thought he seemed so lonely. Didn't he have anyone that cared about him at all and that could alleviate that pain he felt?
The young man sighed to himself and shook his head. Tears ran down his cheeks and he wiped them away irritably. He did not cry in public, and especially not in front of people he did not know. Yes, that especially included all the people that already had and now was walking past him.
It was early evening, the sun had started to decline on the horizon and those who still were out were on their way home. In addition to the young man who had so obstinately determined to remain on the bridge and look out over the water while he let his thoughts wander freely.
"Mom, I wish so horribly that you could be here now and guide me in this difficult moment as I have before me. I do not know what I'm going to do..." The man shook his head again and sighed deeply. He felt how the tears stubbornly tried to escape, but he forced them to stay inside his eyelids.
He. Would. Not. Start. Crying.
He put down his hands on the railing and then put down his chin on them. He closed his eyes and behind his closed eyelids, he developed a picture of his dead mother. Her smile made him feel like the luckiest guy in the world, her long, brown, curly hair that framed her beautiful face. The image was so real that his heart began to ache with longing for one of the people who had meant - and still meant - a lot to him.
It had happened many years ago, when he still had only been a little boy at mere nine years. He and his mother had been on their way home and it had rained heavily. Suddenly he had caught sight of a little girl standing all alone beneath the bridge he in thinking moment was standing at. She had no umbrella and he had become very curious about this girl. What was she doing out, all alone without an umbrella? She could catch a cold!
Quickly, he rushed down towards her, with his mother's voice calling after him that he should stay by her side. He had not listened to her cries, but told her that he "would just check something".
If he had known in advance what would happen in the same moment he reached the girl he would just have walked past her and not thought about her any more afterwards.
As soon as he had touched the girl something had happened that he still could not understand or explain. All he could remember was that he had heard his mother's voice calling his name and footsteps coming towards him. Afterwards everything had become completely black around him. The only thing he remembered was that when he came to his senses again, he had had his mother's dead body over him. She was covered in blood that came from an ugly wound in her chest.
The young man felt tears finally pour down his cheeks. This time, he didn't remove them. No one was around who could see him cry, so why act as if nothing had happened?
Because it had.
The man opened his eyes and listened. Had he heard wrong, or was it someone there? Quickly the young man turned and looked around. He could not see anyone there, but he could feel someone's presence.
"Show yourself!" He shouted.
A sound behind him caused him to once again turn around and out of the shadows he could see how a person walked towards him. This person wore an outfit consisting of a black long sleeve t-shirt and black, tight motorcycle pants. Around the body the person wore a belt with silver studs and on the feet a pair of black heels. The face was hidden in shadow, but the man could clearly see the person's dark blue eyes that radiated such strength and confidence that he became completely enamored of them.
The young man could not tear his gaze from the person who was walking towards him. He just stared at the person in front of him. He had never seen that outfit on her before. She was so sexy as she came towards him, and he could feel his heart begin to pound faster the closer she came.
He knew who the person was who was coming towards him, but what he did not know what was she was doing here? Should she not be there, along with the rest of the agents in the Soul Society? He did not understand. It was not often she was visiting, and once she was there, it was usually because of a job that those in Soul Society had given her. In nine cases out of ten she was on a visit to his city, it was because of a mission.
And an equal number of times by those times she came it was just to hear if he had seen anything unusual that could assist her in her task that she got from her boss. But then it was those rare occasions, those one out of ten that she came to talk, really talkto him.
He loved those times. She always knew what she would say to make him feel good again. She knew him inside out, and he appreciated that. They had a special bond with each other that he did not want to lose. He just did not know what he would do if he lost her. He could not endure the thought of having to lose another person he cared about, not after all the pain that he had went through these years since his mother's death.
He in fact blamed her death on himself. If only he was stronger, if only he had not gone to that girl...
The woman in front of him smiled a small smile before she took the final steps which distinguished them from one another. She had so dark blue eyes that they looked purple, and her hair was raven black. She was a beautiful young woman, no doubt about it. They were not even one meter apart, and the young man felt as if his heart would collapse at any moment since it was pumping like a madman. He always felt shaky when she was near him, as if she by just help from her soft voice and gorgeous eyes could get all his defenses as he had so long build up, to completely collapse.
"Rukia", whispered the young man and smiled back at the woman who just found herself an arm's length away from him. If he stretched out his hand now, he could touch her cheek and feel her soft skin. The idea was very attractive, but he managed to control himself.
"Ichigo, what is it? What are you doing here?" asked the woman whose name was Rukia.
Ichigo turned again out towards the sea, and sighed deeply. He again got that facial expression, and Rukia was sorry she had asked. She knew very well what was weighing on Ichigo, so why had she asked him? She did not know what she could do to help him out of the black hole that she knew he was struggling to get out from.
"Ichigo, I feel sorry for you. I wish I could help you in any way, but I do not know what I could do." Rukia shook her head unhappily.
"Rukia, do not start with that again. You have helped me more than you think. It is enough that you are near me when I need it and that I can talk things through with you. It lightens my heart much to know that I have someone I can turn to when everything is really bad. Thank you, Rukia. I'm really glad to have you at my side; you're a really good friend." Ichigo smiled a warm smile towards Rukia that got her heart to begin to beat hard in her chest. She felt she was getting filled with a warmth that only Ichigo with his wonderful smile could fill her with.
Rukia laughed and smiled up at Ichigo in an attempt to conceal what she felt inside. As Ichigo had said they were just friends, after all. She put her hand on his shoulder and looked out to the sea with Ichigo. Rukia knew why Ichigo liked to be here, it was truly a beautiful place, especially in the evenings, when the sun just went down and let its last rays of sunlight shine on the water that lay beneath them.
So the two youths stood, side by side, while the sun continued to decline in the west. After a while, just before the sun disappeared behind the horizon, the youths began moving. "What do you say, shall we go home to me, or must you return to Soul Society at once?" asked Ichigo Rukia who walked beside him.
"No, I do not have to get back there now, and yes. I would like to follow you home." Rukia smiled and looked up at Ichigo.
Ichigo smiled back and went after Rukia up to a motorcycle which was parked a little further away. It was black in color with red stripes along the sides. It was big enough for two people and Rukia took out two helmets. The one Ichigo got was black with a little devil on either side of the helmet. She thought that it fit Ichigo perfectly, and giggled quietly to herself as she saw Ichigo put on the helmet. He looked really funny with that helmet on, but at the same time he was so cute...
"I did not know that you owned a motorcycle, Rukia. When did you get this?" Ichigo put on his helmet and sat down behind Rukia.
Rukia put on her helmet (which was all black) and started the engine. "A week ago, only. Works really good it does too. What do you think about it, then?"
"Well, it's cool. Though, if I'm honest, I've never rode on a motorcycle before... You will take it easy, right, Rukia?" Rukia could not see Ichigo's face, but she heard on his voice that he was a little nervous.
Slowly, so that Ichigo would get used to the motorcycles movement and speed, Rukia drove from the bridge and onto the road along with the few cars that still were outdoors. She loved the feeling that the motorcycle gave her. Everything was so much easier when she sat on it and drove away. The wind against her face, the engines regular humming under her body and especially the peace that she always felt when she drove pass a car or some people walking on the streets.
When they arrived at Ichigo's house Rukia noticed that Ichigo had a big smile on his lips. Whole he shined as the sun and the view got Rukia to look at Ichigo in a completely different way than she had before. He was really beautiful, and she thought it was strange that she had not thought much about it before.
Sure, she had thought about him as cute, but beautiful, the way she felt now? Never...
"Well, what did you think?" Rukia wondered after she took off her helmet and put it on the motorcycle handle. "Was it really so terrible?"
Ichigo laughed and shook his head so his very orange hair flied inside the helmet. When he was done laughing he took of the helmet and put it down on the motorcycle seat. "Terrible? It was wonderful, Rukia! Never have I experienced anything more fun! I am surprised that you have not come up with this idea before."
Rukia smiled and put her hand on Ichigo's head and then let her hand ruffle in his hair as she laughed at him. "Really, strawberry? I thought you were such a person who did not like speed."
Ichigo frowned slightly when he heard Rukia's nickname that she always used on him. "Do not call me strawberry, I can not help that my parents decided to name me Ichigo!"
(Ichigo in Japanese means strawberry, something that Rukia had been quick to check the first time she had heard one of Ichigo's friends call him "strawberry". Since then she had used that nickname on him, quite often.)
Rukia just laughed and put her arm around Ichigo's shoulders. She led him into the house while she apologized for what she had called him. Before both Ichigo and Rukia had time to sneak up to Ichigo's room came Isshin, Ichigo's father, out of nowhere and kicked Ichigo in his side, so he flew across the room.
"Where have you been all night?! You know that the dinner is being served at seven o'clock, and that the rule applies to everyone!" Isshin turned and saw Rukia where she stood with a baffled expression on her face. "Oh, what have we here?" Quick Isshin was there and grabbed Rukia's hand. "I apologize because I did not see your beautiful face in here before you and my bum to son came into the room. Oh, do not say that I will get grandchildren?" Isshin smiled a big smile at the thought.
Before Rukia even had time to blink Isshin lay on the floor with Ichigo on top. "You pervert! Get off her! You will scare her away the first thing you do!" Ichigo punched his father in the face before he grabbed Rukia's hand and more pulled then led her up the stairs into his room.
"You must excuse my father; he is a bit... strange. He always behaves likes this against me, shall always compete and so on. Do not worry about what he said about grandchildren. Every time he sees me with a girl he thinks I'm going to jump on her and make her pregnant the first thing I do." Ichigo shook his head at his father and sat down on the bed.
"I think he's funny", said Rukia. "You should be glad he's there for you, even if he is, as you say, 'a bit strange'. It's not everyone who has a father." Rukia looked down on the floor where she sat by Ichigo's desk in his office chair.
"Rukia, I did not mean that... I..." Ichigo stopped himself. Rukia had never met her parents, but only lived with her sister, Hisana. Ichigo knew Rukia was a little jealous of him because he had a family and not her, because her sister died a few years ago in a fatal disease. The only thing she had now was Kuchiki Byakuya, the man that her sister had been together with before she died. Rukia saw him as a brother (she always called him "Nii-sama" which means brother in Japanese) and it was he who had helped her to become a member in the Soul Society.
The Soul Society was a secret organization that only a few knew about. Their mission was to fight the evil spirits that raged around the world, known as "Hollow's". The Hollow's devoured living souls in an attempt to try to ease the pain that they always carried with them, as Rukia had told him.
The only reason he at all knew about Soul Society, was that his mother had been killed by just a Hollow, and that it was Rukia who had been in charge of the mission when they heard about the attack. She had felt sorry for him and had decided to trust him and tell him about their organization. In exchange for that he would keep quiet, Ichigo had been forced to help the Soul Society with information where the Hollow's might strike next, since he could also see these evil souls and feel their presence. According to Rukia, it was something unique that very few people are born with, and that Ichigo therefore was a very important resource for the Soul Society, just in case anything would happen with the humans that couldn't see the Hollow's.
Ichigo had been working for the Soul Society for six years, and his life had never been more exciting. He loved the tension that arose each time he felt a Hollow. He knew that there were chances to help out, to prove strong to people who respected him and liked him for who he was. But the best part was every time he saw Rukia when she was in full action fighting against one of the Hollows.
Her strength showed no bounds. She was the best agent they had apart from her brother Byakuya and their boss, Yamamoto. Every time she went into a battle with a Hollow, it was as if time seemed to stop. Everything revolved around Rukia and her prey. She moved as smoothly as a cat and she was as cunning as a fox. Ichigo had never seen Rukia been defeated or given up, and it was precisely those qualities that made her so unique.
"No, Ichigo. Do not start, please. It's not your fault, I know you may be annoyed at your father sometimes, but it's just normal. I do not blame you, quite the opposite. It just proves that you love him, because he does that to tease you and show that he is there for you when you need him. It would have been different if you had just ignored him and pretend that he doesn't exist, but you don't do that." Rukia smiled from where she sat by the desk and thereby cut off his thoughts.
He noticed that it was not a happy smile which escaped Rukia's lips. "I guess you're right as usual, Rukia. I'm still sad, though. I do not want to overwhelm you with my own problems, when I know you have it worse over there in Soul Society with all of the Hollows that you should keep track of, while you must be careful not to break any of your laws. I do not know if I'm mean to you now, but I'm glad I do not have to worry so much about what I can and can not do, because I am a substitute Shinigami." Ichigo smiled against Rukia, who now looked a little happier when they talked about something else.
Shinigamis was a word that the agents in Soul Society were called. He himself was a substitute since he just jumped in at times in extreme emergencies, which did not happen that often. Ichigo stood mostly in the shadows and watched as the others did their work, but he had many times saved the lives of several of the agents through his sharp eyes. They knew that he watched them while fighting and that if anything happened they would be the first to know about it thanks to their substitute Shinigami.
Rukia laughed a little and looked thoughtful for a moment before answering. "Well, you are right about that. But at the same time, you have some drawbacks. For example you can not enter into Soul Society if no one of us Shinigamis are there to help you. You also can't find out exactly where a Hollow is, as I can with my cell phone."
Ichigo lay down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling for a moment before replying to Rukia's claim, which was actually true. "Who said that everything should be easy in this world? There is always a good and a bad side to everything you do, and so there will always be, I'm afraid."
Rukia went to Ichigo's window and looked out. Outside the window the moon shone clear and threw a glow over Karakura Town and its inhabitants. All was quiet outside, not even a dogs barking could be heard. It was as if the whole town had plunged itself into a deep sleep that would not end until the next day when it was the sun's task to wake them from their deep sleep.
"It's a beautiful night tonight, don't you think, Ichigo?" Rukia turned to Ichigo who did not respond. He had fallen asleep with his clothes on in the bed. Rukia had to smile as she stood and looked at Ichigo. He was as cute as he lay with his arms over his orange mane of hair, as if nothing was weighing on his shoulders.
Which Rukia knew that it didn't. Not only was it his mother's death that still bothered him, but it was also the responsibility that he had promised several years ago to the Soul Society. Rukia knew that Ichigo would love to be a real agent like herself, but her boss, Yamamoto, did not trust Ichigo enough to allow him to try the difficult tests Rukia knew that all new Shinigamis had to undergo.
"You have it good, Ichigo." Rukia went to Ichigo's bed, bent down and stroked his cheek gently. To her surprise, Ichigo smiled in his sleep.
"Mom..." he whispered and grabbed Rukia's hand that lay on his cheek. "Mom, thanks for everything. I miss you, but I know we both have to move on. I will always miss you, but I know that you are always going to be in my heart."
Tears ran down Rukia's cheeks when she realized that Ichigo was just dreaming. He thought her hand was his mother's, that Masaki Kurosaki was there with him to say a final goodbye after so many years of pain...
It hurt Rukia to see Ichigo like this, all alone with his grief. Why had he never talked about this with her? That he dreamed dreams of his mother? Rukia knew that Ichigo was carrying a very deep sadness inside, but she had never really been able to be a part of it. Ichigo just did not let her come all the way there yet, to his darkest places. Did he not rely on her, or was it something else that made him determined to keep everything for himself, even though he knew that she would listen to him?
Her thoughts were interrupted by Ichigo who released her hand and leaned back against the pillow. His chest went up and down along with the even breaths that Ichigo breathed out. He slept peacefully in a world he knew, but that Rukia does not know much about. She did not belong in Ichigo's world, and he did not belong in hers.
They were so different, but at the same time so alike. Two sides of the same coin. Two different pages. She was the white moon, and he the dark sun.
A tear ran down Rukia's cheek down on Ichigo. He winced in his sleep, but did not wake up. Before he had any time for that, Rukia went to Ichigo's window and opened it. She stood on the windowsill and looked back at Ichigo one last time before she jumped down on the grass under Ichigo's window and sat on her motorcycle to return to Soul Society.
Her world.
"Goodbye, Ichigo. I do not know if we will meet in the future. We are too different, you and I; it will not work in the long run. Sooner or later you will lose your place as a substitute Shinigami, and when that day comes..." Rukia shook her head. "It is best what happens, Ichigo."
Without a sound Rukia jumped out through Ichigo's window and kicked off her motorcycle. She put on her helmet over her face and lowered the visor. When she had almost reached the Soul Society's headquarters, she pressed a button on her motorcycle and soon she saw a black butterfly land in front of her on the motorcycles dashboard. It was a "hell butterfly", as they called it in the Soul Society. Each Shinigami needed one in order to be able to get out from and in to the Soul Society. It was their "code". Each Shinigami had a special code that was engraved in his/her hell butterfly and showed who they were when they logged it on at a special computer that was in front of the Soul Society's secret headquarters.
Before Rukia took the first step in through the door that would lead her back to the place she called "home", she returned one last time to Ichigo's sleeping figure.
He had been so beautiful, yet so fragile...