"Fuck", Renji wheezed.
Throwing a look over his shoulder to make sure Rukia was still right behind him. She wasnt, nor was theire orange haired friend. "Fuck!"He stopped in his tracks, searching lightly alarmed for his two friends. Only to get run over by the petite raven.

"What are you doing, idiot? Dont stop!", she called while grabbing his wrist. Pulling him towards the Senkaimon opening a few meters away from them. Renji really didnt need to be told twice.

"Where's Ichigo?"

Rukia only pointed behind her, towards the group of Hollows making theire way over to them.
"Buying time."

Renji rolled his eyes. How typical, he thought, that annoying man and his hero tendencies. He speeded up, whilst throwing a swearing Rukia over his shoulders, when he felt a familar Reatsu rise. Right before he went through the Doors he turned a last time, giving in to the urge to verify Ichigos safety. But all he saw was a mop of orange hair and a grim expression. The next thing he felt was something hard slamming into him, pushing him through the Senkaimon.

Resulting in him kissing the hard ground of Uraharas basement. "Godamnit Renji!" Rukia exclaimed after hitting the back of his head. Hard. Renji grinnded his teeth. Grumbling about Ichigo, the asshole, having a serious death wish while picking himselfe from the floor.

"So ~ How did it went?" Urahara asked in his somewhat disturbing smiling-behind-a-fan manner.

"What does it looks like?" Renji retorted heated. The ensuing laughter erupting from the scietistonly managed to piss off the redhead even more. They had been asked to find one off the few left Arrancars residing in Huceo Mundo and offer them an invatation to join the next Captains meeting in Seireitei.

Something about maintaining a peaceful basis for possible future negotiations. And since Ichigo had a somewhat friendly conection with a few Arrancars and Hollows (and him being one partialy himselfe) they had send him together with two Shinigamis representing Soul Society. And who could handle Ichigo better than one certain petite raven and her childhood friend. By the way...

"Where's that fucktard?!"

Rukia dusted herselfe off. "Wasnt he right behind us?"
Right on cue the man entered the realm of the living, Senkaimon closing behind him.

"God Ichigo, cant be a bit more..."
Every Insult died rightin her throat when she took in his form. Slouched over, one bloodied hand wrapped around his abdomen, the other firmly grasping Zangetsu, using the Zanpakuto as a cane.
He looked down, taking his hand from the wound or rather the hole that was where his stomach was supposed to be.

Coughing blood and sinking down on one knee, he looked back up. Right at her. Flashing one last bloody smile, soft and knowing. Making her want to puke, run over, stop that blood fom gushing out if him. And wipe that look off his face. Made her want to...

But she couldnt move, couldnt, breath, couldnt shout. And so she was forced to watch as her friends skin started to crack. Making him look like an old painting where the paint is slowly peeling off, while he started to dissolve into nothingness.

Gone.

It had happened to fast. Not even a full minute had passed. Even Kisuke hadnt been able to move. Nor had Renji. Only Tessai had been running over towards them from the ladder.

Gone.
Just like that.

The only thing left, reminding everyone that Ichigo had just bee standing there, was the puddle of blood that had formed beneath his feet. And all she could do was stare at it. Even when Urahra had regained his composure, even when Renji had approached her and shoved her towards the ladder, even half an hour latter when they had sat on the round table in the shouten. All she could do was blink. The picture of his smile stuck in her head, his last smile. The only one this soft she had ever seen on his face. The last she would ever see.

She didnt even noticed when Ishida stormed in demanding answers, why the fucking hell the always annoying pressure of one Kurosaki Ichigo was gone. As in completly gone. Disappeared.
Didnt cared, how his face lost all his colour when Urahara was forced to tell him. And left the explaining to Renji.

The Quincy lokked like he wanted to shout at them, scream and blame them. Because right now, it was theire fault. Theire fucking fault. But all he did was look at them in a way that hurt more, conveyed more of what he felt towards them, than he could ever have worded. But Rukia didnt notice. Latershe would remember and feel all of his hatred but not right now. Right now she felt nothing. Nothing but settling in her stomach emptyness as heavier than a stone, sharper than any blade.

It got worse when Hime and Chad entered the small room. A feeling of dread let them move more cautiously and slower. And they didnt even want to ask when they saw the look on Ishidas face. So they waited for someone to say it. And Ishida did, would have said even more if it wasnt for the Kurosaki Family standing in the doorway. Hell that wasnt something he wanted to do. That truly wasnt his fucking job. So he didnt say any more when Isshin asked. Wanted the Shinigami to say it because, fuck, it was theire fault and theire responsibility.

And that was when Rukia spoke for the first time. When she finally got aware of her surroundings. And the first thing that catched her eyes were the faces of the twins. The two souls in the whole world, that had been the most importand to Ichigo. She owed them a explantation. She wouldnt run away from her duty again. Not like she had done with Kaien. She couldnt push the matter aside. She owed this family. It had been her after all, her who had pushed Ichigo into this world. No matter what he himselfe said, it had been her fault after all. She was responsible for theire brother ending up in a military organisation, fighting in wars, for his life and for the sake of three dimensions. Dumping a burden on him, that wasnt supposed to be carried by the shoulders of a teenager.

So she told them.

And the following view would be stuck in the back of her mind for the rest of her afterlife. She didnt know if this or the last smile Ichigo had thrown her were worse.

Karin looked ripped appart, and she cried. Oh how she cried. Letting her father envelope them in a hug. Not finding the strengh to fight back, to fend him off, to face this situation alone. Yuzu would look apathetic for the following next six weeks. Not one emotion making its way into her face. No tears streamed down her face and no word came over her lips. She didnt move, she didnt care when her dad grabbed her and carried both of them home. She didnt care, not about any of them. Not anymore. Letting only her sister close. Only her.

It hadnt even been two hours, when Rukia and Renji made theire way back, back to Soul Society. Heading towards theire respective Captains. Renji hadnt actually wanted to let her depart and wander around by herselfe, but didnt dare to do more than squeeze her shoulder. Not after the way Rukia had acted.

He himselfe felt pretty beat up. Only two hours since Ichigos...
And Renji felt like a the work worth of a whole month had been pushed into these two hours. He hadnt felt like this since a really long time. Since he and Rukia had lost the third and last of theire childhoodfriends to be exact. This was something he knew could always happen, since they worked in a military organisation, fighting was theire job, so was putting theire life on the line.

He couldnt deny his hope of never feeling this kind of feeling again. Or at least not so soon. But was it really that soon? He and Rukia had lived quiet a long afterlive already. And Ichigo... ?

It hit Renji like a wall (quiet literally since he actually did run into a pole on his way towards his captain), just how young his friend had been. Like... how he had only been 18 years old.

18 years. He didnt even had two decades to spent. How many decades had they had? How many centuries had some of them had? And the man who they all owed, didnt even get to live up to twenty. And even then... how much of his time did he use to fight? How many quiet evenings did Ichigo get to enjoy without having to deal with Hollows? The ones out in the streets, wanting to destroy and devour. And the one inside residing within his very own soul. Or the stress of having to defend three fucking dimensions filled with innocent and not so innocent souls.

Of course it wasnt actually Ichigos duty, but he had always, always taken up the burden himslefe, rather than charing them equaly, to lessen said burden. Always wanting to protect everyone around him. Everyone. What would happen now that they he was .. gone.

Renji still couldnt exactly wrap his head around the fact that hisorange haired friend was, he swallowed hard, dead. He had seen his last moments. Had seen how Ichigo had looked at them, smiled in a way that said he knew. And even more important, he was okay with it.

The sort of smile you give someone you dont expect to see ever again but want them to know that you happy for you. Happy that you yourselfe are alive, have survived, even if it demands his life in return.

It had obviously meant, it's okay. Even though Renji knew as much, cause he knew what kind of person Ichigo was... had been, this would eat at him for the rest of his afterlife. Until his very own death he would remember that smile and a part of him will feel as though he dosent deserved it.

Renji stopped right in front of Kuchiki Byakuyas Office. Taking a deep breath before knocking.
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