Like the rest of you I can't believe it's over. I knew one day one of the best manga I'd ever read would end, but I was no way ready for it. Had me tearing up reading every page until I got to the end with Kazui and Ichika, then I flat out broke down a little. Since a few other writers have been doing one-shots in honor of Bleach's last chapter I decided to do one too. Plus I could hardly resist writing something after seeing that IchiHime ending! YES! Ten years of hoping against hope and it's canon! So here, a short reflection of Ichigo and Orihime wondering what the future holds. Takes place post Chapter 686!
I own nothing, all that belongs to Tite Kubo.
Grasping at the Moon
Odd as it was Ichigo wouldn't have minded spending his last few moments of life staring at the full moon. It was ridiculous considering he was barely thirty years-old with a wife, child, successful career, and perhaps fifty more years ahead of him. Then again, when one considers the mind-boggling adventures of his youth it might have been poetic. He'd gone through so many changes yet for all of them he'd remained Ichigo Kurosaki through and through. Nothing drove that point further then sitting on the curb of the Kurosaki Clinic and simply watching the clouds make their slow track across the midnight sky while a pale white moon leisured peacefully surrounded by an array of stars.
As usual the streets of Karakura Town were empty. Not many could say the seemingly quiet town's streets had seen much action. Only Ichigo, his friends, and a handful of others knew the fate of the entire human world had been decided on, above, and below the entire city. Chuckling the carrot-top doctor leaned back spreading both hands out behind his back. "The stories we could tell." He mused recalling the battle with Aizen in the fake Karakura Town as well as his first encounter with a Menos. Those were only a handful of the times the city had been an unknown epicenter to a would-be apocalypse. And I'd been there for all of them. Hell, he'd stopped most if not all of them with his life hanging on the line.
And yet listening to nothing but the occasional crickets chirping and wind blowing he could almost believe none of it had happened. Except it did, all of it had, and he had the scars to prove it. Someday he'd tell Kazui about those scars and pray like hell he'd never have to bear any of them himself.
Ichigo felt his wife's presence long before he heard her soft footsteps. Turning around he faced her with his usual smile. "Late night snack?"
It didn't surprise him in Orihime's arms were a tub cup of chocolate ice-cream and a jar of pickles. "I figured I'd find you here after Kazui got back in." She laughed joining him on the steps while setting the food down beside them. "So which one were you thinking about this time? Aizen? The bounts? Hueco Mundo?"
"A little bit of all of them actually." The hybrid responded with a chuckle. Gentle taking the ice-cream out of Orihime's hands and placing it between his legs he took the first bite. Rather than use a spoon Orihime grabbed one of the pickles, dipped it deep into the brown-colored desert, and lastly brought the now cream-covered food into her mouth. For some time Ichigo did nothing but smile and watch her continue eating the pickle in that strange manner until she was licking ice-cream off her fingers. "That too?"
"What?"
"Your eating habits. I was actually thinking about everything that brought us here." The doctor clarified leaning in to place a kiss on her cheeks. "You told me for as long as you can remember you've been eating the weirdest combination of food possible, and now you've got me doing it." Reading his expression the healer reached over and handed him a pickle. He followed her lead in dipping the green food into the ice-cream then devouring it with nary a sour smile on his face. Most people would have considered it odd yet for the man who had traversed life and death the taste of a chocolate-covered pickle was one of the best things in the world. The fact he had his wife by his side only made it all the better.
For the healer seeing her husband softly munching on what was one of her favorite combinations was like walking on the moon. In truth she'd experienced a great deal of those moments over the past twelve years of her life, more than she could count. "You know," she started putting her next pickle down. "Sometimes when I look up at the moon and the stars I think about the night…Sora came back." There was nothing he could do but acknowledge the drop in her voice causing him to place a comforting arm around her shoulders. Looking up with a smile she continued, "I know he's happy now because I'm happy. I just…I just wish he was there with us Ichigo. Seeing Chad win the championship, meeting Rukia and everyone, seeing Kazui's birth…" It'd been some time since she'd been able to keep from crying over all the things her brother had missed. Usually she saved the tears for when they visited his grave and told him of all the ups and downs her life had taken. "I hope one day I'll see him again, even if we don't recognize each other I like to think it's possible."
"Don't let me be the one to tell you I'm hoping too. Granted I hope if I ever run into him in the Soul Society he'll be…happy to hear his sister's gotten married." Ichigo joked imagining how Sora would react to the news he'd married his sister. He didn't look forward to how that discussion would turn out, especially given how Tatsuki, Rukia, and Rangiku had reacted when they learned the hybrid and healer were getting married. "You've gained some very scary friends you know that?"
"Some people would say I have a very scary husband." Orihime countered with a giggle. "Do you know how many girls kept coming up to me amazed I'd married the one of the school's biggest bad-boys?"
"Don't remind me of Chizuru." The Soul Reaper groaned shaking his head. He still had nightmares of their wedding when the redhead did nothing but silently glare at Ichigo with murderous eyes that rivaled that of Grimmjow. The glaring finally stopped when they got to the vows at which point she attempted to rip Ichigo's head off then and there with only Tatsuki being fast enough to stop her.
"She hasn't changed either you know." Came the angelic voice of his wife. She was smiling that same gentle smile that he'd cherished for years, the same one he'd fought and fought to put back into her face. "Everything we've been through most people wouldn't have ever dreamed possible. We faced monsters so cool and terrifying they make Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees look like little pond fish. We faced them…beat them and now we get to tell those stories to Kazui and Ichika as bedtime stories. Looking back on it all of it seems almost…impossible."
A moment or two passed with the two parents sitting in peacefully silence before Ichigo couldn't hold it any longer. He laughed, threw back his head and laughed like a madman. For a second Orihime stared at her husband confused until she too joined him. Now the once peacefully and quiet street was filled with the laughter of two spiritually gifted humans who'd seen more than their appearances let on. When they did turn in for the night it wouldn't surprise them if their young son was awoken by their commotion.
"We've seen the impossible made possible and done the impossible." Very few people had ever heard Ichigo talk with such a softness in his voice. The number of those that did could be counted on both hands, and each of them would have said it was a sight to be seen. "Do you remember when we ran off to go save Rukia? Not knowing a thing about the Soul Society, captains or anything we know now?"
"Yep, and we survived." Orihime started rolling a chocolate-covered pickle between her hands. "And we made so amazing friends along the way. Then…you all had to go and risk your lives to save me." A faint shadow passed over the healer's face as memories of long silent nights and cold fear returned to her. Every night she looked up to the sky she found it was such a stark contrast with that Hueco Mundo. There were no stories in the world of Hollows, only dust-colored clouds that lazily passed by a ghostly moon who's frail light did little to illuminate the existence deprived beings who called the desert home. "I honestly didn't think any of us were every going to see the stars again, I didn't." For a long time she'd resigned herself to the silent darkness of Las Noches fully believing she'd finally reached the end of her life journey. But against all the odds and obstacles she did see the stars again, and not just the stars but the sun. All because her friends refused to give up on her when she'd already given up on herself. "You know in science class they always said when stars reach the end of their life span they go out with a bang, I never liked that."
A bristle ran through Ichigo's body at Orihime's analogy, in some ways she'd just summoned up a good deal of his life as a Soul Reaper from his spectacular birth to what some would have called an explosive end. Except his story hadn't ended just yet. "I don't think we're there yet Hime." He suddenly spoke up surprising her. Still wearing that soft smile he turned her attention to the full moon which had final taken center stage amidst a field of stars and clouds. "Every time I thought everything was going to end all it turned out to be was a chance to start over and continue moving forward. I thought it was over when Byakuya stabbed me and took all the power Rukia gave me, it wasn't even close to being over. I really thought it was the end when Ulquiorra blew a hole through my chest after kicking my ass all over Las Noches, thanks to your voice it wasn't. All of us thought when I used the Mugetsu to defeat Aizen we really were at the end of the line…and that barely lasted for a year." The two shared a laugh over that until an easy silence fell over the two of them. "Orihime, after all that I don't think it matters when the end comes, or at least I don't think we should bother thinking about it. We've got enough to deal with now."
In perfect unison the two parents turned to the window where their only child lay peacefully sleeping the quiet night away. "We've still got so much to teach him." The orange-haired woman noted smiling. With minimum of effort she broke the pickle in her head apart and headed one half to Ichigo who kindly accepted it. "Now that you mention you're not really like the sun at all, you're more like the moon Ichigo. It's taken more hits than anyone can imagine, but it's still stands, or orbits."
"You know what that makes you right?" That was a private joke between the two of them that had developed as their relationship progressed. If he was the moon which lit up the darkest of nights she was the sun that always rose each new day. She'd been through just as much as he had and walked out of it stronger than before. "I still need to teach Kazui how to fight when he gets older."
"You really think he and Ichika won't be able to settle things without fighting? Shouldn't you be encouraging him to resolve these things peacefully?" His wide playfully argued. "You almost sound like you want our son to become a delinquent like you."
"Hey! We both know there's no way those two will be able to settle anything without getting loud and a little violent. You heard how Rukia's been raising her, and then remember Renji's the father." The carrot type swordsman huffed while his wife did nothing but snicker. "Besides you make it sound like I settle all my problems through violence."
"Hm, most of them, but you always try not to. That's what makes you such a good person." Orihime noted returning the favor from earlier. "I've seen you save a lot more people than hurt them."
Though both their hands were still a little sticky they had no problem with lacing them together. For Orihime the feeling of the slim gold band around Ichigo's finger never went unnoticed. In Ichigo's case nothing would ever compare to the soft hands of the woman who'd remained in his corner for years and stayed there until he realized he wanted her with him always. While their hands were still clasped together both turned their attention to the celestial lantern that had bathed the sleepy town in white light. From their earliest days as children visited by misfortune the moon had been there silently watching them. Under it they progressed from those sad-faced kids to teenagers and so forth. Despite all the radical twists and turns their lives had taken they'd always come back to the same place with the moon there to greet them. After a while they realized they could be there for each other if they'd only act. Needless to say they did.
Each stole a glance at the other as another gentle breeze swept through the street. When she first met Ichigo Orihime could tell there was more to the supposed punk who everyone veered away from. He was much more complex than anyone thought and she loved him for that. At first glance Orihime was probably the weirdest person Ichigo had ever met, and yet she had turned out to be one a keystone in his life.
Briefly shutting her eyes Orihime stifled a yawn that didn't go unnoticed by her husband.
"Ready to turn in? It has been a long night." Her husband offered.
"Sleep does sound pretty good right about now." She answered gathering the half-empty ice-scream and nearly depleted jar of pickles in her arms. In one swift motion Orihime suddenly found herself in the arms of the three Kurosaki siblings. Having grown accustomed to Ichigo doing it whenever she didn't notice all she did was laugh as he turned the two of them towards the door. Before the door shut she caught one last glimpse of the moon and its entourage of stars. You were right Ichigo, nothing's ended and won't be for a while. Looking back Orihime could actually say she was thankfully for the darker portions of her life. Those were the moments she was offered the choice to give up but she refused to. As long as there's a light in the sky I can keep going.
All the strength and skill his years as a Substitute Soul Reaper never left his body and probably never would. For Ichigo there were proof of where he had been and where he could still go. There were proof if there ever need be he had what it took to protect the things that mattered the most to him. In time he'd teach Kazui the same. He didn't want his son to face any of the horrors and trials he and his friends had endured but he knew he couldn't control the future. No, he could brace his son for it. Teach him when the rain did come it would eventually pass and no matter how long the wait or drenched they were the sun would rise, and when it did it would be up to him to reach up and seize it in his hands.
I teared up a little reading that final chapter, did the same with Naruto and so too with Bleach. Lord only knows what it's going to be like when One Piece ends. While I do feel like Kubo was rushed and should have been given enough time to tie up most of the loss ends I do like the ending he did give us. Two of my favorite ships became canon and against all odds the caste made it out stronger than they were before. I think that's why I've always had a fondness for the "Where they are now" epilogues. It may have came sooner than expected or at the displeasure to many or a few, but I still loved that last chapter of Bleach. As usual Aizen had something to do with it, specifically his speech about courage which I felt actually summed up a good portion of the series. The finale left a lot of doors open that I feel either Kubo can revisit or us fans can fill with writing. While the series may have ended I'm sure the fanbase will continue to go far.
For giving us an incredible story and characters I thank you Tite Kubo.
P.S. Ichigo and Orihime have one adorable kid, no shame in admitting that : )