"Was he someone important to you, Kurosaki?"

Ichigo looked up at the older girl sitting opposite from him, she was picking at her tonjiru soup and looking directly at him. Ichigo suddenly felt uneasy and straightened up in his chair, clearing his throat as he spoke.

"Well no, he wasn't. He was my enemy, I had to defeat him. It was the only way to bring Inoue back safely."

"Is that so? Then why didn't you return right after defeating him? From what you said, it sounds like you could have made a run for it and avoided the entire showdown in Hueco Mundo."

"It wasn't as easy as that, Rika! I had to fight them, that's the reason why we went in th-"

"I thought the reason you went was to rescue Inoue-chan?"

"Well, yes… That was our mission but once there we had to fight to stay alive!"

Rika sighed and leaned back in her chair, pulling her black hair back into a bun and pinning it. The entire time never taking her glare off Ichigo. Ichigo, in return, decided that his soup suddenly deserved his undivided attention and proceeded to devour it.

"So that panther guy had a point then, huh Ichigo?"

Ichigo looked up at Rika, swallowing harder than he had intended.

"About what?"

"About you just wanting to go to Hueco Mundo to fight, to test your power."

Ichigo began to protest when Rika cut him off once more,

"I know, you had no choice. I'm not judging you, I'm just saying that perhaps the panther guy was right in his theory of your motives and you should recognize that. You saved Inoue-chan and Karakura so in the end it all worked out and you did great and anyone who knows the truth is grateful, I'm grateful. You defeated the bad guys and lived to tell the tale, but I just want to know why whenever you speak of that specific battle with that specific Arrancar you go all Bruce Wayne on me. That's why I asked if he was important. If what he said got to you then just admit and accept it, no one will think any less of you. They wouldn't dare."

Ichigo was quiet for a moment, pondering on Rika's words. They hadn't known each other that long, Isshin had hired the petite girl to help around the clinic and do the clerical duties a few months ago. Yet despite their lack of acquaintanceship, Rika had managed to forge a budding friendship with the high school boy and become a confidant of sorts to him. She didn't seem to possess any type of special spiritual power like Chad or Orihime but she did possess very strong spiritual energy for a human and was not immune to the odd occurrences in Karakura. Ichigo smiled.

"You've got it wrong Rika, it wasn't what he said that gets to me. I know he had a point, he was right about me wanting to fight. I have no qualms with that. And yeah, I guess he was important in a way. By the end, I didn't consider him evil or a bad guy, in fact, I don't think he gave a damn about Aizen's agenda. No, I know he didn't give a damn. All he wanted to do was prove his own existence, that he wasn't just another Arrancar being led around by Aizen. He wanted to prove he was powerful, that he was his own king. And… he never got that chance."

Rika's eyes softened as she heaved a heavy sigh,

"So he died?"

"Yes, but not by my hands. He was betrayed by his comrade and slain in cold blood. I didn't want to kill him, but there was also nothing I could do to save him. His murderer came after us immediately. We had to move fast."

"I see, and that's what bothers you… That, in the end, you couldn't do anything for him."

Ichigo nodded. The two teens sat in silence for the remainder of their meal. It wasn't an awkward silence, it was a pleasant and welcomed silence where both Rika and Ichigo could enjoy one another's company without having to utter a single word. Ichigo guessed that it was their comfort with not having to say anything to one another yet still know when something was wrong that made their bond so strong in such a short period of time. And now that Ichigo didn't have his Shinigami powers anymore, he could return to a normal life. He had no idea how he would go about doing that but he was sure that as long as someone like Rika was around he would somehow manage.

Seventeen Months Later

"So… after Rukia stabbed you, you got your powers back?"

Ichigo smiled broadly and held up his Shinigami badge,

"Yup, I'm a substitute Shinigami again."

Rika let out an exasperated sigh as she finished restocking the bandages in the first aide cabinet in the clinic. Ichigo's smile disappeared, he blinked a few times and withdrew his badge.

"Rika, what's wrong? This is a good thing, I'm strong again and I can protect you and Yuzu and Karin and everyone!"

"What's wrong, Kurosaki, is that everything was peaceful when you were just another average kid. Things are gonna get freaky again, I can just sense it…"

"Yeah, probably. But like I said, I'm stronger now so I can protect you."

Ichigo smiled again and rubbed the back of his head, Rika glared at the young boy and began to pack up her things.

"I wouldn't need protection is you had just stayed ordinary!"

Ichigo's eye's grew wide before he softened them again, giving a smaller smile.

"It's hard for you, isn't it? Karin said she's noticed you're spiritual energy has been increasing since I released my Fullbringer while training with Kujo. I guess it's the side effect of working here all week and being exposed to my spiritual energy. It's probably going to get worse now that I'm a Shinigami again. I'm sorry Rika, but I promise that no matter what happens I won't let anything hurt you. I'll use this power to protect you and everyone in my life."

Rika felt a blow of guilt for yelling at Ichigo. It was all true, since a few months ago when Ichigo had begun training again, Rika could physically feel the change in her ability to sense spirits. When she had arrived in Karakura from Canada, nothing had really changed. She could sense small pressures every once in a while but that was about it. Then she met Kurosaki Isshin at the grocery store and after helping him see the difference between a lettuce and a cabbage, he was so grateful he gave her a job. That's when things began to get freaky. From the day she met Ichigo, Rika could tell there was something odd about the orange haired lad. As the months went on, Rika could feel the increase in spiritual activity around here. She began to see terrifying creatures more often and could spot the once invisible Shinigami who would combat those creatures. Rika was terrified at first and had it not been for Karin who had explained to her what she was going through, she would have gone mental. Rika didn't know all the details of the adventures Ichigo went on with his friends but she knew he had gone through a lot to keep his family, friends, and the entire town safe. Rika smiled at Ichigo, making up her mind that it didn't matter how his spiritual energy affected her. The change was worth it if it meant having Ichigo be strong and happy once more.

"I know you will. I'm sorry Kurosaki-kun, it's actually awesome that you got your power back. I expect you to be out there being a badass again, got it?"

Rika playfully winked at Ichigo, giving him a thumbs up. Ichigo blushed lightly at the added honorific on his name but smiled none the less.

"Well, I'm out of here. My shift is done. Say goodbye to Yuzu and Karin for me, will ya?"

Rika waved goodbye as she slung her bag over her shoulder and made her way out the clinic doors. Ichigo waved back, smiling bigger than he had done in a while. Twilight was nearing and the first starts began to illuminate the sky. Ichigo felt incredibly satisfied at his new situation, he could finally protect the ones he loved again.