Memories In The Rain
By SMYGO4EVA

The rain…dark clouds….grey skies….forlorn and one with sadness. A painful reminder of what occurred beforehand. Rain only reminded them of death, blame and what could have happened if not for fate's cruel hand.

Ichigo's mother died trying to save him during a rainstorm, blood and water coalescing in an unholy elixir, a reminder that he couldn't save her from the dastardly hollow Grand Fisher. His family has suffered from the death, with changes in the routine of daily life and changes in personality also. The rain still torments Ichigo, all because of what he couldn't do to save his beloved mother from death's icy grip. Nonetheless, he continues to live on, in the memory of his mother and to protect what is left of his family.

Rukia's former vice-captain Kaien Shiba was taken away from life during the rain, with a hollow's possession spiraling him towards his death. It was the hollow the led Kaien to his demise, but Rukia's heart wrenches every time rain is near. She knows that she could have saved him, so no one would be thirsty for revenge for their dead sibling, and she thought death would be the just punishment for her. But that wouldn't be an easy thing to hold onto, for one human saved her from her punishment of death, telling her to live on just as he did.

The rain still brings heartache to them both, but the bittersweet reminiscences have taught them that there was no time for crying now, just as long as Ichigo and Rukia live through the memories in the rain.