Times were quickly changing; Aizen had finally been defeated not long after the year of hardship. Some people had lost their way in the battle, many of them strong willed but so many times had they been tested that they too had began to lose their hope and then resolve. Many others had died, some manipulated by Aizen until there used to him had finished. He had waited, training. The day that many people had placed their faith in to be the end had only been a beginning.
He found himself lying on his bed, he was home. It was strange getting used to the thought of school again, the old Kakura town really no longer existed, this was a new one.
He thought of Rukia and Renji, homework seemed too far away, had he truly been happy to see them together. Had he loved Rukia, no… Why was he thinking such a thing now, him and Rukia were friends, best friends. They always would be, Rukia knew him. He rolled on to his side, distracted. They were too similar in personality; they would always just be best friends. But would it be the same, her and Renji were now engaged. He had never noticed before how they acted towards each other, why hadn't he? But then again his life wasn't a romance novel. Had Renji always loved Rukia, had she him. He just didn't know.
He thought of his farther Is shin, Ishida…Orihime. Everything still felt confusing, He knew Isshida held a soft spot for Inoue , would they too later end up together as Rukia and Renji had. Was it his fate to die alone, no! He still had Karin, Yuzu- he still had all of them as friends.
He thought of Inoue suddenly, how she had changed. The change had gradually began to occur after Ulquiorras death, in ways she was still the same. He thought of Aizen, his last question 'Do you despise me Kurosaki Ichigo?' He knew Rukia had noticed, the few very close people to Inoue had. Did she blame herself somehow for his death after all this time, she seemed more distant than ever. He thought of the Hōgyoku, they had all been tricked by Aizen, He sometimes wondered now what she truly thought about in that hard head of hers. He saw Tatsuki a lot more often now; it was like what it had used to be when they were younger. Some things didn't change; he knew she still did worry about Inoue often. She always felt her presents now thought, he wondered what would of happened that day if she hadn't hit him. It had been sort of like his first doubts when thinking about rescuing Rukia, Inoue had given him his resolve then. Would he have given up if it hadn't been for both of them?
Her smiles now seemed less free, as if she was shouldering something heavy, something that was weighing her down. He didn't regret beating his opponents in Hueco Mundo, he had to fight them and win so he had, but his battle with Ulquiorra hadn't ended in the right way- not the way he had wanted. He hadn't won that battle, as Ulquiorra had said 'if you do not knock me down now this battle will remain forever unsettled….' Forever unsettled it was, but he had been changing. Inoue had been tricked into expanding the Hōgyoku life span. Ulquiorra had been becoming more human, he remembered Inoue, had she had an attachment to him after all that time she had been alone with him in Las Noches. He remembered his hands, her hands reaching for each other at the end.
It was just still too confusing for him, everything was changing too fast. He stopped, and watched as his bedroom door flung open. No knocking huh? 'oh, Yuzu?', 'Ichigo' shouted a stubborn voice, 'R…Rukia' he jumped and fell off his bed, as she appeared on his window till suddenly. 'Oh, I was just going to tell 'Ichi-nii' you were here Rukia-san' stumbled Yuzu as she stared shocked at the petite figure bathed in light. 'thanks Yuzu' spoke Rukia in an unusually softer voice, 'crap' I muttered as Yuzu left the room, you banged my head. 'Idiot, you banged your own head' scowled Rukia.