The large creature struck Ichigo's chest. He collapsed beside the petite girl, Rukia. "I'm…Sorry…That I couldn't…Save you. Rukia…" He smiled at the girl, who was in tears.

"Ichigo…Don't go! ICHIGO!!" She yelled as her friend stopped breathing. "Please! Don't…Die, Ichigo. I don't want to be left alone…Please…" She crawled to her friend and nestled her head against his deep red chest. "Ichigo…" She cried and shut her eyes. The hollow came closer to her and cast a tall shadow over the two. "You…You are not getting my friend…You foul…Creature!" She stood up, holding her bleeding arm. "You…Cannot take my friend…From me!" She cried, as she was enveloped in a strong blue energy. She opened her eyes, to reveal them, glowing blue. "You have to go through me, before you can get to him!" She yelled at the creature, in front of her.

The Hollow smirked and threw a fist towards Rukia. But he missed. She had jumped up and landed on his head. She lifted her hand and threw it into the mask. She penetrated it with a large amount of force and it wailed and disintegrated into the air. The energy around her was still an immense blue. She ran to her friend and laid his head on her lap. "Ichigo…" She began to cry, as it started to rain. "ICHIGO!!" She screamed. The energy around her faded and she carried her friend on her back. He wasn't breathing. His heart wasn't beating. She was alone, again…

FLASH BACK…

The rain pelted down. The wind was brewing and the buildings were dim. Thunder cracked in the distance, frightening a young girl. She was curled up in an alley. She was thin and her hair was straggly. Dirt and dry blood covered her entire body. The clothes she had on were torn and dirty. She cried into her knees and held her body, close to her. She was shaking violently in the cold, frightening alley. Every noise that she heard, made her perk up, from a slight rustle to a loud bang.

She heard footsteps, coming close to her. The only way in and out. She had no where to go, so she shut her eyes. The tall shadow knelt down to her. The boys face smiled. He lifted her head, so he could see her violet eyes.

"You look terrible…Let's get you out of the rain, shall we?" He smiled, sweetly at her, as he picked her up. Her body was ice cold and the tears running down her face were hard to see because of the rain. "Geez, you're in pretty bad shape…What's your name?" He smiled, as he took the petite body, down a narrow street.

"Rukia…Rukia Kuchiki." She stuttered. "I don't know where I am. And I'm scared…" She held the boy's shirt in her long, blue fingers.

The boy set her down in an old factory, and wrapped her in a blanket. "There…That should keep you warm." He smiled, as he lit a fire. He lit a match and threw it on the pile of old wood, causing it to immediately ignite. "I'm Ichigo, by the way. Ichigo Kurosaki." He spoke, as he was getting his hands, warm on the fire. "I'm going to be 13 in a month…How old are you?" He looked at the girl, who was beginning to get her colour back.

"12…" She whispered. The fire felt nice on her skin, after the pelting rain. She shut her eyes and leaned on Ichigo's arm. "Thank you…" She whispered. The rain began to let up and the wind stopped. The two sat together in the old factory around the warmth of the fire…

End of flash back…

Rukia had taken Ichigo to the same abandoned factory that he had taken her, when they first met. She lit a fire and wrapped him in a blanket. She positioned his cold, lifeless body against the wall. "Ichigo…You have been so nice to me…I shouldn't have run off…"

FLASH BACK…

"Rukia…" Ichigo spoke sweetly at the sleeping girl. "Rukia." He nudged her slightly. "Rukia!" He spoke louder. No response. "HEY RUKIA!" He yelled. Rukia sat up with a fright. She bashed heads with Ichigo, causing Ichigo to stumble back. "Geez, Rukia!" He yelled at her.

"Well, sorry! You're the one who frightened me!" She yelled at him, rubbing her forehead.

"Yeah, cuz you didn't respond to me!" He yelled in her face. "I called you three times, before I had to yell!"

"Sorry…I'm just not used to being woken up by somebody…" She looked out the opened garage door. The sun was out and the wind was blowing gently. "What time is it?" She rubbed her eyes and let out a stretch.

"Uuhh…About…six thirty, seven…" Ichigo shrugged, as he dug his hand into a tatty bag. He took out a box of biscuits and took out two. He passed the box to Rukia, and she took out two.

"Thanks." She said, as she handed the box back to Ichigo, who placed it back in the bag. "Your birthday soon, right?" She began to nibble at the biscuits.

"Yeah…I'll be 14. Been two years since I met you…" He muttered, as he watched Rukia, daintily eat her biscuits. "…How time flies by…"

"Yeah…" Rukia nodded and stood up. "I have something for you, but I have to go and fetch it…I'll be back, soon!" She jumped up and ran out the factory.

"Wait, Rukia!" He yelled and ran after her. "I'm coming too. Just in case." He smiled at her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Okay." Rukia nodded, and the two made their way to the gift.

"Are we there, yet…?" Ichigo asked, dragging his feet. "We've been walking for hours!" He mumbled.

"Oh, stop moaning! We've only been walking for half an hour!" She yelled at him. "We're almost there…" She turned down an alley and stopped. "We're here!" She placed her hands on her hips, as she whistled.

…

She whistled again. Nothing.

"I hope…" She walked further into the alley, to find a body at the end. She gasped and stepped back. "No…" She backed up, into Ichigo's chest. He leaned over her shoulder to find a young puppy, lying motionless on the ground. It wasn't breathing…

"Rukia, was this…?" Ichigo watched Rukia, shake and cry in his arms. "Rukia."

She looked at his face and tears ran down her face. "He was okay, yesterday…He looked happy and healthy. I thought he would make a nice present for you…But…" She ran out of the alley, tears filled her eyes. "I'm sorry…" She whispered.

"Rukia! Come back, Rukia!" Ichigo tried to catch up to her, but she was already gone…

She ran a fair distance, and ran down another alley. She sat down and began to cry. She heard several footsteps, walk down the alley. She looked up, to see three men, towering over her.

"Hehehe…Looky here! A little girl all alone!" The man with a large afro spoke. The two behind him laughed, deviously. "Come on boys!" He yelled, as he cornered Rukia.

"RUKIA!!" Ichigo ran past the alley, then walked back, seeing the three, surrounding her. He ran and struck the three with his foot. "Get away from her, you creeps!" He yelled.

The three men whimpered and stumbled out the alley. The shortest one turned back, to see Ichigo, growling at him. He immediately followed the others.

Ichigo bent down beside Rukia. "You alright?" He hugged her, as she cried.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo…I was just...I was so upset that the dog…" She stuttered.

"I know, Rukia. Just promise me that you'll never run away again…" He smiled at her and wiped her eyes.

She nodded. "I promise…" She smiled and made her way back to the factory with Ichigo…

End of Flash back.

Rukia looked at the boy, wrapped in a blanket. The flames of the fire created an orange tint, like his hair, and danced around his skin. She smiled, as a tear ran down her face. "I was so young and foolish…You were always there for me. You were my family…" She rubbed her hand down Ichigo's pale face. It was cold.

FLASH BACK…

"Ichigo!" Rukia yelled, as her friend hit the concrete wall. She ran towards him and cried. "Ichigo! Speak to me!"

He opened his eyes, to see Rukia look at him with misty eyes. He smiled at her. "I'm alright, Rukia…Don't worry." He sat up and pushed himself up against the wall. Blood ran down his head onto the ground.

Rukia turned to the creature in front of her. "I don't know who or what you are, but…" She ran to the beast and kicked its chest. "You have no RIGHT to hurt Ichigo!" She yelled.

The creature growled and grabbed her leg. It flung her across the ground and badly injured her arm. Her hair straggled down her mucky face. Her tears mixed with the dirt, and created mud dripping from her face. She struggled to get up.

"Rukia!" Ichigo ran to her and rubbed her face. "Rukia, are you okay?" He asked.

She smiled and nodded. "I'm fine…Sorry…I'm such a burden Ichigo." She shut her eyes.

The creature roared, shaking the ground. It charged for Rukia and drooled across the ground. Ichigo ran between Rukia and the creature.

"You have to go through me to get Rukia!" He frowned at the creature. The hollow grabbed Ichigo in its fist and crushed him. Ichigo coughed up a large amount of blood, and was thrown onto the ground.

"Ichigo…?" Rukia crawled to Ichigo's body. "ICHIGO!!" She yelled.

End of Flash back.

Rukia began to cry and shriek. "Ichigo, why did you leave me!? I don't want to be alone! Ichigo, please come back!" She cried into his chest. "Don't leave me, Ichigo…I…Ichigo…"

Flying in the factory, was a ghost of a tall, orange-haired boy. His face saddened at the sight of his close friend. A tear ran down his face and fell onto the ground of the factory. "I'm sorry, Rukia…" He spoke, quietly.

All of a sudden, a man, wearing a black Kimono appeared. He had short, spiky hair and a sword. He scowled at the boy and drew out his sword. "You are this girl's friend, correct?" He asked. Ichigo nodded and let out a sigh. "I understand you came in contact with a Hollow, yes?"

"By Hollow, you mean that large creature that killed me, yes." Ichigo spoke to him, quietly.

"Could she see it, too?" He asked.

"Yeah, why?" Ichigo turned to Rukia.

"Go down to her." The boy said, nodding to Rukia and Ichigo's lifeless body. "I'll let you say farewell, before we depart to the soul society."

Ichigo didn't bother asking him any more questions. He just wants to see Rukia, one last time. He drifted behind Rukia and placed a ghostly hand on her shoulder. "Rukia."

Rukia turned, revealing tears, running down her face. She screamed and crawled to the wall. "What do you want!? Please! Don't kill me…"

"Rukia, it's me…Ichigo. I…I'm sorry for leaving you. I didn't want you to get hurt. I'm sorry…" He lowered his head.

Rukia widened her eyes and crawled closer to Ichigo's ghost. She cried and hugged his transparent body. "Ichigo…Thank you so much for protecting me…I shouldn't have tried to deal with it myself. But, I managed to destroy it!" She smiled happily at her friend.

The man folded his hands and smiled. Ichigo hugged his friend, one last time and kissed her forehead. "I have to go, now…"

"Will I…See you again?" Rukia's eyes sparkled at him.

He smiled. "Who knows?" He shrugged and floated up to the man in the kimono.

"Ready?" He asked, wielding his sword.

"Will I see her again?" Ichigo asked him.

"It's likely…" He hit Ichigo's forehead with the hilt of the sword. "Now, come…We are leaving."

Ichigo smiled and turned round to see Rukia, caressing his body. He shut his eyes and mouthed three little words, before disappearing into the darkness…