This story is about the original Ryoga and Rio Kamishiro. Not to be confused with Nasch and Merag who 'continued' to live for them, so to speak. But the originals who died that night in the hospital. This drabble is about what could have possibly happened to them after.

NOTE: I'm still relatively fresh to Bleach, so if I screw up, please tell me without too many cuss words if possible xD

Life After

"Ani."

Ryoga Kamishiro opened his eyes and stared up at the small, crumbling-down house he and who he suspected to be his sister were in. He blinked and looked up into her piercing pink eyes.

"Rio! I'm sorry... I ... couldn't protect you." he whispered, grabbing her tiny hand with his not much bigger one. They and their parents (whom he noticed were oddly absent, even in this world which he thought must have been the afterlife) had died that faithful night. Too young. Even more so his beloved little sister, whom he had failed to protect from death's clutches. He had been the only to see what was in front of them, the truch which had gone off course for no reason (despite it being a rainy night) slamming into their car...

"Ryoga-nii, it's fine." the bluenette smiled, holding onto his hand. "At least we are together, even if mommy and daddy aren't with us."

"Do you know where they are?" Ryoga decided to change the subject. He had a feeling that his body was somehow still alive, somehow still moving despite the fact that he was clearly dead and certainly not in the world of the living anymore. He chose to shake that feeling off too.

"No." Rio sighed. "I talked to some of the people while you were unconcious - don't worry, they were all nice - and they said that it's unlikely that we will find them again and how we should look for a 'family' to stay with for the rest of eternity." Ryoga shook his head.

"There must be something else we can do... I would feel useless like that!"

"Well..." his sister began. "... appearently there is an Academy for Shinigami - or Death Gods - where they teach you how to be one. We could try and enroll into it, at least that way we would be a bit less... useless." she looked conflicted. "I'm sorry for all the whinning I had done, Ryoga..."

"It's alright." her big brother leaned over and hugged her hard. "Let's go and try to enter the Academy. We will be the best Shinigami we can be!" Rio nodded and thought of what little information the people around them had given her before she began to tell him what she did know.

"I heard that the 11th Squad was the most bloodthirsty one... and that a guy - an actual human! - named Kurosaki Ichigo had battled their captain! I heard it was a draw, too..."

Hope you liked it ^^ Thanks for reading :)