The moon cast a large shadow upon Karakura Town. Its glow radiated gently, and the lack of light was a comfort rather than an annoyance.
Kurosaki Ichigo, it is your turn to be saved.
It is your turn to find yourself lost in the shadows.
He hoped.
The shops glowed with neon signs as Ichigo passed them. He sighed quietly, humming a tune he had heard on the radio.
Hands in his pockets, gazing at the stars, he stopped and sat in the grass next to the riverbank.
The stars blinked above, quietly shining.
It was most recent that Rukia had stayed in Soul Society. She and Renji were ordered not to return, and he was not sure what happened after that.
It was simply a blur.
Ichigo thought of how they were doing, and prayed they were alright.
But that seemed outright stupid. They were most definitely fine.
The stars grew slightly dimmer, and the moon faded. The sun began to rise. Another day.
Standing up and beginning what seemed like a long walk home, the Substitute Shinigami gazed at the glowing sky, knowing the stars would return.
He had taken an interest in stargazing. It calmed him and let him release his thoughts.
Some might call it silly, but he felt they were speaking to him, singing a song he alone could hear.
Every day he longed to hear it. Sometimes his sisters accompanied him, and they would talk until the sun returned.
But every night he heard that song. He hummed what they would sing instead. More the tune than the words, as stars truly have no language other than light.
If light counts, anyway.
Since it was a weekend, he decided to patrol a bit. He used shunpo to get around, feeling his slow walking from the previous night had been his relaxation.
A few hollows showed up that day, but he quickly defeated them and continued on.
But suddenly, the light closed in around him. He tried desperately to get out, but to no avail.
After all the routine, he was enveloped in a confusing ball of light, trapped against his will, hoping this time he wasn't in any danger.
But that seemed outright stupid. Of course he wasn't fine.
He managed a smirk before losing consciousness, with the feeling of falling into an endless pit of light rather than dark.
Ichigo had a feeling it would be a long time once more before he saw his home again.
Rukia stepped inside the Kuchiki manor, the usual coldness pressuring her. Ignoring a feeling of anxiety, she walked down the halls until she stopped at her room and entered it.
The sunlight poured in through the arched window, the bed sheets folded and washed, the carpet vacuumed, the book shelf organized, and her clothes ready on the bedside table.
Another day was to pass. Another, to put it simply, boring day, but she knew better than to even say that aloud.
Wondering how her friends in Karakura were doing, she imagined their routines now that their lives were almost back to normal.
As she dressed, she thought about the quietness in her home. And as she headed down the hall to leave, stopping by the kitchen to pick up a quick breakfast, she wondered about what would happen today.
It was obvious Kuchiki Rukia had a lot on her mind. It was also apparent that she, and pretty much everyone else, knew nothing of the peril Ichigo was now facing.
Hoping you enjoyed.