Disclaimer: Bleach is property of Kubo Tite. There will be spoilers for chapter 423, so if you have not read that far, please abstain from continuing (unless you don't care). Italicized lines are the translated lines from chapters 1 and 423.
Ichigo stepped outside and took in his surroundings. The sights, the smells, the noise all felt so normal. No spiritual beings. For a moment, Ichigo felt out of place in this environment. This everyday scene without strange spirits and creatures had been what he had always desired, but Ichigo found himself struggling with coming to terms with it. Here he was now, standing as weak as any normal human and no longer to be affected by the invisible struggles of fighting enemies. Ichigo felt slightly embittered by this, but not angry. He knew the consequences of releasing the final stage of Zangetsu's powers, and if he was able to save his friends because of it, then he was okay with it.
But it felt strange. Unreal. After all, 16 years of seeing ghosts and suddenly waking up to no longer see them was not something that was easily accepted.
The sounds of his house doors opening broke his trance and Ichigo turned around to see Rukia walking towards him. He smiles wryly at her entrance – he hadn't even noticed her reiatsu and instead had to be notified of her presence by the door. His senses were fading much faster than he expected. Rukia stops in front of him, her feet small and light and her expression is torn between something like a forced smile and regret.
"This is goodbye, Ichigo," she begins, her strong voice had a small waver to it. It was a surreal feeling. The sky was bright and blue, the weather calm and warm, the city was still intact, and his friends were still safe. No battles, no Hollows to interrupt this moment. This was a perfect setting for a farewell greeting and yet he sardonically he felt it was the worst.
"...Seems that way, doesn't it?"
Ichigo glanced at the small, dark-haired shinigami standing before him, her eyes tilted down towards the ground. Despite her petite stature, Ichigo couldn't see the person before him as anything but strong.
She looked up. He matched her gaze.
She gave a small smile. "Tell everyone I give them my best." Her strong voice was steady and unwavering; there was no sense of regret.
"Okay," the word spilled forth so easily, without hesitation.
The moment stretched into silence which could have only lasted a second, but it would forever burn a memory so deep in Ichigo's heart for years to come. This moment, so intimate between comrades, was a moment that could not be broken. Their words lingered in the air and the winds around them had stilled and an uninterrupted silence fell over the pair.
Despite knowing in his mind that this was the last time he would be able to see Rukia, he felt at peace.
Their time together had been as fleeting as the traversing butterfly, and yet she had become one of his most trusted companions and weaved her way into his life so easily. His life had become inextricably tangled with hers. He had always hated seeing ghosts and the like, but somewhere he had accepted his daily duties as a shinigami and had never expected those days to come to an end so soon.
Memories tugged at the back of Ichigo's mind and collided with one another with varying pull in a disorderly fashion.
The pure white beauty of her strength and icy sword. Their farewell conversation in the fields of Seireitei. Rukia's angry shouts when he made fun of her ugly doodles. The astonished expression on Rukia's face atop the execution stand. Running around town finding Hollows to extinguish and sending off souls. The piercing of the sword in his heart at their first meeting.
"My name isn't shinigami. It's Kuchiki Rukia."
"I'm Kurosaki Ichigo."
She was fading fast. Ichigo couldn't feel her reiatsu anymore, so their time together was finally unraveling to the end of its thread. He had so much more he wanted to tell her but there wasn't enough time. Rukia looked at him concernedly, trying to figure out was his expression meant. Ichigo hoped that she couldn't. He didn't want her to leave worried, with feelings and words between them unfinished.
And so Ichigo sent her off with a smile.
"Bye, Rukia."
And she disappeared from his sight. He wasn't sure where she was now, whether standing in front of him or stepping through the Senkaimon in the sky now. He chose to look up, aimlessly guessing where the sliding doors were surely open for Rukia.
He recalled the first time he had seen Rukia disappear behind those ancient doors. Her eyes, the apparent remorse and regret on her face left him feeling empty, abandoned, and angry at having been unable to protect her.
The second time he saw those gates, he was walking through them, leaving Rukia behind in Seireitei.
And this time, Rukia was leaving him.
"Don't look so sad."
"I wasn't making a sad face!"
"Even if you can no longer see me, I can still see you."
"What? That doesn't make me happy at all!"
Ichigo wasn't sure how he would feel tomorrow, waking up and realizing that he could no longer sense spiritual presences and would no longer be obligated to chase down Hollows and perform his shinigami duties. To be precise, he didn't really want to think about it. But for now, he would accept that this was farewell. This was the way things were supposed to be.
And maybe, the reason Ichigo felt so at peace as that he felt somewhere deep within his heart that they would inevitably meet again. Fate was funny in that way.
"Thank you."
Author's note: Something I whipped up months ago but decided to polish for publishing today. I didn't feel this chapter was as heartbreaking or sad as many other fans felt, but rather I was extremely touched by the ambiance of the last few pages. Ichigo's and Rukia's relationship can't really be defined in words, but I felt the chapter was very poignant in making this point very clear; regardless of the type of relationship they have, they are connected on a very personal level and their bond is obviously treasured. I hope this drabble was able to portray their separation in a lighter tone that emphasizes the bond they have.