I present to you: The Second Installment in the First Impressions Collection! Yay! I hope you like it and please review! I'm open to suggestions for future chapters.

Orison

"Brother… Why is that boy crying?" A young Rukia Kuchiki looked up at her older brother as they walked together through the cemetery.

Byakuya put an arm around his sister and spoke softly, "I imagine he has lost someone very dear to him. Now, Rukia, you know it's not polite to ask questions like that."

Rukia nodded slowly, watching the orange haired boy staring at the grave stone in front of him and bawling as they passed by.

His cries made Rukia's chest feel empty with her own sadness and she clutched her bouquet of flowers tightly. She held a bundle of white carnations for remembrance while Byakuya carried a single orchid, as they did every year.

When they reached Hisana's grave, tears welled up in Rukia's eyes and she gently placed her flowers in front of the stone.

"We will always honor your memory, Sister." She took two steps backward to allow Byakuya to do the same. He knelt and prayed quietly while Rukia closed her eyes and brushed the wetness away.

After speaking silently with her sister for a few moments, Rukia left to give her brother privacy. This was the only time she ever knew him to cry and she was not sure she was ready to witness it yet.

She wandered around; the sobbing from earlier had quieted and the sound of pathetic sniffling drew her in. The boy was about two yards away from her when she stopped.

"Why are you crying?"

Amber eyes swollen from crying looked at her distrustfully.

"Go away."

Rukia frowned. Why wouldn't this boy accept her help?

She walked closer and knelt down beside him. "You know, if you keep crying like that, the person you're missing will see you and be sad. You have to smile at them," Rukia smiled at the boy and then at the sky. "Like this! See?"

The boy watched her for a moment and then followed her gaze, watching the clouds, but still refused to smile.

Neither looked back down for a long moment until Rukia spoke again. "My sister died when I was little. I know it feels really lonely but… I know she'd be disappointed if she saw me being sad. They want us to be happy so they can be happy too."

The boy sniffled again, concentrating on her words. He looked up again and the corners of his mouth seemed strained as they twitched, barely turning upward into a small smile.

Rukia smiled at the boy, pleased that he was doing as she had instructed, and held out her hand.

"My name's Rukia Kuchiki."

He stared blankly at her hand for a moment before lifting his slightly and allowing her to take it.

"I'm Ichigo."

His face reddened as he realized the girl wasn't going to let his hand go. She had covered it with her own and was reading the markings on the grave stone.

"This is your mother?"

He nodded and his amber eyes filled with tears once more. Rukia took his other hand and held them tightly between her own, a determined look on her face.

"My brother always prays to make Hisana feel better. Pray with me, Ichigo."

Ichigo watched as she bowed her head and moved her lips to form silent words. He mimicked her movements, refusing to let more tears fall from his eyes as he prayed for his mother.

They sat like that, knees touching, fingers intertwined, until Rukia looked up at the sky and smiled.

"Amen."

"…amen." Ichigo concluded quietly, smiling at the thought of his mother's smiling face looking back down at him.

"Rukia," a deep voice called from the main path. Rukia looked from her brother to Ichigo and back again.

She stood up, pulling Ichigo up with her. "I have to go but I come here every year on this day." Rukia paused, smiling shyly. "So… I'll see you next year, right?"

Ichigo nodded, his cheeks turning red. "My dad is taking me and my sisters to the park on Saturday. Maybe you could come..."

Rukia's violet eyes widened and she quickly placed a kiss on the cheek of the boy in front of her.

"Okay! I'll see you then, Ichigo!" She called, waving behind her, as she ran to meet her brother.

Ichigo smiled and gave a small wave in response. He watched her leave with her brother, she was talking quickly and the tall, black haired man was nodding, smiling gently every now and then.

As soon as they were out of sight, Ichigo sat back down and closed his eyes to pray and tell his mother not to be sad, that he had found a reason to keep smiling.


Orison- a prayer.