The wind was a little stronger now. It sifted his hair gently, the crown of softened spikes decorating his forehead pushed back, long strands of blond-orange behind him. Sighing softly, he closed his eyes.
Whenever Ichigo found free time on his hands, he came down to the ocean. It was a place of peace, calm and serenity, the place he could be alone and focus on his thoughts.
He knew it was selfish of him.
A bit further away, standing in the back sliding glass door of a beach front home, a small girl, perhaps around 5 years old, stood with her hands on the door handle, quietly watching Ichigo's seated figure down near the edge of the water. She shivered lightly from the cold, wind stirring her curly, long sand-colored ponytails and teasing the lock of hair that fell between her eyes. The fact that she was wearing a short-sleeved dress the reached just past her knees did not help in the matter. And then, suddenly, even though she wore neither socks nor shoes, she broke out into a run.
Ichigo brought the cigarette to his lips, exhaling smoke softly. He did not notice the small girl stop silently next to him, standing.
"Lying in my bed, I hear the clock tick, and think of you..."
...
Long red hair, disheveled and out of its usual ponytail, instead falling down past his shoulders to his back, falling over his face, and tall, tanned skin marred with jagged black ink and torn, bloody shihakusho ran the best he could; furiously onto the property of the 4th division. He kicked open the doors, screaming for help.
Several nurses gasped, "Abarai-fukutaicho!" and flooded him, especially when they noticed the pale, bloody figure he carried in his arms.
"Kuchiki-fukutaicho!"
"Help her!" Renji roared, holding her small frame up, "Save her! She's dying! I can't- Rukia!"
They took her immediately- both of them- but Renji refused to be healed of his injuries, as they were far less than Rukia's.
"There's no time…. there's no time! Call the living world! Get the healer- get Inoue here now! Contact Urahara!" Renji ordered desperately, before pushing past nurses to do it himself, his eyes brimming with unwanted tears. "Damn it!"
"Y-Yes, sir!"
In a matter of minutes, the hospital was in a frenzy. Unohana-taicho was not present, neither was Isane-fukutaicho. Both had gone out to survey the area where the battle had taken place.
Half an hour into it, the nurses found the situation hopeless. One brave nurse, pale in the face, came out, where Renji, Kuchiki-taicho, Kyoraki-taicho, Nanao, and Ukitake-taicho were gathered.
"I'm sorry..." her voice was quiet, she could not meet their eyes, "There was too much blood loss... perhaps, if we had known sooner..."
The three captains were silent. Shunsui pulled the brim of his hat over his eyes, Jushiro looking down, face downcast. Byakuya's eyes closed, eyebrows contorted.
"No!" Renji screamed at her, rushed past her into Rukia's room. Her body seemed smaller than ever on the large hospital bed. Her shirt had been removed; her whole chest wrapped in bandages, fresh blood had already seeped through. The sheets, too, were bloodstained. Renji grabbed her hand- small and cold, the diamond of her wedding ring digging into his palm as he screamed at her, begging her to wake the hell up, open her eyes.
Nobody could summon the want to tell him to settle down.
Inoue did not arrive until 20 minutes later, with Ishida and Sado at her side.
"Kuchiki-san!" she gasped out in horror, rushing past them to her bedside. Renji moved back to let her work, moving behind the rest of them, near the door. She stared for a moment, brown eyes wide with panic. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Orihime raised her hands, her eyebrows slanted in a rare frown, summoning her inner strength, and murmured in her gentle, firm voice.
"Souten Kisshun."
The gold colored triangle appeared, covering Rukia in a soft yellow glow. Silence, as everybody watched with bated breath.
The rejection shield shattered, before disappearing in mid-air.
"No..." Renji's voice was soft, full of dread.
Orihime's eyes were wide, "Wh...Souten Kisshun!" She held her hands out again. This time, the shield hardly stood for a few seconds before shattering. Orihime grew desperate, her voice growing louder and louder each time she cried out, "Souten Kisshun! Souten Kisshun! SOUTEN KISSHUN!"
Ishida's gray eyes were wide with shock, his voice a mere murmur, "It won't reject...impossible..."
Orihime's knees collapsed, she crumbled against the edge of the bed, sobbing; the bed sheets tight in her fists as she went face down into the bed. Ishida stood over her, his hands on her shoulders. Renji, too, was on his knees, behind everyone else, his face in his hands, silent.
It was only a minute or so, but the time seemed like centuries, when Sado broke the silence, his deep voice soft and a bit sad.
"Does Ichigo know?"
Everyone looked up at him, horror and grief lodged in every pair of eyes. Orihime's eyes snapped to her tallest nakama, her eyes brimming with more tears again, when she felt Ishida's hand on her arm gently, pushing her against him.
That question was heartbreaking.
"Perhaps..." the Quincy's voice was soft as he stroked Orihime's back as she cried, "Perhaps it would be best… if we all went…"
"I'll tell him."
All eyes fell on Renji, who was now standing, his hands fisted at his sides. His face was tearstained, his eyes bloodshot but somehow, determined.
"I'm going, too." Sado said in a set tone. It was then that Orihime pulled her face away from Uryu's chest, her voice despairing, "T-Then, I'm going as well-!"
"We're all going." Uryu's voice was soft but firm, a frown on his face. "This is... going to tear Kurosaki apart."
Orihime closed her eyes, hands over her face.
Silent sadness filled the nakamas' hearts as they stood; following Renji out the door towards Ichigo's home with heavy hearts.
...
It was Orihime who went first. She summoned her courage, wiping the tears away from her puffy eyes, and knocked on the door, taking a deep, shaky breath.
The waited for a few moments before door opened to reveal Ichigo with a confused look on his face, dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie.
Inoue mustered a broken smile, "H-Hi, Kurosaki-kun."
"Inoue?" his voice was surprised, "What brings you… everyone?" he stepped backwards to allow room as Orihime entered, "What's going on? Rukia's not here right now; she's on a mission, but-"
This. This was too much. Kurosaki-kun's voice was too naive, too unknowing. His innocent look; looking like a teenager with a hoodie on. The image of Kuchiki-san's body was permanently burned into her brain; her gentle voice echoed in her mind. Orihime could not take it, she crumbled. A sob escaped her lips as she dropped to her knees on the floor, arms crossed over her tummy like she was crying from a stomach ache.
"Inoue!" Ichigo's voice was surprised, as he dropped to his knees in front of her. "Hey Inoue, what's wrong?" he looked back up at his other nakama standing behind her, confused, as Ishida stooping over to gather his wife in his arms, unable to meet Ichigo's gaze.
A strange feeling of dread washed over Ichigo when he took in Renji's torn appearance.
"Renji...?"
Renji stared down at him, his eyes filled with grief, his eyebrows scrunched, "Ichigo, I'm sorry..." a single tear escaped his eye, slipping fast down his face, "I just can't think of any words that could save you..."
The world's mute button seemed to be suddenly pressed, and all Ichigo heard was Renji's voice, a look of horror filling his wide, horrified eyes, set on his nakama's broken face.
"Rukia is dead..."
...
"...Time after time, time after time..."
Ichigo's eyes opened when the clear voice shook him out of his reveries, he looked slightly through the corner of his eyes at the small figure standing next to him.
The little girl's eyes were closed, a smile on her face as she tilted her head up slightly as if singing to the sun, her voice loud and clear.
Ichigo looked at her little feet knowingly. He wanted to scold her for running down here without any shoes or a jacket again, but found he could not summon the heart.
He looked back at the ocean, his daughter's voice resonating through his ears, clear as day.
"Sometimes you picture me, I'm walking too far ahead..."
The wind sifted through the hair of father and daughter, silent except for the rushing ocean and her bell-like voice.
You know, Rukia
If angels sing
they would do so with a voice like this.
Our daughter, then, must not be human
or a shinigami.
Maybe she was an angel given to me
So that I would not be swallowed completely
in my loneliness.
