47. crossing burned bridges
Title: Can and Can't
Word Count: 214
Rating: G
"Ichigo..." Rukia, eyes wide, could only shake her head slowly, desperatly willing him to understand. "It can't be done. You have to understand, please, it just can't be."
The orange haired shinigami didn't seem moved. "Why not?"
"Listen." She tried. "I'm dead. I don't belong in that world. Not with the living. I left it so long ago I don't even remember a time when I did belong."
He just gave her a look. "When's that stopped you before?"
"You just don't get it." She was getting angry now. "When you die, that bridge is burned forever. The River cannot be crossed. There's no going back."
"There's no going back from this either." Now both his eyebrows were raised. "When did you start letting a few feet scare you, anyway?"
"I'm not scared!"
"Ignoring the mainstream thinkers," Ichigo asked over her outburst, "what would your answer have been?"
She didn't even have to consider that one. "Yes."
He beamed. "Great. I knew we were on the same page."
She fumed and stomped on his foot with all her strength.
They were married two months later.
As she walked down the isle, Rukia wondered why she had thought that a missing bridge was so important. There was no need to walk when you had wings.