A/N: Enjoy! I hope it fits your fancies! Oh! And if you'd like to see pictures of the Miyajima deer and the actual gate and shrine, check out the links at the bottom of chapter 7. It's a doozy! Hope you like it.

Miyajima

After the elderly vender finally brandished his stick at the deer, Rukia and Ichigo were able to escape to the dirt road leading to the Itsukushima Shrine, wafer crumbs tumbling down their clothes. Ichigo brushed a few morsels from his jacket with a grimace and walked silently next to his shorter counterpart. They had been quiet for several minutes as the small shinigami took in the sight of the red water shrine with childish awe.

Ichigo looked at his watch. Four-thirty. Picking up the pace, he guided Rukia off the underdeveloped path and led her to a street shaded with large tarps, busy shops lining both sides of the walkway. Tourists with cameras and open wallets dotted the stores, persuaded by cheery salespersons selling their products. Ichigo abruptly stopped at a well-lit, but small food kiosk.

"Manjuu? What's Manjuu?" Rukia asked, immediately walking up to the edge of the mobile stand. A somewhat greasy man smiled with gapping teeth at her and Ichigo immediately pushed himself into the merchant's line of vision. He growled a little, noting that Rukia hadn't discerned the man's obvious gawking as she continued to rattle off the limited menu to herself.

"Yes, uh what can I do for you, sir?" he coughed with embarrassment. Ichigo kept his scowl intact as he ordered two chocolate-filled manjuu and forked over the money roughly. Rukia hummed quietly as she continued to watch small, pancake like candies steaming in hot molds behind the counter. Ichigo shoved a hot, leaf-shaped candy in her face and she took it with a curious squeak.

"What is it? I refuse to eat it unless you tell me," she said, trying to sound unimpressed as she sniffed it. Ichigo sighed as they walked down the cobblestone street. It was gradually becoming steeper, the shops less busy.

"It's a manjuu. It has chocolate in it. Eat it," he said with a somewhat strained voice. Rukia nibbled quietly on the cake, her face brightening as she looked at a large pagoda in the distance. Itsukushima Shrine was soon out of sight as they made their way up the base of the mountainside. The landscape changed from the heavily populated shops and loud bustle of restaurants to the more peaceful pond gardens. Signs at forks in the road appeared upon occasion and Ichigo continuously made his way toward a thing called the "Ropeway." Though Rukia was tired, the view was beautiful and she was willing to keep her mouth shut for the sake of the beauty on the island. It astounded her that birds chirped so freely in life, but were too afraid to sing in Seireitei. Actually, she realized, it was rare to see a wild animal at all in the spiritual world. She smiled sadly. At least her gigai could let her enjoy the peace, even if for just a while.

As they turned a wide bend in the uphill trail, the trees cleared and a small, obscure station was revealed. A small cabin swung slothfully on a thick metal rope as a couple of straggling tourists stepped in, impressed with themselves for finding the hidden spot. The two shinigami entered the cabin and both parties settled themselves into the awkward silence. An older man with a map curled in his hand sat next to a woman, presumably his wife who had dyed brown hair meticulously combed and styled. She nodded to Rukia. She returned the gesture and tried to hide the fact that her feet didn't quite touch the ground when she sat with her back to the window.

As the car jerked and began to rise slowly in the air, Rukia twisted around to watch the ground fall below them. A recorded voice began to spout information in English from a speaker above their heads. Ichigo caught a lot of what the spokeswoman said, but kept his face expressionless, his arms crossed. When he turned to tell Rukia she should study more in English, he nearly fell off their bench.

The petite woman was kneeling on the cushion, her nose pressed up against the glass, her breath making the window cloudy in outward streaks from her nostrils. It would have been a funny sight if not for the dangerously short skirt she happened to be wearing.

"I think I just saw a monkey! Look, Ichigo, in the bamboo!" she said excitedly, prodding the glass with her index finger. Ichigo pushed her back into her seat with a rough hand.

"HEY! What was that for?!" she said, rubbing her backside where he'd hit her. She pouted angrily and Ichigo growled, his rage nearly getting the better of him.

"BAKA! You're not allowed to wear that skirt ever again," he said, crossing his arms.

"You don't get to choose what clothes I wear!"

"YES I DO."
"NO YOU DON'T."

The English tourists sitting on the other side of the cart hid their smiles as they listened to the jibberjabber of the two shinigami. The man looked at his wife who shook her head.

"I tell you what, Jared, Japanese couples are just too cute." Rukia smacked Ichigo's forehead repeatedly, proclaiming her independence and ability to choose her own style.

"Mmhmm…She looks a little young though," the man speculated, looking over his glasses. His wife waved the comment away and crossed her legs.

"Nonsense. Don't Asians tend to age much better than we do anyway? I bet it's all that fish in their diet…Anyway, I bet she's older than you think," she winked. He shrugged and picked up his camera, turning toward the vast bamboo thicket below them.

"That outfit is WAY too revealing for someone like you!"

"Megumi-san said it was appropriate for my age!" she retorted haughtily. Ichigo snorted, towering over her with an arrogant smirk.

"Cheh, are you kidding? You're older than my grandmother." Rukia growled and stomped on his foot with a satisfying crunch.

"Actually, Rukia. I take that back. You're older than my grandma and grandpa COMBINED!!!" Ichigo yelled in her ear. With hands faster than the eye he slammed his palm into her forehead and zipped up the front of her blue top. As she held her forehead in pain, he threw his jacket over her figure and scooted to the other side of the cabin. The jacket still over her face, she made a desperate lunge and hit air with an exasperated shriek.

"Oooooo, where are you?! I'm going to KILL you," she hissed, her muffled threat and rising temper making the air crackle menacingly.

"Cheh, baka. You can't even hit me from there," Ichigo smirked, his arms crossed. Rukia ripped his jacket off her face and blew her matted hair from her eyes. It stood in unruly puffs on her head, completely disheveled. Ichigo hid a laugh behind a loud cough.

Before Rukia could plant her white, pleather boot in his cheek, the ropeway cabin jolted and began to slow. All four passengers looked out the window and saw the station on the top of the mountain come into view.

"You'd better be glad those two are here or else I'd kick your sorry spirit out the window," Rukia mumbled under her breath. Ichigo snorted.

"You don't even have your glove, shorty. Now put that on unless you want me to turn it into a modified straight jacket," the redhead warned. Grumbling, Rukia put the jacket on and zipped it up. The sleeves engulfed her hands and the body of the jacket cascaded frumpily down her thighs. She attempted to cross her arms, but the lengthy sleeves got tangled together. As the cabin halted in its swaying stall, Rukia pushed in front of the others and stomped off the platform, trudging straight toward the trail to their left. The foreign couple that had taken the ropeway with them blinked at Ichigo and he forced a smile, bowing slightly.

"Ah, sorii," he said, attempting English.

"Oh, no problem," the older man said, blinking a bit in surprise.

"Senkyuu," Ichigo replied, running after his charge. The couple watched them run until they were out of sight and started strolling up the path toward the observatory at the top of the mountain, map in hand.

"He seemed like a very caring young man, wouldn't you say?" the woman said, linking her arm with her husband. He nodded distractedly, frowning at their map.

"Yes of course, dear."

"Oi! Rukia! Get back here!" Ichigo panted as he chased after her up the mountain. She froze for a moment, but then seemed to quicken her original pace despite his command and tripped on a loose rock. She continued to run upwards steadily, urgently, despite a scrape on her knee and palms. As Ichigo was just starting to contemplate throwing his shoe at her head (you know, just hard enough to knock her out) she jumped into the bushes and off the trail. Ichigo growled and leaped in after her.

That's when he saw it. A big, fluffy, brown rabbit with large, floppy ears and a puffy white tail. Oh dear gods…

"Rukia, stop!" he shouted. Under normal circumstances, her gigai didn't seem to have nearly his stamina, but now that a fluffy little creature was her prey, she seemed to have preternatural speed and endurance. Sweat flew from Ichigo's brow as he fought to catch the small woman. Just as he was about to get within reach of her shoulder, she pressed herself against a boulder and peeked over the edge, standing on her tiptoes. Ichigo's eyes widened and he put his hands out, catching most of his weight with his arms braced against the boulder on either side of her shoulders. Rukia shushed him and he sank to the ground rolling his eyes.

"You're an idiot," he said plainly, too exhausted to have an argument. He looked at her knee and saw a trickle of blood sneaking down the side of her shiny white boot. He grunted insultingly at her and looked up in time to see her shoulders droop sadly. She turned around and began walking back the way they'd come. Ichigo blinked, his anger forgotten with her sad expression and he stood, peeking over the boulder to find nothing but trees and underbrush. He jogged up to her and tried to get her to look at him.

"R-Rukia? Rukia? Oi, what's wrong?" he asked, inclining his head to see her face. She snorted and turned away, crossing her arms.

"The rabbit got away, baka," she snapped. Ichigo snarled, clamping his jaw tightly.

"Oh come on. It's not like you've never seen a rabbit," he retaliated, defending himself vehemently. They were quiet the rest of the way back to the trail, their pace quick and irate. Ichigo pointed back down the mountain and Rukia walked ahead of him, her head held high in the air. Her escort rolled his eyes.

After a few minutes of silent walking, both forgot most of their anger as thoughts of other things began to plague the quiet. Ichigo's eyes strayed to his jacket, hanging limply around Rukia's bare legs. He had never noticed how well sculpted her le– He refused to be thinking of that. Despite his vain effort to think of other things, he found it was becoming harder and harder to get her image out of his head. Then again, it could have been a side effect of his throbbing foot. The heels on those boots really hurt. But at least they looked good on he–

"C'mon. We're going to get some food. I'm starving," he said, nodding to a set of cobblestone steps. They descended the staircase and landed on mossy ground before a small, rundown restaurant built specifically for people touring the mountainside. A crystal clear, tinkling river lay just beyond a small bluff and several people could be seen eating their bento along the bank.

Rukia leaned against the cheap metal counter as a very tiny old woman bowed and wiped off her hands on a stained white apron.

"Irasshaimase! Can I help you two?" she said in a rickety, homely voice. Rukia smiled warmly at her. Ichigo withdrew his wallet from his jean pocket and asked for two yakisoba and two Qoo apple juices.

Rukia hopped over to a large boulder in the middle of the riverbed and sat down, hugging her knees. Ichigo lagged behind, wobbling slightly on a rock as he toted their food with him. They ate in absolute silence, listening to the birds sing in perfect harmony with the sound of the leaves in the breeze and the trickling of water around them. Rukia stored the sounds in her memory, refusing to ever forget their melody. Long after their lunch was over they sat, watching people come and go with their families and friends. It brought them both a sense of peace.

The sound of laughter echoed through Ichigo's head as he imagined a younger version of himself running across the red bridge farther down the small river, his mother not far behind. Her voice as she caught him felt warm in his heart and he smiled to himself. He could almost feel her fingertips scurrying across his ribs as he writhed in a fit of tickle-induced giggles. He had no shame when he was eight. It was amazing what damage one year's events could do to a small boy's sense of guilt. Rukia yawned and he sighed away the memories as they began to fade, a frown chasing away his boyish smile. He glanced at his watch and stood up to stretch. Rukia looked up at him and he motioned for her to pick up the remains of her disposable bento and follow him.

"Where are we going now?" she asked as she bounced along beside him, taking two steps to his one. He shushed her and separated their trash into its respected bin. Ichigo pulled Rukia towards an overgrown path off the main picnicking area. They heaved up the uneven stone steps and passed a decrepid shrine which caught the petite woman's attention. Rukia looked at it a moment, lagging behind. It seemed to groan with age and wise, heavy life. She couldn't take her eyes off it. Things didn't age like this in Soul Society. They were never given the chance…

Ichigo turned to her and urged her up the incline. Rukia followed silently until they reached a small clearing, a boulder in the face of the mountain surrounded by rich, ancient flora. Ichigo stopped on the stone surface and pointed out over the canopy of the sloping mountain towards the shrine and pagoda below. Miyajima Tori was a silhouette against the sparkling ocean waters. A perfect view as the sun fell behind the mountains on the main island.

"You'll never find a sunset like this in Karakura," Ichigo boasted with pride. Though the spot was forgotten by most, he would always remember it. It was nice to share it with someone after so many years. He hadn't even shown his sisters when they had come the year before. It was a sacred place to him, and it seemed right to share it with Rukia.

"Thank you…for bringing me here," Rukia said, her cheeks a delicate shade of pink. Ichigo smiled at her and they both turned to watch the sun's last rays fall in an array of brilliant hues. Rukia let her body feel the sun's warmth descend behind the horizon and a cool evening breeze sweep gently through her hair. In spirit form, the living world seemed so…lifeless. You could feel no heat or cold, you couldn't smell the delicate fragrance of living bark or ripe fruit. The only thing you could feel was the Hollow and your comrades. Even that, she thought, couldn't always be felt. The world was stark and cold as a shinigami.

Before she knew what she was doing, Rukia wrapped her arms around Ichigo's waist, burying her cheek in his chest. He looked down with perplexed eyes as his face became scarlet. He began to speak but let the words escape as a breath. Rukia was watching the colors in the sky dance and diminish with such intensity he couldn't bring himself to kill the deafening silence. He could tell she felt the death of day as if she were human for the first time, no longer a spirit in a husk.

Ichigo slowly lowered his hands to her arms and let them slide around her shoulders, holding her closer to him. She tightened her arms around his waist and breathed a sorrowful sigh.

"The sun looks like it's crying, Ichigo. Is this what living people see when the sun sets?" she asked with real confusion and pain in her voice. Ichigo sighed and thought seriously about her question. He watched the large, bright orb lose to the deep blue of night, and listened as the world became still.

"I guess…most people become content when the sun sets, because they know it'll rise again the next day," he spoke softly. The warmth of her body against his was soothing, an idea he thought he'd never let his mind finish mulling over. Her slight frame fit perfectly against his and he cradled her head gently. It was a profound moment. He felt neither awkward nor embarrassed holding her so close despite their arguments. In fact, it felt comfortable as they stood for several minutes in the secluded clearing, listening to the setting sun's eulogy.

A/N: …Oooo, TGK pulled a fast one on you! I hope that wasn't too OOC. I was going to have it looked over before I posted, but I promised an update and here it is! The rabbit scene is a bit choppy, but you'll find out more about it in the next chapter, promise!

Cultural Goodies!

Irasshaimase is how salespeople invite you into their store. You have to go through training when you first become an employee somewhere in order to learn what tone you should say the word, how far you should bow, even how to clasp your hands together. It's an intense business!

Bento is basically a lunchbox.

I think that's it! Let me know if I missed something. Manjuu is explained sort of in the story, but they're famous on Miyajima, so if you ever go, you MUST get one! (They come with cream, red bean paste, custard, or chocolate filling…Red bean paste, mmm, yummy!)