Chapter 3: An Inevitable Reunion

A/N: I would like to thank TFKeyes for the reviews! Now This is the climax chapter! So naturally this one will be a biggy, for those who have a small patience or are reading this late at night and you are really tired I suggest that you go to bed now or get an alieve! This chapter will be like an hour Bleach special, it will be worth like 2 chapters!

An ebony haired Shinigami slowly opened up her amethyst colored orbs. They were still heavy with exhaustion and the thought of going back to sleep temped her but once she blinked away the harsh light she knew it was no use. She arose from her bed, her feet light as they touched the floor. She stretched into a yawn. Sounds of Seireitei awaking to another day bounced off her walls. She noted that she was alone as usual. Her Nee-sama was most likely off doing work. She did not have school today. It was exams week so the classes that did not have exams or an important reason to be there was excused from school. Her hands opened the sliding doors and she walked softly outside. She clutched the robe she had grabbed before she stepped out. The sky was a grayish white as usual. It was just an ordinary day that Rukia had to get by like any other day. She turned to look at the Kuchiki Mansion once more before she would walk around and explore town. When her brother was not home she could do whatever she wanted. She sighed in relief as today she would get to be herself and not the Kuchiki noble she was forced to be by Byakuya, his leash on her was cut off momentarily. Events of last night with herself were long forgotten. Since she was a spirit she did not feel cold or warmth, and everyday was treated like summer on earth. The sun illuminated her purple orbs; in those orbs was clarity and peace. She had not been feeling all too well these past few days as the rain had returned but she was raw with determination to not let it show. Her black kimono danced freely at her feet as the light breeze caressed her. Her thoughts wandered to Renji who had left yesterday for an assignment in the real world. She felt bitter with envy when he told her that his class was going and not hers. She wondered if she would ever get an opportunity like that, but then of course her brother would never let her get endangered like that. Inside that cold and stony exterior was an over protective idiot who wouldn't let her do anything. She was always kept at a close watch from him as if she were a criminal. Today though she wouldn't let anyone or anything gets in the way and if they did, they wound answer to her foot in their ass.

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The day dragged on forever it seemed to the strawberry blond haired fifteen year old. He was tapping his pencil impatiently on his desk. He had worked very hard to get at the top 10 of his class. He excelled in many subjects but today he found himself distracted and tired. He didn't know if it was the rain outside draining his energy or his sensei that seemed to droll on and on about Quadratics. When his class had English he was normally attentive as this was his favorite subject especially when they were learning Shakespeare but yet again he spaced out. He didn't realize he had fallen asleep when he awoke again and the bell ran to leave school. He didn't so much worry about whatever homework that was assigned; he would just ask Ishida or Chad later. He wouldn't dare ask Kiego for help, as much as he was one of his friends; he was a dumbass and a perverted one at that.

Ichigo noted with satisfaction that none of his friends gathered around him when he reached his locker. He simply put a few books in his back and grabbed his jacket. He flung the jacket carelessly over his shoulder and began his walk home. The rain was like a cat eying its prey; it hid elusively until the right moment came to pounce its prey. This is what Ichigo had felt; the rain came down even harder when he walked outside and now he was the vulnerable prey completely aloof. The sound of students leaving and shoes thundering in the halls had long left Ichigo and he was now more alone than ever. He sighed despairingly. He took his hand and wiped his face of the water now clouding his eyes. He saw his shoes untied and bent down to tie them up again. That was when he saw it. His eyes widened with shock as he looked at the hauntingly familiar landscape in front of him. That was when he saw her, yes it was her, he couldn't mistake it for anyone else. He felt paralyzed looking at her. How could he ever look her in the eye again? His wound had opened up further and further until the wound had consumed his soul. "M-mother…"

A/N: Thanks TFKeyes for the review. I do not take offense, and sorry for repeating myself but thank you. As this is my first bleach fanfic, first fanfic nonetheless I'm still learning the ropes, but its reviews from people like you who take time to read my fanfics and make me a better writer.

There she was a perfect image of her; the same way she was before she died. Ichigo felt his resistance to not run to her slowly weaken. She had not changed and she still wore that same smile; the same smile that always captivated him as a child. When he saw her he knew that he could withstand any barrier and climb any mountain. Ichigo's rough exterior ebbed and he scrunched his face into a smile. Ichigo felt strength return to him once more as he stood up. He blinked to make sure this wasn't his mind playing tricks with him.

Mommy I will always protect you

Those words echoed in his mind. He killed her once; he wouldn't make the same mistake again. He ran towards his mother eagerly; that 8-year distance between his mother and him was crumbling. When he felt the land below him give way, it wasn't him and his mother embracing. Instead, he looked down and he had lost balance and was tumbling uselessly down the hill and was approaching the bank. The river was getting dangerously high with the torrential rainfall. He was about to come face to face with the flooding waters but an unseen force knocked the wind out of him stopping him from rolling any further. He looked up, out of breath and could just barely see a rather large figure towering over him. He couldn't tell what it was and if it would hurt him or not, he only gagged as blood came to the surface of his mouth. He was on the brink of consciousness when he though he saw his mother again, she was smiling and opening her arms to him as if wanting him to come to her. He surprisingly turned her away and the next thing he knew was a hard punch to the stomach but it went further and completely ripped open his abdomen. Heavy amounts of blood spurted from the wound. Ichigo gagged again, he looked up and could now see clearly his attacker. His attacker had long white hair and a shady face so he couldn't see whom it was. He saw red eyes and a black robe. Ichigo felt his resistance to stay awake weaken further but he had guts and wouldn't give up that easily. He stood up, shaky at first. "Who the hell are you and why are you attacking me?!" He didn't get an answer. The white figure only pointed to his mother who was still smiling at him. Something was wrong. Finally with what seemed like eternity the shady figure spoke. "My name is Naomi." Then suddenly she walked over to Ichigo and placed a hand on his shoulder as if to comfort him but ichigo slapped it away. "Listen you! Who the hell are you to first attack me like that and now you are trying to be nice to me? Bipolar bitch!" Naomi ignored the orange-haired teen's insults. "There is a reason to all of this but you wont learn everything right now. Now is the time to leave." Ichigo did not understand. "What do you mean leave?" Naomi laughed amused. "Well unless you want to return to that…" She pointed to Ichigo's motionless body below leaving a stunned a furious Ichigo. "You…you killed me! Return me to my body now!" Naomi made a slight frown. "You can't go back, had I let you live you would have suffered even more miserably, then what would have happened to your pride then? Your life would no longer be the same; you would be scarred for life." Ichigo was confused. "You were the one to kill me! You attacked me out of nowhere and ripped open my stomach. What do you mean if I had lived? It was your choice to do that!" Naomi sighed; this boy was really naïve. "No Ichigo, you killed yourself." Those words made ichigo pause. He did not say anything after that and only put a hand through his hair as if in defeat. He did not want to leave just yet. "Is it ok, if we stay here for awhile longer?" It was hard to tell if Ichigo was sad or happy, his voice seemed choked with emotion. Masaki only looked at his son with great grief as she saw just how much sadness she had caused him. He felt he was responsible for her death.