"In this town I am at, Karakura have had countless rain since that day. I feel my gigai drowning. I'm having trouble breathing as I hear the sound of the raindrops, as I feel it on my skin. My soul is being suppressed. My heart is pounding harder and harder. –Minute by minute- Hearing the ticking of the clock I know my time to spend in this four-walled room is accessing into its end."
Rukia hears the sliding of the door. Form its opening the light from the outside lit the dark room. There was a shadow of a man wearing a hat. He was standing right at the door.
"Orihime and your other friends are here. They came to see you off … What do I tell them?"
She opened her eyes and stared blankly into the wall. Knowing that it was Urahara she asked, "And Ichigo…?" Kisuke hold down to his hat and utterly said with a low voice, "No… he's not with them…"
Princess Rukia lost that hope in her eyes and she sighed. "It's understandable..." she whispered. She stood from the floor and wore herself courageously. She walked towards Urahara and he moved to the side to give her a way. She passed by him and Urahara just followed her through his glimpse.
-#-
Ichigo just had a shower, his towel hanging over from his head to his shoulders. He stands by the window watching the rain, watching the water flow down into his window pane. Lightning strikes and comes a long thunder, his face was furious. He threw the towel in his bed and he sat down. He laid down half of his body. Spreading his arms over the bed his hand grabbed a hold of something. It was his Soul reaper converter. He raised it up high and looked at it in a distance. Ichigo wanted to throw it into the closet in front of him. He got up and had his fist to let go. But he noticed the closet was slightly open. There was something beneath the gap that it makes it unable to close.
He stood up to open the closet and a bunny stuff toy came falling down to his feet. He had his eyes wide and surprise but then he bended over and picked it up. Ichigo did not notice his hands were pressing hard onto the bunny's body. All of a sudden the stone in the middle of its chest glowed and the toy started making some kind of a musical sound. He placed it on top of his desk without minding the music.
Putting on his shirt he heard the music stop. He fixed in his shirt to fit then he heard a familiar voice.
"Ichigo…" the voice called his name out with a rather lonely tone. The orange-haired guy's eyes widen, his heart was beating fast.
"Rukia…? ..Rukia!" he was screaming as he searched his room. And it echoes.
As he turned to the bunny, he knew right then that the voice is coming from it.
"Ichigo… I'm sorry I couldn't bring myself to say goodbye to you personally. I'll only make it hard for you…"
Ichigo leaned against his desk as he listens to Rukia's voice. He was trying to convey his tears.
"At least for the last time even not face to face… I ..I want to tell you …" he can hear her sobbing it makes his heart ache.
"I love you … Thank you" She cries, it can be heard. Her tears were imaginable in Ichigo's mind. Ichigo couldn't fight his tears back. Making a fist out of his hand, he had a determined look on his face.
He changed to his Shinigami form and jump-out off his window to the outside. Isshin was standing right outside his room. He whispered "Is it too late…Ichigo?" The rain was pouring hard that he got soaked in immediately. Yet, he runs through the cold.
"Rukia… Rukia… don't go! Not just yet… Rukia"
Rukia comes out of the Urahara Shop, Kon jumps up on her. He started snuggling on her and Rukia did not mind. But then she carried him with a distance from her. Inoue came close to her and she hand over Kon to her.
"I can't loose you … I don't want to loose you …"
Inoue and Chad hold her close. Ishida a fix his glass to the bridge of his nose and hand over his hand to Rukia. A handshake, a salute to a good fighter then he hugged her, a salute to a good friend. "It's time" Urahara exclaimed. Rukia's heart jumped but her eyes were constant without any hesitation and any tears. Inoue clanged to her but then she moved away. She takes a stand before that grand door. She cried no tear and speaks of no weak words. She turned around and smiled to these people who made her feel appreciated and accepted. Then she said "Thank You and Goodbye."
Kurosaki feels no rain on his skin. But he feels pain in his heart and soul. Not long after, he can finally see the shop and he strived to go faster, jump roof to roof. Catching up on his breath he comes to the ground.
"Ichigo…?" surprised words from eeveryone.
"Inoue? Ishida? You too Chad? What are you doing here? Uh… Rukia…where is she? I need to see her."
No one answered him.
Ichigo struggles away from Inoue's hold on him. Her face was sulking and her eyes are swollen. Ichigo had a glance of her and understood the way her face tells.
"No!!" he swung his head lightly right and left. "Where is Rukia? Don't hide her I need to see her… Rukia! Rukia!" He screams out, being in denial.
He saw Urahara, he ran into him and grabbed him on his clothes. "Urahara, let me see Rukia… I need to see her!"
Urahara took Ichigo's hand of him and lower his head a little. He was silent. Ichigo was having difficulty accepting the truth. Then Urahara moved a little and a grand door met on Ichigo's eyes. He stood before it as it fades away into thin air.
The rain falls even greater. Each drop is heavy. It's painful…
Kurosaki Ichigo knelt down in despair as he sees the door fading. He was crying to what extent… its unknown. He clutches on the mud at his hands. Turn his face towards the sky.
"RUKIA!!"