A/N: Hello again! I was planning on having this a few days earlier but I've been working, so I've been exhausted. Here's the next chapter, and the second part of the cemetery scenes. I really like this chapter but then again I'm anxious because now it's coming to the end I have not finished the last chapters as I've been thinking of creating a sequel to this- and when I say sequel, it isn't as planned with just some ideas for it and by then it's time to do school work.
It would also be something I've never done before, with first being finishing a multi-chaptered story and making a sequel to boot?
No matter, you should just ignore me freaking out about writing more to this and just enjoy reading the story and how it is going! I do hope people are really looking forward to what might come!

Disclaimer: Bleach is by Kubo Tite. The title is a song by Gackt.

Enjoy!


Chapter seven: Understand

His footsteps into the cemetery echoed with his sisters and father right behind him. He sighed, thinking time went by so fast, as he could still remember the last time they had visited Mom's grave a year ago.

"Try not to cry this time, Yuzu." He heard Karin say.

"I can't help it, Karin-chan!" Yuzu exclaimed. They continued walking up the hill, past all of the other rows of graves. He stopped at one line, and looked down the tombstones to the far side.

What is that… A ghost?

"Why'd you stop, Ichi-nii?" Yuzu called.

"I'll be there; I'm just going to go this way." He called, starting to walk away. He had turned to the row as his feet made little noise on the concrete, looking at the graves.

"Don't be late, son!" His father called as his family went on up the main pathway.

He continued looking at each stone, seeing the flowers that had recently been left and some that were wilting of age. He saw a figure standing in front of a grave ahead, and noticed the strange shape of the outline.

He froze when he realized a few meters away the wings that were protruding from the girl's back. Rukia was standing in front of some grave of a woman, staring into space. He walked closer, calling her. She didn't answer, still staring at the grave.

"Rukia!" He yelled. This got her attention, as she had snapped out of her reverie and jumped at his voice. She turned to see him glaring at her.

"Ah… Ichigo." She mumbled. A vein throbbed in his head- what kind of angel answers like that?

"What are you doing here? I told you to stay home!" He demanded.

"I don't see why I have to listen to a living soul about not doing something of my own free will." She answered.

"What if some demon came and you couldn't defend yourself?" He reasoned.

"It doesn't matter." She said, dismissing the argument. She turned back to the grave as Ichigo walked up next to her, looking at the grave curiously, even though he was still a little peeved she had still come.

"Was it someone you knew?" He asked. She shook her head. "Then what are you looking at?"

"The flowers. The woman must have had a daughter or something…" She pointed out the small flowers scattered over the grave.

"What about a granddaughter offering flowers to her dead grandmother?" He asked. Rukia didn't think of that prospective, but the idea was the same.

"For something that must only be bones by now, why do living souls prepare these burials, and offer flowers and other gifts? A little girl that knew very little her grandmother or mother, memories that would fade as times go on." She questioned, but she didn't expect an answer from Ichigo, or anyone. The two remained silent as both pondered about the question for a few moment before they were interrupted.

"Excuse me." The two turned around in alarm from the third voice. Behind them stood a girl holding a bouquet of fresh flowers, recently bought.

"Who are you?" She asked, directing her question to Ichigo.

"Ah- I'm sorry. Kurosaki Ichigo. I was just looking at the other graves here while I was visiting." He answered, glancing at Rukia.

"I see. Mine name's Senna." She gave a small smile, introducing herself.

"Is this your mother's grave?" Ichigo asked. Senna nodded, walking next to him on the opposite side where Rukia was.

"Yeah. I don't remember her since she died when I was younger, but I still come and visit her." She placed down the flowers she had in her hands. Like the other flowers on the ground in front of the stone, they were just dropped down, willing to scatter across the grave by wind.

"I see." He answered.

"Who are you visiting?" She asked.

"A family member." He answered. She nodded, not asking any further.

"Well, I better get back to the rest of my family. It was nice meeting you." Ichigo said goodbye and walked away. He turned around and looked back the girl as she stood in front of the grave. He noticed the angel was not with him, and saw Rukia was right next to her, looking at the girl.

Ichigo could see the Senna girl talking quietly down at the grave as Rukia listened.

Rukia held her hand and Ichigo could see her squeeze it. Senna stared down at her hand, feeling the touch. She didn't back away in shock or fright, but smiled and continued talking again.

Ichigo finally realized the Senna girl must be talking to her mother. He and his family also did it, but he never talked out loud. It was something private that was unspoken between him and his mother.

Rukia soon walked away from the girl and back towards Ichigo. He remained quiet as the two walked back to the main path, not asking her anything. It was only when they started up the path toward his mother's grave did one of them break the silence.

"She actually thought her mother was there, listening to her. Did you notice she was wearing a school uniform?" Rukia asked. Ichigo thought back to the girl and did remember the uniform.

"She must be in high school." He commented.

"Yet she acted like a small child when she was talking." Rukia started. "Her mother most likely did die before her time. You'd wonder if years from now, she'll be an adult, but still visit the grave of someone she didn't know and talk to air." She finished, her eyes looking up towards the top of the hill with a dream-like stare.

"Why not let her act like a child, the woman was her mother. Even if she died, she was still her mother, no matter how old she becomes." Ichigo said. Rukia looked over at him as a small smile broke onto her face, shocking Ichigo. A small smile could make her so much prettier. She spoke again as they arrived at the top of the hill.

"…I understand."

- - -

"Are you coming home with us, Ichi-nii?" Yuzu called. Ichigo had met up with his family and they each stood in front of his mother's grave, leaving an offering and silently talking to her. It wasn't until the sun was setting were they finished and ready to head back home. Rukia had remained quiet and watched them from a far, standing under a tree nearby.

"Nah, I'll be home later." Ichigo answered back, waving to his family.

"Don't get into trouble son! Oh- and if you find a nice lady, bring her home so you can introduce her to me! She can enjoy a nice Kurosaki dinner! I just don't want to bail you out if you get in some bar fight!" His father yelled. Ichigo rolled his eyes as he and Rukia walked away. Despite the dragging wings, Rukia kept a steady pace a small step behind Ichigo. She looked at all of the passing graves, not listening to anything his family said.

"When will you be done looking at all the graves in the cemetery, Rukia?" Ichigo muttered with an exhausted tone. She turned her head and looked at him. She hesitated for a moment before turning to fully face Ichigo.

"I'm ready, but there's one more thing, Ichigo…" She said.

"What?" He inquired.

"I want to go back to the tree." She requested. Ichigo stared at her in surprise.

"Back there, why?" He asked, but she didn't answer.

"Please."

He stood there speech less. To think, even though an angel, she would implore him, and even say please.

"Rukia…" He muttered when he finally found his voice again. A sigh escaped her lips and she walked past him.

"Fine, I'll go myself." She shrugged. It took the boy a moment to recover and call out her name. She turned to look at him, stopping in her tracks.

"You can't go by yourself." In his long strides he was by her side the next moment, but it did not faze her. She looked forward as the two walked down the path of the cemetery.

Both were silent, the atmosphere almost calm.

The questions were on the tip of his tongue, almost breaking the quiet. She had avoided answering his first question, and it was still bugging him.

It felt so long as his patience was running dry, as the pair reached the large tree. Ichigo stopped a few feet away from the base, letting Rukia do whatever she wanted to do. The angel's small steps quickened for a second as she reached the trunk and touched the bark.

"…Rukia." She turned to look at him, her hand on the trunk. "Why did you want to come here for?" He asked. She turned back and stared at the bark.

This time, she decided to answer.

"To pay respect for the souls that had their fate sealed here." She said. He remained silent for the rest of the time, gazing at the angel as she spoke soft words for the ears of the dead. He kept at a moderate distance, not able to hear what she was saying, but stared at the soft expression that suddenly appeared on her face. For a quick moment, his sight focused on her soft lips turn up into a sad smile, before panning back out.

Soon after, the two were walking back to his-their home.

Ichigo walked into his bedroom later that night, to find Rukia already inside his closet her back always toward him because of her wings.

"Goodnight, Rukia." He called softly. He turned off the lights and walked to his bed and spilled onto the covers, exhausted.

"Goodnight, Ichigo." Rukia answered. He closed his eyes as he succumbed to sleep, not hearing the sense of finality in her voice.

That morning, Ichigo woke up with a strange feeling, even though he did not know why. He got out of his bed and stretched, not sure what was wrong. He started with the first thing that came into his mind every day.

"Oi, Rukia…" He started as he turned to the closet. He stopped when he saw the door to his closet closed shut. He walked over to the closet, opening the door to see if somehow the petite creature was inside, trying to ignore the familiar feeling creeping from his stomach.

It was empty space.

Ichigo spun around and looked around his room, seeing no one else but himself. He stood there in silence for a moment before he finally recognized the feeling that was engulfing him.

The feeling of being alone again.


B/A: I really hoped you enjoyed this chapter, and thus ends the cemetery scene. The end is near, I'm working hard on the next chapters to publish more before the end of summer!

Please leave a comment if you read this chapter or any other chapter of this, it'd make me very happy.