Surprise! Chapter 10! O.o

Thank you, metsfan101, for the review within half an hour of updating!

(V)(;,,;)(V)

I stood, staring, on the brink of tears. I was glad I had brought no one else with me. I knew where I was, I knew what date it was, and I knew that it was June. June seventeenth. I knew that three gravestones down was Kurosaki Masaki, Ichigo's mother. I didn't care. I looked down at the grave I was standing at. Ross Ohayashi Yukino. My own mother died on this date. The name I was using now may have been born from two of my favorite animes' main characters' names, but it was also the name my mother would have given me, if I where a boy. My parents had always said that if their first born child was a boy, they'd name it a Japanese name, and move back here, my mother's home town, but if it was a girl, they would name it an American name, and move to my father's home town. I sighed heavily, and sat down, a single tear running down my cheek. Ichigo may have thought that he was responsible for his own mother's death, but I, I knew what it was like to BE responsible for her death. To witness it and be awake and aware the whole time. To know, know that you could have stopped it. That you were weak. Lacking. I punched the ground, and just sat there, staring at my fist, wishing that I could have changed her fate, and my father's. Someday, I will be able to protect the people I loved. God, I sound so much like Ichigo right now. I wiped away one of two tears I allowed myself a year, and closed my eyes as I heard a pair of girls and their brother walk to the gravestone just a few yards from where I was. Wait, I was in Japan. They used the Metric System. Oh well. Stupid American system. It makes no sense.

"What are you doing here?" Ichigo's voice rang out.

"I could ask you the same question," I replied, without looking up. I shook my head.

"Why would you care anyway?"

He sighed. "I'm just so sick of people following me around, that's all. I'm here to visit my mom's grave."

I sighed back at him. "Me too. Right here." I pointed.

"Ross Ohayashi Yukino," Ichigo read the gravestone out loud. "You're mother's name was Yukino?"

I nodded. "Why?"

He shook his head. "I just thought that the name sounded familiar, that's all."

"Oh," I replied, and an awkward silence filled the air.

"Where's your friend?" He tried to break the silence.

"With Tatsuki and Orihime."

"Oh." Another awkward silence.

"Where's your dad?"

"Somewhere in oblivion where he belongs," came the reply. "What about yours?"

"Dead. Buried somewhere in the United States."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Not your fault."

Another awkward silence. Dang, we where full of those today.

"IIIIIIchiiiiiiiigooooooooo! Where were you my son? Time for the annual 'Kurosaki Tombstone Dominoes Tournament'!"

"Have fun!" I murmured sarcastically.

"Yeah right," he replied in an equal tone.

"Enjoy it though, and look out for the hollow on your tail. I can't help you with that yet." I smirked and walked away, to where Rukia was.

(V)(;,,;)(V)

"Hey," I said, sitting down next to Rukia.

"Oh? Hi, Kenichi."

"You're not wrong you know."

"What?"

"You're not wrong. Ichigo's mother was killed by a hollow. Just, don't run over there and tell him. The reason he wants to fight is because he thinks it's his fault that his mom died. I know that's the reason I want to protect my friends."

"Really?"

"Really what?"

"Is that really the reason you both want to fight?"

"Of course. The failure to protect is reason in itself to protect."

"Hm, I guess that makes sense."

"You guess? What about Kaien? Isn't the reason you want to help Ichigo is because you couldn't help Kaien?"

Rukia looked surprised. "What? How do you know about Kaien?"

"I know a lot of things that you don't yet."

"Like what?"

"Hmm, like, the name of the hollow that killed Ichigo's mom."

"What is it?"

"Grand Fisher."

Rukia stared at me. I nodded slightly, and we both felt the hollow.

"Shall we?"

Rukia and I watched as Ichigo freed his sisters from the hollow, and Kon took them with him. We watched as he tried his best to cut down Grand Fisher, and I watched Rukia's internal battle. We watched as Ichigo managed not to die, and I watched as Rukia healed him as best she could, and got his soul back in his body. She left before he could wake up, and when he did, he made his way to his mother's grave to apologize for not being able to avenge her. I made my way to my own mother's grave.

I closed my eyes, and let the rain wash over me. I had expected this, but I didn't bring an umbrella.

Sometimes, I swear the rain can cleanse my soul.