160Epilouge
Shihoin Yoruichi gulped down her sake, and slammed the small cup against the wooden table. She hadn't cried in a long time, but with the death of both her former student and friend, a few tears had managed to escape.
Kisuke Uruhara slid the shoji door open and entered. Seating himself next to Yoruichi, he poured himself a cup of tea. Yoruichi stared at him. "Tea is obviously healthier!" he chimed. She rolled her eyes, and Uruhara continued. "Kurotsuchi Mayuri was able to duplicate the medicine that he took from the deceased Kuchiki Rukia. Thirteenth Division once again does not have a fukutaicho. Ukitake refuses to choose another lieutenant as of yet. Second Division is taicho-less. Much of Gotei Thirteen voted against making Omaeda Marechiyo a taicho. I was thinking, would you like to take the position?"
"No, Kisuke," she quickly responded as drank another cup of sake.
"Okay, moving on then," Uruhara muttered as he opened his fan. "Genryuusai Seras will be executed in twenty-five days, and Hokaitsu will be buried next to Kuchiki Yoshi."
Yoruichi raised an eyebrow.
"Genryuusai Yamamoto gave permission," he said, "how ironic, ne?"
She nodded. "You don't need to tell me the rest."
Uruhara sighed. "Well, shall life continue?"
Chuckling, Yoruichi pushed the cup of sake away from her and stood. "Yeah."
Kurosaki Ichigo was on his bed, like he usually was during his free time. The only difference was that Abarai Renji was knocking on his door. "Listen Renji," he growled, loud enough for his friend to hear, "I don't feel like having guests." A loud crash and light from the hallway shined in Ichigo's dark room. "That was my freakin' door, Renji."
Renji entered the room, slamming the door shut behind him. "Get up."
"Out of this damn room."
The red-haired shinigami sighed and grabbed his friend by the back of his shirt. Ripping him up, a rush of shock ran through his veins and he felt his eyes burn. Ichigo's eyes were like clouds on the stormiest day of the year. Tears were running down his eyes like water from a hose.
"I told to leave me alone," he sneered pushing Renji's hand away, but now sitting up.
Renji backed away and sat on Ichigo's swivel chair. "Wasn't your fault." He watched as his friend's hands clenched. "It wasn't Ichigo."
"It was damn it! This time, I killed her. It wasn't some hollows fault or the poison, but I! I plunged my sword into her!" Tears streamed down his face more rapidly than they had ever been. "Damn it! Why couldn't I save her?"
Renji grabbed Ichigo's shoulder and punched him on his jaw mercilessly. He pushed him backward and punched him in his stomach. "Stop blaming her death on only yourself because it's also my fault. I wasn't there to help you guys! Instead I was lying on the floor as if the wound Seras had inflicted me was deadly. I could've gotten up!" Now Renji was crying. It couldn't be helped. He had promised himself to do what Rukia would do and cheer Ichigo up, but the substitute shinigami had brought tears to his eyes. "I gained power to protect her!"
Minutes passed and the two just sobbed, Renji on a chair and Ichigo face-down on his bed. "She'd be laughing at us," said Ichigo, his voice muffled against the pillow.
Renji cleared his throat. "Just came to say to get you shit together. I'll be going then." He opened the door, but paused. "She'd want that." With that, he left.
"You would, wouldn't you?" asked Ichigo aloud. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw her. Kuchiki Rukia, a white aurora surrounding her. "Rukia?"
She nodded, her face serious. "Stop this, Ichigo."
"I-"
"I left my heart with you," said Rukia. "Just remember that. I trust you and love you. My heart is with you."
Then the tears stopped coming. He watched as she disappeared and tried to put on a smile. "Thank you, Rukia. Once again, you have made my rain stop. I loved you... with all my heart."
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I hope you guys enjoyed the ending. Please check out my other story, "Bulletproof", my sister's story, "The Difference Between a Noble and a Shinigami", and for a brilliant story, "A Choice Fit for a King" by JustAnotherBlondWriter.
Once again, thank you for reading this story!