SUNRISE AND ITS SHADOW

"Rain…" The rather tall man spoke to himself. He sat fairly still on the steps of the building with his hood keeping his face well hidden. The rain he spoke of fell endlessly in the night air. No one walked the streets that night, not even if it couldn't be helped. "…So depressing…"

All the drops of rain formed a sort of ocean in the darkness. Other than the dull concrete of the buildings and the occasional street light, the blackness and the ocean was all that existed.

Now, if only that were true…

The quiet giant just watched as the white masked monster across the street jumped from rooftop to rooftop. It definitely wasn't site seeing… It was running away, trying to escape. As what was obviously the aggressor closed in on it, the monster turned to fight back. The attacker, an orange-haired shinigami, easily dodged the pathetic thing's first attack and with a quick counter-strike, ended the masked monster's life.

"Nice job… Kurosaki…" The rain hid the man well.

Kurosaki Ichigo took a moment as the Hollow vanished and let the rain hit him a little. Something didn't seem right, but suddenly a second Hollow lunged from nowhere in a savage roar. Before it even realized that the shinigami knew, the world had gone permanently dark—darker than the night. With that, Zangetsu was replaced on his back, fully wrapped.

Ichigo was more than ready to get out of the rain. It wasn't a peaceful rain or a peaceful night despite appearances. The whole past week had been rainy, which also led to most of everybody being sick but this particular night had something strange hidden in it.

A whistle managed to break through the rain to Ichigo. Down below, a familiar face stood there with an umbrella to protect his striped bucket-hat. Ichigo jumped down to him; Urahara Kisuke wouldn't have bothered the substitute shinigami for nothing.

"Nice night for a walk, huh?"

Kurosaki gave him an annoyed look but Urahara just laughed, "Oh my… The rain has even washed humor away." Ichigo's face turned serious as he waited for reason of the store owner's visit.

"Let's take a walk, shall we?" He finally said, lowering his hat slightly.

After several moments of silence Urahara finally spoke, "Something kind of sad about this rain, dontcha think?"

Ichigo crossed his arms, irritated, thinking that he could have been home and dry by now. Before Ichigo could retort, Urahara continued, "How's everyone?"

"Small talk… in the rain… please have a point…" Ichigo whined. He already wasn't that fond of rain but tonight was… different. This rain was eroding something that didn't need to be eroded.

"Come now, Kurosaki," Kisuke continued with his fan hiding his grin, "as depressing as this rain may be what if it was your last rain? Hmm?" Ichigo gave a quick snort.

"Now that's a depressing thought," Ichigo stated, still disheartened by the rain.

The two continued walking for some time until finally—and randomly—Urahara spat out "Down to business!" He then immediately closed his fan but kept it in hand for further gestures, "The Soul Society has picked up some odd readings—nothing to worry over just yet, but to be on the safe side, they've sent Abarai to help."

They continued down the empty streets, through the ocean of rain.

"I have already informed Rukia. As a matter of fact, expect her to get the signal if it seems like it's whatever the Captains are worried about," Urahara immediately stopped and turned to face Ichigo, "Don't expect too much though, most likely it's post-war paranoia."

There was a silent pause as the rain ate away at the substitute shinigami's mind.

"If it's nothing to worry about… then why…" Kurosaki started calmly before exploding, "why the hell did we take this long freaking walk in the rain! I could have been home, dried, and asleep by now!" Ichigo's vein pulsated while Kisuke returned his fan to his face.

"Up," the store owner said. Confused, Ichigo looked up to see, of all things, the sign for Urahara's shop but just barely due to the rain. "Wha—What!" Ichigo yelled as Urahara's umbrella disappeared and the water pelted his orange hair.

"Thanks, Kurosaki!" The store owner called out while waving innocently from halfway in the front door, "It would have been a very dreadful walk by myself! Anyways, you should get out of the rain! You'll catch a cold! Good night!" And with that Urahara retreated fully inside as the infuriated Ichigo ran to the door. After several failed attempts to open the door, he began to bang on it.

Suddenly, the door flung open, so fast that Ichigo was still beating where it used to be—which was now replaced with Tessai shot across the assistant's glasses.

"Go home," were his only words. Ichigo jumped back with a salute, "Hai!" and took off. As he ran away, Kurosaki murmured to himself, "asshole could have gave me the umbrella at least…" Dying to just get home, Ichigo flash stepped with the occasional curse.

The rain continued uninterrupted.

Tessai slid the door close and informed Urahara that Ichigo had left. "Thank you so very much," Kisuke fanned himself, "now then, I do believe I have a guest to entertain."

The store owner made his way to the back of his store.

In the store's basement, there was no rain. It was the same as it always was… except for the hooded giant standing in the middle of the empty chamber. He was still soaked from the outside world.

"So this is where you were hiding," Urahara fanned himself without looking at his guest who mimicked this absence of acknowledgment. The two of them were looking in the same direction, but he seemed to be just "looking at" the vast room.

"I wouldn't call it hiding…" He spoke in a powerful yet restrained voice, "…more like… site seeing…"

The former captain couldn't help but smile at the remark as he fanned.

"Didn't want to say 'hi'?" Urahara closed his fan with a flick of his wrist and turned to face the opposite direction as the giant. The man only stood there silently.

"I see…" With a pat on his guest's shoulder, the store owner made his way to the exit, "This rain's got everyone down…" He only took a few steps before stopping and looking back.

The giant hadn't moved more than an inch. "Abarai will be here soon, so if you—"

"I should leave… Just in case… Besides, I don't need to meet any… unnecessary people…" The stranger interrupted and turned to face Urahara before walking towards the exit as well.

Just as the two lined up, Kisuke placed a hand on his guest's shoulder.

"Don't worry, the sunrise will come, my friend…" The store owner said in a very wise manner. There was a long pause, and he finally returned his hand and let his guest go.

As he walked away, the giant murmured, "Let's hope so…"