Disclaimer: I don't own bleach.

Pairings: Ichigo/Rukia…trust me;)

Raitings: T for language

Genre: Romance/General

Author's notes: I know I've been dead for almost a year or so :D, but hey! I couldn't help it. And if you may, you could thank wingstock-relyon for this chapter. Without our deal this update would not be possible (belated happy birthday!). Please, be patient and forgiving with my writing it's been ages since I last attempted to write a bleach ficcy. Thank you and now, enjoy!

+Linger+

Beloved immortal, she who is undead

A breath of poison, she who brings death

Her petals scatter, I who lie beneath the ground

A grave of flowers and thorns unbound.

The sun that was considered the brightest light known to man, the biggest star that shone across the face of the earth and the infinite galaxy, the ultimate symbol of life and hope now held no meaning to Kurosaki Ichigo. For despite feeling the intense heat of the sun's rays that seeped from the window, he was lifeless. He sat on the wooden floor of Urahara's Shop, immobile, face blank of anything that was human.

The images kept flashing in his head, over and over and each time he remembered the events that night he couldn't help but feel the aggravation of being powerless.

"..if I could, I will come back.." Rukia's words rang relentlessly to him, that face she had when she said them, it haunted him but the guilt that he couldn't stop her pained him even more.

"Kurosaki-kun, " Inoue Orihime called out to him, she had finished the last of the wounds on Ichigo's left arm which took a lot more time that it usually did to heal. Just what kind of weapon grazed him? What kind of enchantment did that Hisana do when she struck Ichigo? "Kurosaki-kun…" she called once more to get his attention. They were the only ones inside the empty room, Ishida and Chad were after all almost done recuperating.

Ichigo was still in contemplation. "Just what the hell are they trying to pull now…?" he muttered to himself, completely clueless of soul society's true objectives. What did Yamamoto mean? Why did Rukia have to be taken away all of a sudden? Just what was going on?!

Inoue gazed at him with her usual concern, she could see right through him, which was a fact. And all she found in that empty shell once called Kurosaki Ichigo was despair and confusion. "Ummm…" She wanted to comfort him, to say something uplifting, to reach him even just once, but she couldn't find the right words.

Ichigo glanced at her, finally acknowledging her existence after a long while. "I can't stay here." He said, somehow regaining the littlest ounce of resolve he had left. "I cant let them make a fool out of us, saying we have no right to get involved isn't acceptable." He rose up and Inoue was a bit surprised of his sudden actions.

"Kurosaki-kun!" He wasn't well enough to be jumping around.

Ichigo started walking towards the sliding door, completely disregarding everything else. "I'm going after them!" he announced, eyes enveloped by the luster of vitality feared to have disappeared.

The shoji door opened before Ichigo could even hold it. Urahara Kisuke stood there foreboding, hat shadowing his eyes. "I'm afraid I can't let you leave this shop, Ichigo." He said unwaveringly.

"what are you saying, Urahara-san?" Ichigo blurted out, he had at least expected the shop manager to take his side and help him. "I need to know what's happening!" was his desperate cry.

"Kurosaki-kun, o-negai!" Inoue now shouted, she mustered all her courage attempting to talk some sense into him. "please…stop…"

Ichigo looked at her, taken aback by her sudden outburst.

Inoue clutched her skirt tightly, forming fists. "I know…I'm not as strong and smart as Kuchiki-san." she started almost unsurely, "Kuchiki-san has always been trying to protect Kurosaki-kun, she always thinks of other people's situation." Tears were slowly forming on the sides of her eyes. "She doesn't want to put us in danger…" a crystal droplet rolled down her cheek and she choked out the next words with her sobs. "Whatever her decision is, I believe it's because she thought of Kurosaki-kun as well." Incessantly, her tears fell to her lap; leaving tear stains on her skirt. She wanted to be beside him, to understand him, to be the one he could depend on but there were lengths that could never be reached.

Ichigo's eyes were wide, "I…noue…" He muttered somehow moved by her.

Orihime hurriedly wiped the tears away, her eyes burned with a different kind of resolve. "Kurosaki-kun must continue to believe in Kuchiki-san!" She declared filled with conviction and trust.

Urahara adjusted his striped hat, he sighed. "Rukia knows what she's doing, Ichigo." He motioned to close the shoji door once more. "For the time being, I think she'd be happy if you don't do anything stupid." With that, Urahara Kisuke was gone. Again only Ichigo and Inoue were left inside the empty room.

"Arigato, Inoue." Ichigo sank to his seat, this time he needed to wait even if it killed him to.

Gotei thirteen has stabilized, the injured have been healed, the dead honored and buried. The confrontation that took place in the human world that night took its toll on the protection squads yet still, it is their infallible duty to protect all souls even if dire measures must arise.

Shigekuni Yamamoto looked out from the window of his squad's headquarters. The vision of Seireitei back to normal somehow calmed his disquieted heart though still he was ruffled by the weight of his own decisions. He could only hope and pray they would be saved by the desperate sacrifices they must soon make.

A knock on the door broke his reverie. "Come in," he permitted.

Kuchiki Byakuya entered. "Commander-general, you called for me?" he asked with his usual stoic tone, his body was still covered in bandings.

The commander turned to him, gaze calculating the matters he must discuss with the captain.

"Regarding Kuchiki Rukia…" The old man started off after heaving a deep breath. He could only wonder to himself why chaos must always ensue when this girl was taken away.

A different expression crossed Byakuya's usually stone cold façade, it was concern. He grew more attentive. "Yes, what of my sister?" He questioned still with courtesy. "I know that the restraining order decreed had its own reasons, but please, do enlighten me."

Shigekuni Yamamoto sat on his chair behind his desk filled with the mountain of papers his vice-captain delivered only this morning. "I was informed by Mayuri Kurotsuchi, a fragment of the hougyoku still remains inside Kuchiki Rukia." He finally stated.

Byakuya's eyes widened slightly at the recollection of the orb and the troubles it brought. "And what do you suggest we do?" He queried immediately somehow getting the drift. "What does this have to do with Kurosaki Ichigo and forbidding her to return to the human world?"

"For now, that is something I cannot fully tell you but definitely, if that girl continues to stay with the substitute death god, his hollow powers will destroy them both." The commander met gazes with the captain, it was a cold and leveled stare. "If we are not be able to extract the fragment…" he stopped for some seconds, "We have to destroy- "

"Certainly, I will not allow Rukia to be placed in such danger again." Byakuya interrupted, he was determined to not make the same mistakes twice even if Soul Society's law was the impediment. "I trust you understand me, commander." His frigid tone was masked with civility.

"Byakuya," the commander called him by name which he rarely did. "She must not stray out of our sight. For if we make a single mistake, soul society will face the most ominous of consequences." He said vindictively calm, there was no hostility in his remark, only truth. "We will take the necessary measures."

Byakuya understood clearly the certainty in the commander's words. He understood them well; and for the first time again after Hisana's death, he feared losing all that was important.

Hisana walked through the corridors of Las Noches. She was searching for something. She saw a dark doorway ahead of her, the path leading to somewhere she was sure of. She hastened her pace as if in a hurry to reach it.

"Hisana-san." A cool feminine voice stopped her dead.

Hisana turned back to see who called her and found the green-haired espada looking at her with a questioning look. "Nelliel-san," she muttered.

Nel motioned towards her then glanced at the door the other woman was heading. "That is the gateway out of Las Noches. Where are you going?" she asked.

"I was about to go out and devour some hollows." She lied.

The green haired espada sensed something different. "But Aizen-sama forbade you to leave this place and you have no need to consume hollows." She remarked suspiciously though there was no hint of tension in her voice. "Do you wish to go to the human world?" She asked point blankly, seeing through the raven-haired woman.

"Nel-san," Hisana mumbled, she felt the need to let out her emotions and there was this force trying to tell her that the woman in front was someone who she could trust. "I think you know what I feel," the ebony haired girl started. "I maybe the same hollow who tried to kill those humans before, but here inside me…" She rested a hand on her left chest, just above where her "heart" was beating."Is Kuchiki Hisana's heart." A vision of Kuchiki Byakuya flashed inside her head and familiar feeling took hold of her. "And no matter how much I try to eat her up, erase her attachments and concerns, I cannot forget Byakuya-sama and most especially, Rukia." Hisana looked at her with the sincerest of faces, she wore a human expression.

Nel could somehow see the meaning behind her words, sometimes she also felt that this was not the place she was supposed to stand. "Hisana-san is an espada and yet she has these emotions. It's quite enviable." She drew a small smile and started walking towards the exit, brushing past Hisana.

"What…are…you…?" Hisana was confused of her actions.

"Don't worry," Nel turned to her briefly. "Please tell the others that I will be gone for a while." She slipped inside the darkness of the pathway.

"My destination is, Karakura Town."

Renji closed his eyes, he was tired of seeing the same scenery each time. He was so tired and helpless against it. He had been standing in front of Rukia's room, simply watching over what was left inside.

Rukia sat on her futon, looking out to the sky. It was the brightest shade of blue, the clearest sky she had ever seen in soul society.

"Rukia," Renji called out to her somewhat hesitant.

Rukia glanced at him, a calm expression reflected on her face. "It's you… Renji." She mumbled, only noticing him now whilst he stood there for more than fifteen minutes already.

Renji looked away, it pained him to see her vainly trying to hide her grief. "I don't want to be the one telling you this." He started off while approaching her. Why must he always be the herald of bad news?

Rukia smiled weakly. "It's not like I haven't heard the worst of news. Go on." She told him.

"I've come to ask your permission, on behalf of Gotei thirteen." His face was dead serious.

Rukia's eyebrows furrowed, "Permission? Since when did my consent matter?" she could almost laugh at what Renji said. Surely, Soul Society could ask the most ridiculous things.

Renji did not waver the slightest; he wanted to brace Rukia for the incoming impact. He took out a scroll from his pocket and began to read. "Soul Society asks permission to erase Kurosaki Ichigo's memories."

Rukia's eyes widened considerably, she wasn't expecting this much.

Renji could clearly see the sudden shift in her face. "That's why I'm telling you to reject this. We could talk to taichou, he would surely do something about this. They're giving out orders without even explaining. It's ridiculous!" he was obviously miffed.

Rukia sealed her violet orbs shut, burying them in deep thought. She weighed all her qualms and emotions before reopening them again. "That's right. It would be easier that way." She finally spoke, face cold and distant, driven only by her rationale that her sacrifices could perhaps alleviate the danger that faced them.

"What are you saying Rukia!? You can't just stay quiet about this! This is insane!" Renji held her by the shoulders tightly, as if trying to shake some sense into her.

She would no longer hear him. "Abarai Fuku-taichou," Her voice was callous, reminiscent to a true Kuchiki's frosted tone it made Renji stop instantly.

"I think I know just what the commander is thinking. But there is one thing needed. Make sure that only my existence is erased."

Renji could not understand what she meant but orders were orders and there was just no way for him to interfere this time. Renji exited her room silently, his heart heavy with the inability to protect her, all he could do now was to honor her request.

"Destiny brought us together… and it is also destiny that will tear us apart." Rukia slowly closed her eyes as she lay down her futon. Interlocking her fingers as if in prayer, unmoving as if all that awaited her was eternal sleep, she spoke her last words before her vision faded to black.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, you will soon forget…and the pain of having been forsaken will forever vanish with me."

The fractured sky melts away,

I am left with the memories of you

With the silent tears that cling to my heart

I stare at your back from a distance…

I can never hold you again.

Author's notes: yes, after all those months, I am somehow revived. Thank you for your time.

No review, no update. I would like to know if this story is still worth continuing.

Take care

Love,

amerie