Transcending the Ages

Despite his exhaustion, both emotionally and mentally, and the numbing fog within his mind Aizen is a traitor which has yet to dissipate into acceptance, Ukitake Juushiro had to do a double take.

His surprised gaze locked onto the two human ryoka, ghosts and memories overlaying the present, a reminder of another time long past fifty years actually.

"What is it, Juu?"

Thankful for the disruption of his thoughts and mindless musings, the white-haired captain of the thirteenth division raised his eyes to meet those of his childhood friend.

"Nothing much, Shun."

Said captain raised a brow before looking at what could possibly have dipped his colleague into momentary melancholy and nostalgia.

His eyes widened momentarily in understanding.

"He does look a lot like Kaien," Kyouraku Shunsui murmurs, tilting his hat.

"And she, like Miyako," replied Ukitake, a sad smile curving his lips.

Both captains turned away from the group of former ryokas, now Seireitei's acknowledged heroes, wondering if one of the strongest loves in Seireitei will repeat itself once more.

The final warm rays of the setting sun caught the orange and auburn strands of Kurosaki Ichigo and Inoue Orihime, the former beneath the girl's healing barrier, as they wearily smiled at each other, glad that the other has survived their rescue mission in Soul Society.

A/N Please leave a review, reader-san! I do not own Bleach.

Has anyone noticed in the manga, in whichever chapter it was with Kaien and his wife Miyako standing next to each other, that Miyako's hairstyle is similar, if not the same, as the one that Orihime had while in Shinigami robes?

Nypsy mentioned that one of her favourite Ichihime fanfics was built on the basis that our two orange-haired main characters are reincarnations of Kaien and Miyako.

Hence, my current story toying with that idea. (Hope you like this fic, nypsy!)

And here I thought, I would never write an Ichihime fanfic – not because I don't support their pairing, I'm fine if they do end up together, but writing about Ichigo or through Ichigo's eyes is quite difficult to capture.