This is it. The final chapter. It's short yes, but it conveys the feeling I wanted. I listened to Soundscape to Ardor whilst writing this. Thank you to everyone for following Bleach: Rebirth, it's been a pleasure to write for you guys. Hopefully i'll see you all on my inevitable next fic. Thank you to last chapter's reviewers Illidan the Half Demon, HELLO I'M, ichigos future wife, fuzzibunniez, hitsugayatoshirou1220 and Zangetsu50. Thanks everyone, it's been a blast :)

Ichigo walked slowly through Karakura Town. The sky was dark and it was slightly cold out. His Bankai coat trailed along the floor behind him and he thought he heard a crunch. Turning, he was met with a gust of wind, flapping his coat around in front of his face. All was silent. Looking up, he read the sign atop the front door of the building before him.

'Kurosaki Clinic…' he whispered to himself. '…Dad.' looking around, he saw Orihime standing quietly behind him, her arms behind her back. She looked solemn and stony faced.

'Kurosaki-kun…' she said softly, her voice barely heard on the wind.

'Dad didn't come back.' Ichigo said weakly, trying to force a smile at the girl. 'I know I should have expected it…because of what Urahara-san said. But neither did Rukia, nor Ishida, nor Sado.' Ichigo choked, turning his back to the girl, the two standing in silence, Ichigo's fists shaking.

'I failed…' he whispered. He was beginning to cry, the tears welling up at the corners of his eyes when Inoue stepped up next to him, her hair flowing gently in the wind as she offered Ichigo a silky cloth.

'Kurosaki-kun didn't fail.' she smiled at him. 'What happened to the others isn't your fault. You protected everyone with all your might.' the girl reassured him, Ichigo wiping his eyes with his sleeve. Orihime pulled her hand away, looking down at the crinkled cloth in her hand, a small smile appearing on her face as she looked up at the sky dreamily.

'It's not your fault you were fighting a monster. Even Yoruichi-san and Hirako-san couldn't beat him. But Kurosaki-kun put everything into it for his friends. Abarai-kun came back, so did Urahara-san. Everyone did…' she continued, but Ichigo stood up and turned to walk back down the street, the overhead lamp flickering on and off.

'Not everyone.' he said sourly. Inoue reached out for him and shook her head, even though he couldn't see her.

'You protected me…' she whispered and Ichigo stopped and the light above him ceased flicking. Kurosaki turned slowly, as if waiting for her to say something else. Instead, she looked down nervously at the floor and began to leave, sighing heavily.

'Inoue…' came a small voice and she turned, her hair catching the wind and lifting around her, Ichigo straightening up, his eyes glistening under the street lamp. They stood apart, but their eyes locked completely. '…thanks.' Inoue beamed at him. She walked over to him slowly, Ichigo swallowing hard as she came inches away from him. She raised a hand slightly in front of her, her fingers twitching. Ichigo watched her intently.

'Inoue…' he whispered but she didn't say a word. Instead she raised herself to him, her eyes closing, his doing the same as they leaned in, the street lamp seemingly brightening over their heads. As she moved her lips towards his, they stopped for but a fraction of a second. In that second, Inoue opened her eyes.

'I'm sorry.' she whispered faintly and stepped away. Ichigo looked up, but the girl turned and walked away, pulling her coat around her as the wind picked up, buffering her with the cold.

'Perhaps it's for the best. Kurosaki-kun has bigger things to worry about than me. Maybe one day…' the girl thought to herself as she left Ichigo standing under the light. '…maybe one day I'll tell him how I feel.' she turned into an alley and sprinted out of sight, the clouds opening above them, rain pouring down. Ichigo stood still, his hair dripping down his face as he looked in front of him at where she had been standing.

'I know Kurosaki-kun will always be there to protect me. I just have to believe in him. And myself as well…thank you Kurosaki-kun. But…not right now. Thank you…' Ichigo looked up and made his way to the house, placing a weak hand on the handle. His hand was shuddering. Not because it was cold, but because of his sisters. They were in here and had no idea about their father. Plus, now he had new thoughts running around in his head, but they would have to wait. Building up his courage, he opened the door and stepped in. Looking around the hall, he removed himself from his Shinigami form and trudged into the dark kitchen, the rain rattling against the windows.

Suddenly, something caught his eye. There were two people asleep at the kitchen table. Apprehensively, he flicked on the light switch. His heart sunk. Karin and Yuzu were draped across the table, quietly sleeping. They were in their clothes, not their pyjamas. He figured they'd been up and waiting the entire time he was gone.

'Karin…Yuzu…' he whispered, sighing. '…I'm so sorry.' he began to walk towards them when Karin moved her arm and he backed up, the girl's eyes fluttering open. He stood perfectly still but she smiled warmly.

'Ichi-nii…' came her small voice and Ichigo breathed in deep before walking over to her. With thoughts running mad in his head, Kurosaki prepared himself for anything and opened his arms, tears beginning to shake in him again.

'Karin…Karin…' he began, the girl sitting up slowly, looking into his face. '…dad…dad is…' however before he could finish the girl was hugging him around the waist, the boy quiet with shock. He looked down at her slowly before placing his hands on her back, the girl nestling her head as whimpered slightly, rubbing her eyes.

'We know…Ichi-nii…I heard you talking to yourself about it…in our room…and outside.' she sobbed, the boy's eyes wide. 'I tried to calm Yuzu…but she said she wanted you here…' she said and almost as if on cue, Yuzu was suddenly beside them, the two of them embracing their brother.

'Ichi-nii…' the brown haired girl gushed, Ichigo holding them both, looking down on them with a slight smile that echoed of both a feeling of happiness and sadness. A single tear dropped from his eyes and fell, landing on the kitchen floor below.

'I won't leave you two again. I promise.' Ichigo thought to himself and sat there for as long as it took for them to finally cry themselves back to sleep. 'It isn't going to be easy. We are going to have to find a way to live. We're gonna have to find a way to carry on. This is one of the darkest moments we've faced. First mum, then dad. I will not leave you. No matter who or what tries to split us, I'll protect you both.' Ichigo thought to himself as he closed his eyes, leaning his head on theirs as they sobbed still. He could feel their little fingers clenching at his shirt. Looking up at the ceiling, the boy lifted his head and he blinked, a brief image of his friends entering his head.

'Thanks everyone. I know you're here. Thank you.' he thought to himself before slowly lowering his head down again.

The rain was still thundering down upon the floor outside. Karakura Town was being lit up from both the moon and the flashes of lightning. The Hollows were gone and the town had been restored to its former glory. Then, from the area in front of the Urahara Shop, a brilliant speck of light emerged from thin air. From it, the light spiralled outwards, forming a beautiful circle which transformed into a wooden door. It opened sideways, each half moving apart.

From the never ending light within it, two figures stepped out, the Senkaimon closing shut quietly behind them and drifting away in a flurry of sparkles. They didn't say a word, instead, they looked over at the shop. The light was on. That was a good sign. Then, they ran. The muscular, giant of a boy bounded towards his home, the bespectacled, silvery cloaked boy to his own. The next day would be the start of a new beginning. This night, was the end of the end. The end of all darkness.

THE END