STOP ME WHEN YOU'VE HAD ENOUGH

Please, Don't Leave

Ichigo stares down at his corpse. It's too surreal for him. The giant gape in his torso is not something Ichigo thought would be the end of him. The Hogyoku claps his shoulder with her new hand, and leans to his ear from behind.

"Don't worry, Kurosaki Ichigo. Death is not the end," she reassures him.

"Did you have to kill me?" He asks.

"You're irritated," she observes.

"My entire plan was to cause minimum casualties. That included myself. It was to put the cherry on top of my spite," Ichigo explains with a growl.

"But did you not decide that you would die for the one you love?"

He pauses. "I'd ask how you knew that, but it would be irrelevant."

"Yes."

"I said I would die to save her. She was saved. Death was no longer needed."

"You cannot make a proclamation of love so profound and then take it back. Do you not love this girl like you say you do?"

"Of course I do! I'd never take that back."

"Then why do you express yourself so?"

He actually had to think about what she said to be sure he understood what came out of her mouth. He turns around to meet her eyes.

"My sisters. I wanted to be there for them."

"They are strong like their brother. They will be just fine. Besides, you left behind an army of those with the sight to watch over Karakura Town."

"I guess," he whispers.

"It is not so wrong to be selfish every so often, Kurosaki Ichigo. Pursue your love in death that you could not in life."

He supposes that's fair. Byakuya would never stand for Ichigo's and Rukia's relationship. Especially when he's so against Ichigo mixing himself with the dead. Jokes on him, Ichigo thinks. I'm one of the dead now.

Yet he can't help feeling a sense of responsibility for the living. How can he walk away from the lives he died protecting? Can he? It doesn't sit right in his stomach. Or maybe that's just the weight of the chain of fate messing with him.

The temperature abruptly drops several degrees in the next couple seconds. Vicious winds kick up. Ichigo can't feel the wind, but the affect it has on his corpse is enough hint to know how bad it's getting. The Hogyoku hides herself behind Ichigo, her seeming to know what's coming.

Ichigo watches a gigantic set of doors rip itself into existence. It brings an uncomfortable wave of fire. It blows at Ichigo specifically, and it brings him an odd sense of serenity. He recognizes the double doors. The fire and screams and twin skeletons mostly gave it away. It smells of brick and flesh and burnt wood, and it brings bile to the back of his mouth.

"I'm going to Hell," he chuckles in defeat.

"Are you surprised?" The Hogyoku quirks an eyebrow.

"I can't say I was fully expecting it."

"Ichimaru Gin told you the dark path you follow leads here."

"He did? When?"

The imaged flickers in annoyance. "I forget how you forget. He told you that 'murder is a one way ticket to Hell.'"

Ichigo hums in thought. "No, I can't say I know what you're talking about."

Hell's gates creak open, almost like the twin skeletons on the doors are opening it for Ichigo. Chivalry really is dead. The fire around the door spikes upward, and the skeletons turn their heads to watch the next sinner enter damnation.