In Seireitai, it was raining. Thin needle raindrops rattled on the windows and raked along the gravel and grass, made the paving slippery, and tore at the remaining battered leaves.
Ukitake leaned on the windowsill and watched the empty practice yard.
As the girls (women, he chided himself) had improved, they had grown faster. Others from the Division had found reasons to watch. Rukia was a good teacher; Orihime a good student.
And if he imagined the ghosts of Shiba Kaien and his wife sitting by to watch and cheer them on, then that was nobody's wish but his own.
---