"Normal Talking"
"Normal Thinking"
"Zanpakutou Talking"
"Zanpakutou Thinking"
"My name…"
"Huh?"
"You can…Hear my name?" An almost-gasp like tone escaped the lips of one of the most beautiful beings Ichigo had ever laid eyes on.
She was perfect in every sense of the word. Pale creamy-white skin, just like the ever present snow that surrounded them. Deep, rich blue eyes like that froze lake they stood upon and her pure white hair billowed in the wind like a sleeping snowstorm. Lastly she was wrapped up in a beautifully crafted light blue Kimono.
She inched closer to him, taking graceful steps that only a noble or an empress could perform, until she was mere millimetres away from him.
"Can you say it again?" It wasn't a demand, but a simple request. One Ichigo felt he could never deny, even if he tried with all his might.
"Sode no Shirayuki," Without even thinking, the name burst from his lips. Like he'd known it his entire life.
Tenderly, her slender, silk covered hands cupped his cheeks. The sudden contact caused Ichigo to wince slightly. "She's cold"
"I've finally found you, my wielder," She looked up at him, with something glimmering beneath her eyes, something alluringly mysterious. They stood there, together, for what seemed like an eternity.
Ichigo's eyes snapped wide open instantly as he realized the current situation he was in. "My sisters! They're still in danger, I have to save them!" Ichigo started frantically looking around, trying to find a way out of this land of eternal snow.
"You needn't worry," She took his hand into her own, and gave a gentle reassuring squeeze. "In this world-our world, time does not pass if you wish it not too," She explained. Seeing him calm down a little, she continued. "Do needn't fret, you are my wielder, and I am your Zanpakutou, together, we are invincible,"
Before he could respond to her claim, a burst of blindingly white light erupted from them both, encompassing anything and everything that crossed its wake.
"Mae, Sode No Shirayuki…" A faint whisper echoed throughout a devastated street.
Rukia's eyes went unimaginably wide. She had planned on giving only a small portion of her powers to Ichigo, but to her absolute horror he had taken it all, left her completely void of any form of Reiatsu, save for enough to keep her alive. "This is impossible, he even achieved Shikai instantly!"
A seemingly endless geyser of super concentrated Reiatsu blast forth from Ichigo's body, parting the dark clouds that loomed over Karakura town, revealing a brilliantly white full moon.
Rukia gaped for what seemed like the thousandth time today. Simply releasing his Shikai had caused the entire town to envelop itself in a thick blanket of snow. The Hollow that was previously holding his sister in his huge grip was now nothing more than a statue made of ice.
She turned to face Ichigo who was currently carrying Yuzu in one arm. Her eyes snapped towards the shimmering blade of snow that he held gently in the palm of his hand. "Sode no Shirayuki…You really did leave me," A few stray tears began rolling down her cheeks.
"Oi, Shinigami-"Ichigo cut himself off as he noticed she was no longer to be seen anywhere. "She must have left back to that Soul Society place she mentioned earlier…" Ichigo theorized with a shrug.
"Good morning, Ichigo," A melodic voice chimed. Ichigo's body almost instantly bolted upright on reflex, poising itself for an attack. "Oh my, did I startle you?"
It took him a brief moment to realize where he was. "Ah, my Inner world," He mused, shaking the sleep that lingered on his body and mind. "Shirayuki…Good Morning," Ichigo tested the new name he had received last night, a night that still felt completely surreal.
"I hope you've rested well," Her voiced was soothing, like a song. She glided across the snow to him, in an almost dance-like motion.
"Yeah, though I'm not quite sure how I managed to even fall asleep after what happened last night," Ichigo sheepishly scratched the back of his head.
"That is good. It means your mind and soul were at ease, having saved your family from that Hollow," Shirayuki noticed Ichigo looking at her, wanting to ask something, but hesitating to do so. "If you have any questions Ichigo, I'll gladly answer them," Her hands reach for his, slipping his fingers in-between her own.
"Ah- well, you said you were my Zanpakutou, but I'm not quite sure what that means…" Ichigo trailed off scratching his cheek with his free hand, slightly embarrassed at the sudden contact. There was a moment of silence between them, this caused Ichigo to slightly panic in fear of possibly offending her in some way.
"Come Ichigo, dance with me," She pulled at his arm, walking him over to the giant frozen lake at the epicentre of his snowy world.
"Huh?!" But I can't dance, like, at all!" Ichigo squeaked back trying to free himself from her grip. "She's so strong, I can't break free!" He mentally gaped. Before he knew it, they were already at the centre of the giant ice sheet, standing facing each other. Noticing that her wielder was as stiff as a block of ice-no pun intended, she decided to take the lead.
She circle her arm around his waist and threaded her fingers into his. Before Ichigo could protest any further he was swept of his feet, into a breath-taking dance.
At first Ichigo was focusing all his might into not stepping on Shirayuki's toes, or his own for that matter. Though as the dance progressed, the newly made Shinigami started to mimic his Zanpakutou's movements, and make them his own, as if it was second nature. He was slowly losing his tense & ridged motions, replacing them with smooth & fluid ones, greatly surprising Shirayuki.
"You're learning fast," She complimented with a proud smile, still controlling the flow of their duet.
"Ah-well, I'm just copying you," Ichigo admitted sheepishly.
"Imitation is one of the greatest way to learn quickly, I am quite pleased," She responded, gracefully twirling around under her Shinigami's arm, causing her shimmering white hair to spiral outward like a snowflake.
They continued to dance for what seemed like an eternity, arm-in-arm, matching each other's movements, as if they'd done this thousands of times before.
Shirayuki suddenly grinded their duet to a halt, a light frown etched its way on her delicate features. "It seems like someone is calling for you, you mustn't keep them waiting," With that she begrudgingly let go off him and took a few steps back, averting her eyes from his own.
"It must be my sisters calling me to have breakfast…" Ichigo assumed, a little taken aback by Shirayuki's sudden mood change. "I better go before I'm late for school," Not getting a response Ichigo quirked a brow questioningly.
Then it came to him. "Ah right…" He quickly stepped forward and placed a hang on her head, giving her an affectionate pat. "I'll come and visit again after school, I wouldn't mind dancing with you some more," This caused the white spirit's face to snap back at him with a look of disbelief in her eyes.
"A-are you sure? I wouldn't want to take you away from your schedule nor friends and family…" She felt her hands tremble as she spoke those words. Of Course she wanted to be with her Shinigami as much as she could, but such a selfish desire could never come true, after all, Rukia paid her a visit every fifty or so years, and even then, they were brief and formal.
"Yeah, I'd love to," Ichigo replied, giving her a rare smile.
"Then it's a promise." She slipped her small pale hands into her wielder's.
"A promise?" Ichigo questioned.
"You asked what it means to be a Shinigami & Zanpakutou did you not?" Seeing him nod slowly she continued. "It's a promise, a promise to one another…to laugh together, to cry together, to suffer together, to fight together and to be together…until death do us part." Her smile was absolutely radiant, like the sun the blazed high up in the sky. Ichigo could feel his face heat up as she squeezed his palms.
Ichigo was at a loss for words, his mind had long since given up what was transpiring. "I-I better get going then," He stammered nervously, breaking out of the awkward silence.
"I'll see you later then?" She looked up too him, a hopeful light in her sapphire eyes.
"Yeah," And with that. he vanished in a wisp of blue spiritual flames, no doubt letting his mind turning to his physical body.
"I truly believe, I can find happiness here…"
Uh I got bored and wrote this.