Rukia was surprised the first time she entered her own inner landscape, and found a playground there.
Sode no Shirayuki was so beautiful, so elegant, and she was right at home under the cold star-sprinkled night sky, heavy snow weighing the branches of the tall trees down, Rukias own breath hanging crisp and clear in the air.
Sode no Shirayuki shone with the same pale silver light as the faraway moon high above, and it was such a perfect setting for her, everything Rukia had expected – except for the abandoned playground, so misplaced in the frozen winterland forest.
Sode no Shirayukis long silk sleeves billowed behind her as she flew through the air on a wooden swing. Rukia approached, leaving dainty tracks in the snow behind her. She reached out with her hand.
"Sode no Shirayuki…"
The zanpaktou let her speed subside until she was sitting motionless on the swing, looking directly at Rukia with half-closed eyes, gaze softened by eyelashes the colour of ice.
"This place is beautiful. Like you. I'm so proud to call you mine."
Sode no Shirayuki studied the shinigami contently, but didn't respond. Rukia let her eyes wander, spinning on the spot to fully take in everything around her. She was in awe.
"But… why a playground? Why did you make the playground?"
For the first time, Sode no Shirayukis delicate features broke into a wistful smile. When she spoke her voice was soft like falling snow, clear as starlight, melodic like the ringing of silver bells.
"You're asking me? This is your world, Rukia, this is all yours. I'm just a part of it. You're asking me? I don't know, it was already here, long before me."
Rukia was dumbfounded. Of course, she knew that. This was the landscape of her soul, another hidden part, another part of her. Just like her zanpaktou. Hers.
"This… was here before you."
Sode no Shirayuki nodded.
"I'm the keeper. You grow stronger and so do I, and my purpose is to defend this world."
Rukias brow furrowed, and she walked over to her companion, sitting down on the swing next to hers. She pushed away from the ground with her toes, rocking the swing gently through the air. Sode no Shirayuki did the same, and by some miracle their rythm matched, and they swung through the air side by side.
Something fell into place in Rukias mind.
"I never had a swing, you know, while growing up. There were no playgrounds in Inizuri."
"Oh?", Sode no Shirayuki responded politely. It wasn't really a question.
"I think… it's a symbol, isn't it, for something else?"
"Perhaps."
"And you came to be… to protect it. This place, this part of me that was here even before you."
Sode no Shirayuki turned and gave her another wistful smile.
"Yes."
Rukia smiled. "I died before I grew up, you know. In the material world. I never knew my parents, or even my sister, who died with me. I don't remember ever being a child. Perhaps it's like that, when your soul moves on before you know anything about anything, and you're on your own, and there's blood on your hands."
"And now you're relieved to discover that your soul is an abandoned playground, rather than a battlefield of blood trails in the snow."
Sode no Shirayukis voice was precise but soft and soothing, like the falling snow.
"Yes… I thought this was something I never had."