~Chapter 1: Rukia's Determination~
"Hah...hah..." Rukia breathed heavily, as if she was taking her first breath after a lengthy time; her mouth creating inferior smoke in the still air. She kneeled down in the white snow, struggling to simply be on her knees in through her bleeding cuts. Her sword shattered to tiny white crystals for the innumerable time, echoing throughout the training grounds.
"Lady Rukia, if we continue you'll die without gaining bankai." Sode no Shirayuki calmly asserted, a perfectionist who stood with her head held high in the air. Only her piercing crystal eyes and stiff lips struck Rukia with an emotion she recognized as withheld concern.
"Gomen...demo.." Rukia's hands curled into fists on the snow, she faltered but continued to struggle to stand, lifting her determined eyes to meet her life-long friend's own, "I want to do this now."
A tense silence filled the entire room—both waiting for the other's resolve to falter, to give up. After a forever-lasting minute, Sode no Shirayuki closed her eyes and sighed.
"As you wish, Lady Rukia," she complied reluctantly.
Sode no Shirayuki scructinized her, a predator staring at her prey to make a move so it could lash out in return. Seemingly oblivious to such, Rukia shut her eyes tightly and focused her spiritual energy, using everything she had to reach out to one out of the millions of katanas lying carelessly around the pure white snow, as if corpses had been tossed aside into some haven.
Her eyes snapped open in realization and swiftly pulled out a katana out from the snow; and shunpoed in front of Sode no Shirayuki, blade held in her right hand. Her adversary retaliated, arcing her sword down, expecting to meet a blade in return.
Instantaneously, Rukia threw her sword aside, her left hand clutching her opponent's blade. Sode no Shirayuki's eyes twitched with her mouth parted in shock as Rukia's bloodied hand dripped down her tattered white glove.
Rukia's right hand rose,
"Hado #33, Sokatsui!"
The blast filled the room with dust and smoke. The second she blasted it, she dove straight for her true target that seemed to shine next to the shattered katana she'd thrown aside; and drew it out smoothly. Gripping it, a rush of familiarity and love for her zanpaktou ran through her. Memories rushed through her mind in a torrent with everything they'd gone through together.
She obliviously smiled with loving violet eyes at the katana that fitted perfectly in her torn white-gloved hand. Snapping back to reality, she swung her sword sharply in an arc to clear the dust storm.
The room cleared instantly—spotting her calm, patient opponent to her far left.
"HaaaAAH!" Rukia lunged towards her, sparks flying from the impact she'd made upon a tough being.
She swung harder and faster, ignoring her aching body that desperately begged, pleaded for rest. Sode no Shirayuki effortlessly blocked every blow Rukia made at her.
The goddess then blew out shards of ice from her mouth towards the victim, who winced and flew back with an arm shielding her face from harm.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Sode no Shirayuki shunpoed behind her just a second before Rukia could drop her arm. Barely within time, the shinigami moved her right arm swiftly to lash out at her adversary's weapon—both craving to dominate the other. Spiritual pressure whirled around them, causing the snow to fly out from the ground in opposite directions.
With resolute eyes, Rukia gathered her strength and pushed down her zanpaktou forcibly until the ice cracked beneath her feet. Sode no Shirayuki glanced down, alarmed with her wielder's strength.
Taking advantage, Rukia shunpoed behind her to cut her with firm, numerous moves.
Sode no Shirayuki's face did not betray any sign of emotion and leapt away gracefully, blowing out once again tiny but multiple deadly ice shards from her mouth.
As the deadly ice shards came nearer, she stood there defiantly with fire ignited in her eyes and called out,
"Hado #33, Sokatsui!"
The blast turned the shards into dust, creating an advantage for Sode no Shirayuki to shunpo behind her and bring her sword across. Instinctively, Rukia whirled around rapidly, two hurricanes clashing to bring the other down.
As the hand on her zanpaktou held her ground, Rukia raised the other hand and shouted,
"Bakudo #61, Rikujokoro!"
Sode no Shirayuki's eyes widened in surprise as she flew back and was binded roughly against the wall, a dove trapped within a cage. She quickly recovered and broke out of it just as Rukia shunpoed forward and pierced her blade into the heart—at last reaching the core of her zanpaktou.
A/N: Japanese translations to the following: "Gomen"—sorry, "demo"—but, and "katana"—Japanese sword.
After a long procrastination, I finally had the urge to write out something and this is what I came up with due to the fact that everyone seems to love to skip to where Rukia has her bankai already and never focuses on how she's going to gain bankai all that much. I accept reviews, flames, and criticism. ^^