Disclaimer: This is Thunder and Lightning rewritten, because I got some really useful advice, and decided to redevelop it. So, here you go.
I do not own Bleach. And, even more depressingly, I do not own Byakuya Kuchiki!
I've glazed over something. Rukia stayed in Karin's room, not Ichigo's closet. (Before they came to the Soul Society)
It was approximately 2am, and the weather was thunder and lightening. The sky was a deep navy blue, with occasional white lightening, followed by a loud clap of thunder.
We were in the Soul Society, staying in my brother's apartment.
Ichigo and I were in separate rooms, and I was trying to maintain my dignity by attempting to NOT to scream at each clap of thunder, and each crack of lightening.
The door to my room slid open, and Byakuya walked in, sitting beside me.
"Something the matter, Rukia?"
"No." As if to tempt me, thunder whipped through the sky, like a knife through butter.
"Very well." Byakuya got up, and left the room. I sighed in relief, and lightening illuminated the room. I shivered to myself.
My room was dark, and extremely clean. I knew, that, tonight, no sleep would capture me, and put me out of my misery. This is worse than any torture I've ever endured.
Mentally, it was horrible.
Physically, it was tedious, because I really wanted to go to sleep.
My eyes were itching, and I was practically ripping my nails out, digging into the floorboards.
For some reason, I've always preferred the floor to sleeping on a bed. Same as I've always preferred my own company to other people.
So, there I lay, at 2am, shivering from fear, refusing to get up and seek comfort. Byakuya didn't come in again, but I knew that he wanted too.
Like me, he doesn't like seeming weak in front of others. And, like me, he likes to comfort people, but through actions, not words. Another thing that is like me, my brother prefers his own company, but never tells you when he wants to be alone.
Just as I was drifting off to sleep, at 4am, my Soul pager went off.
Checking it, I groaned, and stumbled to the door, wrenching it open, and wandering to Ichigo's room. Peering in, I saw him asleep.
Or, rather, I saw a lump under a duvet, snores vibrating under my feet. He too, was sleeping on the floor.
I shut the door behind me, and left a note saying where I was.
The storm was dying down now, but the wind was picking up. I winced, at the wind biting and tearing at my face, making my nose's end completely numb.
I picked up the pace, running through the wind, and growling in frustration when it slowed me down.
Which was often.
I gasped aloud at the amount of spiritual pressure coming off this hollow. The sky was now a light strawberry colour, with some spots of navy and yellow still there. The moon was starting to fade into the sky.
The hollow looked a bit like a clown, but had green limbs and yellow claws. Eyes widening, I realised that there was no way I could take on this hollow, when it was three times the size of me, in height and width.
Swallowing my uncertainty, I ran, full speed, to where it was stood.
"What do you want?" I yelled into the wind, which was trying to steal my words, and make them become absorbed into the wind.
"To devour your soul. You smell... simply mouthwatering."
"Shut up, creep wad." I gripped Sode no Shirayuki, and charged the hollow, slicing its stomach, and jumping back in disgust as blood showered me. It swiped, and I clutched my shoulder.
"How could I have NOT seen that coming?" I muttered, and yet I refused to be disheartened by this. Obviously, I couldn't just kill it and go back home. Like my prior intentions.
My shoulder was really starting to burn now, my eyes couldn't be open longer than two minutes, and I was starting to sway on the spot. Atop that, I felt really weak.
"Lets end this!" I charged once more, and swiped. The hollow's leg fell off, and it roared in outrage. I grin a short grin, in triumph. Unfortunately... it didn't last long.
With a strangled cry, I leapt onto the remaining leg, and swiped, jumped to the shoulder and swiped, and then grimaced when I looked down, and saw two big gashes on my stomach. I gasped. How?
"Haha! You puny little soul reaper. How could you not see me swipe you? Pathetic. Now I will devour you!"
For a split second, I believed it. And then, I simply did something so out of character, it caught both ME and the hollow off guard.
I charged, raising Sode no Shirayuki over my shoulder, and letting out a battle cry worthy of Ichigo.
Or, as Renji sometimes calls him 'Strawberry Death'. Which always earned him a glare so bad, that the phrase "if looks could kill" runs through my head.
Thing is, Sode no Shirayuki never made contact with the hollow. I never reached the hollow. With a swing of its massive arm, shaped like a club, I was flung backwards, into a wall, and I slide down.
With all my injuries, my tiredness, and the shock of the impact, I sunk into unconsciousness, aware that I probably would never wake up.
I saw the hollow advancing, and all I could think of was Ichigo, and his spiky ginger hair. Goodbye, Ichigo. Was the last thought, before I succumbed to sweet sleep.
How was that for a rewrite? Please review!
Every review I get will be replied too.