White Sun Rising Ron the True Fan Edition: The Lost Tales

Arc One: Eyes of the Soul-Cutting Swords

Prologue: Welcome/Discovery

Sode no Shirayuki awoke on the surface of a building.

She, through Rukia's eyes, had seen such structures before, but she was laying on the windowed side, not the concrete roof.

She grabbed a flagpole, clutching it with her life.

"There is no need to be afraid. You will not fall."

She turned her head to face a bearded man in a tattered trenchcoat wearing a pair of orange sunglasses. On his back was simply the biggest sword she had ever seen.

Seemingly modeled after a Persian dagger, it was the man's height, with no proper hilt or guard and a cloth-covered tang to hold onto.

The cutting edge of the blade was a dull silver, as though it had never been used while the flat side was black as the night sky.

Shirayuki drew her sword in a kendo attack, but the massive chainmail-busting sword blocked her strike.

'He's faster then I am!'

"And I am not your enemy."

As if on command, the cloth wrapped around the blade, acting as a sheath.

"May I ask your name?"

Shirayuki sheathed her weapon.

Even now, he was calm and collected, redefining the meaning of the words 'dignity' and 'self-control', although his sword, clearly a shikai, was anything but.

"Sode no Shirayuki. But that's a mouthful, so just use Shirayuki."

"Very well, Shirayuki-dono. I am Zangetsu. I bid you welcome to my home, although I AM confused as to how you are here."

"Your home?"

Zangetsu sighed.

"You do not understand."

He looked to the side.

"I have been waiting for Ichigo to awaken to my powers for his entire life. I must thank your wielder for her help."

Shirayuki then realized it. She was in the boy's inner world. And she was speaking to his zanpakutō. Then he turned their gaze skyward, as the clouds disappeared.

"About damned time."

Shirayuki practically felt the annoyance in his tone.

"I have been waiting for those clouds to disappear for 7 years. He is no longer conflicted. He now has a purpose."

Shirayuki simply nodded, not wanting to say anything.

This wasn't her home, so why should she?

"I thank you, Shirayuki."

"He's using my power, not yours. He was human."

"Not entirely. His father was a shinigami. If he was not, I would not exist."

Shirayuki blinked.

That was new.

"You must not tell him if you meet him. He will be...confused, and his confusion will eventually bring the rain back."

"Why?" Zangetsu shook his head.

"It is not my place to say. You will find out soon enough, my dear. For now, make yourself comfortable. You are likely to be here for a while."

"Then I hope you like snow. That's the only way I feel comfortable."

Zangetsu chuckled.

"I have no problem with snow. It is far, far more merciful then the rain could ever be, my dear."

Sode no Shirayuki smiled.

She liked Zangetsu already.

The next day

Despite Ichigo refusing to do Rukia's duty at first, which annoyed Shirayuki, but she came to understand that Ichigo was not a true shinigami yet.

He did not know their duty.

He was still human, his eyes barely opened to their world.

When he finally accepted, it was for a different reason: to protect, nothing more, nothing less.

"Shirayuki."

The white haired zanpakutō spirit looked at Zangetsu.

"Please come with me." "For what?" "I wish to show you something. It is important."

"How important?"

"As important as we are to our wielders."

'Oh, boy. That's important.' He turned, motioning her to follow him. It was an unspoken arrangement: she told him of the Gotai 13 and she told her of the world of the living as well as showed her around the sideways orientated world.

There was a reason for that, but Zangetsu wasn't talking.

He lead them into one of the buildings, and when they arrived at its' core, they discovered what Zangetsu wanted to show her: a mirrored Ichigo, wearing an equally mirrored shihakushō with a mirrored Zangetsu on his back and wrapped in chains.

And his reiatsu signature REEKED of Hollow.

"What is this...THING?"

"I discovered him many years ago, almost when I came into existence. He has been here as long as I have and is part of Ichigo's soul." Shirayuki looked at Zangetsu in horror.

"You don't mean-"

"It is not because his father was shinigami and his mother was human."

She reeled at the thought.

"Rukia has one of these things in her soul, and I am not there to stop it?!"

"It would take a great force to awaken her Inner Hollow, Shirayuki-dono."

"Please stop adding the dono. We're equals here, Zangetsu."

"I am only being polite, but as you wish."

Shirayuki smiled.

Zangetsu was a perfect gentleman.

She turned to face the mirrored Ichigo.

Despite the chains, he was sleeping soundly, almost relaxed. Hell, she thought she heard snoring from the Inner Hollow.

"It is his dark side, the side we all have."

"Rukia once knew a man at the Shin'o Academy. His theory was that there are three sides to the soul: the personality or core, the zanpakutō spirit, which is the manifestation of their will and their sorrow, their pain, which are the calling cards for a Hollow."

"He is right, then, for the proof is chained in front of us. He was close to awakening 7 years ago, but he did not."

"What happened?"

Zangetsu sighed.

"That time is coming. You will see soon enough, my dear."

He turned and left.

Shirayuki was on his coattails in seconds.

"What time?!"

"You will see, Shira. You will see."

Shirayuki blushed.

'Did he just tense me?!'

Even if he did, it seemed more...loving.

'Oh, dear.'

Looks and sounds odd, but I focused mostly on Rukia and Ichigo in WSR. Now the zanpakutō spirits and Inner Hollows get their turn.

This, obviously, covered Rukia and Ichigo meeting and the latter getting his powers.

Next Time on WSR The Lost Tales: Shirayuki discovers the source of Ichigo's sorrow on June 17th and helps him to try and destroy the Hollow Grand Fisher to bring an end to the rain once and for all.

Ja Ne!