Oh...my...GOD! Thank you so much for all the reviews! I'm so happy that you all love this story as much as I love writing it! Apparently, this is the only Ichigo x Sode no Shirayuki pairing out there thus far, that I inadvertently created 0_0! That being said, we'll now skip ahead just a tiny bit, for the sake of plot purposes, and this will be the only skip in the story. More IchixShirayuki to come!
Contemplation, Violence, Shinigami
Upon the rooftop, a lone individual sat.
He'd watched him purify the hollow that attacked Inoue. He'd stood by while Kurosaki slaughtered the hollow known as Shrieker. He'd stood by, he'd watched, he'd waited, all this time. Now, he had seen more than enough. It was time to see just what this Ichigo Kurosaki was made of.
"Bickering, are they? How...unproffessional."
(Elsewhere)
Ichigo calmly sat down, closed his eyes, and allowed his consciousness to drift away. Within moments, he felt the cold touch of snow against his feet, and a cool breeze on his face
"I'm glad that you made the time to come see me, Ichigo."
"Hey." He managed, just before Sode no Shirayuki appeared before him in a swirl of snowflakes. She stiffened slightly, then crossed her arms across her chest and scowled. Despite this, Ichigo smiled. He was getting better at sensing when she was near, and truthfully, he kinda enjoyed the small pout she wore whenever he spotted her before she could surprise him.
Not that it was weird, or anything. He just liked the way she pursed her lip and sulked for a few minutes.
That was normal, right?
Without even glancing, he was able to recognize her presence, and still had yet to open his eyes. He hadn't come here to train, not today. Today, having already finished his schoolwork, and with no impending hollow attacks, with Rukia, as usual, nowhere to be found, he'd ventured once more inside his soul, this time for the sole purpose of conversation.
"Here."
His eyes popped open and Ichigo lurched forward a step when Sode no Shirayuki grabbed his hand, the motion sending up a barrage of snowflakes while she led him forward.
Once the snowflakes had all settled back onto the ground, Sode no Shirayuki continued on. She honestly had no particular place she had in mind, but she kept on walking anyways, leading Ichigo along with her. She enjoyed the silence in this inner world. There was almost nothing, except for the softly howling wind and the crunch of the snow underneath her feet. No plants survived in this icy world, only large white mountains and hills. And everything was such a blinding white, any other person would have to make his or hers way eyes closed. Except for Ichigo, of course.
At last, they slowed, stopping before the mountains.
"You see, Ichigo, my power doesn't necessarily stem from dances. It also comes from-
A loud cracking noise disturbed Sode no Shirayuki from her speech. She lifted her head, gazing at the mountain above her. Narrowing her eyes, she made out a falling chunk of ice, threatening to land on them lest they move. But she didn't budge. Instead, she held up a hand and furled it into a fist. The ice chunk immediately stopped, suspended in the air. Sode no Shirayuki then flicked her wrist away, and the ice flew to the side, crashing to the ground a good mile away.
Ichigo stared.
"Sugoi."
"Do you think so?" She smiled warmly. "I practice often. You could learn it too, if you practiced with me." At his, Ichigo started in surprise, his eyes widening to the point of extrication.
"Well yeah, but you just tossed that thing like a football! How the hell do you practice something like that?!"
He blinked in surprise when Shirayuki spoke again.
"Believe in me, Ichigo, when I say to you that I will give you all the help, all the power I can. And with that, the only limit is your imagination. All I ask in return is your trust. Can you give me that, Ichigo?"
--
"Of course."
Ichigo, blinking himself out the flashback, didn't so much as blink when Sode no Shirayuki bifurcated yet another hollow, the twenty third ghoul he'd vanquished today. Then his gaze swept around, glaring in disbelief at the hollow's surrounding him, more and more summoned by that bit of bait that had been crushed earlier.
"Crap! Just how many are gonna come out?!"
As if in answer, each of them roared and lunged. Ichigo swore and slashed at the ground, getting most, but not all of them with a quick Tsuki Shiro. Still, one somehow got around the pillar, and that one managed to sink its fangs deep into Ichigo's right shoulder just before Sode no Shirayuki rammed herself in between its eyes and purified it.
Ichigo!
'I'm....alright!' He winced and grabbed at the gash. 'It's just a flesh wound.'
But it was not a flesh wound, and Ichigo choked back a curse as he glanced at the damage. It wasn't shallow cut, in fact it was a bleeder, and he needed to do something about it, soon. Kill the most hollows' to see who was best, what the hell kinda contest was this?! That damn Uryuu, he'd lured all these hollows here on purpose just to kill him!
"Ah." Ichigo was given a faint but welcome sensation of relief when something cool and icy numbed the irritating itching, stinging sensation emanating from his right shoulder. Glancing over, he noticed a thick coat of ice covering the wound, which had stopped bleeding, likely because it couldn't, do the the cold, tingling sensation in his right arm.
When Sode no Shirayuki next spoke, there was a noticeable strain in her voice.
I can stop the bleeding, but you'll need to end this soon. Therefore...
"Come, Ichigo." Once more she held out her hand in the snow. "The second dance awaits us."This time, he stepped forward and willingly took her hand within his own. As before, they assumed the position, but he knew immediately midway through their dance, that it was going to be different, unlike its predecessor. As before, just at the end of the first dance, Sode no Shirayuki curled a leg about his waist, but this time...
The dance didn't end.
Slowly, sensually, she tilted the other straight up into the air, showing off her legs, and lifting up her kimono slightly as a result of showing off her bare feet under the low trailing dress.
'Kami...She's beautiful.'
Ichigo knew he was probably getting a nosebleed, knew he was being rude, but even so he couldn't stop staring, couldn't stop thinking those three words, over, and over again. His very soul had become enraptured by the dance, to the point where his body just followed on quietly.
She then brought her leg down, uncoiled from him, to release, and spin away, taking his hand, and pulling him with her.
At one point during their spin, she locked both legs around his waist, for just a moment.
The zanpakutou spirit reveled in the priceless look of surprised shock that flashed across Ichigo's features, before their movements continued, and she released again, spinning one leg out as she landed, to end their spin, and move on.
"Getting the hang of it now?" She teased, as she led him through the movements. "My technique's come in the form of dances, and this is -oh!"
In sudden response, Ichigo twirled her again, and they continued. A faint smile flew across Shirayuki's face, gone with the wind as the tempo continued to rise, now at an almost feverish pace.
Ichigo was starting to catch on, just after a few minutes.
Their movements continued to hasten. They darted towards each other, but pulled away at the last second, moving as one about the frozen lake, with great precision, caught up in some great passion that neither could describe.
As he looked up, his eyes went wide. Where they had darted about, lay a huge iceburg, look as if it's just been fired from some huge cannon. Rather, it originated from the quartet points where their dance had stopped.
Sode no Shirayuki embraced him firmly, causing her master to go rigid, and not just from her lower body temperature.
"This is Tsugi no mai, the next dance. Hakuren."
--
(Meanwhile)
"Tsugi no mai,
Ichigo stabbed the ground four times, and slowly, four points of light formed in kind. Raising Shirayuki, he pointed her at the foremost of the hollow crowding around him, watching, waiting silently as the white light gathered at the tip of his blade. A few of the more savvy creatures recognized the danger and tried to rush the soul reaper, but they'd already given him too much time.
"Hakuren." Ichigo breathed, tensing himself against the recoil that was sure to come.
All the streaks of snow suddenly coalesced into one and rocketed forward, forming an avalanche of white. The hollow tried to scramble out of the way, but failed, the storm was too powerful, and too fast to evade. Within seconds, they were consumed by the ice, left frozen solid.
Ichigo didn't so much as spare them a second glance, simply because he didn't have the timeto do so. Thousands more rained down from the sky, escaping from wispy portals of black smoke, replacing those hundred he had killed.
"Ah, shit." Ichigo braced himself, readied another Hakuren, but before he could do so, an equal number of arrows pierced through the hollows, each creature evaporating before it so much as touched the ground.
"It would seem that I have the upper hand." Uryuu Ishida gloated proudly as he appeared behind Ichigo.
Ichigo felt a low growl build in the back of his throat.
"Upper hand my ass! You're endangering innocent people here!"
"Calm down, none of your friends and family have been harmed. In fact, they're perfectly alright."
"What?"
"Now, shall we continue our contest?"
Ichigo fumed for a moment, before leaping back towards a another wave of hollows.
--
For awhile, everything calmed down. After I took out that menos, it was peaceful. Rukia was upset about something again, but her emo behavior really wasn't that exceptional, not in my book. Whatever it was, she'd get over it, right?
Heh.
For a day. For one, single solitary day, everything was actually normal. No hollow attacks, no Kon spazzing out, even Rukia's drawings weren't that bad (for once!) I actually started to think, 'hey maybe I'll finally have more of a chance to relax'? The anniversary of...that day was still a little ways off in May, so naturally, I tried to ignore it and enjoy myself.
For just one, normal day.
Yeah right.
Damnit, why is nothing ever that simple?
--
(The next night)
"Hey hey, what the hell did I miss?"
Renji reeled back from Rukia as a dark orange black blur, swung out his left heel in a low kick, and knocked the lieutenant's legs out from under him. The zanpaktou came down like a mallet, nearly splitting Abarai in two, but missing, just barely as he rolled away.
"Damnit. Missed." A voice tsked.
By the time Renji had risen, he smirked for some reason.
"Whoever the hell you are, that was just luck. There's no way you could hurt a real soul reaper! You couldn't even-
WOOSH!
A wall of white energy exploded from Sode no Shirayuki, splitting the ground beneath Renji, and slitting his cheek, just enough to draw blood. As the lieutenant snarled in furious surprise, Ichigo chuckled.
"Sorry about that. I know you were in the middle of saying something," He rose to his feet, Shirayuki's long white sleeve slowly trailing behind his left arm."But you left yourself so wide open there I couldn't help myself. Sorry, were you saying something about a scratch?"
"Trash." Renji growled through clenched teeth.
"You let your guard down, Renji." Stated Byakuya icily, his gaze swiveling to Ichigo. "I thought I told you not to take the enemy lightly?"
"Sorry sir." Renji bowed.
Ichigo was unable to pay attention to the rest of what Byakuya now said, but perked up when Renji finally spoke.
"So tell me, what's the name of that monstrosity?"
"Why don't you tell me the name of yours first?"
Renji seethed at the verbal jab, but refused to be baited.
"Why should I even bother telling you?"
Renji's right arm now hung uselessly at his side, encased in ice unable to move, not without eliciting a world of pain. Ichigo slowly turned his gaze back around, eyes gleaming dangerously as they fell upon Renji.
"You wanna say that again, punk? You see, she doesn't like being insulted."
A brief look of genuine confusion was on Reni's scowling face face. "What?"
"Mae." Ichigo declared, holding his zanpaktou forward for both shinigami to see. "Sode no Shirayuki." The blade glowed white, transforming itself into shikai, as the two shinigami looked on.
"T-Taichou!" Renji sputtered in disbelief. "That's-
The other shinigami didn't speak, though his eyes did widen slightly. 'Sode no Shirayuki....there's no mistaking it. But how is it that this boy has Rukia's zanpakutou? Could he have taken it along with her powers?' He could feel the outrage of Senbonzakura his own zanpakutou, demanding that he be drawn from his sheathe to cut down the heathen who would dare steal Rukia's sword.
The display finished, both shinigami and zanpauktou vanished, ramming into a surprised Renji.
Ichigo pushed Renji backwards and tried making a cut to the redhead's waist to separate his upper torso and his legs but Renji jumped over the blade, lashing out for the youth's shoulder.
Ichigo did a quick backwards step while holding up his sword to protect him from the attack. However, thanks to the block, the attack resulted in only a few minor cuts on the white sleeves of his kimono.
Again, Ichigo vanished, just before Renji could connect, and this time, the lieutenant nearly didn't get his zanpakuto up in time to block. Even so, the katana trembled in his fist, the force of the impact plowing his right foot into the ground...
Just as the left came up in a sharp swing to clip Ichigo in the chin.
Hard.
Grunting, Ichigo staggered backward, rubbing his jaw into a rueful grin as Renji lowered his leg.
"Ouch. That one...actually stung." Spitting out a gob of blood, he got to his feet, swooning a bit from the unexpected blow. "Damn you really do pack a punch, dont'cha? No wonder Rukia talked about you so much."
"Thanks." Renji growled with a just a hint of arrogance in his voice, his chest puffing out with a bit of pride as he turned his attention back towards Rukia. "It's only natural for me to try and improve all my skills while I still can and-
By the time returned his gaze to the other soul reaper, Ichigo was already gone.
"Actually." Ichigo began, emerging to Renji's right, "She was right about one thing. Your pride, really is your biggest weakness." As the lieutenant choked in surprise, Ichigo smirked wickedly, darting away, this time to the left, his sword sweeping in from the right with such speed and force that even a newborn could see that a block was simply out of the question.
"It's over!"
Within a second, Renji Abarai was forced to make a weighty decision. Blocking wasn't an option, and if he attacked at this angle, Ichigo would just disappear again, and their little dance would resume.
And so Ichigo wisely ducked, allowing the substitute soul reaper to rush past him.
"Howl," Renji muttered quietly, his katana taking on an blood red aura, eclipsing blade, then guard, then hilt, consuming the entire blade as he rose to his feet. "Zabimaru!"
With a sibilant hiss, the katana transformed into a long six part segmented blade; each segment wider than the one preceding it from the hilt with two pick-like protrusions on the front and back of each segment, the ones on the front much longer than the ones at the back. Ichigo's face registered surprise, then swerved back as Renji pivoted on his prominent leg, then swung his newly altered blade in an arc above his head.
Startled, Ichigo barely ducked in time, the odd blade sweeping just inches over his head, then batted the released blade away with his own, and shunpoed to a safe distance.
Ichigo noticed the sword seem to elongate due to the stretchable threads giving it the pliability of a whip. A small part of him couldn't help but be impressed by the incredible length Renji's blade achieved in its whip form and had to comment on it:
"That's a nice sword you have there."
"This, is my shikai." Renji replied solemnly, as they began to circle each other, neither wishing nor ready to make the next move in their duel, for fear of surrendering the advantage. "Which is more than I can say for that pathetic piece of tin you have there."
"Oi, is it just me, or are you trying to piss me off here?" Ichigo quipped lightly, his ego slightly stung from Renji's comment. "Now are you going to attack me or not?"
Now, a small smile quirked at Renji's lips.
"Here I come!" With that, he rushed forward, forcing Ichigo into a rapid series of blocks and parries, none of the strikes getting through, but some of which came dangerously close to nicking his hands. "What's wrong, what's wrong?! Can't you keep up?!"
--
(Meanwhile)
Sode no Shirayuki took her attention away from the fight, and opened her eyes to scowl at the intruders. This often occurred during a battle with two powerful soul reapers. Their zanpakutou would often intrude on one another's world, and fight alongside them. Now, it was happening, yet again.
"I would...appreciate it if you would leave. I'd rather not fight you."
There were two intruders, and she was loathe to see them again, after so many years. The small pink-haired boy turned his head away and scoffed. "Show appreciation to you? That's likely."
His taller companion, a woman covered in green fur with light brown hair, glowered at him. "Yeah? What's that supposed to mean, Snakey?"
What do you think it means, Chimpette?" The boy retorted, bringing his gaze back to Sode no Shirayuki....
Only for the woman's fist to crash into his face.
"OW! Oi, Chimpette?! The hell was that for?!"
In response, he was hit again.
"OW! What the hell was that for, you crazy bitch? OW! Stop that!"
"I will once you start listening to me when I'm talking to you."
"I was listening!"
"If someone's saying something to you, you're supposed to show that you're listening by looking at them straight in the eye."
"That's stupid. Where did you get that idea from?"
"It is not stupid! It's a sign of respect."
"And why the hell should I respect you, ya senile old cow?!"
"WHAT WAS THAT?!"
Sode no Shirayuki observed their exchange with thinly veiled distaste. She was beginning to wonder if these two even remembered why they'd come here in the first place. Perhaps she could just wipe them out in one blow while they were distracted. Slowly, she began to gather the snow at her feet.
"Alright alright!I SAID THAT'S ENOUGH!" Chimpette barked loudly, grabbing Snakey up by his tail and holding him upside down until he'd finally stopped struggling, "We're gonna kick her ass and that's that!"
"Ah," Snakey now grinned, exposing razor sharp fangs. "I getcha. Now put me down!"
She did so.
"So," Chimpette began, sidling up to Sode no Shirayuki until they were within less than a foot of one another and to Snakey's amusement, their chest's were were practically close enough to be rubbing against one anothers, "In case you didn't know, we're here to drag your ass back, Sode no Shirayuki. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Which one's it gonna be?"
"No!"Fear began to rise within her, and fear turned into rage. Sode no Shirayuki snarled, her once-pretty face becoming almost demonic as she took three steps backward, left hand raised to summon a massive shadow from behind her. "I will never betray Ichigo!" With a cry, she flicked her arms, and the snow wave behind her crashed down into Zabimaru.
"What the hell?!"
"Hakuren!"
A rumbling noise filled the air as the avalanche continued, until it slowly subsided, and finally stopped. Sode no Shirayuki relaxed her arms, allowing them to flop unceremoniously to her sides. She panted heavily, staring at the mass of snow in front of her. All of her anger had been released in that attack, and now all she felt was a sick triumphant feeling.
"Well, so much for you."She muttered while the duo's presence retreated, leaving her gulping to catch her breath, raising her gaze to look up into the stormy skies above. The battle against Renji had already begun to take a turn for the better. With his zanpakutou overwhelmed, he'd be more than easy enough to handle.
Now, she needed to rest.
"You are exhausted."
Sode no Shirayuki whirled around, but it was already far too late. Her eyes widened in horror as heappeared, stepping out of the snowstorm as if he'd always been there. His imposing presence was more than enough to give her pause, more than enough to wrest control of her failing powers away from her.
"S-Senbonzakura-sama....
The fully-armed samurai stopped within two feet of Shirayuki and stared down at her from behind the fierce visage of his mask. For a moment, he said nothing, his expression hidden behind the terrifying snarl of multi colored porcelain. She swallowed nervously, recognizing all too well what this meant.
Kuchiki Byakuya had now entered the fray, and still, Ichigo thought he could win. If something was not done soon, Ichigo would end up dead, facedown in a pool of his own blood. Sode no Shirayuki knew she had to do something, but what? What could she do?
"Sode no Shirayuki," The slightly muffled voice came from behind the mask, "Why have you betrayed your master?"
"I have not betrayed my master." She replied firmly, glaring back into the unseen eyes that lay behind the mask, "Ichigo is my master now, and I would never betray him."
"That scum is notyour master." Senbonzakura declared vehemently. "Kuchiki Rukia isyour master." Extending his arm, Senbonzakura spoke once more, unfurling his glove fingers, obviously intending for her to take her hand in his. "Come with me, Sode no Shirayuki. You shall return to Kuchiki Rukia at once."
"No." She took several steps backward. "My place is here."
"You have become too attached here, Sode no Shirayuki."
"Do not all zanpakutou become attached to their shinigami? Are you not attached to Byakuya?"
"I will not lie. I do not see my wielder as a friend. A partner, at most, but never a friend." Senbonzakura was beginning to grow frustrated, having already made his decision. "Byakuya Kuchiki can never be my friend. And neither can you befriend such a fraud of this shinigami you now inhabit."
"I...might see Ichigo as something more than just friend and partner."
"Is that why you wish to stay then?" Senbonzakura stared at her incredulously. "I cannot allow that."
"Is that so?" In the blink of an eye, Sode no Shirayuki had manifested her sword, the tip of which was now brought to rest against the samurai's left pectoral, just enough to register the same surprise Sode no Shirayuki felt for actually drawing her blade against her superior. "Then I cannot allow you to harm Ichigo. I would lay my very life down at his feet, if it would guarantee his well-being."
"Is that so?" Senbonzakura mocked her, scoffing at the metal pricking his chest and armor. "You cannot allow me to harm him? You would lay your life down for him?" Faster than the naked eye could see, he grabbed her blade within his fist, and with a simple flick of the wrist broke it in two, not even so much as batting an eyelash. Sode no Shirayuki however, stared helplessly at her shattered blade.
"Nani?!"
"How sad. You would dare draw your sword against me andspeak such blasphemy?" The noble zanpakutou continued to speak in her disbelief, "It would seem that you have forgotten your place, oh most beautiful zanpakutou of the Soul Society. Allow me to remind you of it."
Without another word, he stepped forward, his own katana escaping its sheathe with nary a sound, coldly running her through the chest moments later. The steel blade turned red as it now tore through the skin and muscles of Shirayuki's stomach. Sode no Shirayuki gasped, tried to scream, but all that emerged was a weak, helpless cry as the blade was removed, only to be rammed through her lower body once again. She gasped slightly, her opponent staring blankly into her eyes, his mask betraying nothing.
Eyes that had narrowed now went wide, unable to comprehend the pair of holes, gaping in her chest. Senbonzakura had struck straight and true, and much to Shirayuki's dismay, she was impaled. Immediately, she struggled, trying to free herself of this cold, merciless steel. But it would not bend, nor would it break. This weapon was too strong, too eternally forged, to ever escape.
"How pitiful you are." Senbonzakura breathed into her ear. "Calling that swine your master?" Pressing one hand against her chest, he shoved his blade deeper, deeper, until the tip erupted from Shirayuki's chest in an explosion of gore. Blood spilled from white lips, and slowly, ever so slowly, the life in her eyes began to ebb away.
"No...she wheezed weakly, staring at her once white kimono that now soaked itself crimson. "I-chi-go...
They had lost.
Both of them.
"Farewell, Sode no Shirayuki." With one swift motion, Senbonzakura removed the blade that stopped the bleeding, cleaned it off the stain with a single swipe against the snow, and sheathed it, even as his former love fell to the frozen ground at his feet. "May you never darken the doorstep of Kurosaki Ichigo again."
He dissapeared then, leaving a swirl of cherry blossoms behind in his wake.
Sode no Shirayuki watched him go, and rolled over onto her back, weakly grasping at the wound in a vain attempt to stem the blood that was slowly staining both her kimono, then the snow beneath her, a hideous, blood red. No, she thought weakly. It cannot end this way. Not like this, not here. She still had so much more to do, she still had to...to...
"I...I never told him...She blinked, as something wet dripped upon her nose, interrupting what she'd been about to say. "Nani?" Water, it was water, she realized, as another drop, this one the size of a dime, touched her lips, then another, and another, as they continued to fall. She looked upon her once snowy skies sadly and watched silently as the snow turned to rain, evidence of Ichigo's grief at Rukia's betrayal and departure.
Raining...it's....raining....
Slowly, weakly, Sode no Shirayuki reached one trembling hand up to the rain. Her fingertips strained, grasping at something intangible, as if she were trying to hold the skies in the palm of her hand. She was losing the ability to breathe, she realized. Her right lung was punctured, stabbed clean through with her heart. Still, Sode no Shirayuki fought to the last the inevitable blackness that threatened to take her.
'Oh Ichigo...don't cry. Don't...cry Ichigo. I'm still...here...I'm still...still...
Dark spots were appearing before her vision, and still, the rain continued to fall, soaking her to the bone. Her lower lip began to tremble as the landscape blurred, faded and became a place of pure, fathomless white. It was then that Sode no Shirayuki realized she was indeed, going to die, and quite frankly, she was terrified of death without cause. What happened to a zanpakutou upon death was questionable, but it was undisputable that all shinigami died with their zanpakutou, and their zanpkutou with them.
He'd be all alone without her.
She'd be all alone without him.
'No...Ichigo...I...I...
Her next words were choked off by blood.
The very last thing she saw, was a woman in a red coat. Her eyes widened inexplicably, but still, her mouth refused to speak. What was this? A dream, a hallucination, a nightmare? All three? She couldn't believe her eyes. She could only look on weakly, helplessly, as the woman in the red kimono approached, then knelt down before her, cradling a cloth wrapped object over her shoulder.
"My my, you certainly have made a mess of things, haven't you...little sister."
"Beni...hime?"
"Hello to you too. Now hold still. I need to concentrate on compressing your reaitsu."
--
A/N: As of next chapter, things are going to slow down significantly, in order to better build up the characters and get some more development and emphasis on the relationships in this story. Don't worry, Grand Fisher will get his, Ichigo just hasn't run into him quite yet, thanks to his improving reaitsu control and these events occurring a little more than a month earlier, namely in the month of June, rather than May, as Uryuu put it. Read and review, pretty please!
Next time: Recovering one soul, Mending one bond. Making one vow.