Chapter 13: A Dance of Snow

"We all must find our own way, Rukia. Every man, every woman, their honor is their own, and they have to find it in their fashion." ~ Kaien Shiba, training Rukia Kuchiki

That Afernoon, Squad 13 Training Grounds

Rukia's blade vibrated in her hands as Kiyone slammed her own into it, the impact nearly tearing Sodo no Shirayuki from her grasp. A grunt escaped from her throat as her shaking arms forced Kasai-no-barado away from her, her body pivoting to the left, trying to make her friend overbalance, anything to give her a moment to pull back and catch her breath.

At first, she thought it had worked, as Kiyone seemed to lean far too heavily to her right as she tried to maintain the pressure. Just as her hopes got up, the blonde woman dashed them, suddenly pulling her blade away, pivoting hard on her planted foot. Now she was the one who was overbalanced, stumbling forwards... directly into the high left kick that planted itself into her gut.

Spit flew from her mouth as her legs went out from under her, and the next thing she was aware of was the sky spinning oddly above her.

"Rukia! Are you all right?"

"I'm... ugh.." her chest burned as she struggled to catch her breath, "I'm all right."

"And you people complain about my standards for 'all right'," a male voice spoke nearby, his tone disinterested, "You're reiatsu is practically non existent, practically at the level of an academy student."

"Akon, shut your yap!" Her friend shot back, "And help her!"

"Fine." the other third seat muttered something that sounded uncouth under his breath, but soon enough there was a pinch in her neck as something cool flooded into her veins. Her vision cleared almost at once, and she almost moaned in pleasure in the sudden absence of pain.

"What.. what did you inject me with!?"

The horned man rising to his feet above her shrugged, holding up the empty needle. "A cocktail of various drugs that are beyond your ability to pronounce, let alone understand. All you need to know is that I just gave your soul a jump-start."

Kiyone's concern faded as quickly as it had come, "Wow! Can you make some more of that?"

"It has to be tailor made for each person, with their own energy as a base. There's also the side-effects to consider.. it is regrettably unsuited for combat situations, though we're still pursuing further development with that goal in mind."

"Side-effects?" Her relief faded at once into worry. "What side-ohhhhh.. what the... yeouch!" A wave of het had rushed through her body, almost at once followed by the sensation of hundreds of needles pricking at her feet.

"Phantom sensations mostly. Occasionally muscle control goes out the window, temporary blindness is also a possibility." He continued on, even as her back arched upwards uncontrollably while her limbs began tingling as if they were asleep.

"Oh... ow.." Feelings she would much rather have felt in private were almost as quickly followed by ones of excruciating pain, and her nose and mouth were flooded with scents and tastes that she couldn't place. "Ah.."

"You idiot!" Even their voices seemed suddenly distant, as did the thump of a fist hitting flesh. "Why the hell did you give her that!?"

"You told me to help her, and I'm positive that she will survive." Akon hardly sounded concerned, "It's a reflection of her energy being forced through her body in an unstable fashion because of the speed at which the drugs are accelerating it. Once her soul sleep compensates, the effects will largely fade."

"What do you mean, largely?"

"In some tests they continued for a few hours." if her entire body wasn't suddenly ice cold on her left, and burning hot on the right, she'd have shot to her feet and done her best to strangle the damn scientist, "But if my calculations are correct, the act of forcing her energy upwards at a high rate should shorten her overall recovery time."

"By how much? Wait, a few hours!?"

Predictably, he ignored the second question entirely. "The serum I'm using is not as advanced as what the Captain desired I test, but I expect her to be back at her original strength within two to three weeks if she recieves at least one dose every twenty four hours. Every twelve would be preferred, but that might cause long-term complications."

No way!

"No way are you giving her more of that shit asshole!" There was a rush of heat overhead that likely had more to do with the anger in Kiyone's voice than with the drugs currently making her mouth fill with the mixed taste of both chicken and sake. "Look a her!"

"Third-Seat Kotetsu," there was a long pause and what almost sounded like a pair of blades clashing, "Calm yourself! The solution is-" the ringing in her ears was interrupted by a muted explosion, "-perfectly safe! I have no desire-" a white shape blurred past over her head, followed at once by a black one, "to incur the wrath of either the Kuchiki-" another explosion was a welcome distraction from the claws raking at her neck, "-clan or your Captain!"

Her stomach rolled with a sudden burst of nausea, and she forced her shaking left arm, the right was still totally numb, to push her onto her side. Slight as it was, the motion was enough to remove what control she had. Her throat burned painfully as she retched pathetically onto the ground, and she mentally winced as her own convulsions made the disgusting fluid splash onto her clothing.

"AKON!" Somewhere nearby a woman bellowed the scientist's name, pure cold fury in her voice. "KIYONE!"

A rush of cold reiatsu rolled over her, and the relief it brought nearly made her weap as the sensations faded slightly. It was enough that she could stop her retching, and for her strangely stiff limbs to push her away from the mess.

"It's all right," A cool hand touched her forehead, and she blinked as a white haired woman's face swam into view, "Just give me a moment."

"Lieutenant..." Her own voice scratched horribly at her throat, "Kotetsu..?"

Gentle blue and white light swam across her gaze, Kiyone's sister's healing energy softly sinking into her skin.

"Close your eyes, relax.. just breathe."

Gladly following those instructions, she felt herself going limp as the Lieutenant worked. The taller woman's energy played downwards from her head, carefully sinking into her skin at various points, seemingly drawing out whatever it was the Akon had injected her with. As it pulled away, there was nothing but relief left as the phantom sensations faded, leaving own a bone-tired weariness behind.

It's like... a massage... for my reiatsu..I didn't even know something like this was possible.

It ended almost all too soon, the now warm hand pulling away from her forehead as a heavy sigh reached her ears.

"Please remain still, I have.. to talk with my sister and Akon."

Opening her eyes, she blinked in time to see Isane rise to her feet and... begin stalking towards a pair of bound figures. Both of them had been bound by Three Rods of Light, their swords laying on the soil next to their feet. Kiyone looked terrified, licking her lips and gulping visibly as her older sister approached. Akon looked calmer, but it was clear he had taken the worst of whatever had passed between him and Kiyone. His long lab coat was visibily scorched, and there were burns all along the right side of his face.

And... Despite the situation, it was hard not to smile, She cut off the horn on that side.

"What, in the name of the spirit realm, were you two thinking?" Apparently healing wasn't the only thing that Captain Unohana had taught the normally subdued woman. Though her voice was calm, apparently her expression was not. Kiyone looked like she was about to have a heart attack, and Akon's impassive expression had shifted into worried uncertainty. "Akon, you're Captain's reputation notwithstanding, I would have believed you'd have known better than to inject someone without their permission. And Kiyone, what were you thinking, attacking a fellow officer? You should have done what you could for Rukia, and sent someone to find me at once!"

"I'm.. I'm sorry Isane!"

"It's not me you should be apologizing to Kiyone."

"Oh.. r-right, Rukia," Kiyone shifted her gaze, "I'm sorry!"

"It's-" She coughed slightly, "All right. Please, Lieutenant, it's all right." The last thing we need is for Captain Ukitake, or worse, Nii-sama, to hear abou this. "I'm fine."

"I told you that you would be." Akon shook his head in irritation, "I'm not a fool."

"Third Seat Akon, the only reason I would not reprimand you to your Captain is because I know he would only be disappointed that you used such a weak solution." Rukia didn't know Kiyone's sister very well, but even she could tell that the cool, hard tone was entirely unusual for her, "However, if you ever attempt to inject something into Officer Kuchiki without first consulting both her and myself, you will find the consequences unpleasant."

"Che.. agreed." The scientist glanced down at the bars of light still impaling him, grunting as they shattered of their own accord. Apparently dismissing all three of them, he turned away, pulling out a cigarette from some pocket as he did so.

"Akon... I expect a vial of that serum on my desk by morning."

His only response was to wave a hand in acknowledgment before blurring into a flash step.

Isane gave a quiet sigh before murmuring the spell to release her sister, and turned back to her. "Are you sure that you are all right Kuchiki-dono?"

"Rukia is fine, as am I. Thank you Lieutenant." Fine was perhaps a poor word, given that she felt like she had just run forty kilometers with a hollow chasing her, and her shihakusho were stained with her own vomit. But if the alternative was that Isane brought the incident to the attention of any of the Captains, then she was most definitely fine. "I just.. wasn't expecting that."

"Neither was I." The healer gave a long sigh, the beads in her hair clinking as her head shook, "Normally Akon is far more sensible than that, Captain Kurotsuchi must be pressuring him badly."

She glanced meaningfully at Kiyone, "I think we're all under a lot of pressure these days Lieutenant."

"Please, just Isane. And you're quite right, I'm sorry for yelling at you like that Kiyone."

"N-no." Kiyone sheepishly looked at her own feet, "I screwed up.. again."

"Kiyone." Both she and Isane spoke in time, and paused to blink at one another before Isane smiled and waved for her to speak. "Don't worry about it, let's just get cleaned up."

Which, unfortunately, proved more embarrassing that she had hoped it would. The two sisters had ended up needing to help her even get up, her legs had simply refused to stop shaking enough to support her weight. Thankfully she'd been able to talk Isane out of carrying her.

The last thing I need is to have someone see her carrying me around like an invalid.

And more than that.. she had definitely gotten tired of being picked up and carried around after Renji and Ichigo had practically refused to let her feet touch the ground during their rescue attempts. She had legs dammit.

There was a deep sigh within her, and a fond voice echoed within her mind. Rukia.. sometimes it is all right to allow another to take your burdens.

I am fine! If nii-sama were to see me be carried about, or the Captain... she shuddered slightly, I'd be stuck doing rear-echelon work for the next ten years!

"You all right Rukia?" Kiyone had wrapped one arm around her waist, and put one of Rukia's over her shoulders, doing her best to support her as they began carefully walking towards the dormitories. "Are you cold or something?"

"I'm all right, you don't have to worry about me."

"I wouldn't be worrying if that bastard hadn't shot you up." She muttered, apparently not caring that her own kosode was getting stained as she supported her. "Damn assshole. Here I was thinking he was the only good guy in the twelfth."

"There is nothing wrong with Nemu-san." her sister, walking slowly to match their crawling pace, spoke up, "But I agree with the sentiment."

Thankfully it was not the longest walk to reach the small spa attached to the dorms. Even more thankfully, with all but a tiny handful of the squad currently out in the Rukongai, it was deserted. In another small blow to her pride, she ended up needing the sister's help in removing her clothing and drawing a towel around herself.

"I think you were too rough.." Isane remarked eying some of the bruises forming on her body.

"No, I asked her to go all out." Rukia shakily rose a hand to brush her hair aside, waiting as Kiyone likewise began changing. "I need to get back into shape as quickly as I can."

"Still," The taller woman took their old clothes, heading to a laundry bin as she continued speaking, "You're energy reserves are still very low Rukia. I'd rather not have to bring you back to the Fourth for observation during the nights."

"That would be," Disastrous, "unfortunate."

"You can't do that nee-san!" She had managed to keep her voice even, Kiyone sounded horrified, "The Captain would keep us both stuck here forever!"

"Then take things a bit easier for now. You can train harder once your reiatsu has recovered."

She is correct you know. Training too hard now will only stunt your recovery further.

All.. all right.. she sighed mentally, feeling her shoulders slump. I'm just tired of being a burden on everyone else.

Sometimes even a noble warrior must bow her head in pain, and allow others to take up blade in her stead. Her inner voice spoke gently, offering no condemnation, only understanding. There is no shame in in withdrawing, recovering, and looking in the long term view.

You sound like Nii-sama.

Laughter like glass bells echoed briefly, There are worse fates than to embrace your adopted heritage.

A smile at hearing that laughter once more threatened to tug at her lips, and she almost nodded. Perhaps..

At Isane's instance, they spent the remainder of the afternoon in the baths, letting the warm water relax them while Kiyone's sister carefully measured her reiatsu recovery to make sure that Akon's concoction wasn't having any long term affects. Eventually the towering woman had politely bid them good bye, heading back to her own squad.

"So.." There was a grin on Kiyone's face as they floated in the steaming water. "Tomorrow? Unsealed blades?"

"I.. don't know Kiyone. I don't think I'm where I can release Sodo-No-Shirayuki yet."

"Oh."

"But if you want to release yours, I could work on my barriers."

"Would you?" As quickly as the smile had faded it came straight back. "It's.. been a long time since I really went all out you know? After.. Kaien died, the Captain's kept us close. I mean.. it's been a decade since I've even been to the world of the living on a patrol."

Reaching out, she gently patted the other woman on the shoulder. "I know." And she did. She knew the rumors, that Nii-sama was the one keeping her from being promoted to a seated position. But as much as that hurt, at least she had been sent on missions on a regular basis. Well, until the incident in Karakura. Kiyone and Sentaro had both been stuck trying to deal with not only their own duties, but the open Lieutenant's post, as well as Ukitake's own work when he was too ill to perform it.

"Come on," she rose from the water, sighing as the suddenly cool air hit her skin, "Let's get some food in us and then get some kido practice in."

"You just want to show off your best topic."

"My, my Third Seat Kotetsu, one would think that you're jealous."

The teasing smile faded as Kiyone glanced over at her, an almost feral grin on her face before a small pulse of reiatsu made more steam rise around them. "Watch it Officer Kuchiki, remember which one of us is going to be releasing her sword tomorrow. And what Nee-san doesn't know won't hurt her."

I have a bad feeling about this...

As do I...

Next up is Chapter 14: A Contemplative Discussion

So Rukia has her powers back, but still needs at least a few weeks of recovery before she's close to full strength. Better than months, but it wasn't exactly an instant fix. Next chapter will be back to Harribel, who has to deal with some of the minutia of running a military unit.

Please read and review, criticism is welcome, flames not so much, as usual. Reviews are my lifeblood as a writer.. every-time my email goes off with a review it makes me want to write more, so please take the time to leave one. Guests can leave them as well, and it only takes a minute, so please. Even if it's as simple as "I enjoyed it, please continue."

Thanks, Kat