Hello again :). Finally, the hopefully long awaited resolve. Thank you again for everyone who stuck with me this long, I appreciate it more than you know! There'll probably be one more chapter, but then it'll be the last of Rukia's Requiem. I hope all of you like the story!

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Chapter | 21

The moment Rukia's gigai hit the ground, Hana was crashing through the window. Too tired from resisting, Rukia used all her energy for keeping her windpipe open.

"Why?" Rukia managed to croak.

Hana didn't answer. She didn't seem to be focusing on where she was going, meaning she was familiar with her surroundings. Was this really Hana?

Just as Rukia thought her arms would give out, they landed. Hana removed her arm and Rukia dropped into a shivering pile. Her breathing came out in laboured huffs and a sweat had broken out over her entire body.

"They'll find you," Rukia warned. She wasn't sure how the Hebi no Otoko was concealing his spiritual pressure, but Rukia knew that it only worked if he wasn't directly next to someone. Sure, that didn't help her much, but at least Ichigo and Urahara had picked up on it too.

"It does not matter, you'll be dead by the time they do," Hana said.

Rukia wasn't sure what the Hebi no Otoko was doing. Is he wanted to kill her, why not just get it over with. It's not like Rukia was in any position to protect herself. Even with her hand resting on the hilt of her sword, she knew it wouldn't help much.

"Why are you after me?" Rukia at least wanted to know what was going on.

"We have unfinished business," Hana answered.

"Why not just let the poison kill me then?"

Hana didn't answer.

"I mean, it would be much less of a trouble to simply remain in hell and let the job finish on its own." Rukia knew she was pushing her luck, but if she could still speak, then she wasn't dead.

"Now is the last chance I have, and I will not let you escape again." Hana hissed before approaching Rukia. Her eyes blazed with murderous intent.

"Wait, please, I have one more question."

"And why should I answer it?" Hana asked, but stopped nonetheless.

"You'll have the satisfaction of killing me, isn't that enough?" Rukia considered it to be reasonable.

Hana narrowed her eyes. "Very well, what is it?"

"Have you always been Hana?" Rukia asked. She just wanted to know whether all the good times they spent together were fake, that they weren't just the Hebi no Otoko trying to get close enough to kill her. She wanted to keep the memories of Hana pure, she didn't want them stained in the troubles she brought everyone around her.

"I have not been in this body for very long," Hana answered.

Relief washed over Rukia, but it was soon replaced by guilt. If Hana had been her own person before, then it was Rukia's fault she wasn't anymore. Once again, Rukia was to blame for another friend suffering.

"Why did it have to be Hana?" Rukia bit back a sob.

"Her insecurities and weak spiritual power made her an easy target." Hana took another step forward. "That is enough, time to get this over with."

Slipping a hand into her cloak, there was the piercing sound of a blade being drawn and soon Hana pulled out her Zanpaktō. The Hebi no Otoko must have been a Soul Reaper before being sent to Hell.

Rukia lifted her head high, not once breaking eye-contact with Hana. If she was going down, at least she would do it with pride.

Hana lifted her blade until her arms was straight above her head. And then nothing, the blade never came down, well not on Rukia anyway.

Metal clanging to the ground reverberated throughout the abandoned factory they were in.

Hana dropped to her knees, breathing heavily as she clutched at her chest.

"I thought I had gotten rid of you," Hana muttered, her face twisted in anger. "Just die already!

"I w-won't, not ye-et," Hana answered herself. Her voice seemed softer.

"Why do you want to protect her?" the Hebi no Otoko demanded. "She lied so she could get close to you, so she could steal him away."

"Rukia, wo-wouldn't do that." Hana gasped out.

Rukia's eyes widened as she realised what was going on- Hana was fighting the Hebi no Otoko.

"Rukia's my friend!" Hana's voice rand clear as day, and she met Rukia's eyes. "I can hold him off much longer. Get out of here!"

"Hana…" Rukia whispered. "Thank you."

As fast as she could, Rukia pushed herself onto her feet, using Sode no Shirayuki to keep herself from falling over. She managed to get out of the warehouse this way, but if Ichigo and Urahara didn't find her soon, there's no way she would get away.

"Rukia!" Ichigo's voice tore through the night sky and seconds later she was in her arms.

"You're late, idiot," Rukia muttered, but she was too exhausted for anything else.

"Where is she, where's Hana?" Ichigo asked.

"Warehouse," Rukia muttered. "Not Hana, she's possessed."

Ichigo took in the information. It seemed to take a bit of the edge of off his face.

"Come on, let's get you somewhere safe," Ichigo said, but before he could move, an object came flying towards them. With only a second to spare, Ichigo was able to draw his blade and deflect it.

"Well done," Hana said as she approached them. The Hebi no Otoko was back in control. And Rukia quickly saw why.

What used to be his Zanpaktō was now a completely different blade. It seemed much thinner, as if split in two. And Rukia was right, because embedded into a wall next to them was the other half.

Ichigo leaned Rukia against said wall before yanking the sword out.

"Then bring it on," Ichigo muttered as he threw the blade down in front of Hana.

"Doesn't it bother you, Ichigo Kurosaki, that you will be fighting this body?" Hana asked. She was taunting him, playing on his weakness.

"You're not Hana, she would never hurt a soul," Ichigo growled.

"That is beside the point, is it not? Cut me, and you cut Hana," Hana pointed out.

"Then I'll get rid of you without cutting her," Ichigo retorted.

And then he attacked.

Hana had no problem keeping up with Ichigo, but Rukia knew that was only because he was holding back. He was serious about not hurting Hana, but Rukia couldn't see how he would sever the link between her and the Hebi no Otoko.

"There is no way for you two unlink us. Hana and I are one, kill me and you kill her," Hana said as their blades crashed together in an X.

"I'll find a way." With a grunt Ichigo pusher her away.

"Then I wish you good luck." Hana managed to land a cut on Ichigo's upper arm.

Rukia was so caught up in the fight that she didn't realise the change in her body. The pain was fading, her body becoming lighter with every swing of Ichigo's blade. At first she thought that it was the calm after the storm, but it wasn't hard to figure out that she was dying at that moment. No, it was as if her power was returning, tenfold in fact.

Rukia laughed, she felt perfect.

"Rukia?" Ichigo asked, but the momentary distraction cost him.

I cry erupted from his mouth as Hana drove one of her blades into his shoulder and pinned him to the ground. Ichigo grabbed for the hilt, but it was too far up for him to pull it out as well.

Hana raised her second blade, tip pointing at Ichigo's chest, both hands wrapped around the hilt. But before she could drive it down, Rukia was under her in a flash. Raising one hand, Rukia blocked her way down and planted one fist into her stomach.

Hana hunched forward, taking a few steps back.

"Damnit," she whispered.

Rukia spun on her heel and yanked the second blade out of Ichigo's shoulder. "Sorry," she muttered as pain contorted his face.

"As you said, we have unfinished business," Rukia muttered as she turned to face Hana. If this was some kind of fluke before the poison took her, then she was going to make the best of it. "I'm going to send you back to hell."

Hana just barely raised her blade as Rukia barrelled into her, the force sending her into the wall.

"Careful, Rukia, this soul will die if you are so ruff," Hana said as she rubbed the back of her head.

Rukia clenched her jaw. "Ichigo, any ideas?" she asked, but didn't take her eyes off of Hana.

"I was hoping you would know," Ichigo muttered.

"There's only one way," Hana said. "You have to kill her as well."

"Not a chance I'm believing anything you say," Rukia spat.

Hana's face contorted, her hand clasping over her forehead. The real Hana was fighting her way through again.

"Rukia," she muttered. "It's true, please, do it."

"Hana?" Ichigo asked, walking until he was next to Rukia.

"Ichigo," Hana panted. "Please, he's not lying, it's the only way."

"No way, we'll figure something out." Ichigo sounded desperately.

"It's okay." The calmness in Hana's voice sent shivers down their spines. "Rukia, thank you for being such a good friend, and Ichigo, I…" she never got to finish, because the Hebi no Otoko shoved her back down.

"Damn girl, no matter," Hana said as she straightened up again. "Where were we?"

Ichigo stepped forward, Zangetsu at the ready, but Rukia put a hand on his chest.

"Are you sure?" Ichigo searched her eyes, any sign of hesitance and he would stop her.

"I don't know how, put I feel perfect," Rukia said. Ichigo nodded, moving away from them.

They fought mechanically, Rukia blocking all of Hana's blows with little effort. There seemed to be a difference than when she fought the Hebi no Otoko in hell, he wasn't as strong. With a start, Rukia realised it was the other way around. He wasn't weaker, Rukia was stronger.

The battle remained taxing; Rukia blocking and only swinging her blade to fend Hana off, not to hit her. It was getting annoying, but Rukia toughed it out. Hana was important to her, and she would keep fighting this way if it meant she could find a gap.

But the Hebi no Otoko seemed to have a different plan in mind. He was well aware of what Rukia was doing, and sought to find some motivation.

"You know, your men are all there, stuck in Hell." Hana grunted as Rukia pushed her back.

Something twitched in Rukia, but she pushed it down.

"I can hear them scream, and it was child's play to convince them to let me have their bodies. Their hate towards their leader made it easy to possess them." The Hebi no Otoko continued taunting her.

Rukia glared at Hana. "They would never, my men were honourable, they would die before letting the likes of you win." For a second her emotions got the better of her and Rukia swung her blade without thinking. Hana managed to dislodge it from her hands and it went flying.

"And now I'll take something else from you," Hana cried.

Rukia braced herself, reading for the attack, but she wasn't the target.

Hana jumped behind Rukia, and with fangs blazing, made a bee-line for Ichigo. Rukia reacted on a whim, grabbing her blade before she flash-stepped between them. One bite and they would be in the same boat.

A silence settled over them as Rukia's blade sunk into Hana's chest. Their eyes met and they sank to the ground together. The silence was shattered as the aired thickened and seemed to grow darker.

Rukia lifted her eyes to see Hell's Gate opening behind Hana. The doors, larger than life, groaned as they swung open, mist spilling out. Chains appeared in the opening, floating around as if searching for something. Finally, they pointed in the direction of Ichigo, Rukia, and Hana.

Lightning fast they shot forward, their ends attaching to Hana's back, arms, legs and feet. Rukia wrapped her arms around Hana's neck, clutching her friend closer.

There was a definite whoosh as the Hebi no Otoko's soul was yanked from Hana's, the connection finally broken.

Without further commotion, the gates closed. The Hebi no Otoko was finally gone and hopefully they would never seem him again.

It wasn't until things returned to normal to Rukia pulled away, carefully tugging Sode no Shirayuki from Hana's chest. She was breathing deeply, the red stain on her already seeping down to the ground.

"Thank you," Hana muttered as Rukia leaned her back until she was lying. Ichigo knelt at her open side. "Both of you."

She coughed, turning her head to the side so that the blood wouldn't choke her.

Tears welled in Rukia's eyes, her hands fumbling uselessly to grabbed Hana's.

"Don't cry," Hana whispered to Rukia, but she knew it was meant for Ichigo as well. This only made the tears leak out of Rukia's eyes.

"Ichigo," Hana whispered.

Ichigo leaned forward until she could see him above her. "Yes," he whispered back.

"I know this is selfish," Hana took a strangled breath, "But will you kiss me one last time."

Ichigo looked at Rukia, but the look in her eyes told him she wanted him to. Slowly he leaned down, his lips touching Hana's ever so slightly.

A tear escaped, rolling into Hana's hair. And the she smiled, "I love you."

The words clung to the air as the life faded from Hana's eyes.

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