AUTHOR'S NOTE: Japanese terms, in case some people don't know yet (my thanks to Bleachportal)
Kiseichou- kisei for death; chouis short for kochou or butterfly; literally Butterfly of Death (Rukia's sword in this fanfic)
Zangetsu - Cutting Moon (Ichigo's sword as named by Kubo sensei)
Reiraku - Soul Sieve, the visual manifestation of spiritual auras in the atmosphere.
Shikai - meaning "first release" form of a shinigami's sword. It usually happens when a shinigami learned his or her sword's name.
Kakeru - meaning to soar or to fly; the word Rukia used to summon Kiseichou into Shikai form (again it is only in this fanfic.)
Baka/Baka mono - fool, stupid, idiot (need I say more...).
Hmmm...that's about cover the terms, I think. If I miss something, please tell me. Thanks. Spoilers? Um, I guess there are some. Gomen ne?
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The Butterfly Soars
It was as if Hollow-Ichigo's words had driven a stake through her. She was stunned and her hold of Kiseichou wavered. She was taken aback, leaving her open and defenseless against the enemy.
"I thought so," it said, seeing the opening and quickly retaliated. It swung its blade, caught Rukia by the arm and the force of the attack brought her careening towards a tree.
Her breath came in gasps. Her arm and forehead were bleeding. She struggled to get up on her feet, steadying herself on the tree, her every limbs hurting immensely. Hollow-Ichigo watched her with interest and said, "I can sense you care so much for him, even in a life and death situation such as this, you refuse to hurt him. How sweet."
"But do you really think you can save him?" it continued, eyes glowing red. "If so, then you are a fool. I've conquered him and he will stay in my unconscious where you can never reach him. Or help him. He and his power will soon be mine."
Rukia held back her tears. 'Don't listen to him, don't listen.' Her heart was like being torn to pieces. She didn't want to face that choice again. But here it was, right in front of her. It was like the time Kaien-dono was killed by her own hands. 'No, please, no. Not Ichigo, too.'
The hollow knew her weak resolve to attack since she was afraid to cut Ichigo down. But she had to stop the fusion of their spirits before Ichigo becomes a hollow forever. She had to, no matter what. Her heart and mind trembled at the thought of this inevitable outcome.
All of a sudden, the hollow began to twitch as if in pain. Its skull mask showed a crack. She felt and heard him. 'Rukia, run! Run away from here!' She looked at the hollow. She could see two Reirakus, one black, the other red, surrounding it. The red one trying to overcome the black.
It was a momentary vision. Hollow-Ichigo stood up as if it had suffered a minor irritation. But Rukia knew that all was not lost. She could still reach him and help him overcome this inner demon. Deep inside, she was grateful and relieved that the monster had not possessed him completely. There was still a chance to save him and she would make sure he gets that chance.
'I thought I'd lost you, baka," she thought, hoping against hope that he would hear her. 'Just keep on resisting him. I'll buy you some time so you can beat him.' With that in mind, she renewed her resolve to fight without holding back.
"I'm sorry I got interrupted. Now, where was I? Oh, yes…once we're fused together you will see how both of your worlds will tremble at my feet. HAHAHAHA!"
"You're the fool because you will never win," she launched herself from the tree, leaping towards the hollow. "This time, I will not hesitate to cut you!" She flew overheard, slashing hollow-Ichigo between the shoulder blades. It went down in shock at the speed of her attack.
"You want to know why you will never win?" she asked it, with narrowed eyes and a mock grin on her face. "It's because Ichigo will never let you. OI, ICHIGO, ENOUGH WAITING AROUND. I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE SOMEWHERE. COME ON OUT AND BEAT THIS GUY ALREADY. I'M GETTING TIRED OF HIM!"
"SHUT UP!" It shouted and came after her with Zangetsu. It brought the sword down with full force, but Rukia was able to dodge it. But she wasn't fast enough. Hollow-Ichigo came after her faster and slashed her back. She groaned and dropped to the ground.
"You are getting to be a real pain, little shinigami girl. I think I'll do away with you now," it said, raising Zangetsu to finish her off with a final blow. Rukia looked up at it with her eyes unyielding, she would not die with her eyes closed.
But its hand suddenly stopped in mid air. The arm shook wildly, as if having a mind of its own. Its other hand took hold of the flailing arm, hoping to keep it steady but it wouldn't stop. Hollow-Ichigo was now howling in frustration. Another crack appeared on its mask and Rukia once again saw the Reikakus battling each other for supremacy.
Her vision was becoming blurry as blood kept gushing out her forehead. Her injured arm was becoming limp and her bloodied back hurt so badly. 'No, no, not yet,' she told herself. 'Please not yet. Ichigo needed a little more time. I have to get up.'
She stood up with great difficulty, using her sword to steady her. Blood was all over her robe and rushing down to the ground. She could feel her knees trembling but she stood up straight. 'Calm down and focus,' she said to herself. She called upon every ounce of her spirit powers to give her strength. 'Help me, Kiseichou, just a little while longer.'
The ground shook and leaves flew in every direction. A wind formed under Rukia's feet and enveloped her entire body. The blood from her wounds momentarily stopped and her face glowed with the enormous power she had mustered. She readied herself for another attack.
'OI, HOLLOW! I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET! KISEICHOU! KAKERU!" She ran towards Hollow-Ichigo with Kiseichou in Shikai form. She had never used the Shikai form of her sword even when she was hollow-hunting in the living world, but she knew this was as good a time as any.
After being saved from certain death back in Soul Society, she made a point to train earnestly as she gradually regained her spirit powers. The battle with Aizen and his minions as well as Ichigo's transformation into an excellent shinigami had spurred her to hone her skills further through the help of her brother, Byakuya. By then, she had gotten to know the name of her sword and its power. Now, she was grateful for that training because she knew this was no ordinary battle she can turn her back from.
Kiseichou rang in her hands. It flared and fluttered, transforming itself into a sword shaped like a battle axe. Its sharp, black blades were like outstretched wings of a butterfly. Its hilt had a long chain attached to it. Rukia swung Kiseichou and released it towards Hollow-Ichigo. It pierced him on the chest; the force of her spirit power sent the hollow back among the rocks. The ground trailed a deep gash under it.
Kiseichou recoiled back in Rukia's hand. She staggered for a bit, the release of her spirit power almost exhausting her. But she knew it was far from over. She had to act quickly before it gets back on its feet. She rushed to meet it again, whirling Kiseichou in the air and then letting it go as far as it could. This time, she aimed her weapon directly at the mask.
The hollow dodged its face sideways and the sword slashed half the mask off, revealing Ichigo's face. Blood rushed out the wound on the side of its eye. Rukia felt at once that Ichigo was trying to gain control and gain back consciousness. She could here his faint voice coming in and out from the depths of that glowering eye. Hollow-Ichigo swung at her angrily.
"What's this? Looks like the little shinigami girl has raised her spirit powers up a notch and called upon her sword's Shikai. I see you're not holding back anymore. Well, this fight should be exciting." She could see Ichigo's mouth curved in a wicked smile. "It seems he cares for you as well, I could feel his resistance within me every time I tried to attack you. But like I said, he won't be able to protect you anymore."
With this, Hollow-Ichigo attacked Rukia relentlessly. It swung Zangetsu with reckless abandon, making Rukia retreat her steps. 'It's driving me into a corner, but I won't let it,' she thought, while desperately fending off the attacks. "BINDING SPELL, THE FIRST SAI!"
The hollow's raised sword didn't come down as Rukia's demon spell took effect. She quickly ran in the middle of the clearing. She knew the spell wouldn't hold the hollow for long. But it gave her time to regain her ground.
"You are really beginning to annoy me," said the hollow, breaking free of the spell in an instant. It walked slowly towards her and she felt its spiritual pressure rising with every stride. She braced herself. 'This is it,' she thought, and summoned all her remaining spirit powers. 'We will make our stand here, Kiseichou.'
"OI, ICHIGO, I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME. KEEP FIGHTING AND KEEP RESISTING HIM. I'LL GIVE YOU THE TIME YOU NEED. SO STOP WAITING AROUND DO YOU HEAR ME?" Rukia called out, her eyes directed at the exposed face of Ichigo.
"You seem to badly want him to regain consciousness eh, little shinigami girl?" The red eyes narrowed into slits. "I told you my reiatsu was stronger and has subdued him into silence. The only time you will get is the time I'll be completely fused to his soul. And then this Ichigo will be no more…unless, you kill us both now. But you know, that's not gonna happen."
Rukia gripped Kiseichou tighter. Despite her successful attacks, the hollow's spiritual pressure hadn't diminished at all. Instead, it kept on rising and getting stronger. 'No! Ichigo will regain control of his spirit soon enough, he just needs a little more time.'
She lowered her weapon, her face hard and stoic towards Hollow-Ichigo. She charged forward at full speed. Kiseichou met Zangetsu's resistance. Rukia struggled to keep her weapon in her hands. Her spiritual pressure clashing with the hollow's, suffocating her. But she would not back down. "Ichigo! Keep fighting, keep resisting him, do you hear me? Promise me you wouldn't give up. I have faith in you!"
Hollow-Ichigo lowered its face to hers. Its dreadful eyes held Rukia's hard stare. "Hmm…maybe I should let him see you like this, struggling for your life. I'm sure it will torment him to no end to see you die. Too helpless to protect you. That way my possession of him will be complete."
"NO!" Rukia screamed as she furiously slashed at the hollow one after another. It only laughed as it fended off her attacks. Soon she became aware of Ichigo's spirit power, faint but it was definitely there. She thought he was winning over this monster at last. She saw in the glowing red eye of Ichigo's exposed face, the real Ichigo tightly bound by a black reiatsu. He was struggling as he looked at her.
"Can you see him now?" said the hollow to Rukia as they struggled against each other's swords. She could hear Ichigo's spirit shouting, 'Rukia, no! Get away! He's going to hurt you!'
And for a moment, she seemed to smile at him and thought, 'Baka mono, I've come this far to turn back now. So don't give up. Do what needs to be done. I believe in you, Ichigo!' She knew from the beginning that this was not a battle of pride, but a battle to save a life - his life.
At that moment, Hollow-Ichigo gained the upper hand. It whispered to her, "Foolish little shinigami girl. Now he can watch you die." Meanwhile, she could hear Ichigo's spirit shouting desperately, "STOP IT!" "STOP!"
Rukia felt Zangetsu slashed her on the chest as it broke Kiseichou in two. She glanced up at Ichigo's spirit and felt her eyes released tears as she fell. The force of the blow threw her to the ground like a rag doll. She let the pain scatter throughout her body.
"Ichigo...I...I believe in you," she whispered under her last breath.
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Another Author's Note:
I invented the name for Rukia's sword so please don't look for it in the manga or anime episodes. I had a lot of help from the Zanpakotou Guide of Bleachportal. This site rocks! So I was able to gain insight on the significance of the swords' names and their shikai forms. It was a lot of fun researching what would be appropriate for Rukia's. I haven't read the earlier chapters of the manga so I don't know if Kubo sensei had mentioned the name of Rukia's sword somewhere. If he had, my bad.
I chose butterfly and death together since during the first episode a butterfly appeared which sort of marked Rukia's first appearance in the living world as a Death God. Plus, in my culture, the spirits of the dead are closely associated with butterflies. We have also the belief that a black butterfly is a harbinger of death. 'Kiseichou' seemed an apt choice. I did a quick drawing of her sword in Shikai form and it came out looking like a battle axe, which for me was really neat. I kind of wanted to elaborate on the sword's attack, though, but it's hard to put what I have in mind on paper just yet.
As for the tragic event in this story, I did have a hard time reconciling between what I wanted to happen and what the story wants to lead up to. Does that make sense? It's hard to explain, but anyway, I'll write the next chapter soon enough. For the meantime, let us grieve in peace. Ja ne!