Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to the maestro Kubo Tite.
Mirror Mask
Chapter Five –Release the blade of my soul
"Aah!" Rukia cried out as she was tugged away from the doorstep of the Kuchiki House.
Her feet sank into a few inches of snow heaped on the roadside as she regained her balance. The drop in temperature last night had finally resulted in a blanket of snow in Soul Society.
"Kaien-dono… Good morning!" she managed to say while taking small running steps after her kidnapping Vice-Captain's larger strides.
Shiba Kaien led the puzzled girl to the Seireitei bazaar, weaving through the bustling crowd of bargain-hunters. When he came to an abrupt stop before one of the stalls lining the road, Rukia slammed into his back in a parody of a mini human-traffic accident.
"Go ahead, choose one!" he said, sweeping a hand towards the merchandise on display.
At his expansive gesture, the girl turned to look at the stall. Her jaw dropped and she forgot all about massaging the tender spot on her brow.
Her Vice-Captain's hands clapped heavily on her shoulders as he pushed her towards the colorful array of knitted winter garb. Woolly scarves, gloves, mittens and hats –all on hand. There was a Soul Candy character on each item, she realized, when the shopkeeper flourished a yellow duck-motif bobble hat to them.
Rukia dug in her heels and shook her head wordlessly at Kaien. He regarded her thoughtfully.
"Not used to receiving gifts, Rukia?" The tall officer smiled down at her. "There must be something you like here."
He was looking at her expectantly, so she ventured, "…they're all cute."
Kaien gave her a look. "Well," he said, with a small laugh, "I'm not going to buy you everything. So you'd better make a decision."
Rukia made a face at him and turned to stare hard at the zoo of Soul Candy characters embellished on woolly fabric.
Kaien's hand appeared in her line of vision as he reached out to snag a matching pink scarve and mitten combo. "It's got to be the rabbit."
The eager merchant beamed at them. "You've got good taste, my lord! That's the most popular character –Chappy, the Rabbit."
The Shiba clansman returned the grin with one of his own. "Thank you! But my impeccable taste is hardly worth mentioning in comparison with my bargaining skills!"
Rukia laughed inwardly as the megawatt-smile rapidly fell from the vendor's face to be replaced by a dogged look of a seasoned businessman. Kaien's eyes brightened. He loved a challenge after all.
oooOooo
The petite girl fumbled with the end of the pink knitted scarf. Her fingers fit snugly in the pair of mittens which had embroidered Chappy, the Rabbit smiling sweetly at her from the back of her hands. With her fingers trapped together apart from her thumb, it made maneuvering difficult.
"Cute, but clumsy" she muttered to herself.
Kaien, beside her, watched as she flexed her fingers in their new cosy home. "Even so, little girls look best in mittens." He fluttered his fingers at the clueless look on Rukia's face. "Makes their hands look cuter, don'tcha think?"
Rukia rolled her eyes at her Vice-Captain's outlook. "If appearing helpless makes them cuter," she replied dryly.
He laughed, and reached over to tug the scarf so that it covered her ears and skimmed over her nose. He took a step back to study his handiwork, head tilted thoughtfully.
"Your funny shaped hair does a pretty good job as ear mufflers," he said nonchalantly, trying to hold back the smirk twitching at the corners of his mouth.
Rukia ducked down to scoop up a handful of snow. But her Vice-Captain was already making his getaway even as her pink Chappy mittens dug into the white-packed ground. The petite Shinigami gave chase over the frozen landscape, racing after the figure ahead. Against the snow, their somber black Death God robes contrasted in stark relief with the brilliant white frost.
She came to a stop at the edge of an embankment, her intended snowball melting and soaking into her mittens. At the bottom of the gentle slope, Kaien grinned up at her.
The man was standing on the lake outside Captain Ukitake's office. Albeit, the water's surface had frozen into a mirror-smooth expanse of treacherous ice. He raised a hand and waved at her, fueling her exasperation.
Rukia pulled her scarf down below her chin. Her rapid breathing from running puffed out in tendrils that quickly vaporized in the cool air.
"Kaien-dono! That's dangerous," she called out, anxiously scanning the opaque ice-crusted lake surface. "If you fall, I –! Oh!"
So busy admonishing the other man, the Kuchiki girl had not paid attention to the edge of the embankment. The brittle ice broke under the weight of her foot and she made the rest of the way down the snowy slope sliding on her butt.
After a brief tumble, she finally came to a stop, sitting wide-eyed and somewhat stunned in the aftermath of her mini snowy-avalanche. Ice clung to her hair and powdered white against her black robes.
There was a brief silence, Kaien's mouth still hanging wide open in surprise at Rukia's sudden arrival to the bottom via landslide. Then, her Vice-Captain was whooping loudly on the lake, laughing at the sheer irony of her fall.
He firmly composed himself and offered a hand to help her to her feet.
"Not everyone looks good in the snow," he said, stressing his last few words, unnecessarily, in Rukia's opinion. He grinned. "Makes them look worn down, washed
out. But, I have to say, the snow makes you look brilliant, Rukia."
The embarrassed girl didn't know if the statement was meant to be a compliment or a teasing remark. She thought it was more likely to be the latter. One didn't clumsily trip, fall and land with her butt in a mound of snow, ice clumped all over; to be told that she was beautiful.
But Rukia did not see through Kaien's eyes –snowflakes on her eye-lashes, a flush from the cold in her cheeks –causing her skin to take on the translucency of flower petals. So she failed to understand his words were absolutely sincere.
The Vice-Captain watched ruefully as the girl self-consciously tugged the scarf up to cover the rising blush on her cheeks.
Winter chill, her breath a frozen white cloud in the air. But a warmth like summer sunshine in her heart.
Snow crunched on the ground beside her. Rukia looked up.
"Good morning, Rukia."
"Ukitake-taichou."
The 13th Division Captain was bundled up in a mound of sweaters and scarves. There was, Rukia noticed, two of everything. She smiled in understanding. This was obviously the work of Kiyone and Sentarou.
Captain Ukitake folded his hands and smiled softly. "Always choosing the path that leads to the most danger."
At his remark, the girl turned to follow the path of her Captain's gaze.
Shiba Kaien took a few running steps, and then did a brake-slide across the milky-white surface of the lake. The way he whooped as he glided easily over the ice was a testament to his blithe nature. Kaien didn't show a care for the possibly unsound ice below foot.
There was no guarantee that the lake surface would not break through, there was the risk of falling into the icy-cold water below. But yet, when Kaien waved cheerfully to them, they couldn't help but feel magnetized to join him.
With much ado, Sentarou and Kiyone raced across to partake in the fun. Captain Ukitake laughed, and Rukia took a step onto the ice.
oooOooo
If sakura was the symbol of transient beauty, then, Rukia believed, so was ice.
Even the most breathtaking silver-frosted winter landscape eventually acquiesced to the transition of seasons as winter melted into spring.
Alone in the 13th Division training grounds, Rukia released her breath. A soft sigh immaterial to regret or sadness. She sank deeper and deeper into herself. Catching and releasing thoughts and memories as they fluttered by. In her stillness, she expanded her awareness to include every single breath and heartbeat.
As long as you're in my division, I will stand by you –even if I die. Remember that…
A vista of snow. Or a promise, or a life…. Many things are not meant to be permanent. Due to its ephemeral nature, the passing of these things become more poignant.
Nejibana. Uncoil the liquid heavens. Suiten Sakamake.
Shiba Kaien's Zanpakutou had been devoured by the Hollow that fateful night. She had lost her own Zanpakutou in one desperate gamble to save the Kurosaki family.
But, now her Soul Slayer had returned to her, resting in the scabbard to the left of her hip.
She gathered herself. Her fingers flickered over the crimson silk-braided hilt of her Soul Slayer. Then, her hands gripped the familiar form, sure and decisive.
Rukia, there are two types of fights. Given that we put our life in battle, we must learn the difference between the two. The fight to protect life…
A metallic click as she freed the sword from the scabbard.
And the fight to protect pride.
A ringing tone resonated in the air as she swiftly drew out the brilliant white blade. As dazzlingly white as the snow on a winter long past.
Let me hear your name again…
The Sleeve of White Snow. Sode no Shirayuki.
Rukia released the blade of her soul.
Author's Note: The title is a line that Ichigo repeats often in the opening of the anime. Would you let me know if the switch from the flashback to the present was confusing?
chibi milktea –Yes, it's true that Byakuya likes spicy food. (Mentioned in his character profile, I think.) And he enjoys taking night strolls too –which accounts for his meeting with Rukia in the last chapter. Your review reminded me that I left out these little notes for the last chapter. Thanks for the help! And…-winks..- about the reviews, I'll try to win them by working on my plot and writing!
NeoChick –I'm glad you liked Kaien's characterization. I enjoyed his appearances in Rukia's past. This fic is for all the things I wished could have been highlighted in Bleach. Yes, I find all the small, odd details about the Bleach characters amusing too, i.e. Byakuya enjoying spicy food.
Henrika –Thank you for your wonderful review and also for adding this fic to your faves.! I'll try hard to live up to your expectations. About the descriptions and characterizations, I know clearly what I have in mind, but in the effort to make sure I don't miss a single detail, this fic is producing baby draft-documents at an alarming rate. ;)