Here it is! The longest chapter yet. It's a one huge training montage and I love it. A quick definition for a Japanese word that's going to get thrown around a lot.

Wakizashi: A short sword worn traditionally by samurai in feudal Japan. They are as small as 30 cm (12 in) and are used for close quarters combat and beheadings.

Please enjoy!


Day 4

Rukia knew it was morning. She knew that the sun was just barely rising in the sky and that the cool nighttime air was quickly warming.

Then again, overnight the sky could have fallen, and all the earth's oxygen could have turned into helium. She wouldn't know, not sequestered as she was in the Shiba Shop's underground training area, bright and early for her fight against Paku.

Honestly, she had expected the fight to start the minute Kukaku announced it, yesterday afternoon, but the woman called for a break mere seconds later, just as Rukia began wrapping her head around the idea of fighting the Mod Soul.

When Rukia said as much, Kukaku simply waved her off with a laugh, saying that it was no good training when one was exhausted. It took the woman saying that for Rukia to even realize she was exhausted.

The girl felt completely drained after her strange little experience in her "Inner World" as Kukaku had called it. She still didn't quite understand what happened. Hell, she wasn't even sure if she'd be able to describe what happened. It all felt so surreal, like she dreamt the whole thing up. At least she'd have a decent amount of time to parse through all this, though. Well, semi-decent.

"We only have seven more days to do this," her Auntie had said. "We gotta make 'em count!"

Seven days left…

The time limit hung heavy over Rukia's head, and she refused to forget it, to push it in the back of her mind. She marked every day in her head, counting down, making sure she knew when that final Day 10 came.

By Day 10 she had to be strong, strong enough to defeat anyone who may come in her path. It was a daunting task, but it wasn't one that scared her. If anything, it spurred her on, kept her going.

All this brought her back to today, her Day 4. She was standing in front of Paku who was bouncing lightly on her feet, a mischievous grin on her face. Rukia gripped the handle of her broken Zanpakuto tighter. All the while, Rukia was thinking about how the heck she was going to pull this one off.

"Begin!" Kukaku yelled. The word caught Rukia by surprise, but Paku was plenty ready.

The Mod Soul was already charging in for a high kick, one that Rukia had barely any time to guard against. She brought up her Zanpakuto in its usual blocking position.

Paku's sandal covered foot went right through the air that Rukia's Zanpakuto blade would have occupied if it weren't less than a quarter of its usual size. Her foot landed solidly on Rukia's collar bone.

The Substitute was on her back before she even realized what had happened. That was definitely going to leave a bruise.

"Little too fast for you, ma'am?" Paku asked, mocking. She stood over Rukia, hands on her hips, grinning.

Rukia responded with an icy glare and a spontaneous ambush, springing up to Paku, leading with her sword. The other girl weaved out of the way, grin ever wider.

"I'll show you fast," Rukia breathed. She struck again, swiping out at the Mod Soul. Paku danced out of the way a second time.

"Really?" she sung, a falsely innocent expression on her face. She spread out her arms in an open gesture, saying, "I'm waiting."

Rukia didn't hesitate. She ran in close swiping at Paku once, twice, three times, each time being evaded by steps to fast to track. All the while, Paku's smirk stayed firmly on her face as she dodged, stepping just out of reach, but staying just in range. Great, the Mod Soul was toying with her now.

"You know, this would be a lot easier if you stayed still," Rukia said with a wry smile.

"Yeah," Paku mused, side stepping another stab, "but it wouldn't be as fun." Then, with a glint in her eyes, she ran out of view from Rukia, disappearing in a flash.

Just as Rukia started to spin around to find the girl, she felt an impact at the back of her legs, forcing her to her knees.

"Besides, that'd make me a pretty bad teacher, wouldn't it?" Paku said this with a giggle.

Rukia swung her Zanpakuto behind her propelling herself onto one foot. She swung through empty air. Paku's giggling continued. All it did was piss Rukia off.

Taking a deep breath, the Substitute thought that a change in tactics was in order. She didn't have the reach needed to hit someone as fast as Paku, and she didn't have the speed to keep up. She needed something else, anything else, but she wasn't sure what "else" she had.

Well, she thought. There was something.

Rukia scrambled to unfasten the leather strap that held her sheath to her back. She just had to hit Paku, didn't she? It didn't have to be with her sword, necessarily. This was what she was thinking as she got a grip on her, still full length, sheath.

Just as she was getting a good grip on it, Paku kicked it out of her hands sending it skittering away several meters. Paku stood between her and the sheath, legs squared.

"Hey, we're supposed to be fighting, here," Paku said with a pout.

"I was getting to that," muttered Rukia, gripping her Zanpakuto once more. She moved first, swiping out with her stubby sword. Paku dodged, sticking her tongue out for good measure. Her eyes widened, however, when Rukia followed through with a roundhouse kick aimed at her stomach. She missed again, but only barely. With this, a new pattern was set.

Rukia's disadvantage was still clear, especially with Paku being considerably taller than she was, now. Still, she pressed on, slowly making her way to the sheath. The results were…mixed.

Paku dodged, darted, and dashed, all to derail the path that Rukia had hoped to carve. It left her frustrated, her muscles starting to burn.

This went on for much longer than Rukia would have liked, leaving Paku as smug as Rukia was tired. Eventually, Kukaku decided that it was enough for now.

"I'm calling it!" she yelled.

"No," Rukia said with a heavy breath. "I need to keep going."

"I said, I'm calling it." Kukaku said this, voice low and commanding.

Rukia paused for a moment before nodding. She gathered her Zanpakuto and its sheath, straightening herself out. She ignored Paku who was still buzzing with excitement beside her.

Kukaku grinned. "Lunch is probably ready by now, and I'm not missing Tessai's Omurice for you two brats."

Yeah, that sounded pretty good, Rukia had to admit. Her stomach rumbled softly in agreement.

She followed the two others up the ladder and into the main shop feeling every little bruise and ache as she climbed. The smell that greeted her at the top made it all worth it, though. The second she saw the short table she collapsed into an empty spot near Ganju. (He already had his spoon out, anticipation clear on his face.)

Kukaku let out a small cheer when Tessai walked through the dining room door with as many plates in his hands as he could carry. (Which was quite a lot. He had biceps about as wide as Rukia's head and arms as long as her legs.) When a plate was placed in front of Rukia, she just about melted with happiness.

On it was a beautiful little omelet, fluffy and steaming. Perfectly even lines of ketchup were drizzled on in a zig-zag pattern. After the cursory, "Itadakimasu!" she took a generous bite. It tasted about as good as it looked.

"Woah, this is kind of amazing," Paku said, mouth half full.

"That's Tessai's cooking for you!" cheered Ganju. Rukia nodded in agreement, mouth too full to respond verbally. She hadn't even realized she was this hungry!

Despite this fact, the first one to finish their meal was Paku. With a short "thanks" she stood up, making a show of stretching her long limbs.

"Finish up soon, Rukia," she said with a tilt of her head. "I want to have enough time to go and visit Renji after I beat you again."

Rukia's grip on her spoon tightened considerably, enough to where she heard Tessai let out a sigh when it bent and groaned under the pressure.

She scarfed down the last of her omelet, having half a mind to chase after the Mod Soul and wipe that smirk on her face. She might have if it weren't for the black cat that slinked up next to her to rub against her leg.

"Yoruichi?" she asked, reaching down to scratch the creature between the ears.

"The one and only," the cat purred out.

"You're late," said Tessai with a frown. Still, he put down a cat-sized Omurice on a saucer in front of him.

"I was busy. That Renji boy is relentless." The cat then took a dainty bite of the omelet, eyes sparkling.

"Renji's been with you?" Rukia asked. Yoruichi nodded.

"I've been training with him for these last few days. That reminds me, how has your training been going, Rukia?"

Kukaku answered for the girl, "She's got her powers back, so not bad, but she just got her ass kicked by the Mod Soul." From the way the woman said it, Rukia could tell that she found it all very funny. Rukia did not. She continued to pet Yoruichi in an attempt to keep her frustrations to a minimum.

"That smug girl I just walked past?" Yoruichi asked with a scoff.

"Yep!" Kukaku said with a grin.

"Well," Yoruichi started with a cock of his head, "at least I know why you ordered that special Gigai, now." Suddenly, the cat yelped, flinching back from Rukia. She jerked her hand back immediately. "Gentle, gentle," Yoruichi scolded.

"Sorry!" Rukia felt her cheeks heat up. She didn't mean to hurt the cat! She folded her hands in her lap after that. Yoruichi stared up at the girl, contemplating.

The cat stood up. "Come on, Rukia. Walk with me."

With a frown and a quick glance Kukaku's way (the woman just shrugged, unsure) she got up, following the tiny form through the shop's quiet hallways and to the dusty front lawn. Yoruichi stopped at the edge of the concrete, facing Rukia.

"Why did you lose?" he asked bluntly.

Rukia struggled for a moment. There were more than a few reasons, really. Paku was too fast, her Zanpakuto was too damaged, and she was too tired. In the end, though, it all boiled down to one undeniable fact. "I couldn't catch her."

"And how did you try to catch her?"

"By chasing after her." Rukia bit her lip, self-conscious.

"So, you tried chasing after a Mod Soul with Super-Speed?" Yoruichi said, laughter bubbling under the words.

Well, when you put it that way, what Rukia was doing earlier seemed pretty stupid, didn't it? Rukia stared down at her feet. Yoruichi sighed.

"Rukia, sometimes simply 'powering through' works, but I promise that works for people that aren't you. Not in fights like these, and not in the fights you'll be facing in the near future."

"I know," she said firmly. She clocked in at 143 centimeters tall. Brute strength just didn't work for someone like her, and she'd known this for a while.

"You know this person. There has to be something you can exploit, here, some advantage you have."

"She was being pretty arrogant," Rukia tried with a scoff.

"That's something," Yoruichi agreed, "but rely on that alone, and all you're doing it waiting for her to make a mistake. Being passive like that in a battle is a good way to get yourself killed. Do you have anything else?"

Rukia thought about it for a moment. Paku had plenty of flaws to exploit, but when she wanted something she wanted it, and there was little that could get in her way, whether it was destroying a Hollow, defeating Rukia, or ogling the Swim Team.

Wait.

"I think I have something."

"Rukia!" called Kukaku from inside the shop. "We need to get going!"

"Coming Auntie!" Rukia called back. She got up quickly, rushing out a thank you to Yoruichi before hurrying back to the training center in a blur. Kukaku and Paku were already waiting for her.

"You sure look excited," Paku said. "That happy to get beaten up again?"

"Something like that," said Rukia.

"Begin!" Kukaku called.

Paku ran in with the same jump kick she had before, Rukia ducking down low, Paku passing harmlessly overhead. The Mod Soul skidded to a stop in the sand spinning around to kick Rukia's back. The Substitute wasn't able to dodge this one, and she went sprawling onto the ground.

It didn't matter.

"You're doing a little better, at least," Paku said snidely. "Who knows, you may be able to beat me if you keep this up for another year." Rukia let out a despairing sigh, fake.

"At least," she said sadly, really trying to ham up her performance, "He'll be able to comfort me afterward."

"That's right," Paku said with a smirk. Then, she realized exactly what Rukia said. "Wait, 'he'?!"

"Yeah…" Rukia said with a tilt of her head. "Renji." Paku's eyes widened. She paled, swaying on her feet. Rukia took that as an opportunity to get up, approaching Paku and coming in close. "We've been dating for a while. Didn't you know?"

Paku sputtered, "H-how? You! Him!"

"Aww, you didn't know?" Rukia said, sympathy in her voice. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get the next one." She punctuated this by punching Paku lightly on the shoulder in a "friendly" gesture.

"And the fight is over!" Kukaku yelled out.

"Wait, what?!" Paku had her hands in her hair. She was horribly confused.

"I landed a hit," Rukia said with a raised eyebrow. She punched Paku lightly in the arm again. "Remember?"

"B-but you didn't even draw your Zanpakuto."

"Technically, she didn't have to," Kukaku admitted. Paku's muttered to herself, still processing.

"T-then the thing you said about you and Renji, that was a lie?" she asked, laughing nervously. The laughing became slightly crazed when Rukia just shrugged her shoulders.

There might not have been anything going on between the two of them, but she was willing to tell a little white lie if it meant that Paku might stop harassing him all the time.

"With that, I think we can call it a day," Kukaku said, clapping Rukia on the shoulder. "You're gonna need all the energy you can get to survive tomorrow's fight."

Kukaku said this with a smirk, one that made Rukia even more nervous at the ominous words.

"And who am I fighting?" Rukia asked. Kukaku just smiled wider. Rukia gulped. She was starting to get a pretty good idea.

Day 5

As expected, Rukia didn't sleep much that night. She wasn't sure if it was nervousness, excitement, or some combination of both that kept her up, but it did its job well.

It could have been that tiny bit of doubt as to who she was fighting. (Not that Kukaku could have been more obvious.)

Any doubts that Rukia may have had about that last one were dashed when she met Kukaku in the training center. The first thing the woman did was draw her wakizashi from the sheath on her stump.

"You ready, shrimp?"

As ready as I'll ever be. Rukia gave a single nod.

"Now, this ain't like your fight with Paku," Kukaku said with a smirk. "I don't expect you to land a hit on me for at least another century, so this fight is over when I say it's over, 'kay?"

Rukia gulped, drawing her Zanpakuto. "Got it."

She had to remind herself that she had managed to beat Paku, even when the odds were against her. She could do this.

"One more thing," Kukaku said. Rukia paused, and the next words sent a shiver down her spine. "Aim to kill." Kukaku said this in her usual joking tone, but there was something underneath that Rukia couldn't quite place, something that made Rukia take the statement quite seriously.

Kukaku didn't start the fight with a "Begin!" or give any other hints as to when they were starting. She just attacked, charging in an instant, brining her wakizashi down hard on Rukia.

Rukia brought up her Zanpakuto, this time remembering to compensate for the missing length. Kukaku wasted no time in breaking away to strike again, a strike that Rukia dodged and met with her own.

This started a sort of rhythm of strikes, dodges, and guards, one that felt much more two-sided than Rukia's fight against Paku, but one that she knew was much more one-sided that Kukaku was letting on.

What gave it away was Kukaku own moves. She never had any trouble blocking or dodging Rukia's strikes. She would dodge each using obvious movements, as if giving a demonstration of how it was to be done, before attacking again only a little harder than the attack before. Rukia wasn't sure if she was to be happy at the obvious lesson (one that she definitely needed) or discouraged at the obvious power gap.

The rhythm was broken when Kukaku sliced Rukia's cheek open with a stab that barely went short of shearing off her entire ear. Rukia stumbled back hitting a rock wall. She had to roll out of the way to avoid getting skewered, hitting the ground hard.

Kukaku was at the rock, trying to wrench her blade from a crevice it was stuck in. She was using her foot as leverage and seemed to be struggling. This was it. This was Rukia's chance. She picked herself off the ground and began to charge, readying for a stab. She was stopped in her tracks by the point of Kukaku's wakizashi. It was a hairs breadth from her throat.

They both waited for a moment, simply breathing, Rukia looking up at Kukaku with wide eyes and a tight expression. Kukaku looked back down at her, amused.

"Trying to catch me while I'm distracted, huh?" The woman asked with a smile. Rukia gulped. "That's good."

The words hung in the air as Rukia waited for her Auntie to make another move, whether it be to let her go or end it right there with a quick strike. The woman did neither.

"Hadō Number One: Shō."

Energy gathered at the tip of Kukaku's blade, and before Rukia knew it, she was being pushed back by an invisible force, tumbling on the sandy ground.

She choked and coughed, bracing herself with one arm as she nursed her throat with the other. Kukaku knew Kidō. Of course, she did.

The dull clip-clop of the woman's sandals grew closer, and Rukia didn't have time to get up. Still on her knees, she guarded against Kukaku's wakizashi with her Zanpakuto, bracing it with both hands.

The pressure increased steadily, and it took Rukia a second to realize it wasn't just the pressure Kukaku was exerting on her wakizashi. The air around where their blades met was tingling with a static like energy. Rukia could taste ozone in the air as her hands shook under the force.

She watched in horror as most of what was left of her blade was cut clean off. She ducked, leaving the piece abandoned in the dust as she struggled to keep her neck intact. She got away with a nick on her shoulder.

On the ground, Rukia realized that she was playing a losing game. She was dazed and even more weaponless than she was before. She was so outclassed it was a joke. Still, she got up again, struggling to her feet as she tried to think of a different angle she could work at this from. There had to be something to exploit, to dig her nails into.

Yeah, she didn't know much about Kukaku, but there had to be something–

Kukaku knocked Rukia back on the ground with a kick to her back, giving her a face full of dust.

"You're done for now," she said. "We start again this evening." Rukia could do nothing but nod as she was left alone to pick herself up.

Day 6

The evening of Day 5 came and went and during that time, Rukia had won exactly zero of the two fights she had against Kukaku. This morning's wasn't going much better.

She had barely dodged the last Kidō attack. (Judging by the scorch marks that it left on the ground, it was likely that she had barely dodged death, as well.) With an unsure grip on her barely-there Zanpakuto (All that was left was a handle and half a guard! She didn't have even an inch of blade left to attack with.), she guarded against another sweeping attack from Kukaku's wakizashi.

Relief went through her in waves when she didn't lose any more of her Zanpakuto with this move. Still, she wasn't out of trouble, yet. She felt herself being pushed back by the force, feet skidding on the ground until the heel of her foot hit a nearby rock wall. Kukaku's fierce pressure continued, pinning her down, trapping her. When she heard Kukaku utter another Kidō Spell and saw the energy gathering at the tip of her blade, mere centimeters from her face, she knew she had to get moving.

Rukia feinted left, letting Kukaku's katana slide past her, ignoring how it sliced through her own knuckles in the process. She watched as the wakizashi buried itself into the rock wall just as the spell fired within the structure.

Throwing her arms over her head immediately, Rukia squinted through the dust that filled the air. It was impossible to tell where she was, where she was going, but she could hear Kukaku's loudly cursing voice, and for now, that was enough.

She had to get away.

Rukia half crawled, going as fast as she dared in the haze to, and she didn't want to admit it, hide. She had to get her bearings, she had to figure something out, anyth–

As her foot hit thin air, Rukia held back a scream of surprise. Before she knew it, she was slipping down a ravine and had hit the ground hard.

"Ow…" she muttered to herself, flat on her back. She cracked her eyes open against the pain.

The ravine was little more than a crack in the ground, just wide enough for her to turn around in, and about twice her height. It was dark enough that perhaps Kukaku wouldn't notice her upon first glance. She could only hope.

"Why are you running?" Rukia zipped up to her feet, alert at the new voice, and suddenly sure that Kukaku had found her much earlier than expected. The person down in the ravine with Rukia wasn't Kukaku.

In front of a pile of rocks just large enough to assist Rukia in any quick escape, should the need arise, was the Woman. It was her Zanpakuto, looking as pristine as ever, even in this dirty crevice that left Rukia covered in dust and grime. (That might have just been due to the rough fights, though.)

"I don't really have a choice," Rukia whispered to her. "Fighting her isn't exactly working."

Her Zanpakuto scoffed, and with an upturned nose said, "Fighting? Please, you haven't been fighting her. You've been cowering. It's starting to make me question why I ever gave you my power in the first place." Rukia's teeth grit in anger.

"I'm sorry I haven't been up to your standards, but if you haven't noticed, I don't have much to work with, here!" She held up her own blade to emphasize the point. (Well, it wasn't much of a blade anymore, was it?) Her Zanpakuto simply rolled her eyes in response.

"You have the power to get it back," she explained slowly, annoyance dripping into her voice. "Why haven't you used it?" She began approaching Rukia, menacing, but Rukia wasn't one to back down. She instead stood up straight, challenging.

"You haven't told me how. Hell, you haven't even mentioned it until now!"

The woman looked borderline furious when she hissed out, "My name. You know it. Why haven't you said it?"

The question sent all the air rushing out of Rukia's lungs. Her name? Had she heard her Zanpakuto's name? Thinking back on it, she wasn't entirely sure. It was like she had forgotten the name of a classmate, and that it was just on the tip of her tongue. Still…

"You haven't told me your name," Rukia said.

"I shouldn't have to!"

Rukia took a step back. "I can't just say I name that I haven't heard." The step was taken just a second too late. The Woman took Rukia by the shoulders in a bruising grip.

"You frustrating child!"

Her face was filled with fury in a way that Rukia had never really seen on a person before, and the teenager couldn't really help it when she shrunk away trying to break free from the suddenly oppressive atmosphere. The air turned sour, rocks at their feet began to shake, and the perfect whites of her Zanpakuto's eyes filled with black. White material (bone-white) started forming around the edges of her face in the beginnings of a mask.

"You already know it!" A clawed hand raised above Rukia's head.

What the Woman would have done next, Rukia didn't know and she never would. Kukaku had come down the rocky path, and just as it looked like she was going to run headlong first into the Woman, her Zanpakuto vanished into mist.

Rukia wasted no time in moving after that, as frazzled as she was. She jumped up to the mouth of the ravine and onto the ground. She started running.

"Seriously, Rukia?" Kukaku called after her. "This is just getting sad."

Biting back a response, Rukia decided to save her breath. She continued running, trying to find another escape, another hiding spot. She still hadn't come up with a plan!

Kukaku appeared in front of her so quickly, it would have made Paku jealous. She attacked immediately.

By now, Rukia was used to her Auntie's onslaught. She knew what to expect and how to dodge in a way that assured survival. Honestly, she was getting pretty good at it.

"You can't stay on defense forever, kiddo," Kukaku said, right before a particularly strong strike. A quick step right meant it only impacted with a boulder, luckily. (Though not for the boulder. It now had cracks running all along it.)

Half a moment later, Rukia was sent flying back by a Kidō spell. She didn't hear the incantation, she wasn't even sure if there was one. There was just a light, a force, and she was suddenly on her back. It took a moment for her blurred vision to clear, and when it did, it was the Woman standing over her, not Kukaku.

"Say my name."

"I can't," Rukia groaned through gritted teeth. She hadn't heard it and hadn't any clues to figure it out. The task was impossible. The woman's pretty face wrenched into something hateful.

"My name is not some riddle to be solved, girl. You cannot figure your way to it."

"Then what–" Rukia was cut off by Kukaku stabbing down and through the disapparating body of her Zanpakuto. She rolled out of the way and to her feet just in time. When she arose, the woman was standing again in the exact same spot, mere steps behind Kukaku.

"******. Just say it, ******," the Woman said. Rukia stared at her blankly. Were those supposed to be words?

Kukaku took that as an opportunity to fire another Kidō, though this one, Rukia could already tell packed much more of a punch. Lightning danced along Kukaku's blade, and Rukia had barely enough time to jump on top of the already Kidō damaged boulder to avoid it. Beneath her feet it cracked further, chunks falling off. Rukia jumped before it had the chance to crumble completely. She fell behind it, and the Woman was there to greet her.

"******. ******!" The Woman was moving her mouth but no sounds were coming, or what was coming sounded distant, like she was underwater.

"I can't hear you!" Rukia cried out.

"Then you must be as deaf as you are stupid!" the Woman hissed. "I said, my name is ******."

Hearing it again, Rukia corrected herself. It wasn't as if the words were being spoken underwater. It was more like the second the syllables were uttered, they were falling out of her head, forgotten. The boulder broke.

The flash of a Kidō spell went overhead as Rukia pressed herself into the ground to avoid the brunt of it. She scrambled up to her feet as quickly as possible.

Through the dusty remains of the boulder, Kukaku walked, coming quietly to a stop directly in front of Rukia. The humor in her eyes was gone as she slowly raised her wakizashi, and Rukia felt her own heart sink. Kukaku wasn't letting up today. She wasn't interested in lessons or going easy. She was being downright relentless, leaving Rukia wondering if she would even make it out of this training alive.

Maybe, Rukia thought, that was Kukaku's plan all along, to kill her here to avenge her nephew. It wasn't like she would blame the woman for wanting to do such a thing.

But, it wasn't like she was just going to die here, either.

The Woman was still standing there, upright and immaculate as she looked upon Rukia with disdain. She was saying something, something that Rukia couldn't hear or couldn't remember, she wasn't sure which, anymore. Then again, it probably didn't matter.

No, it didn't matter.

She looked down at her blade-less katana and took a deep breath. She decided to let go. She didn't watch Kukaku bring down her katana, didn't look for her Zanpakuto's lip movements to try and read them. She just closed her eyes, stopped hearing, and decided to listen.

"Sode no Shirayuki."

"Sode no Shirayuki!"

For a second, Rukia didn't hear anything after her own resounding exclamation, but in that second, every other sense went into overdrive. She felt every divot and peak in the handle of her Zanpakuto (it felt much different than usual), she tasted the air, buzzing with energy, and she saw Kukaku, fingertips smoking, hand held out in front of her. Her arm and the left side of her cloak were frosted over. The arena around her was covered in ice.

Rukia looked down at her Zanpakuto, Sode no Shirayuki, and saw it, whole, and even better than before. It was much smaller now, the size of a standard katana, and it was pure as pure white as the Woman herself, with a delicate ribbon trailing the handle. It radiated a light cold that made it fit comfortably in her hands.

"I think we'll call that a day," Kukaku said, smile back on her face, though it was shaky. She was concealing a shiver as she sheathed her wakizashi, subtly pulling her cloak around her shoulders a little tighter. Still, her smile was genuine, and it was infectious.

Rukia smiled, too, as she stared down at Sode no Shirayuki, feeling an exhilaration that she couldn't quite put into words.

When Kukaku said, "We'll start again tomorrow," Rukia couldn't have been happier.

Day 7

By the start of Day 7, Rukia's excitement had not died down. Climbing the unreasonably long ladder to the training center, she felt the same mixture of elation and nerves that she had then, and when she touched down on the ground, she knew she was ready for whatever fight Kukaku had planned.

"You're up bright and early!" her Auntie said with a grin. Rukia flashed a grin of her own back.

"I knew we'd have a lot of work to do today. I wanted to get an early start."

"Good instincts," Kukaku commented, rocking back on her heels. "Today ain't gonna be easy." As she said this, she drew her wakizashi.

Rukia drew her own Zanpakuto in preparation, not ready to wait and be attacked this time. Her feet shifted into a fighting stance, and she steeled herself for the spar ahead. She was taken severely off guard when Kukaku simply sat down cross legged on the sand, motioning with a hand for Rukia to join her. She set her wakizashi across her lap.

"I-I don't understand," Rukia said. Kukaku snorted.

"Just like you young people to think fighting's all there is to being a Shinigami. Sit down, runt."

Bristling slightly at the knock on her height, Rukia nodded stiffly before sitting down, following Kukaku's example by laying Sode no Shirayuki across her lap. She kept her back perfectly straight as she obediently waited further instruction. Kukaku looked pleased.

The woman continued, "Like I said, not everything it about fighting. The only thing that's really going to make you stronger is proper communication with your Zanpakuto."

Rukia thought back briefly to the few times she'd spoken with Sode no Shirayuki. Even in the beginning, before her Inner World's destruction, when she had seemed much gentler, she was never…nice, exactly. In fact, the Zanpakuto never seemed like she wanted to talk, even when she was actively speaking with Rukia.

The Substitute said with a tight expression, "I'm not sure if that's possible. My Zanpakuto doesn't seem like the 'chatty' type."

Kukaku whistled, though the way it came out, it was more like a sigh of sympathy.

"You've got one of those, huh?" she asked, eyebrow quirked. "It's frustrating, but not getting along with your Zanpakuto's pretty common. More the reason for you two to get on speaking terms."

Rukia wanted to say something in protest, but the words died in her throat. Kukaku had been doing so well with her training so far, who was she to question the woman?

"How to I do this?"

The explanation that Kukaku gave wasn't very concise, but it got the idea across. They were currently sitting in a traditional position for this lesson, but apparently that didn't really matter. All Rukia needed to do was to reach out with her Soul and give Sode no Shirayuki a little nudge, as if she were waking her from a light sleep. When Rukia asked what to do if the Zanpakuto simply refused to respond, she got first a bark of laughter, and then a real answer.

"Trust me. Now that you've got your Shikai, she can't ignore you any better than you can ignore her."

Considering how hard it was to ignore Sode when she decided to talk, Rukia decided this would do. Still, she had one more question.

"When I get there…what do I say?"

Kukaku paused for a moment, brows furrowed as she considered before saying, "If she's as aggressive as you've been making her out to be, you really should just get to the point. Tell her what you need. You've already gotten Shikai, so you must be doing something right without my help."

Rukia nodded, trying to conceal a blush at the complement. "That's about what I was thinking." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

She took a moment to just breath in slowly, to exhale in a slow hiss, and then she gave a firm nudge. When she felt the ice of the lake beneath her almost immediately, it was surprising.

"Why have you come here?" Sode asked.

Rukia glanced around for a moment, looking for the Spirit. She ended up finding her in the same place that she did before, in her reflection in the ice.

Sode was standing up, proud as ever, and looking directly at Rukia with no small amount of condescension.

"I need to talk to you," Rukia led with.

"Oh," Sode sounded, feigning curiosity. "About what?"

"I…" Rukia began to stumble. Even as a reflection, Sode no Shirayuki gave off a ridiculous pressure, and her callousness was difficult to deal with. She settled on a canned line. "We need to be able to communicate if we want to get any stronger."

"'We?'" Sode barked out the word, like it left a bitter taste in her mouth. "Child, I am already strong. I'm not the one coming to you, begging for power." Her eyes narrowed into slits. "'We.' Don't make me laugh."

Rukia took a deep breath, suddenly very aware of her sitting position. She took a moment to stand up before continuing.

"I want–" she's cut off before she even has the chance to finish her thought.

"I do not care what you want." Great, Rukia could already see her sclera turning black. She was getting nowhere, fast. "Leave me."

Still, she tried to save the situation, biting out desperately, "Wait, you don't understand–"

"I said leave me!" As Sode said this, she arched her hand outwards in a violent motion, causing Rukia to flinch back in preparation for some kind of attack. Sadly, an ice-covered lake wasn't a good place to be stumbling back. Her heel caught on slick ice, and she went tumbling. The moment her back hit the ground, she was at the training area with Kukaku.

"That was short," Kukaku said with a furrowed brow. Rukia let out a deep sigh, dragging herself back up into a sitting position. She eyed her Zanpakuto, lying on the dusty ground, and after a moment of hesitation, picked it up again.

"She kicked me out," Rukia eventually muttered. Kukaku looked genuinely troubled when she heard this, eyebrows shooting up.

Still, all she said was, "Harsh." Rukia just nodded in agreement.

Rukia could feel her grip on her Zanpakuto increase to bruising levels as she felt her frustration rise. She replayed the order of events in her head, tried to think of what she could have done differently, and just came out of the consideration mad. She didn't think she had ever met someone as rude, prideful, or hateful as Sode no Shirayuki.

Or as terrifying.

Rukia said with a frown, "It couldn't have been this difficult when you started out with your Zanpakuto, Auntie…right?"

"Honestly," Kukaku said with a shrug, "it wasn't."

Rukia's frown deepened at the lack of encouragement, but when she was about to say something else, probably something sarcastic, she noticed that Kukaku had a certain look about her now, one that Rukia wasn't familiar with. She had a faraway look in her eyes, one nearly unreadable, but decidedly sad.

Kukaku continued, "I mean, he was an idiot, he could be as difficult as hell, and more than not was just a huge pain in my ass, but," she lingered on the word, seemed too have to swallow it before continuing, "he loved it when we'd reach a new milestone, always celebrated when we'd get a little bit stronger. Everything was just one big adventure to him."

Rukia had heard that kind of love from Kukaku before. It was when she was talking about her family.

Eventually, Rukia got up the courage to ask, "Is that him?" gesturing to Kukaku's wakizashi. The woman shook her head.

"This was just what they could find of him. He's been gone for a long time, kiddo."

Something cold settled in Rukia's stomach at that. She had never lost someone before, not anyone important, so she didn't really know what to say. An "I'm sorry" died on her lips, and she felt guiltily relieved when Kukaku began smiling again. It was a little strained but still honest.

"I made peace with it a while ago." The words hung in the air.

Rukia breathed in and out for a moment, nodding.

"I should try again," she eventually said, eyes down to Sode no Shirayuki. "Maybe we'll be able to work something out.

"You probably shouldn't," Kukaku suggested. "Once a Zanpakuto decides they're done talking, it's best if you let 'em breathe for a bit."

Rukia felt her heart sink a slightly at that, but she nodded, following Kukaku when the woman stood up, stretching her muscles and rolling her shoulders.

Kukaku turned to Rukia, saying, "I was actually thinking we could have a good ol' fashioned spar. I can't have you getting flabby on me."

Her Auntie brandished her wakizashi, the remnants of a nameless Zanpakuto that once meant the world to her. Rukia got up and faced her with her own stubborn Zanpakuto and wondered if one day she'd feel the same love for Sode no Shirayuki that Kukaku felt for her own Zanpakuto Spirit. She doubted it.

Rukia charged first.

Day 8

When Rukia got up on the morning of Day 8, the sun was just barely peaking over the horizon, and as far as she could tell, the shop turned home was completely silent. This was good. She'd need this window of time, this window of quiet for what she was planning.

Rukia grabbed her Zanpakuto from where it rested at the head of her futon. It was still as pure white as it was when she first activated it and hadn't shown any signs of turning back.

In the back of her mind, Rukia realized that this wasn't normal. Tatsuki, she remembered, had her Zanpakuto in a sealed state at the beginning of her fight. She had to activate her Shikai manually. Rukia knew that this difference should have worried her, or at least caused some mild concern, but reasoned that if Kukaku didn't think to mention it, then she shouldn't spend any time fretting over it. Sparing a second glance at the frost shadow left by her Zanpakuto, Rukia turned her attention back on the blade itself.

This was her main concern, today. Kukaku may not have said it directly, but Rukia had figured that if she couldn't reach some kind of agreement with Sode no Shirayuki she could kiss her chances of going to the Soul Society and not dying goodbye. (And, well, if she died, she couldn't exactly rescue Ichigo, could she?) Her and her Zanpakuto needed to talk, and this time, Rukia would make her Sode listen. How she would exactly was a difficult question to answer, but she had an idea or two.

Rukia unsheathed the blade. Sitting down cross legged on her borrowed futon, she placed the sword across her lap, just like Kukaku showed her. Laying her hands carefully on it, letting the cold sink into her skin, she began to focus, and with her Soul, began to push. Again, the result was instantaneous.

The sight of the frozen lake was becoming very familiar to Rukia, just like her new reflection.

"You're back soon," Sode muttered. "Why?"

Rukia decided to start with method number one. (It would be odd to start with anything else, after all.)

"I need more power," she said. It was a simple statement, an honest one. "I want to be able to save my friend, and as I am now, I'd probably fail."

Method number one hinged on a single idea: that Sode no Shirayuki wasn't as heartless as she made herself out to be.

Sode frowned at Rukia before turning her back. It wasn't a "no" per say, so Rukia decided to continue.

"And if I can't go and help him, he'll die. I can't let that happen."

For a moment, Sode didn't answer her. She just stood there motionless, back turned. When she finally spoke again, it was quiet and sharp, like an icy breeze.

"You seem so sure," she said. "Do you really believe that you alone are the difference between life and death for this friend of yours? Are you truly so arrogant?"

The question had Rukia biting her lip, unsure, because no, she wasn't sure at all. Maybe it was arrogant of her, the idea that she had internalized, that if she didn't personally go to help Ichigo his blood would be on her hands. Then again, she didn't really care.

She answered, "All I know is that if I don't at least try, I will never forgive myself, and if he doesn't make it, then…I'm not sure what I would do."

"You have yet to convince me, child." Sode looked over her shoulder to look Rukia in the eye, and Rukia felt the temperature in the air drop at least a couple of degrees.

Still, she was getting a response, now. Maybe her hypothesis was right. Maybe Sode wasn't completely heartless. That being said, it was clear that this wasn't enough.

It was time for method number two.

"Then what about," Rukia began, choosing her words carefully for what would be the largest bluff of her young life, "how you belong to me."

Sode looked almost startled by this. Her back went ramrod straight, her jaw tightened, and she didn't even say anything back. Rukia decided to continue.

"You came from my Soul, right? If it weren't for me, you wouldn't even exist." As she went on, her words filled with more steel. Perhaps she was channeling her older brother, here, but her confidence swelled. "You will do what I say because I said it, understand?"

Rukia wasn't sure what to expect in response. It was possible that Sode would burst out laughing at such a challenge. She would probably call her a fool and kick her out, just like she did last time.

Instead, Sode no Shirayuki just looked at her, shell shocked. After a moment of long silence, though, she cracked a smile.

"Technically," the spirit began, "you are right. It doesn't quite work that way, however."

With the words came disappointment, but it didn't look like she was about to be kicked out, at least. Sode was smiling, and she never did that. The woman continued, looking carefully at her wielder.

"You stood up to me. For the first time, you show me true promise."

"Then you are going to show me more?" Rukia rushed out. At that, Sode's smile dropped and she levelled a glare at the girl. Rukia shut her mouth immediately.

Sode continued calmly after that, "Your Shikai has five hidden abilities. For now, I will teach you two. You are ready for that much, and it should suffice for your journey ahead, provided you don't pick any fights above your station."

Rukia finally stood up saying, "I'm ready. What should we start with?"

"Now is not the time," she said carefully, annoyance flashing back onto her face. "You will come back tomorrow to receive your training. For now, return to the outer world."

Of course, Rukia wasn't satisfied at that. She had questions to ask, things to say, but she decided against voicing any of them. She simply nodded.

Sode added as an afterthought, "Oh, and please learn to seal your Shikai. Nothing is quite as unsightly as someone who flaunts their power like some kind of beast." Rukia noted that in her head. "If that is all, then I suppose this is goodbye, child."

"Thank you." Rukia didn't even know why she said it. It rushed out of her, automatically. She almost wished she could take it back.

Sode didn't answer her. She didn't even indicate that she had heard Rukia. She just turned away and began walking. Rukia could only watch as the ice began to cloud over again.

Soon, she was back in the outer world. Her reentry somehow felt much less violent than last time.

Looking out of the window, she saw that little time had passed. The sun was above the horizon now, but it was still clearly early. Kukaku probably wasn't even up yet. Nevertheless, Rukia decided that she couldn't waste any time lazing about in the morning. She ran down to the training area as quietly as possible and began practicing by herself.

Day 9

Rukia went back to her Inner World early the next day, and for once, she didn't feel nervous or unsure. For once she knew what she was getting upon entry, and for once that thing was something to be excited about.

Entering it felt much smoother this time around. Though she didn't notice any resistance before, the ease that she felt now proved that there was some, that Sode probably didn't want to see her before, but simply had no choice. Now, it was like she was being invited in.

"You finally learned how to seal your Shikai," Sode led with. "Good."

Rukia got to her feet, brushing off bits of ice stuck to her hakama as she examined her Zanpakuto. The Spirit's arms were delicately crossed, her expression guarded. She looked back at Rukia carefully, searching for something, though Rukia wasn't sure what.

The substitute said, without hesitation, "I asked Auntie to teach me how after you suggested it. She seemed pretty thrilled about the idea, actually. She said it would teach me control, and that I was probably wasting a ton of energy maintaining my Shikai, anyway."

Sode nodded, saying, "I honestly find it impressive that you were able to maintain it for as long as you had."

It took Rukia a moment to process her Zanpakuto's words. Had the Spirit just…complemented her?

"Are you ready for your lessons, child?" Sode no Shirayuki asked.

Rukia swallowed, blinking for a moment before finally answering with, "Yeah…I mean, yes, I am."

After her answer, Sode wasted no time in proceeding. She held out a well-manicured hand, and Rukia watched as a thick mist gathered around it, taking form and congealing until it fully solidified into an identical copy of her Shikai. (Rukia tried not to think of how odd it was that her Zanpakuto was wielding herself.)

Sode faced her, then, brandishing her sword. "Activate your Shikai so we may begin," she commanded.

Rukia nodded, staring down at her own hand for a moment. She wasn't entirely sure how she was supposed to summon her Shikai out of thin air, but she knew that she didn't want to show that kind of weakness in front of Sode no Shirayuki. She decided to do it just as Kukaku had showed her and hoped that even without her actual Zanpakuto in her hands, the result would be the same. She held her open hand out in front of her.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!" she yelled. Then, as if she had the sword with her, she turned her hand counterclockwise. It manifested mid-turn.

Sode looked at her with hooded eyes, face not betraying a single thing. She said derisively, "I'm surprised you didn't need me to hold your hand through that lesson."

There it was, the antagonism that Rukia had come to expect from her Zanpakuto. She was almost relieved, though the comment made her wilt slightly.

With little warning or introduction, Sode said, "First Dance, White Moon." She drew a careful circle in the ice, etching it in on her own side of the mirror-like lake.

Reishi gathered at that point immediately, and Rukia had barely any time to stumble away from the circle. On "Rukia's side" of the ice, the ground lightly glowed and the air above it became an intense kind of cold, the likes of which she'd never felt before.

The light, the energy, Rukia thought there was something so beautiful about it. It was radiant, powerful, and seemed almost delicate, not unlike the Spirit herself. It was this awe mixed with a youthful sense of curiosity that made her reach a hand forward.

"Do not touch it." Sode no Shirayuki's voice rang out loud and clear. Rukia's hand immediately recoiled. "Everything that enters the pillar will freeze and shatter." Rukia held her hand tighter to her chest, nodding.

So, this was the type of power she had? It was a little terrifying, actually. Before her, the pillar dissipated, leaving nothing but clear air and a lingering chill.

"Try it for yourself," Sode said.

Rukia brought her own Shikai in front of her, and with some hesitation, followed Sode's movements.

"This attack is one that can be difficult to use effectively. Use it carefully and perhaps this will prove not to be waste of my time."

Biting back a retort, Rukia tried to stew over the useful parts of Sode's statement. This attack seemed to have a pretty limited range, which would normally mean that all it would take is the right strategy to make it work, but in this case…Strategy just didn't seem like Sode's style.

"The second dance is called 'White Ripple,'" Sode continued. "This one is much simpler."

Sode turned and demonstrated the moves, puncturing the ice four times in front of her. Her motions were fast and precise yet graceful. They were like, well, a "dance." She finished it off by getting into a striking stance, pointing the blade at an invisible enemy. Just at its tip, Reishi began gathering in concentrated amounts.

"Next Dance, White Ripple." She swung the sword in a wide arc, and the energy released. Just like before, the attack appeared on Rukia's side of the ice.

The blast ripped past Rukia like a gust of icy wind. It was intense to say the least.

"It holds less power than the First Dance," Sode continued, "but it more than makes up for it in versatility. At its most powerful, it will encase your target in ice, leaving them vulnerable. It is an effective means for trapping or injuring, but should the ice shatter, it's doubtful they would survive."

"I understand."

Rukia was asked again to recreate the attack, and she did so with ease, the idea of having these very lethal attacks in her arsenal only now sinking in.

She remembered standing over Tatsuki's defeated form, ready to deal the final blow before being stopped by force. A part of her was concerned. A larger part remembered that now wasn't the time to be fretting over such things.

"That is all I will be teaching you today," Sode said. She released her copy of the Shikai, letting it dissolve back into mist. "You may leave now." She started walking away, into the foggier areas of the ice, out of Rukia's sight.

A beat passed, and Rukia's feet took a hesitant step forward. Her Zanpakuto had actually helped her today, and it just wouldn't feel right to leave without saying a word.

"Thank you," she said quietly. For a second Rukia thought she'd get the same cold shoulder that she did last time. She wouldn't have even minded really, she'd be expecting it, at least.

Sode feet paused. Her trailing dress stopped moving, but that was all Rukia could see. Her Zanpakuto's face was hidden from her. After a second, Sode kept moving away.

Rukia let the connection dissipate.

Day 10

It was Day 10.

Rukia couldn't really believe it, but it was Day 10.

She trudged back to her temporary room at the end of the day, her hair still damp from her shower. For what felt like the first time in forever, it was dust and dirt free.

Laying flat on the futon, she let it really sink in that she had just done it. She had completed her last day of training. Tomorrow she was going to invade the Soul Society and stage a rescue mission, the likes of which she'd only ever seen in the movies Renji liked to show her.

She felt steady, alert, and prepared. All that was left was to get a good night's sleep. (If it was good practice to get good sleep before a test, then getting good sleep before a life-changing rescue mission had to be at least ten times more important.)

This was the root of her current problem.

Rukia sat up in the futon, realizing for the first time that she was wide awake. In fact, she was downright restless. It was like her body was still waiting for another lesson, for some new small piece of wisdom, or another spar. Rukia worried her lip.

Maybe there was something else she could do? There was always the training area. She could sneak down there and practice a move or two. No harm could come in being over prepared, and her Shikai abilities could always use some work.

Shikai. That just might be the answer she was looking for. Rukia reached for her sealed Zanpakuto, and as quickly as she could, entered her Inner World.

"I didn't expect to see you back so soon," Sode no Shirayuki said. Rukia silently agreed.

She took a deep breath before coming out with it. "Tomorrow is when I leave for the Soul Society,–"

"I am aware."

"–and I was wondering if there was something else you could show me."

Sode quirked an eyebrow. "You would like my help again."

Rukia nodded resolutely. Sode's lips pursed.

"I cannot teach you any more of the dances for now," she explained. "You are simply not ready, but I suppose…" She trailed off.

"Anything would help," Rukia insisted. Sode shot her a glare for the interruption, but this time, Rukia wasn't backing down.

"Well, I suppose I could test your abilities," Sode said with a frown.

"You mean a spar?"

"Yes, I mean a spar. Do you accept?"

Rukia wanted to, but she wasn't even sure how such a fight would work. The two couldn't even touch each other here. Still, she found herself saying, "I do."

With that, Sode crouched down to the surface of the ice, coming in close. Her small hands pressed against it, and small cracks began to appear where she applied the pressure. The cracks widened and deepened until eventually, the ice broke entirely. Rukia stumbled back almost by instinct, hoping that this fight didn't involve getting dunked in the frozen lake yet again, but the cracks remained contained.

Rukia watches, mesmerized as Sode's hand began to rise through the broken pieces.

The woman crawled slowly out of the lake, as if weighed down (probably by her heavy silks, though they didn't seem water-logged at all.) Rukia would have helped her, if she was sure that the woman wouldn't take it as some great insult. After a moment she rose fully on now solid ice and faced Rukia. Sode summoned her Shikai. Rukia did the same.

"Are you ready?" Sode asked calmly.

Rukia began to answer, but the words ended up coming out as a choked and stuttered mess as she quickly brought up her Zanpakuto to guard against…her Zanpakuto.

Sode didn't start with an ability, or with some kind of special technique. She simply charged, easily as aggressive as Kukaku. Rukia's arms almost trembled against the weight.

Rukia tried to push back, to put enough pressure on some weak point and break this deadlock, but Sode was steadfast and rigid, not moving for anything.

It was the Spirit that ended up breaking the deadlock, stepping back barely a centimeter, making Rukia's hold loosen up just enough for her to side-step and aim an attack at her Shinigami's neck. Rukia spun around to meet the strike with her blade.

Sode immediately withdrew, jumping back some distance. It took her only a moment to prepare and fire the Second Dance, but Rukia began moving out of the way the second she saw the sword first stab into the ground. The attack grazed her arm.

A frost covered the skin on Rukia's outer arm and with it came a shooting pain. Great, it was useless, now, but there wasn't any time to linger on the it. Without hesitation she shifted her Zanpakuto to her uninjured hand. (She'd been watching Kukaku fight with only one arm for over a week now. She knew it was doable.)

As soon as she got a good hold, Rukia charged toward Sode, finally starting her own offense. She set the pace of the battle, going with quick slashes that pushed Sode steadily back. She pressed forward harder and harder, going until she was able to twist the sword right out of Sode's hand.

Rukia wasted no time after that. She began to move around Sode, drawing a circle in her path. Sode noticed. With a dive, she tripped Rukia, sending her sprawling onto the ground before gunning for her own Shikai as quickly as possible.

By the time Sode returned, Rukia was just barely getting up, an effort that she had to abort to roll out of the way of a downward stab. Three more followed after that, and when Rukia rolled onto her feet, Sode had another Second Dance ready and aimed right at Rukia.

This time, Rukia was able to dodge, avoiding any frostbite by diving fully out of the way. This moment of weakness was all Sode needed to set the battle back at her own pace.

Over the steadily increasing number of fights Rukia had, she found that most of her opponents liked talking a lot. They always seemed to have some kind of jab to give, some kind of banter to exchange. Sode no Shirayuki wasn't like that. When Sode fought, she was silent, not even making a sound when Rukia managed to land a lucky hit, grazing her forearm. Still, her movements spoke volumes.

She moved with an aggression, precise strikes turning more violent as the look in her eyes became wilder by the moment. Something was wrong, and when Rukia saw black start to inch into Sode's white eyes, she started to get an idea about what that was.

When Sode aimed another Second Dance at her, Rukia, in the heat of the moment, decided to counter with one of her own. (Perhaps she just wanted the fight to end, so she decided to try something drastic? Perhaps this…thing…was getting to her. She wasn't sure.) Two echoing voices yelled out "Next Dance, White Ripple," and two attacks met each other mid-way.

Rukia's good arm came up to cover her face at the burst of freezing air that spread through the entire arena. Mist covered the area, practically blinding her. During these moments, no one moved. No one attacked, and no footsteps sounded. When the mist finally cleared, Rukia could see the results of their combined attacks.

Before Rukia stood a wall of ice, radiating cold and shaped like a crashing wave, perfectly still in front of her. It was much closer than she had realized.

SMASH!

Sode crashed through the wall with an ear-piercing sound, utterly shattering it, Rukia moving back just in time to avoid getting bludgeoned by the debris.

Panting in front of her, Rukia's Zanpakuto painted quite the terrifying picture. She stood there, pristine white interrupted by the blood running down her face from her forehead with what could only be described as a predatory look in her eyes. She attacked immediately.

Sode lunged for Rukia, shoving past broken chunks of ice, and slashing at her wildly. Rukia dodged, barely avoiding getting gutted several times, but after a moment, Sode just kind of…stopped. She stood there, panting again, eyes as wide as saucers.

Now was Rukia's chance. Even though she wasn't quite sure what was going on, she knew it was her chance. She started up a Second Dance, and just as Sode began charging again, she released it.

It was done at very close range, in the end, closer than Rukia was comfortable with, but as the mist cleared once again, Rukia realized that it had done the job. Sode was right in front of her, mid step, perfectly frozen, encased in a thick layer of ice. Her frozen blade was only centimeters from Rukia's chest. In less than a second, it disappeared entirely.

Rukia panted, as the end of the fight replayed in her head.

Sode's "breakdown" was so much worse this time than it was the last. She looked completely out of it, like she was in pain. Rukia wasn't terribly surprised of what she found when she studied Sode closer.

Her Zanpaktuo's eyes were almost completely black, the blue in the irises almost glowing. Her mask had formed enough that Rukia could recognize it. It was the same one she pulled off herself when she reemerged from the pit.

Rukia didn't know what it meant, or what it would mean that her Zanpakuto was slowly becoming a Hollow (or that she already was one), but she did know one thing. She was glad that she beat Sode when she did.

Nothing felt happy about this victory. She averted disaster. That was about it, but Rukia felt she at least had the right to feel satisfied. She completed her training. She beat her Zanpakuto.

(Her Zanpakuto that was frozen solid. Sode didn't seem worried about using lethal force before, even when she was in her right mind. She was probably alright, wasn't she?)

So, Rukia just stood there for a moment, looking at her Zanpakuto's frozen figure, and a part of her felt terrified that she was even capable of such a thing. Another part of her felt something that she couldn't quiet identify.

This is where Rukia decided to break the connection. She left her Inner World and came back into her own body. Sleep didn't come easy, but eventually, it did come.


Yeah, Hollowfication has made Sode no Shirayuki a little…unstable. Those of you who watched the Sword Beasts Arc will know that she's not normally like this. Also, I decided to make Kukaku a former Shinigami, here, which I don't think she was in the manga, though Kubo never did go into her backstory much. I thought that if she were to be a mentor figure to Rukia, it would be a necessary change.

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