Chapter 17

The Final Story Chapter

The rain had stopped but the ground of the heliport was still excessively wet. Rukia stood, holding her stomach while holding up her Zanpaktou. She panted as she tried desperately to hold back any more tears and pain. She needed to stay strong. For him. She slowly placed the tip of her fingers under her thigh.

She was still bleeding.

At this rate she would bleed to death.

She was in no state to go beyond her Shikai and just being able to stand made her tired. For some reason it felt as if she wanted to sleep.

"Ready?" asked the darkened Inoue. Rukia was actually considering it but was caught off guard when Inoue appeared beside her. She lifted her Zanpaktou out of instinct but that proved costly when she realized she exposed herself for attack. Inoue went in to strike but Rukia managed to step backward and feel the small whip of air that came from the tip of the attacking katana. She dodged several more swiping strikes that came close to nicking her neck. When Rukia saw a valid opening she swung inward hoping to get the tip of her sword at Inoue's chest. The attack managed to strike its target but it did not penetrate, the only thing that resulted from it was a spark of light that would usually come from steel hitting steel. Rukia retreated back and looked at the tip of her blade which had been scuffed from that black garment she wore. She was wearing something that prevented her from hitting vital areas. She was going to have to hit in between smaller areas if she had any cause to win.

She screamed in pain and stumbled to the ground using her Zanpaktou to hold herself up. She felt herself continuing to bleed. She coughed as the air around her was growing stale.

"Rukia..." whispered Ichigo. She looked at him and forced herself to stand, her legs trembling.

"I'm fine." she said nodding to him. She turned back to Inoue who continued to smile, "I'm going to cut that smile off your face."

"Whatever, I'll give you five more minutes before you collapse again."

Rukia launched forward for another attack however she attacked blindly hitting air. She felt a whip of air behind her and to her dismay she felt her back give off a searing pain. She fell to her knees and felt something drip from her back.

"RUKIA!" called Ichigo.

"Shut up." she hissed back. Again, she pushed herself up with the blade of her Zanpaktou. It was... sad and even pitiful to watch this small Shinigami desperately trying to pick up her own body weight. She yelled in agony as she forced her legs under her.

"I'm not giving up." she said, "You already killed a part of me. I won't allow it again."

Inoue darted towards her and swung in one mighty swing. Rukia saw the attack but as she tried to dodge the incoming blow her energy gave out.

She gasped in pain.

Rukia stumbled but did not fall. A long thin red line appeared from the corner of her lip and extended to the tip of her ear. Hair that had been there fell to the ground. Blood began to seep from the wound. Inoue turned and wrapped her tongue around the tip of her katana, tasting the blood that it just took. Ichigo made another attempt to speak but Rukia only held out her hand to him to stop. She didn't want to hear it.

"Had enough? Can I kill you now?" said Inoue. Rukia forced herself to stand straight and as she did she switched the way she held her Zanpaktou. Instead of holding it in front of her, she held it behind as if she were hiding it. This only made Inoue snicker.

"There's a reason you Shinigami never hold your weapon that way and I would like to be the one to show you why."

"Then show me." said Rukia. Inoue sprinted as she lifted the blade above her head to end the fight. Rukia slowed her breathing and allowed the speeding demon to run at her.

"RUKIA GET OUT THE WAY!" yelled Ichigo. She didn't listen. She waited. A little closer.

They were within a foot of each other. Time slowed as adrenaline filled her body. She could hear her breathing, her heartbeat, the footsteps of the incoming attack. She watched as the blade moved slowly to cut her. It came within an inch of her forehead before she lifted her Zanpaktou. As she lifted it, the strength of Inoue's strike was so great it shattered her katana leaving her the hilt and a jagged edge... and that was all she needed. Rukia took a step to the side and with the momentum she gained from trying to block the attack she cut Inoue's throat with the jagged age of her shattered Zanpaktou. Sending blood rocketing in all directions and covering everything nearby. Inoue stood, staggering to keep herself upright, her hand holding her neck. She turned to Rukia who stood with a smile and the broken bloody Zanpaktou.

"Got you." she whispered. Inoue stared with pure fury. She pressed her hand against her neck but blood continued to spray from in between her fingers. She dropped her katana and fell to her knees.

"This is not over." she said. Rukia inched over to her and pulled Inoue's hair exposing the wound and her full neck.

"I beg to differ."

Rukia plunged the jagged shard from her hilt straight into the wound and ripped it from her throat. Feeling contempt she threw her lifeless body back onto the floor and turned to Ichigo.

"I'm done here." she said panting. The chains that bound Ichigo to the floor disappeared allowing him to stand. He went to greet her but his mouth went dry when he saw the bloodied Inoue stand up holding her katana. He went to shout but Rukia only looked at him quizzically before she too turned to see what was behind her. Inoue held her katana like a lance and aimed to throw it. Ichigo sprinted trying to cover distance before the throw was made.

He pushed her.

Blood fell.

Inoue smiled before finally falling to her knees. Life escaping her eyes.

Rukia fell to the floor using her arms to shield the impact. She looked up. Her eyes widened. Ichigo couldn't hear her screams. The adrenaline in his body nullified his hearing. The corner of his eye he saw her scramble to get up. He could feel the vibration of her voice. She must have been screaming. He didn't know. He felt his body tire. He could feel a warm substance trickle down his back as well down his collarbone. He couldn't look down. But he knew where the blade had hit him. He lifted his arms and placed his hands over the hilt of the katana. With one great motion he pulled it out...

...out of his neck...

He fell to his knees.

It was all over.

Suddenly, the ground shook. At the corner of his eyes he could see the roof was cracking. The tower was to fall. Rukia landed in front of him. Screaming for his attention but he couldn't give it. He waited. He could tell the reiastu orb was the real trap from the beginning. They had won the war but the battle was lost. The orb was really a prison. There was no way to get out.

The tower fell. Both shinigami fell through. Glass, stone, concrete, ashes, debris fell around them like a hurricane. The sound of steel snapping and iron straining was all that he could hear. It felt like forever that he was falling. Or was he? He couldn't really tell. His body was numb and he felt himself be hit by numerous objects on the way down. All he could see was black.

Then he opened his eyes.

He was sitting upright, surrounded by debris and destroyed beams. He could faintly make out the words "cooling systems control room" that hovered above him on a bent piece of metal. He blinked slowly. He couldn't swallow nor could he speak. He could hear a faint whistling sound. He turned his head and could see a large container spewing out some kind of substance. Around the container was large amounts of ice. He looked in front of him. Rukia laid face down on the floor. She stirred before turning her head his way.

"Ichigo..." she whispered. She crawled to him. He looked at her legs and knew they were broken. When she reached him she placed her head on his lap and wrapped her arms around his waist as if to hug him. Her lower lip quivered. Her skin was a very pale and her lips were a slight tint of blue.

"We're never... going to get out of here... are we." she whispered. Ichigo summoned enough strength to rasp out a "No.."

"I can't even... heal myself.. that damn... reiastu orb is still around us. I couldn't use... Kidou spells when... I fought her..." she said in stammered chills. She tightened her arms around him, she was trying to seek his warmth. She looked up at him and said, "I love you..."

Ichigo strained a smile. Rukia forced herself to her knees and placed her hands on the sides of his face.

She kissed him and then closed his eyes with her fingers.

"Sleep... keep your strength... when you wake up... you will be somewhere better.." she said smiling a heartbreaking smile. She could feel tears brimming at her eyes. This was it. She sat placing her back against his chest. His breathing was shallow but it was still there. She took his arms and placed them over her. She shivered. She wondered if anyone was looking for them in all of this debris. Where they digging right now? But how would they get past the barrier? She didn't know. She knew she was bleeding internally. She could tell by her need to sleep. Maybe if she awoke they would already be here to save them. Yeah, maybe...

She rested her head back against his chest. She could feel his heartbeat. She smirked and whispered "I will find you again..." And then she nodded off to sleep.

Ichigo awoke sometime later. He was nearly under a layer of frost and the bitter cold was what that woke him.

He felt Rukia leaning on him.

"Rukia..." he whispered, his voice raspy and dry, "Rukia, come on, get up..."

She didn't respond. He tried to nudge her but her body refused to acknowledge him.

"Rukia? Come on. Get up." he said again. She didn't respond. Her head fell to his lap and he caught glimpse of her face which was bright white. Her lips and cheeks blue.

He slowly shook his head.

"No..." he whispered, "Rukia..."

He could hear rocks above him being pushed away. He fastened his arms around her and held her close, his head hung over her shoulder. He stared out into the abyss. His insides cold. His breath grew shallow. His heart slowed. He waited.

A sliver of light entered the cavernous area. Yoruichi along with several captains pulled away at the final debris that blocked them from getting to the two shinigami.

"I think they might be in here." she said prying at a piece of metal. She managed to break away a layer of concrete before slipping herself into the cold abyss of the small cavern. She hugged herself for warmth and stepped in. She could make out a figure towards the back of the cavern and as she crept closer she could make out some details.

"Ichigo? Ichigo!" she said running up to him. She knelt down but her lips released a sudden gasp of disbelief. His eyes stared off into the distance, life nonexistent within them. She picked up his head and examined his eyes again.

"Shit..." she whispered. She looked down to see Rukia who also failed to show life. She stood and shook her head sorrowfully. She turned towards the entrance which grew in size from the falling debris.

"I found them..." she said. She looked back at the fallen shinigami, both of them died in each others arms.

"I found... them..."

THE END

A/N: Stay tuned for the Epilouge