A/N: Chapter 15, wow…time just flies by huh? Okay well no rambling just here is the long awaited battle of Leon and Ichigo.
Who will win?
(The song I listened to while writing this was "Until the day I die" and then near the end of the Chapter I listened to "Ending Theme" from final fantasy X.)
Previously:
Rukia felt Rais' arm go around her shoulders, "give him strength Rukia-Chan!" Rai said with a smile although her eyes were red from crying and her cheeks still tear-stained. Rukia closed her eyes, 'you can do it Ichigo'…she thought pouring her heart into her words.
"So you're the guy who keeps trying to hurt Rukia…" Ichigo said, his reitsu exploding around the room. Leon laughs and raises his sword,
"No chit-chatting Kurosaki. My blade thirsts for your blood" Leon said with another dark chuckle.
Ichigo growls, "Bankai!"
The room was filled with Ichigos' strong reitsu, dust flew around and Rukia had to shield her eyes by closing them since she couldn't move her arm. Ichigo stood tall clutching to Zangetsu… 'Ready…old man?' Ichigo thought as he looked at the black blade. Leon rushed at Ichigo; Ichigo stopped his blows with ease constantly moving and flash stepping around Leon.
Leon was a worthy adversary but his zanpaktou could really do nothing against Ichigos' sword since the fog couldn't knock out Ichigo but Leon had another option.
Leon did a back flip and landed on his feet in a crouching position, he raised his zanpaktou… "Scream with sorrow, Kanashimi!" Leon yelled, the silver fog surrounding the where house sparkled and circled around Leon.
"What the hell is he…?" Ichigo mumbled as he landed in front of Rukia, he could hear her soft pleads, wanting Ichigo to stop fighting, begging him to run away.
"Please…Ichigo…stop…" Rukia whispered as she stared at the orange mop of hair in front of her, she hated watching him fight. She knew he could do it, she knew he could win but that didn't mean it didn't tear her heart into pieces watching him get wounded and knowing that she could do nothing about it.
"Rukia…trust me." Ichigo said as he looked back at the petite woman, Rukias' eyes went wide but they weren't looking at Ichigo they were looking at the fog and what it had created. Ichigo followed her gaze,
"Mom?" Ichigo said with his mouth a gape.
"Kaien-dono?" Rukia gasped she tried to reach out to her sensei but the stupid binding kidou Rai placed on her was too powerful.
The fog had created two people, two people that were lost forever in the sands of time, two people that had changed Ichigo and Rukias' lives.
Leon laughed, "Masaki Kurosaki…Kaien Shiba…" Leon said introducing the two souls. Rukia didn't know how it happened but she started moving, walking towards Ichigo, she heard Rai say something but didn't even look back. Rukia grabbed onto Ichigos' arm, her eyes never moving from her previous mentor, Ichigo stared at Rukia.
"Ich-Ichigo…this is like that battle…the grand fisher…d-don't…let him…fool…you." Rukia said clutching the fabric of his sleeve she felt like she was going to faint, but something within her was boiling, how could Leon create these puppets…he truly was heartless.
" Oy! Hey Rukia!" Kaien said with a lopsided grin and a wave, Rukia froze she closed her eyes tightly praying that Kaien would just disappear.
"Kaien…go away…" Rukia mumbled softly, she could already feel the lump forming in her throat and the bitter tears that were threatening to spill over.
"Ichigo! My…little boy…you've grown so much!" Masaki said with a smile, Ichigo wanted to embrace Rukia who was shaking at his side, but she had a death grip on one of his arms and the other was holding onto Zangetsu.
I cannot protect you without holding a sword,
I cannot embrace you while holding a sword.
Leon laughed "No witty comment? No vulgar slang? If you're just going to stand there have no choice but to attack!" Leon said before charging at Ichigo, in one swift moment Ichigo was in the air the sound of clashing metal echoed through the air. Then the splatter of blood landed in front of Rukia by her feet, she already knew whose blood it was before the orange-haired man landed next to her breathing heavy before jumping back into the air to resume the fight, his shoulder bled but he wouldn't give up.
'Ichigo…I'm not going to just stand here and watch…' Rukia thought before she took a step forward, "Rai…let me help…" Rukia said turning her head slightly to the side to see the young girl.
"…Rukia…" Rai spoke softly, she closed her eyes and a single blue cherry blossom appeared and landed on Rukias' shoulder the flower petal turned into dust and Rukia blinked…she was in her shinigami uniform. Rukia placed her hand on the hilt of Sode no Shirayuki, it was comforting to have her by her side once more. Rukia flash stepped and appeared behind Leon, with one quick stroke of her sword the cold metal ran across Leons' back while he was trying to defend from Ichigos' attacks.
Rukia landed gracefully on the dirty floor, Leon let out a curse; "Rukia! Two against one is hardly fair! Kaien…please help out." Leon said with a cruel smile before attacking Ichigo. Rukia turned around to see her mentor, Kaien with his sword pointed at Rukia. Ichigo tried to focus on the battle at hand with Leon, he found out the pattern…it was attack, attack, defend, attack and then Leon would try to unleash a fury of attacks using flash steps.
"Rukia! Be careful!" Ichigo yelled before Leon stabbed him in the stomach and tossed him into the wall of the building,
"Fool! Focus on your own fight!" Rukia screamed before blocking Kaiens' attack. Rukia jumped backwards, "Mae…Sode no Shirayuki!" Rukia said releasing her sword.
'Rukia…you have it in you my darling…' Rukia heard an icy voice in the back of her mind, "Shirayuki?" Rukia whispered and Kaien took the advantage of Rukia being stunned and stabbed her in the chest, then just swung widely cutting her collar bone, arms, stomach until she crumpled down the ground. "Rukia!" She heard Ichigos' voice before everything faded into black.
"You bastard!" Ichigo yelled, his anger a whole new fire to his strength, he flash stepped and appeared behind Kaien and in one quick motion of Zangetsu, Kaiens' upper body fell to the ground, Ichigo had sliced the man clean in half. Kaien seemed to sparkle before he dissolved and became silver smoke once more. "Masaki…" Leon said and Ichigo froze as his own mother walked towards him, picking up Kaiens' sword.
"My little boy…" She said holding the sword up, Ichigo couldn't fight his own mother even if it was just the fog and just an illusion, that didn't matter…it was his mother.
---.-----.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"Where am I?…Am I dead?" Rukia said looking around, there was a blue sky and a light snow covered the ground. She saw images flash in the sky, memories…she saw her old friends, her Nii-sama, Isshin, Kaien, Yuzu, Orihime, Karin and Ichigo was the brightest of her memories that flashed in the sky.
"Rukia-Chan…" said the icy voice from before, Rukia spun around and saw a woman wearing a long white gown her dark black hair swirled around her pale skin, and Rukia could only see her face for brief moments before the think hair covered it once more.
"Where am I?" Rukia repeated to the woman in front of her, the woman laughed musically and held out her hand.
"This is your world…Rukia-Chan…you have the strength…call it out…" The woman said before Rukia took her hand, Rukia felt light headed and her world spun around in a blur
"Our strength is one…Rukia-Chan!" the woman said.
.-.-.-.-.---.-.-.--.----.
Rukias' eyes fluttered open, she could see Ichigo blocking attacks from Masaki while Leon was laughing at the sidelines, 'I'm not dead…' Rukia thought as she stood up, her legs wobbled but she felt cold invisible hands steady her. 'Ichigo…'
"Rukia! You're alive!" Ichigo shouted before he defended another attack from his mother.
Rukia looked at Leon and growled, she held out her sword… 'Our strength is one…Shirayuki…' She thought with a small smile before yelling…
"Bankai!" A pure white reitsu exploded around Rukia and she could feel her strength explode, when the dust cleared Rukia was walking towards Leon with a deadly look in her eyes. Her eyes had turned a bright blue, her shinigami uniform was no longer she now wore a pure white kimono that stopped above her knees with a blue obi sash around her waist and white lace ballet shoes.
"Rukia…You-how? How did you achieve Bankai!?" Leon stuttered as he watched his previous mentor walk towards him.
Ichigo stared at Rukia, 'She looks beautiful…' he thought quietly… 'Why isn't mom attacking me?' Ichigo suddenly realized, his mother was staring at Rukia.
"You love her a lot…don't you…?" Masaki said with a smile, Ichigo felt his breath constrict in his throat. "m-mom?" he spoke quietly like his voice would scare her away or something. The clash of metal made Ichigo look away from his mom, Rukia was fighting Leon, and she moved quickly leaving not even dust in her path. When Ichigo looked back at the illusion of his mother she was gone, "Take good care of her…my baby boy…" Masakis' voice rang in Ichigos' ears. He saw the fog sparkle, Kaiens' sword through the mist…his mother didn't want to hurt him so she used the sword…
'Wow…I guess Leons' zanpaktou couldn't keep control of Masaki because of her love for Ichigo…' Rai thought as she watched, she couldn't do anything…her powers were weak now she used it when she turned gave Rukia her shinigami form. Rai clutched her heart, 'don't die…okay?'
Ichigo ran to Rukia and blocked Leons' attack by pushing her out of the way, "Ichigo!" Rukia gasped before blocking another of Leons' attacks. Leon didn't seem to mind fighting two on one, he was laughing madly his green eyes sparkling with amusement.
Rukia flash stepped she didn't even feel anything as the cold metal of the blade ran across her stomach, Ichigo took the moment while Leon attack Rukia to jump up and slash downwards, severing Leons' arm off.
As the three landed back down onto the ground, Leon dropped his zanpaktou and clutched his shoulder, "Rukia…it's not over…" Leon said with a chuckle.
"Yes…it is…" Rukia said, her hand reached out and grasped onto Ichigos' the said boy gave Rukia a questioning look. "Shirayuki…final dance." Rukia said closing her eyes.
'Ichigo…call me out…our strength is one…' Ichigo heard old man Zangetsu say in the back of his mind.
"Zangetsu…you know what to do…" Ichigo said closing his eyes, his grip on Rukias' hand tightened for a brief second.
Zangetsu and Shirayuki materialized behind Leon, "It's over…" Shirayuki hissed taking Leons' shoulder, Zangetsu took the opposite shoulder and nodded towards his partner.
"No! No! No!" Leon begged before he faded away not leaving behind a black butterfly, just simply disappearing. Shirayuki nodded to Zangetsu, she turned into a swirl of snowflakes and floated back into Rukias' heart while Zangetsu turned into a black cape and floated into Ichigos' heart.
Rukia opened one eye, "He's gone…I wonder where they sent him…" She said before opening the second eye, Ichigo looked over at Rukia he tugged at her arm and pulled him towards her. Ichigo dropped Zangetsu and embraced Rukia tightly, "I thought…I was going to loose you." Ichigo said resting his chin on the top of her head. Rukia let go of Shirayuki and wrapped her slim arms around his stomach, she didn't care if his wounds bled onto her all she cared about was that he was safe, she was safe and Leon was gone…forever.
"Ichigo" Rukia said softly resting her head on his chest listening to his heartbeat, she didn't have to say anything else.
When the storm ended,
The calm came soon after.
Renji ran through the ally ways, he saw a familiar head of dark hair and hugged Tatsuki from behind, "The battle is over…" He whispered, Tatsuki gasped at the embrace but she nodded. "How do you know?" she whispered softly, Renji smiled "He's reitsu is gone…"Tatsuki smiled and placed her hands on top of his arms. "Thank goodness…"
Spreading sunlight and warmth,
Even though the land was destroyed.
"Orihime!" Ishida shouted as he found his wife who was sitting on a bench with her hands covering her face. He sat down next to her and placed his arm around her,"What's wrong…" He asked with concern, Orihime lifted her face from her hands and wiped away the tears. "I'm so happy!" She said with a smile, "Rukia is safe! I know it…" Orihime said hugging Ishida who smiled and kissed her forehead.
As long as he had her,
As long as she had him…
Rai smiled as Edwards' spirit appeared before her, "Ready to finally rest in peace?" He asked with a crooked grin. Rai smiled and took his hand, she faded away and purple petals swirled around the blue…almost like they were dancing…the petals danced around in a circle.
No matter how many storms came their way…
The calm would always come right after.
Rukia closed her eyes, content at the sound of his heart beating steadily. She opened her violet eyes and looked up at Ichigo. "I…" She began but Ichigos' lips captured her own before she could say another word. When he did break apart she smiled,
"I love you, Rukia." Ichigo said the scowl gone from his features, he wore the grin that he had when he saved her. It wasn't the cocky battle grin, it was the smile he wore only for Rukia.
"Ichigo…" Rukia said softly her eyes sparkling, "I…love you too…" She said before leaning up to kiss him once more, the purple and blue petals swirled and danced around the two before sparkling and floating out the window, Rukia could swear she heard Rais' laughter when she broke apart the kiss.
A/N: It's not over yet! I have to tie up all the loose ends, what did you guys think of Rukias' Bankai? I made it up and wish Kubo-sensei would have her achieve Bankai in the series.
The first quote about the sword, ( c ) Kubo Tite,
The second little poem was by ME! So no stealing! ( c ) DeadlyBeauty23
Ah well…I hope you enjoyed reading it!!! I think I'll have one or two chapters to finish the story, the ending chapter will be known as "Epilogue" so…I'm gonna go cry in a corner now because I don't want this to end.
For all you faithful reviewers…I just want to say that I really do like…love you all! You're inspirational words and everything are the things that keep me writing and it just warms my heart to hear them! –hugs!-
Take care!