"Shira-a-a-yuki-i-i!" For a time that was all Ichigo did. That is until his throat stung from the flurries and his arms and legs felt like they were cased in ice. He hadn't a clue on what to do. Sure, he had won his ban-kai from Zangetsu...but that was different.
He'd had to fight to get it.
Not...use his head to get inside the head of the delicate -yet surprisingly evil snow woman.
Dammit..! Ichigo brushed his hand across his face, wiping away the melted flakes clinging to his eyelashes making it difficult to see. Thinking was most certainly not his forte.
Glowering and cursing as he trudged onward, he did not realize he was being watched from above by pensive faded blue eyes that narrowed into slits with each deprecatory mutter about her beloved snow.
(*)*)*)
"-You baka!" So, her fist flew out of its own accord. Habit- Rukia told herself when she had planted it square in the middle of his chest. Habit and maybe since she felt like she was being made a fool of and that irritated her more than anything.
"You...hit me." The note of surprise that colored his tone made her freeze. Blinking rapidly, she quickly backed up, cradling her newly won sword close to her body, thinking he might try to take it back. "Yeah, so what?" She tried to hide the fact that her heart had continued pounding though more from worry of repercussion from her impulsiveness.
"I hit Ichigo all the time!"
"I know." He said without much change in expression.
She had to respond to that, "then, why are you so surprised?"
The sword rose to his full height which like many others meant that he practically towered over her. "Because. I somehow doubt that you would've done the same to Sode no Shirayuki."
Her gaze slanted guiltily away. She had to concede he had a point there, but that didn't mean she was going to admit it out loud. "Why do you have to be so freakishly tall?" Changing subjects was nearly the same as admitting defeat in the verbal warfare, although she had the sneaking suspicion the sword though relatively silent had a sharp-if not dry sarcastic tongue.
Again, almost no change in expression save for the slightest twitch at the corner of his mouth which she had to crane her neck up to catch. "Perhaps it is simply because you are so small?"
That did it.
Rukia glared at him then stomped out of the mindscape, determined that at least for the moment, she would rather not learn anymore about her new Zanpaku-to.
He was too aggravating!
(*)*)*)
The development was an interesting one per se. The sword particularly enjoyed her reaction in the color that suffused her cheeks. He hadn't thought she would be so susceptible to the teasing, the kind of which he had never been able to play on Ichigo. Poor boy...
It wouldn't have been nearly as entertaining however unexpected it would've been for his former wielder to hear those same words coming from his older self.
Old man Zangetsu indeed...
Then, again, her fist didn't hurt as much as Ichigo claimed it did.
"You...hit me." It felt like no more than a pat. He had certainly withstood harder hits from Ichigo and the Hollow. For the latter, the sword could only think good riddance.
"Yeah, so what?" For all of Rukia's bravado, he could see right through her.
She was a terrible liar.
"I hit Ichigo all the time!"
"I know." That and being called a baka, the sword amended silently.
"Then why are you so surprised?" he wasn't surprised that she didn't let it go.
"Because. I somehow doubt that you would've done the same to Sode no Shirayuki." Tensa stood, feeling her eyes dart about searching for something to say. When she did finally- her gaze drifted back to him, annoyance evident in her tone.
"Why do you have to be so freakishly tall?" True to Ichigo's height and the length of the previous shikai before she remade it; he was 5'8. This, made him smile a little again. His petite little wielder was always so self-conscious about her height...a fact that hadn't escaped his notice beforehand.
"Perhaps it is simply because you are so small?"
The reaction garnered was his favorite so far. An eye twitch and a glare, the mouth working and the arms shaking, longing to sink her fist somewhere where it would hurt. The one thing he did notice was that she didn't relinquish her death-grip on the sword.
She wanted to be his wielder now.
And that would make all the difference in the world with what was coming.
(*)*)*)
The most beautiful Zanpaku-to in all of the living world-er Seireitei was going to have to stay that way! With the latter title, Ichigo told himself, scowling and cursing all the painful passage back into his body.
What he expected and most certainly was going to demand it back- was Zangetsu's plain katana form lying across Rukia's lap and for Rukia herself to be terribly upset the old man didn't want her to be his wielder.
Just like Ice woman.
What the sub wasn't expecting however, were Rukia's large eyes to turn to him glowing and for the sword in her hands to resemble...something else?
"Ichigo! Where's-" those eyes looked around searching for something then fell to Sode no Shirayuki's stubborn, unreleased state. If there was ever a time-which was quite often, that Ichigo wanted to murder the midget, it was now. Badly.
"You couldn't pass her test?" Rukia's smirk was slow, triumph written all over her face.
Ichigo felt betrayed. Stupid old man... "What do you think?" Snapping made him feel a little better, rising with a few foot stomps to make a hasty break for the exit before the midget could come up with any more smart comebacks.
"Kurosaki-kun..." Urahara's voice stopped him.
"What is it?" his voice dripped menace.
"You're giving up? I thought you said you weren't going to go home this evening until Sode no Shirayuki was in your hands?"
Ichigo just stared at the shopkeeper, hearing for the first time the delighted tinkle of the yuki onna's approximation of a giggle in his head.
That did it...this meant war!
-TBC...
AN: had to hurry it up since the old lady was being evil. :P
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