A/N & EDIT: I edited this on 9/17/09 at 2:20pm. I changed the last part of the battle. I had a better idea (I think!), it was too much like Yumichika's! See what YOU think!
Sorry it took so long to update--I have the ideas in my head before starting a story, so that's why I can update as quickly as I do. This chapter, however, was a real pain. I wanted it to be perfect, and I'm STILL not happy with it. But, I'm not getting anywhere with it. So here it is in its glory!
Secondly, I wanted to just comment on a few reviews I got--and legitimate concerns about the story (which I appreciate). Mainly the Rukia versus Renji/Ichigo power struggle. Here are a few of my points just to clarify where I am coming from. I am in no way trying to unrealistically make a huge powergap between Rukia and her boys.
1. Rukia is not magically becoming more powerful overnight--in fact, it took months, combined with Urahara's help (remember his new experiment he was trying on Rukia to enhance her progress) for Rukia to progress. It takes Ichigo, what? Days? to improve ;)
2. Mainly I have Rukia excelling at Kido and Shunpo--Kido is NOT Renji OR Ichigo's strongpoint, which is why she appears much stronger in some aspects. And moreover, she has been using those attacks more, especially on the revisit to Hueco Mundo.
3. Rukia is getting more attack time in because she is MORE aggressive than normal. Usually she is timid and getting her butt kicked, but now, she isn't allowing Renji or Ichigo to toy with their enemies. Also, Renji & Icihgo tend to underestimate their enemy, fighting before really analyzing them. Rukia, on the other hand, is slower to attack, gaining a good grasp on her enemy's ability. You're telling me Ichigo can defeat Byakuya and NOT defeat some of his other conquests? The anime/manga itself is not necessarily being rational at times.
4. It has been mentioned a few times that Rukia is capable of a seated position, and yet we still see her getting her butt-kicked all over the place. I'm building upon that theory--that she is much stronger than we've seen. I'm adding confidence, aggression, kido, etc to help boost her abilities and make her more up-to-par with Renji and Ichigo. I'm not making her stronger, per se, but just having her interact more with the enemies instead of letting Renji and Ichigo have all the fun.
With that said, please enjoy and leave your feedback. Thank you so much for all of the reviews. I almost peed myself when I saw how many people responded to my last chapter. I am eternally grateful to each and every one of you :D
Enjoy!
PS: I keep forgetting to add this: but I do NOT own Bleach.
Renji's breath became a dense fog as it left his body. He realized he was…shivering? He slowly brought his hand toward his face.
I..I can move! he thought excitedly as he flexed his fingers. So the poison from her claws is temporary. If we wait it out we can fight! We can help Rukia!
"That's her first mistake," he mumbled aloud, urging his useless legs to break free of their chemical prison. "Hey…Kurosaki! Ichigo!" he orange haired man had his back to Renji, laying where Rukia had gently lowered his body. He was still facing the direction she had walked as she faced the Arrancar. His body is still weak from the poison, Renji guessed.
"Hold on! It's only temporary!" He lowered his voice, hoping Kurosaki could hear him. His only confirmation was the slight nod of Ichigo's head. He felt a second wave of crushing pressure. His eyes fell on Rukia as he realized she was the source. Such amazing power! I didn't know she possessed it!he mused.
"Rukia!" he yelled, hoping to stop her. It was too late, she had made her resolution. She would fight the usurper of Hueco Mundo--this self-proclaimed ruler of the Hollow Kingdom. Shit, Renji cursed silently, I need to help her! He willed his feet to move as he tried pushing himself upright. He would help her! She wasn't strong enough! He cast a worried look at Ichigo's paralyzed body before realizing that, at the moment, neither were they.
Her breath hung in the air before her. She no longer cared to control her reiatsu—it didn't matter. Instead, it spilled into the atmosphere around her, freezing into tiny ice particles-- dropping the atmospheric temperature. Her skin seemed immune to the temperature change.
Hueco Mundo's self-titled Queen knew of Rukia's command, this bankai. Her eyes widened in recognition of the power it suggested. She was surprised that this weak-looking, poor excuse for a Shinigami could elicit such a technique. She watched with odd curiosity at the transformation before her as the raven-haired woman called forth the hidden ability. A thick cloud of dense white fog immediately surrounded Rukia, hiding her from view. The fog spread toward the Arrancar, its cold tongue lapping at her hard hollow skin. She shivered with a mixture of anticipation and fear. It was beautiful how the cocoon of fog swept around, slowly untangling itself from the shining form that remained where the Shinigami stood.
Was it the same woman from before? Her violet eyes were more lavender than deep purple, her face pale against glossy black hair. In her tresses was a glistening kanzashi in the shape of a snowflake. It sparkled in the bright moonlight as her hair blew in the invisible wind. Her dark uniform became an angelic white, falling to the sand and obscuring her small feet. It was tighter on her torso, billowing out at the bottom—an elegantly noble effect. Over her white kimono, she wore a deep violet obi. The color matched the hem of her sparkling snow-white haori. Upon squinting, it was possible to determine that the glistening material was, in fact, tiny ice crystals that were weaved into the fabric. Even a vindictive Hollow could see that the transformation was breathtakingly beautiful. She had become an undeniably striking goddess.
But, the sword! The sword was much longer and slimmer than she could remember. The blade was…colorless and transparent. It sparkled as if cut from a giant diamond. The crossguard was circular, offsetting the angularity of the sword's blade. The hilt was white, with small cut-out designs—surely to make the sword lighter to wield. A white ribbon hung from the hilt—ending in a tiny, purple plum blossom that twinkled with the sword movement. One could almost be distracted by the shining gem…
Rukia knew that she looked different, but she was too scared to see for herself. She quickly examined her sword, holding it out in front of her. It was intricately designed, and felt feather-light in her hand. She wanted to run her hand over the silk ribbon that dangled from the hilt, ending in an delicate jewel-encrusted flower. The sudden wave of confidence that hit her made her feel...invincible. She had not known such emotion could exist inside of her. Was this Sode no Shirayuki's doing?
She could hear the melodical laughter in her head. You look lovely, my lady! came the voice. Rukia blushed, silently cursing to herself. Well, you could thank me, at least! came the meek soprano she recognized as Yukiko--Sode no Shirayuki's human name.
"Thank you!" she growled quietly.
"Oooh, you are very welcome Rukia-hime!"
"What do I do now?"
"Your heart will tell you the rest."
"My heart?"
"Yes, I'm a part of your heart, how else did you think I knew of your emotions as well as your insecurities? I know everything you hold in here. Everything." Her tone revealed nothing, yet it revealed words that even Rukia could not bring herself to speak. Her zanpakuto knew her better than perhaps she knew herself.
So that was it! Rukia thought, mulling over Sode's words. She had resolved, in her heart, to help her friends. It was that resolve that aided her in achieving her greatest goal: bankai. "Thank you, Sode no Shirayuki…" she silently whispered.
"Yukiko, mistress. Please call me by my human name. Use my skills wisely and only for the greater good. I am here with you, remember that…," the voice trailed off, leaving Rukia to assume the spirit's intentions. She was suddenly torn from the silent conversation.
"Do you think your new uniform will help you in defeating me? You? You really think you are going to prove to be anything more than a nuisance to me?" came the shrill, grating voice as she interrupted Rukia's telepathic conversation with her zanpakuto's spirit. Fear of the unexpected was edging its way into the Arrancar's voice. "Your friends were too impetuous to even land an attack. And you think that you can do better?" A shrewd smile spread across her face. Her sharp teeth showed through her thin lips.
Rukia shook her head, letting her face fall slightly. Her hair pin sparkled with the movement. "No, I do not expect anything like that. I know that my friends are stronger. They always were. But, I cannot sit by and let them falter where they should have succeeded. You are no match for either of them, but they are too thick-headed to study the enemy before attacking. That is where we differ, my friends and I. I know your attacks. I am prepared for them. That will be what sets us apart." She raised her eyes to meet the Arrancar's cold black stare. She could do nothing more than to hope that she could buy Renji and Ichigo time to escape--perhaps even overcome the enemy. Her resolve flashed in her eyes as she whispered the words once more, her breath freezing in front of her as she released the full force of her reiatsu--as it rained down upon them. "I will protect them!"
"Do your worst, Shinigami!" she sneered, her matted, spiky hair floating heavily around her head. "I will not hold back!" Not another word left the Arrancar's mouth as the poisonous cloud of needles hurtled toward Rukia's glowing body.
The Kuchiki noble had expected such an attack as she molded her escaping spiritual energy around her body. The tiny frozen remnants of her spiritual pressure slowly pieced themselves together. She didn't need to move a muscle, only willing those icy particles to create the barrier necessary to stop the poisonous weapons. It was the same attack from which Ichigo had protected her earlier; she knew this attack. The needles bounced off of the invisible icy shield, burying themselves into the sand, as Rukia watched calmly.
The Arrancar howled in fury at her wasted attack. Instead, she chose to counter with a head-on strike, hoping to overcome the slender soul reaper with her brute strength. Deadly nails clashed against Sode no Shirayuki's clear blade as Rukia swiftly deflected the attack. With a subtle flick of her dominant wrist, the small jeweled flower at the end of the ribbon flew skyward. She caught it with her free hand as the flower quickly metamorphosed into a shield—a larger version of the tiny, seemingly insignificant ornament. The shield protected her from the Arrancar's swift incoming attack. The impact of screeching nails on the ornate shield sounded out their battle, as Rukia separated them with a well-placed repulsive kido.
The Arrancar was thrown backwards from the strength of the silent kido incantation. She regained her balance, staring furiously at the white-clad Rukia. The shinigami stood there, holding a sword in one hand, and her shield in the other, as her eyes flashed their challenge. "Scared?"
"You bitch!" the Queen spat as she launched herself at Rukia. She vowed to stab Rukia with her nails as she viciously swung her clawed hands at the shinigami. Rukia raised the shield in defense, maneuvering herself so that she spun behind the Arrancar with the aid of her flashstep. She quickly used her free sword to slice off the hollows hair. The Arrancar swung her arms around wildly as she registered Rukia's position. She managed to rake a dangerous clawed finger across Rukia's face. Blood beaded up along her cheek as the women slid away from one another.
"You've lost something," Rukia said, as the she flipped her blade upward, slicing through the hardened, sinewy hair. She smiled grimly, "You seem to be at a disadvantage."
The Arrancar reached back, finding her hair shorn at the nape of her neck. Her eyes widened with panic, before she could mask her insecurity. She had lost a significant weapon—her ability to launch her needled hair attack. "I will kill you," she promised, her voice low and guttural. "Then I will kill your friends. You can rest assure that I will annihilate them."
Rukia's anger boiled over, at the threat. She sliced the blade of Sode no Shirayuki into the ground, quickly tracing two curved lines in front of her. "Mikazuki no Aisu!" she called the unfamiliar name that was being whispered by Yukiko's voice inside her head. She slashed her sword toward the Arrancar, as a loud splitting sound ripped through the atmosphere. A large gush of ice tore through the void between them, rushing at the enemy. As it reached the evolved hollow, Rukia twisted her sword in her hand—a movement she somehow had known to do. Suddenly, the icy surge disappeared. Within moments, it quickly reappeared as it surrounded the Arrancar with an unstable wall of ice that crashed down upon her.
When the dust and water spray settled, Rukia could see the crouched silhouette of the short-haired demon. Her exposed back was laced with cut marks from the sharp ice. Rukia suspected that it was the Hollow's Hierro that had protected her from the otherwise-deadly attack. The Arrancar wiped the bloody spittle from her mouth, her filthy claws clicking on the sand as she stood. She swayed momentarily, regaining her balance. Rukia maintained her composure, straightening herself. Her glimmering haori fluttered in the breeze, as her hood lifted gently against her back. She could not bring herself to look over her shoulder. She knew that as long as she distracted the Arrancar, Renji, Ichigo, and Ashido were safe.
"I…will…kill…you…you..worthless trash! You weakling!" the evolved Hollow's eyes glowed menacingly as her claws appeared to expand. Was she using her spiritual energy to increase their bulk?
Rukia was beginning to feel fatigued from the use of her newly acquired bankai and possibly the effects of the poison that had entered her system from the slight scratch o her face. The energy necessary to maintain her amplified state was slowly draining her. "Then I will have to finish this," Rukia breathed heavily.
The thought was gnawing at the back of her mind, clawing its way out. "Toride no Shirahime" Rukia's voice rang out, as her sword's blade disappeared, disintegrating into thin air. She held her hilt upright, staring over it at her enemy.
Suddenly, as if summoned, Sode no Shirayuki's form appeared behind her. It was a brief appearance, but the Yuki-onna's cold blue eyes immobilized the Arrancar where she stood. As suddenly as she appeared, she disappeared as she embraced her Shinigami owner. Rukia's eyes turned a pale purple as her pupils lightened to match her irises--it was if some unknown storm was being illustrated in her eyes. The sand swept up around her, as she concentrated on the invisible force she was summoning from within. The air around her became chilled; the heat emanating off of her body turned into a misty fog. As if she had planted a seed of ice, a delicate frozen pattern laced its way toward the Arrancar, diverging to form two paths around the hollow and merging behind her.
Rukia slightly flicked her wrist, as the icy reiatsu particles began to silently spread under the Arrancar's feet. The bitter cold stung the Hollow, who blinked--as if ripped from a state of hypnosis. She looked around, confused by the ice that was slowly weaving around her. "Ice? You think I won't be able to escape from something so...simple and elemental?"
Rukia's stormy eyes grew lighter still, as the icy spread otu more more rapidly. The tiny, fragile web of ice was spread out, creating a floor of frozen spiritual particles. "Embrace!" she commanded, as her eyes becoming their normal violet shade. Suddenly, thin tendrils of ice whipped from the icy mosaic on the ground. They quickly wound around the Arrancar's arms and legs, trapping her in place. The regal hollow attempted to pull herself free from the icy trap.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Rukia warned as her sword's blade silently reformed. "It is more deadly than it looks," she said, a hint of triumph in her voice. Snow Goddess' Fortress of Ice was the name she had given to the attack. It was slowly coming to life, a net of frozen thorns. One cut from the icy briars would quickly freeze the victim's exposed blood. Instant death was granted to the unlucky victim.
The Arrancar looked more closely, studying the arctic vines that were weaving along her frozen shackles. She frantically thought of ways to escape the constricting restraints as the ice tendrils slowly thickened along them. It would be a matter to time before she was covered with the frosty foliage and pierced with the icy thorns. Tiny purple flowers sprouted along the white vines, as if a sign of the evolved hollow's impending doom. Life sprouts where another is lost. The Arrancar narrowed her onyx eyes, growling in anger. She refused to die so easily!
"You cannot escape," Rukia offered, as she calmly floated toward the Arrancar. White glaciers pierced skyward from the sand alongside the shinigami as she walked, silently announcing her approach. Her violet eyes burned as she spoke menacingly, her hair in disarray about her pale face, "You should have never threatened my friends--my family. I'm sorry, but this is how it will end for you."
The white satin ribbon floated languidly from her effortless, yet delicate movement. She swiftly slashed her sword as she gave the command, "Thrive!" Suddenly the icy web below the Arrancar began to slowly grow upward, starting at her feet. The hollow's cold black eyes widened with fear at her impending doom. Her only options were to struggle, risking a prick form the deadly thorns, or to accept the icy coffin that would freeze her in a few moments. Before she could respond, she was completely suffocated by the iced death.
When nothing was left of her but an frozen sculpture, Rukia sighed as her shoulders slumped from exhaustion. She was not accustomed to such a high spiritual state of being.
"Rukia!" she heard Renji's voice. "Rukia! Let me out of here." She turned toward her childhood friend. He was standing—much to her surprise, and pounding on the kido barrier. She smiled to herself, of course he did not know how to negate the barrier—which was much more difficult to do from the inside. He realized she was looking at him. He gestured toward his body, "It was temporary! Now could you let me out of here?" His eyes wandered over her new appearance. "Whoa," he murmured. "Rukia..you look bad ass!"
She smiled shyly, as she risked a glance at Ichigo, who was trying to raise himself to his feet. He avoided her gaze, as he tried to regain his composure. Suddenly his will succumbed to his curiosity, and his eyes met hers as his face masked his emotions. She is breathaking! he thought.
Before he could say anything aloud, she saw his face change. "Rukia! Behind you!" he yelled.
She turned, already knowing what she would find. The loud noise and pulsating spiritual energy confirmed her suspicions. In the center of the icy rubble of Sode's fortress was the strange Arrrancar, swaying as her long claws glinted in the moonlight. She was covered in a plethora of injuries, blood oozing from where she had been cut by the razored ice.
Rukia gasped, she had managed to escape! But how? She knew that it took an amazing amount of reiatsu to escape Sode's fortress, and the Arrancar had not come out unharmed. In fact she was gravely injured, and much of her energy was drained.
"I will not die that easily, Shinigami!" she spat the venomous words. "It is you who will die!"
Rukia barely registered the cero gathering at the tips of her sharp claws. Her short, dark hair was standing around her head, as if repelled by the energy gathered in her poisoned fingertips. The glowing black ball of energy grew larger as the Arrancar's eyes reflected the light. "Hari Cero!" she screeched, using the energy she could muster to bolster her attack.
The nullifying energy was blasted toward Rukia before she could fully respond to what was occurring. She quickly turned the blade of her sword toward her, tucking it under the crook of her arm. She wrapped the white ribbon around her arm as she held the plum blossom ornament outward in the palm of her hand. The words she needed escaped her lips effortlessly, "Umeki no Shoueki!" A brilliant purple haze extended outward, enveloping her small frame as the dark energy barreled toward her. Black and purple collided with a deafening roar, as sand exploded around the two women. The crushing energy forced Ichigo to his feet. The loss of Rukia's reiatsu willed him to fight.
"Rukia!" Renji hollered as the barrier around both him and Ashido flickered and disappeared. He staggered as he unsheathed Zabimaru. He was immediately next to Ichigo, supporting the young Shinigami on his shoulder.
"She can't be—" Ichigo hoarsely whispered as they peered through the sandy remnants of the energetic collision.
"She isn't," Renji interjected, his own voice unconvincing. He felt nauseous at the thought of Rukia dying. His own heart beat faster as he saw the petite silhouette stumbling toward them. Suddenly he saw her!
Her haori was tattered, though her dirty white kimono was still intact as it slid off her slender shoulder. She dragged Sode no Shirayuki by her side as she limped toward them. Her eyes registered the two men, as her lips tugged into the familiar smile. She fell to her knees, dropping her zanpakuto. "Yukiko," she whispered to herself "I've failed you". Her lips tried to say more, but her eyes fluttered back into her head as the blood quickly seeped through her kimono. The dark liquid spilled down the front of her beautiful kimono as well as from her lips. Her body fell sideways, thudding as it hid the sand.
Ichigo left Renji's side in a blur of black as Renji was frozen in place from fear. He watched his childhood friend--his first love--bleed her soul out onto the sand. He registered the faint presence as the Arrancar clicked her deadly claws against one another, a deep laugh escaping her lips. She hadn't escaped damage either. Not only was her skin sliced and torn, but her scant clothing was scorched from the energy kickback of her cero's collision.
"By all means, she should be dead. That shield was much stronger than I thought," she cackled. Her eyes showed their madness as her bony mask cracked near her left temple. She touched a sharp nail to her lip. "I must say, she was stronger than expected. Still weak, but good competition." Her eyes fell on Renji. "You two are still alive? I guess my venom does wear off quickly. I should have rid myself of you two earlier," she sneered.
Renji's blood pounded in his head. Kill, kill, kill! He raised his zanpakuto, forcing Zabimaru to release itself into its bankai state.
"No, Renji!" Ichigo murmured, standing between the Arrancar and the Lieutenant. "Use any kido you can to heal Rukia. I'm useless in that department," he pointed to Rukia with Zangetsu. "I'll take care of this poor excuse for an Arrancar. Like we should have done earlier," he added, carefully watching her claws shake with fury at his words.
"I will make you eat your words, you wretched boy!" she scoffed, her eyes betraying her calm exterior.
Renji quickly flashed to Rukia's side. What healing kido do I remember? I just looked at this! he chastised himself. Since Rukia had defeated him in both shunpo and kido, he had promised himself he would train to become a stronger opponent. He had quickly grazed through the books the Urahara provided him at his request. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to remember the incantation in the chapter on healing spells. He had dismissed the three hundred pages devoted to Life-Saving Kido, fearing it useless medicine that he would never use. The irony was deafening.
Think! his mind howled. Was it 'ravages of men' or 'man's savage creation'? He could barely recall the basic spells and their incantations that he had learned at the Academy. He felt the tears of frustration spring to his eyes. If Rukia can train in physical combat, why can I not remember a simple kido? He held his hands above the blood-spilling wound in her chest, as his hands glowed a faint green.
"Shit, this isn't enough!" he cried, his body slumping with disappointment. "Think!" he growled.
"Renji…" Rukia moaned, her eyes fluttering open as her face paled from the loss of blood. "You…using..healing kido," she smiled.
"Shut up!" he whispered, "I'm trying to heal you, can't you see?"
"…the simple spell…when you broke…your..leg," her eyes shut tightly, as if from pain. She began panting.
"Save your breath," Renji muttered. He tried to think back on that memory.
It was their early academy days, and he was teaching her how to properly use her zanpakuto. The training had ended disastrously--with him falling from a weak tree branch. His leg had broken in two places and he had panicked that he would never walk again. Rukia had calmly pushed her hair from her face, incanting a spell as her hands glowed brightly.
"How did you know such kido?" he had asked in amazement as his leg healed from the fracture.
"It's the only thing I'm good at," she answered simply.
He had watched in awe as she expertly fixed his injury. "Well, you'll have to tutor me, then!"
"I can deal with that," she had smiled. They shook hands on it.
Renji blinked as he thought about that day, almost a century ago. She had helped him pass basic kido at the Academy. He would have never made it into the advanced graduating class had it not been for her.
Think! he grasped at the memories: Rukia reading to him, her staring at him as he fried her hair in a wayward attempt at a repelling kido, her waving her hands frantically in exhaustion at his inability to learn a binding spell, and her smile when he completed his first Hado. The floodgate of memories warmed him as he fondly recalled their younger years. It was if something just clicked into place. Four thousand years of imprisonment! he murmured as he recalled the incantation. That was it! Suddenly the green light glowed more brightly. It was a spell that she had taught him! He remembered! He knew it would take time, but hopefully Ichigo could buy that for them.
"It's not over yet, Rukia," he promised as he focused on the kido. He silently promised himself to take healing much more seriously after this. He intended to keep this promise…
"Are you going to show me your mask again, child?" she teased. "It was kind of cute!"
"I don't need it to defeat you!" he replied coldly, casting a quick glance over his shoulder. Renji seemed to be doing fine with his kido. Thank you, he silently called to his friend. He had never been any good at kido, and he knew Renji was not much better. Something about focusing his reiatsu had never been a strong point of his. He lacked the patients. It was always Rukia who excelled at such precise control of her spiritual energy. She had the natural talent for it. Ichigo remembered Rukia's words as she resolved to fight the Arrancar by herself. He knew she had defeated an Espada during the Gotei Thirteen's attack. She was more than capable, though she never showed enough confidence in herself. Perhaps he should have told her how much he believed in her—maybe it wouldn't have driven her to this. He shook his head, he would have to think rationally if he were going to defeat this Arrancar and get Rukia back to Urahara. He had to.
"That's not what happened earlier," she taunted him. The Arrancar knew that the substitute Shingami was easily goaded, and it would be to her advantage to keep pushing him to become angrier. He was more careless when he was brash. And she was gravely injured, likely to die from her icy wounds. She could feel the shards growing deeper into her skin, as if they were frozen seeds hoping to germinate.
He raised his massive zanpakuto, "I've defeated Espada ten times stronger than you, I don't need it." Before she could respond, he slammed Zangetsu into the ground, forcing the energy to lift the sand from under the Arrancar's feet. She quickly flipped backwards, gaining her ground by digging her claws into the felt the frosty seeds dig deeper into her skin.
Ichigo quickly used his shunpo to take her by surprise, as she lunged in retaliation. Her steel claws clanged against his zanpakuto, "Did I anger the little boy who has a crush on the little Shinigami girl?" she laughed, her voice shrill. "Do you two play Shinigami together?"
Icihgo's eyes grew wide, as she managed to throttle him backward. He slid to halt, unleashing his bankai. His jacket billowed in the wind, as he raised his long sword to the Arrancar. She answered by calling another cero to her fingertips. Ichigo had seen this attack—he knew its power.
"Oooh, that's what I wanted to see! Now you're taking this seriously!" she cooed.
"It's over, lady!" he responded, as he prepared for the impact. He quickly flew across the sand, using his enhanced shunpo to bring himself closer to her. He raised his sword, his resolution intact. He would end it. Now. "Getsuga Tensho!" he screamed as he closed in on the Arrancar.
She released her cero for a second time, though it did not meet its mark. Ichigo managed to dodge the incoming attack as he hit her with another of wave of attack from behind. She was instantly incapacitated, but not from Ichigo's attack. It was from Rukia's. It was the bittersweet irony that she had brought up on herself. The tiny iced seedlings had managed to bevel far enough inside of her, as the minute roots mplanted themselves into her body. She began to freeze from the inside out, the subzero temperature paralyzing her muscles. She collapsed, her mind reeling with her defeat.
"I…can't be…," she whispered, "Not by…that...girl." Those was her last words before she slowly froze. Her body slowly began to crack and disintegrate, the wind carrying her remains into the vast desert.
Ichigo collapsed where he stood, meters away. Every muscle screaming for relief--perhaps still from the poison that entered his system during an earlier attack. His back was still raw from the needle barrage it had taken earlier. He could feel the skin tear open with every movement, the crusts were oozing.
"Rukia!" he whispered, his eyes searching for her. Suddenly a violent ripping sound tore through the desert. He turned to find the sky had pulled apart, revealing a dark, gaping hole. He could feel the familiar presence closing in on them. He knew who would come through Garganta.
"Well, Ichigo, long time no see!" came the purring voice. It hesitated for a second before continuing in a more serious tone, "I see we have a bit of trouble."
He closed his eyes, glad for their rescue. They would be going home after all. Rukia would be alright.
A/N: 9/20 (minor edit, thanks Bgswrth)--Ok, this was the most difficult chapter to write, and so far the pinnacle of my story. Please, please, please let me know if I did ok :D