So this chapter has been doing my damned head in, as I'm sure the next one will, because battle scenes do not come naturally to me... but I'm kinda pleased with this. I do think it's pretty clear that my mind works in visuals, though, which is kinda weird because it used to work only in words. Ho-hum.

For anyone who's interested, and as a shameless plug, I'm gonna be starting posting a Shuuhei-based story soon. Possibly yaoi, though, you have been warned. The character writer in me is just dying to try on that particular mass of contradictions - an accomplished soldier afraid of his own sword? Unbelievably calm, but his zanpakutou is the Wind of Death? Ahhh... the possibilities are endless. Keep an eye out for it, if it sounds like something you might wanna read. However, this is still my first priority, I just need to start work on that too while it's EATING MY BRAIN, dammit.

As always - reviews are love, concrit is gratefully received and I promise not to cry if you tell me what you don't like!

Rukia trembles inwardly as Renji straightens, blood running freely down his arm and dripping from his fingers. Her fingers itch to reach out for him, but she recognises all too well the look in his eyes. The look when he has thrown his whole being into something, heart and soul and body all bound together by the will to defeat his enemy. No matter how she curses it at times like these, without it… he wouldn't be Renji.

In a way, Rukia knows, he had been right. She wasn't strong enough to take the brunt of the creature's attacks head-on, the way he did. Ishida's attacks were ranged, and Chad was strong in attack, but weak in defence – and without shunpo, not fast enough to dodge those wicked claws. And Orihime… though much improved, she was too valuable as a battlefield healer. If she fell, who would help them? Who would heal the wounded? They weren't in Soul Society; Fourth Division would not come running with bandages and healing kido.

But here, watching, her heart beats so loud, so fast, powered by fear as the snarling redhead raises Zabimaru, and faces the creature again. Watching the rapid lunges and parries, she wonders if it will burst from her chest. Then the black sword tears through black fabric, drawing a spill of blood from tattooed ribs, and the heat in her chest turns instead to ice as the truth dawns on her – since drawing its sword, the beast's movements have become quicker, the ferocity of each attack greater. Renji… Renji is losing.

She can see by the quick look he tosses her that he knows it too, and she wills him to pull back, grips the sword-hilt in her hand harder, looking for an opening, any opening.

"Bankai!" She feels the ripples of familiar energy boil around the warring figures. "Hihio Zabimaru!" And then the wrapped steel hilt in Renji's hand becomes rough, the blade a snaking spinal column of toothed and yellowed bone. Zabimaru raises its great ruffed head, parts fanged jaws, and roars at the beast before it.

An answering howl comes in return, and the beast charges, dodging the snapping jaws but deflected by the great skeletal serpent wrapping its length in a shield around Renji, and between the beast and the others. It screams, claws gouging holes in the spine-like blade, but it is Renji's reiatsu that holds Zabimaru together and the vertebrae simply knit back together behind each claw-stroke.

And then the creature leaps, orange hair whipping behind it in the wind as the beast arrows downward from the air. The slim blade pierces flesh, splinters the redhead's collarbone as it passes through, and finally emerges again at the other side.

Rukia screams.

The creature pulls its sword from Renji's body, flicking it back, blood spattering in an arc across the ground. In the cold light of the moon, the matt black blade looks like a slim void, drinking in the blood of its enemy. Black and golden eyes gaze dispassionately at the figure before it as Renji falls to his knees, as a spasm racks his body and he coughs blood at the clawed feet.

In her mind, Rukia sees again blood spurt in front of her eyes, feels its sticky heat on her skin, as Aizen attempts to cut her from his protective arms.

But here, now, she is not the powerless, weaponless creature she was atop Soukyoku hill, when all she could do was tremble while he bled, and stumbled, and fell. Sode no Shirayuki was at her side.

As the golden shield falters, and fails, Rukia meets Ishida's cool gaze, and nods.

"Tsugi no mai. Hakuren!"

The ice flows forward like an avalanche, ploughing unstoppable around obstacles which freeze in its path, and a fanged mouth opens wide in a howl as the beast is caught in her trap.

She feels the crackle of cool reiatsu as Ishida's arrow speeds past her, aiming for the figure trapped in the ice. They had planned this earlier, tacticians bent over a table, considering how best to combine their moves. And by rights, it should have worked – the creature should have been frozen, unable to stop the arrow burying its barbed head into white bone – but it is stronger, faster than either of them had anticipated.

No…!

Rukia's heart seems to freeze in the reflection of her own attack, as shards of ice fall to the ground, and the creature screams as one clawed hand rips the arrow from its path.

In a flash, it is front of Ishida. He raises his bow protectively, but not quick enough – his lithe body is punched backwards as the sword enters his gut, and the creature withdraws his sword with a snarl even as it throws the now-limp body of the archer away from it with one clawed hand.

Chad releases a blow that would have levelled a hollow, but a bone-white hand closes around the armoured flesh. A sickening crack leaves the tall man's arm hanging at an unnatural angle, and when the monster tosses him away, his head impacts a wall with a crack. Chad slumps, eyes closed, the giant defeated without ever truly releasing his strength.

Golden eyes turn to her.

Her attacks are no good… it is too fast for her circles and storms of ice. She stands no chance. Soon she will fall, and…

Behind her eyes she sees her life. An endless stream of people passing her by. Childhood friends buried beneath the earth. Kaien, bleeding in her arms, Sode no Shirayuki stained dark with his blood. Forgotten names, forgotten faces, a blur of not belonging, until Ichigo…

Ichigo had brought her back… had given her friendship... had made her realise that she didn't have to let them go…

The universe closes around her, to the thundering of her own heartbeat and the golden irises in black sclera, sucking her in, paralysing her. She cannot breathe. She cannot move. She cannot think…

"Ichigo…" She mouths the words, but he doesn't see her, doesn't understand.

She sees muscles tense, sees the beast lunge for her.

And then yellow eyes are eclipsed by black, and red, and the sound of her heart is broken by laboured breathing and growled words.

"Not… her… You dumb KID!"

Rukia sees the tip of the blade emerge from the side of his torn shihakusho, and feels the spike of his reiatsu as he stumbles backwards, and she feels the warm wetness of his blood as it soaks her uniform.

"Renji!"

Attack forgotten, she grabs for him as he falls, but he is larger and heavier than her and all she can do is slow his slide to the ground enough to prevent the worst of the blow. His eyes meet hers, and her own widen in shock as she realises the expression on his face is one of apology.

Tearing her eyes away, she lifts her head to the monster before her, her determination finally bursting the dam around her heart and running like steel through her veins. This time when she meets golden eyes, she feels only calm, tightening her grip on the silk-wrapped hilt in her hand, Sode no Shirayuki's strength joining her own.

She didn't have to let them go.

"Ichigo." She says it aloud this time, and the beast growls as she lifts her sword.

And then its head rears back, eyes on something… above her? Behind her?

A voice clear and cold with anger cuts the silence.

"Chire, Senbonzakura."

Ha haaaaaa! Byakuya has come to save the day. Or night, I suppose. But is he a match for the monster? Tune in next time to find out...

Re-reading this I think I may have surpassed myself in verbosity, hope it wasn't too melodramatic :P Still, hope you enjoyed reading, and cheers very much for sticking with me!

See you all next time :)