Rukia truly hated the cold.
Palm sized clumps of snow fell through darkened heavens. Each breath she took was simply a signal for an oncoming cloud of white mist.
'Damn her! She's way too fast. And damn this terrible excuse for a sword!' In front of the Soul Reaper, a tornado of icicles and layers of condensed white powder cut through the air.
"Get over here and fight will you! Hado number 78, Zangerin!" Rukia tightened her hold on the mock katana in her possession. She forced herself to fly faster, forcing her snow speckled hair alongside her white tiger striped fur coat to flail behind her.
A shining bright golden luster illuminated the desolate snowscape—turning into a crescent wave. Inching ever closer to its quarry, the living pillar of ice and wind.
Shielding her own eyes at the attack's sheer brilliance, gravity increased sharply, as wind currents struck the young woman. Frost began developing around her supple red tinged cheeks, her body felt as though the cold was seeping into her being, even underneath a burly cloak as well as her fur lined leather Soul Reaper uniform.
What met her first was a dark azure-violet eye, then with all the grace of a seasoned dancer the ice storm evaded. Allowing the golden wave to pass harmlessly, the attack carried on flying into the distant sky only to be devoured by the haze in the distance.
"No you—ahh!" An abrupt shout of pain forced itself from her mouth, compelling the young woman to take in a deep breath of razor thin air. Locking eyes with her opponent, Rukia could see a blend of emotions, pity, hatred and lastly concern. She was biting her bottom lip, drawing blood, her eyes glued to the frozen peaks below them.
Before she threw out another provoking insult or jab, the twister left. Leaving behind nothing for the young woman except for her own labored breaths.
"Damn…" She was left behind, her enemy flew away with blinding speeds, the ghostly terrain only amplified her enemy's illusive nature. Sighing, Rukia began rapidly descending to one of the frost covered hillsides that gutted from the ground like dark spears.
Rukia winced, her right hand cracking like porcelain. Her home for the past month approached, flying at moderate speeds to one of the several stone spears that rose to the snow filled sky. Instead of crashing into the mountain face, she appeared to phase through grey rock and ivory powder.
The tiny cave welcomed her with an embrace of soothing heat, fiery ruby gems glowed a soft light illuminating and warming the space. Removing her burly fur coat, then placing her blade near the entrance, the princess of the Kuchiki clan went to the farthest corner of the cave, falling directly onto a futon made of dried beast pelts.
"Aah, Renji, everyone." Rukia shifted, laying on her back. Her hand which had been damaged found its way onto her forehead, a tiny yelp escaped her lips, spiritual energy began circulating through her periwinkle paw. Rosy red specks were dancing around her hand like fireflies, causing a smile to creep onto her face.
Memories of her arrival moved to the forefront of her mind.
At first her days revolved around simply manifesting her zanpakuto spirit into reality, once she had eventually completed that Captain Ukitaka had left her to finish the rest. She wished she could say that it was smooth sailing from then on, but that would be lying, something she detested.
Her zanpakuto, her very soul made manifest, when she first laid eyes on Soda no Shirayuki, Rukia became enamored with her blade. The ugly head of anger reared itself causing her to grit her teeth. Despite that, Shirayuki looked breathtaking like a true Yuki-onna, such supernatural beauty calmed her heart chasing away the monster that attempted to call that place home.
What stood out as well as brought a grimace to Rukia's face when she first laid eyes on her zanpakuto spirit was the obvious height difference, her once barely meter long blade had become the exact same height as Lady Yoruichi! She wore a stark white kimono, with large sleeves and hem alongside a pale yellow-ish green obi, her delicate lavender hair gave off this sense of regalness meant for a select few.
Looking past her blade spirit's looks, catching her attention next was the pale skinned woman's unfocused expression, the woman looked as if she was in another world.
'Wait, no she might just be confused. I just pulled her out of my inner world without warning.'
Then the frozen wastelands wild winds whipped the tall pale skinned woman's wisteria hair like willow tree branches.
Rukia attempted to reach out - only for an icicle to manifest before her, the cerulean ice crystal was shaped into a crude katana.
With that last act she vanished, her sword left her, there was no battle, no chidding, nothing of the sort. Just a simple current of freezing air that enveloped that ice woman's form, with her leaving the Soul Reaper behind on that hill.
In the ruby red cave, Rukia bit down on her lip, her captain had left her all alone - no she was not truly alone, monsters were skulking about the terrain. Vinter Beasts, living artifacts of an era before the conception of the Soul Society, tenebrous creatures who hid in the shadows to avoid the eyes of the Soul King and his blinding radiance.
Just as she was beginning to slip into the realm of dreams, a sound she was accustomed to resurfaced, "Grrr!"
…She was hungry. Blood found its way to her cheeks, giving the young woman a complexion similar to that of the fruit her friend was named after. With a tad bit of a lazy rise, Rukia made way to the entrance of the cave, grabbing her sword, shooting a glance to the cave one last time.
Exhaling, she flew out of the illusion barrier she had casted over the cave, her burly white flipping in the frigid wind. Sailing through the snow covered skies, the princess of the Kuchiki clan shut her eyes expanding her field of "vision". Several ribbons of varying lengths and hues filled the dark void of her spiritual senses, Rukia concentrated on aiming for one of the smaller creatures that called this place home.
'Found you.' A proud smirk appeared on her face, rapidly increasing her speed, flying across the skies like a white arrow released to shoot down a monster in fairytales. Situated on one the taller peaks, resting motionless were the remnants of a gargantuan dragonic like creature, skull to the earth, spine and limbs coiled around the snow-caked spire of stone. Once great and fearsome muscles, or their remains, had been turned to ugly mounds overtaken by necrosis, becoming horrid fragments of what was once noble.
Rukia slowed her descent, condensing her spiritual energy to such a minimum range that she could almost be considered as invisible. Sticking her eyes to that of the downed monster skull, a shutter ran through her spine, this land could be described as a time capsule containing horrors of an old era. Nothing could survive in this waste land without being devilishly strong, that skull in particular, every time she looked at the thing Rukia could sense an unimaginable terror gripping her heart.
Her target luckily like herself was not ignorant to the presence within the remains, her spirit vision detected a ribbon short green ribbon, the more "warm" a ribbon was on the colour spectrum the more dangerous it was. Drifting her left hand over the scar on her back, that was a lesson paid for in blood.
Shaking away the thoughts, her eyes landed on her target.
'So it's over here in the mid section of the spine? Looks like I have to go by myself…hmm, maybe not.'
The corners of her lips played with a cheeky smile. Hovering a few meters away from a patch work entrance constructed by several beasts that clawed and chewed away at the bone. Like the actual bones of the beast the opening was monstrously large, being able to fit entire buildings within it. Waving her hand as if she was a conductor of an orchestra, hundreds of tiny fiery spheres radiating a violet hue manifested around her, "Go."
Pointing her index finger into that large opening the army of violet balls rained down like meteors, 'Time to leave.'
Rukia dodged by nearly hugging herself to the face of the mountain, at first there was deafening silence then—
The ground rumbled. Screeching, the flapping of wings all resonated out from the opening drowning the hushed hills in cacophony of panicked movement. Placing a hand to her ear, attempting to shield herself from the earsplitting screams of the creatures, only for her to begin tumbling then she uprighted herself.
'Here they come.' A pillar of darkness shot out from the opening, hundreds upon hundreds of flying bat-like creatures flying into the frozen heavens. Falling amber blood littered the mountain face, staining the world as if chemicals had been mixed into the snow itself. Covering her nose from the repugnant stench of Vinter Beast blood, Rukia timed her next action. Seeing the column of bats thinning she jumped into the darkness of the spine, her sword danced in the air like a wind spirit, elegant and ethereal in its movements.
Cutting through the beast's flesh was as simple as slicing bread, even as she used the blade of ice the beasts fell all the same.
'Hmm? It's warm here? And is that grass and trees at the bottom? There must be other gaps if I can see in this place too.'
Beams of light filled the cavern constructed from the skeletal remains of an ancient beast, the shock feeling warm, hit her like a freight train, nearly making her remove her coat.
Being mindful of her mission, the green ribbon appeared in her 'sight' once more taking off into the direction of her prey, Rukia noted the ecosystem within the felled monster. Clumps of moss were growing on the curved walls of the spine, tangerine water was rushing down the spine curving along the interior to match the flow of the spine.
Removing her burly coat, leaving her only with the modified Soul Reaper uniform, smaller pelts had been integrated into her clothing to act as lining for warmth. The hair on her neck rose, noticing the sudden spike in spiritual energy, Rukia accelerated before even turning a corner in the odd forest-like environment.
Repercussions of a deadly battle manifested in the falling pieces of cartilage that began caking the Kuchiki princesses hair, ponding footsteps on the ground reached her ears as hair like monsters scurried away fear evident in their dark eyes.
Sticking to the air, Rukia could feel the intensity of the vibrations increasing, she arrived to see a meadow of red spider lilies, a small enclosure rather more accurately a tiny cave twice the size of the average man.
She shook her head as she was met with the sight of a cobalt ostrich-like creature with the stature of multiple buildings fighting a millipede the size and length of an entire train!
The ostrich possessed a towing frame like most of the more resilient creatures in the caverns, the beast was screeching, its golden plate beak and legs attempting to skewer and smash the armored insect before itself.
Teal wings spurred a twister creating distance. The insect however, moved forward unimpeded.
The millipede was too swift and agile, moving like a serpent its metallic legs clattering against the flowers and dirt earth beneath itself. It's all black jade exoskeleton reflecting the faint light that seeped through tiny cracks from the curved ceiling.
The millipede bore its pearly pincers aiming to strike at the mid section of the land bound bird.
'Spiritual energy?' Rukia noted from her hiding place behind a stalactite.
Within an instance, the beast's weapons became a toxic orange, radiating deadly intent. Beady bug eyes locked with beryl bird ones, the ostrich lowered its head, turning its neck straight as a spear.
Powerful leg muscles tightened, an indomitable aura was radiating through the cavern.
'It's not going to-?!'
With the sound shattering stone the monstrous avian charged towards the insect, clearing hundreds of meters in its leap.
Beak became spear tip as the flightless bird rammed itself into the head of its foe.
With equal measures of ferocity the arthropode was moving with a desire for blood.
A terrible agony filled screech resonated the sight causing Rukia to look away.
The flightless bird was in between the pincers of its enemy, the young woman placed a hand to her face, her nostrils catching the whiff of burning feathers and flesh.
Even with the terrible situation it was in, the ostrich never wavered; instead its fighting spirit seemed to increase a deadly aura covering the body of the beast as it readied a deadly blow. Retracting its neck to farthest it could extend the monster rammed its beak with earth shattering might into one of the beady eyes of the millipede.
A terrible guttural scream filled the blood meadow.
The scent of flesh and feathers stopped emitting, the ostrich fell to its unsteady feet. Several scarlet pedals were being sent into the air as the millipede was thrashing in agony and distress.
On the contrary, with the ostrich it was locking eyes with the small cave Rukia had taken note of earlier.
"Wait, millipedes are omnivores so that cave has to be-?!" Without any more thought, Rukia's expression instantly became more rigid.
Reeling back her right arm she focussed spiritual energy, and threw the ice sword at the millipede.
Flying through the air the sword struck the other eye of the millipede. The attack alerted the monsters to her presence, she then used Flash Step to stand before the wounded ostrich like a white knight. Throwing the bird a reassuring smile, Rukia concentrated on the massive insect with beady eyes filled with madness and anger.