Hi, I finally got this on a deadline. I told myself I would try to get my chapters out at least once a week, or shorter, and I did! Cheers! For small victory.
Oh, and thank all of you who Review I didn't think that people would review on just my first chapter. Thanks I really really appreciate it.
I hope you enjoy this story and I forgot to put a disclaimer last time so on that note: I do not own Bleach.
Please Review.
She was falling, the ground below coming up fast. She braced herself, placing her arms protectively in front of her, only to find her body slowing down forcing her to an upright position. She landed with a soft thud on a path of solid ice. She relaxed her arms and looked around. The path was floating high in the air. Her eyes widened, this was beyond strange for her. She often dreamt of snow, but never ice, and in this dream that's all there was.
The long path of ice in front of her seemed to stretch on for miles, but close enough she could see the end. There was an arch over the path, to her it looked like a tsunami wave had crashed over and froze midway barley curling over to the other side. An incomplete tunnel. She could see below the road and her throat seized up. Below her, there were jagged frozen pillars-one slip meant a deadly fall, and ice was never known for its great friction.
She clamed herself, and explored with her eyes the strange landscape even though the arch coved most of it. She could see the grey clouds that threaten rain. This world of pillars all there was and the road ahead of her. She took a deep breath, and began walking. Careful with each step.
She only made it a few inches, and was beyond nervous when she felt the hand on her shoulder. She quickly turned around bumping with a beautiful woman-Sode no Shirayuki.
"Oh, it's you do you know what this place is?" she asked. Said woman gave no response, but instead Rukia watched as she walked on past her. Gently and with such grace-Rukia whished she had-Shirayuki rotated her head and pointed her hand forward. To the end of the road.
"Come, we must talk in a place were others can not hear" the warm and familiar voice of Shirayuki made Rukia feel more at ease. She followed still cautious with each step.
"Do not worry as long as you hold no fear you will not fall" Shirayuki said softly already far ahead of Rukia. Rukia followed still a little careful, but held no fear of it. She never fell.
When Rukia first glanced at the road, she had thought it was miles long, and would therefore take a long time to cross, but that must be an illusion because in a matter of seconds she was there at the end-which in fact was a cave.
Stunning, was the only thing she could say of it. She was out of the arch-tunnel- now and there was only the dark entrance in front of her. She could she see just the top of the dome shape cave from where she was standing, and she was amazed that there was a sun in this gloomy world. It shinned and glowed making the cave look like glass, and gave the false impression that you could see inside, but the darkness was bleak. Impossible to see what was within.
"Rukia hurry we do not have a lot of time" Shirayuki's soft voice whispered. Braking Rukia out of her thoughts. The ZanpakutÅ sprit was standing in the cave holding a blue light in the palm of her hand.
"What's going on?" Rukia asked walking into the cave. Shirayuki gave no response and instead proceeded farther into the shadows. After a few minutes Shirayuki stopped and turned towards Rukia, the light she was holding illuminating her face. Rukia thought it made her look menacing.
"Please sit" Shirayuki asked politely already sitting down tucking her legs under her body. Rukia followed, but not before squatting first and feeling around-still wary of were she was at. When she did sit down, Shirayuki gently tossed the light in-between them like a blue campfire.
"What is this place?" Rukia couldn't stop the question. Shirayuki looked at her and smiled a light chuckle escaping her lips.
"Why Rukia, you can not even recognize your own heart"
"My heart?"
"It is quite ominous, but yes it is your heart"
"This doesn't make sense all the times I met you before there was snow" Rukia whispered images of a world in an endless blizzard filled her mind; she couldn't believe that her heart could hold this much darkness.
"That world of snow in which you remember is but only your mind's inner world, your power-a place were I could help you, but this place where we are now is your heart Rukia"
"Why, is it like this?" Rukia couldn't help but ask, but she didn't quite understand.
"You have been through a lot, but from the very beginning it started with your sister"
"My sister" Shirayuki nodded and continued.
"She left you even if you think you can't remember part of you did, and for that you started not to trust people you took care of yourself, never did you cry, the next time it was Renji, but he too would ask you to accept a proposal with a man you never met-even if was to better yourself- you felt betrayed, even when you were adopted the man-your bother-never once looked at you-but never did you shed a tear even with your own execution" Shirayuki glanced at Rukia to see if she was listing when she felt sure she continued. "You see this world of ice was built from those unshed tears, they would fall like rain seeping into that snowy world you have seen before, falling deeper and deeper into your heart, till they froze building this world"
"But how could I cry in a society that deems it weak" She almost yelled
"It is how you were taught, you did no wrong by acting as such, but I will say it has made you strong this place is hard and keeps your heart safe from any harm along with the cons-but Rukia do you knows why there is a sun?"
Rukia thought for a moment on the question so many things floating in her mind, but she believed she did know. She took a deep breath and stared at Shirayuki.
"Is it my happiness?" Rukia asked.
Shirayuki smiled and replied "In a sense yes, you saw the sun it never moves it stays here above your heart, you even thought it yourself it gave the illusion that you could she inside- even that snowy world is a delusion because this is what lies beneath, but when you went to the world of the living you met priceless friends, and that's when the sun came"
"I see" was Rukia response, but she didn't really have much to say about it she was still perplexed by too many things, but one thing did plague her mind.
"Why, did you say were others can't hear, and why my heart as the place?" It was an out of place question more for changing the subject but it was what popped in her head. Shirayuki merely nodded.
"Like I said your heart is safe, and because of that certain things can not get in, as for why you are here in the first place is because you are in grave danger Rukia" Shirayuki's eyes never left Rukia's face- this was real, and the conversation before was all but history in Rukia's mind. She was in danger.
"G-great danger, from whom?" even as Rukia had asked she was stopped from asking more when she felt the ground shake.
"Were out of time, we spent to much talking about this world, Renji is waking you up, please Rukia asked that captain of yours he will know, just tell him the names Hana and Kei he will understand" Shirayuki voice shouted over the rumble-the loudest she has ever heard her ZanpakutÅ use.
Rukia would kill Renji when she woke up. (Figuratively speaking)
Well that went well, don't you think? I think it is pretty good since I'm still not comfortable writing in third person. My stories always seem a little depressing. Oh, well!
Thanks for reading!
ShyWaterAngel