Continued from: Crowned Gates
Kisuke stepped back to get away from the bitter cold gale that swept through the gate but to no avail. The cold was just too immense. As it rushed over him, Kisuke called out to his companions.
“I think you and Tsukiro should go back. I will do this one alone,” he declared through clattering teeth. “The cold is just going to be too much for Tsukiro and you’re still not in top health." He crossed his arms, rubbing his arms briskly with his hands. "There is too high a risk for frostbite with this level of power."
Tsukiro grabbed ahold of Kisuke's kimono and vice gripped it. "If you think I'm turning tail now when Hyorinmaru said Hitsugaya-taicho needed me,” he hissed, "you're completely insane."
Shaking his head, he gave Kisuke a stern look. "I'm an ice wielder too. I can handle this."
"I am never in top health yet I have not stepped down from my role as captain," Juushiro retorted in turn, letting loose some of his reiatsu in hopes of beating the fierce storm back. He continued, "I may not be the best person to go into the thick of this, but that doesn't mean that I am turning around simply because you say so, Kisuke. You are not doing this alone." He winced at the immensity, but at least he had been exposed to Yama-ji's awesome reiatsu before.
The captain narrowed his eyes. "I can provide warmth, but it is going to cost me. I also won't be able to be help further. Can you think of a way through this with the two of you if I create a momentary pathway through? Tsukiro unfortunately made a point. We may need him."
Kisuke looked around the pathway, luckily finding a few heavy capes with hoods. A few bones fell from them as he lifted them up. Shaking them out well, he handed one to each of his comrades.
"Put these on. It will help block out some of that cold." Kisuke flung his over his back, pulling it closed in the front and lifting the hood. He smiled at both of them, "I am glad you decided to come along. I am worried about what I might be walking into. This is not normal for either Hyorinmaru or Hitsugaya. Something is wrong."
Juushiro nodded.
"No, it is not. It's too .. violent," he murmured a moment later. He shook his head.
"We don't have the time to wonder about it. We have to do something. Kisuke, do you have a plan if I can create some warmth against this plight?" He turned to Tsukiro. "Can you sense the origin of the storm with your own zanpakuto? I think we would find Toshiro there." Tsukiro frowned slightly in thought as Juushiro looked to Kisuke for confirmation if his theory was correct.
Kisuke nodded. "I think you're right,” he replied in the same business tone. “I believe Tsukiro could lead us straight to Toshiro. If you can create some warmth and Tsukiro can find the source I can lead us there." Kisuke looked to Tsukiro. The look on his face was uncertain, but his eyes told a different story.
Juushiro sensed his unease and set his hand on his shoulder. "You escaped Aizen's death trap with your friends. I think you can manage a blizzard, old friend, no matter how…unusual it is." he finished quietly. The captain looked back out at the storm. "Tsukiro, is there anything we can do to help you with finding the source?"
Tsukiro pulled out Kotaishi. “I am not sure I can do it, but I'll try the best I can,” he responded.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Kisuke said, stepping toward the opening of the gate.
Tsukiro rolled his eyes at Kisuke then positioned Kotaishi in front of him.
"However," he sighed. "This storm is much too strong for just my Shikai. I'll have to..." The words died on his lips. He had already made his decision.
Cape flapping around him wildly, Tsukiro closed his eyes and released every ounce of reiatsu that he could.
"Ban... kai!"
Tsukiro's icy reiatsu erupted around him. Clouds and flecks of snow and ice swirled around him, almost completely indistinguishable from the storm around him. At first, it just seemed to make it worse...
But when the miniature storm around Tsukiro died down, he stood before Kisuke and Ukitake clad in royalty style robes of blues, violets, lavenders and white. The decorative chains and jewels clinked and chimed in the violent winds. His gauntlets and on his forearms glinted like dull silver. Tsukiro's hair was now long and stark white with blue streaks, pulled up into a high ponytail by hairpins and more jewels. When he opened his eyes, they were violet-blue.
At his side, Kotaishi no Kori was a brilliant display with a sterling silver hilt, a violet guard, and a pure sapphire tinted blade. Lavender ribbons trailed out from the end of the hilt. In his left hand was the silver bladed kunai knife.
"Hyorikka Gyokusho." ("Snow Leopard King/Emperor") Tsukiro raised his sword in front of him. "Stand back. If you get caught in the crossfire of my reiatsu and this storm, you might not be in good enough shape to tell anyone that you saw my Bankai."
He swept his sword back out to the side, calling out, "Issen Koritsurugi!" ("One Thousand Ice Blades")
The kunai disappeared from Tsukiro's left hand and the curved katana blade in his right straightened out to form a chokuto, a Japanese straight blade. The ribbons disappeared as well. The color of the blade changed from silver, violet and sapphire to completely silvery-white like ice and snow. It glinted and sparkled dully. Replacing the kunai in his left hand was a second chokuto blade, exactly like the first. Tsukiro spun them both then rested them by his sides. As he flourished them downwards, five more appeared in mid air behind him.
Tsukiro closed his eyes once more. Kotaishi, I need you to help me find where all this is coming from.
Yes, Master. Hyourinmaru and his master are strong together, but so are we. I will do what I can.
With the help from his zanpakuto, Tsukiro opened his mind and threw his consciousness out of the end of the gate, into what lay ahead of them. Immediately, the storm got worse and it battered against Tsukiro and Kotaishi's joined senses. Together, they gradually overcame it and pushed their consciousnesses forward. The forest surrounding the end of the gate was completely frozen solid. Every inch of flora and greenery was now covered in several inches of rock solid ice. Here, the storm was worse than in the gate. But when they pushed further, it got even worse than that. Finally, their senses reached the eye of the storm: the cave. And here it was at its worst.
So much so it rejected Tsukiro and Kotaishi and forced them back to their present position. Tsukiro was forced to one knee. This is bad.
You focus on beating back the storm, Master. Lead Kisuke and Ukitake through the storm and I will lead you to the source.
Tsukiro nodded and stood back up. "Alright, let's go," he said to Kisuke and Ukitake.
As he spun the two blades in his hands in front of him, two of the replicas shot forward and imitated him several feet in front of him. Tsukiro released enough of his reiatsu into the swords to create a vortex that sucked in the storm and flung it back the other way, creating a gap in the storm big enough for the three of them to travel a bit more comfortably.
"Follow me, and again, don't get caught in the crossfire."
