capeandcowllogs | You've been talking from the heart

WHO: Tensa Zangetsu, Shiro, and Ichigo
WHERE: Abandoned field beyond the city
WHEN: January 2nd ( evening )
WARNINGS: Character 'death'
SUMMARY: TZ has gotten desperate to get his proper powers back, so he uses something of a sneaky trick to achieve his goal.
FORMAT: Solo-written, but with permission from other muns

Swirls of sparks, and snow shower across the winter evening, as though somewhere between heaven, and earth the stars, and the winter cold found a way to touch, and mingle.
But it is neither stars, nor snow that causes the damage inflicted in a remote field beyond the City's limits.

Having learned that lesson early on, Zangetsu had insisted on removing this sparring match from the rented house, or the backyard. Ichigo had not complained, and Shiro only griped about the chill, but otherwise went along easily enough.
And now, a little over an hour past sunset, the three who are actually one were still going strong; puffs of steam from breath the only noises beyond the clang, and squeal of metal against metal.
Int he dark, Zangetsu's sable hair, and black cloak allowed him to blend - until his feet would touch ground. Then it became Shiro with the advantage. Ichigo was, true to his word, taking this fight very seriously;

"You want to fight both of us at once? Well, okay, I guess. I'm not sure how it would, but if you think it'll let you change back, somehow, I'm up for anything."

Tensa Zangetsu bowed properly to his master, but pointedly avoided looking Ichigo in the eye once he sat back up.

"Thank you. I have only one addendum to this; you must not hold back. Fight me as if your life depends upon it. Fight me as if I were the enemy."

Jerking left, Ichigo winced as their blades scream against each other, sparks flying. Shoving his own against Tensa's is far more difficult a hold to pull off than it looks, each staving block sending shudders rattling up the bones of his arms that have to spend the next split second traveling to where Ichigo tries to predict those blows will land and remain sturdy while doing so. Several times, he almost loses an ear or his nose, but still he bobs and weaves. He's getting better with this, too. Repeated sparring sessions against his bankai were definitely making a difference.
But on the next overhand strike, Tensa Zangetsu ducks beneath the blade completely, using his smaller stature, and speed to his advantage. It's a good thing, too, because that speed is what allows him to cant the ebony daito in his hands across his body to ward off a lower aimed slash from the hollow.

"Both at once? Ain't much of a fair fight, then, Tensa-chan~"

The zanpakutou had not risen to the bait this time, merely leveled a deadpan look at his hollow counterpart.

"No. It is what I wish from you, hollow. And it must be you both that fight as my enemy - which means you must both keep your attention on me, and me alone."

Meaning Shiro should not make an attempt to engage Ichigo in combat. Not this time. The hollow raised an eyebrow at the little zanpakutou spirit, though from his inverted position half-hanging off the couch, it didn't look terribly threatening.

"...If I didn't know better, I'd say ya had a death wish. So what are ya up to, then, twerp?"

In answer, Zangetsu had only turned, and walked back into the kitchen.

The slash was a feint, and a clawed hand snaps out to grab for Tensa Zangetsu's face. But, not one to fall for the same trick twice, it takes a fair amount of acrobatic twisting for the little bankai to do a nearly complete backbend to avoid being grabbed. A glance of orange shows him how close Ichigo is to engaging, again, so all he can do to avoid both is to dispel the reishi under his heels, and fall.
Fall, and roll quickly to his feet in the snow. Ichigo avoids the roundhouse kick aimed at him by a black boot, and the white copy of Tensa Zangetsu's sword form throws sparks from being blocked by the opposing hand. A twist, and push off from the ground...and Zangetsu gritted his teeth.

He knew this was going to hurt. He knew, also, that it had to be now. His master, and his hollow counterpart were both involved in the fight. Both only thinking of winning - and Shiro feeling a touch victorious from seeing how hard they were pressing the little bankai.

As Tensa Zangetsu stood up, twisting on the ball of his foot, he used the long edge on his cloak to foul Ichigo's swing. Shiro hissed, driving forward as well --

But Zangetsu did not turn into another parry. He did not try to duck. He didn't even try to avoid the white blade at all. The jarring impact of two swords into flesh seemed to bring both boys up short. Only then, after the initial burst of surprise did the fact that Zangetsu had dropped his sword entirely register. He'd dropped it before either sword had cut him. He didn't even have his eyes open.

"...Wha...Oh shit!" Ichigo shouted, alarm coloring his voice. Tensa Zangetsu smiled a little, and opened his eyes to look at his wielder.

"Don't fuss. It's alright."

"The hell it is!", this from Shiro who didn't quite seem to know if he should try, and yank his sword out, or maybe try to help TZ heal?

"Hollow, stop that. You can not heal me this time."

The blood smell hit the air before the deep crimson, black-seeming blood began to leak down Ichigo's sword to stain the snow.

"Don't be frightened. I feel no pain."

And as though that last statement was the extent of his strength, Tensa Zangetsu started to...dissolve. From the hem of his cloak, to his boots, and climbing up his legs, he seemed to be slowly reverting to his sword form. This was not new to either of the boys, but deeply concerning nonetheless. Because this time, it was as though Tensa Zangetsu was purposefully joining with the sword in both Ichigo's, and Shiro's hands. The same swords that had pierced him through the guts.

And the same ebony sword that with a resounding 'CRACK' snapped into two pieces; the hilt, and a length of blade left in Ichigo's hand, but the tip of the blade falling to embed right there in the snow. Shiro's inverted copy did not snap in two, but no doubt the hollow would be able to see tiny fractures in his blade. But since the white sword is more of an extension of Shiro's will, than Zangetsu's, the physical sword did not shatter quite the same.

...But both swords being physically broken? That was new. And both boys looked at each other over the remains of that broken daito.