The First Moon

Moon's Music and Dance

None of the zanpakuto knew when they noticed it, the music. It was just there. Every crescent, half and full moon. On the full moon it was especially beautiful. Gothic violin and piano with a hint of flute and a strange alluring melody that called to them, stretched out to their senses beyond anything they had known.
It crept through the zanpakutos' inner worlds and captivated them. Even Sode no Shirayuki had paused in her icy and stunning dances she danced to listen. For nearly six months it happened and none of them could figure out where it came from. The music lasted from sunset to sunrise but did not play during the day. Strangely, none of their wielders could hear the sounds, not while awake nor asleep. Finally, Hyorinmaru, Captain Toshiro Hitsugya's zanpakuto had traced it very faintly back to a spirit ribbon deep in the zanpakuto realm.

It was newer than most other spirit ribbons, but when they came to the ribbon at the full moon, the music was more powerful than ever. Once most of the zanpakuto had been gathered to come, they gingerly threaded their own reiatsu into the ribbon and were swept into a crescendo of music, darker, richer and just as eerie as before. Blinking, they studied their surroundings. A blood red moon highlighted in dull red glowed brilliantly in the sky. There were no stars in the night sky, only a velvety blackness that swallowed everything it touched.

Warm, dry earth with soft, gentle swaying grass in a light breeze covered their feet. Around them, giant trees - ash, fir, oak, cherry blossom, juniper, silver birch, pine - stood tall and proud, their leaves rustling lightly. Surprised and intrigued, they carried on to the source of the music. Pulling through the twisting ivy and taller sections of grass, Sode no Shirayuki was the first to spot them. A pair of people were dancing in the center of a lake.

The lake looked as glass did. It had no ripples were the pair stepped and it created no waves along the edges of the banks. The male was ruggedly handsome, but a zanpakuto they had never seen before. He was cloaked in a long black ragged dress shirt trench coat with black dress pants and black boots. Orange sunglasses covered his eyes and he had jagged black wavy hair that flowed around his shoulders.

The female dancer was near Elvin - if that could be a suggestion. Lightly tanned skin glowed in the red moon and a black one piece dress with slender sleeves and a simple black haori-kimono outlined and stitched in red and silver floated gracefully as she dipped and danced. Brown eyes outlined in black and red swirls wrapped around her face. Many were reluctant to say it, but Sode no Shirayuki had met her match. The music was graceful, Gothic and more importantly to the zanpakuto - originating from the area.

Those present noticed two things. First, there was no instruments that the music arose and secondly, the figure dancing had fiery orange hair intricately braided hair. There were only few women with orange hair in Soul Society and one was Rangiku Matsumoto, which they knew was not the figure. The second was Inoue Orihime, the human who Retsu Unohara had taken interest in. But she had no zanpakuto. The last...was Ichigo Kurosaki.

So the older man dancing alongside her was Zangetsu. Actually, none of the other zanpakuto had met or seen the person Zangetsu was and his materialization interested them all. What took them by surprise was the way the pair looked at each other. It was similar to love. And joy and passion. But there was somrthing else. Something they wished for so dearly from their own wielders: understanding and kinship.

The music rose and fell as the night went on and the zanpakuto watched and listened as the moon reflected on the lake and Ichigo and Zangetsu danced and danced gracefully together. The pair's eyes never left each others. Quietly, as the moon began to set and the hint of sunrise peaked up, the zanpakuto left, satisfied and comforted. They had found the music and sated themselves of their curiosity. Overjoyed, everytime the music played, the zanpakuto felt peace and remembered the dance. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Yes! I have done a Fem!Ichigo x Zangetsu. It is vauge, but it is my first. I haven't read many yet or heard of many parings to Zangetsu. I hope it inspires more. (Oneshot)