A/N: I'm back at it again with the same old ByaIchi smut. lol I promise I'm not a hermit whom only writes fan fiction, I just have a job where I basically sit around a peoples houses overnight(That sounds creepy. I'm a home care C.N.A) So I have nothing but free time. Plus, writing is my hobby anyway, so if I wasn't writing this, I'd just be writing something else.
Sword spirits can manifest in this, btw. This also follows the manga in it's current chapters pretty closely, so if you're not keeping up, there might be a few spoilers.
A good amount of character death in this. (Not Byakuya or Ichigo)
Summery: After the quincy war, the worst scars gained are the ones you can't see. Especially for a now blind Byakuya. Feeling powerless and ashamed, he feels without a purpose. With Ichigo's help, he begins to see's more things in the dark than he ever had before.
Good Vibes ~ Ashea
The Darkness in our Victory
"Death so full; man so small."- Mumford and Sons
xXx
Darkness was all the noble took in as he slowly began to regain his consciousness, that and the taste of tepid iron sticking to the fleshy nooks of his mouth. His awareness took it's time to level out, for the man was too discombobulated to take in his situation fully at first. After he had his wits about him, Byakuya tried to remember what happened and gauge his surroundings.
The next thing he took in was the pattering of rain falling heavily against the war torn grounds of their home land. Despite the sound indicating quite an onslaught, Byakuya only felt a drizzle of rain droplets hitting his skin every so often. That let him know that he was most likely trapped under some rubble. After the explosion, he must have been sent flying back into the chaos of tangled buildings that now made up the soul king palace.
That was it. Now it was coming back to him. It had taken every ounce of their power and teamwork to take down the tenacious Gerard Valkyrie. Byakuya had been able to make the final blow on the sternritter, finally ending the battle with a blast of high powered kido with the help of Renji's diversion. Yet, what he hadn't been expecting was for the remaining reiryoku within the beast to combust at his expiration, sending everyone in the area soaring back from the pure exertion of energy. Like a star, the sternritter burned brightest before it's death, leaving behind a catastrophic trail of energy as his last farewell.
Byakuya sighed a breath of relief, as stifled and painful as that breath may have been, at the realization they'd been able to take out their opponent.
Next, he immediately thought about the state of affairs and if the quincy king had been vanquished.
'Did he win?' Byakuya wondered before another sensation of peace found him. 'Of course, he did. He is Kurosaki Ichigo, after all. I knew I was right to trust in him so fervently..'
Afterwards, less transparent thoughts filled his mind, like the safety of his comrades. So many people must have been affected by the massive shock radius of the explosion, some likely not as lucky as himself. For a moment, he tried to use his own reiryoku to reach out and feel for any pulses of energy surrounding him. Yet he soon realized that his own energy, though stable, was rather drained and could extend no amount of significance. Though it was a scanty area he could feel, he could absolutely sense nothing. It was quiet, dead quiet. For all Byakuya knew, he was the only pressure around to be felt, or perhaps there were other pressures, but they were to dwindled to be noticed.
Quickly the man recognized the worrisome thoughts for the feckless exertion of energy and brainpower they were. There was nothing he could do until he escaped from the encumbrance of debris that ensnared him. Gauging his condition, he was finally speared with an intense pain that seemed to radiate from head to toe. Despite the intensity, he tried to not sympathize with it. Concentration was near to impossible as he tried to discern which parts of him exactly were damaged. A hip, a femur, a dislocated shoulder, and a rib cage were the parts of him with the most mutilation. Also, he noticed a gash on his forehead and a sharp stinging in his eyes. Forgoing possible internal bleeding, his wounds did not seem all to fatal and his reiryoku was not depleted enough to be life threatening either.
Trying to move, it seemed his arms were pinned down, his shattered frame at the mercy of such a heavy weight. He also realized that his zanpakuto was no where within his grasp. Still, there had to be someway for him to escape this seemingly hopeless predicament.
More so, he was sure it was nighttime because not even a sliver a light jaundiced the all encompassing tenebrosity of his prison. Of course, he could have just been buried that deep, but he doubted it, and even if he was, there would surely be some opening exposing the visage of daybreak considering he could feel the rain. He contemplated how long he had been there and concluded that if he had been there for too long, he would have been found by a search and rescue team by now. His energy was still staunch enough to be detected.
Though, he could certainly not rely on the idea that there would be people searching for him. For if he didn't figure a way out soon, he was sure this mountain of wreckage would be his final resting place. You see, the rain seemed to have no seize in it's violent cleansing of the land, and Byakuya had no doubt he would drown when water levels began to rise.
For a moment, his thoughts trailed off to something that he knew would not benefit his resolve, but still he couldn't help but sit with the idea when it came barreling through his head. He thought, If he died there, drowned alone in the darkness, he'd be fine with that.
It wasn't as if he wanted to die. Still, if he did, would it really be such a terrible things? Would he fight it if it became inevitable or would he graciously accept that his time was up? More so, he was plagued by a question he'd considered time and time again: 'what's next?'
His whole purpose resolved around the protection of the soul king and as such, he spent his days cultivating his skills, becoming as strong as he could possibly hope to be. Yet, didn't the power one could obtain hold a threshold? Just as importantly, had he not reached that apex during his training in the palace and used it for exactly the purpose of which it was obtained. After this, it was likely that things would only settle gradually more and more as time past and the scars that tarnished the land and it's shinigami's began to heal. With no more big bad to fight, with no more power to be gained, what was really next for him? His sole purpose had been fulfilled, and he had little idea of how he would go on living in such a meaningless existence. Now the empty pain he'd wallowed in for years would consume him with little else to drive him or obtain his attention. Did he not deserve the serenity that came about when one lied down their sword? Did he not deserve the finality of death and the memories that accompanied it? Had he not fulfilled his purpose?
Of course, he could think of a number of reasons why he should go on living, but all of them seemed rather dispensable in the long term. There were noble responsibilities to attend too, though it was not as if the title couldn't be passed on or really took all too much effort. The title sort've ran itself unless there were some major problem. His division was also a point of issue, but as much as it pained him to admit, Renji would make a fine captain in the case of Byakuya's death. He'd taught his unit to be vigilant and to move as one. A division that could not suffice without their captain was never strong to begin with.
One of the reasons for his continuance that bared the least sustainability was also one of the hardest to stomach. It was the people he cared for and a want to shield them from any danger that would come their way. Yet, he knew that to be an arrogant desire. For he'd already came to terms that Rukia was more than cable to feigned for herself, Renji and his other comrades also. No one needed his protection. In fact, no one needed him at all. His existence was not paramount to the seireitei's reconstruction or survival, and if he died that would be okay. Though he wasn't too sure if he found that to be freeing or just an empty feeling he had to accept.
Even if he found logic in his justifications, he realized how selfish such resignation would be. It would take years to fully erase just the physical damage of the seireitei and the more hands on deck, the better. With the death toll already higher than anyone would like to consider, who knew exactly how many vacant captain seats would be left when the smoke finally cleared. He wouldn't add to that number if he didn't have to. At least alive he could help, while as dead he would only burden others. He'd be one less set of hands, one more condolence to be given to the few people who would care to miss him, one more body to add to the collateral. Rukia would mourn deeply. Perhaps he could say the same about Jushiro, Shunsui, Renji and even Yoruichi. The idea of being another thing lost, only adding to their mental burden, was unacceptable to Byakuya.
He even thought about Kurosaki, and though he doubted his death would affect the young man directly, he cared deeply for Rukia, and seeing her in such a mourning would sit heavy in his heart. Even if the young man didn't show it in conventional ways, his heart was an empathetic one. So as a ripple effect, he'd be just another burden to the man also. Byakuya was more observant of his comrade's behavior than most would know. Though he didn't speak often, it wasn't as if static ran through his head. Byakuya was thoughtfully solitude. In that regard, he felt that he could say fairly that Ichigo had partaken in his fair share of thoughtful solitude. From what Rukia had told him and from watching the young man grow, it was apparent that he had his walls up and tried his hardest to put on a brave face. After the war, he'll be branded as a hero, possibly never to return home. People will throw flowers at his feet, but few people will truly understand the loneliness one feels at the top. Not even eighteen years of age and the young man would be arguably the most powerful person in their universes, more than likely only having one path set before him.
'How lonely..'
It was that last thought that allowed Byakuya to clear all others, doing the only thing he could do. He knew Ichigo would be fine, for the man knew how to do nothing else but keep walking forward, but if he had to carry the burden and all the pain that came with it, Byakuya wouldn't just allow himself the selfish relief of death. Ichigo had given up everything, and he needed to live by that example. Closing his eyes, internally he called out, 'Senbonzakura.'
A few seconds passed before the sword spirit answered his call, though his voice sounded much further away than Byakuya was use to. 'Yes Master?'
'Senbonzakura, can you manifest right now?'
There was an apprehensive silence that put Byakuya on edge. 'I do believe so, Master, but I must warn you. Once I manifest, there will be very little time for us to make any moves. I'm much too weak right now to free you from this, and I would never make it on time to find help.' There was a short deliberate pause, 'I could allow our bodies to replenish our reiryoku before I make any moves. That way, I would be more likely to make it to help.'
'Let me think for a moment,' Byakuya commanded, staying leveled headed through a situation that seemed to be growing more dire by the instant. It was hard to feel anything past the anguish that seared him, yet he had to do it. It took him a moment, but he realized the ground beneath him was rather soggy. Suffering through the pain, he was able to shimmy his hand until he touched whatever structure was supporting him. He could feel the water rising around him. In fact, when he dipped his fingers down, the water level submerged most of his hand. That meant he had little time to work with if he was going to get out alive. He would have to take a big risk.
'Senbonzakura, I want you to manifest and blast the biggest arsenal of blossoms you're capable of producing into the air. If they know I'm missing, they'll recognize it as a sign for help.' There were special kido's made for this type of thing, but Senbonzakura couldn't use kido, so they had to work with what they had.
'Yes, master. Right away.' The fear the spirit felt was palpable, yet he did not hesitate to manifest.
Upon manifestation, the spirit immediately felt weak in the knees. Still, he pushed passed that and reached his hand towards the sky, for the first time taking in exactly where they were. With all of his might, a barrage of petals bursted through the howling storm. The spirit, if on the resolve to live alone, blasted two more shots before collapsing beside the mound of rubble he knew his master to be under. He could feel his energy, albeit weak.
Looking around, he saw the tip of his sword sticking from the wreckage and pulled himself over to retrieve it. As he grasped for the sword, grunting in exertion, he baffled, "Master, we're no longer in the Soul King's Palace." With sword finally in hand, he stuck the tip in the highest point of the pile so it was visible to whomever, if anyone, came to save them.
"Then where are we if not there?" Byakuya asked, his voice cloyed by the sound of rain beating as loudly as a drum against the earth
"We're in the Seireitei," the spirit groaned, "right in the Thirteenth division courtyard."
The information sent a chill of unexplainable fear through his every synapse. "So that's means I.."
The man could feel his swords distress as if it was his own. In a way, it was. The spirit gulped, looking up towards the open sky through floaty eyes. The rain poured over his masked face that took in a fall that should've been the death of them. "That's so high.." he stated the obvious.
"Senbonzakura, do not worry so much. I know what you're thinking. Trust that if I was that close to death either you would sense it or my body would be entering shock, and I would not be in such terrible pain."
Letting out a sigh at the comfort his master offered, the spirit said, "I do hope you stay in pain then, Master."
If the conditions were different, let's say, Byakuya didn't have a broken rib, he might have actually chuckled at his swords odd yet well intended manner of offering help. He supposed they shared that trait at times.
"Now we just wait. You may return to your inner world," the noble said, knowing his sword was straining to stay manifested as long as possible. It was of no use and would only aid in draining him further.
Before returning, the spirit said, "Oh, and one more thing, Master. I heard you when you thought about how it must be dark out." As he faded away, his voice rang, "it's raining, but it's blinding daylight out."
xXx
The fourth division was filled to the brim with patients, the not to serious and the fatal. Gurneys lined the hallways and the piercing moans of pain echoed through the walls. A stench of festering skin and blood was inescapable, and everywhere you turned red faced souls were crouched in corners, trying to keep it together at the news someone they cared for deeply was gone forever. Sadly, the reality of what shinigamis were meant falling apart was not an option. Despite their grief, their duties do not allow time for mourning. Yamamoto once said, "Dying to exterminate great evil. Know that this is the spirit of the Gotei 13." While this dogma held true, while Ichigo understood this, it didn't make any of this easier for anyone.
Patients outnumbered healers three to one, so anyone not injured and with even a semblance of healing ability was asked to help in any way they could. Even if that meant healing basic broken legs or shallow head gashes. Over all, the air was filled with a general desperation. If you didn't know any better, you'd think the shinigami's lost the war.
Following behind a high strung Isane Kotetsu, the temporary captain of her division as of now, through the hallways of the fourth with Rukia, Ichigo thought that this was what war looked like. It was a throbbing, living entity that caused everything it came into contact with deep suffering well beyond the battle. It was not just one singular occurrence, but an occurrence so profound that it reached across the years with it's malicious consequences.
Both himself and Rukia followed through the pandemonium in weary silence, both trying to keep with the quick steps of the healer. Because of the gentle, yet confident way about her, Isane was doing her job in a way that her captain would have been proud to see. She was running off of pure instinct and adrenaline, not slowing down once, if only out of fear that she would allow herself to process the shock of her own loses and just snap under the pressure of it all. So no one could blame the woman about her high strung mannerisms, for she was doing all she could, but she was always two steps behind.
As they followed, they walked straight at two intersecting hallways. That's when Rukia halted her movements out of nowhere and look down the perpendicular hall with a hint of awe and confusion.
"Nii-sama?" she asked to no one particular, readying to run over to her brother whom was being healed by Orihime. "What is he doing it the ha-?"
Her reseeding was stopped by Isane grasping her forearm. "Fukutaichō Kuchiki-san, all critical patience are in the rooms while less serious cases are in the hallway." Managing a soft smile, she comforted, "Trust that you should be glad you're seeing him there."
Rukia gave the man a quick disconcerting flash before turning her attention back to the healer. "I still thought he was missing. I need to go check on him."
Sighing patiently, the woman spoke more seriously. "You did ask about the state of Fukutaichō Abarai-san, correct? Taicho Kuchiki-san will be fine, while this is," her voice hushed to empathize, "is an emergency. One I won't be able to attend to later."
Speaking up for the first time in a while, Ichigo said apprehensively, "You sound like you're about to tell us someone is dead."
Ever since the moment the quincy king perished at the hands of Ichigo, he'd been filled with such a wide range of emotions washing over him at random. All he could do was ride them, catching the next like a wave. First he felt relieved, triumphant. Yet, the events of the day also brought about confusion, anger, a sadness he tried to veil, and the intervals between each was filled with a numbing remoteness, as if he was running on autopilot. How could he not see all of this and be affected? He didn't feel like any type of protector when over half of the Gotei was dead.
Yet, when the healer gave a sobering glare and merely said, "Come with me," Ichigo became overwhelmed with panicky fear that showed in his gapped honey orbs. Because, with just that look, he knew. Someone was dead, and that someone could very likely be Renji. Immediately, he wanted to deny it, but he could barely exhale a sharp breath he'd been holding, let alone form a rebuttal. So he just walked behind, taking note that Rukia hadn't seemed to come to the same conclusion yet. As they walked, he wondered how many other people they'd be having this same conservation about.
'Damn it, Renji, you bastard. You better not have gone and left us, or I'll kick your ass'
xXx
Eye's closed and head leaned back, Byakuya couldn't get use to opening his eye's to pitch darkness. So instead, he kept his eye's shut, reminding himself that this would be a problem easily fixed by Inoue's rejection ability once she found her way over to him.
The darkness had it's upsides though. The screams of pain and sadness were enough to dishearten anyone and could paint a mental image vivid in its own right. Seeing such pain with his own eyes was not something he wished. For the sounds alone were the things of nightmares, haunting you with their dark earnestness.
"Hello Kuchiki-san," chirped a voice that Byakuya automatically identified as Inoue Orihime. "I'm very sorry it took me so long to make my way to you," the girl spoke curtly, and Byakuya couldn't help but to think it wouldn't hurt Kurosaki to take a page out of her book.
"There is nothing to apologize for," Byakuya said meekly, his throat dry and cracked. "It's imperative to take care of the critical first, and my wounds could wait."
Byakuya could practically hear the smile on her face as she said, "Well I'm glad you seem to be in better spirits than when you first came in."
"I believe you can accredit that to the pain blockers," Byakuya spoke dryly, followed by the sounds of a breathy chuckle. The healer already had her hands over his rib cage, sending the sensation of her alleviating energy into his injuries.
"More than that, everyone is glad to see you're not lost anymore. We need you around here in these crazy times," she offered, making Byakuya give an almost non existent curl of the lips. "Rukia-san was really worried about you! Of course, who wouldn't be worried about their big brother?"
"Rukia? Is she alright?" The man asked, seeing as this was the first time he'd spoken to anyone for more than a passing moment.
"Oh yes! I saw her around here with Kurosaki-kun earlier." Humming, she said, "I'm not sure where she went off to though. If you'd like, I can look around for her. I'm sure she'd want to see you."
Byakuya gave a considering noise. "That's of little significance right now. Knowing her, I'm sure she has been lending aid wherever she is able. That is much too important to tear her away from."
In only an impressive few minutes, the healer looked up and said, "Alright Kuchiki-san, I've healed all of your injuries.
"Inoue-san," Byakuya lifted his head and opened his eyes for the first time, "there is one more thing. I can not see."
Unable to see, he wasn't at all able to read the silence that followed his declaration. "Sorry Kuchiki-san," the girl yelped out of nowhere. "It's just, your eye's caught me off guard! They're so..different.." Orihime said, Byakuya noticing the abashed inclination in her voice. "But that doesn't matter, we're about to fix you right up!"
Byakuya didn't even change his facial expression at the woman's off behavior. Most of the red heads Byakuya knew exhibited bizarre traits, so he was starting to think there was some correlation. Still, why would his eyes look differently? How exactly did he lose his vision anyway?
The girl's hesitation practically exuded from her as she lifted her hands, but drew back in trepidation. Cocking an eyebrow, Byakuya declared, "You've never done this."
"Well-I. No. I've never healed blindness," she demurred, her blush could be heard by the way her breathing quickened and words hitched. "I've healed whole arms though," the girl bolstered more confidently. "I can do this, Kuchiki-san. Don't you worry."
Flatly, Byakuya said, "I would not trust something of such importance to someone who I didn't feel was skilled enough. I'm confident in your powers."
A whole new resolve filled the healer, intensifying her powers, and Byakuya was sure he had nothing to worry about.
The girls soft hum could barely be heard over the crowded corridors as she started to heal the man. All of sudden, shooting through all other reiatsu was a singular pressure. Amidst the erratic and tortured reiatsu that filled the ambience, it was almost impossible to pick one from another. Yet, this one was screaming above all others, so filled with abject misery and disoriented anger. It was so lost, so split asunder, so Kurosaki Ichigo. The imposing nature of it's sadness had Byakuya visibly cringing, a sharp pain swelling in his chest as if he could feel all the pain of the man like it was his own. One moment Ichigo was saving the world, and the next the world was killing him. Something about that caused Byakuya a discomfort he couldn't understand.
He supposed, he just didn't enjoy seeing the man hurting and he especially didn't like to feel the man hurting. Byakuya couldn't help but to think Ichigo deserved better than that.
Orihime had noticed the pressure, as she hesitated with her hand's movements for a moment before beginning again, acting as if nothing happened.
After about ten minutes of working solely on his eyes, longer than she'd spent on all of his injuries, she pulled her hands back tentatively and let out a discouraging huff. "Kuchiki-san, you still can't see, can you?"
Not being a man to lose his head easily or get anxious over things that are not set in stone, he tried to think logically. Just because she couldn't fix it right now didn't mean there were no options for regaining his sight. He would not jump to the worst conclusion.
"No."
"Don't worry, Kuchiki-san! I should've mentioned this earlier, but there are different ways to lose one's sight. Maybe you hit your head and damaged your optical lobe. If that's the case, then you could need surgery or maybe it'll go away after the swelling goes down." In a somewhat awkward and troubled tone, the healer said, "I'm going to go get Isane-san to take a look."
As Byakuya listened to the girl's footsteps vanish in the roar of the fourth unit, he was sure there was something she was not telling him.
xXx
"Bull shit! That's a lie. There's no way Renji went out that easy!"
Within the fourth division, there was a small alcove at the end of a hallway set up with any supplies that fourth division members could possibly need. It made for a quicker and more efficient turnover of patients. As it was, it was the only area within the division that had much privacy. Yet, as Ichigo's pressure became so volatile and feral, it was obvious that privacy was of little concern to him. That latent power was visibly swirling around them, making the air feel like a continuous electric hum vice gripping your trachea.
"Kurosaki Ichigo!" Isana yelled, trying to meet him at his level in hopes to show the man just how unreasonable he sounded. To the woman's credit, standing amidst such a pressure was making her tremble involuntarily, but she hid it well. "There are sick people here, and you'll only do them harm with such a raging pressure. Don't think I won't sedate you!" she snapped.
Trembling dangerously like grinding tectonic plates on the verge of slipping, Ichigo's composure was cracking at the surface. "I want to see the body! I don't fucking believe it. I won't!"
"Trust me," the woman lowered her voice, now taking the opposite approach by using a pacifying tone. "You do not want to.. It was.. very gruesome."
Snarling and huffing, ready to blow the whole goddamn world up he'd just worked so hard to protect, Ichigo yelled, "No way! What about Orihime? I know she can practically bring back the dead if she really has the will to do it! So are you telling me she didn't want to bring Renji back? Bull shit. Absolute bull shit. You got it wrong!"
"No, Kurosaki-san, you have it wrong," the woman fired back, her heat assuaging his triade for just a moment. "Do you think you're the only one upset? Do you think you're the only one losing people they care about today?" Gesturing her arm's out as if to address the entire area. "Look around you! I understand you're upset, and it's hard to grasp, but your anger helps nothing! If you are sad, be sad! Then stand up and walk forward just like the rest of us are. If you would step outside of your own untamable emotions for a moment, you'd see you're not the only one who is hurting here."
For the first time, Ichigo looked to Rukia. Her tiny figure was shaking madly and her eyes were shut, a fluid yet soft stream of tears rolling down her flushed cheeks. She had her fingers interlaced and fisted in front of her chest. For all the empathy Ichigo could have and for how often he hid his emotions to not burden others, sometimes he could get lost in them.
Allowing himself to break down and crumble into sadness wasn't an option for him when he couldn't dare put the weight of his burdensome soul on the shoulders of the people he wanted to protect. So often he only knew how to express it with bouts of irrational anger, just to let it all out in someway. It occurred to him that, despite the war, he was still just a stumbling kid learning to crawl. He hadn't really matured at all, had he? He had to be better. He had to control these emotions that seemed to claw at his chest cavity, begging for a release. For his comrades, he had to push them down.
"Rukia.." he rasped, resting a hand on her shoulder
Flinching at the contact, the girl's eyes gaped wildly at her friend before they softened, the glassy moons darkening with anguish that spilled over in the form of salty trails burning at her lips. All of that sadness, she let it slip, wrapping her arms around Ichigo desperately as if he would just vanish from her life also. "Just like that. He's gone forever, just like that," the girl sobbed into his embrace, the lukewarm tears dampening his torn shihakusho. The girl's pain, he could feel it resonating in his own soul, churning inside of him and mixing him all up.
Rubbing a hand down her back, Ichigo whispered, "Yeah, I know." It may have seemed weak, but as a man who experienced death on such a personal level, he knew the most comforting thing you could do for a person was simply acknowledge their pain. "But we'll get through this."
Sniffling and wiping away tears, Rukia tried to regain her composure and feel even just slightly normal. "Of course we will. We're soul reapers, it's what we do," she said, managing a sad little smile.
"It's what all living things do, human or soul," Isana smiled at the girl. "It's the hope of a better tomorrow and the desire to thrive that all living beings derive resilience from."
"Isana-san." The healer turned to see the forlorn face of Orihime addressing her. "It's Kuchiki-san."
An audible gasp could be heard from Rukia as her eye's widened with concern.
'Damnit, something couldn't have happened to him too. Rukia couldn't take it..I couldn't take it.'
The girl's next words only added fuel to the flame of worry flickering in all three of their eyes. "It's just like with Renji-san."
Netting her brow, Isana said, "What isn't healing? Is it something serious?"
Biting her lip, Orihime said, "Yes and no.. Kuchiki-san is, well, he's blind."
Isana let out a sigh that was somewhere in between relived and distressed. "And his eyes..well..they're..You have to see for yourself."
Isana took no time in following the girl and, of course, Rukia and Ichigo followed in suit. "Blind?" Rukia said, looking up to Ichigo, their eye's meeting in confusion.
"At least blind isn't life threatening," Ichigo said, trying to offer comfort in some way. Though he knew that was of little consolation. "Whatever's going on, I'm sure it's not as bad as it might seem. Let's wait to find out everything before we get too worried." The girl's gaze stuck for a moment as if testing the validity of his statement, but she quickly nodded and their walk became more brisk. Though even Ichigo wasn't able to take heed to his own words, so he didn't expect his companion to be able to do the same. Byakuya? Blind? What would that mean for him? What if they couldn't fix it?
As they approached the hallway of which Byakuya was located, Isana turned to the group and warned, "No mention of his fukutaichō, at least not right now." Rukia and Ichigo exchanged looks and nodded, finding it best not to argue.
Ichigo took in Byakuya's tenuous state as they drew closer. He was clad in a plain black kosode and free from any regal wear or signs of his status. His head and back were leaned against the upright gurney while his eyes sat closed and his hands sat elegantly folded over his lap. Damp raven strands hung loosely around his relaxed features, and though he'd never really seen him like this, Ichigo thought that only Byakuya could be recuperating from serious injuries and still have such an air of refinement.
Then, as they approached his bedside and the man opened his eyes, Ichigo faltered at the sight. His company was no better. Byakuya still had the same smoldering coal orbs, yet there were particles of bright verdigris swirling in his eyes. That same dark metallic stood, shining a wealth of thoughtfulness that was fitting to the noble. Yet in the way specks of light shined through the darkness of rain clouds, a wonderful green breached the smoky mirrors. A color that reminded the soul reaper of nascent life budding from the ground, so fresh in it's lively curiosity.
Beside him, he heard Orihime mutter, "They've changed again.." Yet he was all too taken by the sight to give much attention to her words. Despite his glacier like facial movements, Byakuya's eyes had alway held such a vibrant source of his emotions, albeit a vibrant dysphoria most often.. But this, this was like mirrors reflecting the man's truest nature back into the world.
Isana, being the professional she was, didn't let the silence sit long. "Taicho Kuchiki-san, how are you feeling?"
"All thing's considered," Byakuya huffed, "I'm doing well."
"Your sister is here with me," Isana spoke, gesturing for the girl to sept beside her.
Rukia did so, resting her hand over her brother. "Nii-sama, I'm so glad you're okay." Just like that, his eye changed again. This time the specks were yellow, looking like fireflies fluttering around the shadowy cover of a summer night.
"Of course, I'm fine. You must not worry about me," Byakuya reassured, lightly squeezing her tiny hand.
"But Nii-sama..Your eyes.."
"Are nothing worth your concern. Now, you have much more important matters to attend to, yes?" Sounding more authoritative, he said, "Time wasted here is time not spent aiding the Gotei."
What seemed harsh and distant was Byakuya's way of comforting the girl and showing that he didn't want her hurting over him. With Byakuya, you had to listen past the rigidness of his tonality and really delve into the meaning behind the seemingly cold words. Noticing this, Ichigo smiled slightly at the scene. 'What a stubborn guy, not even wanting his own sister to be at his bedside during something like this. Always havin' to suffer through it alone.'
For a moment, the girl bite her lip and went to step back, only to find a whole new level of resolve. "I'm sorry, Nii-sama, but I refuse. I will stay with you until we at least figure out what's wrong and none of your reprimanding will deter me."
'I guess every ones matured from the war a little. Rukia never stands up to this guy.' Ichigo thought.
Byakuya seemed to sit with this for a bit, obviously taken by the girl's show of audacity. The yellow in his eyes twinkled a little brighter, and if Ichigo didn't know any better, he'd say the nobleman was pleased. "If you insist on being stubborn, very well."
"I wonder where she gets that from?" Ichigo butted in, earning him a sharp glare that, once again, had changed it's appearance. Now those grays were highlighted with specks of orange, but not just any orange, it was a blood orange, making his eyes look like billows of smoke rising from the deadly torrid of pyre. Such intensity shot embers into Ichigo, making him tingle in a not too comfortable way.
"I suppose you are referencing yourself, Kurosaki Ichigo, seeing as you're the most obstinate person I know."
'I think that was a compliment..or at least as close as you'll get from Byakuya.'
As Isana pulled some special device from her pocket, Ichigo grabbed at his neck and muttered, "Yeah, well takes one to know one," before a little bit of yellow dimmed his orange, making the specks look more like the color of Ichigo's hair.
"Alright, Taicho Kuchiki-san, I'm going to do a quick examination. It should take me all of a minute to figure out the issue here." First she took out a penlight and waved it in front of the man's eyes, which did not follow. Then she held a device that resembled an old school thermometer only an inch away from one of his eyes and watched as it turned red.
By the woman's frown it was easy to tell that red wasn't a good sign. "Inoue-san, are there any available rooms?"
"Yes, one just opened up recently."
"I'd like to admit Taicho Kuchiki-san for some labs. Right away, please." As she said her words, the eye's changed once more. Now, instead of just specks, the whole iris dulled to an almost transparent grey, like the ashen skin of a body drained of all it's life. Still, his face was unmoved. Rukia and Ichigo gave each other troubled looks, not enjoying such a hopeless gleam In the man's eyes.
"I need to go over a few things, but I will explain your situation in detail..in a more appropriate setting."
Nodding, Byakuya said, "Very well." With that, Orihime maneuvered the gurney and began to push the man towards the vacant room.
Once out of earshot, Isane turned to Ichigo and Rukia holding a tentative smile in the way one would hold a newborn. "I'm sure you two have questions. I'll address those, but first I must be certain of the answers myself.
Eye's brimming with tears, all Rukia could do was blink rapidly and nod. As the women walked in the direction of which Byakuya had been rolled towards, Ichigo wrapped an arm around the girl as they both stared off anxiously at her fading figure. "Don't worry so much, Rukia. If anyone can come through it, it's Byakuya." He looked down and forced a smile at the girl who's head was leaning against his shoulder, lids only slightly open, obviously drained from the emotional tumult. "Hey," he nudged the girl, "I already know you're thinking some negative stuff. This is the Soul Society, they've done much more crazy things than giving a guy his eyesight back." Pulling at the girl's shoulder, he said, "You should eat something. Why do-"
"I'm going to stay here," the girl interrupted, pulling away from her friends leading touch. "At least till we find out what's going on."
Ichigo smirked, crossing his arms at the girl. "You think I'm crazy enough to try and pull you away from here. You're too stubborn for that, and I don't have the energy to fight with you, midget. Wait here, and I'll bring you back something to eat. Your brother would kill me if I didn't make you take care of yourself."
Wiping her misty purple eyes with the back of her palms, the girl managed a snort. "No one can make me do anything, especially you." She smiled at the young man and said, "Thanks Ichigo. I'll be waiting outside of Nii-sama's room."
Staying behind for a moment to watch the girl retreat, Ichigo thought, 'For Renji and Byakuya both, I have to make sure she takes care of herself.'