Title: Know What Lies Beneath the Cherry Tree.
Summary: Senbonzakura has a secret. Hyourinmaru knows what it is.
Pairing: Senbonzakura x Hyourinmaru (preslash)
Rating: K+
Warnings: two supposedly inanimate objects getting at each other. Un-betaed as usual.
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Hyourinmaru stood in front of the 4th division compound, the shinigami officers cowering behind him. The two manifestations gave him a look of shock, betrayal and perhaps longing as they prowled the rooftops. They did not dare approach any closer; a shield had been formed, transparent but powerful. They shivered under the surges of electricity, flinching visibly when the ice dragon addressed them.
"You disturb this place." Hyourinmaru said, a web of frost haunting his footsteps. "Leave." And from his shadow sprang two women, one pale like the incarnation of snow in a white kimono and the second tall and robust, dusky skinned, donning layers of thick fur. As surprised as they might have been to materialize, they immediately kneeled before the dragon's frozen heels, a ready hand on the hilt of their sword forms. "Guard this place." He commanded lazily, eyes sweeping over them to see that they retained no permanent damage in the scuffle between the shinigami and the zampakuto.
Itegumo lowered her eyes, seeing not only her shinigami but three more around her.
"But the shinigami..."
"This is a place of healing is it not?"
The ice-type zampakuto nodded quickly, remembering her place.
"Sir..." Sode no Shirayuki started carefully, "are you no longer with Muramasa-sama?"
"No."
And he disappeared from view.
-x-
The stranger tossed back a bored look, pointed canines pressed against his lips and the moonlight reflected in his eyes. With a slight click of his tongue, he and Senbonzakura drew apart. His sword slid back into its hilt. He stretched out a hand, a thin sheet of ice climbing down the bones of his wrist, preventing the rogue shinigami from reengaging the other zampakuto.
"Go help your friends shinigami, your true opponent awaits you."
A 'thank you' was on his mind but instead Ichigo blurted out,
"You're... Toushiro's zampakuto aren't you?"
"No," Hyourinmaru smiled briefly in reply, "He is mine."
-x-
They crossed swords Hyourinmaru's again only half out of its hilt as he parried the blows—away from the 4th division compound. One particularly tricky swipe from the dark-haired zampakuto and the dragon was forced to defend, crystals flaking off of his knuckles as the blade bit in deep. Blood welled past the ice and dripped down the crafted metal. The zampakuto hissed behind from his mask, a crimson glow surrounding him as the tip of the sword began to fracture.
"So hungry already Senbonzakura?" Hyourinmaru rumbled as a flurry of petals circled him. He experimentally dipped his fingers in the iridescent glow and did not look surprised when his digits came back bloody. A flick of his tongue had the ice reclaiming the naked skin. "I had thought that his dearly beloved would satisfy you longer."
"What do you know about satisfaction?" Senbonzakura said darkly, the half broken sword dropping from his hands to melt into the ground. Their surroundings became closed off from the outside, dark, black. The only source of light was the radiant form of Senbonzakura guarded by his thousand swords. "You were never satisfied with one so you took another and still others until only one was left standing, broken but victorious, wretched and miserable enough for you to sink into."
"All of us have our guilty pleasures do we not?"
"Not I, I gave him my name, my final release and yet he keeps me as a dirty secret, curbs my anger against the fools Zabimaru. I am not like you, slinking back to my master's side because I have the instincts of a mere worm. I have my pride. Muramasa has offered me an opportunity, and I gladly took it. The ice is almost gone Hyourinmaru, where is your strength now?"
Hyourinmaru stared back dispassionately, a single line of blood trickling down his jaws. The ice around his shoulders shattered, pierced by the thousand silver blades that had found their mark into his body. His finger twitched, pink-stained water dripping off at the tip.
"The ice is almost gone because you no longer pose a threat." The dragon grimaced, willing himself to remain standing. "Remember how Mramasa was rebuffed by Ryuujin Jakka's loyalty and decided instead to take me as a prize. You already knew that I would not agree and yet you all came at me, you Tekken, Ashisogi Jizo and Muramasa himself. You guessed the secrets of my choice and scarred my brow in an attempt to sever the bond. When I awoke before you, on my knees, my hands were talons, ice in my spine and snow on my tongue. I feared you more then Senbonzakura."
"You are a fool."
Hyourinmaru made a movement akin to shrugging.
"I would like to make an offer if you'd agree." He plucked a sword from his ribs. He tested its balance and nuzzled the edge soaked in his blood. Senbonzakura flinched as the other zampakuto bit down and scraped his fang across its metallic surface. The sword disintegrated into petals, weaving into wild hair. A threat, it was difficult to kill creature that rejuvenated through the means of very atmosphere itself but it wasn't an impossible task.
"I'm listening."
"During my slumber I dreamed and heard of many things. A child told me once that every cherry tree has a corpse tangled in its roots and it's the blood that nurtures it that makes the flowers bloom so beautifully."
"You know."
"As I have said, we all have our little secrets, yours no greater than mine."
"What do you offer?"
"Myself, enough to sustain you for another decade or more."
Hyourinmaru silently parted his mouth as the swords slid from his flesh and returned to their master's side. The petals in his hair spilled down his neck and tickled his chin before settling into the form of a razor collar around his throat.
"You presume too much." Senbonzakura rebuked sharply.
"I apologize, but my offer still stands. I cannot reason with your shinigami but perhaps mine can be persuaded to do so."
"If he lives."
"He will recover," Hyourinmaru dismissed, his tone dangerous. But the ice did not return and Senbonzakura stepped close, a head shorter. He removed his helmet, revealing an aristocratic face and a pair of dark blue eyes. He hesitantly touched Hyourinmaru's right hand, so pale and soft, unbecoming of a soldier's hand, a warrior's hand. It was new and strange, even the hands of Sode no Shirayuki, the most beautiful zampakuto in all of Soul Society, bore calluses from her swordsmanship.
His lips twitched, amusement glittering in his eyes as he found the dry, salty skin between his fingers and bit down. Hyourinmaru made a disconcerting keen. Experimentally, the armored zampakuto licked the side of the dragon's neck. The other zampakuto's retort was quiet and muffled. Senbonzakura threw him a hot look just before sinking his teeth into the junction of the dragon's jaw.
Hyourinmaru began to dream of a bed of bones and the thick roots that caressed him as a hand might a lover. The numerous bleached skulls kept him company as the petals floated down. One landed on his eye and he closed it, but not before it cut the lid slightly giving him an askew, torn view of the world. The moonlight in his eyes Hyourinmaru blinked, the rose shade retreating rapidly. He sighed, not out of joy, exasperation, impatience or any of the known emotions. He thumbed the span of the roots, staring at it almost fondly as they began to strangle him beneath the shadow of the cherry tree.
When he woke up it was still night, he sensed that no significant amount of time had passed. His barrier over the 4th division buildings was still in place, deep in his mind he recalled that his shinigami still slumbered beneath the moon. He stared up at the stars, lost and reached only the faint scent of gunpowder and smoke, wild traces of reiatsu and thunder, the sounds of others still fighting.
He made a motion to move, a hand covering his eye and stopped him.
"Curious" Senbonzakura breathed the metal and leatherwork of his armor odd against his skin. "The scar is almost gone."
"I heal fast." Hyourinmaru replied dryly as the hand began to trace over the scabbing teeth marks. The hand left him at those words and the ice-type zampakuto was embarrassed to say that he missed the intimate contact. With a quick exhale that sounded like a soft chuckle, Senbonzakura's hand returned, tickling the edge of his ears before spreading across the thick strands of Hyourinmaru's hair.
Hyourinmaru slid his eyes towards where the other zampakuto sat, his helmet still off and between his knees.
"It's been a while since I've truly fed, I thank you. It was pleasant."
"Hn," Hyourinmaru captured the armored hand in his own and pressed it against the side of his cheek. The zampakuto rarely showed affection towards each other, even when their respective shinigami had been paired together. Neither had touched any, aside from their shinigami, without the intention of harm for a long time.
Reluctantly, Hyourinmaru let go.
Senbonzakura held on.
"Sleep," He said, in almost a gentle voice. Not like the proud general who had ordered the execution of one of his sister-cousins. "I will stand guard."
"Very well." Hyourinmaru tightened his grip, wondering if the squeeze could be felt past the gloves. "I leave the rest to you."
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A.N.: Basically the theme of this story is that every cherry tree has a corpse in its roots to dye the flowers pink. Likewise, Senbonzakura needs to spill blood every now and then to take the edge off of his hunger. Since his shinigami happens to be Byakuya who seems to just stay in his office and do paperwork or otherwise occasionally spar with Renji, his zampakuto is going insane from boredom/hunger. Hyourinmaru just happened to offer him lunch... in the form of himself. And of course Senbonzakura couldn't refuse.
No, I'm sorry, I have no idea what I just wrote. Feel free to shoot me, I have an exam on Tuesday, maybe Wednesday too.