Chapter 1: Illusions
Death came early that year. The deep dark stench that floated in along the warmth of the falling yellow and orange leaves. The scenery was painted in fiery oranges and yellow with the finishing touch of crimson. The bodies laid in an awkward mess, departed limbs looking like strange stray animals without the rest of their bodies to finish the masterpieces. The memory of it all would ever so clearly haunt his dreams; the way the air tasted and smelled was just as vivid then as it was now. It was as if he was standing on the precipice of a war zone and he too had bathed in the blood, drank it down with every breath and moved his fingers through it. With soiled fingers he reached up to push unruly dark hair from his eyes glancing only passingly to see if the blood had truly fallen upon his pale skin. Part of his mind recoiled and screamed at the horrors before him, but his body did not respond, something deep and dark keeping his attention caught and tantalized. In a trance he watched in the dance that was death in the after life.
The boy looked up to the only man who remained, limbs intact and standing. The once brilliant blues were now dank and dark with the splashes of crimson. The dark fabric devoured the color and quickly turned it black. The man stood like a terrifying god in the middle of the death, clad in the blues, hair the color of a clean blade.
"Ohji... Ohji-san" The little voice chirped out in the middle of the silence. So clearly, even now, he could hear that wet blade being put slowly back into it's sheath and that look in the dark teal eyes they shared.
The boy held his breath watching the man's long finger slowly reach up and press its crimson soaked paleness to lips in a gesture to silence. It was at this point in the memory where the world would become overwhelmed by the heat of fire, a sudden swell of color and the indisputable scent of burning living flesh.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~13~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kaien woke with a start. Eyes wide and body giving a jolt shaking the pearls of sweat down the side of his face. A long low groan rumbled from his chest as he sat up, rubbing his face with rough hands. His teal yukata had been half tossed aside in his turmoiled sleep and laid partly open, the rest of the fabric gleefully clinging to the soft blanket of sweat. Pressing the sheets to one side he eased his fatigued bones off the futon. Bare feet padded along the tatami pausing on the way to the wash room staring at the window.
The sun was just yawning, slowly casting its dull gray hues over Soul Society. The large white walled buildings with the burnt orange roofs looked like sleeping giants outside the 13th squad barracks. Just outside the gate doors the cold sleeping city awaited, slowly rousing itself as the sun lazily pulled itself from it's blankets of darkness. With the sun rising it would be futile to attempt sleep again, 'things to be done' was his justification. Kaien passed his small table where the reports laid in a chaotic yet organized mess on top of maps dotted in red with the recent hollow activity. Something itched at the back of his mind over the last few weeks. A gnawing sensation that shook and haunted him into the fire soaked nightmares.
Hovering over the wash basin staring at his bedraggled reflection for a spell he scowled. Unruly dark hair was flattened on one side and sitting oddly, lips pressed distorting his face adding to the strange and harrowed look in his eyes. When did he start looking so damned old? No real wrinkles but there were hints of age there and here that mocked at Kaien's self image. He dipped his hands into the water worshiping the cool feel over the warm hands as he splashed his face, trailing the wet fingers through disheveled hair in attempts to tame it. Shaking his face clear of the large drops of water he pawed at the side of the basin for his facial towel to dry off. Readjusting his Yukata and pressing the unruly dark hair back once more he turned and lingering in the door way. Hard eyes fell on the pile of reports and papers. The map he had laid out on the table looking rather...the dots set in each attack location it was looking like... from far off it looked... Kaien felt his stomach tighten trying to empty it's continence in the onslaught of distress.
Kaien made a quick dash for the sink, hand gripping the sides fiercely trying to still a twisting and swelling stomach. He looked up, his reflection was his only companion in the room. The man on the other side of the mirror shared his distress and looked on with confusion.
"T-taichou..." he swallowed hard staring into nothing and yet almost watching the wilded eyed fanatic expression on his face as he fought to regain a sound mind once more. "He has to know... he has to know already."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~13~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was stiffening: the silence. The only relief came when the soft rice paper was turned but the moment the paper settled silence returned blanketing the room. Kaien could hear his body move, the groan of unrested joints, the twisting of his stomach and even down to the sweat rolling form his forehead. Well perhaps not the latter but he felt like he should hear it in that devouring silence. Kaien peered over at the very slow studious Captain. Ukitake was if anything quite the patient man and if need be he would wait there until his Fuku-Taichou decided to say something.
Kaien had his head down, but his eyes were fixed on the world outside trying to distract himself from the silence of the room. The shimmering greens and the dancing waters of the pond were all beautiful and yet looked rather surreal form his perspective with his forehead down, not quite pressed to the mat. He swore he caught a flash of fire from the pond, a koi flickering to the surface to capture some unlucky bug as a prize.
From the start Kaien has never been too formal, perhaps flopping to his side while he read a report or leaning against the desk in a casual fashion. Today was different, he wanted Ukitake-Taichou to understand the importance of his words and report, to see with perhaps a bit of shock that he was and could be serious. He had prostrated himself against the floor and remained that way refusing to move until Ukitake would ask him to as was formality.
"You haven't been sleeping lately have you?"
Kaien paused, felt as if even his blood freeze the moment the chocolate warm voice called to his attention. Slowly turned his head looking to the calm white haired Captain. His world finally to its' normal perspective Kaien blinked a few times letting the image settle.
"I..."
"Kaien" The voice ended with low sad notes, the disappointment made Kaien's heart sting "You've been working too hard. These notes, they make no sense."
"What? But, they do! It's obvious! Taichou, Apologies but surely you can see it... don't you?" Kaien stared wide eyed at his captain feeling his heart hollowing and his stomach sink.
"Kaien what is it exactly you expect me to see on blank paper?"
The feeling of the blood rushing from your body, leaving you cold and your stomach in a shriveled mass overtook Kaien. He jutted forward clumsily colliding with the desk and grabbing the papers from the Captain's hands. Panic like wild fire burned from teal eyes onto the blank papers. Just a few minuets ago... just as he... how could this be?
"Kaien, are you being so lacked in your duties that you are handing me blank sheets of paper?" There was a chill to the Older Shinigami's voice.
"No I swear!" Kaien's throat choked him, he felt like his mind was going to explode. "Everything was here I swear it was here!" His body fought for breath but no mater how hard, deep and quickly he breathed everything was suffocating him. Sweaty hands pawed at the sheets of paper over the captains desk, everything blank and untouched. Kaien froze feeling a shadow slowly eclipse him, Ukitake was looming over him.
"You Disappoint me Kaien." The voice was sharp cutting as deep as Sogyo no Kotowari's blade. "Kaien... "
"KAIEN!" Ukitake's voice finally cut through to the young man as he shook his Lieutenant's shoulder fiercely. Such deep worry and concern so clearly etched on the captain's face.
Recoiling as if burnt, tattooed arm up to protect him from the Dream Taichou's wrath, he gasped for air which so quickly and graciously filled his lungs. Kaien's eyes darted about trying to regain his bearings: the Captain's office with the tatami still smelling thick and heavy and dry from the summer's heat, the world past his captain shimmering in the brilliant lively greens, even the koi dancing in the ponds surface was so...it was like the dream. Chest still heaving he cautiously turned his eyes to Ukitake-Taichou and immediately was on the ground forehead to the mats.
"I'm sorry sir, Please... sorry..." He whispered horsely his throat clenching as if trying to apologizes for the mistake in the dream.
Ukitake watched with a strained heart putting a hand down on Kaien's wild hair "Kaien, please, sit up. You have nothing to apologize for. Nothing at all. You fell asleep mid sentence while giving me your report, Kaien if we need to reschedule this, we can. I'm calling Unohana-Taichou and putting you on a few days Medical leave-"
"You do that and Everyone will be dead!"
Ukitake quietly folded his hands in his lap. His Fuku Taichou was an extreme man at times; he had been aware of this even before Kaien was assigned to the 13th squad. The Shiba nobles were known for being on the... eccentric side. The panic in Kaien's voice, the man was taking it personal and something was being left unsaid: something important that was deeply disturbing an otherwise 'composed' and happy man. "I must admit I've been rather lazy with how efficient you are with running the squad" That lighthearted laugh aired out the oppressing cloud of negative emotions. The Captain scratched with a guilty smile on his face "Perhaps its time I got off my backside and took a little more active role in my duties. Kaien, rest. Not an order as your Taichou, but as a request from a concerned friend."
Kaien scowled, fist balling only briefly before relaxing once more against the mat ". . . . do you understand the term 'Lituus spiral'"? Kaien asked his head raised staring at his left forearm.
"Hmmmm... perhaps but I can easily forget things these days." Ukitake's voice soft and light watching Kaien with deep interest, the face a lighthearted one but eyes sharp and serious. He gave the young man a soft pat on the shoulder to encourage him to continue before rising to pour him a cup of tea.
"Its... its a mathematical equation. It... it should be in my notes. if... if I am correct, and I know I am, I know where the next huge hollow attack will occur. It's dangerously close to the city. Yamimoto Soutaichou needs to be informed."
Ukitake handed Kaien the tea "We'll go together after you've rested. It's a tea Unohana Taichou gave me to help me sleep. Only an hour or two nap and I promise I will wake you. Legitimacy depends on you keeping yourself awake rather then falling asleep mid sentence again." The warm smile and lighthearted wink eased Kaien's tension enough to follow the non direct order reaching for the offered tea.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~13~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Watching Yamimoto was like watching the mountains. A sharp stiff peak where the weather of time and tragedy had edged deep groves of scars and the water lines of time and age crinkled for the forehead and the edges along the eyes where two large fluffy clouds floated idly in a strait line void of any indication of emotion or thought. This mountain sat unwavering, it's peak not crested in white but the chin, the white snow hair was wrapped lightly and ceremoniously in a royal purple ribbon to keep it pristine and tamed. Indeed Yamimoto was just like the peaks of the Kimoshin mountains. With such a sleeping quiet power if one reached for it would feel it's ancient intensity, bringing a shiver down into the depths of one's soul.
"That is not possible" The mountain spoke, the eyes still not peaking out from the idle clouds, the voice, the very voice of time Kaien assessed, held stead fast against any arguments. "Even providing a logical deduction, without persons to suspect and with the attacks being at random times pulling forces to an aria or arias in which we suspect will be attack would be fruitless. Your efforts are noted Shiba Fuku-Taichou but I will not allow your request."
"I am honored by your consideration. I will work harder to provide you with the necessary information" Kaien Bowed his forehead to the mats positioned behind Ukitake Taichou. He said one sentence too much, but was insistent that he wasn't going to just let this go. He watched as the ancient mountain gave him a dismissing nod. In a second Kaien was out in the hall flash stepping out side the SouTaichou's office... and nearly into a looming figure.
"He's perceptive." The mountain spoke one eye appearing from behind the heavy eyebrows.
"Indeed he is Yamimoto-sensei." Ukitake gave a modest bow.
"Ironic I think that you should chose someone with Shiba's personality. He is complimenting to you in many ways. I trust you will take care of this."
"As always." Ukitake gave a low bow before gracefully rising to exit.
"Jyuushiro-san." The smooth voice curled with a smile which peaked out from under the large straw woven hat.
Ukitake blinked looking from Fuku-Taichou, who stood rather proudly with his arms crossed to the smooth voiced individual. The man stood in a lazy manor, broad shoulders carrying both the captains coat and the pink flowered kimono with great pride. The stubble chin stuck out from under the hat the smile etched into the lips as a chuckle escaped. Ukitake simply shook his head smiling and stated carefully "Koryaku-san, what brings you here."
"Simply because it is Tuesday. My Friend, it is a beautiful night for friends to drink, don't you think so?" The man gave a smile and place a hand upon Kaien's shoulder.
Kaien gave a heartfelt laugh and was turning to decline. Ukitake beat him to an answer "We would both love to join you old friend."
"Bu-" Kaien was silenced with a hand raised, Ukitake giving his young Shinigami a smile.
"But nothing, it's our treat. After all you work yourself too hard. Let me show you some gratitude. After all I am still a man with pride."
Kaien stared from one man to the other feeling as if he had inadvertently stepped into a den of wolves. He gave a loud deep laugh going to make the best of the situation "Alright, fine! Koryaku-Taichou, I'll show you how we drink in the Shiba Clan! Do try to keep up" The grin reached either side of his face beaming with pride.
Shunsui tipped his hat up "Ooh? Why this might get interesting. Kaien-dono, I am certainly up for a challenge. Lets see how well you do." He tipped his head down leaning with an arm over Ukitake, his hat doing little to nothing to hide his large mirrored grin.