Dark Corners

By Spunky0ne

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In the aftermath of the quincy war, Byakuya finds Ichigo and Uryu badly injured and sees to their evacuation and treatment. As they prepare to return to Soul Society, Ichigo pleads with Byakuya to protect Uryu from execution. Byakuya convinces Central 46 not to order his execution, but under a strict set of conditions. When Uryu is released to join Byakuya at Kuchiki Manor, Byakuya is shocked by the state he is in. Indebted to Ichigo, he has no choice but to find some way to heal Uryu. But is it even possible to heal what the quincy king has broken?

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Chapter 1: Turns of Fate

Byakuya ran in his swiftest flash steps, ignoring the pain of the wounds on his own body and focusing all of his remaining strength on reaching the top level of the quincy castle. He shifted in his path, barely sweeping by broken and fallen columns, collapsed bodies and pools of spilled blood. His eyes set forward and blind to anything that wasn't Ichigo, he honed in on where he had last sensed the shinigami substitute's location and hurried there at his best pace.

It is a little ironic, he thought, that I should be doing exactly what Ichigo was doing when this conflict began.

He felt a hard chill inside at the memory of how he had been cut to pieces and dying, and how Ichigo had put everything into reaching him in time to receive his last request.

It doesn't matter that the zero division showed up and prevented my death. Ichigo made a promise to me, and it is clear that he has made good on that promise. I will be there for him too.

His mind wandered back to the revelation of Ichigo's heritage that was explained to the taichous shortly before his leaving.

I did think when I met Ichigo, that he reminded me of Shiba Kaien. I even also felt reminded of my former colleague, Shiba Isshin sometimes. It is strange how things work out. When he returns to Soul Society, down below, Ichigo will be made heir to the Shiba clan. So, in addition to owing him for seeing to my desperate request, I must assist him as the member of another noble house. I must reach him quickly. His reiatsu is still declining. Soon, I will not be able to sense him anymore.

Ichigo is dying...

Byakuya quickened his flash step until his spirit centers burned in his chest and stomach. The scene around him went by in a blur, and he knew well that it anyone had tried to stop him, it would have been a futile effort. He would have been gone before their words could reach him.

Of course, there were still enemies around, and there were other ways of stopping someone.

None of that matters. The only thing that matters is getting to Ichigo and keeping him alive until help comes!

Sensing that he was approaching the throne room, Byakuya slowed slightly and took in the sight of the crumbled and unstable looking steps that rose up to meet the gaping opening where the double door entry to the throne room had been. The doors laid in splinters, blown inward as Ichigo had entered the throne room to engage the quincy monarch. Byakuya navigated the broken steps cautiously, still using his flash step, but keeping his touches deft and light to avoid tripping or dislodging more debris. He reached the top of the landing and immediately released his shikai as a small group of surviving soldats charged at him. His petal blades sliced through the group, cutting them to ribbons as Byakuya flash stepped into the throne room and skidded to a stop.

The room was barely recognizable, as the throne had been toppled and most of the pillar supports in the room had been shattered. The debris laid in thick piles, heaped onto fallen bodies and blocking passage to much of the room.

"Ichigo!" Byakuya panted, looking around and reaching out with his senses.

"H-he's here!" cried a choked, male voice, "Please hurry. He's dying!"

Byakuya dashed around a pile of rubble, stopping short and letting his petal blades swell menacingly around him as he spotted Ichigo's former quincy friend, bleeding profusely as he leaned over Ichigo's collapsed form, trying to stop Ichigo's bleeding.

"Help me! I'm not hurting him. I'm trying to save him!" Uryu shouted, "You can kill me if you want, but don't let Ichigo die!"

Byakuya moved quickly to Uryu's side and kneeled alongside Ichigo, leaning over him to begin to heal the gaping wounds on his slender torso. He watched Uryu closely, out of the corner of one grey eye as he worked.

"It was my understanding that you had joined the enemy," Byakuya said quietly.

Uryu started to answer, then coughed heavily, expelling spatters of blood and shaking all over. Byakuya turned to offer him healing as well, only to have his hands pushed away.

"Just heal Ichigo!" he gasped, quivering and starting to collapse, "Don't worry about me."

Under Byakuya's hands, Ichigo groaned and started to open his eyes.

"U-uryu?" he managed, coughing and shuddering.

"Try to stay still," Byakuya advised him, "You are badly injured."

"B-but...Uryu!" Ichigo panted, squinting at his friend as Uryu stiffened and fell the rest of the way to the floor, "Uryu!"

Byakuya left one hand extended over Ichigo, working more slowly at his healing, as he extended his other hand over the fallen quincy, sending healing reiatsu into his quaking form.

"Uryu!" Ichigo moaned, "Stop, Byakuya! Help him. He's gonna die!"

Byakuya gave him a disapproving look.

"You are the one who is dying," he chided Ichigo, "Hold still. I have to concentrate to work at healing both of you."

"Just heal him!" Ichigo insisted, "Please, Byakuya!"

Byakuya gave him a stern look.

"I am not going to allow the savior of Soul Society to die if I can save him. And besides, you know very well that I am already stepping over a line by healing him at all while you are in need. Do I have to remind you that all allies are required to be treated first in the aftermath of a war?"

"He's not an enemy! He helped me!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"I was informed that this young man took the side of the enemy, even directly attacking you, as well as his former allies. That doesn't sound like the act of a friend."

"Byakuya, please...please listen to me. I know I'm in bad shape and I might not make it."

"You are going to be all right," Byakuya assured him.

"You're just saying that to reassure me," Ichigo countered, "But you don't have to. Look, Byakuya, when you were like this...when you were dying and I came to you, you asked me to protect Soul Society."

"And you did," Byakuya said, bowing his head, "I am very grateful to you for that. I owe you a debt that cannot be repaid."

Ichigo grimaced and coughed heavily, grabbing at his side.

"If you want to repay me, there's something you can do for me, Byakuya."

Byakuya met his eyes expectantly.

"If you want to repay your debt to me, then...protect Uryu," Ichigo managed, his voice shaking, "Central 46 is gonna want to kill him, or at least lock him up forever."

"And you think that they will listen to me? You think they will let him go if I just ask them? Ichigo..."

"No, I know there's gonna be more to it than that. But I also know that no one knows better than you do, how to get them to let Uryu live. Please Byakuya, whatever happens, I have to know that Uryu's gonna be okay! He wasn't with the enemy because he wanted to be. He went to them planning to avenge his mom, who was killed by Ywach's Auswhalen. Ywach did horrible things to him. But in the end, I couldn't have beaten Ywach without him. You have to tell Central 46 that Uryu helped me kill Ywach. Please, Byakuya...please!"

Byakuya let out a soft breath of capitulation.

"I don't know what good it will do," he answered, "They may offer him a lesser sentence, but he was high in the ranks of the enemy forces. He is going to be incarcerated, Ichigo. I will do what I can, of course. I owe you that much. But, I don't know what Central 46 will agree to in his case."

"Just try," Ichigo said, a note of relief in his voice, "I know if you try, you can find a way. Thanks, Byakuya."

Ichigo shivered and closed his eyes, his consciousness fading as Byakuya continued to work at healing him. Under his other hand, Uryu moaned softly, turning his head one way then the other. Byakuya felt the floor rumble warningly under him, and he ceased healing the two injured men, standing over them and summoning his power as flash steps sounded all around him and relief forces filled the room.

"Byakuya!" Shunsui called out, motioning for the supporting officers to lower their weapons.

"The quincy king is dead," Byakuya reported, lowering his guard as well, "Ichigo informed me that he was assisted in killing Ywach by Ishida Uryu. Reports that Uryu was with the enemy were incorrect."

"Eh, how is that when Ishida-san was witnessed firing his arrows at Ichigo and his friends?" Shunsui asked, rubbing his chin curiously.

"Apparently, Ishida pretended to join Ywach, when in truth, he was only doing so to exact revenge for Ywach slaying his mother some years ago."

"And you say that Ichigo himself, confirmed this?"

"Yes," Byakuya affirmed, "As you know, Ichigo has been revealed to be a member of the Shiba clan, which we expect will be restored in status once Central 46 meets."

"You are right about that," Shunsui agreed, "But you do understand that under our laws, we have to treat Ishida-san as an enemy until such time as Central 46 confirms his status. You know also that healing resources will be directed at our allies first, and healers are in short supply."

"I understand," Byakuya said calmly, glancing a one of the people standing behind the captain commander, "But...Inoue Orihime is not a member of our Gotei, nor is she under constraint by Central 46. She is human and allowed to triage her patients how she chooses."

"So she is," Shunsui agreed, nodding at Orihime, "You heard him, Inoue-san."

"Yes sir!" Orihime cried, running forward and placing healing fields over Ichigo and Uryu.

Shunsui moved closer to where Byakuya stood, watching as Orihime healed Ichigo and Uryu. Around them, the relief forces worked their way around the room, searching the debris for survivors and watching carefully for enemies.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing here, Kuchiki taichou?" Shunsui asked, "Not that I don't trust your judgment, but it's not really like you to go out of the way to protect a human, ne? What is the story between you and Ishida-san?"

"There is no story," Byakuya assured him, "I am helping Ishida Uryu for one reason, and one reason only. I owe Ichigo for answering my dying wish. He protected Soul Society. He saved all of us. All he asks of me in return is that I look out for his friend, who it seems, was swept up in Ywach's plans."

"And you believe that about Ishida-san?"

"I learned from Urahara Kisuke that Ywach did, indeed, use his Auswhalen ability to steal power back from quincies he deemed lesser. Both Ishida and Ichigo's mothers died as a result of that action. Also, I know that although Ishida fired arrows at Ichigo and his friends, at no time did he engage Gotei forces. Ywach was using him in some other way. It suggests that Ishida wasn't the only one who was dubious in his intent."

"I don't know," Shunsui sighed, "It's a murky situation, but I will also put in a word of support for Ishida-san."

Byakuya's eyes widened slightly.

"You will?" he asked, sounding surprised.

"Sure," Shunsui chuckled, "The humans are pretty good people mostly. Those kids make a lot of noise and get into trouble, but I agree with you that if Ishida-san was with the enemy, it was to avenge his mother."

"Thank you, Kyouraku soutaichou," Byakuya said respectfully, "I appreciate your willingness to assist me in this."

"It's no problem."

Byakuya's eyes scanned the room, then returned to look at Shunsui again.

"Soutaichou, I would like to request your permission to return to Soul Society with Ichigo and Uryu. I have heard that the facilities at the fourth division took damage and they are over capacity. I can have these two treated at Kuchiki Manor."

"You and I will both return with these two," Shusui answered, "and it would be very much appreciated if your family would care for Ichigo. But you know that Central 46 will order Ishida-san brought to the compound and placed in containment."

"You can't let them put that young man in a cell in the state he is in," Byakuya objected, "He will die, Soutaichou. Perhaps Central 46 doesn't care about his life, but I owe Ichigo, and he asked me to protect Ishida."

"Take it easy, Byakuya-san," Shunsui said soothingly, "I understand you're doing this for Ichigo. I'll help if I can, but we are expected to turn Ishida over to Central 46. It's the law. Don't worry, Inoue-san will make sure he is stabilized. I won't let him be moved until he is, all right? Why don't you help get Ichigo onto the tenchurren and ready for the trip back? I will watch over Ishida-san and Inoue-san."

"Of course, Soutaichou," Byakuya said, turning away and following as Ichigo was lifted and carried into the transport.

Settling at the shinigami substitute's side, Byakuya took one of Ichigo's hands in his and closed his eyes.

"I will keep the promise I made to you," he said softly, "just as you kept your promise to me. You have acted as a friend to me, and I will treat you with the same consideration. Don't worry, Ichigo, I will find a way to extract Ishida Uryu from Central 46 custody."

He inhaled in surprise at feeling soft pressure on his hand and seeing Ichigo's pained eyes open and focus on him.

"Thanks, Byakuya," Ichigo sighed wearily, "You're a good friend."

"As are you," Byakuya said solemnly, "Rest now, Ichigo. You will be all right, but you need to focus your efforts on healing."

"I will," Ichigo promised, "I feel like things are in good hands. I trust you. I know you won't let Uryu or me down."

"I will keep my promises to you."

"That means a lot to me," Ichigo whispered weakly as he drifted back into unconsciousness.

Byakuya looked up as Orihime arrived with several healers who bore Uryu on a stretcher.

"You have stabilized him?" Byakuya inquired.

"I did my best," Orihime said worriedly, "and he is stable for now, but...there's something strange about him. I felt it when I was healing him."

Byakuya glanced warily at the unconscious quincy.

"Can you describe what you felt?" he asked cautiously.

"Well, at first, it felt like a reiatsu echo of some sort. I've felt them before and it was kind of like that. But this felt different too. And even though I was able to stabilize him, there was something not right about his reiatsu. It felt like his, and yet not his too."

Byakuya's grey eyes darkened.

"Inoue, do you think that the quincy king may have done something to him? That he may have corrupted him in some way? It is very important that we know."

"I'm not sure," Orihime said shaking her head, "I wish I knew, but..."

"It's all right. Thank you for healing them."

"I healed Rukia and Renji too!" Orihime said, brightening, "They and Sado are all going to be fine."

"That is good news," Byakuya said approvingly, moving away and taking his seat as the tencurren rumbled to life.

He kept his eyes trained on Ichigo and Uryu as the transport was launched and sent flying back down to Soul Society.

This is going to be difficult. I will have to inform a few of my contacts in Central 46 to watch out for him, or Ishida is likely to be neglected or abused as he awaits the council's decision. I will have to work quickly if I am going to convince them to release him into my custody. I am sure I can get witnesses to attest to his mother being killed by Ywach. The revenge motive for joining the Vandenreich is plausible. I just need something more that will push the odds more into my favor. I think when we arrive home, I will have to have a look at the exact wording of the laws that govern this situation. There is a way to have the law on my side, and I will find it.

He gazed down at Ichigo's troubled sleeping face, remembering again all that Ichigo had done for him.

I won't let you down, Ichigo.

I will find a way...