Chapter 2: Reflection

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Standing still, I see my face in a mirror. But which am I? Reality or reflection?

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Tetsuya's mind spun in gentle circles, and odd whispers sounded inside. He tried to focus on them, but couldn't make out the words. Neither of the voices seemed to be Sousuke Aizen's. His voice was deeper in tone and always seemed to reach down inside Tetsuya, to latch on to his heart and make it flutter. He was surprised that neither could be Byakuya's tranquil voice. He would have expected that his cousin wouldn't leave his side if he had taken ill. The whispers teased his weary mind, pulling him gently towards them, making him think that they must have come from farther back in time. But even though it had been years, he remembered Naoki's sweet voice, and knew it couldn't be his, nor the prison guards, nor his mother's. He had never heard his father's voice. It left Tetsuya wondering if perhaps it was a feverish echo from a former life somewhere else. It had a feeling of reality to it that refused to be written off as dream. And the two voices send a shiver of uncertainty and fear through him.

It is like I know them, and not in a good way...

He had little time to think about the matter, as consciousness was beginning to return to him. He stirred and groaned, opening his eyes and blinking to make the concerned face of his cousin come into focus.

"Tetsuya."

He blinked again and realized that he was no longer at home, but had been taken to the fourth division. Something in him warned him not to sit up too quickly, so he moved more slowly, and was immediately pushed back down.

"Don't try to get up. Your reiatsu dropped to a dangerously low level and you have only just been infused. You need to rest. I have already informed Councilor Yukimura of your illness. He said that you should take all of the time you need and get well. He can manage well enough until then."

"B-but, I have only just returned to full duty," Tetsuya said, brushing the hair away from his eyes, "I was absent for weeks while I recovered from my abduction, and I was forced to only work for short periods for weeks after that."

Byakuya sighed.

"It may be that your use of your divine powers drained you even more than we thought that it did. That, or Captain Unohana is investigating whether it might have damaged your spirit centers."

"M-my spirit centers?" Tetsuya mused, "But they were examined afterward and I was given a clean bill of health."

"They were examined," Byakuya agreed, "However, it was only to see that they were functional. They were, but they may not be contracting and dilating properly to manage your reiatsu. If so, then there are treatments. You will be fine. But you need to rest quietly and allow the healers to help you."

""Of course," Tetsuya said, nodding and falling back against the pillows, "I am sorry, Byakuya. I didn't mean to worry you. I will do whatever Captain Unohana thinks is best."

"Good," Byakuya said, squeezing his hand and meeting his gaze affectionately, "Then, I must leave you for a time. I need to confer with the council about some rumors of trouble in the spirit dimension."

"Trouble?" asked Tetsuya, "What kind of trouble?"

"I am not sure," said the clan leader, "As you know, when the old king died, he did not have a direct descendant, as his consort was killed before she could give birth to the heir."

"I remember reading about that in the clan histories...how they eventually found her body, but that there was no sign of what had happened to the baby. It was much like the living world story of Anastasia, except for the overthrow of power."

"Well," said Byakuya, "There have been several claims made since then, people claiming to be the lost heir, but none of those claims have ever proven true. And when the old king died, the crown passed to a lesser relative. He married and impregnated his male consort, but unfortunately, the consort miscarried and there are rumors that he is dying."

"That is terrible," Tetsuya said, concern filling his blue eyes, "I hope that it is not true."

"As do I. But in addition to rumors of that, others say that the consort's illness is due to a curse, because of the king not being the rightful heir, or that he might have been poisoned. A group of royal investigators asked for me to provide what information I can, as I am the keeper of our family's archive, and the old king's consort was from our clan."

"I see."

"I will try to conclude my business in time to visit you again before it becomes too late, but I may have to wait until morning to come to you again."

Tetsuya smiled.

"I will be fine, I assure you," he said looking up at his cousin, "I will follow Captain Unohana's instructions to the letter. I promise."

"Very well," said Byakuya, rising, "Then, I am off to council. I will see you later, Tetsuya."

"I will be here," the younger noble answered, smiling wryly.

He watched Byakuya leave, then looked out the window with a bored expression.

I've spent so much time in bed lately, I can barely stand it. I don't feel sick. I don't feel weak anymore. I want to get out of this place. I don't like hospitals. They remind me too much of the infirmary at the prison.

The door opened and a healer entered the room, but Tetsuya barely noticed. He approached the bed and greeted Tetsuya quietly, then began to check his vital signs. He placed a hand on the young noble's pale breast, then began to slide it downward.

"Wh-what?" Tetsuya said, blinking.

Then, he realized.

"Sousuke!" he hissed, his eyes widening, "You can't come in here! Captain Unohana will be coming in to see me as soon as my test results come in. She is frighteningly powerful."

"Yes," agreed his lover, leaning over to kiss him, "She was not quite so fooled as everyone else was when I faked my death. She sensed something not right with the body, though she couldn't place what it was."

"Well, I am sure that by now, she can scent you a mile away. You have to leave!"

"I wanted to make sure that you were okay. I was worried, anata."

Tetsuya smiled nervously.

"I am fine. But I won't be if you get yourself caught! You take such chances, Sousuke!"

"Mmmm," sighed Aizen, thrusting his tongue into the younger man's mouth, "You are worth it."

"Don't say that!" Tetsuya exclaimed, pushing him away, "I would die if you were caught because of me!"

"Well then," said Aizen, smiling warmly, "We would die together, ne?"

"Sousuke, that's horrible!" Tetsuya snapped, trying unsuccessfully to evade another penetrating kiss, "Get out of here!"

"You really want me to go that badly?" Aizen teased him, "Very well, I will go. But I will be back tonight. I just have a few things to take care of first."

"You can't spend the night with me. Aside from the fact I'd get no actual rest, I'd be worried every second about Captain Unohana coming in unexpectedly."

"Oh, I will wait until she has gone home. I won't be caught."

"You had better hope not," Tetsuya said, frowning, "You are awfully reckless, Sousuke. You need to remember what they would do to you...and to me, if you were caught."

Aizen touched his face lightly and sighed affectionately.

"I won't let anything happen to either one of us," he promised, "But neither will I go to sleep tonight without you in my arms. Aishiteru yo, Tetsuya."

Tetsuya blushed sweetly.

"Aishiteru yo," he whispered, yielding to a final, passionate kiss.

He watched as Aizen left, then dropped his face into his hands.

"I can't believe he did that. Sousuke..."

The door opened again and he smiled and shook his head.

"Did you forget something?" he asked.

Then, he found himself looking at Captain Unohana.

"Oh...my apologies," he said, his blush deepening, "I thought that you were...B-byakuya."

The healer looked around.

"I thought he would be here to hear the results of your tests. He was very concerned."

"I know," said Tetsuya, "He was, but some clan issues required him to return to the manor. I will inform him as to my test results later."

Captain Unohana sat down in a chair next to the bed and looked down at his chart.

"Are you sure that you do not wish to wait for your cousin to return?" she asked softly.

Tetsuya's heart skipped a beat.

"Why? Is there something that bad that is wrong with me?" he asked quickly.

"Actually, you are not ill," the healer explained, "though I can see why the clan healers were confused. Your condition is very rare."

"M-my condition?" said Tetsuya, looking confused, "But, I thought that you said that I was not ill!"

"You aren't ill," the healer said, "You are with child."

Tetsuya's eyes went wide and his mouth opened, but he found himself at a loss for words. He was, at once, overjoyed at carrying what he knew must be Sousuke Aizen's baby, but at the same time, he was terrified at what it would mean if it became known.

"I can see that this is very unexpected news for you," the healer said quietly, "I assume that, based on your medical history and information I was given about your recent abduction, that this child could be the child of Sousuke Aizen?"

"I..." said Tetsuya, recalling Byakuya's warning to him never to admit to having a consensual relationship with Aizen, "I don't know who the father could be."

The healer gave him a curious look.

"You have, been intimate with more than one person?" she asked.

Tetsuya took a steadying breath.

"I...don't...remember. Some things about my abduction are unclear."

"But it is documented that you were abducted by Sousuke Aizen, and that he forced you to assist him in destroying the hougyoku. Are you saying that you encountered others...Arrancars or shinigamis who could have fathered your child?"

"Y-yes, I mean no. I don't know," Tetsuya said, growing flustered, "I just do not remember all of what happened to me."

"Which means that the encounter that created this child may well have been non-consensual?"

"I told you. I don't know."

"Tetsuya Kuchiki, do you want to have this child?"

Tetsuya swallowed hard.

"Yes."

Captain Unohana paused for a moment, considering her words.

"I want you to listen carefully," the healer said, meeting his eyes meaningfully, "Should you decide to proceed with this pregnancy, there are some things that you should be aware of. First, as your physician, I am not allowed to discuss your case with anyone unless you give your consent. That means that, although Central 46 rules prohibit any shinigami from bearing the known offspring of a known perpetrator of a capitol offense, it is not my place to report that finding to Central 46 unless they suspect the father is an offender and obtain an order to force open testing."

"Will the pregnancy be noticeable to others?" asked Tetsuya, "Will I 'show' like a woman would?"

"You will probably thicken noticeably around the middle, but as male pregnancies are extremely rare, most will probably write it off as weight gain. You won't get as large as a woman does, because the mechanism of male pregnancy is very different."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that you will not have a physical child growing inside you."

"What?" asked the noble, frowning, "But how...?"

"The child will remain in reiatsu form as it develops. And when it has matured sufficiently to be born, the abdominal wall will begin to lose cohesion over the reiatsu cluster. An opening will form, allowing the reiatsu to pass through and emerge. Then, the cluster will solidify and become the body of the child."

"And once the child is born, he or she will be safe from action by Central 46, ne?"

"Yes, once born, the child will be treated as any other citizen. However, that assumes that Central 46 does not have reason to pursue open testing."

"And how would they know to do that?" asked Tetsuya.

Captain Unohana shook her head gently.

"If it becomes known that you are pregnant, it is documented that you were abducted by Sousuke Aizen in a timeframe in which he could have fathered the child. Another possibility is that an Arrancar could have fathered the child, and as you know, shinigamis are barred from birthing children fathered by hollows."

Tetsuya gazed down at where his hands clenched the bedding and he cleared his throat softly.

"Please tell me honestly. What chance is there that I will get through this pregnancy without it being discovered?"

"Honestly?" said the healer, "There is little chance of that. You live among nobles, and your cousin is extremely powerful and sensitive to your reiatsu. I think it will not be long before he senses it. And there are other very powerful shinigamis, both in your clan and in Central 46, where you work, that will sense the pregnancy at some point. You may be able to hide it for another few months, but I think it will be discovered well short of your due date."

Tetsuya's hands clenched the bedding more tightly and his bit at his lips nervously.

"Captain, you say that the child would be ordered terminated because of Sousuke Aizen's status as a capitol offender?"

"Yes."

"And...what if there was reason to believe that his offenses were...the direct result of illegal activities that were sanctioned and carried out by Central 46's own councilors?"

Captain Unohana's eyes widened and she caught her breath softly.

"If one was able to prove something like that, then Sousuke Aizen would then be labeled a Class 2 offender, one whose offenses may have extenuating circumstances, and so are not punishable as capitol offenses. But you must realize that if Central 46 councilors were involved in covering this up, then you will be in very real danger if the wrong people discover you are digging for information."

"Actually," said Tetsuya, "The ones involved do not remember what they did or what happened because of it."

"What?"

"You cannot repeat to anyone what I tell you, ne?"

"No, I cannot." answered the healer.

"For reasons that I will not go into now, Sousuke Aizen, himself, covered up what happened. The information exists and can be exposed."

"But as soon as it is," said Unohana, giving him a worried look, "As soon as the accusation is made, you know that you will be in great peril."

"My child is already in great peril," Tetsuya said quietly, "I will not rest until I make the way safe for this child."

The healer sighed.

"Then, it seems you are determined to proceed."

"I don't have a choice," said Tetsuya, "I won't sit here and let my child be sentenced to die!"

"Very well," said Unohana, "As I said, I am barred from sharing any medical or related information without a direct Central 46 investigation order. You perhaps have one to two months before the reiatsu will gain sentience. At that point, the father and other very strong shinigamis will be able to sense it. Whatever you plan to do must be completed in that time frame."

"And what will you tell my cousin?" asked Tetsuya.

"I have prescribed a nutrient booster. It is one I prescribe to women who are pregnant, but it is also used to stabilize chemical imbalances in some men. I will tell Captain Kuchiki the truth, that you lost consciousness due to a chemical imbalance that I have treated. As long as you take the boosters as prescribed, your symptoms should be relatively minor...nausea, perhaps some vomiting, weight gain, fluid retention, emotional intensity and minor power flares and fall offs."

Tetsuya nodded.

"Thank you, Captain Unohana," he said softly, "So...am I free to go?"

"Yes," said the healer, "I gave the first booster in an injection, so you may just pick up the pills and you will be discharged with no restrictions. You may return to full duty in your council and your internship at Central 46. But, I advise you to be extremely cautious...and one more thing."

"What?"

"I want you to sign a statement that allows me to speak of what you told me, if anything should happen to you as you investigate this."

"Why do you...?"

"You would want your cousin to know what you were doing if someone acted against you and you were incapacitated or otherwise harmed."

"Ah," said the young man, a shiver passing through him at the thought, "You are right, of course."

The healer took out a sheet of paper and wrote a notation on it, then handed it to Tetsuya to sign.

"Well then, I think you will be wanting to be on your way," she said, her eyes worried, "Do be very cautious in what you do, Tetsuya Kuchiki. I would not want harm to come to you."

Tetsuya nodded and took his discharge papers from her hand, then collected the prescription and scheduled his prenatal appointments before leaving the healing center. He whistled for Arashi and rode quickly to Central 46, eager to avoid contact with his cousin or the father of his child.

I know that Sousuke would be thrilled, but...he was so adamant about not trifling with the past, and despite his love for me, he is not above taking decisions out of my hands if he disagrees with me. No, it is better to keep this quiet until I am ready to go before Central 46. It is better for everyone involved.

He reached the Central 46 compound and passed through security, relaxing more once he was inside and not as likely to be waylaid by his secret lover or protective cousin. He made his way to Councilor Yukimura's office.

"Tetsuya?" the councilor said, looking surprised, "I thought that you were still in the healing center having tests run."

"Ah, they found a chemical imbalance and treated it. I am fine and cleared to report for duty."

He handed the release form to the councilor, who looked it over and nodded.

"Very well, I can certainly use the help. I have mountains of research. I know it is boring, but it simply must be done, and you are very good at finding what others tend to overlook. I would appreciate it if you would spend the rest of the day in the archives, looking up and documenting these references. I need them for council tomorrow."

"Of course."

He took the stack of references and the passkey for the archive and headed down to the archive, in the basement just above the prison levels. He was relieved to find the archive empty except for him.

"Well," he sighed, "I'd best get this out of the way first."

He completed his research in record time, then set aside the gathered materials and looked over at the restricted section. He walked to the entry and stood just outside. Lowering his head and closing his eyes, he invoked the power Aizen had taught him to use for such bits of mischief.

You may use Kyouka Suigetsu to conceal yourself or to use minor illusions at will. Simply invoke his name and he will manifest. You may find that such a skill will prove useful, if not necessary at times, now that we are together.

"Kyouka Suigetsu," he said softly, waiting as the zanpakutou spirit manifested.

To his surprise, Re-kuhime appeared alongside him. He didn't miss the slight blush on their cheeks.

"What are your wishes?" the male spirit asked softly.

"I need to access this part of the archive, but don't wish to bother returning to the office for a pass. Would you mind?"

"Not at all," the spirit said, nodding.

"Arigato," Tetsuya said, smiling as the two disappeared and his way was opened.

He stepped inside and worked quickly, first searching for proof of Yasu's presence on the Central 46 council, a record of their decisions and other related documents.

I shall have to search for where records of Sousuke's assessment and actions taken might be hidden. Some would be here, but some might be hidden amongst certain councilors' belongings.

He looked down at the picture documenting the councilors at the time of Yasu's involvement, then a later grouping from the time of Aizen's betrayal. Several councilors appeared in both photos and had been killed by Aizen.

And some of their belongings might be here...

He continued to search for several more hours, until it was nearly time for Councilor Yukimura to leave for the evening and for the archive to shut down for the night. He concealed the purloined information on a cart he used to carry back the references he had gathered, but stopped at his own small office and moved them to a hidden and locked file cabinet before taking the cart to his superior's office.

"Ah, looks like you have done well," the councilor commented, "It would have taken most folks at least twice the time. You are a wonder, Tetsuya."

"Arigato."

"Go on home," said the councilor, "Get some rest. There is a luncheon tomorrow at the Iitoku manor. I would like you to accompany me."

Tetsuya's eyes widened and his mind fired back into the past.

"Tetsuya, all things in existence are only as strong as their weakest point. I forgot that simple rule of our worlds one time...and I paid dearly."

Tetsuya met his eyes guardedly.

"Are you talking about Yasu Iitoku?" asked the noble.

Aizen's eyes widened and he grabbed Tetsuya by the shoulders and glared down into his eyes. Tetsuya froze, staring back at him and wincing as the older man's fingers dug into his upper arms and his reiatsu swelled until Tetsuya could barely draw a breath.

"Where did you hear that name?" he demanded furiously, "Tell me!"

Tetsuya leaned forward, placing a hand on his chest as he struggled to breathe. Aizen finally seemed to register his distress and calmed his reiatsu, then watched with darkened eyes as Tetsuya pulled away from him and panted heavily to catch his breath.

"How do you know about him?" asked Aizen, "Who told you?"

Tetsuya swallowed hard and looked up at him.

"Y-you said that name in your sleep," he whispered in a shaky voice, backing away on hands an knees and taking refuge in the corner of the cave, "I do not know who he is."

Aizen moved closer to the cornered shinigami and knelt in front of him, taking hold of his chin and staring down into his eyes again.

"No one remembers him," he said softly, "And no one will. I erased his existence...a long time ago."

Tetsuya stared into the deadly brown eyes breathlessly.

"You are never to say that name again," Aizen warned him.

"Of course," Tetsuya answered, "I will be there."

After all, there may be something there...

"Very good. Good night, Tetsuya."

"Good night, Councilor."

Tetsuya left the building and started walking in the direction of Kuchiki Manor, not bothering to whistle for Arashi, but lost in thought. He had nearly reached the manor when an arm wrapped around his waist and tugged him off of the path and into the bushes.

"Wh-what?" he gasped, "S-sousuke, you nearly gave me a heart attack! What are you doing?"

"I was wondering why you were here instead of resting."

"I had a chemical imbalance," the younger man said, smiling, "I am fine now, Sousuke. But I do need to get home and go to bed. I have a lot to do tomorrow."

"Oh no," said Aizen, "I have already sent an illusion on home. You are coming with me."

He lifted the struggling noble into his arms and flash stepped away.

"Sousuke! Sousuke...you are impossible!"

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"You told me to inform you when he began to dig for information?" asked a low voice.

The brown haired man beside the pool of blue water, looked down at the image of Tetsuya and Sousuke Aizen displayed on the mirrored surface.

"Yes," he answered, "And?"

"He has begun to search for information on Yasu Iitoku."

The man looking down into the pool smiled.

"Good. It is nearly time."

"How do you know?" asked the hooded man beside him.

"He would only seek that information if there was reason to try to clear Aizen's name. And only one thing would provoke that. Stay close to him. And when I give the order, make sure you complete it without Aizen present. I don't want him to learn of this...not until it is too late."

"Yes, my lord."