Chapter 2: Mission in Hueco Mundo
"Daddy Bya feed da fish," Hajime requested, pointing into the koi pond excitedly.
Byakuya turned his head to look at the three-year-old who sat perched on his back and was gently prodding the noble's sides with his heels. He started to lift his upper body, but the toddler tightened his legs around his father's torso, laughing.
"I not lettin' you up!" he said, leaning forward and wrapping his arms around Byakuya.
"Hajime," Byakuya said in an amused tone, "How do you expect me to feed the fish if I cannot get up?"
"I hug you first," the boy announced, tightening his arms.
"Very well, arigato…for the hug. Now may I get up? I have to get the fish food."
The toddler continued to cling to his father.
"Not yet. First a story, den food," Hajime demanded.
Byakuya observed him with one eye.
"Hajime, you must make up your mind."
"Story, den food," the toddler said firmly.
"Story?" said Chisaki from the walkway.
She darted out across the garden and sat beside Byakuya on the grass. Takeshi sat on the edge of the walkway.
"Come on," Chisaki urged him, "Dad's going to tell a story."
"I'll listen from here," Takeshi replied, gazing off into the distance.
"What kind of story would you like to hear?" Byakuya asked the children.
"Happy story," suggested Hajime.
"A story about love," said Chisaki.
"Ugh," moaned Takeshi, "can it at least have some fighting? I can't stand mushy stories!"
"Hmm," said Byakuya, thinking carefully, "a love story that is not too mushy with fighting and a happy ending…"
He turned to look at Hajime.
"Hajime, I refuse to tell any stories until you let me up. I simply cannot think properly while being flattened by you!"
The toddler laughed and rolled off of Byakuya's back. The noble sat up, brushing the grass and dust from his kimono. He sat cross-legged with his back against a sakura tree. Hajime climbed onto his lap and leaned against him. Byakuya rested his chin on the top of the boy's head, still thinking.
"This story is one of my favorites from the family histories. It is the story of Isao Kuchiki and the lovely lady warrior, Akane. Isao was a very powerful young soul reaper. By his nineteenth year, he was a captain in the 13 Court Guard Squads. He was always sent on the most important and most dangerous missions, because the head captain knew the young captain would not allow himself to fail in any manner. Like many of our clan, Isao Kuchiki was possessed of pride nearly as strong as his power. But that pride was to be sorely tested. There were many who were envious of the young captain's rise to captaincy. Among them was a strong soul reaper named Mikio. Mikio was of another clan, which competed with the Kuchiki clan for dominance in the Seireitei. To try to best Isao, Mikio hatched a devilish plan to trap the young captain in a dangerous maze. The maze was an ingenious construction that took nearly a year to complete. But it was a terrifyingly effective way of trapping someone strong like Isao. The maze was placed in an alternate dimension with a door that Mikio controlled, so that no one would be able to rescue Isao once he was trapped within. And the maze was filled with dangerous hollows. At the core was a portal back to the Seireitei…but it was guarded by a ferocious monster named Zetsumeite. The plan was dastardly and Mikio was very cunning. He already had a plan for luring Isao into his trap. But there was something he did not know. His sister, the lovely red haired Akane saw his plan and when Mikio sprung his trap, she decided that her brother should not disgrace their family with such a vile act.
Mikio went to Isao and told him that there was an emergency that required his power. A girl, he said, was trapped and surrounded by hollows. Naturally, Isao was determined to save the girl. His pride overcame his good sense and he did not realize that he was walking into a trap. Akane watched as Isao entered the maze and Mikio closed the dimension door, locking the young captain away. He was immediately beset by monsters and had to fight constantly just to stay alive. He quickly realized what Mikio was done, but he couldn't seem to find his way out. Every time he felt he was closer to escape, monsters attacked and lured him away from the core of the maze. He realized he was hopelessly trapped, so he found a corner in which to rest and paused to think about what he might do. Despite his vast knowledge and power, Isao soon fell into despair as he came to realize the hopelessness of his situation. Time after time, he was forced to fight hollow and monsters until he was growing so tired that he didn't know how much longer he could go on fighting. Somehow, he managed to move forward and he found his way to the portal, but there he met Zetsumeite and as weary as he was from fighting the others in the maze, the young captain wondered if he could defeat the huge monster. Still, his pride demanded that he try.
He engaged Zetsumeite in a furious battle. The young captain fought with all of his strength, but as the battle wore on and he was forced to give ground, he was drawn away from the core of the maze…and his only way out. Just when it seemed he must fall from exhaustion, Isao heard a loud battle cry and saw a flash of red pass by him. Someone else was fighting the monster. Bolstered by the realization that he was not alone, Isao found new strength and moved in to help the other bring down the great monster. As they closed in and released their final attacks, Zetsumeite slashed wildly at them. His attack managed to strike them and force them back. Now they were both injured and cornered. Isao looked up at the one who stood beside him and suddenly realized that the one helping him was a young woman. He was so stunned that he nearly dropped his sword. But he didn't have time to think about it. Zetsumeite advanced on them, growling and slashing. He had nearly reached them when the woman took hold of Isao and released her zanpakuto. There was a great explosion all around them, but they were not hurt by it. When the dust cleared, Isao found himself alone, thrown clear of the battle. He wandered the maze, but could not find his way free. Luckily, most of the hollow and monsters had been killed…but he was still hopelessly lost. Finally, he could walk no more and he dropped to the ground. Lost and exhausted, he wondered if he would ever return home again. But then he heard a soft voice.
"Isao," the voice said, "I am here."
To his surprise, Akane appeared in the maze ahead of him. She helped him to his feet and they walked the maze looking for the portal. After much searching, they reached it and found their way back. As they returned to the Seireitei, Isao took Akane's hand and kissed it, thanking her for coming into the maze to stop her brother's plan. Akane's smile was so bright that it stunned poor Isao. He loved her smile so much that he knew he wanted to see that smile every day for the rest of his life. So after they saw that Mikio was suitably punished, they married. And that is why every so often, you will see a red haired child born into the Kuchiki family. They are descendants of Isao and Akane. And their story is a constant reminder that no matter how lost you become, love will find you."
Hajime snuggled close to Byakuya, his eyes drooping as he began to drift off. Chisaki smiled and patted the boy on the head.
"That was a good story," she commented, "he fell asleep smiling."
"It was still kind of mushy," commented Takeshi, rising and stretching.
He turned and walked toward his room. Byakuya's eyes followed his son as he walked away.
XXXXXXXXXX
Renji yawned sleepily as he made his way down the walkway to his and Byakuya's bedroom. Byakuya was already asleep and Renji was surprised to find Hajime sprawled across the other side of the bed. He gently lifted the sleeping toddler and carried him back to his room, then returned to his own room and slipped into bed beside Byakuya. He curled around the noble, pulling the black hair away from his neck and kissing him until he stirred and the dark eyes opened. He turned in Renji's arms.
"I wondered if I'd see you before you left," Byakuya said softly.
Renji chuckled softly.
"You don't think for a minute that I'd leave for a mission without giving you a proper farewell."
"Commendable," Byakuya observed, "but I had thought that we covered both a proper reunion and a proper farewell at the Sixth Division earlier."
"What, that?" Renji said, nipping the noble's lips gently, "I can do way better than that."
"I see," Byakuya replied, burying his face in the redhead's hair and brushing his lips warmly against Renji's exposed throat, "Well then, don't let me stop you…"
"Oh, believe me, I won't," Renji said, pushing the noble down onto his back.
He fastened his mouth on Byakuya's and thrust his tongue inside, at the same time reaching for the tie at his lover's waist. As his hand touched it and started to pull, a sharp, high-pitched squeal sounded somewhere nearby. Byakuya reluctantly pulled free of Renji.
"It's Hajime. I'll see to him."
Renji sighed in frustration.
"He was having night terrors while you were away. Captain Unohana said that they are normal…something to do with his mind developing. You want me to come and help out?" he asked.
"No," Byakuya replied, heading for the door, "You get the rest you need for your mission. I'll be back."
Renji nodded and dropped back down onto the bed. His fatigue warred briefly with the longing ache for intimacy, but fatigue won out and by the time Byakuya returned, Renji was fast asleep. Byakuya sighed and stepped out the double doors into the garden. He stood quietly for a time, gazing up at the large golden-orange harvest moon. As he stood, entranced, a small sound reached his ears. Turning, he moved down the walkway to Takeshi's room and looked in the open door.
The youth was asleep, but was tossing and turning fitfully. He moaned softly and mumbled unintelligible words. Byakuya considered waking him and stepped forward, but as he started into the room, the boy seemed to settle back into sleep. Byakuya waited for a moment to make certain the boy would remain asleep, then stepped out of the room. He caught sight of Renji standing in the garden and walked back to meet him.
"I thought you were coming right back," the redhead complained.
"I did, but you were asleep. I came out to look at the harvest moon and then I heard a disturbance in Takeshi's room, so I went to see what it was."
"Is he okay?" Renji asked.
"He appears to be, but Renji, I still have concerns about him. Takeshi hasn't been the same since losing his cousins. He doesn't say much about it, but it is there, just the same. I am concerned that if he is exposed to battle in Hueco Mundo, this could become worse."
Renji nodded.
"I'm thinking that, too. Should I…arrange for him to stay behind?"
Byakuya thought for a moment, then sighed.
"No…no, I think that might just make him work harder to hide what he's feeling. Just…watch him carefully. While you are gone, I'll consult with Captain Unohana about what we can do for him. She usually has good instincts. She…was correct in her summation about my condition after I returned from Hueco Mundo. I am sure she can help us with Takeshi."
Renji nodded.
"I'll keep a close eye on him," he promised.
"Now," Byakuya said softly, "You should get some sleep before morning arrives. You're going to be fatigued if you don't."
Renji grinned.
First things first," he said, flash stepping forward and sweeping the surprised noble up into his arms, "let's see to that proper farewell."
Byakuya opened his mouth to object, but was instantly silenced by lips that took hold of his and a seething tongue that buried itself in his mouth, effectively distracting him as the red haired captain carried him back to bed.
XXXXXXXXXX
"There are two main lines of defense out here around the base," Renji explained to the group of soul reapers behind him, "There is an alert line and then a heavy kido barrier. This gives us time to prepare a defense in the case of a surprise attack. Attacks can come at any time out of nowhere. When we are in Hueco Mundo, we have to remember that this is the home of the hollow. We are the invaders."
He waved to the guard on the tower above them and the guard nodded and turned to a control panel.
"I've ordered the guard to open a space in the barrier for us to pass through. We are going out to the alert lines to check them. The alert lines are checked every few hours to be certain they are not tampered with. We are going to conduct the first check of the day. Follow me."
He stepped through an opening in the barrier and waited as Takeshi, Chisaki, Shoji, Shoichi and the regular detail stepped through. The barrier closed behind them. They followed the bottom of a hill out from the base until Renji motioned for them to stop. Takeshi reached out with his senses and he could feel the presence of the alert lines.
"We keep the lines lit. We want the hollow to know they are here. It is a good deterrent, because they can't go past without tripping the alarm and they know it. When an alert line is tripped, it sounds an alert and troops are sent to defend the barrier. Inside the barrier, one group of defenders will raise a kido shield as another begins incantations. A third group stands at the barrier, waiting for the hollow to break through. As the barrier falls, the kido group fires the spells, then the fighters engage after that. It is a pretty good method of defense…even if they get off a few ceros."
He stopped for a moment and looked down at the alert line nearest him. Renji's heart froze. It had been broken and the damage concealed somehow. He turned back to the group behind him.
"Back inside," he said, keeping his voice calm, "now."
They started back towards the barrier, but were only halfway there before the hollows began to appear all around them. The group drew their zanpakutos and backed toward the barrier. The hollows screeched and bore down on them. Behind the barrier, alarms were shrieking. Renji motioned to the younger soul reapers.
"Get behind us. This is going to get rough. Now, listen to me. They're going to attack and we'll put up a kido shield. Hopefully it will hold until the barrier is breached and we can pass back through. When the barrier falls, you kids are to run for the base, no questions. You are not to engage the enemies under these conditions in your first battle…understand?"
Takeshi, Chisaki, Shoji and Shoichi nodded. They backed up against the barrier and Renji raised a kido shield around them. The hollows moved forward, closing in on the trapped group and growling menacingly.