Chapter 4: Die by Your Will or Mine
Renji froze as Byakuya's hand took hold of the front of his shihakusho and the commanding gray eyes sought his. He stared at the sight of Byakuya, dressed only in his shihakusho, his hair unbound and rippling in the cold breeze, his kenseiken, ginpaku kazahana no uzuginu and haori all abandoned and Senbonzakura gripped in his strangely bare, ungloved hand.
"Renji, remember your promise!" he hissed sharply.
Then the noble's lips fastened on his for one lovely, breathtaking moment, before Byakuya broke away, at the same time shoving Renji in Rukia's direction. Renji heard the rising screeches of attacking hollows and knew better than to hesitate.
"Rukia!" he cried, flash stepping to her and drawing his sword.
"Go!" Byakuya cried as Yoruichi began to open the garganta, "I'll hold them off with my senkei!"
Without waiting for an answer, he lifted his zanpakuto, tip down and released it, watching quietly as it sank into the sand.
"Bankai," he said calmly, "Senkei, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."
"Brother!" gasped Rukia, turning towards the noble.
Renji grabbed her arm and propelled her in Yoruichi's direction.
"What are you doing, you idiot?" she cried.
"Keeping a promise!" he yelled back, holding her tightly against him, and holding Zabimaru ready in his other hand.
Chad and Uryu stood protectively in front of Orihime, Isane and Hanataro, their weapons ready and their eyes on the rising pink swords of Byakuya's senkei.
"Be ready!" Yoruichi told them, "Once the garganta opens, Aizen will probably sense it and he will use his powers to seal it off. You will have to get inside fast or risk getting left behind. If, for any reason, we are separated, you will have to hide out and survive as best you can until we can make contact again."
"What about my brother?" asked Rukia, gazing out to where Byakuya stood, waiting and watching as ceros began to pound the barrier he had created.
"He is obscuring Aizen's view of what we are doing. He is buying us time. Don't worry, Byakuya's flash step will carry him out of harm's way before Aizen closes in. Stand ready, now!"
Rukia and Renji stood with their swords ready as the garganta began to form in the air in front of them. The ground beneath their feet rumbled heavily and loose rocks and shale tumbled down the rocky hills near them and closed in on them.
"Renji!" cried Rukia, drawing her sword, "Dance, Sode no Shirayuki…Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!"
A huge ice blast flared out of Rukia's zanpakuto.
"Bankai, Hihio, Zabimaru!" cried Renji, sending his zanpakuto after the ice blast to crash into the remaining rocks, destroying most of them before they could reach the group.
"El Directo!" yelled Chad, sending a blast after the two shinigamis' to shatter the last of the rocks.
Even so, dust and debris swept over the group, obscuring everyone's view. And before they could recover, they heard an ominous cracking, then a horrid shattering noise that could only mean that the hollows were breaking through even Byakuya's bankai level power.
"Senkei, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi!" cried Byakuya, detonating the senkei and sending a hard blast of petals through the incoming hollows.
"Run!" called Yoruichi desperately, "Quickly, before the garganta is sealed!"
Uryu turned and saw Orihime's slim outline. He reached out and swept her up, then ran for the garganta. Chad followed, grabbing Hanataro around the waist and dragging him along as the healer howled in surprise. Renji held Rukia tightly against him and dragged her, kicking and screaming, to the garganta, where he waited with Yoruichi as Isane Kotetsu flash stepped by. Renji saw Byakuya's silhouette appear out of the dust and gave a sigh of relief.
"Everyone's here! Let's go!" cried Yoruichi, leading the rest into the garganta.
As the last of the group ran inside and slid to a stop, she turned back and sealed the garganta, locking out any pursuit.
"They won't be able to follow through this opening," she told them, "But they can open other doorways and search the underground caverns for us. We need to get out of here and back to Kisuke's hideout. Come this way!"
They ran along the dark passageway with Yoruichi making a pathway of bright reiatsu and the rest following. Renji looked over his shoulder as they ran and spotted Byakuya at the back of the group, remaining close to a straggling Orihime. They turned several corners and ducked into side passages as the sounds of passing hollows reached them. Some time later, Yoruichi slid to a stop and created an exit.
"This is where the exit into Kisuke's hideout is. We'll regroup there, and then, I imagine any captain level personnel will have to…"
She broke off, staring, as Byakuya and Orihime's bodies began to shimmer, then slowly to fade..
"What the hell?" gasped Renji, "Byakuya!"
"Brother!" screamed Rukia, "Orihime!"
Isane gasped and put a hand over her mouth.
"Oh my kami!" she whispered, "Don't you feel it? It's his reiatsu! Sousuke Aizen has taken them!"
"She is right," Yoruichi said in a low, furious tone, "He must have taken advantage of all of the dust and confusion to use his illusions to deceive us in to thinking that Byakuya and Orihime were still with us!"
"We have to go back!" cried Rukia, turning away.
Renji grabbed her shihakusho and held her in place as she kicked and hit him, screaming at him with all of her might.
"We can't abandon them, damn it! We can't! I am not going to lose my brother and my very best friend! How dare you get in my way, you stupid idiot! MOVE!"
"Stop it!" shouted Renji, shaking her gently to get her attention, "Don't you understand? I want to go after them too! But Byakuya ordered me to get you out of Hueco Mundo and make sure you are safe. And by kami, I'm going to do that!"
He paused for a moment, his chest heaving as he glared down into Rukia's widened eyes.
"But after that's done, I'm going back for him," the redhead concluded.
"You aren't going back to Hueco Mundo," said Yoruichi, "None of us are. Byakuya and Orihime won't be there."
The rest of the group stared at her questioningly.
"If he had wanted to just kill them, he had the power to strike at all of us right there," she explained, "That he let some of us go…and used his illusions that way, suggests that he wanted to take them unaware."
"You're saying that he's going to take them to the spirit dimension, ne?" said Uryu
Yoruichi nodded grimly.
"I don't know why he needs them," she went on, "but whatever the reason, we will not let them stay in Aizen's hands. We're going to go after them! We just need to get to Kisuke so that we can gather intelligence and make a plan."
Renji loosened his grip on Rukia his eyes devastated as the reality of what had just happened, settled over him. He felt a quivering feeling inside as he remembered how tightly Byakuya had held on to him the night before.
It's like he knew…
Damn…
Byakuya…what do we do now?
"Yoruichi is right," said Rukia, "We are going to need Kisuke's help if we are going to break into the spirit dimension and get them back!"
The others nodded in agreement and followed Yoruichi out of the garganta and into the living world.
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"Ulquiorra," Aizen said quietly as he leaned over Orihime's motionless form and removed the silver charm from her throat, "You are to take Orihime Inoue back to the spirit dimension and have her placed in suspended animation. She is to be locked into the tower and under heavy guard at all times."
"Hai, Lord Aizen," the Espada said, lifting the girl and turning to go.
"You want me to bring him?" Grimmjow asked, looking down at the collapsed shinigami at Aizen's feet.
"No," the tyrant king said, following his eyes down to where Byakuya lay facedown in the sand with his shattered blade next to him, "I will see to him. No one is ever to lay a hand on Byakuya. He belongs to me now."
"We should at least seal away his powers, ne?" asked the Sexta Espada, "He is a captain."
Aizen shook his head.
"His powers are inconsequential compared to mine. There is no way that he will ever be a danger to me, and in fact, I find a strong mate to be very attractive. You and Ulquiorra are to make sure that no one enters the tower once Orihime is stored there."
"As you wish," answered Ulquiorra, lifting Orihime and flash stepping away with Grimmjow on his heels.
Aizen turned the unconscious noble onto his back and admired his smudged, but still very comely face, his pouting mouth and lovely tumbled hair.
"Perfect…" he said lifting Byakuya into his arms, "It is time to be on our way. I know you are just dying to know my plans for you. And I assure you, you will be surprised…very surprised."
He flash stepped back through the darkness, proceeding in silence through the crossover point into the Seireitei, then out again and to the dimension wall, where his forces stood guard. He passed through the dimension wall and headed for the palace, pleased that in his short absence, his followers had erased the battle damage and disposed of the bodies that had littered the lovely grounds. He carried Byakuya into the palace and down several long hallways, stopping as he reached the royal baths and stepping inside. He undressed the unconscious noble and himself, then lifted Byakuya again and carried him down into the warm healing waters.
He sat quietly in the shallow water with Byakuya resting, unmoving, in his arms, as Aizen sprinkled handfuls of the healing water onto his pale skin and watched as the markings of battle slowly faded and the noble's skin was restored to a lovely, pristine state.
He had, he remembered, once hated the man for being so very beautiful, but now that he was king over the three worlds, he was entitled to possess anyone he wanted…and Byakuya being the most beautiful among nobles, among all shinigamis, in fact, was his to possess and use as he chose now. He had thought of a thousand ways to torment the greatest of the noble clans' leaders, and a thousand more ways to kill him. Byakuya deserved the pain, deserved to die in some foul way for that he represented the old, corrupt regime, but even though the thought of making him hurt or die was pleasing, if he did kill Byakuya, he would also be throwing away his usefulness. And Sousuke Aizen never overlooked anyone's usefulness, never let a living soul be wasted. He used everyone in whatever way he or she manifested the greatest value, and in that way, he respected all things, even if the way he used them, also destroyed them.
But destruction wasn't what he had in mind for Byakuya…and the noble's death at his hands would, he thought, only be the beginning of that usefulness, rather than the end.
He smiled down at Byakuya's sleeping face, letting his body slide down into the water and carefully suspending him there at the surface, his eyes wandering languidly over the full expanse of perfect, white flesh, the artistry of curves and planes, the variant textures of flowing hair, pearly nails and glowing flesh. Every inch of the man belonged to him now. And once he was perfected, Byakuya would have no choice and no will but to serve him devotedly.
He leaned forward and tasted the noble's sweet lips, then lifted him out of the healing waters. He took his time, dressing them, his eye wandering around the pleasant surroundings and his mind straying to what it would be like to share this place with Byakuya…once he had made the transition…to have someone worthy to stand at his side and to share in everything he had worked so hard to obtain. He smiled and kissed the noble's lips again, then lifted him once more and carried him out of the baths and into the living areas. He took Byakuya into the grandest of the bedrooms and laid him in the large, comfortable bed that had been the former king's. Now, Aizen thought, it would hold the new royal couple, the ones destined to reshape everything the old regime had allowed to become tarnished and dull.
But there was work to do first.
And it would all begin once the noble's dark eyes opened and he came to see his destiny laid out before him.
With a contented smile, Aizen laid on his stomach, watching Byakuya closely as he stirred softly and started to wake.
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Byakuya opened his eyes and found himself looking up at a white ceiling. It seemed jarring, he thought, to find himself in a place that was brightly lit and beautiful, tranquil in contrast to the dark, ominous atmosphere that had been in Hueco Mundo. And as his eyes moved slowly, taking in the richness and beauty of his surroundings, he knew that there was only one place that he could be. He tried to move, to sit up, but it seemed as though a heavy weight had been laid over him and he hadn't the ability to sit up. He turned his head one way and studied the rich décor around him, then turned his head the other way and found himself looking at Sousuke Aizen.
"You look surprised," commented the new king as Byakuya blinked and brought him into full focus, "Why? You knew who it was who took you down in Hueco Mundo."
"I did," agreed the noble, "but I am surprised because I had heard stirrings of what happened…that you changed as you evolved. And your hair is longer and your eyes are oddly different, but I had thought that your evolution would have changed you more."
Aizen smiled and nodded.
"It did, actually," he admitted, "But I prefer to look this way. And having achieved victory, I needn't use my fighting form. I think, in fact, that form was a shade too frightening. This one is more pleasing to the eyes, ne?"
"Why did you bring me here?" Byakuya asked abruptly, "I know you sought to destroy the noble clans along with Central 46 and the Gotei 13."
"And I have destroyed them, Byakuya. I imagine you expected that since I did not kill you immediately, that you would wake in a dark cell and be tortured?"
"Something like that," the noble admitted quietly.
"And yet, you have awakened to find yourself lying in the grandest room of the palace, in the most comfortable bed here. An odd thing, ne?"
"Yes, although as beautiful as my surroundings might be, they are little reassurance. Torments can take place in any environs…and perhaps you enjoy some irony."
"Perhaps, but that is not why I brought you here, Byakuya."
"So if I am not to be killed and you did not bring me here to torture me, then what is it you plan for me?" Byakuya asked in a surprisingly collected tone.
Aizen smiled.
"Who said that I was not going to kill you?" he asked, smirking.
"So you are going to kill me, but wish to enjoy doing so at your leisure?" the noble concluded.
"In a manner of speaking," Aizen said, looking into his eyes, "But the death I plan for you is really not what you think, Byakuya. It is merely a doorway you must pass through…on the way to becoming something more."
He slipped his hand into his shirt and removed the hogyoku from its place in his chest.
"You see," he said softly, "While I have achieved most of my goals and have ascended to the throne, I have also decided that I do not wish to lead the three worlds on my own. So, I sought you out. Being the most beautiful and powerful shinigami, other than myself, you were the most appropriate choice to be my royal consort."
"I would rather die," Byakuya said, frowning.
"Oh, you will," promised Aizen, "but when I wake you from death, Byakuya, the hogyoku will give you your transcendent form…and you will find, I think, that a union with me is a bit more attractive. I think you will be happy enough to bind yourself to me and bear my children."
"Sousuke Aizen," said the noble, his eyes darkening, "I can promise you that I will never find the idea of being bound to you attractive. And I will end my own life rather than to allow you to corrupt me with your demon spawn!"
Aizen watched silently as Byakuya's power flared around him. And the noble frowned in confusion at how he was bound so tightly, yet his powers flared so readily.
"You look confused," said Aizen, looking mildly sympathetic, "Let me clear things up for you. Byakuya, it doesn't matter how you die, whether by my hand or yours. All that matters is that you will die somehow, and when you do, the hogyoku will bring about your transformation. So kill yourself if you want to. It doesn't matter. You will serve my purposes either way. You haven't the power to overcome me, nor to break the bonds I have placed on you. So you might as well cooperate. Now…if you are going to insist on killing yourself, you should reconsider. I have a much less painful way in mind, but do as you will. You have about thirty second to decide and at that point, I will kill you, so think, but think quickly."
His smile widened as Byakuya's power rose up and wrapped around the noble, preparing to send himself into oblivion. He shook his head and extended a hand over his captive, watching Byakuya's eyes flare and his expression turn deadly as his power slowly faded.
"You don't like relinquishing control, do you?" he chided the noble gently, "but as I do not actually want you to suffer as you die, I will take over from here."
He froze Byakuya in place, not allowing the furious words to leave his lips. He opened the noble's yukata, and then his own. Byakuya's eyes widened as long, fleshy tendrils rose out of Aizen's spirit centers and closed in on him. There was no pain at all as they breached the shinigami's body and sank down into Byakuya's spirit centers.
Aizen laughed softly.
"You see, you missed your chance," he said, smirking, "Had you managed to kill yourself before I stopped you, we weren't connected, and you really would have died, but now that our spirit centers have been joined, you are subject to the will of the hogyoku."
He reached out and touched the noble's angry face lightly.
"I am a transcendent being," he explained, "and if a shinigami, hollow or living person is exposed to the power of my raw, soul core, it will die…quickly, painlessly. And once you die, your shinigami form will fall away, revealing your soul core. When that happens, the hogyoku will capture your soul core and perfect it. And when you wake you will have your own transcendent form. So enjoy a long, last moment of life as a mere shinigami, Byakuya. You are about to become my royal consort!"