Chapter 4: Demon Cat
Thanks to FlightingPhoenix for inspiring me to continue this! :)
Rukia Kuchiki sat silently in the garden at the Kuchiki family home, her back against a cherry tree, her knees pulled up with her arms wrapped around them. Tears burned in her eyes, but she dared not let them fall. Byakuya wouldn't want her to show weakness. She was trying so hard to be like her brother, to radiate calm in the face of adversity, to show strength even when she felt none, but she wasn't Byakuya, and she couldn't bear the thought that he might never return.
"Rukia," Renji said gently, "you can't keep doing this to yourself. Sitting there suffering like this…it won't bring him back."
"I know, Renji," she whispered, "but I can't help it. He's been gone for three days. You saw all of the blood on Hisana's grave and we all felt his spiritual pressure spike and then disappear. Something terrible has happened to him, Renji. We can't find him. There has been no sign of his spiritual pressure anywhere. We can't even search for him. I can't leave the grounds until the head captain is convinced it's safe. All of the Kuchiki clan and all of the captains are under heavy guard right now. I just feel so…helpless."
Renji sat down next to her and took her hand.
"Come on, Rukia, you know Captain Kuchiki is very strong. He may have been taken captive somewhere, but I know he's alive. He's my captain. Believe me, I would know if he died. We have to believe he's okay. We have to stay calm so that when the time comes, we can be of some use to him."
"But no one is even trying to find him. You know they're all thinking the worst. Meanwhile, he's out there hurt and alone. He's my brother. I should be out there looking for him."
"No, Rukia, you know he would not want that. He would want to know that you are kept safe, that you are protected from whoever attacked him. He wouldn't want you to risk yourself."
He paused, staring intently down at his zanpakuto.
"Me, however, he would expect to at least try," Renji said, rising.
"Renji?" Rukia whispered.
"Yeah, he'd call it reckless, but as I recall, he's been known to be a bit cavalier sometimes, too. Besides, I'm his vice-captain. It's my duty to follow him into battle, to back him up when he needs it. More than that even, I owe him. I owe him for risking his life to save you when Ichigo and I could not."
"Oh Renji! Thank you!" Rukia said, throwing her arms around him, "But where will you start?"
"I think I'll start by finding someone I trust to watch my back…Ichigo Kurosaki. Between the two of us, we should be able to find the captain. And we won't stop until we do! I promise you, Rukia, Captain Kuchiki will come home alive!"
XXXXXXXXXX
Where am I? I can't feel anything now. Such darkness…stillness. It's pushing down on me. It wraps around me and I can't draw a breath. I know I must breathe. I remember her voice telling me I must. I don't remember her face, her smell, her touch, but I remember her voice. It nudges me away from the empty abyss and pulls me back toward sound and light and touch…I can feel it now…I'm breathing…in short, ragged gasps. There is a light around me. Her hands are on my face. I can't open my eyes. My words come out garbled. I hear her speaking, though not to me. Why can't I remember? That voice…her voice…Yoruichi!
"You should sleep now, Yoruichi," Hanataro said, placing a hand on the woman's shoulder.
"I'm fine, Hanataro," she said shortly, her eyes fixed on Shin's face, "He's fighting to stay alive. I have to stay and keep talking to him. I feel like he can hear my voice."
The healer knelt next to her, placing his hands on Shin's chest and bowing his head. Blue light wrapped around Shin, pulsating slowly.
"Well, something's working," Hanataro assured her, "He's getting stronger. He's trying to open his eyes, but he can't get them to open. He's frustrated. He doesn't remember what happened or where he is…but you're right about something. His thoughts are very focused…on you."
"How do you do that?" Yoruichi asked wonderingly, "You Squad 4 healers are amazing, Hanataro!"
"It's empathy, mostly. We may not be great fighters, but we have our own kind of strength. We understand how others think and behave. That's how we stay out of trouble. It's how we keep them alive."
"Hanataro, Shin would be dead already if it weren't for you…your quick thinking and your knowledge. I know Orihime provided power and Ichigo spirit particles, but we wouldn't have known how to save him if not for you," Yoruichi said, her eyes moist, "Do not ever again doubt yourself, because tonight you have proven yourself."
Hanataro blushed.
"I…I don't know what to say," he stammered, "I was just doing my job. Patching up the fighters…that's what my squad does."
Yoruichi raised her eyes and caught his meaningfully.
"What you did tonight was no small feat, not just because of whose life you saved, but how you managed it. Thank you, Hanataro. I assure you, I will never forget it…nor will I let him forget it either."
Hanataro bowed his head.
"Please," he said softly, "It was nothing."
"I think you've already guessed that he means something to me."
The healer's eyes remained lowered.
"I wasn't sure, but I thought so. I don't know if it's right for me to say so, but…he…"
"Stop, Hanataro. I know you're trying to help, but his thoughts are his own, just as mine belong to me. Though I have a feeling I know what you were going to say anyway. It just goes to show how little things have changed between us these past hundred years."
Both fell silent for several minutes, listening to Shin's steady breathing, watching the rise and fall of his chest.
"Will you tell him?" Hanataro asked finally.
Yoruichi sighed, "I don't know, yet. But, thanks to you, he'll live long enough for me to figure that out."
XXXXXXXXXX
I feel the weight of those eyes again…the eyes that never leave me. They are golden and shining like the stars in the autumn…under the harvest moon. They wrap around me. They call to me. My eyes refuse to open, but I can still sense her closeness. I hear her voice often. She speaks softly and touches my face. Her hands are cool and as soft as cherry blossoms. Why do they feel so familiar? Why does everything about her feel so familiar? Sometimes I can hear her crying softly. It's the only thing about her that isn't familiar to me…
"Byakuya, can you hear me?"
Yes, I hear you now.
"Byakuya?"
You sound like you're afraid. Are you afraid that I am dying?
"I need you to hear me, Byakuya. I need you to wake up."
I'm trying.
"I feel like you're trying to awaken. I don't know how to reach you."
You can't do this for me, Senpai, but…I feel you there.
"Do you remember when we were young, Byakuya? Do you remember when I used to come to play with you? Do you remember how angry it used to make you when I'd come…how I'd tease you and bait you until you became enraged? I want to make you angry, Byakuya. I want to feel your rage, because your rage makes you powerful. It could make you powerful enough to come back."
You are frightened for me. You've never feared for me.
"I did what I did back then to make you strong. A noble must be strong and Ginrei knew you needed to have great strength.
I am not so strong as you think.
"You are stronger than you know. Use your strength."
I try, but the distance is too hard to bridge. I can't feel my body anymore. Your voice still reaches me, but I cannot answer you.
"You must wake up now, Byakuya. I need you to wake up. You asked me to help you and I promised to see that you returned home safely. You promised in return that you would fight to live. Fight, Byakuya."
I want to. I want to live. I feel my breathing, now, the slow beating of this weak human heart. My body feels heavy and slow. I need to focus…I must find a way to make my body move.
"Byakuya,"
Don't cry. I'm not trying to frighten you. I'm reaching for you. You're somewhere in the light that is beginning to reach me. I feel warmth returning. I feel lighter now.
"Please hear me,"
I hear you.
"Say something…Byakuya…"
"Yoruichi," Byakuya whispered, his eyes slowly blinking open in the early morning light, "Senpai…"
"Byakuya," she whispered, lowering her face close to his.
"Where am I?" he asked in a wavering voice.
"You are safe now. We're at Kisuke's, but everyone else is sleeping. We are alone now."
"You've been with me all night. I felt that you were near."
"Yes, I promised I wouldn't let you die. I had no idea you'd make it so difficult for me to keep my promise."
"Rest now, Senpai.," he said, reaching up to touch her face lightly, "I will be all right. I promise, I won't leave you."
"I won't leave you," she said, catching his hand in hers and pressing it more firmly to her cheek.
"Did I say you had to leave?" he said, his dark eyes locked on hers, "I said only that you should rest."
Yoruichi's mouth turned into a slow, dazzling smile. She slipped beneath the blanket and was asleep in moments, her slim form nestled in his arms.
XXXXXXXXXX
"You don't need to follow me around like a puppy, Hanataro," Shin said, glancing at the healer, "I know Yoruichi told you to watch me, but I'm sure she didn't mean every moment."
"Then you don't know her, Shin. She was very clear in her instructions. You were critically injured only a day ago. Your body is still healing. Besides, we have to make sure your human form remains stable until a way can be found to return you to your soul reaper form."
"You're right, of course. This form is so weak…so frail. It amazes me that I can stand on my own," Shin whispered, blinking slowly.
"That's why we're here. The exercise will make you strong again. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. The fresh air is good for you, too. And the scenery is much better than that boring room you were lying in."
"It would be…if it wasn't so fuzzy," Shin said, pausing and leaning briefly against a tree.
"Wait, let me see your eyes," Hanataro said, raising a hand to Shin's face.
He gazed intently into the youth's eyes.
"Shin, this isn't your body adjusting to life. You're simply near-sighted."
"What?" Shin asked, staring.
"You're near-sighted. It's a human eye condition. You just need glasses."
"Perfect," Shin sighed, "My eyes are as weak and flawed as the rest of me."
Hanataro dug through his pockets and removed a pair of glasses. Checking Shin's eyes again, he focused his power on each lens, altering them slightly. When he finished, he held them out, offering them to Shin. Shin reached out and took them, setting them slowly in place.
"Is that better?" the healer asked.
"That is much better, thank you, Hanataro," Shin said looking around slowly.
"It will take a day or so for you to get used to them," Hanataro continued.
"Hmm," Shin muttered, stepping away.
They continued walking down the park trail, heading toward the river. Hanataro continued to make occasional comments, trying to entice him into conversation, but Shin withdrew into himself, his eyes distant.
I'm so weak that she has a Squad 4 healer who can protect me when I can't protect myself. I'd feel insulted if I didn't know she was right.
"You need to stop feeling sorry for yourself," a woman's voice said from somewhere behind him.
Shin turned to face Yoruichi. She studied him for a moment, smiling to herself.
"What do you expect, Senpai?" he asked softly, "Everything about me is weak. This healer could defeat me in battle, without even a zanpakuto. You know this."
"I know no such thing, Shin. I do know that you need to stop beating up on yourself. You have more than enough enemies wanting to do that for you. All you're doing is playing right into their hands. Give yourself a break. You nearly died last night. Stop worrying about what you cannot do. Focus on increasing what you can do. It's much more productive."
"Do I look like I care what you think, demon cat?" he said irascibly.
"Actually you do care quite a bit. That's why you're loosing your anger on me. Go ahead then, Shin, vent. Anger seems to be the spark that most easily touches off your power. Use it. Use it to make yourself strong again."
"Do you ever shut up?"
She turned swiftly, throwing a well-aimed punch at his face. His hand rose immediately and caught it, just inches from its target.
"I never give up…and I won't let you either," she said sharply, "You don't frighten me."
"I did last night."
He was immediately sorry he said it. She looked stricken. Her eyes filled with tears and she turned away.
"I'm always underestimating your capacity for cruelty. You would think I'd learn."
She used her flash-step and disappeared. Shin sat down against a tree and pulled his knees up to his chest. He rested his chin on his knees. Hanataro knelt nearby.
"I don't know why I said that," he said softly.
"You've been through a lot. No one can blame you for being a little cranky," Hanataro commented, not looking up.
"No, she was right. I was deliberately cruel. Why? I don't even understand why. It's understandable that I'm angry. I was taken by force and thrown into this human body, then nearly killed. But Yoruichi has only tried to help me. Why did I have to take this out on her?"
Hanataro stared at the ground.
"I think…that when we're hurt, we try to vent our negative feelings in a safe place. Maybe that's what she is to you, then," he said quietly, "But you know that she feels something more for you. She cares for you."
Shin glanced up at him sharply. Hanataro flinched.
"I care for her, too. I just…can't seem to say it to her. All I seem able to do with any accuracy is to hurt her," Shin mused.
"Emotions are confusing," observed Hanataro, "especially when they appear in people like you and Yoruichi. You two are very complicated."
"Fire and ice," whispered Shin, "Ginrei was right."
"Hmm?" Hanataro asked, raising his eyes.
"Nothing," Shin said, rising slowly, "I just think I'd better find her and see if I can't make this right. Did you see which way she went?"
"She headed for the river."
"Of course. That makes sense."
He started forward, dimly aware of Hanataro's soft footsteps behind him. In moments, he was entering the park. The sun shone brightly on the water, flashing and twinkling on the water's surface. Near it's edge, Yoruichi stood alone, staring into the water. She remained still, not looking up as he approached. Hanataro dropped back, waiting until he was sure they were going to stay together there, and then turning back toward Kisuke's. Byakuya closed the distance between Yoruichi and himself slowly, his dark eyes clouded. He reached her and touched her gently on the shoulder. She remained facing away from him. He put his hand on her shoulder, turning her slowly to face him. She was pale, but her eyes were dry now.
"You are right," he told her, "I can be cruel. I don't know why I said what I did. You were only trying to help me. I let my frustration get the best of me and I took it out on you. I was wrong to do that…and I am sorry, Yoruichi."
"You've always been that way," she said, not meeting his eyes, "I don't know why I expected this time to be any different…but then, you've never apologized before. Why apologize now, Byakuya?"
"What I said to you never seemed to have so much of an impact on you. You brushed it off as if it was nothing before. What has changed, Senpai?"
She raised her eyes, barely meeting his and he was struck by how much pain he saw in them.
"We have," she said softly, "We aren't children anymore, Byakuya. We aren't training and playing games at home in the Sereitei. Reality is harsh. Someone tried to kill you last night. I sat there all night wondering if I was going to have to watch you die. Your enemy is still out there. Your life is still in danger. I want to help, but I don't know how. I just don't want you to give up. You have to stay strong! You have to…to stay alive."
"Why, after all the cruelty I've shown you, are you still so worried about what happens to me?" he asked, stepping closer to her.
"I've always cared for you, Byakuya…but it's only been since you came here that I thought you might feel something for me. I guess I had that wrong."
"No," he said, placing an arm around her, "you weren't mistaken…but you don't want to waste your time caring for me. It's an invitation to disaster. You should know better."
His arms closed around her and she rested her head on his shoulder. He rested his chin on the top of her head and closed his eyes.
"You're right," she breathed softly, "I should know better…and you should too."
"I'll make a deal with you, Yoruichi," he said, tilting his head to catch her eye, "I promise not to give up on myself, no matter how weak and pathetic I feel, but I want to see you strong again as well. You've been so afraid for me. I don't want you to fear for me anymore. We need each other's strength to get through this. I've been thinking for some time that Ginrei knew we would need each other. He had some sense of this early on, so he encouraged you to come and toy with me. All the time he was thinking ahead to a time when he wouldn't be here…when I would lead the Kuchiki clan…when I would need great strength to survive. He saw something in you, as well. He saw that you brought out my strength and gave it a focus. It was a game back then, but now our survival depends on it. I know I cannot face this battle with Kiyoshi and Amaya without you. With our combined strength, we can do this."
"All right then," Yoruichi said, the determination coming back into her voice, "If you need my help, then you will have it. I would give you more time to heal if there was a choice, but the walls are closing in on us. We are running out of time. You have to start building up your strength. Before we begin, I want to give you something."
She slipped a pendant and chain out of her pocket and clasped it into place around his neck. Byakuya lifted the small blue gem pendant into the light, losing himself momentarily in its glittering facets.
"What is this for?" he asked, letting it drop back onto his chest.
"It's a sort of focus point for building up spiritual pressure. It will help you to use your soul reaper abilities without putting so much strain on your human body. Don't get too excited, because it isn't very strong. It will allow you to sense when Amaya is near. You will see her and hear her. She will lose that advantage. How much more you can do is going to depend on you. With work, you may be able to release simple kidou. If you try really hard, you might be able to do a flash step or two. But be careful. If you exceed its ability to channel power, you will weaken and lose consciousness. And don't try to summon Senbonzakura…you'd probably kill yourself. Stop giving me that look, Kuchiki! I don't care if it does bend the rules of the Sereitei slightly. You need this!"
"Did you say, bends the rules slightly?" he asked, his eyes narrowed, "Do you have any idea…"
"Shut up! You are going to wear it and use it to protect yourself, end of story! Right now, I can kick your ass if I want to, so you don't have a choice."
"You will pay for this, demon cat," he said, revealing just the trace of a smile.
"I look forward to it," she snapped, "Now, I think we should start by working on some basic reaper abilities. First, try some simple kidou. See what happens."
Byakuya lifted a hand, "Hado #1," he said, pointing at Yoruichi, "Shou."
Almost immediately, Yoruichi was thrown backwards, landing unceremoniously on her backside. She leapt to her feet, eyes blazing and flash-stepped to his side, only to find that he had flash-stepped as well and was standing behind her. Yoruichi turned, staring in surprise. A moment later, Byakuya doubled over, gasping and dropping to one knee.
"Serves you right, idiot!" Yoruichi said in disgust, "I told you that it isn't very strong. It was enough of a strain doing kidou without incantation. There's no way that you should be able to do flash steps yet. I don't understand."
"Do you…understand…that I…can't breathe?" Byakuya managed, still doubled over, "It's…like my chest…is on fire."
"Your spiritual pressure is fluctuating, too," said Yoruichi, dropping to one knee beside him.
"I know. I can feel it," he replied.
"Okay, we'll stop for now, but I think we've learned something important. Byakuya, your human body is not strong enough to take the strain of the spiritual pressure when you use your stronger soul reaper abilities…and your soul reaper powers are far stronger than they should be. You will need to be very judicious in your use of soul reaper abilities."
"But what good is it to be able to use stronger power if that power will just damage my body?" Byakuya asked, his voice tinged with anger.
"Think of it this way," Yoruichi suggested, "It may be that your body's tolerance for soul reaper ability will strengthen with time and practice, but, Byakuya, it is also possible that, although you are accustomed to life as a fighter, a protector, your ability to fight has gone from being a given to being a last resort. Like it or not, you might have to depend on others to fight for you and conserve your abilities for use only when all else fails."
"And how do I know which of these is true? If I test my abilities to find the answers, I may weaken myself to point of uselessness. That is what you are saying, isn't it?" he asked, his eyes clouded with frustration.
"Trial and error is out of the question. It is obvious that my trip to the Sereitei must happen quickly. Hopefully, the information will be there. I will leave the day after tomorrow. While I am gone, I want you to be extremely careful in your use of reaper abilities. Focus, instead, on building your physical strength so that your body can better tolerate soul reaper power. You should also test your skill with a sword. Kisuke has a training room downstairs that should be ideal for all of this," she suggested.
"You want me to train with Kisuke?" Byakuya asked, obviously unhappy at the thought.
"I do, but if you do that we can expect to run into Ichigo frequently. He trains with Kisuke as well. We already have a cover story. I actually think training with him would be beneficial."
"No," Byakuya answered firmly, "I will not do that."
Yoruichi's eyes narrowed.
"You will do what I tell you to do," she said sharply.
Byakuya's eyes blazed.
"I know you've decided that this human form has rendered me completely defenseless. I might even agree that is true, but it doesn't give you the right to forget who I am," he said in a low, barely controlled growl, "You would do well to remember that, human or not, I am a noble and a captain. I will not be dressed down like a peasant!"
"Byakuya, we need to get something straight, right now. Despite your status as a noble and a captain, right now you are a skinny whelp of a human who couldn't challenge the lowest of hollows. You must regain what abilities you can as quickly as possible. Working with Ichigo is the best way to accomplish that. You are going to have to get that enormous ego of yours under control. As I recall, I made you a promise that we will succeed in this and all I asked was that you trust me. You must trust me in this."
"Yoruichi," he said, turning away, "Trust isn't something that comes easily for me…especially where you are concerned. It was a long time ago, but I remember what it felt like to trust you. I also remember that you were the one who broke that trust," he continued, his voice growing rough and angry, "You were my mentor…you used to call yourself a friend…and I trusted that. So, tell me, was my trust appropriately rewarded? How was I supposed to feel when you disappeared and you were reported dead? How do you think it felt to see you after nearly a century of thinking you were dead? To know that as I…as your family and friends lived in doubt about your fate, you walked away oblivious?"
Yoruichi was silent for a moment. When she did speak again, her voice was softer and filled with poignancy.
"I should have known this was coming," she sighed, "I imagine I deserve it…so let's just dig our way through it, Byakuya. First of all, I didn't walk away oblivious, and believe me when I tell you that I never wanted you to be hurt by my leaving. Honestly though, you made it seem as though you didn't care whether I lived or died. You were always so angry and spiteful. Why would I think that you would feel anything but relief that I was gone?"
"Yoruichi, I was twelve years old, the son of a noble house and you constantly showed nothing but disrespect for me. I was usually angry, and with good reason, but if you think back, the anger didn't last long. Every time, you worked your way past it…just like now. It makes things more difficult because it shows just how easily you push past my defenses, how you undo every barrier I have. You knew you could do that. No one else ever could. You knew that, too. That was why Ginrei chose you to work with me."
Byakuya sighed deeply, closing his eyes and letting the anger drain out of him.
"I know I was difficult, but you were no different. The way we were stubborn and defiant manifested itself differently in each of us, but it was there in us both, just the same. My grandfather called us fire and ice. He used to be quite entertained, though more often dismayed by our antics."
Yoruichi smiled faintly.
"I don't know quite when it happened, but I began to look forward to seeing you. I couldn't say that to you, not then. I couldn't admit it to myself most of the time. Then, just before you disappeared, I had a vision…"
Byakuya halted suddenly, as though he'd given away more than he had intended. Yoruichi put a hand on his shoulder and he turned slowly.
"A vision?"
"I waited for you to come that day, because I wanted to tell you, but then word came from your squad that…"
"That I was gone…likely dead. I see," she whispered.
She took his hand. Byakuya tensed, but didn't resist.
"I was angry, of course…but anger only took me so far, then I started to feel pain. Ginrei saw what was happening. He helped me to understand it…to control it. After that, the anger, pain, or whatever else drove me was submerged. All that was left of my feelings for you was a numbness, a dark corner of my mind shut off from everything and everyone. I used that numbness to mask all of my emotions from then on, providing me with a calm exterior that would hold through anything. The calm exterior became something I could call forth at will. With the bond between us broken, I no longer fought the will of the clan. I trained and became strong. My grandfather was very proud of me. I told myself that I was better off without you. I was stronger with you gone. But it wasn't true."
"Then you met Hisana," Yoruichi said softly.
"You'd been gone for almost fifty years and my achievements were such that none questioned when I was made heir. I was a lieutenant then…and my squad was sent to Inuzuri to investigate reports of strong hollow activity there. Just outside the town, a group of hollow led by two Arrancar was attacking a caravan of merchants. It was overkill, and most were slaughtered before we arrived. We attacked, trying to allow the survivors to run…but the hollows ignored us, allowing us to kill them by the hundreds, while they were still mercilessly killing the merchants as they ran. Finally, the merchants were dead and most of the hollows as well…but, one of the Arrancars attacked from out of nowhere. My Captain wounded the Arrancar, but fell, wounded himself. The healer moved to tend the captain, with a group of defenders around him. I took on the second Arrancar. After a bitter struggle, I defeated him and turned back to learn the fate of my captain. To my horror, all of the squad lay dead, my captain as well, and the other Arrancar was moving toward me. He toyed with me, testing me to look for my weaknesses, waiting to see what I would do. Finally, I realized that he wanted me to attack him. He laughed at me, teasing me with his words, taunting me shamelessly. I felt the old anger then and I wanted badly to move in and finish him. Something in my training…something I learned after you left made me stop and put on that calm, unruffled exterior. The hollow realized he wasn't getting what he wanted from me and he moved forward suddenly, releasing a shower of needle-like barbs. It was then that I first released Senbonzakura's ban kai in battle. It was nearly unintentional. I sensed that the barbs were poisonous and I was far from the Sereitei and alone. Even as the Arrancar fell, I fell too and the darkness closed in on me. The last memory I have is of rain striking my face."
"Byakuya, I never knew about this."
"I've never told anyone the full story. In any case, the next thing I knew, I awoke in a small cave. The storm was raging outside and the cave was icy with cold. Someone was lying next to me trying to use our combined heat to warm both of us."
"This is how you met Hisana?"
Byakuya nodded.
"She explained to me that she found me just as the storm was beginning and that she recognized the poisonous barbs because several townsmen had been poisoned in the same way. Incidentally, the fact that you trained me to fight poisons ended up being the only reason I survived. I was angry about that. I hated relying on what I'd learned from you. Hisana sensed my discomfort and I told her about you. I was surprised by her reaction. She told me…that I shouldn't be angry with you. She also said that it was clear to her that you loved me and that we were lucky to have had each other growing up. We stayed concealed in the cave for a week before the storm subsided, but I still wasn't strong enough to return to the Sereitei.
One morning, Hisana left to get help and she was attacked just outside the cave by a strong hollow. I managed to reach her before she was harmed, but as the hollow advanced, I became disoriented and started to fall. Then I felt Hisana's hands on mine, turning Senbonzakura upward. The next thing I knew, I was on my knees with the hollow impaled on my blade and our hands were entwined and covered in blood. I was stunned. She should have run. She should have been afraid to touch my zanpakuto or me when I was in battle, but it was like she knew no fear. I was confused, because in the cave she had been so gentle and compliant. I had seen nothing of her courage. I think that was when I fell in love with her. We remained in the cave for several more days and when I was strong enough, we returned to the Sereitei together. We married despite the clan's objections. And…well, you know what happened after that. On our wedding night, we went out together to stand at the top of the cliff near the waterfall by my home. She told me then that she was grateful to you."
"Why?" asked Yoruichi.
"She said that your training was what had made me strong enough to win the battle against the Arrancar and to fight the poison. She also said that if you hadn't left, she wouldn't have become my wife. I didn't think so then, but I do now."
"I'm not so sure you needed my help to win those battles," Yoruichi said, looking away, "You're a strong person with or without me."
"You made me stronger, Senpai, by training, by teasing, even by leaving. Maybe that's why even after the way you left, I want to trust you."
"But, Byakuya, don't you realize…I pushed you over a precipice. I hurt you and because of that, you changed. I changed the path of your life…and not for the better. It's because of me that you shut down and became so cold. Hisana's death may have triggered the events that led to Rukia's conviction and near execution…but you were already broken before Hisana died. I did that, Byakuya."
"My choices were my own. You didn't tell me to deny the pain I felt, to shut out my emotions…to become heartless. I did that to myself! Whatever the forces, whatever the reasons, I took those steps on my own, Yoruichi."
"And what I am trying to tell you is that you shouldn't have had to take those steps alone. You should have had someone to share your pain with…a lifelong friend who could be there for you when you needed it."
"That's a bit sentimental, don't you think? Do you really believe that your presence would have made me respond any differently to Hisana's death?"
"I am saying that I agree with Hisana. If I hadn't left, you probably wouldn't have married her. You mightn't even have met her. You see, I have come to think that Ginrei knew we would connect. I think he wanted us to. Think, Byakuya, what other noble daughter would have been chosen as a possible match for you? There were few, if any other possibilities. Ginrei encouraged us to be together because he knew that we would have few other choices when it came time for us to marry and start families."
"My grandfather wouldn't engage in such obvious manipulation."
"Your grandfather was being kind. By having us together so much as children, he hoped to ease some of our discomfort later when our clans would have started pressuring you to marry me. My disappearance disrupted the future they planned for us. How do you think you would have felt knowing that you were going to have to marry me…like it or not? They would have married us young, Byakuya. They would only have waited until we were both of proper age. Ginrei knew all of that and was trying to make it easier because, like it or not, he had no choice. He was as trapped as we would have been. Our marriage would have been a forgone conclusion, Byakuya. I think none of this surprises you. I think you knew this all along. I think it's at the root of your anger over my leaving. You expected to marry me and I destroyed that. I know I hurt you, Byakuya. Perhaps you thought that what I was really doing…was rejecting you."
Byakuya's eyes were shadowed. Noting his silence, she continued.
"Byakuya, I truly wasn't running away from you. You know that Kisuke was in serious trouble. You also now are aware that he was framed by Aizen and unjustly accused. I was only trying to protect him. I didn't realize what it did to you. I know it's late in coming and it's not nearly enough, but Byakuya, I am sorry!"
Byakuya's eyes blinked slowly and he looked away.
"I enjoyed being with you back then," she went on, "It wasn't exactly easy being a captain at such a young age. I didn't always feel like the others fully accepted me. I suppose that's why I took such delight in tormenting you. It was a way that I could feel more powerful than I was. It was…wrong of me, really. You know, once we got past the anger, you were like my best friend. Remember when the tree fell and you used your flash-step and pushed me out of the way?"
"Yoruichi, don't rewrite history," Byakuya said softly, "That tree didn't fall on its own. You made it fall. Why?"
She colored slightly. Byakuya turned to face her and put a hand under her chin, lifting it until her eyes met his.
"Why did you do that?" he asked again.
"I just wanted…" she began, and then faltered.
He moved closer.
"What was it that you wanted?"
Yoruichi took a breath.
"I had…to know…if you really hated me…or if…" she breathed.
"Shall I answer that question?" he asked, gazing intently into her eyes.
He lowered his face to hers, engaging her lips in a tender, lingering kiss. Yoruichi froze, her heart racing. As the kiss intensified, his hand slowly crept to the back of her head and deftly pulled the red hair tie from her hair. Her ponytail dropped, sending her hair falling into her eyes. In that moment, he disappeared.
"You idiot!" she yelled after him, "You're going to kill yourself!"
She flash-stepped after him, barely able to see him ahead of her. He evaded her several times before she spotted him disappearing behind a tree. She flash-stepped out of his line of sight and moved in behind him. He barely had time to register her movement before she took him to the ground with her, pinning him beneath her.
"What, exactly, were you thinking?" she said reprovingly, "You know you shouldn't use your reaper abilities, especially not when it isn't necessary."
"It was easier that time," he assured her, "besides, I had to get you back for all the times you did that to me."
He pushed her gently aside and sat under the tree, resting his head on his knees.
"Yoruichi," he said softly, "You say they planned for us to get married and that I knew…or at least suspected. That much is true. But what would have happened if you had stayed? Would we have been happy like that? Maybe you did take me off of the path they had planned for me, but isn't that a good thing? Think about it. I met Hisana. I learned what it means to really be in love with someone. And look at the way we are now. No one is here, forcing us to be together, but we are sincerely attracted to each other. Would we have had that chance if you hadn't left?"
"I still don't know if us being together is such a good thing, Byakuya. We are like fire and ice. I burn you and you freeze me out."
"No…that isn't how I see it," he said, staring straight ahead, "Fire and ice extinguish each other…if anything, we ignite each other."
"But that kind of love can be destructive. It could destroy us, Byakuya."
"Do you think it would? Would we let it?"
"I don't think it's a matter of choice. We are who we are."
He looked down at the red hair tie he still held twisted in his fingers and squinted in surprise. He looked more closely at the hair tie. Yoruichi snatched it from him and wound it back into her hair. Byakuya watched, his eyes intense and alive.
"You know that's mine," he commented, almost smiling, "Thief."
She smiled.
"If you want it, take it back."
He blinked slowly.
"Maybe later. I rather like where it is."
"Now you're trying to flatter me. It's not going to change my mind, though. You're still going to train with Ichigo."
"Must you continue to torment me at every turn?" he asked resignedly, "Fine, I'll train with him, but I still don't want him to know my identity. Please, leave me at least that much of my pride."
"Pride?!" she exclaimed, "You are stuck in a human body, a soul reaper on your tail, and you are worried about your PRIDE? What is wrong with you? Kuchiki, you need to forget your stupid pride and just worry about staying alive. You will train with him."
"If that is what her cattiness desires," he snapped back, spitefully.
"Shut up, Kuchiki!" she stormed, "You know, I should just let Amaya have you, you arrogant idiot!"
Yoruichi turned on her heel and stormed away. As she left, Byakuya followed her with suddenly calm eyes, his lips curving upward in the faintest of smiles.