Chapter 4 and things get a bit graphic so consider yourself warned.
Hope you guys enjoy this.
The heavy doors to the king's chambers were opened with a loud groan. The noise contrasted with the silence of the room and five pairs of eyes turned towards the new comers. Two prison guards lead a small, white-haired boy into the room. His feet were shackled together with a heavy, iron chain which dragged behind him on the stone floor. Ichigo raised his head and instantly caught Toushiro's eyes. The corners of his mouth flickered upwards, but it was apparent how nervous he was. Ichigo wanted nothing more than to reach out and comfort him; pull him in to a tight embrace and forget the events of the past couple of days. But the situation was too dire for that kind of display of emotions. All the servants had been made to leave the room, except for a few medical assistants. If word got out that they were planning on using magic to heal the king the citizens' attitude towards the rulers would take a turn for the worse. This was a very tricky game that they were playing.
"Toushiro Hitsugaya?" Choujiro asked, walking over to the small boy.
He nodded.
"It is my understanding that you can use magic to heal wounds. Is this correct?"
His eyes widened and he turned to Ichigo; his face paled considerably. Ichigo wasn't sure how to react to Toushiro's gaze. His eyes were filled with a mixture of betrayal and confusion and sent icy daggers through Ichigo's heart and stomach. Ichigo almost leapt to explain the situation to him, but Jyushiro got to it first.
"Don't worry; you're not in trouble, Toushiro. We need your help." The physician said calmly, going over and clasping a hand on Toushiro's shoulder.
The boy nodded. "Yes, I can heal some injuries."
Lord Kuchiki took over at that point. He rose from his position, leaning against the wall near the king's bed, and moved to tower over the boy.
Toushiro swallowed and looked up at the commander. "W-what do you need me to do, Sir?" his voice was suddenly very small and shaky. He must have spied the dried blood on Byakuya's neck. Jyushiro had quickly stitched the wound on his neck while they waited for the guards to bring Toushiro from his cell, but he hadn't had a chance to clean it fully.
Jyushiro noticed the sudden change in his apprentice's behaviour and placed his other hand on his shoulder to steady him.
"King Genryusai has been gravely injured," Byakuya said, folding his arms across his chest. "If he dies; war will erupt amongst the noble houses. You are to save him at any and every cost."
Toushiro's eyes widened even further. "M-me?" he glanced to Jyushiro.
"I've already done what I could and it wasn't enough." Jyushiro said, shaking his head.
"But-"
"You just stated that you can use magic to heal; put this witchcraft to good use and maybe you can clear your name." Byakuya said gruffly.
Toushiro looked around the room before locking eyes with Ichigo for a brief moment. The redhead nodded slowly and Toushiro took a deep breath and turned towards the unconscious king lying on the bed in the centre of the room.
"I'll see what I can do." He swallowed again and Ichigo thought that he was going to faint upon seeing all the blood which had soaked through the sheets. He missed a step, as he shuffled over, and would have fallen if Jyushiro had not been holding him.
"It's okay, you can do this." Jyushiro muttered comfortingly.
The physician held him tightly and led him over to the bedside. Once he was within arm's reach of the king, however, he looked like he was going to be sick. He was beginning to hyperventilate all the while taking on a greenish tinge. He placed a hand over his mouth and fear crossed his face.
Byakuya turned to Ichigo with a raised eyebrow. "Ichigo," he started questioningly, but Ichigo shook his head in reply and went over to stand behind the small boy.
Jyushiro stepped aside and let Ichigo place his hands on Toushiro's shoulders; the white-haired boy was trembling violently. Ichigo stooped down so that he was level with Toushiro's ear.
"It's okay," he whispered. "There's nothing to be scared of. You can do this; I know you can."
He squeezed his shoulders gently and straightened when Toushiro took a deep breath and nodded. The small boy raised his trembling hands and placed them inches over the wound in the king's side. Ichigo rubbed Toushiro's shoulders encouragingly, urging him on. The room was dead silent and every single pair of eyes was trained on Toushiro. He shut his eyes and breathed deeply for a moment. His breaths were still shaky, but Ichigo knew that he was gathering all the courage he could muster.
One of the servants let out a loud gasp when Toushiro's hands began to glow pale blue. Ichigo could feel the cold air rolling off of him in waves and his body temperature plummeted. He moved his hands closer to the wound. Ichigo felt his breathing pick up pace; the back of his ribcage bumped into his stomach in short bursts. The rest of his body was stock still, however, and he remained like that for a considerably long while, until he started to shake his head. He slowly pulled back his arms and hung his head.
"I – I can't..." he mumbled. His voice was barely loud enough to hear. "I can't do this."
Ichigo knelt down and placed his chin on his shoulder. "Yes, you can."
"N-no. I – I – I..." his voice cracked and he tried to take a step away from the king, but Ichigo held him tight.
"I know that we're asking a lot of you, but I also know that you can do this. I believe in you; everyone in this room believes in you." He slid his hands down to cover Toushiro's own. His skin was so cold that it almost stung, but Ichigo entwined their fingers and brought Toushiro's hands back to the king's side.
"You can do it," he whispered again.
Toushiro did not appear to calm down one bit, but he swallowed thickly and touched the wound with his fingertips. Ichigo felt him shudder, but he also felt cold air pulsating through his hands. Light blue fog began to rise from the pale skin and Ichigo watched in amazement as the red hole began to shrink in size. Muscle, tissue, and even bone merged seamlessly together. The king's laboured breathing evened out and he seemed to be in much less pain.
It did not take long for Toushiro to finish healing the wound. However, as soon as he removed his hands from this king's person and saw the red liquid that now coated his hands, his eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped lifelessly against Ichigo. Ichigo scooped him up into his arms before he could fall to the ground and stepped back from the bed. Toushiro's head lolled against his chest; he was out cold.
Byakuya's eyes went from the king to Toushiro a few times before he stepped forward to examine the king for himself. Choujiro looked on in interest and Jyushiro followed Byakuya. The physician bent over to examine the king and ran his fingers gently over the newly healed wound. His eyebrows rose higher the longer he felt the unscarred skin. He glanced over to Toushiro, shaking his head in bewilderment.
"In all my years I have never known magic to be used like this," Choujiro muttered.
"Was he successful?" Byakuya asked.
"There is no indication of there being a wound in the first place." Jyushiro answered. "The king just needs to rest now; he did lose a lot of blood, after all, and he is not, by any means, young. His life many not be in danger anymore but we still need to be careful. I can make him a drink to help him regain his strength, but now there is little else we can do but wait."
Byakuya nodded and instructed the servants to get clean sheets for the bed. He then turned to Ichigo and the unconscious boy in his arms.
"Does healing others make him that exhausted?"
Ichigo tilted his head; he hadn't asked Toushiro if using his magic took up energy. "It might, but he fainted because he's afraid of blood."
Lord Kuchiki raised a thin eyebrow. "Yet he was studying to be a physician?"
Ichigo shrugged. "I don't understand it either, Sir."
"He has a knack for inventing remedies and memorising herbs," Jyushiro supplied while standing up straight and wiping his hands on a clean rag. "He may not be able to be a physician, per say, but he can become a medicinal healer... probably just a healer; with what we just saw him accomplish."
Ichigo suppressed a chuckle and looked down at the boy in his arms. His body wasn't as cold anymore and was showing signs that he was beginning to wake up.
"What's going to happen to him now?" Surprisingly the question came from Renji. He was also regarding the white-haired boy with an amused expression on his face.
Choujiro stepped in, stroking his moustache. "That is difficult to say. The people will still protest his freedom even if he did heal the king. The only other reasonable option would be to hold a trial and prove that his magic is not something to be feared. However, that will have to be put off until the king is well again."
"So back to gaols, then?" Renji asked bitterly.
Choujiro nodded and for the first time in his life Ichigo swore that the emotionless Byuakuya Kuchiki looked conflicted. But when Toushiro's eyes fluttered open his blank stare was back in place and he curtly thanked the boy. Toushiro quickly regained his bearings and nodded. The young knight could tell that he was still uneasy, so he wasn't in any rush to put him down. However, Toushiro had other plans and squirmed until Ichigo had no other choice but to set him back on his feet. Once up right, he straightened his cloak and hid his hands under the rough fabric. Ichigo made a mental note to get him some clothes. He hid it well, but he must have been embarrassed at being naked under the cloak.
"What do we do now?" Renji asked, cracking his knuckles. "The king is safe, but our men are still battling."
"We will await a message from the knights still there." Byuakuya answered, "I trust that the Shihoin and Feng armies aided us greatly. I can't imagine that having the three of us ride back in to battle would do much help."
"I hate waiting," Renji muttered. Ichigo nodded in understanding, but was otherwise silent.
"You both should get some rest," Byakuya instructed. "It has been a long and trying morning."
Renji sighed but made movements to follow the order. Ichigo turned to Toushiro who offered him a small smile, promising him that he would be alright. The young knights were about to exit the room when two cloaked men glided through the door.
No one moved to stop them, however. The guards who had been stationed outside the doors were simply watching as the two men passed them. Ichigo felt a sudden calm sweep over him and the two men did not seem so threatening any more. In fact he felt the urge to help them.
"We heard that the king was injured and we had to see for ourselves." One spoke with a voice that drifted across the room like a gust of wind on a hot summer day. It was entrancing; comforting even.
But still something was wrong. Who were these men and why had they been allowed to enter the king's chambers? Ichigo turned to Lord Kuchiki questioningly. The noble man was regarding the new comers with confusion and slight apprehension, but he made no moves of defence. Likewise, the rest of the people in the room seemed confused but not aggressive. All except Toushiro, that is. He sunk behind Ichigo and tightly clutched the back of his shirt.
"What's wrong?" Ichigo asked.
"These men," he muttered, "something is not right."
As soon as he uttered the words Ichigo no longer felt safe around the men. Waves of hostility rolled off of them in clouds. It was a similar feeling to when he had come across the enemy on the battle field. He looked around the room suddenly noticing the blank expressions that blanketed everyone else's faces. It was like they all had been put into a trance.
Something was not right, indeed.
"Who are you?" Ichigo asked, shocked by the loudness of his own voice.
Byakuya and Jyushiro jumped slightly at the sound, but both of them turned to the cloaked men as if suddenly realising that they were there.
One of the men clicked his tongue. "It seems like we have a spell caster here."
They were instantly on edge. Byakuya's hand flew to his sword and Ichigo cursed himself for removing his armour.
"I believe you were asked a question," the commander sneered. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"
As if on cue both men pulled back their hoods. The one nearest to them, and also the one who had spoken, stood grinning at them. He had brown hair, tightly pulled back, and sharp brown eyes. Ichigo instantly recognised the features of the Aizen family. He clenched his fists and scanned the room for anything he could use as a weapon. The second man, however, looked nothing like an Aizen. He was willowy with shaggy, silver hair, narrow eyes, and pale skin.
"We heard tha the king was hurt," the silver-haired one said. He had a thick accent which Ichigo was not familiar with. "An we came ta help. Help him die, tha is."
Byakuya drew his sword. "I don't know how you got in here, but you just signed your life away, Aizen."
The brown-haired man snorted and daringly took a step closer to Byakuya. "You couldn't kill me even if you tried."
"You-"
"I heard that your king was hurt in battle. He was nearly dead, but why is it that he has no injury? Was it a ruse to cover his true cowardice or an excuse to leave his men in battle?"
Ichigo pushed Toushiro further behind him. The silver-haired man noticed the movement, however, and pounced on him like a starved dog on a piece of meat. Before Ichigo even knew what was happening Toushiro was being dragged out from behind him. He was about to attack the lanky man, but a sliver of frigid, pale blue eyes had him frozen in his tracks.
"My, my. Sosuke, look wha they have here." His smile reminded Ichigo of a fox.
"Let go of me," Toushiro snarled, but he went ignored.
The brown-haired man strode over to his partner with a raised eyebrow. He glared at Toushiro for a short while, the small boy shrank under his gaze, and then he turned back to Byakuya.
"Well this is certainly an interesting turn of events. I now see why your king is no longer injured. But tell me, Lord Kuchiki, why is it that you, a city of people who cower at the word magic, own a Dragonborn?"
Byakuya narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"
Sosuke's grin widened and he grabbed Toushiro's arm from his partner's grasp. The small boy snarled in indignation. "Oh, you don't know. Gin, we're in a city of ignorant fools."
The silver-haired man began to snigger.
"Fear has hindered your growth. If you had known what power you had right under your nose... such fools. It's laughable that you probably thought this boy was human. Do you not have eyes to see with? Surely you must have noticed the cold skin, the extra set of canines," he roughly grasped Toushiro's chin and pulled back his lips like he was examining an animal. Toushiro jerked his head and tried again to break free.
"The spikes on its back," Sosuke continued and grabbed Toushiro's cloak, yanking it from his shoulders, "Oh, looks like this one hasn't grown its spikes yet."
Toushiro yelped softly and tried to cover himself. A heated blush spread across his face and he clenched his jaw.
"Unhand the boy this instant," Byakuya ordered, pointing his sword at Sosuke.
He sighed dramatically, "Didn't you just hear me; it's not a boy, it's not even human. It's an adaptation of a type of dragon. They used to roam these parts but they were all killed off because of the healing properties in their blood. Have you ever opened a book?"
"There was also a rumour tha drinking they're blood would make ya immortal." Gin chimed in. "Opps, once tha gets out yuh gonna have more ta protect than your king."
Sosuke chuckled, "It's not a rumour, Gin; don't spread false information."
Toushiro's eyes widened and all the blood seemed to drain from his face.
"I wonder how the other noble families would take to hearing that King Genryusai was trying to become immortal. They may want the power for themselves, as well."
"That's ludicrous. There is no such thing as dragons." Ichigo snapped. "And immortality is just a myth."
"No such thing as immortality?" Gin cocked his head. "Yuh might want ta take a look at the Aizen family tree."
Ichigo ground his teeth. "You bastards; how many of his people have you killed?"
"How many pigs and cows have you killed, fattened for your feasts, or slaughtered for their hide?" Sosuke asked nonchalantly.
Toushiro had frozen in place and was now staring at Sosuke with a horrified expression on his face. Ichigo balled his hands into fists.
"Now Gin, I do believe that we came here for something."
"Right, right."
The two men turned towards the king. Toushiro was dragged behind them. However, no one had noticed Jyushiro who was now standing between Sosuke and the king. His normally calm and kind face was replaced by cold rage.
Sosuke turned to Gin with a raised eyebrow. Gin shrugged his shoulders in response.
"You think you can stop us?"
Jyshiro started chanting in a strange language that Ichigo didn't understand and Sosuke's eyes widened.
"How-" he started, but his words were drowned out by harsh winds that tore around the room.
The sheets were ripped from the king's bed, a few ornaments were knocked over, and everyone had to shield their eyes as their clothes billowed and thrashed around their bodies. Jyshiro's voice grew in volume but his words were even more indistinguishable. Ichigo pressed himself against the wall in fear of being bowled over by the overpowered gusts. Renji was in a similar position while a few of the servants and Choujiro had been thrown to the floor. Lord Kuchiki was bracing himself against one of the bedposts. Ichigo trained his eyes towards the two men caught in the centre of the storm. They had their hands over their heads and, he blinked unbelievingly, they seemed to be disappearing.
Jyushiro continued to chant, speeding up his words so that they sounded like a jumbled mess. The winds blew harder and faster then, reaching an apex, they slowly died out. The room was left in a mess; medical supplies, sheets, and other small things were strewn about, the drapes had been ripped from the windows, and a few glass vases lay in shards on the floor. But, Sosuke and Gin were nowhere to be seen. Jyushiro was slumped against the wall breathing heavily with Toushiro held tightly against his chest.
"What was that?" Byakuya demanded as he straightened up and assessed the damages to the room.
"A dispelling chant; It gets rid of enemies by sending them back to their original location." Jyushiro muttered. He turned to Toushiro. "Are you alright?"
The boy nodded, but he was almost as pale as his hair.
"How long have you been practicing magic, Jyushiro? You know the consequences." Choujiro stood up and went over to the physician.
"The king was in danger, so I acted accordingly. You all saw what type of people we are up against. He was right in that aspect, our fear has stunted our growth and power. If we hope to keep the Aizens at bay we cannot sit and rely on our strength alone."
"I agree." Choujiro nodded. "But how long have you been practicing? "
"We have many books on the subject; I simply read them."
The Hand turned to Byakuya. "We need to secure the city. If Sosuke got in using some sort of spell then we also have to guard ourselves with magic. Also, there is the matter of Toushiro; guard him, keep him safe, if what Sosuke said was true then we cannot let anyone else get that power."
...
The rest of the afternoon had been spent making sure that the castle and city were secure and aiding Jyushiro in finding herbs that would ward off Sosuke's magic. There were many of those who were against using spells and enchantments to fight the enemy, and, as a result, there had been much protest and even some speculation that both Jyushiro and Toushiro were spies for the Aizen family. Lord Kuchiki and Choujiro had closed the argument swiftly, however. The war council was set against using magic even if it meant being attacked again and there was nothing much that could be said to mollify them. To placate them the commander had a few prison guards watch Toushiro and made sure that the council understood that Jyushiro did not practice magic, but was only using a strain of herbalism to counter the Aizens.
Ichigo and Renji had a fine time acting as the physician's bodyguards as he wondered around the city walls chanting, placing sachets of mixed herbs in nooks and crannies, and creating small, colourful fires and wafting the smoke in different directions. By the time night had fallen they had gone around the entire city and had to stop roughly thirty men from attacking Jyushiro.
Lord Kuchiki was still watching over the king when they re-entered the room, but he promptly sent the young knights to get some rest. Renji stumbled back to his chambers with a quick nod to Ichigo. He was obviously worn out by the day's events, but Ichigo was so concerned about Toushiro that he did not feel tired.
The white-haired boy had been taken to one of the tower rooms in the east wing of the castle. Byakuya knew that news about Sosuke's revelation would not be taken lightly by most of the citizens and had instructed the guards to take him somewhere the general populace would not know. The way they had dragged him from the room, however, had Ichigo marching right after them, but Lord Kuchiki had stopped him and instructed him to help Jyushiro secure the city. Ichigo was worried that the guards would hurt him since now they knew he could, without a doubt, use magic and was not exactly human. Toushiro was on his mind for the remainder of the afternoon, but this time around it was not in a good way.
The guards had the decency to leave the two of them alone. Ichgio had scared them away with a menacing glare and a curt reminder that he was a knight for a reason. They had scowled back at him but had made themselves scarce shortly afterwards. It was late into the night when Ichigo had found time to check on Toushiro. So, after sending the guards away Ichigo quietly made his way into the room. Toushiro was curled up on his side in the middle of a ratty looking bed. His legs were chained to the bedposts and his brown cloak was crumpled on the floor, but what concerned Ichigo the most were the spots of blood that littered the mattress and the welts and scratch marks that covered his already bruised arms and back.
He felt anger rise in his stomach and it spread out to the rest of his body once he noticed that Toushiro's shoulders were shaking and he heard soft sobs coming from him. He strode across the room and leaned over to place a hand on the small boy's arm. He did not expect what happened next. Toushiro shot up with a startled yelp and spun to face Ichigo, swinging his small fists.
"No!" he shouted his eyes were wide with fear and his face was pale. "No more, not-"
Ichigo was too shocked to defend himself and one of Toushiro's punches landed on his jaw. He jolted backwards, tasting a bit of blood and feeling his face begin to throb.
"Toushiro!" he exclaimed, grabbing the small boy's arms, "Stop it. It's me; I'm not going to hurt you."
The white-haired boy blinked then realisation dawned in his eyes. A fresh set of tears formed in his eyes and he buried his face in his hands. Loud sobs tore from his throat and he curled in on himself. Ichigo wasted no time in wrapping his arms around him and pulling him into his chest. He felt Toushiro latch on to the front of his shirt and burry his face into the fabric. He held him tightly, mindful of the new wounds on his back, and gently ran a hand through his hair. He waited patiently until Toushiro's sobs quietened slightly then softly kissed the top of his head.
"Shhh," he whispered, "it's alright now. You're safe with me."
Toushiro nuzzled into his chest. Ichigo didn't know exactly what the boy had gone through at the hands of those men, but he had a pretty good idea, judging by the spots of blood on the mattress and the bruising around his hips and thighs. Ichigo clenched his jaw tightly in an effort to control his building rage; he was going to make the guards pay for this. Just because Byakuya hadn't warned them this time did not give them an excuse to do this. He had underestimated how much the people of Seireitei hated and feared magic and had thought that simple orders would be enough to keep Toushiro safe. He wouldn't be making that mistake again.
"I'll make sure they won't touch you again." He kissed the top of his head once more. "I'm sorry that I wasn't there to protect you."
Toushiro hiccupped and tried to stop crying. Ichigo cupped his face in his hands and wiped his tears away with his thumbs.
"No," the boy mumbled his voice was thick with tears and he closed his eyes for a moment.
"I thought the commander's orders would have withstood."
Toushiro hung his head. "T-they called me an animal," his voice cracked and his shoulders began to shake again. "They said it didn't matter what they did to me."
Ichigo's eyes widened and he pulled Toushiro back into his chest. "That's not true," he said firmly, but he still found his fingers tracing the small, protruding bumps along Toushiro's spine.
Toushiro took a loud, shuddering breath. "Don't lie to me, Ichigo."
"Why would I lie? Just because you have a few extra teeth and bumps on your back you're suddenly no better than a dirty pig? Those barbarians had no excuse for what they did to you. And I'll see that they will be punished."
Toushiro hiccupped again and Ichigo could still feel the slight tremor that was rolling through his body. "Are you in pain?"
The small boy nodded slowly.
"Do you need me to get Jyushiro?" Ichigo asked making movements to get up off the bed.
Toushiro grabbed his arm and pulled it tightly to his chest. "No! Don't leave me again, please." Small tears began to form at the corners of his eyes and fear crossed his face.
Ichigo stopped moving and felt guilt rush through his body. If he hadn't left Toushiro to those men this wouldn't have happened. It had been wrong to think that the guards would willingly protect Toushiro after what they had just learnt about him. He wrapped his arms back around the boy. "I won't leave you. But we do need to have someone look at your wounds."
Toushiro didn't respond and held on to Ichigo tighter.
"I need to get Jyushiro."
"No, if you go the guards will..."
Ichigo shut his eyes for a brief moment and took a deep breath; he could not let his rage slip in front of the boy. He would save his anger for when he was alone with the guards. Toushiro had every right to be scared of them now. He had every right to not want Ichigo to leave.
"They won't hurt you again; I promise"
"But-"
"Do you trust me?"
"I... yes."
"Then trust that I will be right back and if anyone so much as lays a finger on you they will lose the hand they touched you with."
...
Jyushiro had cleaned and dressed Toushiro's wounds, as it turned out the boy could not heal himself; only others, and they had found out that the worst had been done to him. Ichigo had gotten clean sheets to cover the mattress, and then while Jyushiro worked away, he had found a hot meal for the small boy. Toushiro did not seem to have an appetite or at least could not stomach anything. He ate a few bites then vomited it back up, too distressed to keep anything but warm cider down. Jyushiro offered him a few comforting words, but he couldn't have spent as much time with the boy as he would have liked. He left after he made sure that Toushiro was all taken care of and no longer in pain.
After Jyushiro left Ichigo sat in the middle of the bed with Toushiro in his lap. He knew the events of the day would be a hard subject to breech, but he had assured Toushiro that he would listen when he was ready to talk about it. The boy had responded that he was simply tired and wanted to sleep. Ichigo manoeuvred them so that they were both lying on their sides. Toushiro instantly curled up into a protective ball and Ichigo wrapped himself around him. The white-haired boy was tense for a while but then he let himself relax as he drifted off to sleep. Ichigo rested his head against the cool skin on the back of Toushiro's neck and wrapped one of his arms around his waist. He smiled slightly when Toushiro pushed back into him and his breathing became deep and even. He soon felt himself falling asleep shortly after; he had been active since the break of dawn and welcomed the small reprise.
It was truly a small reprise because as soon as dawn broke he was woken up by a soft gasp and a sudden jerk from Toushiro. Ichigo rolled over and wrapped his arms around the small boy again he expected crying, but the boy was still. Toushiro was silent for so long that Ichigo was sure that he had fallen back asleep but then he spoke, dismissing the notion.
"I dreamt of the dungeon," he started with a soft voice.
Ichigo tightened his hold. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have left you there, but we had to fight-"
"Not that," he shook his head and took a deep breath. "Before Jyushiro found me I..." he trailed off.
"What happened?"
"... I – I'm not very sure; it was so long ago. It was dark and cold, I was chained up, and," his voice broke.
Ichigo rubbed slow circles on his back. "Hey, it's going to be fine. It was just a dream; nothing can hurt you now."
Toushiro took a few shaky breaths. "They cut open my side and let the blood drain. It hurt so badly, Ichigo; I thought I was going to die."
The redhead kissed him on the forehead. "It was just a dream. You were only thinking about what Sosuke said. He was trying to rile you up."
"But, it makes sense. Even Jyushiro said that I appeared out of nowhere one day. What If I was the Aizens prisoner before he found me; you saw the look on his face when he saw me."
"You really think that?"
"I have no memory of anything before Jyushiro found me, but I had to come from somewhere."
Ichigo shook his head, "Toushiro-"
He cut him off. "I know painful memories are up ahead, but I want to find out more; about myself and my people. If they really were all killed off I want to find out why."
Ichigo nodded. Toushiro soaked up any knowledge like a parched cloth took in water. Ichigo should have known that Sosuke's words would only serve as fuel to his curiosity. But he couldn't help but feel that Toushiro was trying to drown his emotions by feigning bravery and inquisitiveness. He knew that the boy was hurting deep down, but for whatever reason he did not want to show it.
"Don't push yourself too much," Ichigo warned.
"I need something to think about right now. I don't want to wallow in self pity." Toushiro's voice had a cold edge to it.
"But maybe you need to for a while."
Toushiro rolled over to face Ichigo, "I appreciate your concern but-"
Ichigo knew where this was going so silenced him with a kiss. Toushiro was tense for a while and Ichigo was about to pull away in case he stepped over some newly formed boundary, but then Toushiro placed a hand on Ichigo's cheek and returned the kiss. It was then they both seemed to remember just what they had been through and how long they had been apart. Ichigo licked Toushiro's bottom lip, asking for entrance. Their tongues entwined in a wet, longing dance that had them gasping for air. They broke apart, only for a moment then their lips met once more, fervidly opening and closing against one another.
Toushiro wrapped his arms around Ichigo's neck and Ichigo wrapped his own around Toushiro's waist. He pulled the smaller body into his own gently caressing the cold skin. Toushiro moaned and ran his nails along Ichigo's shoulder and back. The shivers the dull scratching caused went instantly to his cock and his breeches began to feel uncomfortably tight. He knew Toushiro could feel his manhood rubbing against him when his body stiffened slightly and he pulled back. Ichigo drew him back in, however, with another tantalising kiss which caused him to let out another drawn out moan. Ichigo could not help but smile into the kiss as Toushiro began to suck on his tongue. His hands slipped lower to cup Toushiro's small ass, but the boy jumped as if he had been stung. He pushed Ichigo away and scrambled backwards, pulling the sheets with him. His eyes were wide and tinged with panic.
Ichigo swore softly and watched as Toushiro hung his head.
"I'm sorry," he muttered, "I – I can't..."
"Why are you apologising? I should be the one who is sorry." He scooted closer and tentatively put an arm around Toushiro's shoulders.
The small boy leaned into him and placed his forehead against his chest. He was breathing heavily.
"This is why I need something else to think about," he muttered.
Ichigo sighed kissed the top of his head. "Toushiro, I love you and I'm worried about you. Are you sure you don't just need to talk?"
Toushiro took a deep breath. "No."
Ichigo nodded. "Alright. Then whenever you're ready I'll be here."
"Thank you." Toushiro reached up and gently guided Ichigo's face to his. He gave him a soft peck on the lips before lying back down to go back to sleep. Ichigo followed suit, curling his body around the small boy.
...
Both Jyushiro and Ichigo had brought Toushiro all the books they could carry and for the next few weeks he immersed himself in the thick pages. Meanwhile the rest of the army had returned from the battlefield. There had been heavy losses, but thanks to the Shihoin and Feng armies they were able to defeat the Aizens. The enemy had gone running back to their city to nurse their wounds, but everyone knew that that would not be the last they would see of them.
The Shihoins and Fengs sent a few representatives back with the army. They requested an audience with the king and when his situation was made known they both sent messages back to their respective cities. Choujiro told the knights to keep an eye out for assassination attempts, because those were sure to be coming as well. Even if they were on good terms with the other nobles once the thought of gaining power was hung in the air the nobles would turn on each other like wild dogs.
Lord Kuchiki, Renji and Ichigo sat in their empty meeting hall. The death of the other members was only apparent then. Three out of thirteen was a sorry sight. Ichigo had only known most of the men for a little over three months, but Renji had grown up with many of them. Ichigo could tell that his friend was deeply disturbed. He clapped a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. Renji nodded in appreciation. The commander rubbed his temples before starting the meeting. Ichigo didn't see why he couldn't have briefed them somewhere else. The memories of their fallen comrades flowed strongly in this hall.
"Sosuke was telling the truth when he said that the other noble families would not take too well to learning about our use of magic. There have already been three attempts on this king's life."
Renji swore.
"We have doubled the guards around the king's room, of course. But there have been other rumours going around as well."
"About Toushiro, right?" Ichigo asked, feeling his stomach start to bubble.
"Yes. Jyushiro has educated me a bit on the Dragonborn. They were an ancient race derived from an ice dragon. But from what he has read, the immortality myth is true. There were a couple of accounts of men living to great ages after coming into contact with a Dragonborn. Also, the Aizen family tree does speak volumes. Sosuke, the one we met the other week, I assumed him to be named after his grandfather, but as it turns out he is the same man. There are no birth records after him, and he must have been over 100 years of age."
Renji let out a long breath of air through his teeth. "The nobles will be after Toushiro as well. I'm sure we aren't the only ones privy to this information."
Lord Kuchiki nodded. "Men fear death and will go through any lengths to avoid it; even killing or enslaving one another, and as we heard, drinking blood. Ichigo, I'm sure I don't have to tell you, but keep an eye on that boy. We can't have several immortal men going around the kingdom."
Ichigo nodded.
"You sure pick them, Ichigo."Renji sighed, "You couldn't have gone after some comely farm-girl? No, you had to get the one person an entire kingdom would fight over."
Ichigo shook his head, and even Byakuya hid a small smile.
"Renji, you and I will guard the king and Ichigo will watch the boy." Byakuya instructed while standing. "We will continue what we've been doing these past weeks, but expect a new intensity in assassination attempts; rumours tend to pick up pace as they go around."
"Yes, Sir."
...
Toushiro had fallen asleep facedown in one of his books. He was snoring lightly, causing one of the pages to flutter. Ichigo smiled and sat down on the bed next to him. He knew better than to rouse the sleeping boy. He had tried that once and had gotten punched in the neck. Toushiro may have appeared calm when he was awake but his dreams were a different story. There hadn't been a night yet where he had slept straight through.
Looking at his sleeping face Ichigo couldn't help but smile. The constant lines between his brows were erased and he looked calm. He was glad that the boy could get a little escape even if the dream would eventually turn into a nightmare. Ichigo cleared the bed of most of the books, making sure to mark the pages – another thing he had learnt to do, and pulled the sheet over Toushiro's form. They had gotten him some clothes, but after realising that the chains and shackles around his ankles made it impossible for him to put on his breeches, Ichigo had given him one of his shirts. It fit Toushiro like a short dress; the hem gazing him just above his knees. He had to roll the sleeves a couple of times to retain the use of his hands and Ichigo almost scooped him up and kissed him at the sight. Toushiro had glared at him then fastened his cloak around his neck.
Toushiro stirred when Ichigo placed the sheet over his shoulders and replaced the book with a more suitable pillow. He groggily sat up, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes. He met Ichigo's eyes after a short while then patted the mattress next to him. Once Ichigo was close enough he curled up in his lap and rested his head against his chest.
"You were gone long," he muttered.
"Did you miss me?"
"The guards were making a racket outside."
"Did they tell you anything?"
"Just the usual; I'm a filthy animal and you're perverted for sleeping with me."
After Ichigo had severely punished them for hurting Toushiro they had taken to calling him names and threatening and taunting him from behind the closed door.
"What was the meeting about?" Toushiro asked.
"Nothing you need worry your pretty head about."
Toushiro scowled. "I'm not pretty."
Ichigo chuckled.
"But really, what did you discuss at the meeting? When will I be free?"
Ichigo sighed, "It's hard to say. We need to put up more guards around both you and the king as rumours are spreading far and fast."
"They aren't rumours on my account."
"Oh hush."
Toushiro sighed, but leaned his head against Ichigo's chest. They stayed like that for an incredibly long time. Toushiro fell asleep again and even though Ichigo's legs began to go numb he couldn't bring himself to move. He began to drift off to sleep himself, knowing that he would regret this position the next day.
Sometime around midnight Jyushiro came barging through the door. Ichigo's eyes flew open and his hand flew to the sword at his hip. Both he and Renji had been granted permission to wear their swords at all times. He raised an eyebrow when he saw that the guards were slumped in various positions on the floor and Jyushiro strode into the room with purpose.
"Quickly, you have to leave," Jyshiro hissed, shutting the door behind him and chanting a quick spell.
"What?" Toushiro muttered, not too pleased at being woken up at this time.
Jyushiro rushed over to the bed and shoved a small bundle into Toushiro's arms. "This should be enough food to last until the next town."
"What? What are you talking about, Jyushiro?"
The physician sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead. "The war council and The Hand are getting restless. They deemed King Genryusai well enough for drastic matters."
Ichigo clenched his teeth, putting two and two together. He placed a hand on Toushiro's and slid out from under him.
"They want to see if the immortality myth is real," he stated gravely.
Toushiro's skin had gone as pale as his hair.
"They are going to send someone up early in the morning; you need to make yourself scarce, Toushiro."
"B-but where will I go?" he asked, fear rising in his voice.
"Anywhere is better than here."
Toushiro clutched the bundle tightly to his chest.
"What did Lord Kuchiki have to say about this?" Ichigo asked.
"He fought them tooth and nail, but the council overruled him." Jyushiro answered. "Come, Toushiro, time is of the essence."
Toushiro looked to Ichigo and grabbed his hand. He didn't want him to go, but staying meant death. Ichigo chewed his bottom lip and carefully considered what he was about to say.
"I'm coming with you."
Toushiro blinked."No, you can't. You have a life here; you're a knight for god's sake Ichigo-"
"I don't care. There are only three of us left, anyway. And you're more important to me than the king. I'm going with you."
"You're vows-"
"Screw my vows. Jyushiro, do you have any spells to break those chains?" Ichigo pointed to the chain attaching Toushiro to the bed post.
The physician nodded and muttered a few words that had the iron shatter into a pile of rust. The shackles were still set around Toushiro's ankles but at least now he could move.
Jyushiro handed Ichigo a map. "It would be best to travel north until you reach the edge of the grasslands. Get as far away from Seireitei as possible and lie low before moving on."
Ichigo nodded. "What about you? Won't you get in trouble for helping us?"
"Yes, but they don't want to do away with the only person in the city who can protect them from Sosuke's spells."
Ichigo grabbed Toushiro's hand and the three of them sprinted to the stables. Their escape went smoothly. If they came across any guards Jyushiro sent them to sleep with an enchantment. Ichigo wondered how much time he had devoted to memorising all those spells. Zangetsu was saddled in no time at all and a bag full of gold coins was thrust into Ichigo's hands.
"Stay safe," Jyushiro said as Ichigo Hoisted Toushiro onto the black horse's back. "Toushiro, I will miss you greatly."
Toushiro leaned down and wrapped his arms around Jyshiro's neck. When he let go there were tears in both of their eyes.
"Thank you," the boy whispered, "For everything."
"I should thank you as well; you were the closest thing I had to a son."
Toushiro sniffed softly and Jyushiro patted his leg, "I'm proud of what a strong young man you turned out to be."
Ichigo didn't want to break up their family moment but he succeeded in doing so by swinging himself into the saddle behind Toushiro. Jyushiro took a step back a looked up at the two of them with a sad smile.
"Stay away from the roads as much as you can, and see if you can find any disguises along your way," he instructed.
Ichigo nodded. "Jyushiro do you think you could pass along a message to Renji and the commander for me?"
The physician nodded. "Tell them I'm sorry for leaving, but some things are more worth protecting than others."
And by the looks of things I might have to split the last chapter into two :/ either way I'm going to by wrapping things up soon.
And sorry to all skyrim lovers for the name. There are only so many ways you can word something. So I'll put a tiny disclaimer on that.
As always, I'd like to know what you guys think.
-Mymomomo