End of chapter six:

The moment happened with such speed that it was unlikely a normal human could have followed it. The glint of steel was blurred and gone before her neck itself separated with a sickening slurp. Her statement forever lost as her head toppled forward, blood gushing from the fatal wound, Hisana's body crumpled to the floor separate from its skull.

Byakuya's smile was replaced by an expression of shock, staring in disbelief at the horrifying scene that had just played out in front of him. Beyond the frame of the door stood a white clad man with silver hair, holding a thin blade still dripping with what seemed too little blood for the murder it'd just committed. The golden eyes are what burned so clearly into Byakuya, the complete distain within directed at him alone. He reached for Senbonzakura, but before his fingers touched the hilt the man was gone.

Chapter Seven: Call to War

"Few have wished for memory so much as they have longed for forgetfulness."

-Arthur Helps, Thoughts in the Cloister and the Crowd

Byakuya shook lightly, as much as he wanted to follow after the man, his body wouldn't let him move further than a few steps. He fell to the ground near her body, warm moisture staining his knee where the pool of crimson continued to widen. He glanced back to her body trying to ignore the scent of the fresh food that had been scattered across the floor, mixed with the coppery tang of the still spilling blood. Despite the desire to retch, he lacked anything in his stomach to get rid of. Instead his body shook as his eyes paused on her decapitated head.

The pleasant expression he'd once found so attractive was repulsive as it clung to her face despite what had happened. The death had been so fast she hadn't had a chance to react; her lack of suffering was little comfort.

His strength was already starting to return but it seemed only further insult that he would gain the ability to defend his love only after she was already dead. What good was all the skill he possessed if it had been denied to him the only time he truly wanted it?

Shaking, tears running down his face, he began to gather her body; she didn't deserve to be left in such a state. He began placing her on the bed, settling her head close to the body. He erected a cube like barrier around the bed itself and raised his hand to cast a spell that would light the inside of it on fire. His hands shook less than his body, but even those still shuttered. His strength had returned but these shivers had nothing to do with physical illness. As he stared the inferno that would burn out the inside of the barrier Byakuya Kuchiki swore vengeance on all those who had taken Hisana, as well as those that had left him incapable of saving her.

2 days ago(just after midnight) – The world of the living – Kagome

Kagome would have torn off the door of the car before it had stopped if she could have. On the way to the address she had felt Byakuya's energy resurface, but it was not the way she remembered it, it was flickering and unstable. She knew something was terribly wrong; Sesshomaru brought them to the building quickly. It still took much longer than she wanted but once they'd gotten to the small apartment complex she tore off ahead of the demon, even if he was shortly behind her. There was a sense of something sinister and familiar, it made her hairs stand on end.

The scene she came too wasn't one she expected, Byakuya was there but there was something about him that was wrong. He was without his Kensaiken and so his dark hair had fallen into his face though he wasn't paying attention. The tears on his face, still flowing from his eyes were what made Kagome pause, despite the relief that flooded through her when she first spotted him. It took her that long to realize he was standing by a burned out bed, but the fire seemed to have been confined to the space just around the furniture. As if an inferno had taken place in that small space that didn't reach beyond it or even touch lower than a few inches up the posts of the bed. The rest was just an outline of ash, and Kagome wasn't sure what to think of it.

"Byakuya…" She walked toward him but the way he glared at her when she spoke made her stop long before she was close enough to embrace him.

"Do not interrupt me, get out." The orders were harsh, unfeeling, and came with the edge of threat that she'd never heard directed at her before.

"Byakuya? What did they do to you?" Kagome realized she needed to be cautious then, whatever had happened he didn't seem to remember her.

Byakuya realized there were still large portions of his life he couldn't recall, but it no longer seemed to matter. It wasn't something he wanted to deal with right now, no matter how familiar something was. This woman screamed at his subconscious that he knew her, more than anything else he'd seen but he didn't want to deal with that. Instead the frown on his face deepened and he repeated. "Get out."

He might as well have slapped her in the face, Kagome stood gaping at him quietly, not certain what to say. All the relief she'd felt at discovering him had been swept away just as quickly. How could he have forgotten her?

"He's not in his right mind Kagome." Sesshomaru's voice reminded her of the truth, as hard as it was to believe. "If he wants time, give it to him."

It was wise and she was about to back out but then she noticed Byakuya had already swept past her, his blade was in Sesshomaru's shoulder and his own voice had turned as dark and unforgiving as she'd ever heard it. "Shatter, Senbonzakura."

The effect was gruesome, the blade exploding outward in a spray of gore as the sword burst apart while it was still within the demon lord's flesh. Likely anyone other than Sesshomaru would have been felled instantly from the ruthless attack but he'd managed to move away before more of the separated blades of Senbonzakura could dig any deeper into his body or pierce anything vital. The attack had left a hole clear through his right shoulder and the corresponding limb was dangling as if it were unresponsive. It was only years of not using his right arm that had prepared him enough to draw his blade and parry the next attack, Byakuya had already reformed his zanpaktou and the two swords were sparking as he pressed against his enemy. He hadn't expected the man to block; a moment ago he hadn't even seen him carrying a sword.

Sessomaru's physical appearance had altered the illusion that hid his demonic markings and weapons from mortal eyes dropped when the sword had exploded within his shoulder. He was wincing from the heavily bleeding wound, his fanged teeth gritted from the pain, yet he matched Byakuya regardless, a growl erupting from his throat at the surprise assault.

"Byakuya!" Kagome finally managed to catch up to the movements though her call came from the other room and she had to dash to catch up to the pair. "Stop it!"

Sesshomaru was holding Byakuya off with one hand, but compared to Byakuya's uninjured two he was slowly being backed into a corner.

"You'll die at my hand for what you've done. It was your last mistake returning here." Byakuya cursed at Sesshomaru; possibly he hadn't heard Kagome at all. He dropped one hand from the pair of met blades to point at Sesshomaru's second shoulder. "Hado number four…"

He got cut off before he could finish despite the quickness that which Byakuya could normally cast, Sesshomaru used the single hand Byakuya left on the sword to overpower him and even up some ground. Sesshomaru glaring at the spirit, uncertain as to why the attack was suddenly happening but wise enough to remember his own advice that Byakuya was not in his right mind.

"And what have I done?" Sesshomaru's voice was clear for how perturbed he felt. The attack had left his shoulder in incredible pain and he was still losing a lot of blood, it would take him longer than he'd like to regenerate from a hit like that. The fault was partly his own for not having his guard up; he had to admit the spirit was better than he would have given him credit for.

Byakuya narrowed his gaze more at the monster in front of him. He wasn't human, that much was clear, but neither was he a spirit, Senbonzakura should have been able to make quick work of him with that opening but he still stood. Though with the wound he'd already taken Byakuya wasn't planning to let him escape.

Kagome swallowed as she glanced between them, knowing she had to stop this. Sesshomaru would lose his temper sooner or later, and even though he wasn't looking very good right now, she knew just how much more he was capable of, particularly with the Tensaiga, the spirit sword would be very effective against Byakuya. As Byakuya turned on Sesshomaru again she jumped and wrapped her arms around him from behind.

"Byakuya no, stop this!"

He'd been about to turn on her when his mind lit up with another memory.

"Oh, I can't believe you." It was the woman that had just hopped on his back. She put a foot on him and was trying to pull away even though he was holding her firmly. "Let go of me."

"When you agree to return to class peaceably and stop acting like a child then I will." He returned to her, his eye twitching slightly at the insult of her putting her feet on him. Resisting an urge to make her bleed he added. "I can see now why people complain of the manners in this world. Yours are atrocious."

"I said let me go!" The woman's yell was accompanied by a flare of strong spiritual energy that burned his wrist and drove him to step back from her. He was forced to flare his own spiritual pressure in return.

Who was this woman holding onto his back? She was no normal human either, he'd been about to turn and stab her but his hand stopped as if his body refused to listen to the urge. He hesitated even though she was obviously working with the murderer of his wife.

"Byakuya please stop, listen to me, we need to talk. I'm on your side, I love you." Kagome's eyes were filled with tears as she begged him. It was too much at once and the Captain was gone after another moment, Kagome tripping forward from where she'd been holding onto him and falling to her knees.

"Byakuya!" She had hit the ground, knowing calling after him was pointless but she had to try. Chasing after him was fruitless, so she sat there on the ground, unconcerned with the pain in her legs from the sudden fall. "Why would he act like that?"

"I think I've been framed." Sesshomaru commented, he was still bleeding but the steady flow had turned into a smaller trickle and despite the pain on his face he was assessing the room where they'd found Byakuya. "He burned a body here Kagome, he was mourning when we found him."

"Mourning for whom?" Kagome frowned as she looked up at Sesshomaru; at least his sharp nose was certainly helping. She only realized the burned out bed was a funeral pyre when he mentioned it in that way.

"Probably not who he thinks…the body he burned was a demon." Sesshomaru returned as he looked around the room, his sword was still in one hand. "Your king was right that someone is manipulating this situation Kagome. Byakuya can no longer be trusted."

2 days ago – Heaven's Gate – Sestran

Sestran's brows rose slightly as he watched the scene unfold. He hadn't expected Byakuya to attack Sesshomaru at all though he hadn't been able to see everything. His constant use of the relic was making it less reliable as time went on. Once Kagome fell to her knees the images had faded completely and he was left needing to close his eyes against the migraine that took over his mind. There was no way he'd be able to focus enough to use the relic again before he took a break from it.

Time he very much didn't wish to spare. Yet, opening the gate now was more of a danger than when he'd first sealed it. It was confirmed that there was more to this than it appeared on the surface.

He'd used a small moment to send the warning of where Byakuya was to the demon in hopes they would arrive in time but even that had been a press on his powers. Flickering the seal open and closed to send a message was something even his father had difficulty with, it was a surprise he'd successfully done so at all. He had to hope his full message went through, or there might be nothing else he could accomplish from here than watching this entire sad play unfold, sadly the demon lord was exceptionally hard to read and he wouldn't know until a dangerous moment if his plan had reached the silver haired warrior.

Sestran walked out away from the balcony and toward his bed in the room just inside from the balcony. It was the least used furniture in his palace, most days he din't need to sleep at all. Usually he only rested once every few months but he'd used so much energy it had only been a week since his last rest. It would only take him a day or so to hibernate fully but he feared how much further things could degenerate while he was unconscious so he set a personal sort of alarm for only a few hours. He had too many things he had to attempt to research. For all his apprehensions his consciousness faded shortly after his head hit the pillow.

2 days ago – The world of the living – Byakuya

He should have killed her and then finished the creature. Byakuya was sitting, looking outwardly calm for all the rage curled up within him. They hadn't even let him mourn properly. Going back over the scene in his mind he knew he could have finished the demon if he'd of just finished the girl and continued on without letting him have any time to regroup.

Whenever it reached the point where he readied to strike her though it made his heart catch, he didn't want to harm her. Whoever she was, he couldn't bring himself to knock her aside. Even though in the only memory of her he had to resist the temptation! She'd said she loved him…that was still ringing in his mind, like the three words were a wall that kept him from acting against her.

Even if she had spiritual power, she wasn't a warrior, he could tell from both his small memory and the way she'd jumped onto him. It left her completely open, ready to be attacked; it would be beneath him to kill a noncombatant even if she had been with the man that murdered Hisana. Perhaps she'd been tricked in some way by the creature? She seemed to have no idea what was happening when she arrived, she was honestly concerned about him…or was it an act?

Conjecture, it was all he could do and it was only all the more frustrating. He'd lived and relived Hisana dying in front of him twice in the past two days; both times he had been powerless to do anything about it. Both times, it had been the fault of the royalty; first they had ordered her slow death at his family's hand. This death only occurred because he had been weak. The orders of Sestran had left him unable to act, a punishment he suffered from an act he couldn't control.

It wasn't as if he'd lost his memory on purpose, the punishment suffered for a sin he didn't commit was the reason his Hisana was dead. She was right when she'd said the soul society was unjust, that the royalty deserved to be destroyed. If he wanted to change the system just talking wouldn't be enough. Soul society was a warrior's world; if he didn't take up arms then every word he spoke would fall on deaf ears.

He needed to find and speak with the friend Hisana had mentioned; information would be needed if he was going to war.

End Chapter

So, lots of things happening, hopefully people didn't see some of that coming. There are reasons, some of you might have guessed them (or not) already, but the plot is getting closer to the day of reckoning.

-Aura

To my reviewers:

Neo-Crystal – LOL no worries, it happens. I know that sort of moment. : )

Sugar0o – Well, not quite the demon you were thinking...and she didn't get brought back but she did get fried.

Anon – Heh, shapeshifters for the win. Vengance is a strong motivator. Thus far nothing has been deleted so I'm staying at the moment. If there is a change for certain I'll put it on my profile though!

Victoria Noble – Not quite yet but I might still, if I do it'll go on my profile as to where and what not.

Fairy Demon26 – Well no, there were days left to present still…but last chapter and this one help add up to some of the fight to finish later ; ) Kagome and Byakuya both aren't in the happiest place in this fic thus far.

Kakashixangela – Not quite what was expected I hope but still getting there. Too early for the fight between Sess and Byakuya.

Tohru78 – thanks, and yeah I like cliffys. Updated.