Chapter 7: Just Try to Stay Alive

Sosuke Aizen tapped softly on the pure white door, not even expecting an answer. The noble rarely spoke to anyone anymore. He took orders without comment and criticism without argument. As he opened the door, he found Byakuya sitting in the low window seat with his face rested against the windowpane, his eyes far away. Even as broken as he was, he was still the image of perfection to Aizen, although he had no idea what sustained him now. It was a tribute to his strength and it was breathtaking.

"Bya," he said, barely remembering when such a truncation of his name would have infuriated the man.

"Hai, Lord Aizen," came the soft reply.

"How are you today?"

"I am well."

He stepped forward into the room and closed the door behind him. Byakuya's eyes remained locked on some distant point outside the window. Aizen crossed the room and placed a hand on his shoulder. Now Byakuya looked up at him, for the noble knew by now that to refuse to do so would only result in punishment. Aizen wondered briefly if he had allowed Gin to go too far in that arena. He would have liked to see some of that old strength every now and then…but even soft and unfailingly compliant, Byakuya was still precious to him.

"I have come to tell you that your punishment is over. Again, I will remind you that it was only necessary in the first place, because you would not yield…you repeatedly defied me…and you know I cannot allow that, Bya."

"Hai, Lord Aizen."

He released Byakuya's shoulder and sat down in the window seat half-turned so they were facing each other. Byakuya's eyes were now focused on him. The eyes were dark and still beautiful, but there was an emptiness to them that saddened Aizen. He was frustrated that the process necessary to bring him to submission had resulted in the loss of the fire that used to light those eyes. He hoped that with time some of that fire might return, but realistically, there was little hope of that.

"I have come to make an agreement with you, a pact that will benefit both of us. Now that you have yielded to me, I will promise you three things. First, you will take orders from no one but me. You are my own and you are a noble. You shall be given the status you deserve. Second, no one save me will be allowed to touch you in any way or to show you disrespect. Be they hollow, soul reaper, or human, all will give you the respect that they give me. And finally, if punishments become necessary in the future, they shall be handled by me personally."

"Arigato, Lord Aizen."

"Bya, I am certain you have noticed that there was one type of punishment that I did not allow. There is a purity to you I wish to keep. As long as you do not betray me, you will remain pure. I do hope that in the future, you will come to return the feelings I have for you, but I will allow the level of intimacy we share, to be something of a choice for you. You will sleep next to me each night. I will kiss you, but anything beyond that will not be forced."

He leaned forward and took Byakuya's hands.

"I am going to remove your bindings now. Your spirit energy need no longer be sealed away. Remember, however, that your powers are to be used only by my leave."

"Hai, Lord Aizen."

He brushed a hand over the noble's wrists and the metal bands slowly faded.

"This fortress is open to you now. Within its walls, you may go where you wish, whenever you like. The training grounds are open to you and I encourage you to use them to regain your strength. You will only leave this fortress with me. Someday, I may be able to allow you to leave here, but we must build trust first. Do you understand?"

"Hai, Lord Aizen."

"Bya, you needn't use my title any more. Just refer to me as Sosuke. I think we are beyond the need for titles now."

"Hai, Sosuke."

"Now, I have two gifts for you."

He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small blood-red pendant on a silver chain. He slipped it carefully around Byakuya's neck and fastened the enchanted clasp.

"This is a symbol of our agreements, but it will also deter betrayal. If you protect me, the pendant will remain red and it will protect you against kido attacks…but if you harm me or if you willingly allow harm to come to me, it will turn black and it will destroy you. It will also kill you if you attempt to escape, or to remove or alter it."

"Arigato, Sosuke," Byakuya said softly.

Aizen smiled.

"You are most welcome."

Aizen reached down to the band at his waist and removed a beautiful katana with a light blue and gold hilt and placed it gently in Byakuya's lap. He watched Byakuya's eyes fall onto it. There was a moment of intense reaction…only in the usually empty eyes, and then he turned his head away.

"What's wrong? I told you that if you yielded to me, I would return this to you. Aren't you going to take it?"

He could feel the tears coming to the captive's eyes now. It was to be expected.

"It won't speak to me," Byakuya said finally, "It can't."

Aizen stared, mystified.

"What do you mean? Bya, are you disobeying me?"

"To disobey you would mean that you asked me to do something that it was possible for me to do and I refused. It is not me who severed this connection. It is the blade, himself."

"I think you need to explain."

"He wields such great power that when we connected, we agreed that should I ever be controlled by an enemy of the Soul Society, he would sever his connection with me. It is not within my power to use this blade any more. He will not answer me."

"I thought your memories of the past were gone. Perhaps I was wrong?"

"No…it is simply that this agreement was unbreakable, so although I remember nothing else of consequence, I remember this."

"Bya," Aizen said softly, "You know that this limits your usefulness. I will leave the blade here and you will try to get him to speak to you. That is an order."

"Hai, Sosuke, as you wish."

He withdrew from the room, closing the door behind him. Byakuya waited until he heard Aizen's steps retreat down the hallway, then he laid his hands on the katana and reached out for the sword's spirit, fully expecting only silence. It shocked him to tears when the sword's voice rose up in his mind. He felt himself drawn out of Hueco Mundo and into that inner world where they had met so many times before.

"Byakuya…" "What are doing?" Byakuya asked, "You were supposed to…"

"I did. Right now, you have no link to our power. I know what has happened to you. You must allow me to reconnect with you. I can help you."

"You cannot help me. No one can. Aizen is too powerful. Remember your promise. You gave me your word."

"I made that promise," Senbonzakura replied softly, "but the weight of it is too much. If you and I are going to survive, we must work together. We must strengthen each other. I see what is happening to you. You are weakening, Byakuya, you will die if I don't help you! I know you have been broken and damaged, but you must let me strengthen you. Help is coming."

"No one can save me, Senbonzakura. He will never let me go and no one can reach me."

"That's not true. That's what I wanted to tell you. Zabimaru is here in Hueco Mundo. I can give a message to him and he can reach Renji Abarai."

He was silent for a moment and the masked warrior could sense the struggle within. Finally, Byakuya looked up at him with defeated eyes.

"I…cannot," he whispered shakily, "Senbonzakura, I do not want him to come for me."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Lord Aizen," Gin said, smiling widely, "Can I assume that now that you have Byakuya well-in-hand that we will resume our attacks on the soul reaper base?"

"I told you, Gin, that he is to be referred to only as Captain Kuchiki," Aizen said reprovingly.

"Seems rather silly, doesn't it? I mean, he isn't working for them anymore…and even though you are having such fun putting him on that little pedestal, he is really pretty mindless at this point."

"I returned his powers and his blade, Gin. Don't cross him…and don't cross me."

Gin chuckled.

"Are you sure that is wise, Sosuke? He's likely to stab you in the back."

It was Aizen's turn to laugh.

"I've seen to that…"

"Well," Gin continued, "Getting back to the soul reaper base…"

Aizen gazed out the window across the sand dunes.

"We will need to wait for a few days. I want them to have a chance to see Captain Kuchiki at my side. I would like to be certain that they don't send a rescue mission for him."

"It's always about him, now, isn't it? I still don't understand your fascination with him."

"I don't expect that you would…but he does. That's all that matters."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Byakuya…Why don't you want to be rescued? Why won't you call for him? You know that he would come."

Byakuya sighed.

"I know that."

"Then, why…?"

"He cannot defeat Aizen."

Now the warrior bristled.

"When did you become such a quitter?" he snapped.

"I simply stated a fact," Byakuya replied quietly, "Renji is no match for Aizen. That became clear the last time they met. Senbonzakura, Renji was nearly killed and he didn't put a scratch on Aizen."

"Well," he said sarcastically, "Might I remind you that you that Ichigo Kurosaki was once no match for us. He became stronger and he defeated us, because he found something that was worth fighting for."

"I remember nothing of this," Byakuya said blankly.

"Ah, yes, that's right. You remember Renji, but little else."

He was silent for a moment.

"Byakuya, I may be able to help you with that."

"What do you mean?"

"Sosuke Aizen's zanpakuto may still prevent you from remembering when you are out there, but remember that you haven't really lost your memories. You are merely unable to access them because of the hypnosis. It is an exterior control that has no bearing here. That is why you have remembered my name," he explained.

"Then, why don't I remember anything else?" he asked, "If that is the case, my memory here should remain intact."

"Perhaps it is. Have you really tried to remember anything since you reconnected with me?" he asked.

"No."

"Then, perhaps you should."

"No."

His eyes flashed with fury and cherry blossoms spun in the air around him.

"What is wrong with you? I tell you that your memory might be accessible here…something that might help you to fight back…and you dare to refuse to even try to attempt it?"

"You don't understand."

"Then help me to understand. What has happened to you? Why won't you fight for your freedom?" he demanded, "Why don't you want to remember?"

"I am…afraid."

"Ridiculous!" Senbonzakura exclaimed, "Byakuya Kuchiki is not afraid of anything! The Byakuya Kuchiki who commands me would never let fear stop him. He has faced pain that would have staggered others and even death…and he has never given in."

"As I said, I remember nothing from before. If I was fearless, it is because my experience, my life made me that way. I have no reference points. I don't understand why I feel as I do…about anything."

The cherry blossoms began to swirl around them, thickening until they were all he could see.

"What are you doing?" Byakuya asked, his eyes widening.

"I'm going to make him give you back your reference points. No…don't argue with me, Byakuya. It won't do any good. The lack of connections within you is slowly weakening and killing you. I will not allow you to be weak. They may have beaten you and broken your body and your mind, but as long as this place exists inside you, they have not destroyed your heart. This is the core of your strength and it will sustain you, despite your fears and your weakness. Have faith in me…and have faith in yourself. You will regain your freedom. Now, open your mind!"

"Answer me one question, first. If you and my captors both use force to control me, how are you different?"

The spinning blossoms slowed and fell away and the masked warrior approached him and gazed at him, his eyes suddenly sad.

"The difference, Byakuya, is that they used force to cause you pain, to control you, to bend your will to their design. The power I use is also painful sometimes, but it always has your best interests at heart and it will never be used to harm you."

"How do you know what my 'best interests' are, when I myself do not remember them?"

"Byakuya, you may not remember your life, but I remember every moment of it that I spent with you, since first you learned my name! Right now, I know you better than you know yourself."

"I cannot argue with that," he admitted.

"Then do what you have always done. Trust me. Let me give you back what was taken…even if it is only here, and please, let me try to reach for Zabimaru. Give me and yourself, a chance to be free again."

"I don't remember what freedom feels like."

"Then let me remind you," Senbonzakura whispered, gathering his spirit energy.

He closed his eyes and felt the swaying and dancing of petals around him, soft feathery touches on his skin, and a comforting warmth that he vaguely remembered. He slipped into a state of half awareness. Around him, images were forming, circling him, and then plunging into him, rising up and coming to life, filling with color and light. He caught his breath sharply as faces resolved themselves before him, their names breaking through and forcing him to speak them aloud. The names held power that flashed around him, filling the void within him with the emotions that connected him to them, that connected him to places and events they had shared. He remembered suddenly that all of this had been taken away and that loss brought pain…then rage that sent his spirit energy soaring.

"That's the spirit!" Senbonzakura breathed, "Now…what message shall I give Zabimaru?"

The words burst free of him before he could think to stop them.

"Tell Renji not to lose hope…Tell him that his captain is still here."

Aizen felt the sudden flare of Byakuya's reiatsu and turned back toward the noble's room. A flash-step later he was at the white door, bursting through and staring down at the pale form that lay in the window seat. He moved quickly to Byakuya's side and felt a chill slice through him as he caught sight of the noble's blank open eyes.

"Bya," he called, concerned, "Bya, what happened?"

His eye fell to Byakuya's hands. They were clenched around Senbonzakura, holding the weapon in a death grip. He tried to pull the sword away, but the nobleman's hands would not release it and could not be forced from it.

"You petal-slinging bastard!" he growled, "How dare you!"

He lifted the unconscious noble, surprised to notice that although Byakuya's hands were tightly clenched, there was no tension in the rest of his body. He placed Byakuya on the bed with the sword still held across his body. He removed Kyoka Suigetsu and focused.

What is it? the zanpakuto asked.

"I want to talk to him," Aizen said, his voice deadly.

There was a pause.

He refuses to speak to you. He is incensed by what you have done to Byakuya.

"I don't care. Tell him that unless he wants the both of them destroyed, he will speak to me!"

He says he will not waste the sound of his voice on one such as you and you will not be allowed to enter Byakuya's inner world, but he agrees to speak through me.

"Tell him I will tolerate this, but I am not amused. Ask his highness exactly what it is that he is doing to Byakuya."

He has rendered Byakuya catatonic. He claims that the loss of his memories has proved too much and he is beginning to die. He allowed me to examine his reiatsu and his words are true. If left as he is, Byakuya will linger for some time, but he will weaken and die.

"But I made sure that the punishments, although harsh, were not fatal!"

Were you listening? I said nothing about physical damage. Sosuke, when you removed his memories, he lost the will to live. His strength lies in his connections with others. When he lost that, he lost his reasons to endure. The only reason he has lasted this long is because he has some resistance to my power. A few memories have leaked through the hypnotic block…but even these will not sustain him for long.

"You say he's been remembering things?"

He remembers his vice-captain and some images and impressions. He remembers that you did something to him, although he doesn't remember exactly what.

"So he has been fighting back. Ask what must be done to save his life."

He is being difficult. He says he would rather they both die than that he face any more of your machinations. He says you have done enough to Byakuya.

"Tell him I'll give a few concessions. I do need for him to live!"

He says that you must return Byakuya's memories. Remove the hypnotic block.

"Impossible."

He says to make it possible.

"Remind him that Byakuya is too dangerous to me without some kind of controls."

He says that the pendant will keep Byakuya from being dangerous to you. I would remind you, though, that it won't keep him from harming your subordinates. Sosuke, I would also remind you that his strength lies in his connections to others. You could return some of his memories and use them to keep him from attacking your subordinates or escaping.

"I will not allow him to dictate terms! What will he offer me for this?"

He will partially reconnect with him, but his power will be defensive power only. He will be able to defend himself and you. He also says that he will not kill any ally of his.

"I see. Tell him this. Tell him that for what he offers, I will return all of his memory, but only when he sleeps. That should provide some level of protection for me, and some incentive for him to live.

He agrees to your terms as long as you cease beating him. He says that it is not going to have any real effect now anyway. Byakuya has already been rendered passive.

"Come now, I must be able to punish poor behavior."

He reminds you that for poor behavior to exist, there must be intent to disobey. Byakuya no longer has the strength of will for that.

"I wonder if he's really worth this," Aizen mused.

Kyoka Suigetsu emitted something suspiciously close to a chuckle.

I think, Sosuke Aizen, you should only ask questions like that if you want a candid answer. I see much in this obsession of yours that you do not yet grasp.

"What are you saying?" Aizen snapped.

Ah, just thinking aloud. Is there anything else or can I stop talking to him?

"Tell him that we have an agreement. Warn him that there will be heavy consequences if he interferes anymore.

As you wish

He leaned over Byakuya, holding his katana close. The noble's eyes closed and he relaxed his grip on the zanpakuto. Aizen gently removed it and placed it on a nearby table. He returned to Byakuya's side and released his zanpakuto. Golden light surrounded the two men and flared briefly. When it faded, the noble's eyes opened and came to rest on Aizen.

"What happened?" he asked softly.

Aizen took his hands and brought him slowly to his feet.

"Come, Bya, it is time for us to prepare for bed."

He didn't miss the tremor that passed through the noble's body.

"I promised I would not cross certain boundaries with you. Be at ease. Come."

He led Byakuya down several hallways to a set of double doors. He opened them and motioned for the noble to follow. The inside of the room they entered made Byakuya stop and stare. The room was huge, with large sandstone walkways up either side, which met at the top of a lovely waterfall. The waterfall descended into an immense steaming pool. Exotic flowers were everywhere, sending sweet fragrances floating all around the room. The ceiling was glass and was open to provide a sweeping view of the stars. They paused at the edge of the pool and Aizen studied Byakuya's rapt expression.

"I see you like it. I find it a restful place. We will come here each night to bathe. I hope you shall enjoy it. He turned and reached for the tie at Byakuya's waist. The noble pulled away sharply and Aizen placed a corrective hand on his arm.

"Do not pull away. I will keep to the boundaries I spoke of earlier, but we will bathe together. You must grow more comfortable being in my presence. This will help you to do that. You will eventually learn to trust me."

He reached again for the tie and this time met with no resistance, just a tension that appeared and quickly released. He removed the kimono and motioned for Byakuya to enter the pool.

"I will follow," he said, "Go on."

Byakuya waded slowly into the pool, staring at the flowers and trying to forget he was a captive locked away in Aizen's fortress, with his captor some fifty feet away and watching closely. The water was comfortably warm and the waterfall felt wonderful cascading over his head, shoulders and back. He was so entranced by it that he forgot for a moment that he wasn't alone and was startled when a warm hand touched his bare shoulder. He turned toward Aizen, but kept his eyes turned aside. Aizen did not miss the gesture.

"It seems," Aizen said quietly, "that you still have a bit of defiance left…or is it just discomfort?"

He caught hold of Byakuya's chin and lifted it so the dark eyes came to rest on his.

"Don't concern yourself," he added dismissively, "You will grow accustomed to this. It will bother you less and less as time goes on."

Byakuya tried then to focus on the very simple act of bathing, but had that taken away as well when Aizen took the soap from him and rubbed it onto his body, cautiously avoiding any areas likely to evoke an objection. To Byakuya, this was almost worse than if the man had attempted more questionable kinds of touch. Even though it couldn't be considered sexual, it was a sensual assault. But broken as he was, he couldn't connect with the anger he felt seething deep down. Such anger would only result to a return to the cell he had occupied for nearly two weeks after returning from the living world…and the beatings that went along with that. As long as Aizen kept his word, Byakuya chose to ignore his careful advances. No matter what Aizen said or did, Byakuya resolved never to give in to them…not ever. He wondered darkly, how long it would be before Aizen lost his patience and took what he wanted. Ideally, Aizen wanted Byakuya to be the one who finally crossed the line into intimacy, but that assumed the noble would, at some point, give in. There was no telling what his captor would do upon realizing that would not happen. But even if it didn't, Byakuya could see the cage being carefully placed around him. He knew that Aizen wasn't just doing this to get closer to him…it was wounding the noble nearly as much as the punishments had…and they were wounds he would certainly feel the sting from if he ever broke free.

Still, it was infuriating that he wasn't allowed the simple act of bathing and dressing, the small things that seemed so inconsequential…except when taken away. But he resolved not to respond to it and stood quietly as Aizen washed and dried his body, then slipped a fresh kimono on and tied it at his waist.

"Come, Bya," he said, smiling, and led Byakuya down the hallway to Sosuke Aizen's bedroom.

It was much the same as the white room he had occupied before, except it was dressed in more comforting earthen tones. He might have found that a relief if it didn't mean sleeping next to Aizen. If not for the pendant, Byakuya didn't think he could have resisted killing Aizen for what he was doing. It was an infuriatingly effective means of stripping away those simple things he usually focused on to find comfort even in a place like this. Without those comforts, he was constantly forced to admit to himself that Aizen was in control…a fact he hated with ferocity, but could no longer act upon. Byakuya wondered just how long it would be before he lost his mind entirely.

He slipped into the soft bed and tried to ignore the other who followed and pulled him into a loose embrace. Aizen placed a gentle kiss on the noble's lips and closed his eyes, the noble resting against his shoulder. Byakuya almost gave in to the suicidal urge to kill him then and there. The only thing that stopped him was that the close contact with Aizen stirred a memory…of Renji, the red haired man from the park in the living world…the one who was his vice captain, his life partner…who served him tea every day made the same way…the one he was remembering in greater and greater detail. Renji would come for him. He had only to focus on one task.

"Just try to stay alive," he whispered to himself.