Chapter 9: An Early Winter
"Hitsugaya taichou!" shouted the third seat, "Reiatsu levels are beginning to rise around the tower!"
Toshiro gazed back in the direction of the tower and although he also sensed the rise of power in the area, he couldn't seem to center on where the power was being focused. The shinigamis around him were already reacting, carefully placing themselves between their taichou and the tower and watching with intense eyes. Toshiro drew Hyourinmaru and gazed up at the tower, waiting as the power grew.
A tearing sound turned their heads and the group watched as a garganta opened and a golden cage floated through. Hitsugaya frowned.
"What the…" he breathed.
"Taichou!" cried Matsumoto from somewhere nearby, "Taichou, do you see?"
The golden cage moved closer and Hitsugaya's eyes went wide.
"Kuchiki taichou…" he whispered, shocked at the sight of the cage carrying the unconscious taichou towards the tower.
"We'll stop it!" yelled several of his men.
"No!" Toshiro shouted, "You can't touch it! It will…"
He broke off, noting the men hadn't heard and were running toward the floating cage, zanpakutou drawn. He activated his ban kai and soared after them, sweeping down and scooping them up. He realized too late, that the golden cage holding Byakuya had come too close and tried to turn away. He swung the men he held back in the direction of their camp and let go, then turned to follow, but sparks and bolts of golden lightning flared around the cage that held Byakuya, arcing between them and pulling the stunned taichou closer to the white tower.
"Taichou!" screamed Matsumoto, running in his direction.
"Go back!" he howled, "Don't come near!"
His power flashed, and an icy wall formed between the forces trying to follow and the ensnared taichou. Toshiro saw the doors in the tower wall open and the cage was drawn slowly towards it…along with Hitsugaya, who struggled madly to break free. Reiatsu flashed and sparked around him, then a hard jolt passed through him, leaving him stunned and unable to move. He simply watched silently as the cage dragged him inside and set down on some kind of platform. The golden cage opened and a white-clad shinigami walked over to it and leaned over the unconscious taichou inside it.
"Come now, Kuchiki taichou," said Gin's falsely good natured voice, "Sousuke's got a nice comfortable bed for you to nap in until he decides to wake you for something more fun."
Toshiro caught his breath, surprised as he realized that Gin must not have seen or sensed him. Farther back into the darkness, beyond the platform, the traitor had simply overlooked him somehow. He melted his ice wings and moved more deeply into the darkness, waiting as Gin fixed something around Byakuya's throat and then lifted the sixth division taichou into his arms.
"You're not very heavy at all, ne?" Gin chuckled, carrying Byakuya out of the room.
Toshiro waited silently in the shadows until Gin's footsteps faded, then he worked his way slowly towards the door Gin had left through. He reached a stand that had a control panel on top and found a black and red pendant on a small chain. He stared at it for a moment. Remembering that Gin had slipped a chain with a pendant around Byakuya's neck. He knew better than to put it on until he knew its function, but slipped it into his pocket for later, in case it might prove useful in some way. He left the control panel and crept to the beginning of the hallway that Gin had gone down, then stood, listening. All was quiet, so he stepped cautiously into the hallway and started walking. He thought that it would be best to move upward…to learn what he could about the tower, but he kept careful track of his route as he went, so that he could return with the information. No one had yet been able to gain any information about the tower, and Toshiro was determined that he would be the one to break the pattern.
He paused for a moment, hearing voices in a room ahead of him. He moved closer and slipped into an alcove, shivering with anger as he recognized one of the voices as Aizen Sousuke's.
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"Is Byakuya comfortable?" Aizen asked quietly, "You didn't subject him to any unpleasantness, I hope…"
"None," said Gin, sounding disappointed, "although it would have been extremely enjoyable."
"I told you," Aizen said, frowning, "Byakuya is mine. You should stop wavering and decide who you want for yourself. There are plenty of fine choices. Or we could bring several. The tenth division has been lurking about. Toshiro might make a good lover for you."
"Hmm…hadn't thought of that," said Gin, smiling wider at the suggestion.
"Lovely," said Aizen, standing, "Then the next time one of their patrols comes close, drain one. He'll come closer out of rage and you can lure him in."
"Good suggestion."
"Watch things here," the leader of the hollows said, stretching, "I am going to wake Byakuya and get things started. I'm certain we'll have a bit of work to do, establishing boundaries, but I'll have him well in hand soon."
"Can I come and watch?" asked Gin.
"No," Aizen said in a dangerous tone, "Byakuya is not to be annoyed by anyone. I want him untouched except by me…and shown respect, once his controls are in place. Remember, he is to be the bearer of future kings…"
"You do know how to take the fun out of things, Sousuke!" Gin exclaimed, chuckling.
Aizen didn't answer, but simply left Gin staring after him. So intent was he on the taichou who waited in a semi-conscious state in his bedroom, that he failed to see the small form that faded into the shadows and made itself disappear as he drew near. He passed by obliviously and disappeared down the next hallway. Toshiro followed at a distance and marked the location where Byakuya was being held, then moved back toward the room where Gin had last been. He listened carefully at the door and heard nothing but the soft shift of Gin's body within the room.
He needed to get inside, so he found a place to hide near the opening and waited for an opportunity.
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Kisuke let go of Renji, loosing a restrained sigh as he took in the devastation on the fukutaichou's unusually troubled face. He wondered how pissed Renji would be, but the redhead seemed too shocked to even fully react.
"We have to go after Byakuya," said Ichigo in a low voice.
Renji's eyes rose to meet Ichigo's gratefully.
"Thanks, Ichigo," he said softly, "I can't leave him in Aizen's hands. Who knows how that monster will twist him."
"But think, Ichigo," said Kisuke, "You are still losing your natural defenses. And we don't even know all of what's wrong with you yet. We have to get a better picture of where we are before we can leave on a rescue mission. Byakuya isn't the only one around here who needs to be saved."
"Hey…" said Renji in a low, hurt voice, "I get that you and Taichou don't always get along, but that doesn't mean you can just forget him."
"I assure you, Renji," Kisuke said, his voice deeply serious, "I'm not suggesting for a second that we do. But we can't go barging in there recklessly. We have to plan carefully and look for the best way in. And on that note, I want you to go to Hueco Mundo. Set yourself up with Toshiro and see if you two can't find a weakness somewhere that can help us. I will work on a plan for when we get in. And as soon as we have a chance, we will go after Byakuya. Just promise me one thing, okay?"
"What?" Renji asked, looking doubtful.
"Don't go in there without us. This is a very dangerous situation and you will need me when you go. You have plenty of firepower, Renji, but I know Aizen better than you do. And we need every advantage if we're going to get Byakuya back in one piece!"
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"So Renji left?" Kisuke said, looking up from the contraption he was working on.
"Yeah." Ichigo said, eyeing the device curiously, "What is that?"
"It's the receiver for that gadget I put on you just before you left. It broke and I was trying to…"
He broke off, staring at Ichigo wordlessly.
"Kisuke?" Ichigo said, waving a hand in front of his face, "Hey…"
"Oh," said the shopkeeper, blinking, "I'm okay. I just realized what an idiot I am. Damn! I didn't even think!"
"Think of what?"
"The receiver! Come here…"
He surprised the youth with a sudden kiss, at the same time, touching Ichigo's reiatsu lightly with his own and retrieving the device he had placed there.
"What the hell? What was that ab…oh!"
"I had to use a touch of reiatsu, so I wanted to make sure it didn't hurt," Kisuke explained.
"Yeah, right," Ichigo laughed, "You just wanted to kiss me again!"
"Okay," shrugged the shopkeeper, "That too. But I really did need to collect the gadget to calibrate it with the receiver and see what information is there. While you were gone, the receiver got its buttons blown off from the intensity of the sensational input. I thought it was a malfunction on this end, but given the loss of your natural shielding and whatever else those freaks did, I'd say that I'll probably find some useful information on that thing…if it wasn't completely fried from the power."
"Okay, okay, I can see you're going to be busy…and I need to check in with my dad, so…I guess I'll go on home and you can let me know when you have something."
"Great…oh, and let me know if you have any other symptoms I should know about."
"I will," Ichigo said, turning away.
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Byakuya woke feeling oddly disoriented and trying to remember how he had gotten into the unfamiliar bed he woke up in. He tried to move backwards in time, only to find that there was nothing there. Panicked, he tried to think of basic things. He knew his name was Kuchiki Byakuya and that he was noble born, but when he tried to picture what had happened a day, a week, a month before, he found huge gaps in his memory.
"Byakuya," said a soft, familiar voice.
Byakuya furrowed his brow, gazing into the man's calm, brown eyes and searching for the name.
"Oh…" he said softly, "You are still in shock. Don't worry. It will fade…and you will remember things more accurately."
The man smiled and moved closer.
"I am Aizen Sousuke…your master, and future king of the three worlds. You are my consort…or, actually, will be my consort when I am crowned king. I brought you here to be trained to serve me."
"Hai, Aizen-sama," Byakuya said, hesitantly.
Aizen's smile widened and he climbed onto the bed. Byakuya remained where he was, neither moving closer, nor leaning away. He didn't pull away from the hand that touched his cheek, or the lips that found his and kissed them lightly.
"Byakuya," he said softly, "given that you are to be my lover and the bearer of my heirs, you may call me Sousuke. I will require you to obey my orders, but you will have an honorable place in my realm."
Byakuya felt a small catch somewhere inside as Aizen kissed him again. He sensed something wasn't right…but he also sensed that this man was extremely powerful. He would not help his situation by angering the man. So he sat quietly and allowed the kissing to continue, even to deepen. But his heart began to race and his breath caught sharply when Aizen drew back and looked tenderly into his eyes.
"Now, Byakuya, lie back against the pillows. I will show you how I like to be pleasured and then you will pleasure me…"
Aizen leaned over him, moving in closer and settling into Byakuya's arms, but as soon as Aizen's hands began to explore him, a face and name flashed in his mind. Aizen bit down on his throat and Byakuya pulled away, his eyes flashing. Aizen frowned.
"What are you doing?"
"Renji…" Byakuya said, only half remembering, "You took me from Renji!"
"You are new to this place, so I will offer you a warning," Aizen said quietly, "You are not to mention that name again, nor to think of being with anyone but me. I am your master, now. All that went before is to be forgotten."
He moved in closer again, placing his hand on the noble's face and sending a pulse of reiatsu into his body. Byakuya stared for a moment, then dropped back onto the pillows and closed his eyes. Aizen leaned over him, taking Kyoka Suigetsu in hand.
"It looks like your mind is a bit stronger than I gave you credit for, Byakuya. But don't worry. You will forget everything but me. I will be all that exists for you."
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"Where are you, Kon?" Ichigo yelled impatiently, "Get out here! I want my body back, all right?"
He stomped to the closet and threw the door open, digging around impatiently.
"Not there," he muttered, "Damn it, what're you up to, you little freak?"
He checked the bathroom and other bedrooms, then walked into the family room and found his body sprawled out on the couch, surrounded by snacks and snoring loudly.
"What're you doing?" he yelled, "I don't eat all that crap! You're going to make me fat!"
Kon groaned, stretched and yawned loudly. He looked up at Ichigo with sleepy eyes.
"Hey, Ichigo! Where have you been!"
"Urahara sent someone over for you forever ago," grouched the youth, "and you never showed up and no one could find you. Now, get your butt back into that doll and give me back my body!"
"Sheesh!" mused the mod soul, "You're in a lousy mood."
"Yeah, well, you'd be too if someone was running off with your body…"
He started to slip back inside his body, but froze suddenly, his eyes widening and shock spreading across his features. Still staring at Kon, he sank to the floor next to the couch, groaning.
"Ichi!" yelled Kon, "Hey, Whatsamatter!"
Ichigo groaned again and held his head, his face pained.
"Ugh…Kon…get…Ura…hara."
"Awwwww shit!" cried Kon, "This is not good!"
He reached down and picked up the unconscious shinigami and carried him out of the room.
"Don't worry, Ichi," he said reassuringly, "I got your back…erm…or your body…or something. Whatever. I'll have you at Urahara's in no time!"
