Chapter 9: Clash of Dragons
Senbonzakura tore free of Renji's body, sending the stunned shinigami to his knees with a stricken, guttural cry. Byakuya remained still and silent in front of him, holding Senbonzakura ready. Bright red light flared around Renji's body, and the deep, pained cries continued to issue from his parted lips. His hand moved slowly to the sheath where Zabimaru was housed. He placed his hand on the hilt and looked up at the expressionless eyes of his taichou. Renji's eyes glowed as red as the rest of him. His cry turned to an enraged roar as he pulled Zabimaru free.
He sent the jagged blades of his shikai soaring in Byakuya's direction. The empty gray eyes lifted as the blades closed in and at the last moment, Senbonzakura rose and blocked the incoming attack. The power of Renji's red rage sent his taichou sliding backwards, creating proper fighting distance between them.
Byakuya's head bowed slightly and pink light rose around him. Across from him, the red light continued to flare and dance around Renji.
"Ban kai, Hihio Zabimaru!"
The ground shook violently and the shriek of Renji's skeletal snake shattered the air. The snake rose up above him and swirled around him once, screeching. Then it turned and shot toward Byakuya, its great mouth opened wide.
"Hikotsu Taiho!"
The blaze erupted from the mouth of the skeletal snake and enveloped him. He disappeared into the redness as the skeletal snake slammed into him, forcing him into the ground and pelting him with a shower of bony segments. But as the segments rose and the snake began to retake its form, there was an explosion of pink light and petal blades. It wrapped around the skeletal snake and raised it into the air above the two combatants. The snake disappeared into the sphere of petal blades…and the sphere itself began to rotate, to turn…slowly at first, then faster and faster as the two shinigamis faced each other with raised swords and blazing reiatsu. They charged at each other, Byakuya wrapped in pink light and Renji draped in redness. Swords raised, they closed the distance, their eyes locked, their bodies racing headlong for each other. They came together in a blinding rush of slashes and parries. Their reiatsu flaring brighter that a small sun, they threw themselves against each other. And with each release of power, the sphere rotated with more speed…and it began to mingle pink with red light. It fed on the released power of the combatants below it, turning and swelling until the power within it could no longer be contained.
"Doragon Hanabira," whispered Byakuya.
"Doragon Nirro Dokuro," whispered Renji.
The sphere exploded, momentarily lighting the two bodies beneath it that continued to strain against each other. They shined against the blossoming wave, then were swallowed up by it, and they disappeared into the depths of it. Petals and bones rained down in shattered fragments, as above them, two huge, glowing forms appeared.
Dragons…
The first resembled the skeletal snake, but the snake's long body had been remade with lovely scarlet bones, wings and powerful legs with long, sharp talons. The snake's head looked much the same, but for the crimson horns and shining autumn red eyes.
The second dragon glowed, pink and ethereal, a graceful long necked creature, sleek scaled over thick skin and fine bones. As the two shinigamis watched from below, the dragon shimmered and dissolved into a swirl of petals that reformed into the petal dragon and roared and beat its wings, waiting for its wielder's command.
"Seirei Setsuzoku, Hanabira," breathed Byakuya.
The petal dragon bowed its head slightly, then launched itself toward the red skull dragon. The red dragon lowered its head and shot forward, hurtling toward the other with blinding speed. The closed on each other, then at the last moment, altered course slightly, slashing at each other. They circled each other, screeching in defiance, then charged again and crashed against each other. The red dragon slashed at the petal dragon, then froze in surprise as the pink dragon dissolved and formed again behind him. He turned, screeching and slashing again and fell away as the petal dragon followed his move and streaked alongside him. The petal dragon curved his long, graceful neck around the red dragon's. It forced the red dragon down into a spiral and both fell toward the ground. They came down and landed hard, shaking the earth beneath the shinigamis' feet. The petal dragon glowed with pink light and held the red dragon still. The red dragon's eyes still flared and it roared defiantly. But the petal dragon held it securely in place and regarded his master with a calm, inquisitive eye.
Byakuya stepped forward, his body still wrapped in pink light. He approached Renji, slipping his weapon back into its sheath. Renji remained frozen, his eyes on the two dragons, as Byakuya reached him and wrapped a calm hand around the one that still wielded Zabimaru. Renji's glowing eyes met Byakuya's and he slowly returned his weapon to its sheath. Byakuya's hands took hold of Renji's face and his eyes froze the redhead in place. He kissed Renji warmly and took hold of his sword hand, bringing it to rest on the dragon marking on his chest. He brought his other hand to rest over the marking that had appeared on Renji's chest.
"Seirei Setsuzoku," Byakuya said calmly, "Abarai Renji."
Renji's glowing red eyes fastened on his and he nodded.
"Hai, Seirei Setsuzoku, Kuchiki Byakuya, Doragon Scion…" Renji said, bringing his head to rest on Byakuya's shoulder.
Red and pink light flared around them, flashing and sparking. Between the two shinigamis and the two dragons, the spirit link opened.
XXXXXXXXXX
Kuchiki Byakuya woke the next morning to the absolute worst headache he had ever experienced. Such was the sensation that it took him several long moments to realize that he had no idea where he was…or how he had ended up lying on a small cot in unfamiliar surroundings. He lifted his head slightly and immediately regretted having moved. Pain shot through his head and he dropped it back onto the pillow, groaning softly and closing his eyes again. A moment later, someone slipped a hand beneath his head and lifted it. Then something was brought to his lips.
"This will help ease that headache," a soft voice said.
He kept his eyes closed, but managed a few swallows, then drifted back to sleep as the pain faded. He slept somewhat fitfully, small remnants of spirit energy flaring briefly, now and again, giving him the feeling of blood running too hotly beneath his skin. A cool cloth brushed over his face and he couldn't quite hold back a small sigh of relief. He tried to open his eyes again, but they were heavy lidded and refused to obey. He drifted off again, and this time slept more peacefully. And when he woke next, the headache was gone and the feeling of heat had left his blood. He opened his eyes and found himself looking up at Hasashi.
He blinked in surprise.
"You can…see me in shinigami form?" he asked the professor.
"Yes," Hasashi replied quietly, "I have been able to see shinigamis for some time now."
Byakuya sat up slowly and noticed Renji sleeping on a cot nearby them.
"Is Renji…"
"He's fine," Hasashi assured him, "The two of you appear to have suffered no permanent damage."
"But…how did you happen to find us? We were…"
"The two of you flooded this whole area with spirit energy. A better question would be how one would have missed such a display. But then, great power is necessary when one opens a Spirit Link."
"You know of the Spirit Link?" Byakuya asked.
"Yes," Hasashi replied, handing him a cup of hot green tea.
Byakuya sipped at the tea and waited for the other to explain.
"Naoki and I have been studying the constellation Draco for some time. During our studies, we uncovered a related bit of mythology, the myth of the Doragon Tatsujin. But then, you must know something of the myth, judging by the book I found in your possession. I knew of the book's existence, of course, but I was not aware that you were in possession of it."
He picked up the book and began to read the newest entry.
I have found my chosen and we have completed the Spirit Link. When the stars of Draco flared, I awakened my chosen and we learned to wield our dragon forms. When we gained control of them, we were able to achieve the Spirit Link. The connection between us will help us in our battle against the Doragon Tatsujin. Now we await the flaring of the stars of Draco and need to begin our search for the Valley of Dragons. I believe that a return to the Seireitei is necessary as I have a suspicion that a search of the Kuchiki family archive may hold pertinent information.
Byakuya gazed up at Hasashi.
"Does any of this make sense to you?"
Hasashi shrugged.
I know of the Spirit Link and the myth of the Doragon Tatsujin. I wasn't convinced it was real before, but seeing as how you and Abarai Renji have opened a Spirit Link, it seems that the myth is real…and we should expect the stars of Draco to flare. Some of them were flaring last night…but not all."
"It seemed that the flaring of the stars caused us to open the Spirit Link," Byakuya observed.
"What happened last night was just the beginning," Hasashi said softly, "The stars of Draco will continue to flare more and more brightly. When all are pulsing together, the time will have come for you and Renji to enter the Valley of Dragons to do battle with the Doragon Tatsujin."
"But what is the Doragon Tatsujin? What do you know about it?"
"Not a great deal," admitted the professor, "I only know that he is said to be a spirit being with great power. He will enter the Valley of Dragons and if you are not able to stop him, he will call together a conflagration of dragons and wreak havoc upon the world. Only the Doragon Scion, you, and the Doragon chosen, Renji, can stop him from destroying everything in his path."
"But you have no knowledge of where the Valley of Dragons might be?" asked Byakuya.
"No," said the other, studying Byakuya carefully, "but your book mentioned an archive…"
"Yes, I am familiar with it. I will attend to it tonight after I am finished teaching my classes."
Hasashi nodded.
"And when you return, I would like to speak with you about it. It is not every day that a myth comes to life. I want to document everything that happens."
He smiled enthusiastically at Byakuya.
"I knew there was more to you than meets the eye, Professor Kuchiki," he said, "I am glad to see that you have not disappointed me. But for now, rest and drink your tea. I imagine Renji will wake soon and then the two of you can be off. You can find me here in my laboratory when you return from the archive."
Byakuya's eyes followed the professor questioningly as he rose and left the room.
XXXXXXXXXX
"Ugh…Oh kami, Bya…my head!" moaned Renji.
"Here, try this," Byakuya said softly, bringing a cup to his lips.
Renji sipped at the liquid, then dropped off to sleep again. He woke a short time later and Byakuya slipped a cup of tea into his hand.
"Do you feel better, Renji?" he asked.
The redhead stared at Byakuya.
"You stabbed me with your zanpakutou!" he said, his eyes widening, "Why the hell did you do that?"
Byakuya shook his head.
"I don't know exactly. I only know that the stars of Draco began to flare and…I moved, but I was not in control of my body."
"I looked into your eyes and it was like looking into the eyes of a complete stranger, Byakuya," Renji said worriedly.
"I lost awareness. And it was more like I was watching it than participating…except at the point when the Spirit Link opened…Renji, we've opened the Spirit Link."
Renji blinked.
"I can feel it," he said, a smile coming to his lips, "It's so strange. It feels like your mind is right here with mine!"
"And so it is. I don't know a lot about how it works, but I do know that we can sense each other's thoughts and emotions, even from far away. And we can feel each other's pain. The connection between our spirits is so strong that the loss of one would be devastating to the other. What I don't understand is why this time you accepted the link."
Renji gazed up at him thoughtfully.
"I…well, you asked me to. You said Seirei Setsuzoku and my name…and I just…wanted to."
He looked more closely at Byakuya and leaned forward.
"Byakuya…your dragon marking changed!"
Byakuya looked down and caught his breath in surprise. He studied the marking closely.
"Renji, it's the petal dragon…and it seems that you have one also."
Renji stared down at the red dragon marking.
"It's the red skull dragon…" Renji mused, "Byakuya…do you want to explain to me just what the hell is going on?"
"The journal I carry said that I awakened you and that the two of us learned to wield our dragon forms…and then we opened the Spirit Link. It said that we only need to find the Valley of Dragons and wait for the stars of Draco to flare. It also said that I might find clues to the location of the Valley of Dragons in my family archive. I'll go and search the archive after classes end tonight."
Renji nodded, then seemed to suddenly become aware of their surroundings.
"Byakuya…where are we?" he asked.
"Hasashi's laboratory," Byakuya answered, glancing in the direction the professor had gone, "It seems that Hasashi is able to see shinigamis. He said that he found us because of the large amounts of spirit energy we gave off while gaining control of our dragon forms and achieving the Spirit Link."
"So he brought us here…"
"Yes, and he seems to be aware of how we fit into this myth. But I sensed something odd about him. He is hiding something."
"What do you mean?" Renji asked, furrowing his brow.
"I mean that when I originally tried to sense his innate power, I sensed significant power, but I wasn't sure of the nature of it. When he was here earlier, I tried again and received the same impression, but there was something unusual in his reiatsu. Renji…I don't know for certain, but I wonder if the professor could be a hollow or a shinigami himself…perhaps concealed in some kind of protective form…something like our gigai, but able to block invasive reiatsu."
"Wow…sounds like something out of the twelfth division!"
"Exactly…so while I go to the archive, I want you to go to the twelfth division and request information on experimental gigai forms that might be able to throw off reiatsu sensing techniques. If it was an experiment there, then there will probably be a record of it…and its abilities."
"I hate the twelfth division!" Renji complained, "That freak taichou is always trying to get me to let him experiment on me."
"Kurotsuchi taichou does that to everyone," Byakuya said dryly, "Just ignore it…and keep Zabimaru close to you. We need that information, Renji. We shouldn't move forward from this point until we know for certain the truth of who Hasashi is…and how he fits into all of this. And…"
He stopped and looked around questioningly.
"Renji, did you hear someone?"
Renji strained his ears listening. At first, he heard nothing unusual, but then he thought he could just catch the sound of someone calling for help.
"Mayumi?" he said, looking at Byakuya.
Byakuya nodded.
He reached out with his senses and followed her reiatsu. Renji followed as he left the room they were in, then turned down the hall and moved silently past several other rooms. They came to a locked door.
"She is in there," Byakuya said softly, "Watch for him."
Byakuya sent a pulse of spirit energy into the lock and it released with a loud click. He turned the handle and opened the door to find himself looking at a winding staircase that went down into a room below them. He slipped into the room and moved silently down the stairs. At the bottom, he found himself in a darkened room and had to wait a moment for his eyes to adjust. As they did, he spotted Mayumi, bound and gagged. She looked up at him and began to struggle, releasing muffled cries around the gag. Byakuya stepped forward and released the girl.
"Arigato!" she hissed softly, "That creep tied me up and left me here! He said he needed me for some sacrifice they're going to do!"
Byakuya took her hand.
"Come with me. We'll get out of here, then we can talk."
Mayumi nodded and followed him back up the stairs.
"I don't sense him nearby."
They climbed the stairs and returned to where Renji waited in the hallway.
"Renji, let's go," Byakuya whispered, "We need to take her somewhere safe."
"Urahara?" Renji said questioningly.
Byakuya nodded.
"If he appears, take her and go. Let me handle him."
They made their way back down the hallway and cautiously moved toward the front door. Renji turned the door handle, but the door would not open. He looked back at Byakuya.
"I guess he really doesn't want us to leave," the redhead commented.
Byakuya's eyes widened suddenly in realization.
"Renji," he said softly, "This whole building is one big reiatsu cage!"
Renji stared back at him in shock.
"Just who the hell is this guy?" he asked in a stunned whisper.
