Chapter 10: The Betrayal
"He's so still, Yoruichi," Rukia said softly, her hand on Byakuya's, "I haven't seen him like this since that night…after he saved me when Gin tried to kill me. It's hard to even tell if he is breathing. And his spiritual pressure is so faint."
Yoruichi smiled gently.
"He's going to be fine, Rukia," she assured the girl.
Rukia kept her eyes on her brother, stroking his hand.
"I know the head captain sent a messenger here when he disappeared, but I also know they didn't tell you…" she paused, breathing in deeply, "I felt his spirit energy surge and then disappear. I ran to where I sensed he was. There was so much blood…I just froze because I didn't see how there could be so much blood and yet he could still be alive."
"Rukia," said Yoruichi, "I'm sorry you had to face that alone. Byakuya didn't want you to be hurt or frightened. He loves you, Rukia. It was difficult for him to remain here without telling you where he was. But he felt he had to because of the danger to you."
"Ichigo told me what happened to him here," she said quietly.
Yoruichi sighed.
"Are you angry with me?" she asked, touching Rukia's shoulder.
Rukia's eyes flicked upward.
"Yoruichi, why would I be angry with you? You cared for him and kept him alive. You helped him find the answers he needed to regain his soul reaper form. You calmed him when his human emotions got the better of him. Yoruichi, you're the reason he's still alive."
"No, Ichigo completed the Soul Dive," Yoruichi reminded her gently.
"Yes," agreed Rukia, "but he didn't keep my brother from bleeding to death that first night. He didn't go to the Sereitei and risk death to find out how to regain his soul reaper form. Ichigo wasn't the one who helped my brother to find strength in his weakest moments…and he wasn't the one who comforted him and gave him…hope."
Yoruichi bowed her head. Rukia turned and placed a hand on her arm.
"I don't know if you want to talk about it, but I heard what he said to you just before the Soul Dive."
"I don't know what to say, Rukia," Yoruichi breathed, gazing down at Byakuya, "I don't know what he would want for me to say."
"My brother is not one who falls in love easily, Yoruichi Shihoin," Rukia said firmly, "so if you are having his child, he has to be deeply in love with you."
"He has been for a very long time," Yoruichi whispered, "but I just couldn't relinquish control and return his love…not for the longest time…"
"Do you love him now?"
Yoruichi looked up at Rukia, her eyes moist.
"I always have loved him, Rukia," she admitted, "since we were children."
Rukia blinked.
"Then, why…"
"He was always so fiery and angry, I think because he faced so many losses. Truly, it seemed like anyone he got close to died…his parents, friends, his wife…even me. Ginrei told me that his anger made him grow strong, so I was always stoking his fury. But the truth is, I feared it. The more angry he was, the less he was able to love those around him. He might have been lost altogether if not for your sister."
"Hisana," Rukia whispered, "She must have been very special to affect him the way she did, to make him love her deeply enough to mourn her as he has these past fifty years.
"He told me how they met in Inuzuri,"
Rukia gasped softly.
"But Byakuya never speaks of that. He has only once even spoken to me about my sister, and I am convinced he only did that because he feared he might be dying and that he didn't want the truth to die with him. It says something that he was able to be so open with you."
"Well, at the time he was newly human. He was struggling with his emotions. I don't know that he actually intended to tell me as much as he did."
"Yoruichi, that must have been so hard for him! My brother hates displays of emotion. That he would be forced to…I just can't imagine it. I just wish I could have been with him. Why doesn't he ever let me help him?"
Yoruichi sighed.
"He loves you very deeply, Rukia…and you are his last connection to Hisana. He would do anything to protect you. By withdrawing from you when he is weak, he is, even then, trying to protect you…from danger, from fears for him, and from the kind of hurt he felt when he lost Hisana. He is misguided in this, I think, but I understand it."
"I think I understand," Rukia said, looking at Byakuya for a moment, "but no one should have to carry the weight of that on his own. He is lucky to have you to turn to…to trust, Yoruichi."
"He is fortunate to have you, too, Rukia. When he looks at you, he is comforted because he knows that something of who Hisana was, is still alive and breathing. He would give anything to keep you safe."
"And you as well," Rukia agreed, smiling.
They sat in silence for a moment, watching Byakuya sleep.
"Are you going to come back to the Sereitei?" Rukia asked finally.
Yoruichi bit her lip gently.
"I…don't know. We've had so little time since. We've barely had time to absorb it."
"You know he will ask," Rukia said firmly, "What will you do when he does?"
Yoruichi sighed.
"I'm not so sure he will ask me. I've run from him before. He may fear asking the question because he might not want to deal with the answer. But he doesn't need to worry. I won't leave him. I can't…not after all we've endured to reach this point. I don't know how we'll work this out, Rukia, I only know we will because what we feel for each other is that strong."
"You really do love him," Rukia breathed, "I hope someday I learn what that feels like."
Yoruichi let her head fall onto Rukia's shoulder.
"Thank you," she sighed.
XXXXXXXXXX
"How is he, Rukia?" Ichigo asked quietly, looking in through the doorway.
"He's still sleeping. Yoruichi said he would probably sleep for several days. Even then, he won't be strong enough to return to the Sereitei for a couple of weeks. His spiritual pressure was pretty much obliterated."
"Hey, you look pretty wiped out, too," Ichigo said, "You've been with him almost every minute since we brought him up from the training room. Tell you what…you go get some food and try to rest a little. I promise you, I won't leave him alone, okay?"
"What if he wakes up?" she asked stubbornly.
"If I know your brother, he'd be angry with you for not taking better care of yourself. Now get going and don't come back until you've eaten, showered and rested!" Ichigo insisted.
Rukia looked like she wanted to argue the point, but then her expression softened and she smiled at Ichigo.
"You're right, Ichigo," she admitted, "That sounds just like what my brother would say. All right, I'm going, but call me if he wakes up."
"I will," Ichigo promised.
Rukia kissed Byakuya on the cheek and left the room. Ichigo leaned back against the wall, looking out the window at the blue sky outside. The storm had passed and spring had come back to Karakura Town. He was so intent on studying the sky that he jumped when he suddenly heard Byakuya speak.
"Ichigo, what are you doing here?"
"I made my friend a promise…to take care of Rukia. She hasn't left your side in nearly two days. I made her go to eat, shower, and rest, but she made me promise not to leave you alone. You want me to get her now?" he said, rising.
"Not yet, I want to talk to you first."
Ichigo sat down next to Byakuya, waiting.
"First, I want to thank you for undertaking the Soul Dive. I would have understood if you hadn't, but I am relieved you chose to attempt it. The issue of the hollow aside, you did an exceptional job of helping me out of there," Byakuya said, sitting up slowly.
"Yeah, sorry about the hollow. It's mostly under my control, but after getting hit that last time by Senbonzakura, it took me a moment to get it back," said Ichigo sheepishly.
"You almost killed us both, you know," Byakuya said, raising an eyebrow, "but knowing the strength of my uncontrolled zanpakuto, I imagine it would not be fair to blame you for losing control. You managed to regain it in time to avoid disaster."
"But I don't know how we would have gotten out if not for Orihime's reject power," Ichigo said.
"We couldn't have," Byakuya stated simply, "We were both too drained from the battle to summon the power to return. The Soul Dive is too dangerous and unpredictable. We are lucky we survived it. I don't think it should ever be attempted again.
"No," Ichigo agreed, "It shouldn't."
Byakuya turned his head to look at Ichigo and let out a small gasp.
"Are you all right?" Ichigo asked quickly.
"Your palm. Let me see it again."
Ichigo held out his hand, furrowing his brow. Byakuya studied it for a moment and let it drop.
"How long have you had that marking on your hand?" he asked.
Ichigo turned his hand, surprise registering in his eyes.
"That's what I thought," Byakuya said softly, "That marking is on the palm of every child in the Kuchiki household. When our souls merged, our selves collided. Even now that we are here, the conduit between our souls remains open."
"Is that bad? What does it mean?" Ichigo asked worriedly.
"It means that we are connected," explained Byakuya, "We share a connection as strong as that of natural brothers."
"What? I mean, you and I are on okay terms right now, but…"
"It has nothing to do with emotional attachments. It is not something either of us would have chosen and it demonstrates the reasons why soul merging is strictly forbidden. There are other side effects as well," Byakuya continued.
"Huh? What kind of side effects?" Ichigo asked, looking concerned.
"You may have noticed that although most of our merged memories have faded, some remain. We will always retain some of each other's reiatsu and memories. Also, after soul merging occurs, our zanpakuto are no longer able to do battle with each other, except as regular swords," Byakuya explained.
"Don't take this the wrong way, Byakuya, but I'm more than a bit relieved I won't have to feel the sting of Senbonzakura's blades again."
Byakuya laughed softly.
"Not surprising," he commented, "I still don't know for certain why we Soul Merged, but I believe it was the only way to allow you to battle Senbonzakura on my behalf…and to allow me to gain Zangetsu's protection. This is why the Soul Dive failed before. It required the merging of two souls and an all-out battle for survival. In the end, even you and I were not strong enough to endure all of that and still return."
"Well," Ichigo said slowly, "We got back alive…we can just be thankful for that."
Byakuya nodded.
"Now I sense there's a question on your mind, Ichigo Kurosaki. Ask."
Ichigo thought carefully for a moment.
"When I was in your memories, I saw something."
"We both saw things that are better off forgotten, Ichigo."
"You're in love with Yoruichi," Ichigo said quickly.
There was a long silence.
"Yes," Byakuya said softly, "and the other thing you saw is true as well."
"Will she be going back with you, then?"
"Why are you asking me this?" Byakuya queried.
"I don't know…" Ichigo admitted, "Maybe because it was weighing so heavily on your mind."
"I do not know. She is very strongly connected to the living world. I won't ask her to leave her work here. It is complicated, Ichigo. I don't know what we will do."
"Byakuya, can you explain something to me? How do you know Yoruichi is going to have a son? How do you even know…"
"I am a clan leader, blessed with a certain amount of foresight. I see some things before they happen…not all things, but some."
"I heard you tell Yoruichi and I saw during the Soul Merge…that you also saw…that you were going to die."
"You're most likely wondering why I would choose as I did…to walk the path I knew would end with my death."
"Yeah," Ichigo admitted, "I mean, you didn't know you'd be abducted and transformed. You didn't know that only your human form would die. For all you knew, it could have been your death as a soul reaper. How could you go to her, knowing that?"
"There is no easy answer, Ichigo. The noble families teach their children that the visions, when they come, are a complicated puzzle, a mysterious gift. Only by trusting what we see can we bring that gift into being."
"I couldn't have done that, Byakuya. I couldn't have walked into that room, knowing what you did and knowing how it would end."
"But Ichigo…you were part of the reason I could. You reminded me that life isn't about how we die, it's in what we do to make our days count."
"Whoa," Ichigo said, his eyes widening, "Who are you and what have you done with Byakuya Kuchiki?"
Byakuya only smiled briefly. They were silent for a long moment.
"What will happen to Amaya?"
"She will return to the Sereitei and to her life. I will see that she is not blamed for what happened. She has endured enough."
Ichigo nodded.
"Byakuya, there's just one more thing I need to say to you," Ichigo began.
"Well, it's nice that you finally came out with it, Ichigo. You've been thinking about it so loudly I could feel it," Byakuya commented.
"Huh? Right, then what was I thinking…if you're so psychic?" huffed Ichigo.
"You were thinking about Shin. You were thinking about what he meant to you and you wanted to ask what, exactly, he meant to me…right, Ichigo?"
"You're frightening sometimes, Byakuya," Ichigo said, surprised.
"So, would you like me to answer that question?" Byakuya asked quietly.
"You're not going to insist I defeat you in battle first, are you?"
Byakuya chuckled softly.
"As you'll recall, our zanpakuto can no longer do battle except as regular swords…and that would be rather barbaric and pointless, don't you think?"
"So you're going to answer my question…just like that?" Ichigo asked.
"Let me answer you with a question…"
"I knew it couldn't be that easy," Ichigo sighed, "all right, what?"
"What does it mean to you when you are stolen from the self you have been all of your life, forced to live as someone else, and unable to hide anything you feel? What does it mean when you're given a life you didn't ask for and told that it won't last long, but you have to make something of it? What is the value of trying to protect yourself by maintaining distance, when you only find that connections are formed despite your best intentions? And what happens when, finally, you long to embrace those connections, but you are forced to leave them for a life you realize cannot be the one you left behind?"
"You lost me, Byakuya," Ichigo sighed.
"You saw what my mind was like the night I was abducted."
"Chaos," whispered Ichigo, "I saw it."
"What do you see now?"
Ichigo stared into Byakuya's eyes.
"I see…peace…calm…," Ichigo whispered, "I see."
"That is what Shin means to me. That is what he helped me to find."
Ichigo nodded silently.
"There's one more thing you need to know, Ichigo. That mark on your palm…it means that you may enter the Kuchiki home at will, now. When you enter the Sereitei, you need only focus on it and it will take you to the gates of the Kuchiki home. You are welcome there whenever you come to the Sereitei."
"That's nice, Byakuya, but…"
"Oh, I am not being nice, Ichigo. We are required by our own rules to give entrance to any who bear that marking. It means that whatever we may feel about each other, we are family now."
"Huh…Does that mean…"
"It means I am no longer allowed to shoo you out of the Sereitei when you come to rescue someone or save lives. It means you have a place there. Don't thank me. It wasn't exactly intentional."
"Will that marking fade?"
Byakuya smiled.
"One can only hope."
The door opened and Yoruichi stepped into the room. She smiled briefly at Ichigo and turned to Byakuya.
"You're awake already? Your spiritual pressure barely registers!"
"I'm fine, really," he insisted, "I don't see the need for you and Rukia to hover over me as if I was a sick child."
"I am not hovering. I just walked in to see how you were!"
"I know the two of you have barely left this room since I was brought here. That is hovering."
"Look at you two, arguing like an old married couple!" laughed Ichigo, "Wait till your kid gets here!"
Yoruichi glowered at Byakuya indignantly.
"What does he mean 'when our kid gets here?'" she said sharply, "We haven't even had a chance to discuss how to handle this and you just go and start telling people?"
"Um…Soul Merged!" exclaimed Byakuya, "It's a little difficult to keep things from him right now."
"Hmm, forgot about that," Yoruichi admitted, "Ichigo, will you excuse us for a moment?"
"Okay, just let me know when you want me to bring Rukia."
Ichigo slipped out of the room, closing the door behind him. Yoruichi sat down on the bed next to Byakuya, curling her legs underneath her. She gazed at him intently.
"So you knew that much and still you came to me that night?" she asked, "I don't know whether you are really that brave or if you've just lost your mind. Was all of this part of that vision you told me about? Or did you have another?"
"It was all in the vision I had when I was twelve years old. You can't imagine having a lens into the future like that even so young, Yoruichi."
"That is really frightening, Byakuya."
"I was scared to death…but when you disappeared, I kept telling myself that you had to come back. I felt the truth so strongly in what I'd seen."
"Yet you still married Hisana?"
"By then, I thought that the time for that vision's completion had passed. I thought that I had been mistaken. I saw no way that it could be real. It truly delineates the difficulty in reading even what is seen. I could see that one snapshot of our lives, but not the circumstances or the timing. I should have trusted in what I saw and not questioned it so readily."
"Byakuya, everyone thought I was dead. Who wouldn't question it at that point?"
She was still staring at him, searching his face and eyes.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" he asked, staring back with equal intensity.
"Well," she replied, "I guess I'm just trying to come to terms with the changes. I got so used to you being…"
"What, you don't like me as much now that I look my age? Really, if you'll think back a little, you'll remember that you are somewhat older than me. It's hardly fair to bias yourself against me because of my age."
Her eyes flared.
"That is not what I meant!" she snapped.
"Good," he said sedately, "I was afraid you'd be asking Kisuke for a "Shin" gigai for me."
"You!" she exclaimed, turning suddenly and pinning him beneath her.
"Me what?" he asked calmly.
"You leave me no choice, Kuchiki. I know of only one way to shut that insolent mouth of yours!"
She fastened her mouth on his, pressing her body into his. She pulled the tie at the waist of his robe. He brought his hands up sharply, muttering something about the door, but she wasn't listening. She intensified the kiss and slipped beneath the covers, deftly moving parts of her clothing out of the way. Byakuya's hands tightened on her. He gasped steeply and his objections were lost in the rush of adrenaline that followed. A short time later, she laid in his arms with her head resting on his chest.
Let that be a lesson to you," she said, smiling.
"Yoruichi," he breathed softly.
"Are you still talking?" she asked reprovingly, "You know, I could…"
"I love you."
Yoruichi gasped softly and her eyes filled with sudden tears.
"What?" she managed in a whisper, lifting her head to look at him.
"You heard me, Senpai," he said, gazing intently into her eyes, "I told you that I love you."
She smiled and brushed the hair away from his eyes.
"Are you sure that's wise, just telling me so suddenly like that? What if I'm not ready to respond to that?" she asked with narrowed eyes.
"I didn't ask for a response," he replied, reaching up to touch her face, "I only said what I felt. You needn't say anything if…"
"I love you too, Byakuya," she said, placing her fingers on his lips to stop him.
Byakuya reached up to take her hand and kissed it, then took her face in his hands and kissed her on the mouth.
"Hmm," he said thoughtfully, "I might need a reminder of that later…preferably somewhere less busy."
As if to punctuate the thought, the door opened and Rukia, Renji, and Ichigo stepped into the room. They stopped as one, staring.
"What's wrong?" Byakuya asked calmly, "It was cold. She was merely helping me stay warm."
"Um, of course!" Rukia said quickly, elbowing Renji.
"Ow! Quit that!" Renji yelled, then he checked himself, "Um, I mean, uh sorry to bother you sir. We'll just…"
"Relax all of you," said Yoruichi, "It's like he said, I was just keeping him warm."
She pulled back the covers and slipped out of the bed, fully dressed.
"What do you three want?" Byakuya asked.
"A message just came from the Sereitei," Renji said, handing him an envelope.
Byakuya opened the envelope and removed a folded slip of paper. He unfolded it and studied it carefully, frowning.
"What is it?" asked Yoruichi.
Byakuya was silent for a moment.
"It's…a direct communiqué from the head captain. He has ordered my immediate return to the Sereitei…to face charges."
"What?" the others said in unison.
"Byakuya Kuchiki," he read, "Captain of Squad 6 is hereby summoned to return to the Sereitei immediately upon receiving this order. Captain Kuchiki is hereby charged with violation of the ban on human transformation, Soul Dive, and Soul Merge. He is to be escorted by Lieutenant Abarai and Rukia Kuchiki."
"What do we do?" Rukia asked, her eyes wide.
Byakuya studied them all calmly.
"I will go to the Sereitei," he said finally, "but I will go alone."
"You can't," insisted Rukia, "You…"
"Rukia," he said softly, "I hate to have to point this out to you, but…everything the order said is true. I will get dressed and I will go now."
"Wait!" shouted Ichigo, "You can't mean that you're going to just let them do this. You were kidnapped and forced to transform…and if we hadn't done the Soul Dive and Soul Merge, you'd be dead."
"Ichigo, I understand your confusion about this. But the truth of the matter is that the stated violations actually occurred and obviously, they were sensed in the Sereitei. They don't know what happened…only that I was involved. They may have sensed your involvement as well, but because of your status as a human, they will question me first to determine your role in what happened. The charges against me are a legal formality. I am certain that they fully expect to drop any charges once I have answered their questions."
"So once you explain what happened…"
"I cannot give them the full story, Ichigo. I will tell them that I was transformed against my will, but I will not reveal Amaya's involvement. This also means that I cannot mention Kiyoshi or the reasons why they were involved. I will tell them about Sosuke Aizen's involvement, however, if I do not have anyone to support that claim, I don't know that it will be believed. This is where I may be seen less as a victim and more as an unwilling witness to what happened. There will, of course, be consequences for that. In addition, although the Soul Dive and Soul Merge were necessary to save my life, I did make a conscious decision to engage in them. The consequences will be considerably lessened because of the circumstances, but you must understand that they will feel the need to impress upon not just me, but all soul reapers, just how dangerous those activities are. This is where I will receive a penalty," Byakuya explained, "So, do not worry that I will be blamed for being transformed or for saving my life…There are other issues that will affect the outcome of this."
"You're putting yourself at risk just to protect her," commented Ichigo, still looking dissatisfied, "She did choose to help Kiyoshi…and hers were the hands that did most of the damage in all of this…"
"Ichigo, remember that Amaya is a victim in this, too. Kiyoshi used her love for him to manipulate her, to pressure her. In addition, he used the knowledge that Aizen gave him to merge with her…to gain greater control over her. I know that in the end, she did agree to cooperate with him…but I also understand the forces that shaped her behavior. Now that Kiyoshi is gone, she is full of regret. Believe me, Ichigo, the punishment she is giving herself is worse than any the legal system could impose. I don't want her to suffer more than she already has."
"Byakuya" said Yoruichi, "I know you want to keep Amaya from being arrested, but how can you do this alone? Do you expect me to…"
His expression stopped her short.
"There is much at stake here," he said gently, "It is for the best that I return alone. If any of the rest of you are questioned, it only increases the risk of additional charges. You know why I have to do this on my own. Please, Yoruichi, don't."
"How will you return to the Sereitei?" Ichigo asked, "I thought with your spirit energy so low, you had to remain here."
"I have the Kuchiki family crest symbol on my palm. It takes very little spirit energy for me to return. The head captain knows this."
"But, Brother, if Renji and I fail to return with you, we will be in violation of the order."
"You can't be in violation of an order if you don't know about it. I will tell them that I did not inform you of the order for your return. I will be fine. The charges against me are serious, but I have a plan for handling them."
Yoruichi blinked in surprise.
"The Noble Court?" she queried.
Byakuya nodded.
"As the leader of the Kuchiki clan and as a noble, I have the right to request review of the charges by a council of noble leaders. It will take time for the council to be assembled and during that time, I will be required to remain at my manor under heavy security."
Yoruichi's eyes narrowed.
"You know that Amaya and I will both be called to serve on that council. In fact, I think you're betting on it. But, Byakuya, what if they decide to remove us because of our involvement? I mean, Amaya may face charges worse than yours."
"No one else will face any charges if I do not reveal their involvement…and if I agree to accept the sentence imposed by the Noble Court for my unwillingness to fully cooperate."
"But will the noble families support you, Byakuya? You have gone against the grain in the past. Couldn't they use this as a means of ousting you and ending your clan's dominance?"
Byakuya smiled grimly.
"They could do that, but they won't. To their knowledge, I have no heir as of yet. Although they might like to see me banished or dead, they need the strength of the Kuchiki clan to defend the Sereitei. I will, most likely, be removed from my command post for a time, or face some imprisonment, but the clan will not be broken. Believe me, I would not return to the Sereitei alone if I thought I would face a death sentence. Nothing I've done really warrants that."
"You are risking everything, Byakuya," Yoruichi warned him, "If things do not go as you expect, what will you do then?"
"I will have little choice," he breathed resignedly, "I will have to face the penalty I am given. Now, I need to speak to Yoruichi alone for a moment. You three go find Kisuke and get plans in place."
Byakuya waited silently until the others had left, then dressed slowly, still moving gingerly. Yoruichi watched equally silent. He finished dressing and moved to her side, taking her in his arms. She started to pull away, but seemed to reconsider and accepted his embrace.
"Yoruichi…" he said softly, "would you mind if we moved our conversation out of here? Let's walk down to the river and talk there. I need to be certain we are alone."
"All right," she said uncertainly, "I'll let Kisuke know we're going out, but I won't say where we are going. They're so busy preparing that they won't notice anyway."
She slipped out the door. Byakuya followed seconds later, turning the other way in the hallway and going out the back door. To his surprise, Yoruichi was already waiting for him.
"I thought you were speaking to Kisuke," he said, taking her hand.
"Oh, it didn't take long," she said, her voice sounding a little odd to Byakuya.
They walked silently to the river near Ichigo's house. Pausing at the edge, he put his arms around Yoruichi and brought his face close to hers.
"You seem uncomfortable," he said softly in her ear, "What is it?"
She pulled away from him, looking as though something was eating away at her from inside.
"Yoruichi, what is it? Was it something I said?" he asked.
"No, Byakuya, it's just…it's that…I feel lost. I love you very much. There is no doubt about that. I love you so much it makes this hurt all the more."
"What?" he said, his voice betraying his concern, "Yoruichi…"
"Byakuya, I just have to be honest. I…can't go to the Sereitei…when this is over. I want to stay here…and finish my work with Kisuke."
"What makes you think I would ask you to leave your work? Seeing as how you went to such lengths to help Kisuke, I don't expect you to abandon him," Byakuya assured her.
"I know…but our son. I don't know how to say this. I…don't want him to have to go to the Sereitei either…ever."
Byakuya stared at her as though she had struck him. He stepped back, still staring in surprise.
"What are you saying?" he said, stunned.
"I'm saying that it isn't fair for me to hold on to you, Byakuya. I…have no intention of returning to the Sereitei or having our son grow up there. That being the case, I cannot hold any claim on you. You have to be free to marry someone else…someone who can give you an heir that can be raised there," she said, tears running freely down her face.
"But…you said that you wanted this…and how can I be with anyone else when I'm in love with you? What does this mean for our son, Yoruichi? Don't you think he will want to go there someday? Don't you think that he will want to know the world his parents come from? Or do you intend to keep that from him?"
Yoruichi turned away, distraught.
"You…aren't going to tell him? Yoruichi, does that mean you don't even intend to tell him about me?"
Yoruichi's remained facing away from him, her shoulders trembling with the effort of muffling her sobs.
"I…can't," she managed finally.
Byakuya stared at her wordlessly. His eyes were filled with unbearable pain and anguish one moment, then calm and serene the next.
"I see. You have…made up your mind then. There is nothing I can do."
She shook her head wordlessly.
"Well then, there is no reason for me to delay my leaving."
"Byakuya…"
"Don't concern yourself with me, Yoruichi. I am fine. I should have expected this. Given your track record, what is one more betrayal of trust?" he said icily.
"Byakuya, please,"
"No, don't apologize. It's like another blade in my heart, Yoruichi. But don't worry. I won't be in a position to be hurt by you ever again. You've made certain of that. Good-bye, Yoruichi."
He disappeared then, using his flash step, leaving Yoruichi staring down into the water. A moment later, she shimmered and changed into Amaya. She continued to stare at the water, waiting quietly as Sosuke Aizen stepped out of the bushes behind her.
"Very good, Amaya," he said softly, "Now we'll take him as he crosses over. With his spiritual pressure so low from the Soul Dive, he'll be defenseless. My plan is working even better than I expected. He is isolated from the others now and the soul reapers know nothing of where he is. That forged order was a stroke of genius. Remind me to thank Gin for that when we get back. Come, Amaya, your mate will be here soon. With the power of two noble bloodlines and his strength, the 13 Court Guard Squads are doomed."
Amaya smiled then, her eyes glinting golden in the sunshine. The two shimmered brightly and disappeared, leaving no trace of their passing.
Several minutes later, Yoruichi arrived at the river, her eyes scanning the area for Byakuya. Not seeing him, she circled back, heading for Kisuke's house. As she arrived, the door burst open and Rukia and Renji dashed out to greet her.
"What's wrong?" she asked Rukia.
"Where is my brother?" she asked frantically, "The order was a fake. A message just arrived from the head captain, wishing my brother well and saying how good it will be when he returns to the Sereitei…hardly what he'd say to a man being charged with serious crimes. Something's going on. Byakuya is in danger. We have to find him!"
"It gets worse," Renji added, "I just checked Amaya's room. She is gone as well."
"Damn!" exclaimed Yoruichi, "I was so stupid! I should have thought of this!"
"What?"
"Byakuya said that Amaya and Kiyoshi received help from Sosuke Aizen. This whole thing was not even about Amaya and Kiyoshi's revenge plot! Aizen wanted Byakuya all along!"
"But what about Amaya?" asked Rukia, "How does she figure into this?"
"There may be more to her story than we thought," said Yoruichi, "She could be working with Aizen."
"But then, why did she help him when you were in the Sereitei?" inquired Renji.
"I'm not sure," Yoruichi admitted, "But this is looking more and more like it was planned from the start!"
"They wanted to kill my brother from the start!" steamed Rukia.
"No, Rukia, they could have killed him at any time. The human transformation, the Soul Dive…it was to…to test him…maybe to weaken him so they could take him…to Hueco Mundo!"
"But why?" whispered Rukia.
"Why do you think?" said Yoruichi, "Aizen wants Byakuya, because he is the strongest of Aizen's enemies, and because in addition to taking his strength away from the Sereitei, he intends to turn it to his own use. Rukia, I think he wants to turn Byakuya into a hollow."
"No…my brother would never allow it! He would…he would die first!"
"He has been weakened and will be vulnerable," Yoruichi said in a low, dangerous voice.
"We have to find him!" Rukia insisted, her eyes blazing with determination.
"Yes, and we will. Go find Ichigo and Renji. We should also bring Chad, Uryu, Orihime, and Hanataro. We don't know what will greet us in Hueco Mundo. Have everyone meet me back here in an hour!"