Chapter 10: Wake the Sleeping Dragon

Renji…

Renji sighed and shifted restlessly.

Renji…

He groaned and his eyes blinked open. The cave was dark and cold…and he didn't feel Byakuya's reiatsu nearby.

"Byakuya?" he moaned softly.

His mouth and throat felt dry and his mind was fuzzy.

"I have not lost my mind…but I am going to. When that happens, you must be the one to release me. Zabimaru and Senbonzakura will prepare you. But Renji, do not leave Inuzuri until I have reached the palace."

Byakuya's words repeated softly in his mind.

"Bya…"

He felt eyes watching and turned. The softly glowing forms of Zabimaru and Senbonzakura stood at the cave entrance, gazing at him silently.

Byakuya has returned to the Sereitei. He has charged us with your safety and training.

"Senbonzakura…" Renji said questioningly, "Why did he leave you?"

As I said, he left me to assist in your training…but it has another purpose. Were I in his mind when he joins with the talisman, I would be affected as well. Our presence here is a shield to protect us…and to give us the freedom to train.

"Someone needs to explain," Renji moaned, holding his aching head, "I don't know about any talisman. All I know is that Byakuya is really not himself!"

Turning, he spotted a black book, a golden coin bearing the Kuchiki Clan crest and a sakura tree, and a hell butterfly. The hell butterfly floated over to him and landed on his fingertip. Byakuya's voice rose up out of it.

"Renji, I want to apologize for the means I used to keep you from following me. Please know that it is a matter of life and death and I felt I had no choice. It is imperative that you remain in Inuzuri. I will tell you as much as I can, but some things must be revealed as you go. The black book I left for you is a diary of the late Hajime Kuchiki. He is one of my ancestors and hundreds of years ago, he attempted to overthrow the spirit king. His attempt failed and he was killed. If you read the diary, you will learn the truth about Hajime Kuchiki and how he was overpowered and used. Do not allow the diary to leave your hands. I will need you to produce it when I face trial for my actions. The zanpakuto will explain the use of the gold coin as soon as your training is completed. I know things are really confusing for you right now and, kami knows I've done nothing to make it easier for you. Renji, I want to believe that you and I are strong enough together to defeat the power of the Omoi Oujou Talisman…but in case, for some reason, I fall short of that…just know that you have my heart. You always will."

"Byakuya…" he said, reaching up to stroke the silver fang pendant Byakuya had given him.

He was surprised when his fingers encountered not one, but two chains. One held the silver fang, but the other was light and golden…Byakuya's sakura pendant. It was a message…one Renji didn't want to think about. He moved toward the cave entrance, but the zanpakuto stepped in front of him, regarding him with stern eyes.

"What the hell are you two doing? Look, Byakuya is in trouble. I can't just let him…"

You must, Zabimaru insisted, If you go after him now, you and Byakuya will die. There is training you must do.

"Like hell I'm training! I can't think about training when he's going to…to…"

Join with the Omoi Oujou Talisman, Senbonzakura finished, Renji, understand that if he dies, I will die as well. I have much to lose. My master moves under the influence of outside forces now, but his heart rests where it always has…with you. Do not allow yourself to be distracted. Let us begin the training. Come…

"But…"

Your protective instincts are appreciated, Senbonzakura went on, but if you indulge in them now, they will do more harm than good. You are used to rescuing him, but Renji, Byakuya must fight this battle on his own. You cannot help him. Just come to the battlefield and train with us. The time will come when we may leave this place, but that time is not now. Come…

Sighing with frustration, Renji picked up the black book and the golden coin, and slipped them into his pocket. He turned back to the zanpakuto, gazing at them expectantly. Zabimaru looked back sternly.

"Um…didn't you say you wanted me to come with you?" he asked, "Why are you blocking the way?"

Open the diary, instructed Zabimaru, Tell us first what the Omoi Oujou Talisman is, who created it and why.

Renji withdrew the black book and opened it, marveling at the pristine condition of the ancient text. There were, he thought, several enchantments at work, preserving it. Focusing carefully, he began to read. As he read, he felt himself transported through time. It was almost as though the text came alive in his mind. Byakuya had told Renji that books in the archive could do this, but he had never experienced such a thing first hand like this.

The princess came to me tonight. She knows. She knows, but she will not say it aloud. Still it was in her manner and the way she looked at me…and I know it will come back to haunt me. Even so, my heart is set and I cannot change what it feels. My devotion to my king is absolute…and his affection for me is genuine. She cannot stand this. But she came to me speaking of the concern she has for his safety. She says there is a traitor in our midst…one who will try to attack her father. I must, she says, create a talisman, a protective charm, something to keep him safe from the forces that seek to do him harm.

"Okay," Renji said, "So Hajime Kuchiki had a close relationship with the spirit king…and the princess was…displeased with that. Then there was a threat to the king and she ordered Hajime to make the talisman. It was supposed to protect him. Why do I get the feeling she was telling him a big fat lie?"

He continued reading.

I gave her a golden medallion that allowed her entrance into the family archive. My memory of our time there is dim. I do not remember anything but a red candle that burned on the table. All else was a blur. But when we left, she kissed me on the cheek and thanked me for my work on the talisman. I thought the matter finished, but I was wrong.

"Well, that's not good," Renji observed, "Sounds like this princess was up to something. She said he made the talisman…but she must have guided him…or maybe she made it. His memory is not all that clear."

He read farther.

I cannot seem to focus and my sleep is off. I have been so for several nights. The princess comes each night and makes a draught to calm my nerves and to help me sleep, but sleep will not come to me. I feel a sense of dread that becomes overwhelming. Something is wrong with me, but I don't know what it is. I feel cold inside, alone. I went to speak to his majesty and he sensed I was not well, but he couldn't read what exactly was wrong. There is a darkness in my reiatsu…a weight upon my soul. And when I was close to his majesty, my reiatsu became disturbed. I had an odd moment when I wondered what it would take to kill a being such as he. Power, I think…power like none I've seen.

Renji trembled softly. There was something very unsettling happening as he continued to read. The images in his mind followed the text, but the face of Hajime Kuchiki had become faded, and it seemed to fade in and out of focus as his mind struggled. As the images shifted and twisted in his mind, Renji was certain he saw glimpses, not of Hajime Kuchiki, but of Byakuya…

Princess Mari…

"Princess Mari?" Renji gasped, "The same Princess Mari? Does Bya know that…?"

He knows, Senbonzakura assured Renji, Remember, he had the book before you.

Renji swallowed hard, his heart pounding madly in his throat. He could barely read the words on the next page…could barely make himself look as the images rose up in his mind.

"Princess Mari is the only one who comes to me anymore. Why have I been locked away? Why has my king forgotten me? Wasn't I loyal to him? Did I not serve him well enough? Did I not love him as he wished? I gave him everything…everything he asked for. The princess tries to soothe me, but I long for my king. His presence is the only thing I crave. Even though I have never looked upon his face, I was allowed to hear his voice, to feel his touch. And I believed him when he said he loved me…What has happened? She tells me there is a power I can wield to make him hear me again…to open his ears and eyes to what his abandonment has done. He will not get away with this…He will pay for what I have become! I was foolish to accept his rule. He should never have commanded me…for he lusted for my power. He sought my presence for the power he could steal from me."

"Kami! Is this what will happen to Byakuya?" Renji said, staring unbelievingly at the book in his hands.

"The Omoi Oujou Talisman…that which carries me to my fate, is finally completed. The labor of many years and lives taken to preserve its secrets…all are worthwhile as I gaze upon it and whisper the words that will bring it to life. Setsuzoku, Ryoku, Ankoku… After the words leave my lips, light flares around it. It rises into the air, turns and sinks down into my restrained body. And I know why, even though I welcomed this, I had to have the restraints. The contact is unforgiving…like the wounds of a thousand zanpakuto strikes. My voice rises up in a chorus of screams as the talisman seals itself to my writhing soul. But kami, we are one…one mind, one heart, one purpose. I will willingly take the steps to my death now…because all will be made right. With the fall of the spirit king, my soul will fall as well, but this sacrifice is welcome. He will be gone and I will be free of serving him. Power of the sort our family wields is not meant for service, it is meant for command. With his death and mine, my brother will take his place and there will be no royal family…only what should have been…decency, prosperity, and no more kings."

Renji stared uncomprehendingly at the book as the last of the images faded away. Tears burned in his eyes and he stood facing the two zanpakuto with his hands clenched and his heart shattered.

"You say that there is a way that we will all come back alive…Is this true?" he asked in a rough voice.

The zanpakuto observed him silently.

There is only one path that will give us the chance to all return alive. Byakuya has given himself to that path. He did so despite the deceptions and lies that confused his mind, but we see through to the truth. Renji Abarai…you must know that Byakuya was under Sosuke Aizen's influence when you found him…and when he brought you here, drugged you and left you to train while he took the steps that lead him to his downfall. But know that the only effect Kyoka Suigetsu had on him was to harden his heart for his task. Byakuya would never choose Sosuke Aizen over you. Aizen wanted to anger you, to change your reiatsu for the purpose we now have. He led Byakuya to bring you here, because your help will be needed, but if you go too soon, you will not live long enough to be of any assistance. Byakuya was not ruthless enough to drug you and leave as he did. Again, Kyoka Suigetsu led him to act as he did. The actions were harsh and Sosuke Aizen knew that Byakuya would not be able to do these things…so he took the decisions out of Byakuya's hands…and he did so to keep him alive. Hate him if you will, but Renji…Sosuke Aizen is no longer able to bear the thought of Byakuya being hurt or killed. Right or wrong, he is in love with Byakuya. As such, he wants to help Byakuya to live.

"So what you're saying," Renji said in a low voice, "is that Sosuke Aizen turned Byakuya into a heartless bastard to save his life?"

If you will, Senbonzakura said quietly, but you are the one who can return his heart to him. Before you can do that, you must learn a new ability. Come, Renji, we are ready to open the way. Let us go to the battlefield and take the next step.

Renji felt an emptiness and an overwhelming rage rising up inside of him. The Byakuya he knew and loved was gone and replaced with the cold and heartless bastard he once had hated. He remembered what those days felt like, how much he wanted to reach down inside and find the power, the strength inside to shatter that mask. Now it wasn't a mask. What he saw was real…and his hatred for what he had lost lit a raging torrent inside him.

Beside the cave entrance, the two zanpakuto focused and red light intertwined with pink, weaving a flowing pattern in the air in front of him.

This, said Zabimaru, is a weaving together of our inner worlds. The bond we share has allowed our souls to bind here in this place. Pass through the barrier…

Renji drew his zanpakuto and stepped through the interwoven light and passed out of the cave and into a dark, cold desert battleground. Renji froze, staring. It looked nothing like his inner world…and nothing what he thought Byakuya's should look like.

This is Byakuya's inner world as it is, Senbonzakura said softly, There is comprehension and there are goals, his mind and body are intact, but he has lost his heart. As we train, we must change this place…we must return his heart. Can you do this, Renji?

Renji thought back to the broken wreck of a man Aizen had left Byakuya when he left the Sereitei, he remembered Byakuya's flight to Inuzuri and the struggle to regain his power. Something was born between them while they trained in Inuzuri…something beautiful and unbreakable. So why was the Byakuya he remembered, the one he held through those painful times gone…and the heartless mask reversed. It was as though time had somehow been reversed, as if Inuzuri had never happened. How was he ever going to find that place again?

"What do I do?" he said softly, "Just tell me what to do. I would do anything…I just…I want him back the way I remember him."

That is good, Senbonzakura told him, It means that who he is exists in your heart. It is kept safe there. Should your mission fail, the two of you will die together. If you are successful, Byakuya will return.

Zabimaru stepped forward.

I want you to connect with what you feel for Byakuya. Connect with that feeling of love. Feel it wrap around you and let it sink down into your bones.

Renji held Byakuya in his mind, Byakuya as he lovingly remembered him, calm and stoic, dark and light both, deep and sensuous. The memories flared in his mind…and with the passion rose an anger at its passing. The love passed through him, sank down inside and bound itself to him. The anger flared on his surface. Zabimaru continued.

I want you to embrace in your mind the lengths you would go to to protect those feelings between you. Let your will to protect rise up before you like a shield.

Renji thought back to the emotion that broke the power of Kyoka Suigetsu, that held against the spirit wolves of Hueco Mundo, that shattered the defenses of Aizen's fortress…all of this brought on by the unbreakable desire he felt to protect the love they shared. The feeling swelled within him and rose out of him, spinning around him and binding itself to his very skin.

And now, Zabimaru went on, remember your fury, the fury born of love and protectiveness, the one that helped you to stand against the forces that once sought to shatter you…Zangetsu, Senbonzakura, Shinzou, Kyoka Suigetsu! You will not win every battle, but your pride will not be relinquished and your will shall not be tamed. Connect with your rage and change your reiatsu…feel the power rise up and surpass what it was before. Be resolved in your will to take back and keep what is yours. Be firm in your stance and certain in your hold on me. Show me the fighter that won Byakuya Kuchiki's heart!

His fury. He remembered his fury as he was used to capture and restrain Byakuya, as he was made over into one of the spirit wolves and made to desire his lover's power and lifeblood, as the Kuchiki clan sought to tear them apart, and as Sosuke Aizen sought to shatter what was between them. Red fire flared in his red heart…pulsing with rage that began at his center and grew into a swirling firestorm. There was no force in the heavens or on earth that could break them. And any that threatened would face his wrath. Any that rose up, he resolved to break, to shatter, to defeat!

He stood in the cold dark desert that was Byakuya's distorted inner world and felt it beginning to warm, beginning to shine with the redness of the light all around him. Zabimaru and Senbonzakura watched in silence, their eyes fixed on the swell of power that surged around him.

Release me, said Zabimaru.

"Roar, Zabimaru!" Renji cried.

His zanpakuto flared in his hand and shifted to its released form.

Increase your power.

Renji reached down and connected with all of the love, protectiveness and fury he had gathered. It flashed and shone around him like the light of a small sun rising. His feet set in their stance, the power tore into the ground around him and the light in his eyes rose until it was blinding. Byakuya's inner world was shaking. The desert sand rose up, disturbed by his reiatsu

Release your Ban Kai.

"Ban Kai! Hihio Zabimaru!"

The light around him blazed and the skeletal snake rose up, screeching its fury and held together by his spirit energy.

Senbonzakura stepped forward. He approached Renji and gently tied a blindfold over his eyes.

When you meet your opponent in the spirit king's world, your eyes will be bound. You will not remove this blindfold once it is set in place. You must not let your eyes fall on your enemy. If you tear the blindfold away, you will hesitate…being affected by what you see. Forget what you see. It is not real. You know in your heart what is real, Renji. Trust your heart. Help Byakuya regain his.

Renji breathed calmly, feeling the skeletal snake curling around him and the power rising again inside him.

Feel the presence of your enemy, instructed Zabimaru, sense where he stands. Send me to attack him!

Renji breathed in deeply, trying to forget that this had long been his area of weakness, his Achilles heel…sensing reiatsu. He was stunned when he felt the sudden flare of disturbed reiatsu and felt an attack looming. Without hesitation, he loosed the skeletal snake. He felt it rise up into the air and streak towards the disturbed reiatsu. There was a rumbling of ground and a hot blast of energy that washed over him at the impact.

Very well done, Zabimaru praised him, Now, you will learn a new attack. You will change the skeletal snake. It will ignite and it will form the Skeletal Dragon King! Give the command, Nenshou Doragon Kokuou, Zabimaru…

Renji took a deep breath and reached down to the center of his power.

"Nenshou Doragon Kokuou, Zabimaru!" he cried.