Chapter 10: White Wraith
The Spirit King's eyes opened and he found that the wraith had left him. He sighed softly, knowing that the amount of time his rescuers had to save him was limited. The wraith had already begun to steal power from him and to render it. And Byakuya was now in his hands. He shook his head sadly, thinking of the fate in store for this one who had already endured so much aiding in the king's own birth…and the Hollow King's ritual was much more awful. There was no denying the facts. He and Byakuya were in a desperate situation.
But, he thought, they were not without hope. He looked over at the brown eyed man who looked back at him somewhat blankly. The wraith didn't know the man…but the Spirit King knew him…knew him and had an idea of how he might be useful.
"Come closer," he told the man, "I wish to speak to you for a moment."
The brown eyes blinked slowly and the man stepped forward. The king examined the tall, slender body, the handsome face and long brown hair. Yes…he knew this man all too well.
"Do you know your name?" the king asked him.
The deep brown eyes gazed back at him questioningly and he shook his head.
"Do you understand why you are here?"
The man shook his head again.
"These are the most basic of your needs," said the king, "and you must follow a twisting path to find the answers. But perhaps you and I can help each other."
The man met his eyes with curiosity, with interest.
"You were trapped in the prism," the king said softly, "and you have become lost. But I believe that if you take the proper steps, you can regain your knowledge of your name…and your life can be restored of purpose."
The man hesitated and nodded.
"There is a shinigami who has been taken to the tower at the center of the maze. The wraith intends to use him for the Hollow King's ritual. It will slowly steal my power away and eventually, it will take my life. But as I was created of the rebirthing ritual, it must be repeated here to destroy me. This will take time…but time will be short. I need you to escape this place…and go to the tower. Free the shinigami you find there and bring him to me. Just realize that once the ritual begins, he will become very unstable…and with each mating, he will lose more and more of himself. If allowed to complete the ritual, he will become a hollow with power nearly as strong as the Hollow King himself. Be wary of him…but let no harm befall him. Do this…and you will know yourself again."
The man's brow furrowed softly and he looked at the king in askance.
"Do not worry," the king assured him, "With every step you take toward the completion of this task, you will find that you have all that you need to do this thing. Go now…and be certain that the wraith does not find you. He cannot sense you in your current state, so you may conceal yourself from him. Keep yourself safe…and do not forget your mission."
The man nodded and the king found himself smiling.
"Good luck…You have given me hope, and I offer you the same in return."
The man turned to leave.
"Wait, one moment. There is one more thing I need you to do for me," the king said, bowing his head.
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Byakuya woke in darkness. The depth of that darkness sent an uncomfortable chill through him. He knew well enough that he had been taken to Las Noches…but where in Las Noches? His senses told him that he was lying facedown in a bed…and that the room he was in was large and had a high ceiling. He moved slightly and found that he didn't appear to be bound. He moved to the edge of the bed and stood, reaching out to make sure nothing impeded his path. He followed the edge of the bed and found a wall. He touched it experimentally.
"Glass?" he whispered.
And if it was glass, then that meant…
He turned and felt warmth touch his skin…
"Light," he whispered, coldness filling him, "and if there is light and it does not reach my eyes, then…"
"You can't see," finished a soft, hissing voice.
Byakuya brought a hand to his face. His eyes were open, but no light reached them. Nothing appeared to have been placed over them, nor (he realized with some relief) had they been removed. But he was without the use of them for the time being.
"Why have you done this?" he asked, forcing his voice to remain calm.
"It is not permanent," the wraith assured him, "It is simply a way to keep you from escaping. I did not wish to damage your ambulatory functions because it might interfere with the ritual. But I do need to keep you from escaping."
Byakuya felt a cold touch on his shoulder and his legs inexplicably gave way beneath him. He tried to rise, but found himself unable.
"Do you wonder…why I was able to overcome you so easily, my Byakuya? Do you wonder why, even now, I can disable you however I will…with a simple touch?"
Byakuya remained silent.
"I am able to overcome you with ease because I attack you with your own power. I stole it from you and now I use it to control you…That is my nature. I am a wraith. I became a wraith when my life as Interim King ended. And there are tradeoffs. I have no power of my own, but I can steal power from the one most related to the pain that caused me to become a hollow…you. I have no physical body, but I can use you to transform me so that I will. But to do that…to complete the Hollow King's ritual, I needed the king…I needed the prism…and I needed a dark consort."
Byakuya felt him come closer and felt icy breath touch his face.
"That is why you are here."
He paused.
"Why Byakuya, you don't look at all surprised…Do you know of the Hollow King's ritual?"
Byakuya did not answer.
"It resembles the rebirth ritual…but…it works a bit differently. I draw the king's power and life force out of him, using the prism. I render the power as before and place it in you. But where you provided heart and conscience before, this time you empty the reiatsu of those qualities…and in the end…I will be taken into you and reborn as the Hollow King."
He touched the noble's face and Byakuya flinched, but could not pull away.
"But do not think that I have forgotten you, my Byakuya. You will have a special place at the end of the ritual. The ritual will empty you first, but I do not wish for you to despair, because with every mating, you will grow in power. And when we reach the end of the ritual, your powers will reach their full strength…and you will be reborn as I am…into the first Hollow Lord. Like the king's nobles, the Hollow Lords who are born from you will serve me, presiding over the three worlds and dominating them all. Your power will be unequaled, with the exception that mine will exceed it. But, as you see, the pain of the ritual will have its rewards."
The wraith was suddenly stopped as a blast of kido erupted from Byakuya's hands and barely missed him. He frowned and touched the noble, and Byakuya dropped the rest of the way to the floor, immobilized again.
"You are already compensating for your loss of vision, I see," he hissed softly, "but no matter. I will keep you from escaping. And now, let us begin the ritual."
He lifted Byakuya and returned him to the bed, then laid him on his stomach with his hands extended above him.
"Before we can mate, you have to discard your shinigami form. You must become a wraith, also."
Byakuya caught his breath sharply and strained against the power that restrained him. The wraith stroked his hair lightly, sending cold shivers through him.
"Don't worry, my love. When the ritual ends, you will be a far more powerful creature than any shinigami. Now…let us begin."
Byakuya sensed the presence of the king's prism and flinched as his hands were set upon it. He tried to pull them away, but found himself still unable to move. The wraith knelt beside him and Byakuya felt its cold hands settle over his.
"No!" he whispered, "Don't do this!"
The wraith leaned forward and kissed his cheek. Byakuya tried again to pull away, but was still too tightly bound. A cold hand stroked his back soothingly for a moment, then returned to the prism.
"Relax, my Byakuya," the wraith said softly, "You will lose consciousness for a bit, but when you wake, it will be time for our first mating."
"Stop…you can't…"
Icy black fire shot through the wraith's hands, through Byakuya's and into the prism. Byakuya felt a moment of dark hesitation, then the prism shuddered beneath his hands. Power exploded around them and Byakuya felt a pulling, a tearing, a burning like fire on his flesh as his power…his life force…his very soul began to be stolen away. He gasped and tried to pull his hands free, but the prism held them to its surface and continued the slow, wrenching torment. Pained gasps gave way to low groans, then slowly rose into screams.
The wraith let go of Byakuya's hands and stretched out alongside him, curling an arm around his waist and bringing their faces close together. He watched closely as the noble gradually quieted, as he lost the ability to scream, to speak, to resist. The dark eyes widened and blackened, then began to glaze over. The wraith smiled and kissed his lips gently.
"Death is just a doorway, Byakuya," he whispered, "and ones such as us must pass through that doorway to complete ourselves. And I will not leave you to pass through that doorway alone. I will stay with you."
The power of the prism slowly faded and the wraith released the kido that still bound Byakuya. The noble did not move, but only laid silent, everything focused on the simple act of drawing and releasing breath. The wraith studied him quietly for a moment and nodded in approval.
"I saved enough that I could feed one last time as your shinigami form dies. I will need the power and the last of your life force to sustain me through the ritual. You, in turn will take back some of this from me during our matings, so that it will sustain you as well."
He turned the noble onto his back and slowly removed Byakuya's clothing, then his own. He brought himself to rest on top of the noble, smiling at the return of the pleasant feeling of their bodies touching. He brought his lips to Byakuya's parted ones, enjoying the soft passage of breath, one last time. Then, he sank deeply into that warm mouth, his eyes fastened on the noble's, watching rapt as he drained the last of the shinigami's power and life force. He couldn't tear his eyes away as the dark eyes deepened and went blank, as the body beneath him trembled softly and his final breath released in a long, slow exhale. The wraith stole that last bit of breath, savoring it and smiling down at his consort's lifeless form.
He was so incredibly beautiful…even in death…
"Your life is safe within the prism now, my love. But there is still so much more for us to do," he whispered into an unhearing ear, "You only need to be given your new form, to be officially chosen by me for the ritual, and then death will leave you and you will live again…in a much more beautiful and powerful form."
The wraith placed one hand on the prism and one on the lifeless noble's chest.
"I choose you for this ritual to be my consort, the holder of the king's power, and the bearer of the Hollow King…"
Blackness rose out of the prism and closed around the two, surrounding them, swelling with power, then slowly sinking into them and filling them. The wraith rested his face against Byakuya's, watching and smiling as the shinigami form shimmered and disappeared, leaving behind its beautiful wraith form. He admired the longer swirls of hair, the pristine and glowing white skin and the wicked red eyes that opened and tried to see. The consort's mouth opened and a soft sound of despair escaped it. The wraith kissed the white lips gently.
"I will restore your vision at the end of the ritual. I cannot allow you to escape this place until then…It would be too dangerous for you. They would destroy you and, because of our interdependence, we would both die then. We are vulnerable right now and must avoid the ones who would kill us. The maze below this tower will contain you, but it will also keep the ones who would kill you from finding you. I will come and find you within the maze and return to the tower with you for each mating. Now, let us make our union official…"
He bit down on the white lips, and kissed the white wraith forcefully, reaching down to force his thighs apart. An angry growl rose out of the consort and sharp, pearly nails raked the darker wraith, making him moan hungrily. He captured the other's hands and laughed as he licked his own blood from the sharp ends. He forced the hands down and thrust into the white wraith's body, forcing a howl of pain from its lips. He bit down on the soft, pale throat and thrust in harder, laughing again as the white wraith freed a hand and slashed at him again, leaving a deep gash on his face. Blood leaked out and restrained wraith's mouth opened hungrily to capture it.
"Yes, yes, I am filled with power now. You may feed," the dark wraith said, lowering his mouth to the other's.
The white wraith latched onto his mouth and drew power and blood, its body relaxing and moving with the creature above it. Their hips met with brutal force now and black power swirled around them. The dark wraith lowered its head and thrust harder into the lithe, lovely form beneath him, feeling the pleasure rise and swell around the two of them. His eyes suddenly glazed over and the reiatsu exploded out of him and deep into the core of the white wraith. The white wraith screamed into his mouth, sending another hard bolt of pleasure through him, then the body beneath him stilled and trembled, the red eyes registering uncertainty. The dark wraith smiled down at his consort.
"You see, we each bring something to the ritual and we each take something from it. Each time we mate, you are allowed to feed. Each time I feed you, a little more of myself is bonded with the king's power and driven into your body. In our last mating, I will disappear into you and then emerge as the Hollow King. When I do, you will be given your powers as the first of the Hollow Lords."
The white wraith's eyelids drooped wearily and the creature fell back and let them close. The dark wraith leaned down and kissed his consort warmly. The other rested, nerveless now, in his arms.
"Yes, rest now. The demands of this ritual are great. But you are strong. You will have regained your strength when we meet for the next mating."
He picked up the prism, rose and started to walk away. Near the door, he paused and turned back.
"Just remember, Byakuya. I know how much of you still exists inside that wraith form. I know you hate what you have become and you will try to escape…but I warn you not to. They would only kill you…and even if they did not, you must return to me to feed or you will die. You are as dependant on me as I am on you now. As I said, this is our most vulnerable time. Rest and regain your strength. I will return to you soon."
Byakuya laid, unmoving, exhausted from his transformation and the start of the ritual. His mind reeled at the thought of what had happened. He couldn't see his body now, but he knew he had felt his shinigami body die. He sat up slowly and used his hands to explore his new form. It seemed much the same…in fact, it didn't seem that different from his shinigami form…but this form had sharp fangs, sharp clawed hands…and he sensed there were other changes as well. The worst part though, was not being able to see. It made him wonder what he looked like to others. His shape might be the same, but he might look very, very different. He must look different somehow…or the wraith would not be so certain the others would seek to kill him.
He could, of course, be lying about that. And in any case, there was one shinigami who he knew would not kill him…and if they saved the king…then there might be hope of restoration. But even if not…he would at least know that Renji, Tetsuya and the king were all safe…before he died. It was all that he had left to live for.
Byakuya pushed himself to his feet and found the glass wall again. He followed it around the room, trying to find the door. But the glass went all around the room. He dropped to hands and knees then, and felt his way around the floor. He knew it had to be there and so continued to search even after a circuit of the room proved fruitless. It was there, he knew it was. He continued to search, even as weariness swept over him and made his arms and legs weak and shaky.
On the third pass, his fingertips found the outline. He searched the edges eagerly, trying to find a way to open it. He quickly realized that it opened only from the outside.
He was trapped…
And blind…
And powerless…
And he was a wraith…
And even if he was found, whoever found him was likely to kill him…
He crawled back across the room and onto the bed, trying to ignore the haunting scent of the other wraith. He turned onto his stomach and rested his head on his arms. He blinked back the frustrated tears that threatened and focused on one thing…Abarai Renji. Even if everything was lost, he would see Renji one more time. And even if his life couldn't be saved, Renji would see that it ended humanely…honorably…and not until it was clear that there was no other way. He only needed for Renji to find him…
Exhaustion took over and a comforting numbness spread through him. He let himself drift toward sleep, hoping that rest would give him new energy to form some kind of strategy. His eyes closed and he fell into a deep sleep.
As he slept, the door opened and a man dressed in white entered the room. He walked across to the glowing white wraith that rested on the bed and sat down next to him. He reached out a tentative hand and stroked the wraith's long, black hair gently. He studied the lovely, ghostly face and knew this was the one he had been sent to find. He leaned over the other, carefully healing the bruises and abrasions he found on its body. Then he placed a hand on the creature's forehead and focused, sending him into an even deeper sleep. He lifted the glowing wraith onto his shoulder and returned to the door. Carefully, he descended the stairs and found his way to the beginning of the maze. His brown eyes narrowed with determination, he stepped forward.