Chapter 12: Stolen Blossom
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Do not listen to the lies that flow from my lips. Hear only my heart as it reaches for yours. I do not fear the danger that approaches, but only hold on to you more tightly as it seeks to tear me away. It does not matter if I am lost. We are bound at the soul. We no longer inhabit only one body…
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"Byakuya."
The noble stirred softly at the sound of Kyoka Suigetsu's voice in his mind. He sat up and leaned back against the pillows, using what senses were left to him to feel the dimensions of the room and to sense the nearby presences of Senbonzakura, Kyoka Suigetsu, and outside his door, Nel and her two fraccion.
"Kyouka Suigetsu?"
"I had to wait until he left to speak with you. The hougyoku grows stronger, and is slowly gaining a foothold on his mind. It cannot complete its conquest while the seal is in place, but it can continue to affect his thinking."
"What are we to do? You know that, sooner or later, he will find a way to break the seal. I am certain that the information that will enable him to do that is here. And once he does, the hougyoku will begin altering him to the point where he will be a grave danger to me."
"We may be able to delay his finding that knowledge."
"How? I cannot see. I cannot search the library."
"Yes, you can. I can help you."
"Again, how?"
"I am able to control your senses…all of them. And my ability to control them is not affected by injury they suffer. So although your eyes are unable to see on their own, while you possess me, I can force your eyes to see. Come. Find me."
Byakuya slipped his legs over the edge of the bed and climbed to his feet. He remembered the location of the nightstand and touched it lightly, then found the wall and proceeded slowly around the room, following the wall and testing the area in front of him with a searching hand. Finally, his fingers found a wooden sword stand. He touched Senbonzakura in greeting, then lifted his hand and brushed it against Aizen's zanpakutou.
"Wait. He is coming."
Byakuya retraced his steps to the bed and sat on the edge, just as the door opened.
"Ah, you are up and about," Aizen said, moving towards him, "I was thinking that it would be good for you to stretch your legs and to gain some familiarity with the fortress. Come."
The rogue shinigami slipped an arm around him, bringing him to his feet and leading him out of the bedroom and into the hallway.
"Were you able to find any information about the Valley of Whispers?" Byakuya asked.
"I found a few references. Nothing that would pinpoint it, but there are still quite a lot of places to look. I will return there in a while, but I thought you might benefit from a bit of fresh air and some company. There is one place here in the fortress where I was actually able to get plants to grow. I turned the room into an atrium, then added a bathing pool and waterfall. It is really quite a soothing place."
They turned a corner and Aizen turned him into what he sensed was a huge open room enclosed with kido.
"This is the training room we will use once you have recovered your vision. It is also a good destination for you while you are growing accustomed to traversing the fortress. Are you aware of the approximate distance we have gone?"
"Hai," Byakuya said, nodding, "I have been counting the number of steps and the turns."
"Good. Nel can assist you when you want to move about."
"What of Grimmjow?"
Aizen was quiet for a moment.
"You would do well to avoid him unless you are with Nel or me. He is relatively benign, but he is rather bitter. He knows he doesn't want to be out with the other hollows, though. They look down on him for losing his battle with Kurosaki Ichigo. Not that any of them could have defeated him, but after my defeat, they were looking for someone to blame for the chaotic state of things. And rather than use the last of the Espada to help put things back in order, the Arrancars instead shunned them for having been my devotees. This world has been in chaos ever since, because no one strong enough has stepped forward to lead, and if one did, he would have a hard time gaining the others' trust. When we leave the safety of this fortress, the hollows we meet along our way will be restive and will likely attack without hesitation. Hopefully, by then, you will be fully healed and your vision restored."
He broke off, making a soft sound of surprise.
"A hell butterfly?" he queried softly, "Byakuya, will you excuse me for a moment? It seems that the spy network I used is still active. I need to look into it. If you go back out the doors we came in through, cross the hallway and turn left, the atrium is on the left, three rooms down. I will meet you there when I am finished."
Byakuya listened as the rogue shinigami flash stepped away, then stood. He turned in what he remembered was the direction of the door and walked slowly back until he sensed the wall in front of him. He reached out and touched it with one hand, and followed it to the door and passed through it. Following Aizen's instructions, he turned and moved down three doorways, then opened the door he found.
He could sense immediately the large size of the room and scented flowers and water. He stepped forward into the room and paused, sensing also that he was not alone. There was a moment of hesitation, then the gruff voice he remembered from before, rose up in front of him.
"So, we meet again, shinigami," he said, his voice a soft growl above the sound of rushing water, "What are you doing wandering around the fortress alone?"
"It is Byakuya," the noble replied quietly, "and I am not wandering about, but stretching my legs. One cannot remain locked in his room all of the time. Not if he plans to be of any use."
"You aren't really of any use as it is with your power sealed away and not being able to see. But he expects you'll heal, ne?"
"He claims to believe I will, but nothing is guaranteed, of course."
A soft shiver of warning passed through Byakuya as he felt Grimmjow move in closer.
"You are aware you can't trust him, ne?" the Espada asked softly, "You are damned sexy. No wonder you have his attention. But let me tell you a few things about your handsome bedfellow, Byakuya. Aizen Sousuke is a backstabbing, using bastard. I can tell he really enjoys fucking you. Hell, who wouldn't? I'm tempted, myself. But don't let your guard down with him, not for a minute. Even if it was just him you were dealing with, he's dangerous enough, but fused with the hougyoku, he is deadly and unpredictable."
"You seem to think so," commented the noble.
"No," said Grimmjow, brushing several stray hairs away from the noble's face, "I know so. He was bad enough before…cocky, sneaky and violent when he wanted to be. But after he fused with the hougyoku, he was just scary. He became dangerously unpredictable. One second, he'd be talking to a guy and the next, he'd kill him, with so little warning the guy wouldn't know what hit him. On the surface, he was always perfectly calm, but piss him off and you'd be dead before you hit the floor."
"But that was when the hougyoku was fully activated. It is sealed, Grimmjow. And while it does speak to him and try to influence him, he is in control, for the moment."
"Are you sure about that, Byakuya?" the Espada asked in a low growl, "Can't you feel it? Maybe you can't with your powers sealed away, but I can feel the power of the hougyoku beneath the seal. And you know that whatever else he's looking for in that library, he's working day and night to try to find a way to unseal that thing. And when he does, you are a dead man."
"That certain, are you?"
"Of course," Grimmjow said, leaning closer until Byakuya could feel the Espada's lips and hot breath against his earlobe, "It doesn't matter how good you are in bed or what agreements you have. Anyone or anything close to him will be evaporated when that thing regains its power. The hougyoku doesn't like to compete for attention."
He chuckled softly.
"I think you know that, Byakuya. You know it, but you are playing some kind of dangerous game, ne?"
Byakuya flinched and tried to pull away as the Espada's mouth fastened on his. He felt Grimmjow's spiritual pressure rise until it froze him in place. He continued then, thrusting a seething tongue between the noble's lips and tasting him.
"Aizen will eat you alive," he said between sweltering kisses, "but I can help you. I can help you get your vision and your powers back. I can help you find the place you're looking for."
He slid a hand down Byakuya's body, catching the tie at his waist and pulling it free.
"Stop," Byakuya hissed softly, "Sousuke will be back any moment."
He struggled against the reiatsu that held him in place as Grimmjow's hand slipped beneath his yukata and began to explore him.
"Are you afraid?" the Espada asked softly, "Worried he'll kill us both?"
The invasive hand found his length and teased it provocatively. He caught his breath sharply as the hand brushed his sac and hard fingertips pushed beyond, finding his entrance and stimulating it as his other hand curled around Byakuya's head, bringing him in for another hard kiss.
"Let go of me!" Byakuya gasped, "He's coming back!"
Grimmjow's reiatsu rose until Byakuya's body went limp and collapsed against him. He lowered the noble to the grass, then leaned over him.
"You'll see I'm right about him," he said, tying Byakuya's yukata back in place, "And don't worry. I'll be watching. I have my own plans…for him and for you, shinigami."
He glared down at the noble for a moment longer, then stalked away. Byakuya remained on the grass, catching his breath and waiting as the spiritual pressure around him slowly receded. He heard the door to the room open and close and felt Aizen's presence.
"Byakuya, I am sorry to have kept you waiting."
He paused, gazing down at the noble.
"Byakuya, are you all right? You look rather flushed."
"I…do not feel terribly well."
Aizen moved closer, dropping down next to him and placing a hand on his face. Byakuya felt an odd, disturbing shift in the reiatsu around him.
"Grimmjow was with you," the rogue shinigami said in a low, angry tone.
He brought his lips to the noble's, tasting him questioningly, then his reiatsu rose, pressing in around Byakuya and stealing his breath again.
"He touched you…"
"H-he was trying to intimidate me."
"What did he want?"
"I-I'm not sure. He seemed…angry."
Even though he couldn't see, he felt the burning of Aizen's eyes on him.
"You are not telling me everything."
"Sousuke…"
He lost the ability to speak as the rogue shinigami swept him up and flash stepped with brutal speed back to his room. He was thrown down onto the bed on his back, then strong hands captured his wrists and fastened them above his head with kido ropes.
"Have you lost your senses?" Byakuya snapped, "What is wrong with you?"
Kido restraints formed on his ankles, lashing them to the bedposts.
"Sousuke?"
The rogue shinigami's body pressed down against his and the weight of the man's spiritual pressure closed in around him, tightening and leaving him feeling suffocated.
"Did you enjoy it?" Aizen hissed in an odd, distant voice.
This isn't him. The hougyoku is intensifying his reaction…stoking his ire and trying to tease him into directing it at me.
"Did I enjoy being touched by a hollow?" Byakuya asked angrily, "Are you mad? I would never take pleasure in such a thing! Never mind the fact that I am bound to you. I have no affinity for hollows!"
Aizen gave a sarcastic laugh.
"That's right. You can't see Grimmjow…still, it doesn't matter. You weren't injured in any way, so I imagine you weren't attempting to fight him off."
"I couldn't fight him off," Byakuya fired back, "With my powers sealed away, it was easy for him to hold me down with his spiritual pressure. Think! What you are saying makes no sense! It is the hougyoku, trying to make you hurt me. Are you going to let it?"
Aizen shifted and let the hougyoku brush against Byakuya's chest. The noble stifled a gasp of pain as the crystal flared, burning his skin.
"Sousuke…Sousuke, can you hear me?" Byakuya asked urgently.
He felt the calm brown eyes fixing on him.
"Of course I hear you," Aizen said, "But I don't know exactly what to believe. Certainly Grimmjow has no great love for me…but neither do you. Do you think I have forgotten that you haven't told me everything, Byakuya? What other sins of omission are you guilty of, my lover?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I am talking about your true mission. You have managed to keep it from me."
"I told you my mission. There is a…"
"…a beast that has cornered the king and the palace is locked down. I know. But there is more, ne? Who is going to wield Tenrai Tezawari? How will you enter the spirit dimension? You see, there are things you haven't told me. But the hougyoku can help me to extract those answers from you. If you will not yield them willingly, then I will allow it to force itself into your mind. Do you want me to do that?"
"No. But Sousuke, I thought that the hougyoku had to be unsealed to affect others."
Aizen's soft laughter sent a shiver down his spine.
"Byakuya…we are soul bonded. That means that because the hougyoku is in my body, it can enter your mind too. Do you want to feel what that's like?" Aizen whispered in his ear.
"No…no, I don't."
But he felt the crystal burn hotter against his chest and heard the first whispers in his mind.
"Kuchiki Byakuya…Aizen's soul bonded, do you hear me?"
He didn't dare answer.
"Byakuya, you think you can resist me? Think again. No one can. And I will tell you why. I know the hearts of men. And no heart is without dreams, longing. I find those dreams, those wants, those needs. I find them and I feed them. That is why men crave me, why they seek me and want to master me. You will desire this too. I only need look into your mind and see what you desire most."
"Sousuke, stop it!" Byakuya gasped, straining against the bonds, "Sousuke, if you love me as you say you do then you have to stop it! The hougyoku wants to destroy me. You know this!"
He caught his breath sharply as the hougyoku flared again and he felt the press of its power against his mind. He threw everything into resistance, but found it useless as the hougyoku touched his mind searchingly, then slid inside as though he hadn't resisted at all.
"Give me your desires, Kuchiki Byakuya."
Intense fear gripped the noble, leaving him breathless.
"Tell me…"
He pushed the fear aside and focused on one single thought.
"You desire…"
The wicked power wrapped around his heart and began to squeeze.
"Say it."
"No…"
"Say the words. Tell me what you desire most!"
"No!" Byakuya cried.
"Then I will tear it from your mind!"
Byakuya took a sharp, stinging breath and forced his mind to focus on one thought and one thought alone. His body shook from end to end as the power of the hougyoku intensified and then exploded inside him, forcing everything out in a rending scream of pain. He suddenly lost all control of his body and his mind plunged into blackness.
"What did you learn?" Aizen queried.
"The thing that Kuchiki Byakuya desires most…is to be able to destroy the beast that threatens his king. This is why he seeks Tenrai Tezawari."
"We already knew that."
"Yes. He is very resistant to telling me more. But after he recovers from the shock, I will enter his mind again. I will find the answers you want. He will tell me everything."
"You must not damage him."
"Sousuke, are you growing too fond of him to be able to bear thinking of him being injured? How touching…"
"He is my soul bonded. Extract what you must, but do not damage him."
"Of course."
Aizen lifted himself away from Byakuya and gazed down quietly at the unconscious noble. His hand strayed to the angry red mark that remained on Byakuya's chest where the hougyoku had burned him. He touched the burn marking with his fingertips and slowly healed it, then leaned forward and kissed the noble's unresponsive lips.
"You must learn to be more cooperative, my love. I do not enjoy hurting you, but neither will I tolerate you keeping secrets from me. Rest now. And when I return, you must answer all of my questions."
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Grimmjow kept his spiritual pressure drawn in and masked as Aizen's reiatsu swept the fortress, trying to locate him. It had been reckless, he knew, threatening the shinigami, leaving traces of his reiatsu to give him away, but it had been crucial to know the state of things between the rogue shinigami and his lover. He smiled wryly, pleased at what he had found. Now, if he could avoid Aizen and return to the shinigami…
He felt the swell of Aizen's anger and kept his reiatsu carefully hidden as the shinigami's power continued to probe the area. He was almost certain he had been discovered as Aizen passed close by him, but then the shinigami gave a frustrated sigh and flash stepped away in the direction of the library. Grimmjow let out his breath and moved on cautious feet back in the direction of Aizen's bedroom. He paused near the door, spotting a worried Nel, who was pacing about the hallway with her frantic fraccion.
"He sounded like he had gone crazy!" exclaimed Dondachakka in a terrified voice, "I was sure he was going to kill poor Byakuya-san!"
"Yeah," agreed Pesche, shaking his head, "Crazy is right! Man, I tell you, that hougyoku is really scary! And did you hear that? When Byakuya-san wakes up, he's going to hurt him more! Nel-sama, we have to get out of here! The hougyoku has control of him, I tell you! We have to get out of here before he finishes off the shinigami and comes after us all!"
Nel stared up at the two with wide, sad eyes.
"Nel is scared too, but Nel can't just leave Byakuya-san to be hurt more and killed. Nel has to help Byakuya-san. But…how?"
"Ah, no!" exclaimed Pesche, "You saw how pissed he was that Grimmjow touched his shinigami. We don't want to touch his shinigami. He'll destroy us, for sure!"
"But she does have a point, you know," argued Dondachakka, "It wouldn't be right to leave him here, knowing what will happen to him."
"And besides," Nel went on, "There is still the hougyoku to think about. You know it will try to break the seal on it, so that it can have all of its powers again."
"Well, what do we do?" said Dondachakka, gulping in fear, "It seems like either way, we are going to be in trouble. Either from Aizen-sama or the hougyoku! What do we do!"
"There, there, Dondachakka," Pesche said, patting his friend on the back, "I'm sure that Nel-sama has an idea, don't you, Nel-sama?"
Nel stared back at them helplessly.
"Nel isn't sure…"
"Then listen to me," Grimmjow said, stepping out into the open, "We have to take the shinigami with us and get the hell out of here!"
"Wh-what?" stammered Dondachakka.
"Are you insane?" gasped Pesche, "Do you even know how dead we'd all be, doing something like that?"
"How would we avoid Byakuya-san being sensed?" asked Nel, "Aizen-sama and Byakuya-san are soul bonded."
"Look," said Grimmjow, "I just kept him from finding me, and I'll keep him from finding you too. But I can't get into his room, Nel. Only you can do that!"
Nel took a step back, her eyes widening even more.
"Nel doesn't know!" she exclaimed, "Grimmjow is angry and doesn't like Byakuya-san. Grimmjow could hurt Byakuya-san and that would hurt Nel!"
"I'm not going to hurt him. Nel, I know how to help him. I know someone who can help him to see again, and can give him back his powers so that he can continue his mission. And I didn't tell Aizen this, but…I know where the Valley of Whispers is."
"I don't think we should trust him," said Pesche skeptically, "He's never been all that nice to us. And you are right. He doesn't like Byakuya-san. He's probably going to trick us!"
"Oh!" moaned Dondachakka, holding his head, "What do we do? What do we DO?"
"Nel wants Grimmjow to tell her why he would help Byakuya-san. Because Nel knows that Grimmjow does not like Byakuya-san!"
"Yeah, fine," admitted Grimmjow, "I don't really like shinigamis. But I really despise Aizen and we all know the hogyoku is even more powerful than he is. We all need to get out of here. And by taking Byakuya along, we might be able to get to the Valley of Whispers before Aizen and keep him from getting what they're looking for there."
"What do we do then?" Nel asked.
"We hide it…and ourselves," Grimmjow said quietly, "Nel, if the hougyoku gets unsealed, he will come after us anyway. This way, we'll restore Byakuya's powers and vision, so he can help us, and we'll have something powerful to fight him with. It's better than just sitting here waiting for the hougyoku to take over, ne?"
Nel studied him for a long moment, then frowned deeply.
"Grimmjow must swear to protect Byakuya-san…and he must not break his word!"
"Fine, I give my word! I promise I will protect all of us. Just, let's go Nel! He'll be back as soon as he senses Byakuya is awake."
Nel's frown deepened and her eyes glowed for a moment.
"Nel expects Grimmjow will keep his word! If he doesn't, Nel will make him sorry!"
She turned away and opened the door, then crossed the room and climbed up onto the bed.
"Byakuya-san?" she whispered, shaking him gently.
The noble groaned softly, but remained asleep.
"Pesche, Dondachakka, come and help Nel," called the girl.
The two fraccion stepped warily into the room and lifted Byakuya out of the bed. They carried him out the door and into the hallway. Nel joined them a moment later carrying Senbonzakura and Kyouka Suigetsu.
"Whoa!" gasped Grimmjow, "What the hell do you think you're doing with his zanpakutou? Are you crazy? Put it back!"
Nel shook her head firmly.
"Kyouka Suigetsu asked Nel to bring him along. He wants to help us."
"Wh-what? You're off your rocker!" snapped the Espada, "Put it back, you nutty little troll! He was obviously lying to get us caught! Aizen's probably on the way here right now!"
"No!" Nel yelled back at him, "Kyouka Suigetsu is sad because Aizen-sama abandoned him. Kyouka Suigetsu wants to protect Byakuya-san, now! We're taking him! Now, tell Nel which way to go!"
Grimmjow glared at the green-hilted zanpakutou and shook his head. He felt a stirring in the reiatsu around Aizen, where the rogue shinigami had enclosed himself in the library. Grimmjow froze.
"What is it?" asked Nel, "What is wrong with Grimmjow?"
"Oh fuck," hissed Grimmjow, "Don't you feel that, Nel? It's the hougyoku! He did it! He found a way to unseal it! We have to get out of here, now, before he comes back! Nel!"
Nel stood frozen and shaking all over.
"It's over Nel!" snapped Grimmjow, "If we stay any longer, we're all dead. Now come on…and let's hope that zanpakutou can really hide us!"
The group flash stepped down the hallway and to the front doors as the heavy reiatsu continued to grow and swell in the air. Wind whistled through the fortress and the building shook softly.
"Run!" yelled Grimmjow.
He drew his zanpakutou.
"Grind, Pantera!" he shouted.
Behind him, Nel exploded into her adult form and released her own zanpakutou. Her body took on an equine shape and she motioned for her fraccion to come close.
"We have to separate," she told them, "Kyouka Suigetsu will hide our escape route. Go in different directions and remain hidden until I return!"
"But Nel-sama!" wailed the two.
"Put Byakuya-sama on my back."
The sobbing fraccion lashed the noble's body into place and stood back.
"Go now!" Nel called to them, following Grimmjow's released form, "Run!"
The fraccion dashed out the door and ran off in different directions as Nel paused, gazing at Grimmjow.
"To the north," he said pointing, "And don't stop for anything…not even for me. Move, Nel! He's coming!"
Power exploded inside the fortress behind them as the two and their unconscious charge disappeared into the desert.