A gibbous moon somehow managed to cast its light upon the Citadel, not full and blue, not at all bright. It was unusual. Ichigo even pondered why as they traversed the short distance of River in Lord Barragan's decorated boat, choosing the beauty of the Imperial House beyond the cloistered pagoda on the edge of the kingdom to bed in for the night.

This would be as far as gods should go although there was nothing to ever stop them from going further inward from the foggy banks of the island there. Indeed, nothing could ever stop anyone's advance to the boundaries where the Gates of Heaven and Hell are located, admitting souls that Barragan all but watched over. But then everyone was expected to respect these hallowed grounds…

From where he was playing at the bow, the strawberry could see the tall walls of their regal Palace as their vessel drifted lazily across the surface of the Pure Sea. Beautiful, their home...its spires, balconies and towers all glowing with an unusual, almost eerie coldness and stiffness. No break in its architectural lines as if the entire colossal structure was hewed from a single stone. Which it actually was. Magnificently so.

As Lord Barragan rowed them through the mist, the soul orbs hovered and floated about like fireflies, the boat continuing to break the glowing surface into ripples, vibrations, tiny rifts. The lamps smoldered, though their collective light was simply overshadowed by that of the Life River, transforming the moving vessel into a pod of cozy darkness. Ichigo had dipped his hand into the water, his skin a contrast to the burnished depths, an eternal fire of pure white lit beneath his fingertips.

He was almost startled when River Serpents glided past under them, large saucer-sized scales iridescent though dark, garnering his immediate attention. The youth's gaze followed the massive creatures as they progressed, having shifted now from one side of the bow to the other, gripping the rails, pointing with childlike enthusiasm as the behemoths changed color, crossing over the boundary where the Rivers met in an obvious line.

Black to white into the Dark Sea. These leviathans were as astonishing as they were shy, immediately diving into the colder waters there, much to Ichigo's disappointment who wanted to see more of those massive creatures.

"Not too close to the edge love. You'll fall over," spoke Aizen-sama, relaxing into the seat of cushions at the aft, his silver reclined quietly in the circle of his arms, stealing kisses every now and then, still a hot mess from the Ceremonies, twining the softest legs with his lover's.

Closer to the banks they drifted. The Arcana Palaces were but small specs of lighted torches afar, appearing like planted stars. Ichigo was called to join his Lords, but shook his head with some manner of apprehension, refusing to leave the bow where he instead busied himself with the other swimming things under water.

"He's still scared of you," the High God whispered to his silver who merely sighed. They eyed their strawberry as he bit his lip, reached a hand into the water and tried to catch some of the glowing subaqueous weed flowers.

"I don't always intend to go too far. But I really can't help it. I don't understand."

It was Aizen-sama who planted a kiss on his cheek this time, "I find it quite sexy though...when you're so engrossed in lust to give a damn."

"Quit teasing me," Gin chuckled before returning the gesture with his lips, opening his mouth so that the Lord could search him with his tongue...

"So tell me...how are things these parts of the Citadel?" Aizen-sama had to ask their oarsman when the kiss broke, settling back into the cushions with his silver. The other though, couldn't seem to keep still, groping with his hand the Lord's chest through the loose front of his splendid gold robes.

Barragan was an apathetic presence. He continued to row, his own regalia so immaculately dark making him look like death merged with the entirety of the boat, only defined by the gold of his crown and chains, and the pale of his skin.

"It's odd, these days," the Sentinel replied, rowing, the small creek of the vessel punctuating every inch forward. "And I wonder if it should be worth mentioning."

His tired, old eye fell upon the God Spear who immediately read that expression, "Why? Is there cause for concern?"

Barragan made one graceful push and propelled the vessel onward, the waiting dock materializing through the fog as suddenly the mist was parted with each advance of the boat, closer, its open canopies and marble stairs leading up towards the small though still grand Imperial House. Bamboo and stonework, overhanging decks and inland pagodas. A lovely nook for gods wanting their peace.

"Unless you consider the souls of shinigamis pouring in for the Cycle to be such a cause, Gin-sama, then there really is none," Barragan retorted, expertly guiding the boat to a stop reaching port.

Aizen-sama knew this of course, but gave no indication of the knowledge, easily slipping out of his silver's hold to help an excited strawberry disembark, Ichigo immediately racing up the boards, his scarlet robes fluttering like giant wings behind him. Gin stayed sitting there for a long time, as if those words were not true. Shinigamis? Dying out? He looked at the waiting Lord suspiciously.

Not my doing mavourneen. Aizen-sama tossed him the psychic confirmation. You know I can't do such a thing.

He's right. The High God was bound by his word as shackles to prisoners would. Capable of distinguishing the conversation himself, Barragan offered the explanation.

"It's War," he broke the silence, a sudden rise of minute insect sounds accompanying the words, then dying as quickly in the background. "There's war in those realms. And their world being in a severed String from the Universe: I do not think we possess the ability to hinder its progress."

He eyed a mentally smiling High God. Unless our Lord otherwise chooses to, the Sentient thought better of saying.

Gin asked, "What war is this?"

Finally, he's taken the hand that Aizen-sama had extended, and he was helped onto the quay. But the silver was too absorbed in his conversation with the Keeper Sentient of the Doors, wanting to know more. He barely realized how hungry he was for news of his home world...even if he had not set foot on it for almost a thousand years, even though he was never forbidden by his Lord.

"After 900 years of being sealed, he would regain his pulse," orated Barragan, even as he prepared to leave the levee and set sail once more. "After another 90, he would regain his intellect...and after 9 more years, he would absorb the power of every impure one to make their abilities his own."

This was no new narrative. It was a legend the God Spear had read in his earlier education to being the God Spear. The subterranean Archivists had an actually exhausted collective of books bearing this folklore, in various versions of prose and poetry, some utterly romanticized. The hero there was supposed to be a savior...another Soul King.

"Aizen-sama-chan!" Ichigo's voice wafted, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Isn't it also a fact that their strawberry, waiting patiently for them somewhere, was supposed to have been part of this story?

"The Sealed King. The Thousand Years' War," the High God augmented. "So it has begun" to which Gin could do little to hide his shock. So it was no folklore, the playful limericks?

Barragan's vessel had now drifted away from shore, and standing amidships, he bowed, paying his final respects to the Citadelian Three before being wrapped by the fog that even diffused the glare of his lamp lights, "I bid thee a peaceful night...my Lords."

Aizen-sama made a small gesture of his own to acknowledge that motion, pulling Gin close, noting how the latter had gone stiff in his embrace.

"Come now. You shouldn't be so stunned," the Lord kissed his ear. "War happens and anywhere. Even in your beloved world."

"You knew of this?"

The High God all but smiled, "It was never a secret my darling, that the war between the Quincies and the Shinigamis could break out anew anytime."

With that, Aizen-sama eased Gin's chin up to meet his trailing lips, his warm caress, the exploration ending in a one-sided although passionate kiss as the God Spear's mind drifted. He found himself simply contemplating…

Quincies. Monks of Destruction. Human mediums still. He's heard of the encounters before, but he had never seen any of these white-clad warriors in the flesh, well, save for their strawberry who also shared in their blood, but the conditions for the latter were different; it wasn't at all the same. Finally, the silver didn't know what to think, even as the Lord began his onslaught of touches, the need and want just a scratch beneath the surface…

Suddenly, Aizen-sama stopped, "What's wrong?"

Gin grimaced, "Does this mean my home world will still get destroyed in the end? I'm not blaming you, but isn't this like how you wanted it?"

His memories of everything that was Soul Society had somehow become pale through the years, although he half hadn't given mind to it on account of blissfulness. Nor was he conscientious about living happily with the god he loved. He couldn't see himself being anything else but this.

Life and destiny had been kind to him to an extent. But then he can't help but worry of his old world, no matter how long it had been since he was part of it. Didn't everyone feel that way-the Arcana, the Talums…all those who chose not to accept the gift of forgetfulness first offered to souls who returned to the Citadel?

You can take them out of their worlds, but you can never take the world out of any of them. A fine example would be the Hooded Arcana whom was walking down the corridors of his palace home elsewhere, drunk on wine, drunk on reverie...craving blood...

The High God looked at his beloved God Spear's face. He doesn't understand why there was such worry. He never experienced what they had. He was borne of the Citadel through and through and has existed since time existed so it was just something he couldn't relate to.

With a sigh, he ran his knuckles against that soft cheek, stroking lovingly, Gin thankfully closing his eyes and savoring the gesture, biting his lip.

"It's not something you need to bother with, my love," Aizen-sama assured, murmuring the words into his silver's ear as he ground their bodies together. Gin inhaled at the friction. "Let it not touch a god."


Yuri: For the entire day, I was seriously considering updating a couple more chapters. But hadn't I been schooled that prolonging the agony was the best way to make it sweeter? So I'm putting this to rest. The next chapters are for tomorrow then...and tomorrow...and tomorrow...