Chapter 12: Under the Falling Sakura
"Roar Zabimaru!"
The zanpakuto released and flew in the direction of the enemy reiatsu. Renji felt the impact as sword met sword and power exploded all around them. He swung the sword again, releasing a ringing battle cry and he heard an intake of breath as his enemy moved at flash speed. He felt the next flash step before it happened. There was something familiar about it…Senka! Renji turned and met his enemy's sword heavily, shoving it aside and sending Zabimaru winging forward with another wild cry.
He felt wind rising around him and a hiss of motion. Something swirled around him and he felt an impending attack.
"Ban Kai, Hihio Zabimaru!"
Now the skeletal snake screamed. It curled around Renji. He felt cold dead eyes watching him.
"Pathetic," his enemy hissed softly, "And not nearly enough. I will get by you. You are not strong enough to stop me. No one is! Now move before I cut you down!"
The skeletal snake flashed toward the voice and Renji felt his enemy flash step again. He flash stepped in and slashed, scoring a solid hit.
"Unwise!" said a low voice.
A sword slash tore at his shoulder as he flash stepped free. He turned and loosed the skeletal snake in another sweeping attack. Now he heard harsh laughter. He was slashed again.
"Damn!" he cried, flash stepping away.
His opponent was reading his moves as though from a book! But he said he didn't know Renji! How could this be? How could he read the attacks? How did he know how Renji would move? It was almost as if he was back in the Sereitei fighting someone he knew. He felt a knot of fear rising inside him. Who was this?
The skeletal snake flew forward, this time releasing a huge red blast of fire. He heard a grunt of pain and felt his enemy flash step again. Suddenly, Renji felt the release of a kido spell. He rolled clear and flash stepped in, giving his opponent another hard slash. There was a gasp of pain, then the harsh furious cough of a demon.
"You!" it coughed harshly, "I know who you are!"
"Then you know I will defeat you!" Renji cried, throwing his weight into another blinding assault.
Renji felt something flash through the air and slash at his skin. He was bleeding…and he knew the feel of this…
The demon laughed.
"You are curious, aren't you? You feel his presence and I use his attacks, but you are filled with doubt. Do you not wish to see?" it asked, "Remove you blindfold and look upon me."
The skeletal snakes screeched and curled around Renji as he was pelted with more cutting blades. Renji felt a stab of fear slice through him. Could this be?
Do not remove your blindfold! Zabimaru cautioned him.
But blindfold or no, Renji knew what he was feeling and it shook him to the core. He stood frozen in the coil of Zabimaru, his doubts rising up, creating a wall between him and his power.
"You want to know, don't you?" said the growling voice.
There was a pause, then a blinding blast of power struck the curled skeletal snake, shaking it from head to tail.
"Remove the blindfold…know me for who I am," the voice said.
Renji's heart faltered. He felt that presence now…submerged beneath rage and evil…but still alive…
Renji! Zabimaru cried warningly.
The attack was sudden and harsh, sending the skeletal snake tumbling and blowing Renji off of his feet. He rolled and came back to his feet, flash stepping and unleashing blasts of kido.
"Hado # 31, Shakkahou!"
The red flame cannon flashed again and again. Renji found himself grateful for the hours he and Byakuya had spent training on kido.
Byakuya…
"Please don't let this be…don't let this be him!"
But he felt the reiatsu and Byakuya's was there. He wondered briefly why he should continue to fight blind. He had already figured out this was Byakuya…or something that had control of him. Wouldn't it make more sense to dispense with the disadvantage now that he knew? He reached for the blindfold.
No! shouted Zabimaru, Do not remove it until the battle ends!
"But what's the point?" Renji yelled, "I've already sensed Byakuya!"
"You should let him see," growled the demon, "Let him look upon his beloved!"
"Byakuya," Renji cried, "Byakuya, if you can hear me…Byakuya…stop!"
The demon laughed and stepped forward again, slashing. Renji spun away, blood rising again on his skin.
"Byakuya, I know you're there! You have to get control of this thing! Stop it, before one of us dies!"
"If any dies, it will be you!" raged the demon, "You may as well stop calling him. He will not answer you!"
"No!" cried Renji, "I don't believe you!"
"Well," said the demon, slashing, "Do you believe this?"
Renji froze as something slashed at his head and the blindfold floated to the ground. He couldn't stop his eyes from rising. And then he couldn't hold back the scream that rose from deep within.
"Halt!" cried the Royal Guard as the winged wolf soared into the palace courtyard. Yoruichi and the others slid down and put their hands into the air warily as the guards approached.
"You are here without permission," said the guard, "You are under arrest!"
Yoruichi signaled the children and they all flash stepped together. As they broke forward and ran into the palace, the winged wolf blocked the door behind them, regarding the Royal Guard with glinting eyes.
"Now how," it asked, "do you plan to get by me?"
Inside the palace, Yoruichi held the children's hands and flash stepped again. She felt the raging reiatsu and knew time was short. She had no choice but to take the children with her. They had to reach Byakuya!
Feet pounded in pursuit and Yoruichi worried that soon they would attack, She swept both of the kids into her arms and flash stepped faster. Takeo, Rikichi and Hotaru were falling behind. She left a reiatsu trail and moved to the limits of her speed. Still, she wasn't certain even that would be enough now.
The reiatsu ahead was dark and disturbed. She felt a demonic presence somewhere near the king's chambers. She flash stepped toward it, no longer hearing pursuit. Suddenly, she stopped. Ahead of her was a large set of double doors. She sensed Byakuya and Renji on the other side. She sent a flash of lightning ahead, blasting open the doors, Running inside, she slid to a stop, staring. A large closed triangular chamber dominated the room. Fire raged hotly around it. Yoruichi knew this power. It could only have come from one place.
"Ryuujin Jakka?" she breathed.
It was certainly a chamber constructed by that zanpakuto. Renji and Byakuya were within with the demon.
Takeo, Rikichi and Hotaru ran into the chamber.
"Royal Guard is coming!" Rikichi warned, panting heavily.
Together, they shoved the great doors closed and did what they could to brace them.
"We can't fight the Royal Guard!" Yoruichi cried, "We'll never hold them. Try to break into the fire chamber! We need to reach them!"
Takeo loosed his shadow wolf and it raced toward the chamber with a shrieking howl. An eagle, a falcon, and a flock of black hawks followed. A pack of red wolves flashed from Takeshi's zanpakuto, and Yoruichi poured her energy into a blinding blast of shunko. The fire around the chamber flared and danced. But the chamber itself, held easily against the assault.
"Ban Kai, Hiwashi Tenrai Hishou!" shouted Rikichi.
His eagle flared with golden fire and crashed into the chamber again. Still, the chamber held.
"Wait!" called a voice from outside the doors, "You must stop!"
A violent blast rocked the room and the prince burst into the room, surrounded by a group of Royal Guard.
"Don't break the chamber!" he warned them, "A powerful force is fighting within. We dare not let it loose in here!"
He slowed and approached them warily. Chisaki and Takeshi pulled away from Yoruichi and ran to the surprised prince.
"What are you two doing here again?" he asked, looking concerned.
"It's our Dad!" Takeshi cried, "We had to come and help him!"
Yoruichi relaxed gradually and nodded.
"Byakuya has been affected in some way. "
The prince nodded.
"I sense the presence of the Omoi Oujou Talisman…I fear it wreaks its havoc on us, once again. I felt my sister's reiatsu decline…as well as the Captain of our Royal Guard. I must warn you, Lord Byakuya faces grave consequences when this is over! But for now, there is nothing we can do…We can only wait and hope the power of the talisman will be broken."
"No!" screamed Renji in terror, "No!"
Harsh laughter assaulted his ears and the twisted demonic form that had been Byakuya flash stepped toward him. He still retained a somewhat recognizable form, but the tall, graceful form was bent and twisted, the face a mask of rage and hatred. His skin had turned leathery and hands and feet now ended in huge, awful claws. He still wielded Senbonzakura, but the zanpakuto had turned black and the blades that broke from it were coal black. Renji stared in horror as Zabimaru screamed for him to move. Senbonzakura slashed and blood sprayed around him. Renji flash stepped away and almost fell, gasping in pain.
"B-Bya…" he hissed brokenly.
And he knew now why he wasn't supposed to look, because how could he fight now? How could he kill Byakuya? Even as twisted and overtaken as Byakuya was, Renji was still in love with him!
"Zabimaru!" he screamed, "I can't!"
You must! cried the zanpakuto, You must or we are all going to die…Byakuya, Senbonzakura, me, and you! Renji, you must…You must call the skeletal dragon king!
"I can't!" Renji cried, his voice breaking, "I can't kill him!"
If you do not break the power of the talisman, we are all lost! Renji, the twins are here…Yoruichi, Rikichi, Takeo, Hotaru! Will you doom all of them as well? Byakuya knew what was going to happen! He knew he would be overtaken and controlled. He is counting on you to free him.
"But to free him, I may end up killing him!" Renji cried, almost sobbing, "I can't do this!"
The demon flash stepped and tore at Renji again, sending another spray of blood in all directions and tearing a cry of pain from his throat.
"Aren't you even going to try to live?" mocked the twisted form, staring at him from a short distance away, "I am coming for you…and when you fall, I will kill the spirit king. I will kill the entire royal family. They will pay for forcing me into dormancy. My power was never meant to be controlled! Prepare yourself! You are going to die!"
Tears flowed in streams down Renji's face and his chest heaved, but when the demon moved, he flash stepped clear and raised Zabimaru again.
"Oh…" said the mocking voice, "Did you find some backbone after all, cur? Come then! Unleash your best attack and I'll unleash mine. Let's see whose power is stronger!"
Renji stood in awe as the demon rose in something that resembled Byakuya's Shukkei, but it was black and clouded in dark fire. He gasped softly.
"Byakuya…if you can hear me…please stop," Renji pleaded, "Don't make me do this!"
"Call your attack now, fool, if indeed you have one that is worthy…I won't wait for you to start fighting for real any longer."
Renji felt something break inside him and rage poured forth. He had never felt anything like it. The horrible truth that he was going to have to attack Byakuya…that he might even kill him, sent relentless rage rocketing through him from head to toe. Fire flared around his body and the demon he faced stared intently. He hovered in the air now, ready to release his attack as Renji raised Zabimaru with an enraged scream.
"Nenshou," cried Renji, "Doragon Kukuou, Zabimaru!"
The skeletal snake swelled with red flame, growing and screeching in an explosion of light and sound. It rose up into the air and fire flared all around it as it twisted and morphed into the shape of a huge, shining red dragon. Its cry broke over the room, shattering the chamber and sending the others in the room diving for cover. The dragon rose up and turned toward the demon, its mad screech shaking the very foundation of the palace.
The dark demon form soared forward, firing black fire into the face of the approaching dragon. The dragon screamed again and swept forward on a collision course with the demon. As the closed on each other, Renji felt his heart come undone. He wanted desperately to close his eyes, but he couldn't tear them away from what was happening. If he had to kill Byakuya, then he decided that he was going to force himself to watch as his lover fell.
Time slowed as the two forms met and red and black light exploded outward. Screams of demon, dragon and soul reaper rose together as the fire flashed around them and the two huge forms crashed to the ground. Zabimaru exploded in Renji's hand, sending him tumbling to the debris ridden floor. Black petals burst from somewhere above and rained down on the room below. Slowly, the dust settled. For a moment, no one moved. Then Renji dragged his bloody, broken form toward the fallen body that lay beneath the debris in the middle of the flaming ruins.
"Byakuya!" he cried, "Byakuya!"
He dropped to his knees, digging madly into the debris and pulling a pale, motionless form free. As he did, Renji froze in terror. A dark shape rose out of Byakuya's body and moved threateningly towards a defenseless Renji. Everyone froze as evil laughter sounded around them. A tentative, pale hand rose, still wielding a shaking zanpakuto.
"Gokei, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi…" a soft voice said.
Pink blades rose into the air and surrounded the dark talisman in a swirling sphere that collapsed inward, then exploded, sending a shockwave through the room. A demon voice screamed madly and faded into nothing. The extended zanpakuto wavered and shimmered, before bursting apart and falling to the ground in a shower of petals. The now empty hand fell.
"Byakuya," Renji sobbed, pulling the pale form close.
The noble looked at Renji with deep gratitude. He found he couldn't speak. His head fell against Renji's shoulder and his mind disappeared into blackness.