Gekkouha
Moonlight flower
Written by: Maru de Kusanagi
Beta read by: Persistence
Started: November 2, 2009
Ended: ¿?
Disclaimer: Bleach it's not mine. I wish it was.
WARNINGS: yaoi, weird pairings, crazy writer. Character death (again…)
PAIRINGS: mainly Renji/Ichigo, but there's also some Byakuya/Ishida, some Grimjow/Ulquiorra, Gin/Rangiku (mention), Aizen/Toushirou, Urahara/Ichigo (mention) and Gin/Hitsugaya (yep) and more.
RATING:M
-Terminology for this story-
DEMI-HUMAN: a half animal person, like the nekobito.
NEKO: 'cat' in Japanese.
NEKOBITO: it means 'cat person', and I made up this one. It's the conjunction of "neko" and "hito" (person). The Japanese grammar makes the 'h' change to a 'b' in this.
INUBITO: Dog + person… I don't like how it sounds, so, I don't think I'll be using it too much.
KITSUNE: fox
Note: well, definition time came. Now, the couples must to decide to keep on what they have or try to came with something new. The final moments of this story came at last!
****=^..^=****
CHAPTER 13
The fox wasn't there when Kira opened his eyes. His naked thin body displayed the marks left by the afternoon adventure he had. Damn, he felt so tired… Kira had almost forgotten that feeling. He sat on the messy sheets. Of course, the fox wasn't there; it was the type of person who got what he wanted and then left. And yet, he didn't have any negative feelings towards him, after all, he let himself be trapped and used.
He ran his hand through his blonde hair and then got up. It took a lot of endurance to stand and to reach the bathroom. There, he washed and hid the hickeys the best he could and other traces his sexual adventure left.
It was already night when he stepped on the streets. Hisagi just was passing to see how he was, because he got the notice that Kira had missed the meeting and nobody knew where he was. Well, actually, somebody told him they heard weird noises coming from Kira's place, but nobody dared to sneak in. So then, the shinigami of spiky black hair and marked face went to his friends place to take a look. He found Kira at the door.
"Kira!"
Kira looked at him like he had seen a ghost. First, the clear blue eyes showed a shocked expression and later the shock turned into regret. He lowered his eyes and didn't look at Shuuhei who was standing in front of him.
"Is everything ok?"
Kira shrug his shoulders, like nothing was wrong.
"Yeah, why?"
"Because, knowing how responsible you are, I can't believe everything is just fine when you miss a meeting without a word." The brunette stated sharply "Now, tell me."
"What the hell you want me to tell you?" was all Kira could say, still not looking at Shuuhei's face.
"Huh?"
Kira had it. This had been too much. If the adventure he had with the fox showed him anything, it was that he's hopelessly in love with this other man, and he was like a lost puppy, following him around and looking how the other's attention was on Renji.
"You came here demanding answers, why?"
"Why?" was the first thing Shuuhei could say, "What's wrong with you? Aren't we friends? It's normal for friends to care for one another." Shuuhei was perplexed by the behavior of the blond that was usually so composed and in place. Then he saw something on his neck: a bruise? And on the earlobe, a small wound… like… a bite...?
Was Kira assaulted? No. It was impossible, even when Kira looked so fragile; he was perfectly able of taking care of himself. Then what was it? Maybe he had a lover and he was troublesome?
A sad laugh came from Kira's lips, and then he looked at Shuuhei's.
"I suppose… but I don't know anymore."
There was so much sadness in his voice… Kira, after all, was a very lonely man. And when he found himself in love with this other shinigami; he simply didn't know what to do with his feeling, so he decided to push them away, deep inside him, into his core. However, things like that… how long can one hide and keep them at bay?
"Did you… did you have a fight?" Shuuhei didn't know how to ask it properly. "You know… with your… other…"
Kira blinked. What was Shuuhei talking about? Then he realized it: he must have seen the marks on his body.
"No. I just had some fun."
"Then why are you all depressed? Why weren't you at the meeting? Is worthy of it?"
"Who knows…" Kira started to walk away "Say, Hisagi."
"What?"
"Have you ever realized that I love you?"
Shuuhei was speechless. Kira turned to look at him, and smiled sadly.
"Well, I should have known. You always are after Renji's shadow, never looking around… but Renji has somebody now. And I'm here."
Shuuhei let the declaration sink in. Now he saw how oblivious he was to his blonde friend's actions. Hell, even when is your friend, how many times a friend carries you around drunk and never got angry at you? And what could he say then? I'm sorry? And for what? It wasn't like he deliberately made Kira fall for him, and, besides, he still wanted Renji…
"I'm..."
"If you say I'm sorry, I swear I kill you."
"Then what?"
"At least," Kira now got closer and looked him straight into the eyes "give me a chance."
Shuuhei sighed.
"All right."
****=^..^=****
They needed to move fast. Urahara was going to buy some time for them, avoiding the shinigami movements for a few more hours, but they didn't have time to waste. Renji determined face was all the encouragement he needed to proceed. Even in his still convalescent state, he got up, put his uniform on, took Zabimaru and raced off. Rukia was (of course) with them. And the silver fox too.
Toushirou was worried about the fox. When the shinigamis noticed that the mess was caused by a demi-human, things were going to get ugly, like the time they called the hunter to finish them. This time, all of Soul Society was after their asses and any one else with pointy ears and tails. He waited for him on the rooftop of the Medical Division, and when the moon showed, the fox did too.
"So, you got back." Toushirou observed, and then he realized that the fox looked oddly satisfied. His smell was different…
He smelled of somebody else's scent, and jealousy roamed through Toushirou's heart. Gin changed his form to human.
"You sense it, right?" Gin asked, his hand hovering near Toushirou face's, almost touching his nose "Yeah, I smell of somebody else. I have needs, you know."
Yes, Toushirou's mind understood that, yet, his heart ached and screamed. Why did he feel so heartbroken? Had he really fallen so easily?
"Do what you want, what do I care?" said Toushirou, stubbornly. He was about to leave, when Gin's grip on his arm made him turn and a pair of lips caught his mouth. The long fingers of the other's hand held his face because of the differences of height, it was necessary. Toushirou was surprised and when he tried to pull free, Gin bit his lower lip and made him moan. When he opened his mouth, the older man let his tongue slide inside and then Toushirou felt like he was choking. Even though he wanted to be free and run, his legs soon abandoned him, so he had to clutch onto Gin's robes to stand. His legs trembled, weak.
He loved this hateful creature.
Then, Gin released him.
"Want to erase it?" said Gin, looking the drunken look on Toushirou's eyes, and caressing the soft lips "Don't you want it to clean it out and change it for your own?"
Toushirou's hand then moved up, to grab the hand that hold his face.
"Yes, but now, we don't have the time for that." He said and kissed the long fingers. "Let's make a deal: if you help in this, I'll let you have me."
Gin removed his hand, like it was disgusted by the contact. He looked hard at Toushirou.
"Now, what did you hear? That man, what did he tell you?"
Toushirou was shocked by the sudden change in Gin. Wasn't that what he wanted? Why did he get so angry? And what if he now knew the reason for Gin's solitude?
"He told me about you and Rangiku. About… the baby…"
"He knows nothing" said Gin, and grabbed the small frame of Toushirou by the shoulders, digging hard his fingers into the flesh. The white cat flinched in pain. "And you know nothing; so, don't try to show pity on me."
"Gin… I just want…"
"What?"
Toushirou closed his eyes, in his mind the words were hard to put together. This was hard. He wanted to help the silver fox. He wanted to learn more about him, and doing so, learn about himself. He never felt something like that for another person, he didn't know how to be in love… for a while, he believed that he loved Momo in that way, but that infatuation was nothing in comparison to what he felt now for Gin. How simple it was, really… to fall in love… but 'loving' was something different.
Especially when you loved a creature like Gin.
"I want to understand."
Gin took his hand from Toushirou's trembling shoulders, some fingers caressed absently where they hurt the most, and the nekobito had a warm feeling by that simple act. He looked at the fox, and those crimson orbs were open, looking at him with some unreadable emotion.
"This stuff doesn't need to be understood. It needs to be felt."
Toushirou knew he was in Gin's palm, under his control if he let it proceed. This was his last chance to get away from it. And he didn't care anymore.
"I do feel it."
Gin's eyes closed again and the Cheshire smile mask was up again.
"Then, aren't we doing some kind of rescue? I'm sure they must be impatient for our delay."
Toushirou showed the way.
"You know, I'll make you keep your word." Said Gin, like passing by.
"And I'll remain true to it." answered the white cat, without doubts. (1)
They reached the outskirts of Soul Society, where Rukia and Renji waited for them.
"At last." Said Renji, looking at the two white creatures with annoyance.
"Sorry, but some things had to be cleared out." Said Toushirou to the angry shinigami. "Where's Aizen lair?"
"Las Noches " pointed Rukia to a great manor not far away from where they stood.
"Let's go then. The others won't give us extra time."
****=^..^=****
Las Noches was a big manor; built in a Japanese castle style. Aizen took his most interesting "creations" there, some to warm up his bed, others to be test subjects. This was where Ichigo's father was born and where Masaki fake identity was created. Tousen was the only other permanent resident in the place, the shinigami who fell with him so long ago. This was also the place where Gin and Rangiku grew up. The security of Las Noches was somewhat lax, you could say, because anyone could get in. Getting out was the tricky part, like many of the demi-humans found out when they tried to escape from Aizen's grasps.
Aizen had taken Ichigo out of his cell to the sanctuary, as he liked to call it. It was a place in the middle of the main building, where strange patterns decorated the walls and the roof. On the floor, a big circle surrounded by scriptures and more patterns decorated the room. Ichigo rested in the middle of the circle, and Aizen was sitting next to him.
"Aizen-sama" Tousen's calm voice called for him.
"Yes."
"Some intruders entered the perimeter"
Aizen absently caressed Ichigo's hair. The cat was unconscious, even though he was delighted to hear his screams that would make this whole procedure longer, but now wasting time wasn't a wise thing to do.
"So, they are here."
"But is odd. Only four people…"
Then Aizen looked at his blind servant.
"Oh, really?" Aizen felt the shinigamis reiatsu, Toushirou's presence and Gin's energy. "Who would have guessed? A rescue team? Tousen, you know what to do."
"Yes, master."
Tousen left the room and Aizen was again alone with Ichigo. It was almost a shame to lose such a fine creature, but well, sacrifices were needed. And maybe, if he felt like it, he could have his two silver creatures, the kitsune and the nekobito. But if not, he could always create a new pet to enjoy himself.
Aizen got up and a kekkai surrounded Ichigo. He started to perform the ritual, absently to the rest of the world. This was something that didn't need to be delayed.
The group landed on the soft grass and analyzed the area. No guards or tricks. How Aizen could be so careless when everybody knew his plans?
"He hasn't changed a bit," said Gin "Always so confident."
"Ichigo's there" said Renji. He wasn't the best at following reiatsu, but could feel the energy mark Ichigo carved in his heart and he was going to retrieved him.
Then, several energies emerged around the group. Hollows.
"I knew this wasn't going to be so easy." Rukia said and pulled her Zanpakutou out.
"Damn, we don't have time to lose with these pieces of shit!" roared Renji, yanking Zabimaru around.
Toushirou called forth his cold power and the ice crystals shined down in the moon's glow, freezing several hollows.
"You are getting better at this" complimented Gin, dispatching other hollows. Toushirou blushed at his words. "These are piece of cake. He only wants us to waste time here. Hey, shinigamis."
"What?!" Renji asked, annoyed and killing another group of hollows.
"Go on. Me and Shirou-chan can take care of this."
"It's TOUSHIROU!" yelled the nekobito, almost slipping on the ice he made himself. He controlled himself and said, still annoyed "But he's right. Go on, Renji, Rukia."
The two shinigamis nodded to them with gratitude and kept going. The fox took the cat's hand in his and the couple looked at the monsters roaming around them.
"This is good, you know"
"Yeah? Why is that?"
"You can get all the anger you have accumulated inside and let it free in this situation. Give it a try, Toushirou."
Toushirou's body shinned with cold energy. It was the first time the kitsune called him by his name, and that made him somewhat proud. He squeezed Gin's hand.
"I will."
Then they let go.
The two shinigamis flash stepped to the front door of the main building. A new tremor made the ground move, this time it felt stronger than the previous.
Kaname Tousen opened the door and looked at them with his dead eyes.
"I can't let you pass."
Rukia and Renji moved into a fighting stance.
"And what are you gonna do about it?" asked Renji, and Tousen didn't even flinched at his words.
"I'm a man who despise bloodshed, but if it is needed, I will kill those who stand against the master desire's." Tousen, unlike Aizen, still had his Zanpakutou. Rukia stood in front of the ex shinigami.
"Ok then, if you want to fight, fight me." She said and indicated Renji with a move of her head to go on. The other went forward.
"Don't die." He said.
"Same goes for you." she replied quickly.
"Don't think I'll be soft on you because you're a woman."
"I won't ask for less, but I'm curious, why didn't you stop Renji, if you said all that crap?"
"If the four of you went to confront master Aizen, maybe you would have stood a chance. However by going alone, nothing can be achieved, beside death."
Rukia gulped. She was worried about Renji, but if she wanted to help him, she needed to defeat Tousen first. Then, she felt it.
Power. Enormous, delightful, intoxicating. All his being, his soul, was burning in power, drowning in it. It felt like when his dark side roamed free, but multiplied by a thousand times. It felt so great, so high, that Ichigo couldn't avoid it, didn't wanted it to stop. He forgot his name, his race, his origin and only let the power feed him, in a way he didn't know where the power ended and where his soul started.
There was no Ichigo or Shirosaki now, only an instinct being, asking for release, calling for more power, roaring at his cage. Aizen marveled at the amount of reiatsu that shinned inside of the kekkai; this was more magnificent than what he expected. The creature's fur was of the purest white color he have ever seen, the golden eyes were flashing inside a dark orb, the ears had changed into long horns, the arms and legs into paws with long claws and the tail that was long and pointy. Long fangs appeared from the lips and the human's characteristics from the face were gone, muted in the shape of a lion head. On four legs, the creature stood up and roared again, and when it lowered its head, looked at Aizen with nothing more than hatred. Wonderful creature.
"Sosuke Aizen." Called Renji and the ex shinigami turned around to Renji.
"You came. Good, so you can now see the true nature of the nekobito." Said Aizen and caught Zabimaru's blade with a hand, like when they confronted the previous night. "Well, a man of action, like always." Aizen let go of Zabimaru, and Renji called it back "But you must remember that I'm not an easy prey."
Zabimaru's blade couldn't cut Aizen, no matter how many times he wiped the blade at him. The rejection of Aizen reiatsu made Renji's body suffer the consequences (2). His hands started to get slippery because of the blood, but even then, Renji grabbed the hilt of Zabimaru. His body was still recovering from the previous wounds and it hurt, his breath was short and his limbs started to get numb. Damn. The sweat ran down his face and Aizen was there, smiling.
Ichigo howled and trashed inside the kekkai.
"It is almost time," said Aizen "Show yourself, flower of the moonlight, the true nature of the demi-human."
The energy surpassed the kekkai and destroyed it. The reiatsu was so overwhelming that Renji couldn't stand and need to maintain his posture with Zabimaru's help. He saw the creature set foot on the ground and walk soundlessly. Aizen called for its attention, but Renji senses were so clouded that he couldn't hear anything more than the sound of his pulse. The creature stopped in front of Aizen and the man lifted his hand to touch it.
Don't.
Don't let him touch you…
Ichigo.
The words couldn't come out of his mouth but it was like they didn't need to. The creature-, no, Ichigo, Renji was sure that Ichigo was still there- looked beyond Aizen, directly into Renji's eyes. The flashing golden orbs looked at him for a second, and the expression in them changed.
Love.
When Aizen's hand touched Ichigo's head, the animal moved its head to the side, like giving into the caress. Then, when Aizen was sure of his dominance, Ichigo ripped the hand that touched him. Aizen was speechless, but didn't have much time to recover. The creature attacked again, this time at his neck. The spectacle was so horrendous that Renji, a man raised in Inuzuru, and that made war his daily living, need to look away. Yeah, when he saw what hollows did to their victims, his blood also went cold. No honor was in a death like that.
How long it took, he didn't know. He opened his eyes again when he felt the breath of the creature in front of him and the metallic smell of blood. He looked up and saw Ichigo.
"Ichigo…"
Somehow, the beast face relaxed and with his nose caressed Renji. The energy slowly was getting lower, but the extreme level still had Renji dizzy. Ichigo in this form acted more like a wild cat than the boy he knew. He lifted a hand with some difficult and then touched its head, in the middle of the horns. Ichigo purred, closing his eyes. Renji smiled.
"It's you." Renji let go of Zabimaru and hugged the animal. "I'm sorry I took so long…"
Somehow, Ichigo was still there, and remembered him. And Renji was still in love with this creature.
They fell to the ground, suddenly tired. Ichigo's head rested on Renji's lap. One problem solved, a new one was in the horizon: Was Ichigo going to stay like that?
A sudden flash and a mark shined on Ichigo's body, like a butterfly. A small woman was now in front of them. Soi Fon.
"You…"
Ichigo howled in pain. He got up and yelled, but in a few seconds, crumbled to the ground.
"Ichigo!"
"Mission completed."
****=^..^=****
1-damn. Why when I start this type of situations, they finish like that? I try to not get too philosophic, but hell… I always try to realize what love nature is…
2-I did this remembering the fight of Ichigo and Zaraki. Zangetsu, even when it did hit Zaraki's body, didn't cut him and Ichigo was the one who received the wound.
3-this was another hard chapter to write… especially because is the climax and it's hard to do it fine. Next is the conclusion and a short epilogue comes afterwards.