It opens with Byakuya Ichigo Fluffiness and then tumbles into the torturous nature that is Renji, Izuru and SHuuhei's relationship. It seems Renji and his boys had a lot to say probably making up for their absence last update. We'll be back to Byakuya and Ichigo next chapter.

Lokivsanubis

Chapter 14: Macabre Dreams

Ichigo was lulled to sleep in Byakuya's embrace as the older shinigami set to cleaning Ichigo's body under the warm spray. The orange haired teen rested his head against the noble's chest. Mumbling every so often as the noble gently washed his lithe form with careful caring hands.

Ichigo wrapped both arms around the noble's neck letting his fingers dance through wet silky strands of black hair. Dazed brown eyes looked into calm, adoring smokey eyes and a small smile appeared on Ichigo's face.

Byakuya had already been charmed by the teen's courage, valor and values was swept away by the teen's beauty yet again. He wondered if it would be inappropriate to take Ichigo here again as the teen rested in his arms overcome with exhaustion. He decided against it and held the teen to his chest and he got into the bath.

Byakuya let the teen rest between his legs as they rested in the bath. In his mind he could hear Sen musing about how beautiful and courageous Shiro was. He noticed how Sen's was bonding well with him even after so much time. He made a note to discuss this with the spirit later. If Sen had been aware of their bond he should have spoken up sooner.

After the bath, Byakuya dried Ichigo and then himself and carried the teen back to the futon. Seeing the blanket's sullied he gently placed the teen down on the futon, ignoring a disgruntled whine and pushed the soiled blankets aside. He moved to an adjacent cabinet and retrieved a new set of sleeping blankets. Once the blankets where on the bed Ichigo instinctively curled into Byakuya's chest returning to sleep.

Byakuya watched the orange haired boy sleep as he rested on the bed watching the sunrise. He had to think of what he was going to tell the elders upon his return to Seretei. He began running his mind through suitable candidates to succeed him at the end of his time as family leader.

Renji groaned as he ran a shaking hand through his hair, his eyes had yet to adjust to the dimness of the room. He laid chained face down to the floor. The cuffs on his wrists chafed his skin making it bleed. Renji reached up and felt the thick chain around his neck forcibly holding him near the ground.

The redhead racked his brain for the meaning to his punishment. Why had he been chained here? What crime had he committed?

The sound of a stick being pulled against iron bars echoed in the darkness. Renji rose his head hoping to get a good look at his captors' maybe then he could figure out some way out of this mess. The loud clanging of the stick against metal bars gave way to the sound of nearly silence footfalls. The sound of a cell door opening and closing resounded in the dark room.

Renji looked around trying to get his bearings. The sound of someone approaching echoed in the darkness. He looked forward and lurched when a foot dug into his back. He let out a curse and turned his head.

The figure that greeted him was wearing a bright white mask revealing only menacing golden eyes. A large cylindrical vent over the mouth area kept the rest of the face hidden. The other's foot was heavy on Renji's spine pushing down as its golden eyes stared deep into Renji's soul.

Ghostly white hands reached out and laced themselves into Renji's hair pulling his head back.

Renji groaned at the awkward positioning.

Their eye contact remained unbroken as a set of long pale fingers began to trace Renji's neck and the other hand remained purchased in Renji's hair. Sweat dripped down Renji's neck as a cool finger traced up his neck along a trail of black ink.

"Who are you?" Renji asked as the other continued to stare at him.

"Who are you, indeed?" The person replied in a water logged voice. The finger traced up Renji's jaw line and to his forehead. Renji could feel the other's malice through his leer. He turned his head slightly to avoid the glare and gasped when the other yanked his head back and increased pressure on his back.

"Why did you have to be born?" The masked creature asked, "You are so weak it's inexcusable." The other snapped jerking Renji back further. The chains around Renji's neck and arms rattled. "Weak things deserve to die. Tell me why is it you deserve to die?" The masked man asked releasing Renji and watching him fall to the ground.

"Indecision and anxiety are weaknesses Renji." The hollow continued the malicious intent in his eyes never wavering. "Being indecisive and over anxious is your crime, are you ready to receive your punishment?"

"Indecisive and anxious about what?" Renji groaned as he attempted to stand. His back screamed in protest and his shoulders ached as he held himself up even in the chains.

"Izuru Kira or Shuuhei Hisagi?" The masked man replied. "Pick the shinigami you want to survive."

Renji's eyes averted again at the mention of Hisagi and Kira. "What do they have to do with anything?"

The white figured chuckled, the sound was a mix between a snort and a grunt. "You can only have one. I will only allow you one." The masked figure replied, "Now choose which one dies."

"No." Renji replied glaring. "I will kill you if you try to harm either of them." The words carried promise but the white being was unconvinced.

"And what will you do chained there by your own shortcomings?" A pale hand waved him off. "You are thoroughly unimpressive. If your father saw the man you'd become he would have just drowned you himself. Letting you live seems to be that fool's last mistake." He scoffed turning to leave the room. "Since you will not choose I will do so for you." He turned placed a hand on the mask to remove it.

The chains rattled as Renji jumped up shouting and shouted, "I won't le-" He froze looking into cold golden eyes set on a familiar face. "How...?"

Tora smiled as he looked at Renji removing his mask for the first time. "I promise I'll let you watch the life fade from the weak link's eyes." He offered a teasing finger wave and slammed the cell door shut as he walked down the hall. The sound of footfalls and a stick banging on the bars echoed down the hall as he went.

Renji tried to stand up and was yanked mercilessly down onto the floor, the chain around his neck suddenly much shorter and heavier than it had been. What kind of hell hole am I in? He asked himself as he tried to stand up again in vain. He let out a frustrated shout as the chain around his neck grew shorter and shorter.

Tora smiled as he jumped down from the dying tree. He cracked his knuckles and walked towards the dilapidated house the shinigami were currently gathered in.

Hebi jumped off Wabisuke's shoulders and hurried after him. "TORA NO!" Just as the small red head reached the crumbling entryway Zabimaru's blade brought the house crashing down.

Shuuhei shook rubble off his back and looked down to make sure Kira was unharmed. "Are you alright?" he asked the blond. The blond nodded and moved to draw Wabisuke.

Wabisuke attacked Tora from behind.

The hollow smiled and actively engaged the zanpakuto spirit using any open opportunity he had to launch another attack at Kira.

"I do not have time to indulge the weak of heart." Tora spoke calmly as he moved to release bankai.

Saru and Hebi reattached their chains to one another and managed to seal part of their power.

Tora clicked his tongue against his cheek and let out a low growl. "No matter," He commented on the failed bankai summoning. "I will merely kill him with my own hands." He swung Zabimaru's blade so that the two top teeth dug into Wabisuke's shoulder ripping out copious amounts of blood and tissue as they retracted.

The long haired spirit cursed and brought its uninjured arm to assess the damage.

Tora retracted the blade and released it again aiming instead for Wabisuke's other arm.

Zabimaru's blades made contact with a steel double headed scythe and the hollow's golden eyes turned to admire the scarred face of Shuuhei Hisagi.

"Ah I had forgotten you were there." He teased forcing down a shiver. He would have a hard time with this one, he was surer of himself and his position to Renji then the blond.

Shuuhei actively engaged the spirit with the assistance of Kazeshini, much to his wielder's surprise. Shuuhei kept the hollow at bay but was hesitating about causing anything more than superficial damage. The damn hollow looked to similar to his beloved idiot.

Kazeshini was growing upset with Shuuhei's inability to put Tora in his place.

As the fighting wore on, Shuuhei's control over Kazeshini was slipping. The spirit was starting to actively engage Tora without any consideration to what damage to Tora might reflect on Renji or the other two spirit. When Kazeshini landed on Tora's left shoulder causing a cut across the bias Shuuhei watched as a similar cut appeared on the other two spirits.

Tora snarled at being hit and stepped up his game launching a cero at the attacking pair. Using Shuuhei's moment of confusion he blew past the two and grabbed Kira by the shoulder and thrusting him through several buildings.

Kira let out a pained shout and moved to wrench the hollow's hand from his shoulder.

"Oh no, no Blonde... This is where you die I'm afraid." The hollow smiled running his free hand through the blonde's hair. "There is a reason, I, the true power of Renji Abarai rejected you and your pathetic attempt to bond with us." He whispered in the blonde's ear. "Do you know why that is?"

Kira shook his head from side to side as he continued to try and free himself. The grip on his shoulder made his left side go numb.

"Because," the hollow smirked as his free hand moved from the blonde's hair to his neck. "You are utterly unworthy of us. Poor indecisive Izuru, can't have it all to yourself so instead you take a stronger male's sloppy seconds. Isn't that just pathetic?" Tora sneered tightening his grip on Kira's neck.

Kira's hands were wrapped around the hollow's using kido to burn into the hollow's wrist.

Tora grinned. "It's the only way to force a decision." Tora slowly tightening his grip on Kira's neck.

Shuuhei flash stepped to intervene only to find himself thrown away by an unseen force.

Kazeshini turned to Zabimaru and Wabisuke, "He's gone past the boundary, Shuuhei." The wind spirit growled and placed his blade in the ground.

"What are you talking about?" Shuuhei asked distressed by the situation. He tried to get through again only to be deflected again.

"We are bonded through Zabimaru and not to one another." Kazeshini explained as Wabisuke moved past them to assist Kira. "The blond is constantly rejecting us."

"What?" Shuuhei asked watching as Tora deflected Wabisuke,who shattered, and dropped Kira's unmoving body to the ground. With a look of disinterest Tora grabbed Kira's hair and proceeded to drag the blond back towards the row of decimated houses.

Tora smirked as he remained just out of Shuuhei's reach beyond the boundary that separated him from Kira. "What's with that face? I did you a favor." He replied as he dragged Kira along. "He was just in your way after all. You can't have Renji's heart all to yourself if you have to share it with some undeserving fool."

Shuuhei thrust Kazeshini at the boundary glaring when it bounced off. "And what do you know about our feelings towards Kira?" The shinigami demanded as he watched bruises appear on Kira's neck.

"All I know is your feelings cloud Renji's judgment and hinder our progress. For that crime the punishment is death." Tora replied as he continued to drag the blond along. "Now if you'll excuse me." He opened his free palm and reached out opening a doorway in the middle of the path. "All my decisions are final."

He dragged Kira through the doorway and once it shut the inner world beyond the boundary disappeared before Shuuhei's eyes.

Shuuhei struck the barrier again only to have it shatter like glass. "WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?!"

Kazeshini dissolved the blade manifestation of himself and turned to Zabimaru, "You two should go search for Wabisuke. We're unable to follow."

Saru made a displeased face but nodded heading off with Hebi having no problem running through the expanding forest that was taking shape were the barrier had once been.

Shuuhei turned to the wind spirit, "What happened?"

"It appears Tora has grown tired of all of your distance and difficulty." Kazeshini replied. "As much as I love a good battle I feel attacking that idiot blonde was in poor taste." The spirit's green outline changed to a shocking red color for a moment. "It's because you won't exact authority over those two that this happened."

Shuuhei was taken aback. "Why would I exact authority over them?!"

Kazeshini turned away from Shuuhei with disinterest. "You don't take control of anything in your life. You just let yourself get led around like a dog on a rope. This is why we have not achieved bankai and why you were upstaged for the Captain's position by that damn monster." Kazeshini's words were harsh and strung Shuuhei's pride.

Shuuhei did not think Muguruma taicho was a monster, on the contrary he was Shuuhei's childhood hero and idol. He enjoyed working under a skilled taicho that lead by example instead of through fear.

"Your honesty is piss poor Hisagi." The spirit snapped. "You need to decide if you want to take control." The spirit was seething. Kazeshini's eyes grew narrow as he bore his fangs. "KNOW THIS, I DO NOT SUBMIT TO ANYONE!" He snapped his rietsu crackled at Shuuhei.

Shuuhei knew that statement was true. Tousen had taught him to fear Kazeshini and the other's power. Years of tutelage under a man that knew nothing of his strengths and taught him only to avoid them put a serious dampener on Shuuhei's potential. Even now freed from Tousen's shackles Shuuhei continued to avoid the spirit unless it was absolutely necessary to summon his power.

Kazeshini turned away from Shuuhei staring after were Zabimaru had run off. He reached out and hissed when a spark forced his hand back. "Even now he pushes us away..." he sighed.

Tora smirked as he threw Izuru's body before Renji. The hollow smiled as a look of pure horror reflected in Renji's eyes. "Now you only have one option." He reformed his mask. "This is what you wanted right? An easy answer for your indecisive heart?" He bent down and pulled up Izuru's head by his short blond hair. "You didn't really want him anyway right? A useless hesitant bastard that couldn't offer you anything. He couldn't give you power, couldn't quite quench your lust-"

"SHUT UP!" Renji snapped pushing himself up off the ground. "JUST SHUT UP! WHAT DO YOU REALLY KNOW?! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!" he stood up and kicked Tora away from Izuru.

Tora let out a watery laugh. "Oh, now you want to fight?" He asked drawing a double of Zabimaru. "Then come on." He waved Renji on.

Renji lunged at Tora, shackles long discarded on the floor.

Tora and Renji continued to battle. Tora laughed manically while Renji struggled to keep up.

"Something is still holding you back." Tora teased throwing Renji a right hook. "As long as your heart hesitates you will be unable to beat me." He advised. "Did you know he grasped me so hard...?" He pointed to the kido burns on his right wrist that were still healing. "As I slowly robbed him of his life?" He smiled. "Let me share his last moments with you." The glee reflected in Tora's eyes as all around them the cell walls reflected Kira's blue eyes as the light within them faded as pale white hands tightened around a slim pale neck.

Renji let out a noise, it was something between a scream and a sob as he watched Kira's life taken over and over. He turned from Tora to look at his friend's body.

"Was he only your friend?" Tora asked the arrogance in his voice was damning.

"He was... Izuru was..." Renji's words were low as he turned his head slowly to the side to glance at the hollow. "He was someone I loved... Someone we were willing to spend the rest of our lives with."

Tora snorted, "We?" He laughed bowing over slightly as he laughed. "That would have been impossible. Even if a bond between you three had existed, it would have never worked. Too much hesitation, too little trust you would have fallen apart."

"It's because I'm mud right?" Renji asked still only half facing Tora. "Because I was so dirty and corrupted that no matter what I touched it just fell to shit?"

Tora merely shrugged. "Dirty or clean, weak or strong, none of it ever mattered because your heart was not in it from the start."

Renji shook his head causing his long red hair to come loose and slowly cascade down his shoulders. "But that's where you're wrong." Renji flicked his wrist. "Roar Zabimaru!" He snapped as the giant skeletal snake head roared to life moving to consume Tora.

Tora smirked, "Finally..." He mumbled as he moved to hold off the snake head.

"Being clean and whole was something important to Izuru. The fact that I was neither one when we met did not stop me from pursuing him." Renji informed Tora as the snake head shot a blast of fire towards the hollow.

"Of course not!" Tora shouted back. "You'll fuck just about anything if it would get you a blanket and maybe something to eat right?!" He snapped side stepping the snake head.

Renji growled, he was not proud of his past. Hell, he was utterly ashamed of it. But he did what he had to do so Rukia and the others could survive. When it had come to the worst case scenario and many of their friends had died they had to make a choice. He made it so Rukia never had to ask were the rations and blankets came from but deep down he had a feeling she knew. He had done what he could to bury that past to forget all he had done to support not only himself but several others during those cold winter nights in Inuzuri.

Memories of the first time he had fallen in love and lost danced in Renji's mind. The first time he saw Izuru smile, the first time they had kissed, the first time they had sex. All those images and words flashed quickly in Renji's mind stopping at that day. The day, Izuru saw him and Shuuhei in a rather heated make out session with copious amounts of heavy petting at a secluded training ground in the mountains. It was a training ground the three had been too before and somewhere Shuuhei often went to think or write Haiku poems. It had been a difficult time for Shuuhei and Renji was having a hard time sorting out the feelings he was having for both his blond lover and the older Shinigami. Renji had given into his feelings and Izuru would damn him for it.

Unwilling to leave Izuru and not wanting to stop what was growing between Shuuhei and himself, Renji continued seeing them both. When the blonde had finally confronted Renji about the issue a year had already passed and the issue exploded into a huge argument. The argument landed Renji in an entirely different division. Sosuke found it highly inappropriate for Renji to remain after the verbal exchange the two had not knowing their taicho was present. It would take years to reconcile. Izuru had become Kira-san and they had become strangers seemingly overnight.

In the decades of Izuru's absence Renji heart had merely grown fonder but the sting of angry words continued to burn. Having been scorned Renji found it hard to approach the blond. It was not until just before Aizen's rebellion that the two had reconnected and they did not sleep together again until after Ichimaru had abandoned the blonde.

Renji remembered that night as clear as day. He remembered needing Shuuhei's help to carry the blond back to his quarters after he drank far too much. Izuru had always been a light weight and could not drink like Matsumoto at all. That left the two of them caring for a wasted and emotionally vulnerable blond. Renji saw the way Shuuhei watched Izuru. The two of them had gone through something Renji would never experience. They had both been abandoned by their taichos.

That vulnerability had caused Kira to open up to Shuuhei and in the coming weeks the two would grow closer though the issue of Renji was still a sore spot. The fact that Renji had chosen Shuuhei over him still hurt Izuru deeply. Neither Renji or Shuuhei ever told Kira about the night the three had shared just after Aizen's betrayal of Seretei. The withholding of information was not out of malice but instead one drawn out of confusion and the understanding that Kira would most likely reject their advances.

"And so here you are." Tora spoke quietly as he ran a hand through Renji's long red hair. "Here we are..." He allowed the silky red strands to flow through his fingers. "What will you do? You cannot defeat me using Zabimaru since he is a part of me."

Renji reached out and grabbed the hollow's hand a smile bloomed on Renji's face. "I grow tired of you. You lecture more than taicho on a bad training day." He informed the hollow as he rose his free hand and released a Hado #31 Shakkaho right into Tora's face successfully blowing off his mask. "Now I'm done playing with you." He informed the hollow. Renji flicked his left wrist and Zabimaru's giant snake head appeared closing its jaws around Tora who merely smiled. The bankai released several fire balls in rapid succession while its mouth remained closed.

The room around Renji changed as the red head walked over to the blonde's body. He reached out to touch the blond then stopped when the body suddenly dissolved into nothing. He reached out still looking at the place Izuru had once been. He collapsed on his knees and remained there unmoving. The remains of his bankai falling away letting out a distressed cry.

Izuru gasped as he sat up. His vision was assaulted by a bright light the moment his eyes opened and his ears were bombarded with the sounds of machines screeching for attention. Kira went into a coughing fit slumping back onto a strong arm that helped him stay upright.

Izuru subconsciously brought his hands to rest on his neck, the area was tender, and it still hurt to breath. He took in a few more desperate breaths of air as his vision returned to normal. He turned to his left to see Tessai holding him upright.

"Good morning, In Vivo 234, it's nice to meet you in the flesh." A teenage boy with short blue hair said with an all too familiar smile. The teen's gloved hands went to adjust his goggles on his head causing his blue bangs to fall into his face. "Excuse me," He turned around. "ANI COME HERE!" he shouted causing Akon to miraculously appear.

"Mariya kun, shouting isn't necessary this is still a recovery room." Tessai chided the golden eyed teen.

The teen pouted as Akon walked into the room. "Ani, you don't mind that I shout right?"

Akon walked into the room surprised to see Izuru awake. He turned to see Renji and Shuuhei were both still in their induced comas. He turned to the blue haired boy. "Kurotsuchi san this is a recovery area if you needed me you should have fetched me yourself." He replied coming over to look at Izuru.

The blue haired teen pouted. "Ani, you can call me Ma-chan or Mari-chan just like the others. Kurotsuchi-san is something you'd say to my father, no?" He teased the 12Th division member as he went back to looking over Izuru's vitals.

"I feel if I called Kurotsuchi Taicho anything but that, I'd probably fall to pieces." Akon sighed before he began to look over Kira's neck. "Kira fukutaicho, what happened to your neck? I was told you collapsed from a shock related incident not strangulation."

Kira rubbed his neck. "Nothing, my pride just hurts a little." The blond replied moving to lay back down.

Mariya smirked. "I bet it does, that kitty really didn't care for you." The teen's golden eyes danced in a knowing way.

Cold blue eyes turned to stare straight through Mariya. "Who are you? And what do you want?"

"Oh yes! As the head researcher in this endeavor I should probably introduce myself." He moved his bangs out of his face and repositioned his goggles. "I am Kurotsuchi no Ichi Teru Mariya. I'm a scientist from the Third Kingdom." He paused for a moment. His face held a pensive expression as if he was considering something. "As for what I want… that is private knowledge." He replied smiling.

Shuuhei groaned to Izuru's left and slowly sat up. "Ouch..." he rubbed the tender bridge of his nose. He had apparently fallen flat on his face earlier. He placed his forehead in his palm. "I'm going to skin that bastard alive." he mumbled rubbing his forehead. His face ached quite a bit.

Mariya's eyes lit up, "In Vivo 245 is also awake. Good Morning." He said cheerfully.

Shuuhei turned towards the voice and startled. "What are you doing here?!" He went for Kazeshini.

Mariya pinned Shuuhei down to the bed. "You are still recovering." He informed Shuuhei. "You might want to take it easy."

"I saw the blue haired arrancar destroy you." Shuuhei replied glaring at Mariya.

Mariya smiled. "As if killing me would be so simple." He released Shuuhei. "Now I suggest you rest and stop with the malicious intentions. If my experiment is to work I need the both of you to cooperate." He turned to look at Izuru, "Abarai san's life depends on it." He informed them as he walked across the room to check Renji's vitals.

Mariya smiled as he rose one pale tattooed arm examining an injection point. "It won't be long now..." he mumbled.

Chapter 14: Macabre Dreams Concluded

TBC…