Spring 14
An: A slightly shorter chapter, but I thought that everyone deserves an update and I want to start the big battle with a whole new chapter. So, here's poor, abused Byakuya, and a little more drama. Help me crack a 100 reviews, guys! And thank you for all the wonderful ones! Here's an incentive: if this story hits 120 reviews, I will post a hawt threesome story with Byakuya, Renji and Ichigo. Just an idea ;)
***
Byakuya tried not to moan with pain as he sat up, his hand going to the back of his aching head. He last remembered running towards Seireitei when he blacked out. He had been so preoccupied with the events of the night before. Obsessed, even. He opened one eye slowly, trying to get an idea of his surroundings. Everything seemed to be made out of smooth white rock, and he was in a small, richly decorated room with a small window high in the wall with four bars across it. The small patch of sky was death-black. Byakuya slowly swung his legs over the side of the bed, gingerly standing up. His legs gave out, and he crumpled to the ground, hissing as pain shot through his whole body. He felt like he had been crushed, rolled underfoot . His eyes scrunched shut with the pain, he leaned back against the base of the bed. He couldn't remember feeling this much pain before, or feeling so weak. Without his sword, he felt doubly vulnerable, and tried to get a grip on the pain so that he could think clearly.
This was mostly likely Heuco Mondo, judging by the white-rock architecture and the starless sky. But Aizen and his Arrancars were dead, and there were probably only mid-level Hollows running about. Byakuya frowned, then stopped doing so when it hurt his head even more. But maybe another Arrancar or Espada had risen in the time since Aizen had been defeated. He pulled up his sleeves, checking for injuries. On his arms, legs and stomach he found deep, purple-black bruises, and his mouth felt swollen, like he had been punched there. His confusion took a temporary back seat to anger, anger that something had hit him while he had been defenceless and unconscious. Whatever it was, he would make sure it suffered a degrading death.
The swirl of his thoughts was interrupted as the door to his room opened and a figure appeared in the doorway, outlined by the light behind it. It stepped forward, and Byakuya's eyes narrowed.
"Arrancar."
The figure was short and petite in build, with a wave of waist-length jade-green hair, and a section of Hollow mask over her eyes like an elaborate costumed ball mask. Dressed in a white, bell-like ball gown, with white elbow-length gloves and green detail, she glided over to Byakuya, whipping out a lace fan and fluttering it. Whatever coquettish effect it might have had was lost since she had no visible eyes. A silver chain hung around her waist, a crescent blade gently tapping against her left hip when she moved. He pushed to his feet, swaying a little but refusing to be looked down on by this ridiculous creature.
"Kuchiki Byakuya, the most famous captain in all of Soul Society, for looks, power and prestige. Oh, what a lovely start to my collection of pet Shinigami!" she giggled, hiding her mouth behind her fan. "I hope your dashing friend Renji and your lover Ichigo will come along soon; they will look divine when tamed and kept in my zoo."
"You are disgusting," Byakuya stated simply. "And I would rather disfigure myself and die than be kept as a trophy by you."
"A man whose pride is not ruined by vanity. How lovely!" she squealed, spinning on her toes and doing a rather expert pirouette. "I was so lucky to come across that Aizen's records of all of you! Such a stickler for paperwork, that man."
Well, that answered his question about why she even knew about them. Deciding to appeal to her apparent vanity, he sat down and rested his head on his hand.
"And you? Who are you?"
She giggled (apparently she never stopped, thought Byakuya) and slid her fan closed. "My name is Belle. Belle Mori. I am the most beautiful and accomplished Arrancar ever known!"
Byakuya snorted. "You cannot be more than a year old, otherwise Aizen would have recruited you. I doubt you could be very accomplished if you've only just learned to stop snorting and screaming like a common Hollow."
Her face soured. "Big words for a man whose energy I've locked up."
"What?"
She giggled and pointed at his neck. "You must be pretty beaten up if you haven't noticed my little bone collar. That's made of compressed Hollow masks, and it absorbs all of a shinigami's energy. Once I've broken you in though, I don't think you'll notice the absence."
Byakuya's hand went up and he touched the dank, hard collar. It hung snugly around the base of his neck, and he cursed to himself. Without a sword, Hollow mask was quite difficult to break. He would have to figure out how when he was alone again.
"Well, I'm going to go wait for your friends, beautiful Byakuya! Ciao, darling!"
Not wanting to grace her asinine speech with a response, he sat still and waited for her to leave. The door the width of Zaraki's shoulders shut with a thud, and Byakuya buried his face in his hands.
If only he had been concentrating while on his journey back to Soul Society. But he had been brooding, thinking only of the teen he had hurt so badly and how he was going to repair the damage he had done. He hadn't really understood how offensive his refusal was until this morning, when Yourichi had slammed his head into the table and told him that women were not inferior because they allowed men into their bodies, and that he had better understand that it was an honour to be allowed into someone's temple. Just as he tried to say something in his defence, Yourichi had simply smashed his face into the wood again.
"No buts, Byakuya-bo! Ichigo has given you one of the most beautiful privileges in the whole world, and you refuse to extend the same respect to him! Now, get back to Soul Society, and wait for Ichigo to come to you, regardless of how hard it is to wait. You owe him that power and you have better have a stunning apology waiting, idiot."
That woman was right. She was always right. Hisana was also likely quite angry with him, wherever she was. He sighed and ran his fingers along the collar. He had to get out of here. Ichigo might not come find him, though he suspected Renji might. But he didn't want to see the red-haired badly injured on his behalf; Renji deserved better. And Rukia loved him enough to try and help, but he didn't want to see her bleeding and hurt ever again. And with the child on the way...
As if I deserve their help. After all my years of distance and silence, I don't deserve the risks they would have to take.
Byakuya felt along the collar for the narrowest point. He tried to snap it, but he could not get leverage at such an awkward angle. But, perhaps...he tucked his hair under the collar, and pressed the front so that it jutted out at the back. He stood up, and looked for a bare patch of wall. He crossed the room, and turned so that his back was facing the wall. Holding the collar in place, he leapt backwards at the wall. The collar hit first, but did not even crack. His back hit the wall and pain rocketed through his body. He dropped to his hands and knees, panting as he tried to will the agony away. Bile rose in his throat, and he clamped a hand over his mouth, waiting for it to pass.
I have to get loose. I have to see Ichigo. I will not die and leave him behind.
Byakuya got up, and tried again, and again, until he could no more, and passed into blissful unconsciousness face-down on the white-rock floor.
***
"Send me to Heuco Mondo! NOW!"
"Ichigo." Urahara leaned forward, then smacked Ichigo with his fan. "Calm down! Idiot! I cannot open Gargantas one right after the other! If I do that, we will have a massive influx of Menos Grande because of the weakness in the fabric, and we can't have Karakura town swarming with them and you gone at the same time. You have to give me at least two days. Your only other option is to open one from Soul Society's side, and I can help you there. But you have to calm down, because you are no use to anyone like this."
Ichigo rubbed his cheek and looked at Urahara. "I can't...I can't leave him there, Urahara-san. Whatever happens, I can't wait. Please...please help me. I know I've asked you for a lot in the past, but this is just as important to me as when Orihime and Rukia needed my help."
"Our help, Ichigo."
Urahara and Ichigo turned to see Renji enter through a senkai gate, carrying Senbonzakura in his left hand. The red-head sat down next to them.
"I had to get Unohana to step in and restrain Rukia. She really wanted to help, but none of us want anything to happen to her, or the baby. Where are we going?"
"I suspect Byakuya is in Heuco Mondo," said Urahara, looking serious. "I've been tracking some new energies there, keeping an eye on them in case they get too high to be ignored. And there's one that has been steadily growing, to the point where I think it is sentient and plotting. It may be that energy that stole Byakuya out of the tunnels."
"So, it's one overgrown Hollow. Let's go kick ass and bring Byakuya back, Ichigo!"
But Ichigo was biting his lower lip. "Wasn't there anyone else who would come with you? Anyone who would help?"
Renji lowered his head. "The Captain-Commander issued a command preventing all captains from leaving. He did not want to send anyone on 'a fool's errand', he called it. So, I managed to bribe a few guards to get Byakuya's sword back, and snuck back through here. They'll probably have my captaincy for it, but I want to help, Ichigo. Byakuya's going to be my brother soon, part of the family I've wanted my whole life. And because he means the world to you and is Rukia's brother, the rules can fuck themselves. Let's go kick ass!"
Ichigo managed his first smile since Byakuya ripped him apart. "Renji, you could make the apocalypse seem manageable."
Urahara stood up. "Well, I'm sure Yourichi will be keen to help out. Byakuya was her most ardent pupil once."
"And because it will be fun to hold it over him," purred the black cat that walked in through the door, tail flicking. "I'm in. Kisuke will have to stay this side to manage the gates for us, but between the three of us, we can handle one Hollow. Let's go, boys."
Ichigo and Renji stood and followed her and Urahara downstairs to the open training area. Urahara turned to Renji.
"Renji, Ichigo. Once we're through, I'm going to open a garganta to Heuco Mondo. Until that's done, I need you to keep any potential invaders busy. If I'm interrupted, the garganta will shut and I will have to start again. Are we understood?"
The two shinigami nodded, and Urahara opened a basic senkai gate, ushering them all through before closing it behind him. Luckily, the tunnels were abandoned, and their journey was quick. They emerged in West Rukongai, startling only squirrels as they emerged into a clearing. Yourichi frowned as she opened up her senses, then she nodded at Urahara.
"We're clear. Open the garganta."
Urahara nods and turns to face away from them, his hands out. "My right hand is the stone that bridges worlds. My left hand is the blade that binds reality. The black-haired shepherd is hung from a chair. Stratus clouds come, and I strike down the ibis."
There was a groan as the dimensional fabric buckled then split, opening up a dark, purple-shadowed pathway. Yourichi jumped in first, already back in her human form. Ichigo followed her, then Renji, glancing back over his shoulder at Urahara, who smiled and gestured with his hand for him to continue.
"Go, Renji. I will be waiting for the signal to open up again."
***
"You are a badly behaved shinigami!" shrieked Belle, walking in to find Byakuya trying to break the collar using hakudo. He looked up and smirked at her, clenching his fists to hide how they shook.
"Did you honestly expect me to sit here nicely like a doll?"
She stormed over to him, grabbed the collar and pulled him to his knees, leaning down to glare at him. "I don't like it when my toys misbehave," she said darkly. "And bad toys get broken."
She drew her fan out, then with a flick of her wrist blades snapped out of the edges. She pressed it to the soft skin under his chin and licked his cheekbone.
"If you continue trying to get out of that collar, I will kill you. Perhaps you'll be an even better toy stuffed and dead. Unfortunately, you won't be much use to anyone else."
Byakuya swallowed and lowered his hands. It destroyed his pride to bend, but he did not want to die. Not like this. She was suddenly all smiles again and she put her fan away with a titter.
"Now that's my Byakuya-chan! I'm going to get you something to eat, my sweet prince."
She danced away and Byakuya was left alone in the well-furnished room. His hands were almost shattered with all the attempts to break the collar, and he had no energy to call on.
It feels like I'm dying.
He crawled across the floor and pulled himself up onto the low-slung bed attached to the wall. Falling on the soft mattress, he lay on his side and tried to will away the pain that burnt at his nerves and ate through his muscles. He tried to ignore the voice in his head that told him no one cared enough to come looking for him, to risk fighting for him. The Great Byakuya, who had never told anyone he needed them, except for one tiny, beautiful woman. He had never so regretted pushing everyone away, and pretending that his power would be all he ever needed.
What an idiot I am.
He covered his eyes with his blood-streaked hand. He didn't deserve anyone's help...least of all Ichigo's. Ichigo, who he desperately wished would come get this collar off, who had every right to stay back in Karakura, far away from his careless, cruel tongue.
Growling at himself, Byakuya sat up and wrapped his fingers around the collar. He would survive, even if meant being Belle's toy, if it meant that one day he could see Ichigo and say sorry. Because his stupid pride had got him into this mess, and it would not get him out.