Part XXI: The Tale of the Warden and the Dragon

"What're you in for?" Coyote asked, his heavy blue eyes settling on the young woman.

"Huh?" Rukia looked up with wide, troubled eyes.

"I was joking…" Coyote sighed, staring out the window of the tavern. "This feels like prison, doesn't it?"

Rukia looked around the cramped room thoughtfully. She nodded, her hands twisting together in her lap. She was silent for a long time, so long that Coyote didn't expect her to ever reply. "At least they aren't in here with us."

"'They'. I thought 'they' were your friends." Coyote arched a brow skeptically. "If they're not your friends, well they certainly aren't mine, why on Earth are they here?"

"They're not my friends." Rukia said simply, her eyes creasing bitterly. "They are the Master of my coven and the vampire who created me."

"You're too serious." Coyote complained, pulling his worn jacket more tightly around himself.

"Excuse me," Rukia said, turning her nose into the air. "I don't appreciate being held against my will and forced to do things…"

Coyote shook his head, laughing around his fist. He bit down on his fingers, as if to silence a cry, and looked up at Rukia. "Girl, you have no idea."

"Neither do you." Rukia said flatly, though her demeanor loosened up.

"Try me." Coyote taunted, his greasy, brown curls falling into his handsome face. "This is only the beginning. You truly have no idea. And I feel sorry for you, sure, but please."

"I attacked my brother." Rukia said, her eyes wide with a new wave of panic. "They made me attack my own brother!"

Coyote's body tensed, his eyes darting toward the young woman in surprise. Coyote cleared his throat, scratching his thin cheek compulsively. "He'll forgive you."

"You don't know him." Rukia groaned, pulling her knees up to her chest. "He's held a grudge for the last 400 years. He isn't going to just let this go…"

"Your brother…" Coyote began unsurely. "That's the vampire Byakuya, right? They keep mentioning that name over and over."

"Yes." Rukia said with a curd nod. "Count Byakuya Kuchiki."

"Oh, well," Coyote said, rolling his eyes. "My name is Vicomte Coyote Starrk."

"Countess Rukia Kuchiki." Rukia said, offering her hand in greeting. "Are you French?"

"By God's grace, yes." Coyote answered, placing his lips against Rukia's dainty hand.

"My father, when he was alive, he would bring a tailor all the way from Paris to make our dresses." Rukia said, looking down at her hands.

"That's a long way to travel for a dress." Coyote groaned, tugging at the glove on his hand.

"Is it?" Rukia asked. "I've never left Romania before."

"It's really, really far. Your dad was a frivolous man." Coyote replied with disapproval.

"He was a great man. Everyone told him it was such a pity, he had no sons. But he would reply, loud and clear, why have seven boys when he could have two perfectly clever girls?" Rukia recited proudly, puffing out her slender chest.

"Oh, sweet Lord." Coyote sighed, pinching his nose. "You're still a child. You poor, sweet thing."

"I beg your pardon," Rukia snapped. "I am 436-er-7 years old!"

"Your dad was lying." Coyote said, enunciating each syllable. "He was making the best of the situation. Who on Earth would want a daughter in this world?"

"What world?" Rukia demanded, glowering angrily "You said it yourself! What have I suffered that you, a boy, has not?"

"That- you- Wait just a-" Coyote spluttered.

"Touché." Rukia said with a triumphant smile "That's French, isn't it?"

"You're short." Coyote replied childishly. "So there."

"Yeah? Well, you have a long face!" Rukia exclaimed, pointing a thin finger. "It's long like a horse!"

"You have a round head." Coyote said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Your eyes are too close together." Rukia shot back.

"I like you." Coyote said, nodding decisively. "Even if you have a little boy's body."

"Yeah, well, maybe I can overlook your dumb-looking face." Rukia conceded. "Lord knows I need someone to talk to."

"Then we agree." Coyote said, staring back out the window of the tavern. "Every three days we should say something to one another…"

"You're very odd, Coyote Starrk." Rukia said, sitting down on the bed by the window. She looked over at Coyote, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. "Why are you so sad?"

"What do you mean?" Coyote asked, clearing his throat. "I just think you're wrong. My eyes are my best feature…"

"You miss your friends." Rukia realized, scooting closer to Coyote. "Don't you?"

"What friends?" Coyote barked, shaking his head and sending his curls in every direction. "Nice chat. Let's do this again sometime." And Rukia knew that Coyote was done talking.

"And what do you think you're doing?" Byakuya asked, blinking slowly. Ichigo and Shunsui turned slowly, their lips pursed together tightly. They shook their heads in unison, both of them muttering under their breaths. "Well? Explain yourselves."

"You don't have to come." Shunsui said simply, finally meeting Byakuya's cool gaze.

"But we have a mission." Ichigo added, his knife sliding along the wood in his hand.

"What are you going to do with two swords, three knives and a… a very pointy stick?" Byakuya questioned, bewildered disappointment evident in his handsome face. "You can't kill him with these little toys."

"I don't understand why we have to kill him at all." Renji interrupted, licking his lips nervously. "I don't think he was a bad guy."

"He's dangerous. Trust me." Ichigo said, remembering the intense look of abhorrence Kira had given him.

"Oh, I'm sure he's very dangerous." Byakuya agreed, nodding his head. "That's why you're both idiots." Byakuya wrenched the half-carved spear from Ichigo's hand with little effort. He pinched the spear between two fingers, snapping the wood in half in less than two seconds. "You say, 'Masters are evil', 'Masters are scary', 'Masters are powerful'… And then you proceed as if the Master is your father who will simply whip you soundly and send you to bed."

"We have to do something." Ichigo breathed. "This is all we are…"

"Let me clarify something quickly," Byakuya interrupted, raising a single finger in a halting gesture. "I am selfish. I am so incredibly selfish it will drive you insane over the next five years… I am so selfish that if you are about to die, if you are moments from death and there is no saving you, I will kill you myself."

The room was silent. Byakuya continued, undeterred, "If your corpse will feed my enemy, then your corpse is also my enemy. If your corpse will aid my enemy, then your corpse is also my enemy. You, none of you, will fall to an enemy so long as I'm around."

"That's so thoughtful." Ichigo murmured, sinking back into his chair.

"No, he makes sense." Shunsui said with a defeated sigh. "Especially since we're a food source to Masters as well as vampires. Who should we feed? Our enemies or our allies?"

"I notice you didn't say 'friends'," Ichigo said dryly, throwing his knife into the floor between his feet.

"You're right, I didn't." Shunsui confirmed. "Let's be honest, we're not all friends."

"That needs to change." Renji said, looking at Ichigo purposely.

"We don't have time to hold hands and weave baskets." Ichigo groaned. "That Master… He didn't like me… I got a bad feeling…"

"Do you know him or something?" Shunsui asked.

"Not at all." Ichigo admitted. "I don't really keep track of the list of known Masters…" Ichigo looked around apologetically. "The Masters who report are so well-regulated that I never really thought it was important."

"Report?" Shunsui and Renji asked at the same time, their brows knit together in confusion.

"What do you mean well-regulated?" Byakuya asked, and suddenly his face was rid of every trace of irritation. He was curious, almost happily so, and his entire posture changed.

"Well," Ichigo began slowly. "The Council of Elders is kinda… well… They get a bit…"

"Start again, from the beginning." Byakuya instructed, pulling a chair up behind himself. He sat instantly, crossing his legs at the knee.

"The beginning of what?" Ichigo asked with a shrug.

"When did you join the Council?" Renji suggested, eliciting a rather humorous glare from Ichigo.

"Perfect." Byakuya complimented, flashing an unconscious smile in Renji's direction. "When did you join the Council?"

"The first time I met them." Ichigo answered.

"What?" Shunsui asked, his attention piqued. He leaned forward, his knees jutting apart. "Really?"

"The beginning." Byakuya groaned, clicking his tongue in disapproval. "Don't tell a tale out of order…" Byakuya looked at Shunsui, a strange glimmer in his eye. "That takes a real Poet to make work."

"The beginning, well, I guess," Ichigo's expression deepened. He looked down at his hands, busying himself with his torn cuticles. "The first time I met the Council I was sick. I can't remember how I got there, but I remember almost everything once the Warden found me."

"The Warden," Ichigo continued, taking a hesitant breath. "He's not human and he's not a shifter…" Ichigo paused, his fingers spreading through his hair. "It's like this…"

"Who's there?" Yamamoto demanded, looking toward the open chamber doors in surprise.

There was no answer as the twitching figure shuffled forward. The stench of rotting flesh was unbearable and the Council covered their mouths. The figure straightened up, the form of a man outlined just barely in the darkness. The figure's head tilted, as if only just hearing Yamamoto's voice.

"It's a shifter." Unohana breathed.

"No." Yamamoto spoke firmly. He shook his head, his eyes narrowing. The Council waited, holding their breaths until the figure stepped into the light.

Urahara whistled lowly, his hand covering his mouth at the unexpected sight. He shared a look with Shinji who was equally caught off guard. Shinji clicked his tongue, his brown eyes creased in disgust, "The fuck is wrong with it?"

Ichigo's body shook, blood dripping off his tongue as he opened his mouth. He let out a mindless growl, his knees knocking together as he shambled forward. "My… b-ody…"

"Urahara." Yamamoto said sternly, his brows knit in disgust. "Destroy it."

"But, he's just a child," Unohana gasped, stepping toward Ichigo in concern. "There must be something we can do."

"I'm not sure what we can do at this point…" Urahara said, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully. "Is it even a shifter?"

"We don't know this creature." Yamamoto growled. "We owe it nothing. It's clearly diseased."

"Dy-ing…" Ichigo's voice escaped much like a gurgle, blood spreading between his teeth and pouring down his chin onto his chest. "Hel…"

"He's suffering." Unohana said, reaching out a hand as if she might touch him. She pulled her arm away, her braided hair swinging from the sudden movement.

"My body." Ichigo said suddenly, his voice deep and not his own. He spoke slowly, but fluently, his words carefully chosen. "I have selected a new vessel."

Ichigo doubled over, blood spewing from his lips. He held his stomach with one frail arm. He shook his head, his other arm reaching out toward the Council. Ichigo stepped forward, a loud crack splintering through the room as his femur burst through his skin.

"I'll put it down gently." Urahara said, retrieving his sword. "It will be a kindness."

"Don't touch him!" the Warden yelled, bursting into the chamber breathlessly. "And don't you dare kill him!"

"Warden?" Yamamoto muttered. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Oh-ho." Urahara cooed, releasing his sword. "You never visit."

"Is he a Master?" Unohana asked, averting her eyes from the wretched sight.

"He's a shifter. Like all of you." the Warden barked, his slight hands roaming over the battered, bloodied body in front of him.

"What's wrong with him?" Shinji asked, kicking his legs out from his chair. "I don't look like that."

The Warden swallowed, "I need to take him with me."

"What do you mean?" Yamamoto asked. "To Carcer?"

"No. Definitely not Carcer." the Warden insisted. "He has to go to Veritas."

"But you can't leave Carcer unguarded." Yamamoto commanded, frowning deeply.

"I don't need to be here to know exactly what's going on." the Warden said, his low voice rumbling from his chest. He wiped the blood from Ichigo's blind eyes, "I've been waiting for you, Ichigo Kurosaki."

"What do you mean by this?" Yamamoto demanded.

"Sounds like he's leavin' with that half-dead kid." Shinji explained, his finger picking at something on his ear.

"Understand this," the Warden said, turning to face Yamamoto. "I do not answer to you."

"Yamamoto is a real ass." Renji sighed. "I wish I could've heard someone tell him off."

"He really is." Ichigo agreed. "So that's how I met the Council and the Warden."

"Excuse me…" Byakuya interjected. "But there are parts missing. What illness did you have? Where did the Warden take you? If the Warden isn't a shifter then what is he?"

"The Warden, Urahara and Shinji finally convinced Yamamoto that they should help me." Ichigo continued. "So the Warden opened this huge portal. Everything was ice cold. I've never felt anything colder in my life, before or since. And the Warden transformed. It wasn't like a shifter. It was unbelievable. Huge like a mountain…"

The earth shook, a thick, choking smoke filling the air. The Warden, back to his usual form, dropped to the ground, pressing his fingers against Ichigo's throat unsurely. He looked around, standing up and brushing off his bloody hands.

"I… was… sleep…ing…" a throaty, deep voice drawled in the dark. "Whad-da-ya…wa-nt… Hyourin…maru?"

"It's Ulquiorra." the Warden whispered.

"Wha-da 'bout 'em?" the voice rumbled.

"He's collected all 666 parts." the Warden explained quickly. "And he's chosen a vessel."

"And?" the word was followed by a guttural laugh.

"We have to stop him." the Warden said softly.

"Why?" the voice groaned.

"Earth is not our place." the Warden said angrily, his fists curling at his sides. "It belongs to the humans. If they kill themselves, that's on them… but if we kill them…"

"I… don't care." the voice seemed to wind around the dark cavern.

"Nozarashi, stop this. Come out and face me properly." The Warden demanded impatiently. "Stop playing around."

The cavern shook, stone shifting as the scales of an enormous black dragon uncovered itself. The lake in the center of the cave began to swell, seeming to grow along with the dragon's agitation.

A single green eye opened, focusing on the petite Warden. The dragon opened its mouth, smoke billowing out behind the laughter. The dragon moved its head slightly, gesturing to Ichigo, "Drown… it…"

"Did you die?" Orihime asked, clutching the collar of her nightdress.

"No, I didn't die." Ichigo said, shaking his head. "And I thought you were already in bed. Go away! You shouldn't be listening to this stuff anyway…"

"Her Japanese has gotten really good." Shunsui pointed out, patting Orihime on the head. "Good job, Shiro-chan…"

"Now's not the time." Jushiro said softly, even though he flashed Shunsui an indulgent smile.

"I think we're done for tonight." Shunsui said, ignoring the devastated look on Byakuya's face. "I'm sure this is really hard for Ichigo to talk about."

"But we still didn't learn who the Council really is or who the Warden is… And now there's a dragon!" Byakuya exclaimed.

Shunsui's face darkened and he swallowed a painful lump in his throat. "Ichigo, I need to speak to you in private… Right now…"

"Okay." Ichigo said, standing up unsurely.

"Come on." Shunsui commanded, walking toward the door.

"Wait a second." Renji called out. "What's going on?"

"We'll be right back." Shunsui said, waving his hand in dismissal. "We need a minute."

"Tell me something," Ginjo began slowly. "What deal did you make, Frenchie?"

"Who are you?" Coyote asked, eyeing Ginjo critically. "Do I know you?"

"Cute." Ginjo groaned humorlessly. He adjusted his legs, propping his knees up. He leaned against the wall heavily, his muddy boats resting on the bed. "So? What did you get from Aizen?"

"I got to carry my dead sister around in a trunk for almost a decade before I dismembered her." Coyote said flatly. He tore a chunk out of his stale bread, nearly enjoying the flummoxed expression on Ginjo's face. "Hey, what happened?" Coyote thunked his own forehead in gesture. "Couldn't you read this before or something?"

"An unfortunate side effect." Ginjo replied coolly.

"That's a damn shame." Coyote said with a smirk.

"You're really broken up over it." Ginjo murmured.

"Listen," Coyote said sharply. "What is this? Are you trying to be my friend? Because that's impossible." Coyote's eyes darkened. "I just want to do my time, serve my sentence, and get the fuck out of here."

"You're beneath me, Starrk," Ginjo said with a scoff. "Don't get so cocky. You're just the Master's whore."

"I don't remember." Ichigo said, his face scrunched up with uncertainty. "I… I guess I forgot…"

"What?" Renji snapped, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I met the Warden and then I…" Ichigo trailed off, unable to recall where he was going with the conversation.

"The dragon." Byakuya suggested. "What do you remember about the dragon?"

"It was black, with green eyes." Ichigo said slowly, as if in a daze. "And its laugh…" Ichigo looked around at the group with wide eyes. "That laugh shook the whole world…"

"What the hell?!" Renji turned to face Shunsui. "What the fuck is going on? Did you tell him not to say anything?"

"Me?" Shunsui asked, arching his brow in surprise. "Why would I do that?"

"Well… what do you mean 'why'? You're the one acting strangely and…" Renji argued, his words cut off by Byakuya's chilling words.

"It's gone."

"What's gone?" Shunsui asked, looking toward Byakuya in confusion.

"The memory." Byakuya said simply.

"How is a memory just gone? That's impossible." Renji insisted.

Byakuya pressed an icy hand against Ichigo's feverish forehead. His face was an expressionless mask and for several seconds everyone held their breaths. Byakuya straightened up, dropping his hand back down at his side. "I believe we are done for the evening. I think I'll retire first. Excuse me."

"Hey, wait!" Renji protested.

Byakuya looked at Renji, really looked at him, seemingly studying every inch. Byakuya smiled, an eerie, malevolent smile that made Renji's skin crawl. "It's best if we leave it at that."

"What's going on?" Shunsui asked, looking around the room in absolute confusion.

"You went outside to speak with Ichigo." Jushiro explained. "You suddenly called him out in the middle of his story. And now he can't remember the rest of it… Why is that?"

"What? What are you talking about?" Shunsui asked.

"Come, Orihime." Jushiro commanded, his green eyes watching Shunsui warily. "Let's go to bed."

"Shunsui," Ichigo said softly, looking toward the other shifter. "What the hell just happened?"

"I have no idea." Shunsui admitted, feeling a terrible twist in his stomach.