Uryu landed in Byakuya's inner world, and he wanted to cry all over again.

The lush trees were dying. A moonless night was wracked with thick black clouds and dry lightning. The cherry blossoms were flying off the trees.

The curtains on the tiny shack were closed, even though light shone behind them. "Byakuya."

"Uryu…" No wonder Senbonzakura was desperate.

The spirit was now old and wrinkled, a crone rather than a proud lady warrior. She hobbled after Uryu as she led him to the shack. "What happened to you…" Uryu's expression was pitying, grieving.

"Byakuya… his inner world is fading. So am I. He thinks you're gone, that he'll never see you again. He's given up. Please, Uryu please. You have to help him. If he sees you… if he knows you're still there and you want him to come back. He'd fight! He'd wake up. Even if you wake him up. If you don't do it soon, he'll lose his shinigami powers if his world is faded away or been damaged beyond repair."

"I'll do my best, what do I need to do?"

"Tell him you're alive." Senbonzakura told him.

"Technically…"

"I know. But tell him anyway. Otherwise…"

Uryu opened the door, puzzled.

The lights were on, and a little lump huddled under the covers of the tiny bed. "Byakuya…?"

There was a faint sob under the covers, the lump trembled and shuddered. "Hey… Byakuya…" Uryu pulled back the blankets.

It was a little Byakuya! He looked about ten years old! His hair was silkier, but his eyes were the same shade of blue. His Uryu plushie was curled up into his arms. Uryu wanted to cry. There was a pin, a tiny sword, in the heart of the doll. Byakuya was cradling the doll like it was the last thing in the world and his eyes were red with tears.

"Byakuya?" Uryu's heart skipped a beat. "Byakuya…" His voice softened tenderly.

He didn't look up, just cried.

"Byakuya." Uryu scooped the little version of Byakuya.

"Uryu!" The little Byakuya cried out, leaping up to throw his arms around Uryu.

"Byakuya… please… come back with me. You have to get out of bed."

"I dun wanna…" Byakuya sobbed. "You're gone… I don't want to leave."

"I'm not dead silly. I'm right here. I'm waiting for you." Uryu said gently. "But you've got to wake up."

"But…. I saw it…… ya got your chain cut n' everythin."

"Then why am I sitting here on the edge of the bed with you?" Uryu asked gently. He reached over for the other dolls. "Now see… Rukia's waiting for you. And so's Renji. And so's Ichigo. And…." He pulled the sword out of the Uryu doll. "And so am I." He pulled little Byakuya into a hug. "I'm not the only one…" He pulled little Byakuya into his arms, crossing them over the captain's stomach. "Please? Byakuya?"

Tears started coming to Byakuya's eyes. "I'm tired… can you carry me?" He asked worriedly. Uryu could see the anxiety on his face.

"Of course." Uryu scooped little Byakuya into his arms. Carefully he nudged open the door with his foot.

The wind was howling as they left, fighting, resisting them even as Uryu carried the little Byakuya to consciousness.

"URYU!" The child version of Byakuya cried out in fear, burying his face in Uryu's shoulder.

"I've got you Byakuya!" Uryu promised.

"My stomach feels funny…" Byakuya mumbled.

Uryu asked gently. "You don't feel like you're going to throw up do you? I can slow down."

"Ish not that." Byakuya mumbled again. "My tummy tickles…"

The baby, he's sensing the baby…Uryu thought. "We'll take care of it when we've got you out of here." Uryu promised. This is good, if he can sense the child he might be starting to come around. I won't know how I've done until he's out of here. He looked back and forth at the edge of the path. Damn, which way?

A blustering gust of wind blew a stream of glowing spectral sakura petals up the bluff. "This way." Senbonzakura's voice blew on the wind. "Hurry! Get him out of here! There's a cave up the bluff, the exit is there!" Her voice cried out.

Uryu ran up the bluff, the wind howling at his heals. "Senbonzakura, what /is/ that thing!"

A face, a muzzle, a roaring dragon of wind. The dust and leaves and debris it blew formed the pebbly, shrapnel sharp skin. The leaves and petals and needles were its mane. Twigs and branches were its horns. Splinters were its claws and fangs. It raced up after them,bulldozing anything in its path.

"RUN!" Senbonzakura replied. "It's the personification of everything Byakuya fears." (1)

Sure enough Byakuya shrieked in terror.

Shells glinted in its face, forming pearly gleaming, malicious eyes. Byakuya saw everything reflected in them, Hisana's death, what would have happened if Rukia /had/ been executed, Renji being shredded on the Arrancars' claws, Uryu clutched in a raven's talons, vomiting blood, his family home burning to dust until only skeletons were left.

Byakuya started screaming, the sounds harsh in the roaring winds. He buried his face in Uryu's shoulder again and wailed.

"Don't let it catch you!" Senbonzakura urged.

Uryu turned on the speed, using all his Quincy skills to outrun the dragon. There! Above! On the cliffside!

An ornately carved arch marked the tunnel. "The dragon cannot enter the tunnel." Senbonzakura assured him.

There was another roar. Byakuya screamed. The dragon was going to catch them. His jaws were looming over them.

Then suddenly he wasn't. "DIE!" Senbonzakura had taken warrior form one last time.

"Senbonzakura!!!" Byakuya cried.

"Byakuya! I'm feeding off your hope! Rekindle your will to fight!" Senbonzakura urged.

Byakuya yelled. "Senbonzakura!!!!"

Uryu ran. All I can do is run. If I shoot my bow in here I might hurt Byakuya!

He bolted, faster, faster. Byakuya clung tight, then he let out a wail as Uryu entered the tunnel full pelt.

"YAH!!!" Uryu and Byakuya sat up at once.

"BYAKUYA!" Uryu cried, throwing his arms around the panting, sweating, trembling captain. "Byakuya…… byakuya, byakuya, byakuya…" He murmured, sobbing, burying his face in the other's shoulder.

Byakuya drew in a series of ragged breaths. Tears fell from his eyes as he embraced Uryu so hard the Quincy thought he'd be squished!

"Uryu…" Byakuya shuddered. "I'm so tired… and my stomach doesn't feel so good." Byakuya whimpered.

"And you'll be glad of what's making you sick." Uryu smiled smugly and moved Byakuya's hands to his abdomen.

Byakuya froze, tears of pure joy came to his eyes, even as he looked a little green around the gills. "Oh…"

Uryu wrapped his arms around Byakuya from behind. "I love you." And never did he mean it more.

"And I know it…" Byakuya smiled faintly.

"Well well…" Urahara leaned on the door. "I'm glad you're alright." He chuckled. "If you two can hang on until the funeral, Orihime and Sado are coming. Orihime's healing technique can reconnect broken heartbonds. I'll make sure she arrives early to patch you two up. For now, just rest easy."

"But dad…"

"He's been getting to know Byakuya's grandfather. He completely approves, and so does Hikaru-dono." Urahara chuckled. "Rest, both of you. Things will be alright."


1. I've always kinda superimposed Kikyo's voice on Senbonzakura. Just picture her sounding that way for me.
Author's Trivia Golden!

http://bigbaldbroadcast. com

Check it out! Kyle Hebert is the voice of Aizen! This is his website, in the off season (seasons of Bleach and Naruto that is) he's a podcaster on the "big bald broadcast." There's a link to it above.

Gin takes up a piece of chalk and a teacher's pointer and starts writing a list on a nearby blackboard.

"He played Sousuke-kun yes, but he was also the voice of that halfwit Ganju. He was the voice of Gohan as a teenager and an adult, Makoto in Fruitsbasket and Ken-go in Eureka 7 (after episode 29), plus Falman and Kiba in Full Metal Alchemist and Naruto!"

All: Coooooooooooooool!