CHAPTER 36: SACRIFICE
"We're here!" called out Lucian as he reached the summit of the deceivingly tall and massive mountain. Declan had reached the summit shortly before him; the others, however, were collapsed upon the steep mountainside several hundred yards below them.
"Seriously guys…" gasped Ichigo, who lay on his back with his arms and legs sprawled. "We go through hell down there, and then you ask us to climb Mount Everest?"
"We're sorry, Lucian-san!" called back Inoue who was resting upon her knees, her face flushed from exhaustion." We're just a little tired from our battle with those bad Holies!"
"Well, you don't have time to be resting," scolded Lucian. "If you think they were difficult, consider that Ryojin Valhalla awaits you. He is ten times the Fallen Ones combined!"
"But we're already so weakened!" retorted Ishida, leaping up from the ground to shake his fist angrily at Lucian. "Defeating them was almost enough to kill ourselves! How can you expect us to fight someone so powerful?"
"Well, hopefully our efforts here will have some effect, right Commodore?" asked Declan to Lucian, though his tone was still untrusting (earlier, Lucian had broken Declan's faith in him when the latter learned of a terrible lie in Lucian's past).
"Hopefully…" replied Lucian somewhat shallowly, as if he had only been partially listening. This, however, was not true at all; ever since his battle with Callous his mind had been troubled – troubled, yet resolute.
…there is no other way. With your zanpakuto, you can…
Lucian winced suddenly from the pain emanating form his stab wound, but when Declan came over to interrogate, he deftly hid the blood soaked garments from view.
"Lucian, are you all right? Do you need to rest yourself?" asked Declan.
"I'll be fine, Declan," lied Lucian with a smile. "I got a little banged up back there, but I'll be fine." Behind them, Ichigo, Aiseki, Orihime, Uryuu, and Chad reached the summit, immediately collapsing upon the ground yet again in a heap.
"You don't look 'fine' to me," countered Declan affirmatively, ignoring the noise coming from the others. "If you're injured gravely before we face Ryojin…"
"I'm sorry," said Lucian softly, to which Declan wildly shook his head.
"You don't need to apologize, just get healed…"
"No," continued Lucian, his face hung low and his eyes towards the ground. "I'm sorry I lied. I'm sorry I let you down; I'm sorry I let everyone down." Declan sighed and closed his eyes, stroking his short goatee with his right hand for a moment as he framed his words together.
"Master…" said Declan softly, enough so that it didn't disturb the others who were now arguing over some inconsequential thing, Ichigo's voice being by far the loudest (it appeared that Ishida had insulted his honor in some way). "You took me in as a young Saint, and trained with me tirelessly till I graduated into the Holy Commissions. You were there for me when I received my title as Officer, and you rejoiced with me when I was given the title of Commodore. You've been there for me my whole life; I trusted you implicitly, because I wholeheartedly believed that you could not lie. Lucian the Honest, incapable of deceit…"
"I guess I've dashed that all away, haven't I?" muttered Lucian in a defeated tone, his head still hung low.
"It was foolish of me to think that you – or anyone, for that matter – were perfect," continued Declan. "I was wrong to have acted the way I did; Orihime was right after all – you never did lie to me, and I'm sure you omitted what you did for a good reason."
"I was ashamed," spoke up Lucian, raising his head slightly. "I was so ashamed for what I had done; I had betrayed Jizengensei, but then I betrayed Ryojin. It was too much for me to…"
"I just apologized, all right?" interrupted Declan to Lucian's surprise, smiling and closing his eyes warmly (imagine this: ^_^) before turning his attention to the others. "Hey, quit arguing and get over here!" Inoue immediately shouted out and saluted, and soon all seven fugitives were gathered upon the flat, expansive summit of the mountain.
"First," began Lucian in a regal tone, his head held high and confident among the group. "Are any of you familiar with this?" A red blur appeared in front of Lucian, from which he pulled out a crystal-clear, perfectly round orb, a curious etching of a strange bird intricately scratched into the glass.
"That's one of Kukaku's Spirit Orb thingies!" exclaimed Ichigo as he looked upon the orb. "I hate those things!"
"That's only because you never could get a handle on your own reiatsu," observed Ishida with an adjustment of his glasses. "You were worse than Ganju!"
"HEY!" shouted Ichigo, his face becoming red, the memories remembered during his battle with Michele seemingly vanished from his mind in the short time since the fight. "Don't compare me to a wimp like him!"
"Gentlemen…" interrupted Declan, a cold, hard, unkind look growing upon his face, immediately recognized by Ishida and Ichigo who stopped their fussing at once.
"Now then, if you are finished," resumed Lucian, desperately trying to keep his immense bodily pain hidden from the others. "As you all know then, this orb resonates with spiritual energy and creates a strong, protective shell around the user. The greater the strength of the users, the stronger the shell. Declan, please take this…" Lucian handed Declan the orb, upon which Lucian took another breath and continued.
"Each of you, place your hands upon the orb. You too, Ichigo." All five obeyed Lucian's command and gathered around the orb, placing their hands upon it along with Declan's. Without even a moment of hesitation, the familiar translucent shell appeared around them, just as it had done before with Kukaku Shiba during the first sojourn in Soul Society.
"Just like back then…" mused Ichigo, looking around at the perfectly spherical shell.
"Only this time it is much stronger," observed Chad, his eyes closed with concentration. "This shell is a thousand times stronger than steel, at least…"
"Okay, it seems you all know how to use this," declared Declan happily. "Ease away your reiatsu and allow the sphere to dematerialize, and Lucian can join us." All six occupants relaxed their spirit pressure and awaited the collapse of the shell – but none came.
"Nothing's happening…" said Inoue with some concern in her voice as she looked around the perfectly shaped, ever-present sphere.
"I don't understand…" said Declan, tapping the floating, untouched shell. "This is most unusual; its almost as if it's designed to trap…" Declan's words slowed to a halt as he looked up out of the sphere towards Lucian, who was gazing at the sphere, his façade drowning with regret.
"This is where our paths diverge, Commodore Declan," said Lucian, his body trembling under the mortal wound in his belly. "It has to be this way."
"NO!"
"Declan?" asked Aiseki, unsure of what was happening, but certain that Declan was quite unhappy with the situation. "What is going on? Why isn't the shell collapsing?"
"You lied to me…" growled Declan, tears brimming his eyes and flowing down his cheeks as he spoke. "YOU LIED TO ME!"
"No," answered Lucian softly, his voice so smooth and sincere that it halted all of Declan's emotions, if only for a moment. "I told you – I will be fine. Death for a Holy is not the end, nor is it a thing to mourn."
"Lucian-san…?" asked Inoue softly, her words slurring to a mumble.
"Callous stabbed me with a Witherstone knife," continued Lucian, gathering confidence with each passing second. "Witherstone is what we call the spirit-sucking material filling the Jizengensei wilderness, and extreme contact with it can remove one's abilities as a Holy."
"You don't…no…" gasped Declan, his eyes widening with horror. "Lucian, you can't…!"
"I must," he retorted. "I never told you that I knew how to get out of this dimension, but Callous showed me the way. You see, him stabbing me with the blade was the key to our victory, and he knew it."
"But you'll destroy us all!" screamed Declan desperately, to which Lucian slowly shook his head in the negative.
"That is why you must all pour your entire spirits into the orb," counseled the blonde Holy. "Only then can you withstand the destruction of this dimensional prison."
"Declan, what is he doing?" asked Aiseki, growing concerned over the talk of destruction and death.
"He's going to destroy his spirit," replied Declan. "Holies have blocks placed on their souls, eliminating death and preventing suicide. The blocks in Lucian's spirit have been dissolved by the stone, and now he's going to kill himself."
"Suicide?" gasped Ishida.
"The spirit is made up of particles held together like physical atoms," continued Declan. "If you break an atom, tremendous energy will be released. So too it is with spirits, and in Lucian's case, death can be done by one's own will."
"Correct," nodded Lucian. "While my powers as a Holy have been taken away, I retain this one last ability. That orb has been modified during our ascent up the mountain to keep you inside. I am going to break this dimension now, so place all your power within it! The force of what you are about to endure will surely shatter it, so control it as long as you can."
"But Lucian…" pleaded Declan, his tears overflowing. "Lucian please…you don't have to do this! You don't have to keep suffering for the sins of the past! You don't have to die a martyr of Ryojin's tyranny!" With these words, Lucian shot a look at Declan, hard, firm, yet kinder and warmer than any look Declan's master had ever given him.
"Declan, I'm a Holy, not a saint," said Lucian with a short smile. "My duty is to protect Jizengensei, and to defend the Eternal Path. Ryojin is trying to destroy that path, and he wants to destroy the God that I love. I am doing this because I am a Holy, a warrior of God."
"That is right, Declan," added a light feminine voice. From behind Lucian, stepping out as though from another dimension, appeared his lovely red-haired zanpakuto Cerillius, her crimson eyes warm and beautiful despite the events about to take place. "Lucian and I will destroy this dimension, which should disable Jigenseisokuka for a time, leaving Ryojin vulnerable. When the seals upon his spirit dissolved, they dissolved in my spirit as well, though I haven't lost my powers. He he…"
"Ryojin also has lost his Holy powers," said Lucian, sidling next to his beautiful zanpakuto. "I'm sorry for deceiving you all earlier, but Ryojin will be defenseless when his zanpakuto is taken out. Defeating and destroying him will be simple, and destroy him you must."
"Jigenseisokuka is far too dangerous," continued Cerillius. "Should he and Ryojin reunite before he is forced into pasaje, then all will be lost."
"Lucian…" muttered Declan, the tears returning to his eyes, though now in mourning, not desperation. Lucian, on the other hand, smiled big and waved his hand happily towards the group.
"We will meet again, before you know it," said the handsome Holy. "Life is but a bump in the everlasting road of existence, and we will be reunited, if only in the Eternal Realm of the Gods. Declan, be strong, and brave; your destiny is to be the leader of the Holies when all is restored, and I know you will be legendary.
"Orihime, stay pure and kind; God has granted you some of his power because of the goodness of your soul, and you should continue making Him proud.
"Uryuu, relax and enjoy life; your wisdom, strength, and courage knows no bounds.
"Chad, remember that to protect is to love, and that charity is the pure love of God.
"Ichigo, I wish I could have gotten to know you better, but we'll have eternity to learn from one another. Keep your faith always, and nothing will be able to stop you.
"And Aiseki, do not sorrow, and do not mourn. Yours is a life of extraordinary blessings, and you will be called upon again. Now then, pour in your strength to the orb, and prepare!"
Declan, despite the sorrow in his heart, heeded his master's command, as did the others, and the shell became even stronger and radiant than before. Outside, Lucian and Cerillius grasped each other's hands, their bodies only a few inches apart, both their eyes closed. A wind began to swirl around them, and Declan knew that this was the end of his beloved master, his lifelong friend.
The wind grew stronger and stronger, and with the rotating vortex growing around the Holy and Zanpakuto came flickerings and streaks of white energy, growing larger, longer, and brighter with each passing moment. Soon the air around them was sparkling and radiating like a magical dream, and Lucian and Cerillius opened their eyes. Pure, white light shone out from their sockets, glorious and heavenly, their pupils and irises lost in the splendor. In this state Lucian and Cerillius turned towards the orb, bathed in the glorious celestial light, and with a kind smile and warm heart, Lucian spoke his final words.
"I love you all. Godspeed."
A crackling roar, a blistering flash, and a tumultuous explosion blasted the orb. Lucian and Cerillius were both gone, but the orb held steady. Outside the fireball and burst grew larger and larger, enveloping the orb within its sun-like blaze, but within only a second the energy suddenly contracted. With the sound of a mighty, hurricane the energy collected into a single point, and like a vacuum the orb was sucked into this black hole of sorts. Within mere moments the entire Plane of Sorrow was also consumed, the planets of Jizengensei and Earth pulled in as well, and with that, it was all gone.
Lucian…
(break)
Alicia, weakened to the point of collapse, fell upon the ground in a futile attempt to crawl away from Ryojin Valhalla. Alicia had become a Sorrow, the enemy of Holies, and Ryojin was resolute in destroying her to prevent the Sorrow from ever returning.
"I'm sorry," said Ryojin to Alicia as she struggled still to escape, though unsuccessfully. "I must do my duty." Ryojin raised his scimitar into the air with his remaining left arm, the same containing the spirit resonance device in the now-exposed hand.
"Forgive me Alicia Anders," declared Ryojin, his voice filled with regret for the action he was about to commit. "If there could be another way, I would choose that route. Goodbye…" Ryojin gathered his remaining strength, and swung down his zanpakuto.
Before the blade could move even a few inches downward, however, it shattered into millions of shards, the force of the explosion throwing Ryojin backwards where he crashed hard upon the ground.
"My…my hand…?" gasped Ryojin as he opened his eyes. His left hand was torn and cut, blood seeping unimpeded from innumerable wounds, but mixed in among the blood were sparks and wisps of smoke – the device, the tool by which his quest was enabled, was destroyed. "Jigen…what happened to you? What is going…on…?" Ryojin's words slowed as he realized that no longer was he alone with Alicia. Dozens of people surrounded him, and as he looked around he recognized that his life was over.
"Surrender, Valhalla…" commanded the tenor voice of Declan Greenleaf, disheveled from his battle with the Fallen Ones and his short journey inside the orb. "It's over." Surrounding Declan were Aiseki, Ichigo, and all the other keys from Jizengensei and the Mortal world (most of whom were still in a somewhat vegetative state), and behind Ryojin several shadows appeared from the advent of the captains and vice-captains of Soul Society.
"M…Mark?" asked Alicia, turning her head towards her husband, who immediately ran to and knelt next to his injured and beleaguered wife.
"Declan…?" asked Ryojin, his heart and mind still in shock. "How are you here? Where is Lucian?"
"Lucian is dead, Ryojin," replied Declan coldly, though his heart and tone were filled with utmost sorrow. "He sacrificed himself to stop you, to keep you from destroying yourself! All the Fallen Ones, dead as well!" Ryojin's face fell, and tears filled his eyes.
"What have I done…?" said Ryojin, his voice leaking with sadness. "All I wanted was to protect my brothers and sisters…but now they are suffering beyond what I thought acceptable!" From amidst the surrounding group, Aiseki Kennomichi, formerly Mark Anders, and son to Ryojin, stepped forward.
"Look what you've become, father…" said Aiseki shamefully, turning his attention from Alicia to Ryojin. "Look what you've been reduced to, all because of your selfish desires!"
"Mark, this isn't what I wanted!" countered Ryojin, his cheeks and chin wet with tears. "I wanted to reform our family, I wanted to save my father and brother! I only wanted to help, but…"
"What you've done is unacceptable," spoke up another voice, this belonging to Shakuho Hitokage, emerging from behind the group with a significant limp and a massive, bloodied bandage upon his chest. From within the warriors of Soul Society, Vice-Captain Nanao Ise gasped and blushed as she saw her former subordinate, though inside she was distressed from his condition.
"You terrorized and ruined Aiseki's life!" continued Shakuho angrily. "You tore families apart, and you tried to conquer the worlds!"
"Someone like you is too dangerous to forgive," added Ichigo Kurosaki. "You cannot be permitted to live." Ryojin fell silent at these words, and silence likewise permeated the entire scene for several moments before Ryojin drew a breath and spoke, his voice low and submissive.
"I agree."
My life has been a lie. Centuries pass, and deeper entrenched in darkness have I become…
The young, handsome, blonde-haired boy sat upon the cobbled stone wall, kicking his legs up and down and letting the heels smack against the stonework. With a heavy sigh the young boy of no more than six looked up into Jizengensei's beautiful blue sky, but despite the grandeur all around he was sorrowful. He had been scolded by his mother for something that his father had done, and inside he felt angry and sad among a plethora of feelings.
"Stupid father…" grumbled little Lucian. "Stupid stupid father…"
"Now, that isn't something I'm used to hearing in Jizengensei," interrupted an older man's voice from the street behind. Lucian turned around to see a man dressed in the white garments of a Commodore approaching, his smooth dark hair long and free, a kind, gentle smile and warmth in his blue eyes.
"Who are you?" asked Lucian unabashedly to the stranger. "You look like a Commodore…"
"Very wise, young man," replied the man happily. "I am Commodore Ryojin Valhalla. What is your name?"
"Lucian Francis," replied the boy. "I'm just a kid."
"Well, Master Lucian, what has brought such anguish in your heart?" asked Ryojin, the sincerity of his voice so strong that Lucian immediately felt at ease.
"My father…" replied Lucian, turning back around and pouting. "He broke mother's favorite vase, and he blamed me for it."
"Ah, you mean your father Adam, correct?" asked Ryojin, to which Lucian turned and nodded. "He's a little old to be blaming you for anything; he's an Officer of the Holy Commissions!"
"Well, yeah…" began Lucian, looking back down to the ground. "I guess I kinda was the one who knocked it over, but he was the one who ran into me…well, maybe he didn't run into me, but he almost did…" With these words Ryojin smiled again and sat down upon the stone wall next to Lucian.
"There is a teachable moment here, young Lucian," he began with an air of respect and authority, yet warmth and kindness. "You were so caught up with your emotions that you began lying to yourself, and that is the worst kind of lying of all. When you can't even trust yourself, who is there left that you can trust?"
"I don't know, maybe my dad?" Ryojin let out a hearty laugh at these words and patted Lucian on the shoulder.
"Young Lucian," he began after finishing. "You are pure in heart and mind, and I foresee you will be a Holy of legend."
"But I'm not even a Saint!" retorted the little boy. "Adrian wass better than me at everything!"
"Perhaps," replied Ryojin. "But your heart is far purer, and that is something rare to find in a soul these days. In fact, I'm so confident in you, just from this little encounter, that I want to take you on as an apprentice." Lucian turned his head immediately towards Ryojin, his eyes alight with excitement and disbelief.
"R-Really?" gasped the young boy. "Oh man, wait till mom hears!" At once Lucian leapt off from the wall and began running towards the little cottage, but before he could get too far Ryojin called out to him again.
"Remember, young Lucian," said Ryojin kindly. "No matter how many struggles are cast upon you, no matter what the hardship, as long as you are honest in all your dealings and with all your heart, you will be victorious over all." Lucian giggled with excitement and continued running to the house, Ryojin completely sure that the boy hadn't heard a word he had said.
But of course, he had heard it, and he exemplified during his life with me his undying devotion to the truth. If only I had been so stalwart, so strong…
I let my emotions destroy my world. I let the loss of Ashley and Mark drive my own destruction. I let the choices of others ruin my soul, when all along I should have been rooted in the truth. Now, however, I have fallen; those who followed me are dead and passed on, likely to face Hell without ever tasting mortality. I have become a monster, a demon, and I truly deserve this. I deserve Hell.
"Huh?" asked Ichigo, taken aback by Ryojin's declaration.
"I am an enemy to God, and therefore and enemy to all," continued Ryojin. "I have betrayed those who love me, and have caused nothing but pain, anguish and loss. But I do not have the ability to take my own life without killing you all, not now with my hands destroyed. I do not wish for any more destruction…Ichigo, Mark, please take my life for me."
"Very well…" declared Aiseki, and without hesitation he removed his sheathed katana from his sash, placing his hand firmly upon the handle while holding the sheath in his other. "Drown out his sorrow, Awaregeken."
Just as with his battle with Me'epo and Sharresh, the blade came out of the sealed sheath, and the sheath itself transformed into a long staff, the top of which featured a carved wolf's head.
"So that is your zanpakuto…" mused Ryojin with a small and short-lived smile. "You were taken from me before I was able to see it completed…it is beautiful." Ichigo Kurosaki then stepped next to Aiseki and pulled his own zanpakuto Zangetsu from his back, and the pieces were set in motion for Ryojin's execution. Together Ichigo and Aiseki stepped forward, Ichigo halting in front of Ryojin, who now was struggling to get to his knees with a badly damaged arm and broken hand. Aiseki, on the other hand, took a stance behind Ryojin, from where he would cut off the villain's head.
"Viajante…" said Aiseki softly. "I wish you had never come into my life…"
"I hope you don't really mean that," replied Ryojin equally soft. "Though the situation was wrong, seeing you again has given my heart so much peace…"
"It's the end, Viajante!" declared Ichigo resolutely. "We'll make this quick; you don't deserve to suffer, so I will stab my sword through your heart, and Aiseki will cut off your head all at once!"
"Death…" pondered Ryojin under his breath. "So long have I waited…"
"Goodbye, father," said Aiseki behind him, and without a moment of delay or hesitation Ichigo stabbed forward to Ryojin's heart, and Aiseki slashed his sword towards Ryojin's neck.
Even with Hell awaiting me, I'm happy to finally move on…
Ryojin awaited the brief sting and gentle fade, but none came. Instead, all that could be sensed was a sound, a sound of distress, confusion, and murmuring from the group of Holies, humans, and Shinigami. After a hesitant moment of waiting, Ryojin opened one eye first, then the other – only to see someone standing between him and Ichigo. The stranger's arms were extended outward, one holding the blade of Zangetsu, the other blocking and holding Awaregeken.
"W…what is the meaning of this?" asked Aiseki to the stranger, seemingly cast in shadows despite it being a clear day. "Who are you?" The stranger then spoke, his voice so powerful and majestic that Aiseki's spirit felt it would leap out of his body with excitement.
"That's enough, Aiseki, Ichigo. You've done well; I'm so very proud of you all."
Next is the final chapter! Title to be released only then! Watch for it!
BONUS!
Yeah, I'm not a big fan of spoilers, so you'll just have to wait. In the meantime I have a 11-day examination for my PhD project that is going to eat up all of my time. Expect the final chapter within two-three weeks. It will be a big one complete with an Epilogue too, so consider it a double-episode ^_^
Kankokage loves you all!