Chapter 2: The Purification

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Do what you will. I long to make amends for my transgressions. I understand now that I have fallen, and I seek your forgiveness and a way to set things right. Careful lines were drawn around me long ago, and I did agree to remain within them. I stepped outside, but for a moment, and it will haunt me forever…

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"Byakuya…my grandson, my pride, tell me what possessed you to do something like this," Ginrei said in a low voice that hung between sorrow and anger, "Haven't I cared for you since your parents died? Provided everything you needed to grow strong? Haven't I taught you well enough the expectations of one such as yourself? And still…the moment you leave my side, the moment my back is turned…"

"Gomen nasai, Grandfather…please, forgive me," Byakuya said, finally breaking the silence he had held all of the way back to Kuchiki Manor.

Ginrei turned and observed him with a cold eye.

"Now you show remorse. Why not before?" he asked quietly.

"I never meant to hurt you. It is just that…that…"

He paused, shocked at the feel of tears burning in his eyes.

"I thought that…he said that…it was a kind of freedom. I know it was wrong, but I wanted, just for a moment, to be free of all of this, to do something not laid out ahead of me, to be someone else."

He stood, pale faced and shaking, dressed only in the thin yukata, his eyes widening as his grandfather stepped closer and took hold of the front of his clothes, tightening his fingers until the light fabric tore.

"Why would you ever want to be like the rest of them? Everything is set before you, Byakuya…power, privilege, a great name. Would you rather be like the ones from the Rukongai? Nameless? Looked down on? Having to struggle twice as hard for half the recognition? You have been blessed, but you will not see it. It's right in front of you, but you are blind."

"I can see that I've hurt you and I am sorry," he said, forcing down the ache inside, "I swear to you, I won't disappoint you like that again. I'll…I'll do whatever you say, Grandfather, whatever I can to make things right between us again!"

Ginrei's brow furrowed deeply.

"Do you hear yourself?" he asked sternly, "You do not consider how you have shamed our house or how your disobedience has darkened your pure soul, Byakuya. You only make an emotional plea…and you barely manage to conceal the emotion that this wicked act has spawned."

"My apologies," Byakuya said, dropping onto his knees and bowing at his grandfather's feet, "I am sorry for dishonoring our family and you may punish me as you see fit. I will accept it with a penitent heart."

"You must first be purified of this filthy sin, Byakuya," Ginrei said looking down at the youth's bowed head, "Only then can we see to your punishment."

He thought for a moment.

"We will handle this privately," he said finally, "I shall deal with you myself. You must never reveal to another living soul what happened in that room. It is to be forgotten and certainly never repeated. And you are never to speak to Aizen Sousuke again."

"As you wish, Grandfather," Byakuya said, holding his body still and bowing at his grandfather's feet.

Ginrei took his hand and brought the youth to his feet, then led him out of the manor and through the gardens. They passed out of the back gate and walked slowly down a moonlit forest trail. They followed the trail far past the blue waterfall, down the cliff and across the meadow. They entered a darker section of forest and followed the winding trail up another set of cliffs to an isolated building that Byakuya had never seen.

"Grandfather," he whispered as they passed through the large double doors, "what is this place?"

He couldn't help but shiver as he looked around and noticed the emptiness of the place, the lack of guards or other shinigamis, for that matter. It was dark and cold and frighteningly quiet. Ginrei lit a torch and handed it to him.

"Follow me," he said in an icily calm voice.

As they passed into the building, Ginrei's voice rose up softly, echoing strangely.

"This is Itamigiri, the place of honorable pain…where we, of the house Kuchiki, punish our own. Its name is never spoken aloud outside these walls. Let its existence ease your mind in that you are not the first of our blood to sin in such a way, and that there is a way to purify your fallen soul. Come."

They climbed a long stone stairway, up to the very highest point in the building and passed into a large room at the top of a tower. A chill went through Byakuya at the room's contents…an icy looking pool of water bathed in moonlight, a low table with restraints, a heavy whip and a copy of the family's guidelines for behavior and punishments. Byakuya steeled himself against the fear and followed his grandfather to the blue pool.

"This is the purification pool," Ginrei said in an eerily distant voice, "It will cleanse body, mind and heart of your sin. But be wary. If you enter this pool and do not repent of your sin, then you will die beneath the surface. So, knowing that, do you still wish to enter?"

Byakuya bowed his head.

"Yes, Grandfather, I wish to enter the pool."

Ginrei nodded and removed the yukata he wore, then they bared their feet and stepped into the water together. As Byakuya had expected, the water was freezing, and it numbed his feet almost instantly. Ginrei stood in front of him, reading a prayer of penitence from the family guide, then he placed a hand on Byakuya's forehead and sent a bolt of reiatsu through him. Byakuya's eyes flared and he cried out as he fell backward and sank beneath the surface. Icy water flooded his body, filling him and freezing him in place, with the moonlight washing over the once again placid surface.

He felt Ginrei's eyes on him, but couldn't open his own eyes, nor see beneath his eyelids. His mind disappeared into the chilling depths. He heard awful pealing screams, screams his chest ached to release, but no longer could. He felt chilled through and numb to the core. He hadn't the strength to feel fear or much else. He laid still and felt the moon's cold light fire itself through him from end to end.

Voices slowly began to break through and reach him again. And he knew upon hearing them that they were the voices of his forebears, of Kuchiki clan leaders dead and gone. They gathered around his frozen, silent form and placed their hands on him. He didn't have to feel their touch for it to make him shiver.

"Why have you done this? Why have you dishonored us?" they asked him in accusing voices.

He tried to open his mouth to answer, but could make no sound.

"Why do you turn away from who you are?"

He felt hot tears on his face and could not move to stop them.

"Look into our disappointed eyes and let us enlighten you…rededicate you, mind, body and soul…prepare you for your future."

He felt their hands touch him, their fingers icy with death, their eyes boring down into him, and their power driving in chilling bursts through his blood. He closed his eyes against the brightness and his mouth opened in terrified screams.

He heard sounds of surprise and dismay and opened his eyes. The water had gone black around him and he could no longer see. Whatever had been holding him released him and he burst out of the pool, coughing and choking. He crawled out and collapsed on the floor at Ginrei's feet, exhausted and shaking. He waited for his grandfather to say something, anything, but the clan leader was silent. Byakuya forced his trembling body to move and his eyes to open. What he saw sent fresh ice through his veins.

Ginrei stood over him with his zanpakuto drawn and held ready to strike. He stared at Byakuya wide-eyed, as though horrified by the sight of him.

"What is it?" Byakuya gasped, panting with the effort of speaking, "What have I done wrong?"

Ginrei remained frozen, his zanpakuto poised over his grandson, his expression one of agonized bitterness.

"Grandfather?" Byakuya whispered, "Grandfather…please…say something. Why are you…doing this?"

Ginrei's eyes lowered to lock on his. Slowly, he returned his weapon to its sheath.

"You triggered a seirei-joumae…a spirit lock."

Byakuya stared at him blankly.

"A what?"

"A spirit lock," Ginrei hissed softly, his reiatsu bristling, "Your spirit cannot be purified, because it has become linked to another soul. When you were with him, your heart opened…and the connection was formed."

"I didn't…"

"It isn't something one wills into being," his grandfather explained, "It is something created at the spirit level. We do not know why they form. What we do know is that it forms of its own accord when open hearts are joined."

"But," Byakuya whispered in horror, "he never opened his heart to me. He wanted me for physical reasons, reasons of the flesh, for his pleasure, but not for love…Grandfather…it has to be a mistake!"

"The spirit lock is not a mistake, Byakuya. I do not know what made you dare to open your heart to him, nor how one such as him opened his heart to you, even for a moment, but the spirit lock has formed…and there are only two possibilities from this point. If you are allowed to join…heart, body and mind again…then you will conceive your heir. If not, then you will remain childless and a new heir must be chosen by our council upon your death."

"How can this be true?" Byakuya said, his voice breaking, "I swear I never chose to do this! Grandfather…I…"

Ginrei turned away and started towards the door.

"Don't leave me here!" Byakuya called, surging to his feet and wrapping the yukata around his dripping form, "Grandfather!"

The clan leader flash stepped away.

"Grandfather!" cried Byakuya, running back down the stone stairway, "Grandfather!"

He flash stepped out into the darkness, his body raked with chills and his heart frozen with fear. He ran back down the dark forest trail and flash stepped across the misted meadow. He started up the cliff face, beside the waterfall, grasping wildly and only wanting to move faster. He had nearly reached the top, when a rock he grabbed onto broke free of the cliff. He tried to recover himself, then to flash step, but he missed the landing and started to fall. His mind registered the full moon in the night sky, then pain exploded all around him and he sank into blackness.

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"Byakuya?"

The voice seemed far away and only half familiar.

"Byakuya…" it called again.

The voice sounded worried…sad…

"Byakuya, please wake…"

He moaned softly and opened his eyes. He squinted at the brightness of the white-walled room, recognizing it as the fourth division. He recognized also the worried face that leaned over him, calling his name again.

"G-grandfather?" he whispered, "Why am I here?"

Ginrei gazed down at him sadly.

"You had a terrible fall. You have been unconscious for several days. Do you remember?"

Byakuya put a hand to his head and groaned.

"No," he said softly, "The last thing I remember is being at the reception after my passage ceremony. I don't even remember going home."

Ginrei gazed at him oddly for a moment then nodded.

"You were walking near the waterfall and fell somehow. You landed in the water and nearly drowned. Then, while you laid here in the healing center, you contracted a high fever. But not to worry, all will be well, now. All will be well."

His grandfather's hand squeezed his affectionately.

"I am glad you have awakened. I worried that we had lost you. It is good you have returned."

"Arigato, Grandfather," Byakuya said, closing his eyes again.

Kuchiki Ginrei sat quietly at his grandson's bedside, considering how fate had assisted him. It had, he thought, been extremely fortunate that Byakuya had not died in the fall. And it had been fortunate that he was nearby and heard the youth cry out as he fell. But the greatest stroke of luck was his failure to remember. It had been easy enough to use the kido spell to block out the offending portion. And no one would suspect, because the loss of recent memory was perfectly consistent with his injury. Now, all that needed to be done was to warn off Aizen Sousuke…

He made certain that Byakuya was sleeping, then left his bedside and walked to the fifth division.

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"Come in," said Aizen, looking up as Kuchiki Ginrei entered the room.

The noble glared at him sternly.

"I take it this is about Byakuya," Aizen said quietly, "I heard he was awake and seems to be recovering well from his injury."

"He is," said Ginrei shortly, "And I come to warn you anew that you are not to come near him again."

"Actually," said Aizen, "I was listening the first time you threatened me. Is there some reason that you feel the need to threaten me again?"

Ginrei gazed at him for a moment, then continued.

"I was concerned that a snake such as yourself would try to use Byakuya's injury as a way to get to him again, but let me assure you that even if you were to try, he has no interest in you. He understands that you sought him out because he was beautiful, young and desirable. He has been cautioned about falling for such things again and has accepted proper criticism and punishment for his actions. He will no longer have anything to do with you."

"I see," said Aizen, "and I assure you that I have no further interest in Byakuya either. I realize now just what a mistake it was to allow my passions to get the best of me. But as you said, he is desirable…and I was not immune to that. In any case, I believe we have come to agreement. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to prepare for the taichos meeting."

He looked down at his paperwork, but looked up again as Kuchiki Ginrei flash stepped away.

"Ridiculous nobles," he muttered, his reiatsu flaring.

He leaned over his paperwork, trying to focus, but Byakuya's face kept reappearing in his mind. He couldn't forget the feel of that young, powerful body moving with his…the pleasant scent of sakura and the lovely look of abandon as he was taken. But his eyes narrowed and he flinched softly as he remembered that odd sobbing sound. He heard it again in his mind and remembered how, on the way to the hotel, it had registered that Byakuya seemed a lonely youth. But, if Kuchiki Ginrei's words were true, then Byakuya wanted that solitude…wanted to hold himself apart…above others.

Anger rose up inside him at the thought…

"Damned nobles," he breathed.

But I will make my move against the noble families…the Gotei 13…and the unjust system that supports such nonsense…and when I do, I will make the house Kuchiki pay for insulting me.