Chapter 3: Connecting

Byakuya knelt quietly beneath the spread branches of a slender sakura tree, his hair and clothes dotted with fallen petals, and his distant eyes looking out over the cliff in front of him, past the roaring waterfall, where it fell into the large, rippling lake below him, to the bright field of stars that stretched out over the open meadow beyond the lake. He let his overtaxed mind slip back into the past, to one of many evenings spent as a young boy, kneeling beside his father and looking into the same patch of nighttime sky.

"Please let me see it again, father."

Soujun smiled down at him, and one hand strayed to the sheathed blade that rested on his other side. He drew the weapon and extended his sword arm, pointing the tip in the direction of the North Star.

"Blazing Starscape, Hoshibotsuraku!"

The stars above the two seemed to flare as one. Byakuya was on his feet in a moment and flash stepping over the edge of the cliff, sailing over the lake and landing lightly in the open meadow. The stars above him blazed brightly and went into a lovely spin, then one by one they began to fall towards him. Byakuya gave a sweet gasp of delight as a thousand stars fell from the sky, raining down harmlessly, splashing into the lake and lighting it, making the long grasses flutter and leaving the noble boy's body tingling wherever they touched him. Byakuya fell to his knees. He reached out a small hand and captured a tiny piece of one fallen star, watching as it sparkled brightly then slowly faded. A hand touched his shoulder and he smiled up at Soujun.

"You enjoyed that, ne? But Segare, it is time for bed. Come."

He launched himself into his father's arms and rested his head on Soujun's warm shoulder, his eyes still on the stars as his father carried him back to the manor.

"Your eyes look lovely, Byakuya," said Aizen's smooth voice, "What are you thinking about?"

The noble's eyes narrowed and the warmth that had been flooding his body disappeared suddenly. He pulled his cloak closer around his body as Aizen stood beside him, looking out over the moonlit lake.

"No answer? That is typical, I suppose. And why are you up here so late? Do you enjoy the stars that much? Or is it that you are desperate to avoid me?"

The noble's icy silence sent a shiver through the brown-eyed taicho. He sighed softly and sat down next to his spouse. Byakuya held himself perfectly still, loathe to give his husband the satisfaction of making him react.

"Is this how it is going to be, then?" Aizen asked, looking at him out of the corner of an eye, "I must admit, I was hoping that when you agreed to this, you might actually act the part of a spouse."

Byakuya let out a disgusted breath.

"This marriage is a lie…just something you concocted to…"

"To what?" Aizen asked, "Have you given this much thought? Has it occurred to you to ask why I did this? Why I requested you? Of course you have. You even asked me. But you still don't know. Are you very curious? Would you like me to tell you?"

"You told me. You said that that you were tired of being alone…that you wanted someone attractive, strong enough to be challenging and complex enough to be interesting."

"I also said that I have always been intrigued by you."

"That I am quiet and solitary," Byakuya finished, "You see, I was listening."

"Yes, but you missed the point. I was actually trying to evoke a question. I thought you might ask, but you did not. Did it ever occur to you to ask why I would take your hand, knowing that you would still have an awareness of the truth and likely reject me? If I was tired of being alone, doesn't it make more sense to choose someone whose prior association with me was more pleasant?"

"Actually," Byakuya said, turning one gray eye to look at him, "It would be just like you to torment me this way."

"To…?"

"Think about it. I was already an isolated person, and you had your fun exploiting my weakness, hurting Rukia, and through her, hurting me. But you didn't count on your machinations working to bring me closer to my sister…to the ones who I let in, and they became my nakama. I was made less isolated. But by forcing me into this farce of a marriage, you caused all of that to change. Now, you are not the one we all strived against. And by marrying me, you have positioned yourself to torment me even more, as I watch my nakama accept you back with open arms, all the time knowing that I alone know the truth."

He caught his breath in surprise as Aizen captured his cheek under a soft palm and kissed him lightly on the lips. Confusion passed through him as his mind warred with a deeper impulse to not only accept the kiss, but to return it.

"You are farther from the truth than you think, my love."

"Stop calling me that! I am not your lover!" Byakuya snapped, pulling away.

"Is that so?" Aizen asked, his eyes locking on Byakuya's and holding them captive, "Then, if you are not my lover, why do you have to fight yourself to resist returning my affections?"

Byakuya turned his head away and let out a harsh breath.

"It's because of the remade truth placed in my mind. Those impulses are not real! They are just my body's response to what it mistakes as truth."

Aizen moved closer and captured his chin, turning Byakuya's widened eyes back to his.

"Is that what you think? That the false images placed there are fooling your senses? And if that is true, then how can you also fight this so capably? Byakuya, isn't it possible that it is not your senses or your mind that is fighting…that perhaps it is your heart?"

He drew Kyoka Suigetsu and held it tip down in front of the noble. Byakuya gasped and tried to flash step away, but was held in place by a firm hand that took hold of his and held it tightly.

"Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu."

Instantly, Byakuya found himself looking at Zaraki Kenpachi. Everything about the man…his body, his scent, his voice and smile…everything read as though it was the eleventh division taicho. He looked down at where Zaraki's hand held his wrist, then stiffened as the other man brought him in for a deep, penetrating kiss. Oddly, as Zaraki's lips made contact, Byakuya felt a sharp, erotic twinge inside, an impulse to deepen the kiss and to touch the other man.

He tore away and flash stepped to the edge of the cliff, glaring as the man in front of him shimmered and became Abarai Renji. And again, everything about him was sensually perfect.

"Stop this! What…? Why are you doing this to me?"

"Easy Taicho," said the illusory Renji, grinning, "You'll see where this is going in a sec."

Byakuya shivered as Renji wrapped his arms around him and fed him a perfect, Renji flavored kiss. And while it made sense to him that he enjoyed the fact of it being Renji, he was shocked at feeling the same heavy twinge of lust inside that he had had when the Zaraki illusion kissed him.

He stepped back and realized belatedly that he was stepping off the cliff. The image in front of him returned to being Aizen as the brown-eyed taicho reached out and stopped him from falling, then gathered him in for another passionate kiss. His knees weakened as another lusty twinge passed through him.

"Let go of me!" Byakuya hissed furiously, "What in kami's name are you trying to do?"

He was surprised to find that his body was shaking softly and he was more than a little aroused. Aizen stepped back and studied him quietly for a moment.

"Kyoka Suigetsu, controls the target's senses. It can cause you to perceive whatever I want it to. It is a frightening ability, very dangerous, but…there are weaknesses. Because, although I can fool your senses quite effectively, your mind and your heart still know it is me. Your mind hates me because of the past that has been remade in everyone's minds except ours. That is why, even when I employed my zanpakuto, because your mind knew what I was doing, it resisted. But Byakuya, what did your heart tell you?"

Byakuya's eyes became tormented and he placed a hand on his breast, shivering in confusion. His lips moved, but he remained speechless.

"Your senses were fooled into perceiving first Zaraki, whom I know you despise, then Abarai Renji, whom I am aware that you had thought to court. Then, I kissed you as myself. Your mind fought all three, but what was your deeper, heartfelt reaction?"

He stared deeply into Byakuya's stunned eyes.

"It was the same all three times, ne? And that confuses you, because you hate me, right? Or do you really?"

"I couldn't help my reaction," Byakuya argued, "My senses were fooled and my body responded!"

"Byakuya, the last time, when I appeared as myself, your senses were not being fooled, and neither was your mind. So…how is it that your heart responded the same way to me all three times?"

"I don't know!" Byakuya said shakily, backing away from Aizen, "Who knows what special abilities or other games…"

"Byakuya," Aizen said, flash stepping to him and taking hold of him again, "Just let yourself react. Let your heart reveal the truth."

"No!" Byakuya cried, breaking free.

He flash stepped as fast as he could, his heart pounding and his lips still burning from Aizen's kisses. He pelted down the forest trail, passed through the back gates and into the gardens, turning towards the one place he knew Aizen would not be able to follow. He burst through the hidden door into the Kuchiki family archive and slammed it shut behind him. He stood inside, shivering uncontrollably and trying to catch his breath.

"Are you all right?"

Byakuya looked up in surprise and found himself looking at King Yoshiaki.

"You look startled," said Yoshiaki, smiling kindly at him, "I'm sure you haven't forgotten that the king and royal family can always enter this archive."

"Y-yes, I know that," Byakuya said softly, "But…my lord…why have you come?"

"I sensed your distress and I felt badly because you are only with that man because of me. I allowed our worlds to fall out of balance and the result was that I had to make concessions to him so that he would act on our behalf. That is why I had to agree to allow him to marry you. The truth is…you were about to be called to the spirit dimension. Kuchiki Byakuya, you were about to be called to take your place in the Royal Guard…and…you were about to become my consort."

"Your…consort?" Byakuya repeated questioningly.

The king moved closer and touched his face lightly, his golden eyes transfixing the noble.

"Yes, you were made to be my consort. Look at you…you possess transcendent beauty, exceptional powers, and you are the strongest in the history of a family that has long served the spirit king. Your place at my side was a matter of fate. But…in the face of watching everything fall apart, I had to give up something that I had long awaited. As much as it grieved me, I had to allow him to claim you instead."

Byakuya frowned in confusion.

"But…my lord, if indeed, I was fated to be your consort, our laws and customs would have allowed you to claim me upon my coming of age. I would not have been named heir at all."

"Exactly," said the king, his eyes affectionate, "Had I claimed you then, you would have been still barely more than a boy. You would have come to the spirit dimension, abandoning everything, devoting yourself from that time to my service. You would not have been challenged the way you have been. You would not have been free to make your own decisions…"

"But I was allowed to marry…"

"A woman you never gave yourself to," said the king, "Everything that happened in your life in those years helped you grow into the lovely, proud and powerful man you are. Given the choice between the young, naïve boy and you, I found the reality of you more attractive."

The king took his hands.

"It is a crime that a man of such quality should become the plaything of a traitor like Aizen Sousuke. But…since there is no undoing this, I think that you will serve me in another way."

"And what way is that?" Byakuya asked.

The king's eyes narrowed.

"Well, despite the fact that he only claimed you to hurt me, Aizen is very attracted to you. His attempts to confuse you are meant to draw you closer, to help him seduce you. You see, although he has the right as your husband to partake of you sexually, he relishes the idea of your full surrender to him. And I admit, the idea of you embracing his affections that way is painful to me. Remember that I had been looking forward to claiming you myself. I had dreamed of us walking in the royal gardens, sitting under the moon upon a blanket of sakura petals, making passionate love under the stars and making the royal heir together…a lovely future that has been lost now. In addition to this, the fact that no one remembers Aizen's transgressions gives him a whole new opportunity to oppose me, to try to overthrow me. But being that you are still, by virtue of your nobility, my sworn servant, as well as being his husband, it offers the opportunity for you to be useful to me in watching and reporting his movements…perhaps in thwarting his attempts to topple me."

Byakuya frowned.

"So…you wish me to finesse him by feigning interest, but then to draw him off guard and to betray his movements to you."

"Exactly," said the king, nodding.

Byakuya lowered his eyes.

"My lord, I…" he began, then he stopped and shook his head, "I am accustomed to taking my enemy down in respectable battle, not 'vamping' him to draw him off guard and then betraying him."

"Of course, of course," said Yoshiaki, slipping an arm around him and moving his face closer, "but you have certainly resorted to shadier tactics…as when you seemed to betray the Gotei 13 to lure Muramasa into helping position you to slay his master, Kouga."

"It is true that I did use Muramasa to find Kuchiki Kouga, but I never claimed to be his ally, and I certainly did not offer myself sexually to him. My lord, I have no qualms about honoring the delineations of my marriage. I did, in fact, agree to marry him. And if he makes any move to position himself for an attack on you, I will certainly honor my duty to stop him. But I cannot agree to lower myself to lies, prostitution and treachery to undo him when, as of yet, he has evinced no intention to do you harm."

"Ah…I see. Yes, well, your reticence to surrender your values makes sense, I suppose. It is, in fact, a rare quality, even among the noble families. Watch him carefully, then. And if you sense that he is up to something, you need only come here and invoke this charm."

Byakuya took the gold sakura blossom shaped charm from the king and studied it for a moment, before setting it on the reading desk in front of the clan leader diaries.

"Actually, I meant for you to wear it," the king said, picking it up and setting it back in his hand.

Byakuya undid the clasp and stood quietly as the king set the artifact in place.

"There now. It will only work while are you here, in the archive. Merely send your reiatsu into the charm, and I will come to you."

"Yes, my lord."

"Now, I have taken enough of your time. I am sure that you came into the archive with a purpose. I will take my leave of you so that you can complete your task."

Yoshiaki began to turn, but he paused and turned back as Byakuya's voice sounded again behind him.

"Your majesty?"

Yoshiaki frowned at the deep confusion reflected in the Kuchiki leader's usually calm grey eyes.

"What is it, Byakuya?" he inquired curiously.

He moved closer, taking the noble's face in his hands and searching his gaze more deeply.

"You look troubled…beyond just that which you have spoken to me."

Byakuya swallowed hard, his heart flickering with what felt like warning.

"There is…something," he admitted cautiously, "My lord, since the rewriting of the history surrounding Aizen Sousuke and his fellow conspirators, I have noticed…well…it is hard to explain."

"It's fine," Yoshiaki said soothingly, dropping his hands to capture Byakuya's supportively, "You know that you can always confide in me. I am your king, Byakuya. You serve me, and in return, I do my best to protect and nurture your development. If there is something bothering you, only speak it to me and I will attempt to clear the confusion you feel."

Byakuya felt a burning on his cheeks as the king's fingers gently stroked his hands where Yoshiaki held them.

"My lord, several times, I have had the feeling that there is…I don't know exactly how to say it, but I have the feeling that there is someone missing."

Yoshiaki's eyes widened very slightly.

"Someone missing, you say?"

"Yes," Byakuya confessed, "I felt it when I walked out into the gardens this morning, and again several times today. It is like there is a sort of space where someone should be."

His head bowed and he missed the flicker of understanding in the king's suddenly clouded eyes. Yoshiaki carefully controlled the response as Byakuya's gaze rose to meet his again.

"I recall the past as it was before it was altered, but I have the sense that more changed than just the fates of the three traitors. But if things were different, wouldn't I know how they had changed? Wouldn't I know if there was someone close to me who suddenly wasn't there?"

"Ah," the king sighed, shaking his head, "the answer to that is complicated. Obviously, to change the fates of the three traitors, some other things had to be shifted, causing your confusion."

Byakuya's breath caught.

"So, there was someone…"

The king gazed more deeply into his eyes, freezing him in place with his power and honing in on the troubling memories. As Byakuya remained helpless in his grasp, he slowly soothed away the connections between the noble and the man he had been so close to recalling. He touched Byakuya's face tenderly to rouse him again, and the noble blinked and looked at him blankly.

"No," he assured the Kuchiki leader in a low, power laden tone, "There was no one."

Byakuya blinked again and nodded sluggishly.

"Th-there was no one," he repeated softly.

Yoshiaki smiled and slid gentle fingers along his cheek, calmly dismissing him.

"I'm sorry, I must return to the throne room, but I will be here if you need me."

"Yes, thank you, your majesty."

Byakuya watched silently as the king left, then he sat down in a chair in front of the desk that held the clan leader diaries. His mind tried to wrap itself around the actions of both Aizen and the king, but the effort only resulted in the deepening of his confusion. He shook his head and reached for his diary, intending to read back through the recent entries. He turned back the fine leather cover, opening to the page of his last entry. His eyes widened and his breath caught as he encountered only empty pages.

"What?" he whispered, paging through the book again with the same result, "What is this?"

He checked the other diaries and found that most seemed unaffected, but when he opened Kuchiki Ginrei's, it was empty as well.

"I don't understand…" he mused, "The book independently records everything as it happens, but…it has somehow been erased. I wonder if this is because of the reality shift when the king remade history on Aizen's behalf…"

He continued to mull over the mystery as he returned the volumes to the set of diaries, and walked back to the archive entrance. He stepped out into the darkness, looking around and sensing that Aizen had retired to their bedroom. He looked briefly in the direction of the sixth division, thinking to return there to avoid sleeping next to his husband. But the king's words came back to him, giving him pause.

"Watch him carefully, then. And if you sense that he is up to something, you need only come here and invoke this charm."

He forced his feet to move and made his way down the walkway, to the bedroom. He walked into the dressing area and slipped out of his clothes, donning a warm sleeping yukata. Then he walked out to the bed, pausing for a moment as Aizen's eyes opened and the brown-eyed shinigami looked up at him questioningly.

"Byakuya?" he said, tilting his head slightly.

The noble remained standing beside the bed, at war with himself about what he was doing. Aizen read the look on his face, then closed his eyes again, dismissing him. Byakuya bit his lip and stepped forward, sliding in under the covers and saying nothing. He turned onto his side, facing away from Aizen and looking out the garden doors.

"I am glad you came back," Aizen said quietly.

"Do not touch me," Byakuya said stiffly.

Aizen let out an amused breath.

"Charming," he said, shaking his head briefly, "Well, it falls short of being romantic, but I imagine it's a beginning…"

XXXXXXXXXX

King Yoshiaki approached the throne room in slow, measured steps, pausing at the entrance as two guards swung the huge double doors open. He crossed the room, walking past a young man who knelt in front of the throne. Taking his place, he looked down at the man and nodded.

"Kuchiki Tetsuya," he said in a warm tone of greeting, "welcome to the royal realm."

The man's head rose and his sapphire eyes gazed up at the smiling monarch.

"Your majesty…" Tetsuya responded softly.

"I expect you have many questions. I will do my best to explain."

"My lord," Tetsuya said, his voice betraying an edge of anxiety, "is this about my appointment to the Kishu? Byakuya-sama and I knew that I would be called to serve, but I was not aware that I would be brought here so suddenly. I was not even able to say goodbye to my cousin…to my adoptive family."

Yoshiaki considered for a moment and nodded, answering in a sincere, apologetic tone.

"I am sorry, Tetsuya. I know that your ascent to the ranks of the Kishu is happening abruptly. Unfortunately, this was necessitated by the rewriting of the history of Soul Society."

"This is because of the alteration of Aizen Sousuke's fate?" Tetsuya inquired.

"Yes," the king affirmed, "You see, more was affected than just the fate of the three traitors. The truth is…before the disaster that could only be thwarted with Aizen's assistance, I was about to call Byakuya to my side…to make him my royal consort."

Tetsuya's eyes widened.

"H-he was to be your consort?"

"Yes. Naturally, when it became necessary to allow Aizen to claim your cousin's hand instead, I had to search for someone…a very specific person to serve as my consort in his stead."

Tetsuya stared at him in stunned silence for a moment before answering.

"Do you mean…me,your majesty?" he asked tentatively, "You know I am a half blood. I am Byakuya-sama's protector and healer, but I am not a ranking member, nor even considered an important member of the family. I am certainly no substitute for my cousin!"

Yoshiaki rose and moved to stand in front of the young man, one hand reaching down to cup his chin, coaxing his blue eyes upward to meet the king's.

"You are more than you know or understand, Kuchiki Tetsuya," he explained solemnly, "You know how rare it is for someone not of pure blood to manifest as a prodigy, meant to join the king's riders. And in addition to that, I know that both you and Byakuya were aware that you were beginning to develop a divine power. You and your cousin believed that this was because of your connection to the Kishu, but…that is not true."

Tetsuya shook his head uncertainly.

"I don't understand…"

The king smiled down at him and reached for the sword that Tetsuya had laid on the floor in front of him.

"May I?" he asked.

"Of course, your majesty."

The king freed the blue steel sword from its sheath and turned it to show him the tear shaped tsuba. Tetsuya frowned, watching raptly as the golden hilt seemed to shimmer, then slowly took on the shape of a cross with four spaces. Each of the spaces held a different shape…a tear, a flame, a cloud and a patch of earth.

"Do you know this weapon, Tetsuya?" the king asked.

"Shi no Tsuriai," the half noble whispered incredulously, "Balance of the four. It is the zanpakuto carried by Kuchiki Hajime, the progenitor of our clan! But…what happened to Rekuhime?"

The king's fingertip stroked the tear shaped marking.

"Your Rekuhime is here," he explained, "The spirit of your zanpakuto has always been related to Hajime's power…because, unbeknownst to your clan and…like Byakuya, you are a direct descendant of Hajime. The divine power growing within you marked you as a special soul, one who may be chosen to serve as, not just a member of the king's Kishu, but…as a royal consort. Kuchiki Tetsuya, I have called you to the royal realm because I wish to marry you."