Chapter 2: Red Sand

Byakuya slipped a pack over his shoulder and summoned a hell butterfly, pausing to consider his words carefully before speaking to it.

"Yamamoto Soutaichou, after giving much consideration to your wise words following our return from Hueco Mundo after Sousuke Aizen's capture, I have returned to Las Noches to retrieve my haori. As per order your order not to enter Hueco Mundo without proper escort, I am accompanied by my vice captain. Squad Six has been fully briefed and will continue home duty until our return.

He watched the butterfly float away, then opened a family senkaimon and entered the precipice world. As he passed through the oddly quiet passageway, his mind replayed what he had witnessed as Ichigo's powers had faded.

I sensed that all was not well with Renji. It's not as though he has ever excelled at concealing his emotions. He tried, for Rukia's sake, but there is something deeper affecting him. He really hasn't been the same since we returned from Hueco Mundo. Of course, all of us were affected by what happened in that place. I think no one was left unscathed.

A light flash step sounded in the corridor just behind him and he felt the familiar presence of his younger cousin, who acted as his bodyguard and healer.

"Byakuya-sama," the young man said quietly, "I noticed a tension in your reiatsu. Are you all right, cousin?"

Byakuya sighed softly in resignation, continuing along the dark pathway with his cousin beside him.

"I am all right, Tetsuya," he explained, "but it seems that Renji has become distressed over Kurosaki Ichigo's loss of powers. Renji is…very protective of the people he cares about and I do not wish to see him suffer."

Tetsuya smiled sadly.

"You are also protective of the ones you care about," he observed, "Is there anything I can do?"

"Hmm," Byakuya sighed wearily, "Just stay close."

"Of course," Byakuya-sama," Tetsuya answered, using his shikai to fade from sight, but remaining close to Byakuya as they reached the living world.

They flash stepped down into the park near Urahara Kisuke's shop, then slowed and walked the rest of the way, enjoying the last of the sun's warmth that they would see for quite some time. But despite how enchanting Byakuya found the moon and stars to be, he didn't relish spending time in that dark world. Too much time in that place wore on the soul…and with Renji already out of sorts and acting out, it made an already less than pleasing situation even more distasteful.

"Good afternoon, Kuchiki taichou," said Kisuke as Byakuya entered the shop, "I have everything prepared as per your hell butterfly…although the last part threw me for a bit of a loop. You know, if Soutaichou…"

"Arigato, Urahara-san," Byakuya said shortly, as Kisuke handed him several items, which Byakuya stored in his pack.

Byakuya zipped the pack shut, then looked up at Kisuke.

"Where is he?"

Kisuke nodded to the kitchen doorway, where a tall, cloaked figure stood waiting.

"He's a real masterpiece," said Kisuke, "but I have to tell you that the technology isn't perfect, so be a little cautious."

"I remember," Byakuya said dryly.

He and the cloaked man turned and followed Kisuke down into the training room. They waited quietly as the shopkeeper prepared the garganta for their passage.

"Tetsuya," Byakuya said, pausing as his cousin's body began to become visible again beside him.

Kisuke blinked in surprise, first at the appearance of the second shinigami his sharp senses had missed and second at the younger man's comeliness.

Who is that?

"Byakuya-sama?" the other man inquired.

"I am going to require some time to assess Renji's situation. I want you to wait here until I call for you."

"B-but, cousin," Tetsuya objected, "you are going to…"

"I will be fine," Byakuya assured him, "but I do want you in position to come when I call for you."

"I insist that you at least allow Arashi to shadow you."

"Very well," Byakuya agreed, "I will inform you when you are needed."

Kisuke felt a little flicker of sympathy at the flash of worry he saw in Tetsuya's pretty blue eyes.

"Hai, Byakuya-sama," the younger Kuchiki responded, bowing his head respectfully, or perhaps, Kisuke thought, to hide the leaking emotion, "I will wait here."

"You sure about this?" Kisuke asked, glancing at Byakuya as he prepared the garganta, "Maybe Tetsuya, here, is right about this. I mean, ever since Aizen's fall, the place has been in chaos. You'll probably have to fight your way in and out…so conserve a little energy, if you know what I mean."

"That is why he is coming along," the noble said tightening his lips in annoyance, "However, I do not think that my fukutaichou thought ahead. He will have been fighting for some time."

"Not so much of an issue in the area he came down in," said Kisuke, "but if he moves in the direction of Las Noches, there are still Arrancars that are strong enough and smart enough to trouble him. Then there are the…"

"I am aware of the dangers, Urahara-san," Byakuya said quietly.

"Okay, then. Almost ready," Kisuke said as power flared around his hands and the doorway began to open, "Hey, uh, I was kinda curious. How did you get permission to go back? I know the old man sent Zaraki back as punishment, but otherwise, access has been pretty restricted. You didn't tell them that Renji went there alone, ne?"

"Of course not," Byakuya said in a low voice, "If he had survived, he would have been immediately court-martialed and thrown into the Maggot's Nest. And you know we would never have seen him again. I don't think that Soutaichou appreciates the nuances of my fukutaichou's behavior. I cannot say I stand in full appreciation, but…"

"He has heart," Kisuke said, smiling, "and some balls, to go off on his own like that in Hueco Mundo, the way it is now. He's gotten a lot stronger."

"He has," Byakuya agreed solemnly, "However, I do not believe that his reasons for going had anything to do with either proving himself or making himself stronger. He was concealing his emotions to assist Rukia in coping and neglected himself in the process. Apparently, unlike my sister, he lacked someone to be there to listen and provide comfort."

Kisuke smirked.

"Is that why you're covering for him, Kuchiki-san? You have a soft spot for him? You're going to comfort him while he knocks the stuffing out of a thousand hollows to prove to himself he's not the fuck up he thinks he is?"

"I am not one that functions well as 'a shoulder to cry on,'" Byakuya said, frowning.

"No," said Kisuke, looking amused, "Judging by the stuff you're taking, you're either going to punish him severely for running off, or you're going to forcefully knock some sense back into him."

"Or perhaps both," said Byakuya, his lips curving upward slightly as he set the hood of his own cloak in place and entered the garganta with the other man on his heels.

They left Kisuke and a worried looking Tetsuya behind and raced through the underground cavern, flash stepping along a crystalline path of Byakuya's reiatsu. As they ran, he glanced back at his companion.

"You understand what is expected of you?" he asked quietly.

The other man nodded and continued to follow as they crossed over into the dark desert and dropped down onto the cold sands. A soft chill went through the noble as he immediately heard the sounds of hollows in the area. The ability level wasn't high, but there were enough of them that they were not likely to be warned off by his reiatsu. He had just a moment to sense Renji's direction and to confirm to himself that the redhead was alive and fighting, then the first wave of hollows closed in and he and his companion took fighting stances and sent heavy kido blasts into the approaching mob.

Renji seems to have come in here with his reiatsu flaring like a beacon, thought the noble as the first wave fell and another rose up and attacked, I wasn't trying to conceal myself, but I wasn't advertising my entry either, and yet so many have attacked. I am surprised that he…

His thoughts were interrupted by a throng of giant, winged hollows that swept over them, reaching down with sharp talons to grab at them. Byakuya and his companion flash stepped out of range, Byakuya taking higher ground and focusing on the flighted hollows while the other man drew his blade and attacked the hollows on the desert floor. Near them, a shadowy equine form appeared, but remained at a slight distance, blasting the attackers with heavy volleys of ice shards. Their ears rang with the screeches of attacking and dying hollows, and after several waves of attacks, the two men switched positions, allowing the other to rest his arms and provide kido support as Byakuya drew his weapon and fought hand to hand. A handful of hollows fell with each swing, but the number never seemed to decrease, and finally, Byakuya loosed his shikai and swept the entire area with petal blades. His companion finished off the survivors with carefully placed kido attacks, then flash stepped down to land lightly next to the noble. He made a sound of surprise as he spotted a splash of blood on Byakuya's side.

"You are injured," he said quietly, "You should allow me to heal…"

"Let's go," Byakuya said, flash stepping forward.

He didn't trust how quiet the area had become in the wake of their victory.

The stronger ones were holding back, watching as we fought and looking for liabilities. They will follow and look for a clear opening.

Not that we'll give them one…

XXXXXXXXXX

Back at Urahara's shop in Karakura Town, the shopkeeper turned his attention to the young man who had arrived with Byakuya, just as Tetsuya began to fade back into near invisibility.

"Ah, hey there," the shopkeeper called out, "Just a second."

Tetsuya paused, letting the color return to his body and watching the older man silently as Kisuke chuckled and his eyes twinkled.

"I can see you're kinda worried about Byakuya-bo. Why don't you come with me? I've got some equipment in my lab that will let us keep tabs on him, and that way, if he needs you, I can send you to him right away."

"W-well, I do have constant contact with my stallion, Arashi," Tetsuya said uncertainly, "but it would be good to observe directly."

"Right," Kisuke agreed, "Come with me. I'll have Tessai prepare something for us to eat while we watch, okay?"

"Oh, you don't have to…" Tetsuya said, flushing around the cheeks and throat at the intensity of the shopkeeper's smiling gaze.

"It's a date, then," Kisuke said, smirking.

"But…" Tetsuya stammered, blinking in confusion.

"It's right this way," Kisuke said, taking the younger man's arm and guiding him as Tetsuya followed haplessly.

"Urahara-san…I…"

"You want some sake?"

"I couldn't possibly," Tetsuya objected, "I don't drink, and besides…"

"Okay, I'll eat and drink and you can just eat."

"Well, I suppose I should make sure that my reiatsu remains stable."

"Exactly," the shopkeeper agreed, leading Tetsuya to a monitor, then stepping away for a moment to talk with the taller man that had followed them into the lab.

The younger man shook his head, studying the screen, but slightly distracted as Kisuke sat down beside him.

I've always been intrigued by Byakuya-sama's stories about Urahara Kisuke, the genius taichou and scientist banished by Central 46. What an odd person he is…but also he is fascinating.

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji loosed a hail of red fire blasts, rolling to his feet instantly as he was brought down by his own exploding kido.

"Damn it!" he yelled, releasing another heavy kido blast, "Damn it! Damn it! DAMN IT!"

He swung his blade and Zabimaru's segmented length extended, slashing hollows both coming and going before returning to its ready position. He flash stepped into a large group of hollows, slipping seamlessly out of shikai and moving into a dance of brutally fast steps, swinging his sword and killing several hollows with every move. He felt blood running freely on his skin and ignored it, his mind locked in battle as his hair tore free of the hair tie he wore and began to flutter wildly in the sharp, cold wind.

He felt himself going out of control, but was so tired of holding back, he loosed everything in a blinding explosion of fire, sword slashes and howling cries. If he had been in his right mind, he would have been afraid when his mind disappeared into the pain…the pain of being lesser, the pain of being disrespected, held back, pushed down and stepped on.

"TAKE THAT, YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!" he screamed, releasing a huge kido blast that exploded too early and left scorch marks on his skin, "YOU SMALL FRY AREN'T WORTH MY GODDAMNED TIME! GET OUTTA THE WAY!"

His bankai erupted from his blade without him even thinking to release it, and the skeletal snake rose up, flying forward, then turning in a huge, sweeping circle and vaporizing hundreds of the hollows that had surrounded him. He screamed unintelligibly now, loosing heavy blasts of kido and raking the hollows with the skeletal snake's fiery release. So heavy were the flames around him that he felt his clothes singeing and melting on his tormented flesh. But he was beyond reining his own power in. Red reiatsu boiled out of him, flashing fitfully and beginning to consume him.

He could see several Arrancars standing in the distance, wearing curious looks as they watched him come apart at the seams. He launched himself at them, leading with the skeletal snake and following with his strained body and slashing sword. He left two of them in bloody pools, then started taking hits. And between their slashing claws and the blazing of his own destructive power, he felt his body begin to buckle under the pressure and his reiatsu destabilized. The remaining Arrancars read his imminent demise and used their sonido to move out of range.

Renji screamed in pain now as the reiatsu raged inside him, a volcanic rapture that threatened to break him apart. Redness erupted all around him now, circling him and closing him off from everything. He breathed the fire in, unable anymore to see or hear, to do anything to protect himself. But it didn't matter. He was dying, and he knew it. And as his life force boiled and began to seep out of him, his mind was assaulted with all of the barbs that had touched him over the years.

"This is Abarai Renji we're talking about! Abarai, the big bad 'gonna be a badass someday, but right now usually ends up on his ass, Renji!'" hissed Rukia's voice.

xxx

"Not like you could ever be anywhere near as strong as he…" she went on, relentlessly.

xxx

"Moocher!" added Jinta's voice.

xxx

"Useless!" screamed an Inuzuri vendor.

xxx

"Idiot!" Rukia yelled.

xxx

He descended into a living nightmare of epithets and insults, barbs and jabs. He had been able to swallow them one-by-one, day-by-day, but streaming through his mind one after another like that quickly became unbearable. He fell on the ground, his reiatsu exploding around him, burning him as he sank beneath the weight of his own inadequacies, his unattained goals, his shattered dreams, and his broken heart. He could hear himself crying and howling uncontrollably as the fire burned all around him and was inwardly relieved when the pain began to leave him and everything started to fade away.

He opened his eyes and found that he was lying on his back and looking up at the sky. Something was making the Arrancars scatter and flee, but he didn't know what. It might have been his out of control reiatsu, but it seemed that the red light around him had suddenly gone pink. He was sure he must have died and left Hueco Mundo, because the pink swelled around him, encircling him and closing in, lighting everything up and making his body glow.

He felt someone approach and scented sakura on the breeze.

It's him…great.

He'll probably finish me off…after he tells me how worthless I am.

Why the hell couldn't I have died before he showed up?

It figures.

I can't even die right!

Damn!

A dark, cloaked form shattered the reiatsu around him, and Renji sighed in relief as the cold, night air touched his burned skin. A pale hand touched his wrist, sealing his reiatsu away, then reached up and removed the hood that covered the man's face. Renji stared up into the dark gray eyes that gazed down at his blood drenched face and body with unusual concern.

"Are you quite finished, Abarai?" he mused, "You nearly killed yourself, along with all of those hollows."

"Well," Renji panted, tasting blood in his mouth, "At least I killed them."

"Hmmm."

"Don't say it," Renji said in a low, defeated voice, "You're disappointed. I should have known better. I should have thought of the consequences. I fully deserve the court-martial that I'm going to get when we get home."

"Why would you be court-martialed?" asked the noble calmly.

"Wh-what?" asked Renji, squinting up at him, "Taichou, did you miss the part where I took off and entered Hueco Mundo without permission? Abandoned my post? Neglected my duties?"

"I do not recall any such thing," Byakuya said matter-of-factly, "We left the Seireitei on a fully authorized mission. Soutaichou himself said that I should return here and I was required to bring another officer with me."

"Whoa…huh? Soutaichou told you to…? What?" Renji sputtered, trying to sit up, then falling back, gripping his aching head, "Ow!"

"Be quiet, Abarai. We need to try to avoid attracting any further attention."

Healing power flared softly around the noble's hands, and Renji felt another surge of relief as the pain in his head faded. Byakuya dragged him to his feet and held him steady, angling them towards a cluster of rocks. Amidst the rocks, they spotted a cave and slipped inside. Byakuya raised a reiatsu cage to conceal them as they rested, then ordered the redhead down onto his back and leaned over him, his healing power coming to life again.

"You are a mess, Renji," the noble commented, frowning as he continued to heal the redhead, "I think if it had taken five more minutes to reach you, you would have either bled out or your own reiatsu would have consumed you. I feel compelled to ask…Were you trying to kill yourself?"

Renji let out a defeated sigh.

"Honestly…" he said softly, "I don't know what the fuck I was doing, Taichou. I was just…tired..."

"You were tired?" Byakuya repeated questioningly.

"Yeah," the redhead said, closing his eyes, "I'm tired from fighting so hard and never getting anywhere."

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, Taichou," said Renji, an edge of sarcasm in his voice, "You know what I mean. I have busted my ass, trying to get better and stronger…for my friends in Inuzuri, for Rukia, for Orihime. But no matter how hard I tried or what new things I learned…when push came to shove, I wasn't strong enough to save anybody…not even myself."

"But you are still alive and breathing, ne?" Byakuya said quietly.

"So?"

"So…if you alive, and you are able to draw breath, then you have no excuse to give up."

"Huh…" Renji huffed, looking at him through narrowed eyes, "I thought that you were the one who said that I would never touch the moon…that my fangs would never reach you."

"I also said that you would never get me down on one knee. You did that. And you did also reach me with your fangs. Renji, you have merely lost focus because of your emotional nature and the events of the recent past. You need to regain balance."

"And you came here to what? Watch and laugh? Criticize my every move? I'll save you the trouble, Taichou. I'm not worth it."

Byakuya went silent for a moment, his gray eyes glinting like dark firelit coals.

"You once criticized me for lacking interest in the development of my subordinates," he said, meeting the slitted, red-brown eyes, "And as much as it annoyed me at the time, I have since come to see how better adherence to the training of my officers would be a good cautionary strategy."

His lips curved into a soft smirk.

"It would, at least, give me an idea of which officers might attempt to attack me at some point."

Renji couldn't quite hide the unbidden tightening of his lips into an almost smile.

"So…what? You're here to help me train?" he asked with an edge of sarcasm.

"I am on a mission for Soutaichou," said the noble, narrowing his eyes, "but while we are here, we will certainly not neglect our training."

Renji shook his head and sighed.

"Suit yourself," he said in a half-hearted tone, "but I defy you to do any better with what you see here. I've had it all my life and can't do a thing with it!"

Byakuya found himself dangerously close to smiling.

"We shall see, I suppose," he said blithely.

Renji looked up at him with a tired, but quizzical expression.

"Taichou?"

"Hmmm?"

"Um…What's the mission?"

"Hmmm?" said Byakuya, frowning as he continued to work at Renji's healing.

"The mission for Soutaichou?"

"Oh," said the noble, "Soutaichou said that by all rights he should force us to 'return to that hellhole to find what we left behind.'"

"Huh?"

"I came to retrieve my haori."