No one stopped them when Byakko landed in his palace's court yard. His servants hurried to aide them, but Tsuzuki waved them off. Determination and anger warred on the young face and Byakko only nodded at his staff that it was okay. Leading the way, he walked to his bedroom. For him it was his inner sanctum, the safest place. He helped Tsuzuki lay the unresponsive shikigami onto the fresh sheets, pained by the lifeless nature, the acrid smell of blood and pain.
Touda didn't deserve this. He had done nothing wrong. It had been a misunderstanding. But everyone had shunned him and no one had tried to hold him back when he had left. Byakko faulted himself for that, just like he did the others.
But now was not the time for blame. He had a patient, a guest, to attend to, and he had a master to obey.

Tsuzuki undressed Touda with sure, quick moves, the black clothes ending up on the floor of the bedroom. They were useless now, torn and dirty. He didn't care what happened to them. His worry mounted as he saw the deep wound that crossed Touda's muscular chest, a chest he had seen before.
Not just in your dreams, part of him whispered rationally. You freed him from prison and he wasn't wearing a lot.
He smiled dimly at the memory. Yes, so true.
Now he saw a terrible wound, dirty, crusted, and all he could do was stare at it in horror for a few seconds. It was deep, down to the bone of his ribs… running across his chest and abdomen. Such pain… such horrible pain. Not just the blisters and sunburn and the sword wound, but also the loneliness. It was the worst. Loneliness.
"He hasn't healed," he whispered. "You heal!"
Agitated eyes fell on Byakko, who was just as anxious as his master.
"Yes, we do," the tiger replied, voice so small still. "But… he didn't take care of himself. Just look at the clothes, at how thin he is…"
Now he sounded truly horrified.
And Tsuzuki could see the signs of malnourishment, how the shikigami had lost weight. It was so truly human, it frightened him. Shikigami were not supposed to starve themselves to death, to just crawl into a corner of the desert and die from lack of food, water, and blood loss.
"Get Rikugo," he whispered.
"He might not be happy about…" Byakko started, then winced back at the openly hostile look.
"I don't care!" Tsuzuki spat. "Tell him it's an order. Get him here!"
Byakko's tail was close to ending up between his legs, curling around one leg in clear submission. He hurried off without a word.
Tsuzuki felt himself start to tremble with rage at what had happened in the weeks he had not come to GensouKai. How could his shikigami have done that? Even when he had freed Touda from his eternal prison they hadn't treated him like this!
"My fault," he whispered, stroking over the burned, blistered face. "I'm so sorry. So very, very sorry."
Surprisingly steady fingers started to undo the visor and he winced as he saw the bruises on the reddened skin. Touda's eyes were closed; he was still unconscious. Tsuzuki walked into the bathroom and wet down some towels. He proceeded to cool his shikigami a little and when a soft moan escaped Touda, he soothingly ran a hand over the black hair.
Rikugo arrived not much later, looking drawn between complete anger and the need to obey his master. He was carrying his medical supplies and when he saw the serpent on the bed, his features froze, eyes ablaze in something akin to outrage.
Tsuzuki just rose from where he had sat with his injured friend, eyes hard, features set. He stood between the two shikigami, radiating a warning no one could ignore.
"Not a word, Rikugo," he said, voice so even, it was more of a threat than any loud words could have ever been. "Treat him."
Rikugo bowed his head once, then wordlessly set to work. It took some time for the astrologer to clean out the amount of dirt that had collected in the deep wound, and Touda whimpered once or twice, but he never woke. Tsuzuki stayed at his side, holding one limp hand, speaking softly, reassuringly.
Two hours later the dirt had been washed away and stitches that would help the abused flesh heal had been applied. Rikugo looked concerned, blood on his sleeves, staining his hands, and his face was slightly more pale.
When he was finally done, he kept his eyes downcast, clearly submissive just like Byakko.
"His wounds have been cleaned. Should you require help tonight…"
"I'll call for you. Thank you."
Tsuzuki didn't have the strength to deal with Rikugo now. Too much was happening and Touda required all his attention and efforts.
When the astrologer had left, Tsuzuki settled down on the bed again, Byakko's bed, he realized, and stroked over Touda's hair. There was a soft murmur and the fire shikigami curled closer to him, instinctively seeking his presence in his sleep. Tsuzuki smiled tenderly, then looked up.
What he saw made his heart ache. Byakko sat on the couch, legs drawn up, arms and tail wrapped around them, and his large eyes held such misery, it pulled at Tsuzuki's heart. He had treated his friend with as much hostility as he had the others, as they had treated Touda. Byakko was his best friend, his first shikigami, and someone he trusted implicitly. He had always defended him in battles, had followed his calls, had done whatever he had requested, even silly little things.
"Byakko…"
The tiger winced a little and seemed to duck, make himself even smaller. His eyes were downcast, his head bowed.
Submission.
No!
Tsuzuki rose abruptly, but before he was at his friend's side, the shikigami had slid onto the ground, kneeling on one knee, head still bowed.
"No!" Tsuzuki cried, emotions breaking free at the sight. "No, Byakko, don't!"
He fell to his knees and did what came first to his mind. He flung his arms around the slender man in front of him, toppling them over. Byakko fell against the couch, his arms automatically coming around his master, keeping him safe, cushioning him.
"Don't do this, Byakko. Don't!" Tsuzuki begged. "I don't want it!"
He was kneeling in front of the stunned, seated wind shikigami and his hands framed the startled face.
"Don't, Byakko," he repeated. "Never do this again!"
"But… you…"
Tsuzuki shook his head frantically. "No! It's an order! And don't call me master! I hate this!"
"Tsuzuki? But… if you don't… I mean… you had Touda kneel," Byakko stammered. "You left him kneeling…"
Tsuzuki felt his heart miss a beat. That moment had occurred weeks ago…
"You saw?" he whispered, horrified.
A nod.
"I… I was angry, Byakko. So very angry. I told him not to kneel, I actually screamed it at him, but… I just left him there. It was my fault."
Tsuzuki felt tears rise inside him and it hurt.
Byakko's warm touch, his hands on his face and neck, made him long for the peaceful times that seemed to be an unreachable part of his past now.
"No. Don't blame yourself, Tsuzuki. We all made mistakes. But… I don't understand."
Byakko's voice was so soft, so unsure, and Tsuzuki realized the tiger had no clue what had happened, what his role had been, even though it had only been a dream role.
"Why do you hate me?" the shikigami asked with a tremor in his voice.
"I don't hate you!" Tsuzuki blurted and sat back abruptly, horrified.
"But… you avoided me. You didn't let me come close. You looked at me… and it was disgust and shame and… and… you didn't want me any more. What did I do wrong?"
Byakko's eyes were large and round and he looked so very, very young. It broke Tsuzuki's heart. This was one of the four Gods, one of the four elements, a wind shikigami with an incredible power, the Protector of the West, and he was like a child asking why his parents didn't love him any more.
"I don't hate you, Byakko," Tsuzuki whispered. "And you did nothing wrong. Nothing at all."
"Then why…"
He sighed deeply and caressed the white head. "It's a long story." A glance at the bed told him Touda was still sleeping. "And I think you have a right to know it."

Hisoka had been there when Byakko had come back. He had felt Tsuzuki's upset emotions even before he had been able to see the tiger. An abysmal pain was coursing through his partner, threatening to overwhelm him, and when he had finally seen why, Hisoka had only been able to gasp.
Suzaku had been at his side, pale as a sheet, eyes wide in horror, unable to move. Hisoka had had to draw on all his reserves to just remain standing as the bleeding, tortured form of Touda was brought into the palace. Tsuzuki was at his shikigami's side, face unreadable, his aura boiling.
Hisoka whimpered, falling against a wall, clutching his mid-section. It hurt to feel Tsuzuki. It hurt to be close to him, to taste the absolute despair, the anger, the fury, and the hatred.
Tsuzuki didn't hate. Tsuzuki had never hated like that. Not even Muraki.
The hatred wasn't directed at anyone but himself and Hisoka groaned softly. Tsuzuki hated himself for abandoning Touda, for shutting down the link, and guilt was closely behind those black emotions.
Stumbling into the palace, ignoring the upset servants. His breath was coming in short pants and he blinked furiously. He wouldn't give in to the darkness that beckoned him. Tsuzuki would need him and he didn't want to be weak.
There was a wave of pain and desperation and Hisoka whimpered, going down to his knees. He was so incredibly receptive for his partner right now, it was no longer possible to tune him out.
"Asato," he moaned.
Someone caught him, strong hands closing around his slender body. For a second he tensed, expecting a flood of emotions, but nothing came. Blurry eyes could distinguish long, braided hair. Blond. A pair of glasses, gentle eyes…
"Rikugo," he breathed.
"Come," the astrologer said calmly. "I'll get you to a room."
"Tsuzuki…"
"Give him some time."
Hisoka wanted to protest, but he couldn't any more. His world shrank down to a single point, then extinguished.

Byakko felt torn between relief and horror. Red eyes fell on Touda, curled up close to their master, actually cuddling up to him in his slumber. The fire shikigami had meant no harm, but his plan had really backfired badly. And it had pulled Byakko with it into a mess he had had no idea of.
Tsuzuki was still stroking the injured man's hair. Byakko sat cross-legged on the large bed, needing to be near Tsuzuki, craving the closeness, but he knew Touda needed it more right now. The serpent was in a complete free fall, had been ready to die to free Tsuzuki of his existence.
A touch drew his attention back to the tired looking man. Amethyst eyes were filled with warmth and love and understanding -- so much like the Tsuzuki he knew.
A Tsuzuki who had dreamed of having sex with the two of them – instead of with Hisoka. Now he knew why the shinigami had been unable to look him in the eyes, touch him… be close. Byakko wondered if this was what it would be like from now on. No more loving touches, no more cuddling up against the tiger when he materialized in the world of the living… it made him ache badly.
It made him shiver.
"Byakko?" Tsuzuki asked, picking up on his signals of distress.
"I…" How could he voice the question without sending Tsuzuki into a new spiral of the sexual memories? "Do you think… in the future… one day… you can look at me and not… I mean… remember that dream?" he asked, voice so small again.
Tsuzuki gazed at the fidgeting shikigami, then stretched out a hand. Byakko took it and found himself pulled to the other man. Careful of the sleeping Touda, he knelt next to Tsuzuki, then found himself hugged. Not as desperately as before when Tsuzuki had bowled him over in his distress. It was a gentle embrace and he hesitantly wrapped his arms around the slender man.
"You're not the Byakko from my dream," Tsuzuki whispered in his ear. "I know that now. I love you just like I loved you before, Byakko."
Byakko gave a little sob of relief and clung to his old friend, wrapping himself around the slender form, felt the reassuring strokes over his spiky hair.

Tsuzuki held the shaking shikigami in his embrace, felt Byakko's warmth and finally… a purr. It was soft, deep, and so very much reassuring. While he remembered the dream, the purr and what it had done to him, this was completely different. The whole situation, despite sitting on a bed with Touda curled up next to him, completely different. Byakko was like a small child, so young and needy, wanting nothing more than his shinigami's acceptance and love, and Tsuzuki kicked himself for unintentionally hurting the white tiger.
So many misunderstandings. So much pain. A lot had to heal now, had to be set right again, but he would do whatever it took to see to it. He still had to talk to Sohryu and the others, well, mainly Sohryu, but he thought that at least Rikugo would give Touda another chance.