Chapter 2: Running from the Memories
Byakuya woke with a start, the screech of a hollow tearing across the night and seizing his heart. He was out of bed in an instant and pulling a cloak around his shoulders. He grabbed Senbonzakura and headed out of the house, unsurprised as Ronin appeared at his side.
"You do as I tell you," Byakuya said quietly, "and you run if I order it."
"I will, Dad," the boy promised.
They ran through the streets in the direction the sound had come from. It rose up from a cluster of hovels near the school. As they reached the clearing where it stood, Byakuya caught his breath sharply. A dead man hung haphazardly from the beast's mouth and it tossed its head and sucked the body in, then chewed loudly and belched.
"Throw a kido spell now!" Byakuya told Ronin.
As the kido ball flew into the hollow's face, Byakuya followed it, not able to flash step, but still wicked fast. He raised Senbonzakura and leaped into the air, turning and slashing downward as he landed on its back, just behind the head. The beast screamed and reared back, trying to shake him off, but Senbonzakura was already sunk up to the hilt in the hollow's body. It screamed again and slowly dissolved as Byakuya relaxed and dropped down onto the ground.
He and Ronin heard a woman sobbing and watched sadly as several other women led her away. They were turning to go as a small sound rose up…a soft, pleading cry. Byakuya's eyes closed for a moment, then he turned. A small boy lay bleeding, too far into the brush to have been noticed. Ronin ran forward and knelt beside him as Byakuya sheathed Senbonzakura and followed.
"It's really bad," the boy said, his eyes tearing, "We need to take him to Michio. Michio is better at healing."
Byakuya nodded silently. He moved forward and gathered the small child into his arms. Looking more closely, his heart skipped with sudden recognition.
"Haru…" he whispered, "Was that…Yasuo…then?"
The boy in his arms nodded and tears ran down his face.
"He was trying to save me…and it…the hollow…"
"Shh…" Byakuya said as he turned in the direction of the town doctor's house, "You rest easy now. Ronin and I will look after you. Do you have anyone else…the woman, perhaps?"
Haru shook his head, his body shivering with cold and pain.
"It was just a friend. He was lonely after mom died…"
"Yes…" whispered Byakuya gently, "He told me. But you always made him happy."
They said no more as they ran across the darkened town to Michio's home and office. Ronin knocked on the door and a few minutes later, it opened.
"Bya!" the woman said, gazing at Byakuya, "What happened?"
"It was a hollow," Byakuya explained, "It grabbed the boy…and…"
"Yasuo?" the woman said, her eyes suddenly afraid.
Byakuya shook his head.
"We were able to rescue Haru, but he needs healing. Is Michio here ?"
"Hai…I'll take the boy," she said, lifting the now unconscious child out of his arms.
"Arigato, Noa," Byakuya said quietly.
He turned back and saw the crestfallen look on Ronin's face. He met the boy's tormented eyes and placed a hand on his shoulders.
"Ronin…"
"I know…" the boy said, wiping the tears from his eyes, "I shouldn't cry…I know…"
"I wasn't going to say that," Byakuya said, surprising the youth, "I was going to say that you handled yourself well…that I'm proud of your fighting skills…and I understand how you feel. Life here isn't easy, but…"
He was interrupted as the door to the healing room opened and Noa stepped back out. Byakuya and Ronin met her eyes questioningly and the old healer's wife closed her eyes and shook her head gently. Byakuya felt Ronin's body tense under the hand that still rested on his shoulder and heard the strangled sob that escaped him. He turned and dropped to one knee, pulling his son close and resting the boy's head on his shoulder. Ronin's young form shook with sobs and his hands clung tightly to Byakuya.
"He was alive, Dad! We were talking to him…I know he was alive! We saved him…Haru…he can't be…he can't be dead?"
He turned and touched the front of Byakuya's yukata, where Haru's blood stained it, then burst into tears again. Byakuya looked up at Noa for a moment, then lifted Ronin into his arms and carried him out the door and slowly through the deserted streets and back to their home. He sat the boy on a chair and cleaned the blood from his skin, then brought him a clean yukata. The boy took it and disappeared into his room. Byakuya sat down at the table, listening as his son cried himself to sleep, the guilt washing over him and leaving him hating himself.
Curse myself that I was ever a part of that family! If it wasn't for them…and the worry they would find us and take Ronin away, I would have chosen somewhere better. I am okay here, but Ronin is being hurt by this place…We have to get out of here. But where can I go where they won't find me?
XXXXXXXXXX
Renji and Shuuhei walked slowly up and down the street.
"Yeah…" Renji said, gazing down at the blood on the ground, "It was a hollow attack. Looks like it happened during the night. The hollow was destroyed…but not before it got someone…"
He walked a few steps further and was surprised to find a scattering of sakura petals near where he sensed the hollow had been destroyed. Then, he felt a tiny brush of familiar reiatsu.
Senbonzakura…not released…but here…
"Shuuhei…I want you to keep an eye on things for a bit. I will be back."
"Sure, Captain."
Renji turned and flash stepped back to where he had seen the man who looked like Byakuya the night before. The sun was up, but there was still a chill in the air. He heard childrens' voices as he passed the little school and started towards the brush where he had found the blood and reiatsu traces. He spent several minutes searching again and found the dried blood, but the reiatsu had faded entirely. As he stood, he heard a flash step and smelled sakura again. But when he looked up, he met the stern gaze of the new Kuchiki clan leader and captain of the sixth division, Tsoyoshi Kuchiki. He looked down his nose at the ninth division captain, and Renji, as always, had the strong desire to wipe the arrogant look off the bastard's face. As bad as he ever thought Byakuya was, this man was worse. He was hated nearly as much as he was feared. He had a reputation for coldness and stark manipulation. He had been the only one to seek the sixth division haori, mostly because his family knew that with Byakuya gone, he was the strongest…and none of the other possible candidates wanted to fight him for it. Had Renji not already been promoted, he might have taken the challenge.
"What do you want, Captain Kuchiki?" Renji asked in a low voice, just short of a growl, "My squad is on assignment here. You are out of bounds."
"A fitting assignment," the noble said, condescendingly, "but I am not here on military business. I came because we picked up a flutter of reiatsu that struck us as odd…seeing as how my cousin has been dead all of these years."
"You sensed Byakuya's reaitsu?" Renji asked.
One of the family thought they did…just for a moment. It's likely nothing. He killed himself a long time ago…but then you would know that. But have you sensed anything, Abarai?"
"No," said Renji, not considering truthfulness for a moment.
He would never willingly give Byakuya away to that son of a bitch…never…
"You must have been hallucinating again…like when you thought you deserved to follow in his footsteps."
"I more than filled them, Abarai," the noble sneered, "I exceeded anything he ever was."
"Yeah," said Renji, placing a hand on Zabimaru, "You're way more of a bastard than Byakuya ever was…"
Reiatsu flared around the noble and his eyes glowed.
"Mind your manners, Rukon Dog…or I'll forget we agreed to spare you because you had the good sense to loose our cousin from your grimy paws. Not that it did any good. You poisoned him, Abarai. You are the reason he killed himself. And even if it turns out he didn't, he would be better off dead now. We're glad he's gone. We don't want him back after you having soiled him so!"
"Get out of here…" Renji said warningly.
"If you see my cousin, tell him to stay dead."
There was the hiss of a flash step and Tsuyoshi was gone.
"Nasty son of a bitch!" hissed Renji, "I ought to kill you…"
He sighed resignedly and looked down at the dried blood again. Shaking his head, he turned back in the direction of his vice captain.
XXXXXXXXXX
Byakuya sat quietly at his desk, looking through a stack of artwork and trying not to think about the empty desk in the center of the room. He saw out of the corner of his eye that Ronin was still looking at it dazedly…as though expecting that at any moment, Yasuo would come through the classroom door, apologizing and saying Haru had merely overslept. A weariness descended on him.
Perhaps it is time to move on. I have enough saved that we can leave. I know Ronin will be glad to get away from here. Besides…the memories of Renji…of Hisana…they float around here like ghosts, always.
"Master Bya?" said a soft, feminine voice.
"Yes, Kiko," he said, meeting the shy girl's brown eyes.
"I miss Haru…"
Byakuya nodded and gave her a sad smile.
"I miss him as well," he acknowledged.
"Are the hollows going to eat us too?" she asked.
"No…" said Ronin, lifting his head and reaching over to take the younger child's hand, "Because we're going to stay together. We're going to take care of each other. Some of us might die. But we will do our best to protect each other…"
Byakuya felt a shock of pride cut through him.
Here I was, agonizing about how hard his life has been, planning to run…and Ronin…Ronin has grown up immeasurably in a day. My child…my little boy…I'm so proud…He's so much like Renji. Not at all like me…How did he get to be so strong living with someone weak like me? How did he learn to be brave? To stand up for others? To care for those around him? Ronin…
"Ronin is right," Byakuya said, nodding, "We will all look out for each other."
Kiko smiled at Ronin and, for just a moment, Byakuya saw a flash memory of Renji and Rukia laughing and making jokes together.
"Don't worry," Ronin announced proudly, "My dad can kill hollows with his big sword! He will keep us safe."
"We will all work together to stay safe," said Byakuya, "using whatever we have to do so."
When the school day was over and the last child left, Byakuya decided to forego his usual ritual of correcting papers and planning. He had already planned out the week and he could stay late the next day if needed. Instead, he left with Ronin and returned home early.
"Why are you coming home early?" the boy asked as they walked together.
"Well…I thought you might like to go fishing."
A slow smile spread across Ronin's face and he nodded eagerly.
"Oh boy! Fish for dinner!"
"Only if we catch some," Byakuya said, smiling and tousling his hair.
"We will! You're really good at fishing, Dad. You always catch one!"
Most of the time…"
"Where'd you learn to fish so well anyway?" the boy asked.
"My father," Byakuya said softly, "In addition to being exceptional at growing things, he was very good at fishing."
"Huh…he was good at a lot of things…"
"Yes," Byakuya went on, "Shunpo races, art and music…so many things…"
So what if he never became a captain…
I loved him just as much as just a person…
"I wish I could have met him. How did he die?"
"He died in a hollow attack…defending his friends…"
Ronin was quiet for several minutes. He moved closer to Byakuya and slipped a hand into his. The corners of Byakuya's lips curved upward and he gently squeezed the hand that held his. They turned the corner and approached their cottage, then came to a sudden stop.
The quiet glen was filled with smoke and billowing ash. Fire roared out of control inside the cottage and two hollows pored over the stores of food they had stolen. Fury rose inside Byakuya. It was rage as he hadn't felt for years, so fiery and out of control that he was moving before he realized what he was doing. He raced past the hollows and into the burning house, then burst out again with his zanpakutou in his hands. Ronin's kido spell flashed and he followed it, slashing at the hollows as they screeched and struck wildly at him. He landed behind them and launched himself at them a second time, as Ronin closed in and fired another kido spell.
"You and that rat of yours are going to die!" hissed one hollow, turning towards Ronin.
"Ronin, get clear!" Byakuya cried.
The boy managed a flash step, then stumbled and the hollow came down on top of him.
"How about some nice fresh Rukon dog meat…" snarled the hollow.
Byakuya tore away from the hollow he was engaging and slashed at the one on top of Ronin as the boy's kido spell exploded in the creature's face. Byakuya had one moment of relief, then something sharp pierced his back and a hollow's claw wrapped around his throat. He could see Ronin was unconscious, but breathing and consoled himself with that as the hollow tightened his claw.
"Now…you can watch me eat your boy and then I'll eat you…" the hollow growled.
It pulled the sharpened pike from Byakuya's body and threw him down next to Ronin. Blood leaked from the wound and breathing seared his chest inside. He moved so that his body covered his son's and raised his sword.
"Still think you can fight…"
"Howl, Zabimaru!"
The familiar jagged blade tore through the attacking hollow and it exploded into nothing. Byakuya's chest heaved and the zanpakutou fell from his hand. He curled his body around Ronin's and everything went black and silent.
"Byakuya…" gasped Renji, leaning over the two.
He checked the boy and found that although he was unconscious, he wasn't badly injured. Byakuya was still breathing, but the breaths were shallow and blood leaked from a wound through his back and chest, and out of his mouth.
"Shuuhei!" Renji yelled, "Take the boy and follow me."
He lifted Byakuya into his arms and flash stepped towards the town doctor's house.