Pillars of Sanctuary, a KougaxMuramasa fic
Disclaimer: Bleach is not mine. Serious Business.
AN:This is the 'nice' side remember, where we explore the relationship itself. I skipped over the last day in Soul Society thing because really, the night before is so busy before a departure nothing really legendary happens anyway. I wanted to get them to HM, and that's where they're headed today. This will cover the 'departure' and arrival in HM.
Warnings: Obviously AU at this point, yaoi, malexmale kissing & embraces. That's as far as we go on the 'mild' side However, there is a mention of a non-con/rape/assault that occurred in the past in the OC scene. It is not described in graphic detail, but it's an important detail so I tried to handle it as seriously as possible without having to rely on those details.
UPDATE: Hat tippin' over to Juno Tartini hardcore for pointing out I goofed on the first scene. I didn't realize that garganta are used by Arrancar and shinigami use senkaimon. That completely makes my first scene ...off.
Update Two: It's been modified. I'm taking a little leeway to assume a private gate would be used instead of a public one. Also, the opening scene is a little bitter my sensitive souls, but I make up for it later with some warmth. (That's what I get for listening to Foo Fighters - Tired of You as I update.) Enjoy!
The final day in Soul Society had come quickly and left with the same speed as it arrived. There were no tearful goodbyes, and there were far too few true words of kindness given to Kouga. He knew part of it was that far too many people saw this as his comeuppance, sufficient payback for Kouga's confidence in his abilities.
No one wants me here. The ones who still remember me fondly behaved like they were watching me go off to die.
True to his word, Kuchiki Ginrei had walked him to the massive field on the outskirts of the mansion. He knew the decision to keep the departure private was not born out of any soft emotions his father-in-law held for him. He was a Kuchiki now, and anything less than a private send off via the exclusive senkaimon was for the common shinigami, not a noblewoman's husband.
It made him feel tired. He wasn't expecting warm hugs and bright smiles, but the man could at least look at him. The man could at least pretend that it wasn't just duty and family pride that made him personally see Kouga off for his Hueco Mundo mission. The more Kouga thought about it, the man could at least say a few kind words that were actually sincere. After all, a Kuchiki man was well-read and educated; such a man could always weave words that seemed sweeter than the finest candy, until you bit down into the center. After the sweetness dissolved from those words, you were always left with a hollow center that should have contained warmth and smoothness but he wasn't holding his breath for that series of emotions from Ginrei.
Be calm, Kouga. This will soon pass.
Kouga felt relieved. They had practiced speaking more to each other this way when Kouga had to be in the real world without Muramasa's spirit standing at his side. Muramasa did not seem to like his father-in-law, and he couldn't say that he blamed the whispering zanpaktou at all. Right now, as he saw the senkaimon opening, he was not very fond of his father-in-law at all.
He turned to accept the traveling pack that the unseated shinigami held out to him, and when he turned back around to face the senkaimon he met Ginrei's cold stare head on.
"Kouga."
Kouga noticed how different his name sounded when it was spat out of Ginrei's mouth like that, compared to the other night when Muramasa had said it like a silent chant, a gateway to a meditative state, a road to an enlightenment from the perspective of the whisperer.
He forced himself to answer. "Ginrei-dono."
Ginrei expressed no emotion in either direction towards Kouga's response. "It is time. You will not be able to return to Soul Society until ten years from now. That is when you will turn in your full report and wait for further consideration about your role here."
He nodded. "How will I know when I am allowed to return?"
"We will pick a landmark within Hueco Mundo that is easily viewable from any distance and send out a flare. Also..." The older man paused, reaching in his pocket for a glass ball with a counter in it.
"A gift from my daughter, though I do not know why it was made for you. This will turn completely cloudy when your ten years are finished. It's fed by reiatsu, so it won't go anywhere once it's held by you."
The words had all the warmth and softness of winter snow and sandpaper tangled together. Kouga expected nothing different from his father-in-law. He said meaningless words of gratitude and accepted the gift, feeling it turn warm as he touched it.
"Goodbye, Ginrei-dono."
"Be well, Kouga."
There was nothing more to say.
Nakamura Mizuki was not pleased with this inner world. Why did she have to have the weird inner world, with the even weirder zanpaktou living in it? She didn't want green valleys; she wanted snow. She didn't want trees that looked so lush and full of life.
Maybe if her inner world wasn't so bright and cheery, she'd be able to handle everything that happened. Like having to stay a 7th seat when weaklings were promoted above her at every turn.
I guess that's what happened when you tried to speak out against the elite.
She hadn't expected anyone to really believe that Ochi Kunitake had been anything but a sweet, dear boy from the Ochi minor nobility set. He was careful to wait until she graduated from the Academy to make his intentions known, obviously used to getting his way in everything that he wanted. When she rejected him, she never expected anger — when did she ever experience anger? Her family wasn't wealthy, but they enjoyed a quiet life in the First District of Rukongai — there wasn't any anger around her as a child.
Her hand went to her cheek, still feeling the lines of the deep scar there from Kunitake's zanpaktou. It had been healed by the best private healers family money could buy, but she still felt it on the inside.
It had changed her, changed her soul inside and out. She even noticed changes in her powers. At first, her power seemed to run more towards the flowing water side, the way her teachers expected. After that...incident, she didn't know what to think of her skills anymore.
Anger from being held back by the old noble's club she couldn't ever hope to be part of, while Kunitake was groomed for a supposed Central 46 position no one was supposed to know about.
If she ever got the chance, he and all of the men he called on to help him keep her helpless, exposed, and fearful ...they'd burn.
"Mistress! I need to talk to you!"
She stiffened. She didn't want to talk to this odd zanpaktou; she didn't want to accept that this was her zanpaktou now. The extra power wasn't helpful when the spirit never seemed to accept her or care about her. That wasn't right at all — her academy professors waxed on poetically and nostalgically about their deep connection to their zanpaktou, yet Mizuki never could say that she had that type of bond with Rosen Saira.
Barahime, she corrected herself. That's the correct name for my weapon. That other name was too foreign on her lips and it made her feel awkward just thinking about it.
"Barahime."
Saira appeared in front of Mizuki, sighing softly. "I wish we could make amends, Mizuki."
"You don't get to be so damned familiar with me! What do you want now?"
Saira waved a hand. She was still in the white robes with the detailed purple trim in the center, trying to think of anything except for Muramasa's departure. She could feel the distance between them grow until it was nearly too much to bear. Now she had to deal with the mistress.
"Mistress. I was hoping we could sit for tea, and that we could try to get to know each other again."
"The only thing you need to know...is that I'll grind you under my feet!"
She charged at the dark haired spirit, hating every inch of her. That dark curly hair, so different from her long stick-straight brown hair, those dark eyes, so different from her dark green-brown ones, the strange clothes that seemed from a world away from hers.
Her moves with the katana were decent, but they were no match for Saira's speed of defense. The two women moved into the air, a sharp wind picking up in the valley.
"Why do such things when I want to help you, walk with you, and grow with you? So that we'll get strong together?"
"I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!" Mizuki raised her sword above her head. "Adjust, Barahime!"
Her sword dissolved slowly into a cloud of thorns, twirling on air. Her shaky hand moved the small cloud at Saira, trying to hit her.
This is what happened the last time they sparred — she struggled with controlling the movements necessarily to defeat her opponent.
Saira shrugged and sighed sadly. "As you like, mistress. Adjust."
Her twin steel staves appeared in view and a wave of the hand brought them spinning quickly at Mizuki.
It's like my weapon...but two heavy objects instead of this little cloud of small thorns... Mizuki didn't have time to think before those spinning staves came at her. She managed to dodge one and felt pretty smug for a few seconds until its twin slammed into her from the side.
Saira watched her mistress struggle and ached for the young girl. She knew where the icy attitude stemmed from but now wasn't the time for hugs and soft words. She needed to go full out with the mistress and keep trying to encourage her to listen. For Muramasa and Kouga, she owed them this much.
Mizuki felt Saira fade away as she rolled off her feet and began to fall through the air. She felt the spirit catch her, holding her gently as they stood on air.
"I don't need your pity!"
"I don't need your rage. You want to be angry at someone, do it elsewhere."
"Why won't you lend me your powers so I can strike them all down?"
"You are not subtle. You would die. Hence, I would die. Why would I advocate our deaths?"
Mizuki squirmed, trying to break free of this woman. She wouldn't start crying, wouldn't start trying to be understanding and kind when she wanted to still tear flesh from bone. The realization that her powers in this current state would not let her do such things filled her with hatred.
"I hate everything about you."
Saira smiled and steadied Mizuki on her feet. "That's okay. I have learned that love and hate are merely exaggerated extremes of each other. One can be reversed into the other with time. Let's start there."
Mizuki blinked, hearing something that sounded like kindness in the words.
A few white wildflowers danced with the wind, and her dark brownish-green eyes locked with Saira's inky-brown ones. Sparks of understanding were beginning to form.
Unfortunately, acceptance wasn't fully there yet.
Kouga shivered. He had a traveling cloak on and his shihakusho closed up, yet the biting wind of Hueco still seemed to dig into him all the same. He had burst into Hueco Mundo near a cluster of rocks that looked it formed an eerie, elongated grin. He figured this would be the type of place they would use to come fetch him when they felt like caring about him again.
He slipped into soldier mode, looking around at his surroundings. The first step to his new home would be to setting up a proper camp. He didn't really want to sleep on the ground exposed to the elements, so he hoped to find some sort of cave.
The winds were alternating between picking up and fading away, and it scraped over Kouga's nerves. Damn this cold! This is definitely not Sereitei...
Sereitei. Part of him wanted that word to fall from his lips like a curse, but the other part reminded him that was still home. It was still where he had watched over his division, it was still where he had met his wife, and it was where he had first learned to whisper, wasn't it?
"You seem troubled."
Muramasa appeared rapidly as if summoned by his very thoughts. The slight grin that followed indicated this was more the case than the spirit would admit.
Kouga nodded, secretly happy for some company. "I was wondering when you'd appear. You seem...different."
Muramasa looked at him for a moment, and shrugged. "Some spirits do better or worse based on environment. Some glow in Sereitei, whereas others thrive more in a place with a lot of concentrated reishi such as Hueco Mundo. I suppose I'm in the latter category."
There was a slight shift and Kouga felt those nails lash out for him, shoving him out of the way as a flying hollow began to swoop down at them. The katana was already in hand as the spirit swooped up to fight it off, waiting until it had landed to deliver a deep slashing blow that turned the hollow into a heap of dust.
Kouga had rolled into the sand, watching Muramasa view the surroundings with a lethal gleam in those normally serene sky blue eyes that concerned him. He moved to his feet quickly, readjusting the pack on his back. "Uh..thanks."
"No need to thank me...Kouga. This is what I'm here to do."
Muramasa sounded odd, and it left Kouga feeling odd. Was the spirit getting tired of him? He was in a new place, trying to find shelter and feeling more than a bit weak that it was taking too much time to get his bearings.
Kouga reached out to Muramasa and felt relieved when the spirit pressed a hand to his shoulder. Those nails grazed him slightly, and left in their place memories of the night they shared together before leaving Sereitei for good.
The way his name had been savored, honored, recited over and over...a chant that had led them to fall to sweet oblivion together...
He focused harder on the surroundings and noticed a dark path ahead that led to a cluster of caves.
They walked to the caves together, with Muramasa daring to slip his pale thin hand into Kouga's strong and thick counterpart. For now, it would be enough.
Kouga sat and studied the walls of the cave that was a lot warmer than the outside. He noticed that it was actually a network of large caves that went deeper, but this was one that only seemed to branch out in a few directions. The caves had strange warmth that was still unexplained. It wasn't the same warm breeze he had grown to enjoy in both Sereitei and within his inner world, but it was enough to take the biting cold away and replace it with something decently tolerable.
He had a few blankets packed up, along with a few things to keep himself decently cleaned up. Maintaining hygiene was the only small speck of vanity that he'd allow himself to ever have, so he enjoyed what he could.
Muramasa was staring at the deep, dark hallway that led to the rest of the cave network. "We should be fine to sleep here for now, since we can see clearly if anyone comes near us."
Kouga raised an eyebrow. "You're going to sleep?"
Muramasa sighed. "I don't need sleep often, but sleeping more helps me stay out in this form longer without draining your reiatsu as heavily. Did you check your counter?"
Kouga pulled out the glass ball and noticed it was warm to the touch, just like his icy father-in-law said it would be. He saw it was clear straight through, with only a slight hint of cloudiness to come. He felt a strange tugging at his inner barriers, as if there was a message waiting there.
Muramasa looked up. Sky blue eyes turned light purple in a flash of a moment, and then returned back to their normal color. "It's fine. It's a message from the giver of the gift."
Kouga furrowed his brows together. What did his wife have to say that wasn't said in the day they had spent together before he left? He had done everything a noblewoman's husband was supposed to do, say everything a noblewoman's husband was supposed to say. He made sure not to embarrass himself or say something that was out of place. So what was really behind this little message?
Only one way to find out.
He closed his eyes and allowed that tugging feeling to have access to his mind. He saw the message slowly come to life and he listened as his wife's voice flowed over his senses.
Kouga,
If you're listening to this, then I have succeeded. I want you to know that I am upset about this departure. I couldn't tell you out loud for the same reasons you cannot tell me what's truly troubling you.
I know what is being said about you — but I also know that you are a strong and brave man who cares deeply for the peace of his homeland. You will never do anything that threatens that peace, I just know it.
My dear husband, you must be careful in this ten year period. Please think on whatever it is that is going on that's causing you to stand taller than the rest. While the sight of you growing into such a tall and beautiful nail is delightful to me as your wife; I also know the fate of such a nail will not be pleasant.
Sending all of my love and good feeling from now till when you return,
Your faithful wife.
The voice faded away and he opened his eyes to find Muramasa watching him with a light smile.
He waved Muramasa forward, thanking him for giving him the privacy to sort out the message with a light kiss on his lips. He wrapped his arms around the thin spirit carefully, noticing for the first time how frail the form felt against him.
"Sorry I've been a little distant. I...it's taking me a while to get used to everything. Being away...from everyone."
Muramasa felt those lips pull away and he stayed close to his shinigami. He had a feeling there would be swirling waves waiting for him when he finally returned to the inner world.
Do not forget, Muramasa...sanctuary.
He would build a sanctuary on the inside for Kouga, one that would last for the ages. Something the exotic woman said underneath the words told him that he would need it.
Kouga smiled, truly smiled for the first time he left Soul Society. It was a freeing experience to be able to talk, laugh, smile and really think without the rules of Soul Society bearing down on him.
"Is your friend all right?"
Muramasa shrugged. "I have not spoken to Rosen Saira yet."
"What's with you two?"
Muramasa rolled his eyes, a surprising movement that Kouga found adorable because it was so out of character for his usually stoic and scowling zanpaktou. "I told you. She has her uses."
"You were gone for a long time with her — surely she means more than that?"
Another shrug and sigh. "I wouldn't know what to do with her, really. We're...different. Very different."
Kouga ran his hands through the messy brown locks, trying to make small talk. "I would accept it if...if you wanted to spent time with her more."
"Oh?"
Kouga nodded, closing his eyes and breathing in Muramasa's scent. It was a comforting feeling that he could actually physically feel Muramasa in his arms.
Interesting, he seems so awkward in this world, whereas in the inner world he is at the top of his game. Why is that?
He gently rubbed the thin shoulders through the white coat. "You're not even cold."
Muramasa chuckled. "Haven't you noticed that my skin is always cold anyway? Cold weather does not bother me." He angled his body to look Kouga in the eyes. "Besides, I'd walk through any weather if it meant getting to be by your side, or to serve your agenda."
They shared another kiss, with Kouga tilting Muramasa's face up to meet his. His hand cupped the small chin carefully as his tongue snuck out to explore Muramasa's mouth again. The hidden heat he found there was nice.
He broke off the kiss, noticing a surprised look on the whisperer's face. "We have ten years. I plan on enjoying them with you — you wanted me to get stronger, and I certainly will. We certainly will. However, I want to take some things slow too. We've been...consumed by passion lately...I need to know you in other ways too."
The reddish tinge on Muramasa's cheeks was a sight that Kouga deeply enjoyed — it looked so erotic and adorable at the same time. "...master with the sword, master with the pen." Muramasa kept his deep husky tones as playful as possible, but he wanted to admit openly the third piece of the previous repetition: master with the whispering spirit's heart too, whether Muramasa liked it or not.
Kouga reached for the blankets, a perfect distraction Muramasa could latch onto to distract himself from his thoughts. They moved against the wall in a more prone position, snuggling up to each other. This was something Kouga dreamed of being able to do but couldn't ask for such a thing in Soul Society.
If this was the way things would be for ten years...he could live with that.
Muramasa opened his eyes and enjoyed the familiar surroundings of his inner world. He sat on the edge of the pillar, seeing things begin to click into place. There was danger in the Soul Society, dangerous voices that were beginning to cry to the Captain Commander that Kouga be silenced. This felt more like a rehearsal for that moment than anything else, almost as if they were testing to see how they could get on without his shinigami.
I cannot lose him. I cannot lose him. I cannot lose him.
He felt the water pick up below him and he briefly felt that old fear of drowning creep up on him. Even more reason to build sanctuary, even more reason to curl tighter around his Kouga. If he could give his life over to making Kouga as happy as possible, it would mean that he could avoid drowning in those dark seas.
He was beginning to believe that Rosen Saira was actually telling him to build an actual sanctuary here. There were still questions on how to begin, but he figured he should start with the foundation and attempt to get the structure filled in.
Land.
He breathed, drawing on all of his spirit pressure to merge a cluster of pillars together into a large rectangular plot of hard land. It was a decent size, not as large as the Kuchiki mansion by any means, but he figured a Captain-level shinigami would have been pleased with the space. He figured it best to start with a large space rather than try to figure out how to shrink it down. He wanted Kouga to be as comfortable as possible, and have space to move around. He thought about a small back in the back where he could sit and watch the waves, and added more pillar blocks to expand the plot of "land" further.
He repeated the process for the front, his thoughts silently taking him back to the colorful wildflowers of the valley. It would be lovely if he could bring that type of color and life to Kouga as well. He would think more on it and see what he could do. This was still his inner world and he just needed to be able to focus.
The coin on a string vibrated and hummed, almost as if there was approval to be given for the work done so far.
A sharp pain ran through Muramasa, causing him to double over and clutch his chest. It was a sign he had exerted too much, too soon. He brought his long nails up to wipe away those bloody tears that came along with the other signs of overexertion. He wanted to build as quickly as possible, but he was indeed the extension of a shinigami warrior. He knew all too well that winning the war was a matter of surviving and conservation of strength more than almost anything else.
For Kouga's sake, he would win this war and give them the sanctuary they both needed. There was no other choice.
AN: That's a good place to end this chapter — I don't want to rush through the Ten Years of Solitude arc. I apologize up front if Hueco Mundo seems a bit out of sorts — since the Kouga / Muramasa storyline is set hundreds of years before our main Bleach storyline, I figured there really wouldn't be anything of note in Hueco Mundo — or is there? *dun dun dun*
The fun of this story is that so much is unexplained from the manga/anime with this world so I get to pretty much create whatever I want. The 'sanctuary' stuff is starting to become literal, isn't it? :) After talking with my awesomesauce beta, I decided to start a little foreshadowing.
Peals of Laughter, I'm totally looking at you when I say this — this is definitely going to stay a 'nice' story. Yes, there will be chapters ahead that I'm sure will put our two darlings in quite the bind — but they'll go through hell together. ;)
This is a little shorter than 'Decadence', which makes me feel like quite the perv. It's their first day in HM - they're tired from traveling and wandering around to find sanctuary in the desert. There's a several hour gap between when they land and when they find the cave, just to give you an idea of the timing.
I took a little artistic license with the glass ball, because I couldn't think of a way for them to honestly tell when to come back without something like that. I didn't want a hidden 'Soul Society monitors them from afar' thing — you'll see why in a few chapters.
Heads up - this will probably be a *lengthy* arc. I feel this is probably the heart of 'Sanctuary', and everything afterward will be the falling action of the story & the conclusion - The Pillars series is NOT over after Sanctuary - I'm just starting the next piece of the series right after this. I actually have part of it written. Yes, I'm obsessed.
I'm debating whether or not to start using titles. They're probably going to take away my copywriter's badge for saying this, but I suck at titles. Really. (semi-inside joke - most copywriting starts with an attention-getting headline - get it? ;D)
A couple of songs I had on while I was writing this chapter: Ginuwine's "Differences", and Marc Broussard's "The Beauty of Who You Are". I also had M.I.A's "Paper Planes" on for the Ginrei / Kouga scene in the beginning, but don't ask me how that's relevant.
I really couldn't continue writing this without the support of so many writer goodies — Midnight Marquis, Kurogawa Yumi, Peals-of-Laughter, Avaritia Kuroneko, renjisaseximofo, VAMPIRELG and QueenHappo have all contributed their thoughts in one way or another, and it's really helping me get "comfortable" to write both fics.
Even though Pealsy is IMPATIENT. You're getting TWO updates, woman. You better love me! *stomps foot*
Watch: she's going to scream for the first Hueco Mundo lemon. I just know it. :)
I'm teasing of course. I'm looking forward to the next time I can update 'Decadence' ...there's plenty of creativity to be had in Hueco Mundo, you know...*grins*
As always, your alerts, faves, reviews and VIEWS are much appreciated. I'm deeply honored and moved, and can't wait for the next time I get to share with you.
Going to sleep now. :)