Pillars of Sanctuary, a KougaxMuramasa fic
Disclaimer: Bleach is not mine.
AN: I was inspired. We're well into the 2nd year of the Ten Years of Seclusion arc. Biggest milestone has been the creation of the 'sanctuary of the mind' by Muramasa for Kouga's sake (Chapter 6). Relationship wise, they're still having some struggles & concerns, but that's to be expected.
Warnings: minor mentions of violence, character distress, yaoi, OC's, AU
Chapter 7: Ten Years of Seclusion: Part Three
"I cannot believe you waited two years to finally talk to me!"
Muramasa sighed. This was not the start to his morning that he had been hoping for. It was nearing the end of their second year in Hueco Mundo, and they had been busy. Kouga wanted to map as much of Hueco Mundo as possible, and had brought a large amount of paper and ink to do so. While Kouga was mapping, he wanted as much peace as possible so it gave him some time to himself. Disturbing Kouga was something that just wasn't acceptable.
He had decided to stay in the physical world close by, yet far away enough that he wouldn't disturb Kouga while he was trying to concentrate. He had much preferred to speak to Saira in the privacy of his inner world, but he had to make do with what the conditions of life were at the moment.
"My apologies, Rosen Saira. It's been...a rather hectic two years."
"Hectic?" There was a soft pause of concern hanging in their communication thread.
He sighed before continuing. "It's pretty desolate out here. We're sticking to the cave system here unless we really need to go above the surface for one of our mapping expeditions. There's an interesting underground of life here."
"Oh? I bet your first love really likes that."
Two years of seclusion hadn't formed a barrier that irritation couldn't smash through. She doesn't need to be so jealous continuously.
"No need to be that way."
"You've had all this time to make eyes at your precious shinigami, Mura-chan. I guess you forgot about me after...after..."
Muramasa cut her off. "Our final moments were special to me, but as I have discussed with you before, my main priority is and always will be Kouga."
"How silly of me to imagine it could be anything different."
"That doesn't mean you aren't important, Saira..."
"I don't need you to pretend I matter, Muramasa. I..."
Muramasa waited for her to continue, and then filled in the silence. "I have no need of false pretenses with you. What's the real reason why you're so upset, Saira?"
"Mizuki...she knows. About..us, and Kouga."
"Mizuki?"
"Nakamura Mizuki, my shinigami. 7th seat."
"Oh."
Muramasa studied the information carefully. Nakamura Mizuki wasn't someone he was familiar with — he vaguely remembered the shinigami, but even at her power level she wasn't a match for Kouga's strength. He didn't like the hesitant and fearful tone in Saira's voice. What happened in two years to make such a willful spirit sound so broken?
"Be careful...you know I have my issues with your first love, Muramasa...but take care of him, and yourself too."
"He's my shinigami, not my first love. Stop calling him that."
"Oh, how precious! But Mura-chan, denial doesn't look good on you. You love him. You really do. I just hope, for your sake, you realize that before it's too late."
Muramasa.
Muramasa looked down at the area where Kouga was seated and sighed. Duty called, always. "Saira, I have to go."
He wasn't surprised when the communication line went immediately dead. If denial doesn't look good on me, then jealousy certainly doesn't look good on you, Rosen Saira...
He couldn't think long on that, disappearing and reappearing by Kouga's side. "Yes?"
Kouga was already cleaned up and toying with the ends of his long scarf. "I just wanted you near me."
The words felt warm, and it made Muramasa curve his lips into a smile he saved only for Kouga. "I see."
Kouga studied the spirit for a moment, unable to forget the bit of conversation between Muramasa and the other spirit. My main priority is and always will be Kouga. It made him feel good to know that Muramasa was so devoted to him, but there was also a strange sense of confusion.
He never told her he loves me - I guess he really don't think about me like that.
He had put away the mapping equipment, frustrated with the fact he had the task to begin with. It was a useless assignment, given the fact that Soul Society didn't really care much about Hueco Mundo at the moment. They were more than happy to let the Hollow stay there, only moving forward when there were Hollow sightings in the human world or in Soul Society proper.
Forgotten, ignored, secluded. Those were the words that came to mind when he thought of Hueco Mundo, but he noticed how well the series of words fit his current situation. He was forgotten about, secluded away from the world, and his achievements simply ignored. He had given everything for them - his power, his body, his spirit - without any complaint. This was apparently their reward for anyone that dared to be powerful while they were trying to save the land they truly loved.
No more. I will not let them get me here, even now.
He was just about to turn to get closer to the whisperer when a loud Hollow roar rang through the cave. It was followed by a sharp cry and footsteps coming their way.
"Muramasa, stay in the sword for now."
There wasn't any time to think of a counterargument, and that steel undercurrent that flowed through Kouga's voice made it clear this was not the time to argue. He faded away, leaving Kouga to charge forward.
The Hollow was massive, taking up almost the entire height of the cave. It was chasing a small hollow that looked strangely human. It resembled a small boy, with a large bone mask fragment curling around both of his ears like horns.
"C'mere! I'm bigger than you and that means you're breakfast!"
"Noooooo please don't eat me!"
Kouga hesitated for a split second. This was a struggle between two Hollows, which did not concern him. He was a shinigami, and whichever Hollow survived would fall to his sword anyway. That would have been his attitude if he hadn't been discarded and thrown away, given as much concern as one would give to a worn out calligraphy brush. Two years ago his decision would be clear — things were far different now.
He rushed forward, pouring reiatsu into his blade, sweeping upward to land a deep slash right to the center of the Hollow's head. The element of surprise had worked well in his favor. What he didn't notice was the long tail that had swept behind him, filled with sharp barbs long the length. Before he finished the cutting motion, that tail slammed into his side, with those thick barbs piercing his skin.
"Oh no, mister...you got hit!" the boyish Hollow had crawled closer to him, his bright blue eyes narrowing in concern for his rescuer.
"Muramasa..." Kouga was trying to concentrate, trying to make sense of things around him. The cave seemed to be fading in and out of his vision, followed by a feeling of being pinned down by an invisible weight.
"Kouga!" Muramasa reappeared, catching Kouga as he fell unconscious. His eyes were frosted with concern for his shinigami, noticing the tightening of Kouga's facial features.
The small Hollow frowned sadly. "I'm sorry, this is all my fault! He saved me and..."
Muramasa cut him off. "Has he been poisoned?"
The little Hollow nodded, trying to hold back his tears. "It was a surface Hollow that got down here... some of them carry poisons...we have to get him back...maybe my lady can heal him."
Muramasa nodded and scooped Kouga up into his arms, looking at the small Hollow. "I don't have any choice but to trust you. I will not hesitate to defend him if you're leading him into a trap."
"No trap, sir. I promise."
The spirit looked down at the unconscious Kouga and sighed deeply. He would give anything for those apple green eyes to snap open and reassure him that everything would be alright.
I cannot lose him. I cannot lose him. I cannot lose him.
Saira sighed as she shuffled through the snow. Snow fell all the time now, covering the once-green valley in a constant haze of snow and ice. The animals that she had once fed and petted when things were a vibrant green either passed on or stayed hidden. Her beautiful clusters of wildflowers were all gone, buried under the snow.
How does Muramasa do this? He thinks nothing of just doing whatever Kouga wants him to. Why can't I follow his lead?
It made her unhappy to be in this cold world now, and even though Mizuki's visits increased since the inner world was turned more to her liking, she still wasn't kind to Saira at all.
Today, it was the fact that there were still animals living in the inner world. She wanted nothing but snow and clouds. Upon looking at Saira's shocked face, she came to a compromise of allowing the trees to stay, as long as no new growth was displayed on them.
The small structure that she had built under the trees several years ago also had to go. "Why do you need sanctuary? You're a damn spirit. You have me. I should be everything you need, Barahime."
She nodded, nodded along as she usually did when the mistress went on her tangents. With a sigh, she faded the structure away, trying not to think about the memories she held there. She wanted to reach out to Muramasa again, like she did this morning, but it was too dangerous to get caught speaking to him.
The mistress might think she's too clever to be caught, but she's mistaken. I know she doesn't like Muramasa at all.
The coin on a string in her sleeve vibrated with a strange intensity. She sensed a strong rush of despair out there with Muramasa, which increased her worries and fears. The way he rushed off earlier...did something happen to Kouga? She felt a strange sense of panic and distress on the other side of that link, but she couldn't pursue it. She closed the link fully, so that Mizuki wouldn't catch on. That would be the last thing either of them really needed.
Fight well, Muramasa. Fight well.
Muramasa noticed the flurry of activity as he carried Kouga, following the rushed steps of the small Hollow boy.
"Please summon the lady and her healers!" Muramasa noted how loud the little boy's voice carried compared to his small size.
A gruff voice replied, and a tall thin man appeared. He also had the same fragmented mask as the little boy, except his formed a shape that looked like a sleeping cap. "And why should we...Sorgi? Is that you?"
The young boy nodded. "That man saved my life, Emil! One of the Surface Ones got down here and he killed it."
"He's a shinigami. What stopped him from attacking you?"
It was a question the little boy could only shrug to. "I...do not know, sir. But I don't want him to die because of his kindness."
"Fine. I will bring her and I will let her know..."
Muramasa noticed a tall woman dressed in simple blue robes appear behind the one called Emil. "There is no need to bring me, or let me know anything. Emil, I am surprised that you would break my rules and ignore a sick man. Regardless of his association."
As she came towards Muramasa, he cringed instinctively, holding Kouga tighter to him. The woman smiled politely. "You impress me by protecting him, but I must heal him quickly. We are running out of time." She turned on her heel and began to walk off to another dark opening, with two assistants following her.
I have no choice but to follow and trust. Hang on, Kouga!
—-
The only things that Kouga could hear were voices, coiling all around him.
"He took a lot of poison, lady!"
"Surprised a little shinigami took out a Surface One all by himself."
"Sorgi wouldn't lie — but why would a shinigami defend a Hollow?"
"No idea."
"Look, he's got a pretty thing in his hair — it looks like he's important."
"Tsch. All shinigami think they're important, Deera."
"Emil, what's your problem?"
"He's a shinigami, Deera. Just because the lady is wasting her energy..."
There was a sharp silence that interrupted the dialogue, leaving Kouga even more confused. Where was he? All he remembered was fighting a giant Hollow and then falling towards Muramasa. Where was Muramasa, anyway?
"Muramasa..."
A soft voice embraced his thoughts calmly. "You must be talking about the man that carried you here. I had to separate him from you. He was very distraught and it was distracting me from healing you."
He nodded, slowly opening his eyes. He found himself looking at a tall woman in blue robes, with the remnants of a Hollow mask around her right eye like a giant fan. He stiffened immediately. Hollow.
Yet there was something different about this Hollow. Her mask didn't cover her entire face, nor did she look monstrous. Aside from the hands that held long fingernails, she looked nearly as human as he did. There were blue stars under her left eye, and a blue diagonal mark across her right cheek.
The woman smiled as he studied her. "You have many questions, shinigami. I understand. However, before you react...I mean you no harm. Your partner brought you here so I could remove the poison in your body."
"Poison?"
"You killed a Surface One. Some of them carry poison that they release as they feel themselves getting close to death. You took in a lot of poison. I had to draw it out of you...your friend did not like this."
He looked down at his uniform, noticing how it was neatly put back in place. He blushed deeply, a sigh that made the woman laugh. "I apologize for invading your privacy - I felt it was more important to keep you from dying than for you to hold on to modesty. Your friend was very much against exposing you."
"Where is Muramasa?"
"He is being held under a light guard, for his protection."
"Protection?"
Her left eye narrowed as she looked at him. "As I healed you, I realized that he is a spirit that has its roots in you. How interesting that he seems to move so independently of you. He carried you here, but he collapsed earlier out of exhaustion. I had him healed by one of my assistants while you slept. He is very protective of you, shinigami."
Kouga nodded and tried to sit up more, but the movement was painful. The woman gently pushed him back down on the bed. "Please rest. If it would make you more comfortable to see your friend, I will have him brought to you."
"May I ask your name, healer?"
The woman nodded. "I'm Cortine Marleera. And you, shinigami?"
"Kouga...Kuchiki Kouga." It felt odd to call himself part of the Kuchiki house, especially after how coldly he was treated by Ginrei earlier. However, it was the only foundation he had to go on, so he continued on.
Marleera watched him for a few more moments, then snapped her fingers.
"Yes, lady?"
Kouga watched the woman smile at the assistant for a moment. "Please bring the one that brought the shinigami here. Thank you."
Kouga knew a dismissal when he heard it, and so did the assistant. There was no reply except for a quick bow. When she flashed away, Kouga raised an eyebrow.
"Shinigami are not the only ones that know how to move quickly. You call it shunpo, yes?"
"How did you know that?"
"You may not understand us, but we have a full understanding of you - for the most part."
"Yes, it's called shunpo. What do you call it?"
Marleera grinned. "Sonido."
Kouga was almost certain she was going to demonstrate, but she refrained. "We have a lot to learn from each other, Kuchiki Kouga. For now, rest. I will have your friend brought to you soon. May I ask you something, Kuchiki-san?"
He nodded, stretching slightly. "I'm in no position to deny you much."
"What is your relationship to the spirit, really? He seems very attached to you."
My main priority is and always will be Kouga.
Don't call him my first love.
Kouga didn't know what to call his connection to Muramasa anymore. He thought quietly of their moments over the last two years. Does that mean I'm in love with him? Does that mean he's in love with me?
"I don't really know, to be honest."
Marleera smiled. "If I were you, Kuchiki-san, I would figure it out while you still have the time to do so. Life is short, even for a shinigami."
She apparently wasn't waiting for a reply, moving instead to step outside.
"Kouga?" Muramasa walked in slowly, taking careful steps. The floor wasn't completely smooth, and became a bit of a challenge for Muramasa's heeled boots.
"I'm here...are you okay?"
Muramasa's eyes had an eerie look to them that Kouga couldn't decipher. "I should be asking you if you're alright. Why did you do that, Kouga?"
"I...don't know."
"We have to get out of here. They're Hollows, even though they claim they don't mean us any harm...we can't stay here."
"Agreed. Yet...I don't think we can just get away so easily. I don't want to invite trouble. We are outnumbered."
Kouga closed his eyes as Muramasa moved to run a chilly hand over his arms and shoulders. His eyes snapped open wide as Muramasa leaned in closer for a deep kiss, his eyes half-closing. "You scared me. I was afraid I was going to lose you."
I don't deserve that much concern. I'm nobody special. Yet I can't help but feel...something inside when he says stuff like that.
"Thank you for your concern."
"You know I'm always here for you, Kouga."
But you don't love me. You're just saying what I expect to hear from my zanpaktou. I guess that's good...for now. Maybe...maybe you'll care for me more than that. Someday.
Muramasa sighed softly, keeping Kouga close to him. He hadn't expected anything special from that desperate kiss, but he ached for something more.
I wish he noticed me, I wish he noticed the way I care about him. I think I really am in love with Kuchiki Kouga. Strange, I don't feel like that's a bad thing at all.
AN: Wha? An update for 'Sanctuary' so soon? Say it ain't so! I'm sort of having fun with the 'does he really love me' double-confusion between these two. I feel at this point they're both wondering if what they're feeling between them is something real or just generated from their seclusion.
I see both of their perspectives through this. I really want to see them both recognize how much the other means to them... we'll see ;)
Hat-tipping my beta for exploring the AU world with me & shaping Hueco Mundo. He had an idea for the 'natural' arrancar, a subculture of Hollow that exist underground in the cave system Kouga and Muramasa have been exploring. They're background characters for the Ten Years of Seclusion arc, but their influence will be felt in the Pillars stories to come. My beta wanted conflict, while I wanted something sweet. So I decided to come up with this as a middle ground & JT felt it fit.
I fangirl'ed a little at the idea of Muramasa carrying Kouga. If he can control other zan's, I assume he's strong enough to carry Kouga bridal-style ;)
I think this is the point of no return for AUness, since my Hueco Mundo is so different.
Right now, the Natural arrancar cast:
Cortine Marleera - the leader of the Naturals. At this point, we know she is a healer and that she has healed Kouga. The method of healing has not yet been revealed.
Emil - a dissenter, anti-shinigami but underneath Marleera's command
Sorgi - the young Hollow boy that Kouga saved.
Deera - another arrancar, distrustful but not as outrightly so as Emil
I'm still trying to stick to Asian-style naming — Last, First — even though the name itself might not be Asian at all. The Naturals will likely have names from all over the place, to reflect their mis-mash status. Also, since I don't know the timeline proper for the story (the filler says this all happens hundreds of years earlier ...) I assume that Kouga has no information on what we know as the Arrancar in current-Bleach storyline (hence his shock about sonido). I hope that clears that up. Next chapter will go into more detail, I just needed to set it up from this point
I felt like creating some Saira-angst. It happens. My beta and I agree that really no good is going to come Saira's way at *all*. It amuses me that everytime I create an OC, bad stuff happens. I don't know if it's just my way of avoiding Mary-Sueism.
In order to get the greater plot of Pillars handled, I will have to use more OC's than I've ever used for a story. I don't want them to take over the story - but right now, I figure that OC'ism is necessary as a backdrop for the Ten Years arc.
I'll still have to sit and chat with the betafish on what else we'll do in the Ten Years arc.
If you're following timeline for timeline's sake, this is nearing the end of the *second* year. The next chapter will walk through the last few months of the second year. I'll try to keep up with the timeline.
JT-the-beta suggested not being so strict with the years - if the story skips from the 3rd to the 6th year, and it makes sense, run with it. Or if there's something important during a week within the 4th year, storytell about it. I'll try to always let you know what year we're in.
We're a long way from the finish of Sanctuary in either case.
I'm taking Kurogawa Yumi's advice and just enjoying the process of writing the story. I tend to automatically get annoyed with myself with each chapter because I'm moving so far outside the normal storyverse pattern. A lot of this story is highly interpretative, but you know what? I think that's part of the fun.
I'm going to try to keep updating - I do have to work on some updates for Moonbathing. As far as Decadence, I may end up publishing two chapters for it, because it's bugging me that Decadence is technically a chapter behind Sanctuary. I'd prefer for the stories to have the same # of chapters if I can help it. Yes, weird I know.
As always, I appreciate your comments, reviews, PMs, faves, alerts and views! I couldn't get to Chapter 7 without you guys! :) *leaves more Muramasa cookies*
Don't tempt me. I just might try to make those someday. *is a sad addicted fangirl*