I DON'T OWN BLEACH

The Fallen

The razors and the dying roses,
Plead I don't leave you alone,
The demi-gods and hungry ghosts,
God, god knows I'm not at home,

I'll never find someone quite like you,
Again... 'Touched' By VAST

Chapter 5; Touched

The lone wolf moves through the twisting old trunks of the dead forest away from the madness left behind in an old forgotten hut. His brownish black coat of thick fur easily conceals him from curious eyes that might seek to distract him from his goal. Fragile pain-filled voices from where he came stab at his head pushing him to run at his limit.

Save Ichigo.

The claws of a beast desperate to save his master kick at the dirt snapping sticks with the first hints of dawn streaking through the barren limbs overhead. God of sky and lady of sun, forsake him just a bit longer. His time now ends with the first rays of sunshine. Give him more.

Around his neck a metal chain with tight interlocking chains made of magic lifts in his thick fur, locked inside the binding contract is a message meant for Ichigo. Go faster. Don't listen to the dark whispers gnawing at your spine.

Cresting a hill the lycanthrope pauses to sniff the air. There! It's very close now. Catching the trail, dawn finds him cutting an orange and yellow path towards his weary body. Darting to the right, he dips down the hill just missing a bright beam of cursed light. Not yet. The beast in him fights the Holy Hour when all nocturnal creatures like him are pushed back into The Veil. However, unlikely the moon never sleeps, she might fade in the day. But his goddess is always there to draw upon.

Pushing himself as fast as he can go his paws suddenly slip on the morning dew-kissed grass. Starrk tumbles roughly down the bottom of the hill to land splashing into the cold river.

~/~

Hidden deep in a remote cave Byakuya Kuchiki sits next to a modest crackling fire his brow wrinkled with worry. Nestled between the cozy licking flames and his cold feet lays the Nephilim on a large stone that has fallen from the ceiling in a slope. She shivers there wrapped in the cape he enchanted as her black blood slowly drips down the white granite towards the small underground pond.

The pain came in pulses at first. Streaking a hot fire up her spine only to pause at the base of her skull. Now it's unending. The scorching doesn't let up, her brain feels like it's cooking from the inside out. The choice is to bare it, like she bares fangs and wait for that first opportunity to snap at an adversary. Sinking her teeth into flesh would quench the fire, only then could she possibly taste relief. "The hunger is beginning. I'm losing me... I'm falling into the Abyss." Ichigo gulps with her head still under the comforting warmth of the strangely masculine scented cloak. "A-Am I g-going t-to c-change into a demon?"

"I don't know." Byakuya softly answers his eyes focusing on anything in the room but the writhing shape clinging to life. Biting at his lip he can't decide if he is concerned about failing his mission should she become a Fallen One, or actually worried about this Nephilim. When they were flying among the clouds and Ichigo smiled it almost felt good to have a woman near his side again.

"Commander Kuchiki..." Ichigo pulls the cape from covering her face and turns to look at the tall man now standing next to the large stone slab. "If I..."

"Let us have faith in your companion." he quickly interrupts, his eyes flickering with concern for a mere second at seeing the bold black marks etching before his very eyes into her face. It's chilling. The path of black snaking on her skin from her shoulders up her neck and under her eyes is concerning to say the least. The pattern seems to cover her body completely like a web of thorns, each one appearing to gnaw their teeth into the warm color of her skin.

He saw the stigma before on the day he first met her but discarded it as part of a curse from being a mixed breed. That was a wrong assumption. The stigma must be connected to her angelic blood and is reacting to the poison by wrapping tightly around her. Almost as if it means to protect her, but instead it's killing her faster than the poison from the incubus' bite. Death is coiling around her and he is powerless to stop it.

This woman's death would spell failure for him. His mission would certainly be a disaster yet, more than disappointing his superior's he fears another woman dying from his own callousness. "I should have joined the fight earlier. If I had-"

"Starrk won't fail." she says trying to reassure the brooding expression on Byakuya's face with a weak smile. "He never lets me down."

"Never fails?" Byakuya dwells on the fragile confidence in her next to the granite slab his hand moves tucking her cold fingers in his palm. The very least he can do is this. If this brave woman is going to die he should keep vigil and watch her fight until the end.

"Please talk to me? Take my mind off... everything."

"I'm not sure I have anything of value to say."

"Sure you do." Ichigo's fingers tighten around his. "You look like you have plenty to say and like hearing to your voice."

"Don't do that. Don't put me at ease while you are suffering." he wants to say it, but instead his lips part and he begins telling her about finding a troublesome stray cat as a child.

~/~

"Aizen," Gin strolls along side the slightly taller brown haired angel with his hands stuffed into his long white coat to keep out the cold. "Are you sure that little thing is going to be enough? Should I pay little Ichigo a visit and-"

"This Gin," Aizen answers lifting a small glass vial filled with crimson liquid up as they climb the long winding stone steps of the cliff side. "is more than enough." With a chuckle he sets a foot on soft green grass and admires the view. Located between two great cliffs is a solitary bridge connecting the mountains. Underneath the bridge is a simple gray stone archway with twisting vines curling up from the base towards the curving top. "The Door to Heaven that the Creator sealed when he left us here so long ago. You wouldn't know it by looking at it."

"If it was a snake..." he replies with a sinister smirk plastered on his impish face. Not that Ichimaru cares about Aizen's obsession with God and all that. Mostly he is just curious to watch it all go down. "So, do we say some magic words? Go hocus patro-" his words are cut off by Aizen flicking the vial between his fingertips. Fast as light the vial whistles through the air and collides with an invisible barrier.

Gold and blue cracks appear revealing a hidden surface then with a faint vibration under their feet the two men watch as small section of stone at the very top shatters like glass. The ground begins to rumble and a loud roaring thunder echoes across heaven's skies making everyone stop and look up.

"Oooh~! I feel all tingly." Gin says watching Aizen walk over to the broken stone vault. "Say, did it occur to you that the Creator might consider this little door a rather large do not disturb sign? What are ya gonna do if he just kicks you right back out?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Ichimaru." Lifting a hand up he can barely control the pleasure streaking through his veins at this moment. His moment, his destiny. "We both know God is dead., and I'm here for something much more important." His fingertips reach out and meet a spark of resistance. Confusion smacks him. Why? He had done everything perfect! "Give me the Spear!" he yells impatiently his fist slamming hard against the barrier.

"That's far enough, Aizen!"

Exhaling a confident sigh Aizen turns around to find Ichimaru with his hands raised in surrender to the group of men clad in pure white robes. "Ah, If it isn't Juushiro Ukitake and the Quincy Honor Guard."

"This is an act of treason! Surrender at once!" Juushiro orders, his long white hair lifting off his shoulders as he draws his blade."Step away from the Sepulcher!"

"No." Sosuke replies and the flurry of action is set in motion. The dozen Quincy pull back their bows launching a barrage of blue arrows at Aizen who simply stands there as each arrow falls to the ground in front of him. Juushiro Ukitake blade divides in half becoming two identical swords and he releases a blast of electricity from the two tips aiming for Aizen's head. "I see. You are controlling the second barrier." Lifting a hand up the rogue angel swats away the attack with his palm and nods to Ichimaru. "Kill them."

~/~

"That was the first and last time I took in a stray animal." The tall black haired angel straightens his back and tries to think of something else to say. His story wasn't very interesting and Ichigo has barely made a sound in at least ten minutes. "Ichigo, can you tell me what information Aizen has that you want? Maybe I could help-" Wait, is she breathing? Yanking the cape away from her body he leans over her still form to check for signs of life. No sound, no breath, nothing is coming from her. "No, no, no." he says, pulling her limp body into his arms and holding his hand to her cold cheek. "Breathe Ichigo." Sucking in a deep breath he covers her lips breathing air into her lungs. "Please don't die!"Lifting his head to the side his ear lingers near her lips, his eyes slipping shut in concentration. The panic under his skin rises with each ticking second of silence. He breathes into her mouth again but without a response.

Water in the nearby pool begins to churn drawing Byakuya to look up in surprise as the shape of a man's arching back breaks the surface. Instantly pulling Ichigo's limp body to his side, his hand clenches his blade preparing to strike the stranger down. "What do you want?"

"Ah, it hurts like hell..."

There is something strangely familiar about this man's voice. Blinking in confusion Byakuya stares at the shape of man's naked form rising from the water. Only a simple chain of gold dangles around the man's heavily scarred chest. With water still dripping in ribbons from his tan skin and the bit of hair on his chin the man looks threatening and a considerable adversary. Scars... deep and old riddle the man's body practically head to toe. This person's body is a battleground. Looking up at his face it becomes clear this isn't a typical man at all. With those bold crimson eyes staring not at him, but to the woman tucked into one of his arms. "Werewolf, I won't let you have her."

Shaking the water from his shoulder length brown hair the man's body heat leaves a trail of thick steam in his wake as he walks unflinchingly towards Byakuya. "It's been awhile since I've had to take human form. It's me.. Starrk." he says, lifting his hand up and showing Byakuya the small blue ceramic pot with the cure inside. "I've got it."

"You can save her." Byakuya's shoulders slump in relief. She said he never failed. It was easy to assume it was her kind nature, but it's true. "I want to be someone she can count on."

~/~

Once white clad bodies now stained red in their own blood with jagged pieces of metal sticking unnaturally out from their backs and stomachs litter the grassy ground in front of the shattered archway. Unaffected by the blood bath Sosuke strolls over to the one yet living man and reaches out to curl his boney fingers around the collar of his robes. "You dispatched them just as easily as I expected. Thank you, Gin." Aizen says, tightening his grip on the collar of Juushiro Ukitake's crisp gold and white vestments. "Now... the first barrier was broken by alike blood." Tossing the man effortlessly to the foot of the doorway he crushes a pale hand under his black boot. "The second I'm guessing will be broken by your death."

"W-Who told you?" Juushiro weakly asks his body shaking in agony from the blade sliding into his back. "GAH!" Gurgling in pain he tries to focus on the man towering over him with a perverse calm expression. Evil shouldn't be so peaceful. It should moan and despise it's own cursed nature. "Who broke the pact and told you about Ichigo Kurosaki?"

"You want answers?" Aizen pushes down on the angel's hand until he can hear bones snapping like little dried twigs. "But the traitor you seek is none other than yourself."

Dropping to the grass in front of Juushiro's bold green eyes is a glint of silver instantly recognizable as his own family crest. Charred by embers along the edge the round oval shaped crest with two fishes arching over an ornate golden key. It is twisted from heat yet still retains it's gleam despite the inferno it survived years ago.

"You were there... the night the Quincy came for the child. You warned the mother and that is why we now have a Nephilim running around on earth. But I should thank you actually." Aizen nods to Gin who yanks the sword out of Juushiro's back. "Because of your meddling I can break into the Tomb of the Holy Maiden and claim the Spear of Destiny."

The barrier rumbles with a loud moan. A bright ring light erupts from the archway extending a wave of power outward. Suddenly heaven goes dark, and all across the vast skyline the angel's fall silent...

"Ho~? Something happened we didn't expect, Aizen." Ichimaru says watching Juushiro's body drop to the ground. "What do ya wanna do about it?"

"The Veil has been broken." Juushiro says reaching out to grip Aizen's ankle. "Don't take the Spear from it's resting place! What are you planning?!"

"I want to gaze upon the world below from the summit of creation." he replies bending down to look at Juushiro's seething expression. "Only then, as I stand in the same spot the creator once did will I finally know the thoughts of God." Jerking free of Juushiro's grasp Aizen turns his back on the angel bleeding into the grass with a sense of accomplishment. "Breaking the Veil is unfortunate, but changes nothing for me." The door that holds all his hope and ambitions finally lets him pass through. Wincing at the burning in his eyes he glides through the barrier refusing to wince or shut out the blinding light.

"Aizen... you will damn us all and..." Juushiro says with weight of his lungs collapsing from the internal bleeding around his lungs. "you will rule... nothingness." Coughing up blood his fists curl tight as he tries to rise but the pain is too much, his body refuses to obey. Dropping back to the ground his empty fingers slowly loosen to conjure up the faint whisper of a tiny hand grasped inside many years before.

"Don't cry... and do not be afraid of angels." he says pulling the cape from his shoulders and fastening it around the shivering girls body. "We are here to help you."

"My mom says the Creator loves me. But my dad was..."

"That's right, Ichigo-san." Juushiro smiles clicking togther the small silver disk that shines with his family crest to hold the cape together. "The Creator loves all his children." Slipping his hand inside hers the angel is stuck instantly by how warm she is. Warm and full of life to live. That is how it should be for Nephilim. They shouldn't be cursed and hunted into extinction because of their potential. This girl especially should be protected, being the child of the Princess. "We have to go." he tells the orange haired girl scooping her up in his arms and nodding to the white-haired Quincy on his right holding his own bundle in his arms.

"You... should be the one to take her home, Juushiro." The white-haired man says pulling his cape up to cover the sadness washing down his face. "Death allows forgiveness of even the deepest of sins."

"Then I will give her child to you." Juushiro touches Ichigo's forehead making the child sleep and exchanges a warm body for a cold one. "Take Ichigo somewhere safe. Tell no one, not a single soul or Angel where she ends up."

"Any other instructions?"

"Yes... make sure she is with a kind family. They should never once draw her blood in anger." Juushiro says holding Masaki's dead body tightly against his chest. "Make sure they understand.," he brandishes his white wings and darts up above his subordinate to hover momentarily. "hurting her will not be tolerated."

The voices of the past fade with his darkening vision. Turning his head to faintly make out the silhouette of his open fingers. Emptiness flows out into the darkness. It shapes itself to the hidden places and takes false shapes to survive it's isolation. He would give anything to see the little girl he pulled out of the ashes so long ago. In the end, you can die with nothing to hold onto. Just an empty hand that once did a great deed for a lost Princess. That single act of defiance is enough for Juushiro to pass on without regrets.

~/~

Dreaming comes easily for Ichigo. Floating aimlessly in a dark pool of freezing water she finds herself wandering if she has died this time. With no future to cling to she only has the tiny hopes locked inside her mind to give her a moment of peace. Swishing her legs down into the water she tilts her body to tread water.

"You can't be here."

"No..." Turning her head in the direction of the voice, she finds herself staring dumbfounded as Kaien floats above the water donned in his pure white vestments. "I should have known it was you."

"I will always watch over you." he says opening his palms and allowing the vines of Nejibana to grow rapidly down to the water to snake around Ichigo's torso. "You can't be here."

"W-Why not?" she replies feeling the flowers curl around her legs. "It's so quiet here, Kaien. It feels peaceful." The vines tighten and jerk at her body. Suddenly thrust out of the water her body flips upside down to dangle in midair. "Damn it!" Water drips from her thin leather clothing down her neck to drench her hair. Enough of this. "Eurgh..." she groans lightly trying to swing her body forward so she can cut herself free with the knife strapped to her thigh, met with an upside down frown makes her go limp and teter-totter in the vines' strong grasp. "Let me go and I will wake up!" Ichigo growls making a face right back at him.

"This isn't a dream! You are really here with me!" Kaien yells back at her tightening the vines around her chest and slipping a thin section of fresh green around her throat. "There are things here... Ichigo." he says with a menacing tone, his face splashing with a crazed expression. "...bad things. You don't want to know about them... ever. You shouldn't know about them."

"I-I'm dead?" she croaks, her fingers tugging at the vines around her neck. "Noo! I can't die yet! I have to keep my promise!"

"How are you going to keep your promise to me?! You are dead! You are going to stay in the Abyss with me forever!"

"No... I'm not ready to be here yet." Ripping at the vines suffocating her she tilts her body up enough to grab her knife from it's holster on her thigh and begins cutting the Nejibana. "I can die yet! I won't die until I find a way!" Soaked trembling fingers slip and the knife drops into the water with a dull plop.

"You are alone." Kaien says pulling her body close to his, the urge to wrap his arms around her becoming overwhelming. If only he could touch her. Just one small touch. "You are alone with only me to count on." But this isn't a dream it is real and his embrace would be lethal to her soul.

"Please don't die!" The sounds of Byakuya's voice echoes around Ichigo.

"I'm not alone." Ichigo says giving Kaien a sympathetic smile as water trickles down her face. "Someone is there, he is waiting on me. I will keep my promise. Please let me go, Kaien?" The vine instantly releases her and Ichigo points her hands out to dive into the rippling water. Soon as the cold liquid touches her fingertips she senses a hand reaching out. Struggling against the current she grabs onto it and won't let go.

"Ohh, Ichigo is waking up. Think she will be surprised at my man skin?"

"You might want to... get dressed."

"Clothes are so bothersome, Kuchiki." Starrk stands proud with both his hands on his hips and a big grin on his face. "You should try it natural once in awhile. Free the man-beast inside."

"I have no... man-beast inside of me." Byakuya replies slightly annoyed at Starrk's refusal to either change back into a wolf or put some damn clothes on! There is a woman here... a lovely woman who might feel upset to see the man-beast... as Starrk likes to call it. The fingers clenching his hand push the werewolf from his thoughts and he searches her face eager for the fluttering of her eye lids. "Ichigo...?"

"Ugh, I wake up to hear all this arguing." Ichigo mutters forcing her eyes to focus on the dark haired man sitting next to her. "Hey.."

"Hell-"

"Master!" Starrk puts his face directly in front of Byakuya's and looks down at Ichigo. "How are you feeling? You ok? I was really-"

"AHHHH!" she screams her hand instantly curling into a fist and punching the strange man with a gotee in the face. Then she looks down his chest and see's... that he is naked. "G-Get away from me! Naked pervert!"

"I told you to put some clothes on." Byakuya interjects totally satisfied with her reaction. Bad behavior should be punished.

"Awe." Sticking out his lower lip Starrk begins to pout. "I thought you would recognize my voice at least."

"S-Starrk?" Her eyes widen in surprise at the sight of her longtime friend as... well a person with skin. Starrk has skin... not fur. That is so weird. "How... why... oh so many questions."

"You recognize me!" Pushing Byakuya out of the way Starrk wraps his arms around Ichigo and squeezes. "I'm so happy!"

"Um well..." she tilts her eyes up to look at the ceiling. "I think clothes are a good idea. I-I am going to say required, ok Starrk?"

"Sure!"

Suddenly Starrk's body is gone. The werewolf darts off to find clothes and she flicks her eyes over to Byakuya anxious to avoid staring at Starrk's naked body. "So... I heard your voice." Nervously she sits up and is covered with a small blanket around her shoulders. "When I was... you know..."

"You did?" He settles the blanket around her body and sits back down. Slowly relaxing after the tension of the last hour.

"You saved me." she says reaching out to pat Byakuya's broad shoulder. "Thank you."

"I... did nothing." Byakuya softly replies keeping his eyes focused on the fire next to them. "Starrk brought the medicine. All I did was hold your hand."

"Nobody touches me." Ichigo slides her fingers into his palm interlacing their fingers tightly. "Like this?"

"I held you this way." he says pulling his fingers from between hers and wrapping his palm around her warming fingers.

"It's nice." she says squeezing her hand against his. "I haven't had my hand held since I was a little girl."

"I suppose holding hands is considered antiquated. People let go of things too easily."

"You didn't let go, Byakuya." Turning her head to meet his gaze her chest tightens and for the first time she really finds this man attractive. Not just his appearance, but he also has something strong about him. He impressed her by being an Ark but that is trivial compared to the pounding of her heart she is enduring while holding his large hand. Byakuya has a noble kindness and Ichigo likes that.

"You... have a very warm hand." he admits careful to look away from her large brown eyes turning to simmering amber from the firelight. It's the first time she has called him by name. Perhaps she is right and a little familiarity is called for. "Has anyone told you that?"

"Only you, Byakuya."

This was a very challenging chapter for me. It had a lot of difficult things to get across and I tried my very best. I want to thank Tommo, and Jay-Kun for Beta reading it and approving. At one point I almost gave up hehe^^. So thank you my readers for sticking with me. I feel this story is special. I am writing it without anyone specific in mind. Therefore it is like my baby in a weird way. I put in the things I personally like and don't focus too much on what the readers might be looking for like I do with some (Karma) of my other work. So with all humility I beg you please treat me kindly and review =). I love to hear your reactions and It puts a smile on my face. And to my anons I say thank you and I promise I am working on updates to other fic's as well. and I can't really tell you the deal with Kaien it's a secret~ kekeke! =D