Love Conquers All

Chapter 3: In Memoriam

Several Years Ago

"But grandfather, I was going to…"

"No 'buts', Byakuya," the head of the Kuchiki clan replied, cutting him off. "I need some of that fruit, and the stock here in Seireitei has run out. I have important meetings to attend, or I would go to pick up some more myself."

"It's in the Rukon District, grandfather," the young Kuchiki said with a wrinkle of his nose. "Do you want me to catch some disease and die?"

Ginrei laughed at that.

"Byakuya, my boy, going into the Rukon District won't kill you. I went roaming around there many a time back in my younger days, and I had many adventures. Just go get me that fruit, kid," he finished, sinking into his chair and closing his eyes.

"You never know what else you might find."

Stupid old man.

Byakuya had forced himself to put on peasant clothes so that he would blend in easier with the swelling crowd, and he hated every minute of it. He swore that as soon as he found this fruit and bought it, he was going to burn the whole district to the ground. Looking up ahead, the young noble saw some heavy-set thugs eyeing him up like meat and instinctively reached for his zanpakuto, only to find that he had left that at home as well, in order to keep from drawing attention to himself. Not good.

"Hey, get a load of that pale-skin over there, trying to fit in," the ringleader jeered. "I bet you he's loaded."

'Pale-skin' was a derogatory nickname used by those in the Rukon District to refer to those from the Seireitei, specifically nobles; they spent very little time outside in the sun, unless it was required by their duties, and spent the rest of their days behind closed doors dealing with their affairs, hence 'pale-skin'. This meant that even if Byakuya threw on the dirtiest pile of rags he could find, there were still some things about him that would seem out of place in Rukon.

But even if he couldn't use Senbonzakura, there were other techniques he could use to bring down his opponent. Breathing in to calm down, Byakuya waited for just the right moment and executed a perfect flash step, appearing right in front of the pack's leader and knocking a few of his teeth out with a left hook. He repeated the move a few times until one of the punks caught on and grabbed Byakuya into an armlock and twisting until he heard a crack. Kuchiki didn't want to give his assailants the pleasure of hearing him scream, but after a hard kick almost broke one of his legs, he was close to giving in.

"Oi, Rama," a voice shouted out unexpectedly, "what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Beat it, Saika," the bully holding Byakuya back snarled. "We're teaching this pale-skin here a lesson. If you get in the way, we'll smack you up, too!"

Saika grinned at that, a wolfish, predatory grin that seemed to glint when paired with his bizarrely orange eyes.

"'Izat so? I'd love to see you try, coward."

The bully's eyes widened with rage and he charged, letting Byakuya go in the process. Kuchiki tested his bones to make sure none of them were broken besides his arm, and then he turned his attention to the fearless kid in front of him. He was about as tall as Byakuya, and lean, but Kuchiki could tell from looking at him that Saika was pure muscle, with a killer instinct to boot. A pair of swords was stuck into a patchy sash in imitation of a daisho, but Byakuya could tell by their look that, while the wakizashi was made of wood, the katana was actual steel. The three remaining bullies charged at Saika, their fists cocked back and murder in their shouts. The boy with orange eyes faced them down as if they were nothing more than flies, settled into a fighting stance, and put his hand on the wooden wakizashi.

Then he appeared behind the three punks faster than anything Byakuya had ever seen, even Yoruichi. He hadn't even seen the kid move, let alone draw his wakizashi and sheathe it. He expected that this was just a tactic to make his opponents wheel around and chase after him, so that they would tire out and give up. But as Saika straightened himself up, the three bullies groaned and crumpled to the ground, incapacitated.

"Hey, are you all right?"

Byakuya blinked and looked up, seeing Saika standing over him and holding out his hand. Kuchiki, his pride stinging as badly as his wounds, huffed and tried to get up on his own before pain seared his nerves and he fell to a knee.

"Whoa, slow down. How about you try not to break that leg of yours instead? C'mon, I'll help you out. I don't live that far from here, and I can patch you up good as new in no time. How about it?"

Byakuya abhorred the idea of being a charity case for some slummer, but this 'Saika' did have a point, and he seemed sincere enough. That, and just what was this guy? He had moved faster than even Byakuya could follow, and yet he hadn't leaked an ounce of reiatsu while doing it. Curiousity overcoming his pride, Kuchiki grabbed Saika's wrist and the two of them made their way to Saika's shack, Byakuya limping as the boy with orange eyes did his best to support him.

"Don't make any sudden movements, Kuchiki-sama," Saika said as he rolled up his sleeves and prepared the kido spell in his mind. "This'll be over in a second or two. Just to let you know, it might sting some."

"Just do it," Byakuya growled, impatient to be up and on his way as soon as possible, lest his bodyguards started combing the Rukon District for him and found him in this hovel.

"Whatever you say, Kuchiki-sama," Saika said with a shrug. "Just don't say I didn't warn you."

"Don't worry about… AH! Son of a bitch!"

The makeshift surgeon winced in empathy.

"Sorry about that, Kuchiki-sama, but that was the fastest way to reset the bone and heal the tissue damage at the same time."

Byakuya was silent for a few moments, his face grit with the will to endure. A few moments later, though, he relaxed and looked over at the boy who had saved his hide and then fixed up his leg, asking nothing for it in return even though he knew whom he was helping. Most other Rukon rats would be on their knees begging for money, but Saika seemed content with the way things were. One thing was for sure: this was no normal kid.

"What's your name, Saika?"

"You just said it, Kuchiki-sama."

"No, I mean your full name. And you don't have to keep calling me 'Kuchiki-sama'; Kuchiki works just as well."

"All right then, Kuchiki it is. My name is Saika Aron, but everyone just calls me Saika."

Suddenly all of the fragmented pieces fit together in a way that made sense to Byakuya and his eyes went wide. Saika wore an odd smile as a teakettle whistled in the distance.

"Well, while you ponder over whatever it was that put that stupid look on your face, I'ma go get the tea. Be right back, Kuchiki."

While Saika was off getting the tea ready, Byakuya went over the story in his head. The story of the Soul Reapers named Aron.

They had been a husband and wife, Kasumi and Ryu Aron. They had both been powerful Soul Reapers in their own right, but together they were unstoppable. Yet they both denied captaincy, claiming that their powers would be used best if they could focus on altruism and charity rather than violence and killing Hollows day after day after day. They spent so much time helping the poor that the people of Seireitei almost never saw them, but the people of the Rukon District treated the pair like celebrities. One summer Kasumi found herself with child, and that winter a boy named Saika was born. They were happy for a time, and Saika passed three years in happiness with his parents. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.

The two mighty Soul Reapers were attacked by a vengeful Hollow they had failed to completely purify some time before, and they were infected with a deadly poison before they could finish it off. They passed on to the human world a few weeks later, despite the best efforts of Squad Four's Captain Unohana and every doctor in Rukon. Captain Ukitake had made a strong push to adopt Saika, but Ryu had surviving relatives who, despite only wanting the child as a potential cash cow later in life, had guardianship of Saika as far as the law was concerned. After this the child had fallen through the cracks, and no one in Seireitei had heard from him.

"Yo, Kuchiki," Saika said as he waved a hand in front of his face, "your tea's going to get cold."

"Hm? Oh, right. My apologies, I was distracted."

"Don't worry about it."

The two of them drank in silence for a while, absorbed in their own thoughts. Not able to answer one question he had, though, Byakuya broke the quiet and asked Saika.

"So why didn't you ever go back to Seireitei? I know Captain Ukitake would probably be ecstatic to take you in."

Saika sighed.

"That place never felt like my home, Kuchiki. I'd visit it maybe once, or twice a year, tops, but Rukon was always where I felt I could be closest to my parents in spirit."

Byakuya just nodded, finishing up his tea and rising. Just as he began to leave, though, his eye caught the glint of steel and he stopped.

"Why do you just have one steel sword and then a wooden one? Why not have both be the same?"

"Because some people aren't worthy of being fought by my Zanpakuto," Saika answered. "For those people, I have the wakizashi."

"I thought only Soul Reapers had Zanpakuto."

Saika gave another wolfish grin.

"Just because I'm not technically a Soul Reaper, that doesn't mean I haven't done any training on the side."

Byakuya nodded slightly in understanding, said his farewells, and left the hut in search of the fruit he was supposed to have gotten an hour ago. He decided to keep Saika's secret, an unspoken promise from one friend to another, and just told his grandfather that night that he was right: that you could never know exactly what to expect on a journey.

A few years later, Byakuya's grandfather had passed on, leaving Byakuya the head of the whole clan. The once-impulsive, open and brash boy was replaced by a cold, regal and rule-driven individual. Still, he did not forget the friends he had made in the time before his responsibility.

"The Lady Yoruichi to see you, my Lord."

Byakuya gave a small smile at the remembrance of their childish games, but the happiness vanished from his eyes as soon as it had come.

"Send her in."

Yoruichi strode in a few moments later and bowed, getting the formalities out of the way quickly.

"I have a favor to ask of you, Kuchiki."

"Speak, and I will listen."

"I need someone to fill in as my bodyguard," she said. "My most recent one was killed in a Hollow ambush, and none of the current candidates are anywhere near strong enough to qualify for the position. Do you know anyone who might fit?"

Byakuya thought for a few moments before a pair of orange eyes flashed through his mind and he smiled.

"I know someone who would do more than fit, but he might need some persuading to work for one of the 13 Squads."

"I'll beg this guy if I have to, Kuchiki; I'm sick of working on my own. Where do I find him?"

"Go to the 70th Rukon District, and look for any kind of scuffle; I'm sure he'll show up. He goes by the name of Saika."

"Sounds like any other brawler to me."

Byakuya chuckled.

"Trust me, he's much more than a brawler."

Underworld—Present Day

Aron didn't feel the blade at his throat shaking, which showed that Rukia wasn't afraid, and yet for some reason he was still alive. Which meant she was after information, something the General had plenty of.

"You are currently in the 3rd District of the 8th Ring of the Infernal City, center of the Underworld. As for who I am, Rukia Kuchiki," Aron said, ignoring her look of surprise at knowing her name, "I am the commander of the armies of Lord Mortos, Baron of the 8th Circle, General Saika Aron."

Rukia gasped in shock and took two steps back, but kept her sword steady.

"What did you say your name was, demon?"

"Saika Aron. I was a friend of your brother's, Byakuya Kuchiki."

"That's not possible," Rukia replied. "Saika Aron was a Soul Reaper who served under Yoruichi Shihoin years ago, one of the greatest of his time. He was one of the few men my brother said he truly respected as an equal…"

"Did he?" Saika interrupted. "Well, that was nice of him."

"And he fell in battle protecting him from an Adjuchas-class Hollow. There's no way you can be him; you don't even have a Zanpakuto."

"I left it in the care of Lady Yoruichi in the event of my passing, to protect until I returned to claim it. But such words aren't going to be enough to make you believe me; look at this, and decide for yourself if this 'demon' is a liar."

Saika handed the young Kuchiki the picture he had been looking at minutes before, and her eyes went wide as she held it in her hands.

"But this… my brother has a portrait just like this, and says it was the only copy."

"I had it on my person when I passed, and so it came down here with me. I have to say it's my dearest possession; a good memory in a sea of hatred and bitterness. I'm standing above your brother, in case you were wondering."

Rukia looked at the smiling figure, who had one of his arms around Yoruichi's shoulders and his other one blocking a sword swing from Kenpachi Zaraki. Byakuya had never told Rukia who exactly this man was, other than that he was a good friend of his who had been killed by a Hollow and dragged down into Hell by the vengeful spirit as it died. A few questions here and there had revealed that this man had been named Saika Aron, who had been Yoruichi's lieutenant before becoming Captain of Squad 10.

And yet, looking between the happy face in the portrait and the older, sterner face in front of her, Rukia couldn't deny that they were the same, just separated by suffering and time. The Soul Reaper sheathed her Zanpakuto, sitting down on the bed and blinking hard.

"This is too much," she muttered. "I'm sure Ichigo can make sense of it…"

As Ichigo's name flitted across her mind, Rukia remembered what had happened before she passed out and her heart seized up, her pupils shrinking to almost nothing.

"Rukia?" Saika asked, rising from his chair. "What's wrong?"

The girl let out a howl like a wounded animal, diving at Saika with desperate rage. She just needed to strike out at something, anything, and he was the nearest target.

Saika just sighed, raising his hand and casting a binding spell with a thought. Rukia collapsed onto the floor, where she writhed like a dying fish. After waiting a few moments for her to calm down, he picked her up and placed her gently on the bed, his normally bright eyes dimmed with sadness. A situation like this would drive most people to madness or depression, and she was a heartbroken kid who had barely had enough time to realize she was in love and enjoy it before it was cruelly taken away from her.

"For what it's worth, Rukia, I'm sorry," the General said softly. "Nobody deserves a fate like this, least of all you. I can't promise you that I'll get you out of here, but I can promise you that I'll try my hardest."

Rukia's eyes softened, becoming moist this time not with fear, but with gratitude.

"Thank you."

Saika knew that he was going to be executed by his master if he was found out, but at this point he didn't really care. Hundreds of years in Hell had gotten quite repetitive, with constant power struggles that never actually changed anything, and the General was more than ready to leave.

It was a good thing, then, that he had rounded up some allies to help him out. Locking his door and barricading it with every protective spell he knew to keep his ward safe, Saika walked swiftly out to the courtyard, where two figures were waiting impatiently for him.

"I apologize for my tardiness, gentlemen," he said. "Rukia had a bit more fight in her than I thought she would.

"Didn't I tell you she was feisty?" One of the men said with a sharp smile.

"This is wasting time," the other figure stated in a monotone. "What did you call us here for, Saika-sama?"

"It's time to make our move, my friends. Are you ready?"

"Give me the word and the Guardian's history."

"Good. That's what I like to hear, Grimmjow. What about you, Ulquiorra?"

"I already have the incantations memorized."

"Excellent. Just be ready to move when I give the signal, and we're home free."

"Until Callos comes after his bride, you mean," Grimmjow said. "Then we're all dead."

"Don't give that bastard too much credit, Jagerjaques. Besides, I'm sure at least Kurosaki will throw in with us once we bring his beloved back to him, if not the 13 Squads themselves."

"So you're starting a war before you even have allies? That seems rather stupid, Saika-sama," Ulquiorra said.

"Mortos is about to make his play for domination of the rest of Hell, Schiffer, and if he pulls it off the Human World and Soul Society are both screwed regardless. We don't need them as allies, my friend," Saika said, flashing a wolfish grin.

"They need us."

"What do you mean, you can't find her?"

"I mean I can't find her. No trace of her reiatsu in the Human World or in Soul Society. She's gone."

That was not what Ichigo wanted to hear in the slightest, but he was too strung out to waste energy arguing with Urahara. If no one else could do it, he would just have to find her himself.

"I do know something that might help you, though, Ichigo. I analyzed the traces of reiatsu from the scene of the incident, and one of them appears to be demonic in origin."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed.

"A demon? From where?"

"The only place true demons come from, Ichigo. Hell."

"How would I get there?"

"You can't," Kisuke said, his eyes hard. "And even if you could, you would most likely die before you ever found Rukia down there."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take, Hat-n-Clogs. Are you sure there's no way to get there?"

Urahra sighed.

"You aren't going to stop bothering me unless I tell you, are you?"

"Absolutely not."

"And you're truly not afraid of death, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Images of the previous night flashed through Ichigo's head, memories of happiness only serving to make his heart grow darker with thoughts of hate and vengeance.

"I don't have time to be afraid right now, old man."

Urahara nodded grimly, noting the strength of Ichigo's resolve.

"There is a mountain about five miles south of here, a mountain which has a summit in the clouds. You must travel to the peak, where you will find the way. But if you die trying to get in, don't come crying back to me."

Ichigo chuckled darkly.

"Don't worry, I won't."

With that, Ichigo switched into his Soul Reaper form, left his body with Urahara, and vanished in a blur.

"Good luck, kid. You're gonna need it."

A/N: Sorry I ended this one kind of abruptly, but I didn't want it to get too long and bore people to death. Next chapter deals with the power structure in Hell, explains what happened to the Arrancar who wound up with Saika, and Rukia meets Callos face-to-face for the first time. Hope you enjoyed reading this (those who have stuck with me this far have my deep thanks), and please review if you have the time; it really helps me keep up the resolve to continue this story. Hope you enjoyed it. Until next time!