Chapter Fifteen: The Beacon*

Ichigo awoke several hours later, sitting up and shivering violently. His was cold and his skin felt clammy; the cool air from the cave felt like a dip in ice water.

"Ichigo," said Rukia, who had been sleeping next to him. "You look terrible." He shook some more, and she put her hand on his forehead; it felt as though it were on fire.

"I…I'm fine," he replied, taking deep breaths and trying to stop his body from trembling. She put both hands on his forehead now, and he felt a tingling warmth from her fingers.

"Strange," she thought. She had felt fevers before; she knew how to treat them. This was completely different. She closed her eyes, trying to reach within him, looking for the source of the problem. A wave of energy like an electric shock met her hands, and she dropped his hands as if they were on fire, crying out in pain.

"Kurosaki."

Ichigo moaned and rolled onto his side. The pain in his head was electric, and he closed his eyes more tightly, ignoring the voice.

"Kurosaki." The voice was familiar.

"Get out of my head."

"I can help you, but you have to let me."

His head felt momentarily warm; then, he felt nothing. Blissful nothingness.

He was running through an open field. The wind blew, warm, through his hair and on his face. Sweat ran down his cheeks, and he wiped his eyes, which burned with the saltiness.

"Natyra." He had to find her, before they came – before it was too late. "Where are you?"

He could see the small village below. It was on fire. Even from here, he could feel the heat of the blaze.

"No!" he yelled, as he ran, panic rising.

People were fleeing up the road, into the forest – wherever they could escape the inferno. In the distance, he could see men on horseback, riding away, carrying large sacks of what he knew must be the villagers only possessions.

"Natyra!" His fear was tangible now. He had to find her.

He ran towards the village, even as the last of the villagers fled. They looked at him with eyes full of pity. He ran faster, his heart pounding in his chest, looking for the familiar house through the smoke and flame. Tears streamed down his cheeks, but it was not the acrid smoke that caused them.

He turned the corner and saw the small house – his house. All that was left were smoldering timbers, ashes. The fire had begun here. Several feet away from the smoking ruins he saw her – lying in the charred grass.

"Natyra!" He took her in his arms. She opened her eyes and looked into his, smiling when she saw his face…

"Don't you dare touch her!" yelled Ichigo, sitting up abruptly and looking into a pair of deep turquoise eyes.

"Kurosaki," said Hitsugaya, prying Ichigo's hands from around his neck and scowling, "get a hold of yourself."

Ichigo looked at his hands in shock, lifting them to his face; it was wet with tears. He looked back at the pirate, mortified. Had he nearly strangled the boy? What the hell was wrong with him?

"Ichigo," Rukia said, from behind him. He turned and saw relief on her face.

"Where am I?" Ichigo demanded, the vestiges of the murderous intent he had felt now replaced by the proper measure of righteous indignation. "What's he doing here?"

"You were ill," said Rukia. "Captain Hitsugaya was able to treat you."

"Treat me?" growled Ichigo, struggling to sit up and wiping his face with his shirtsleeves.

Hitsugaya said nothing, but glared at Ichigo. Ichigo rubbed his temples, trying to get rid of the dull ache he still felt there. He remembered waking up in the hut and the excruciating pain. He felt suddenly uncomfortable, vulnerable.

"Do you remember now?" Rukia asked, seeing his expression change.

"Hmm," Ichigo grunted, now looking around, taking in his surroundings. "Where are we?"

"My home," replied Hitsugaya, his eyes narrowed.

"You were feverish," explained Rukia, "hallucinating. I brought you here."

Ichigo stood up, wobbling slightly, his jaw tight with concentration as he struggled against lingering dizziness. "Hallucinating?" he wondered silently. "I could smell the smoke as if it were real."

"I'm tired," he said, simply, finally mastering his balance. "Thank you, Captain Hitsugaya." These last words were spoken without emotion. He turned and walked out of the door and back towards his makeshift quarters.

"What was that all about?"

"Why are you following me?" he asked, eyeing Rukia with suspicion.

"A half hour ago, you were practically dying, Ichigo," she replied, indignantly. "Do you think I'm just going to let you walk back alone?"

"What did he do to me?" Ichigo asked, ignoring her question.

"Captain Hitsugaya?" she asked. "I…" Her voice trailed off, and she looked slightly uncomfortable.

"He's a Druid," said Ichigo. It was not a question. Rukia looked down.

"Yes," she said. There was no use in trying to deny it.

"You still don't trust me, do you?" he asked, eyes narrowed.

"I…," she said, hesitating.

"Don't worry," he said, clearly irritated. "I expected nothing less." They reached the door to his hut.

"Ichigo, I…," she began, her voice trailing off under his withering gaze. He was right, of course – she didn't trust him – she couldn't trust him.

"Good night, Rukia," he said, formally, regaining his composure. He looked all the navy captain now, as he opened the door. "I'm sorry if I caused you any concern." And, before she could respond, he had closed the door behind him.

She stood there for a moment, tempted to knock, to explain. "And what would you tell him, Rukia?" she asked herself silently, withdrawing her outstretched hand. "Will you lie some more?" There was nothing she could say, she knew.

Inside the hut, Ichigo stood with his back against the door. "Fool," he thought, as he took a deep breath, "you've allowed her to get under your skin." To think that he had told her he loved her…

He pulled his still-damp shirt over his head, tossing it onto the floor and crawling under the blankets. The pillow still smelled like her, a blend of citrus and hibiscus – probably from the soap Matsumoto had given her – now, forever etched in his memory.

"Enough," he said, aloud, clenching his jaw.

He lay there, looking up at the ceiling for some time, trying to clear his mind. Images of a burning village flashed through his mind, and he again felt a stab of blinding fear and overwhelming sadness. It had been no hallucination – of that he was sure. Nor had it been a dream – it had felt all too real.

"Natyra," he thought vaguely, as he finally drifted off into a restless sleep. "Who are you?"

"What is it, Captain Kuchiki?" Hitsugaya asked, looking up at her from a very ancient, hand-drawn map to see her standing in the doorway.

"I need to speak with you," Rukia said, simply.

"Speak, then," he replied, folding up the map.

"That was no fever," she said, frowning.

"No," Hitsugaya replied.

"But you know what it was, don't you?" she asked, concerned.

"I can guess," he replied.

"The talisman," she said. She had known the answer.

"What do you know of the talisman?" he asked, turning the tables on her.

"Only that it is an ancient weapon that our people created, millennia ago," she answered.

"It is a weapon," Hitsugaya said, "but it is far more than that, as well. There are very few of our people who are powerful enough to wield it, let alone use it to its full potential."

"Ichigo," she said, walking over to the doorway and looking back to where she had left him, minutes before. "You believe he is one of those few, don't you?"

"Aye," he replied, scowling.

"Kisuke believes he is a Yamamoto – a direct descendant of the High Priestess Reika," Rukia said. "He may be right."

"He often is," said Hitsugaya, with a sigh – he knew Urahara all too well.

"Then the hallucinations, the fever…," Rukia began.

"The talisman is nearby," replied Hitsugaya, interrupting her.

"Are you also affected by it?" asked Rukia.

"No," replied Hitsugaya. "Not in that way. But I am not capable of wielding it – only priests have that ability."

"Ichigo. A priest?"

"We leave tomorrow," said Hitsugaya, putting the map inside his vest pocket. "We will need him to help us retrieve the talisman. If he is who Kisuke thinks he is, he may be the only one who will be able to keep from falling into Aizen's hands."

"When will you tell him?" she asked.

"When he has earned my trust," was the reply.

They left the underground encampment the next day, Hitsugaya having agreed, with little argument, to lead them to Aizen's hideout on Guadeloupe. At Rukia's request, Renji had agreed to go with Matsumoto to Hitsugaya's ship, which was hidden near the island.

After the events of the night before, Ichigo put little trust in either Rukia or Hitsugaya. Surely Hitsugaya had known that Ichigo, too, was a Druid. And yet, the boy had said nothing about it. The fact that Rukia had avoided discussing Ichigo's hallucination, or how Hitsugaya might have been able to treat the unexplained headache, made him all the more suspicious. Both of them knew something – something important – and they were hiding it from him.

"Where are we going?" Ichigo asked, as they walked out of the enormous cavern and headed down a passageway leading deeper underground.

"There is an ancient passage that leads beneath the water to the mainland," said Hitsugaya, wearing his trademark frown. Ichigo look surprised – if the passage connected the smaller island to Guadeloupe, why would Aizen not have found it and used it to his advantage? Anticipating Ichigo's question, Hitsugaya explained, "When I first came to this island, I sealed the passage. Aizen would not know about it."

"Sealed it?" asked Ichigo, looking at Hitsugaya with some skepticism. "How did you know about it?"

"My men and I explored nearly all the passageways that lead in and out of the cavern," Hitsugaya explained, nonplussed. "At that time, Aizen had not yet set up his base on the mainland. We sealed the tunnels so they could no longer be used." He pulled out the old map and laid it out on some rocks.

"The passage leads to the hills near Aizen's compound," Hitsugaya continued, ignoring Ichigo's belligerent attitude and pointing to the map. "We sealed these two areas." He indicated points equidistant from the entry and exit.

"What about the exit itself?" Rukia asked.

Hitsugaya looked at Ichigo for a moment. "We've used the same technique Thyilea employs for the entry to the main harbor. Any of us will be able to open that with ease." Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

Hitsugaya scowled and added, curtly, "There's no point in beating about the bush, Kurosaki. I know who you are, and you clearly have guessed about me."

They walked in silence for more than an hour before reaching another large cavern with stone steps cut into the bedrock. At the bottom of the steps, Ichigo could see what he guessed was the same river out of which he had pulled Renji only two days before. It was wider here and the current significantly faster. Several small boats were tied with chains to large rocks and Hitsugaya waved his hand over the rusting iron, which vanished, releasing one of the boats. Despite the current, the boat did not move, as if it were patiently waiting for them to step into it.

"We travel by boat from here until we reach the edge of the island," said Hitsugaya, motioning the others to step inside. "The last – the longest part – will be on foot."

There was little to do as the boat floated down the underground river; it appeared to steer itself, although Ichigo was sure he had seen Hitsugaya's hand glow slightly and touch the wood from time to time. This boy was truly a mystery, and, with each passing minute Ichigo spent in his company, Ichigo became more and more convinced that both of his companions were hiding something.

Rukia, for her part, did not try to engage Ichigo in small talk and, for that, Ichigo was thankful. Although he would not admit it, even to himself, he felt betrayed. It had been a mistake, revealing the depth of his feelings to her, and he resolved that it would not happen again.

It was as they floating down the narrow river that he first heard it – a voice, echoing through the near-darkness. At first, he thought it was just the sound of the water lapping against the walls as they moved, but then he heard it again, more clearly this time. A woman's voice.

"Seien."

"Did you hear that?" he asked his companions.

"Hear what?" asked Hitsugaya, turning back to look at Ichigo with his usual glacial expression.

"I heard something," Ichigo said.

"What did you hear?" Rukia asked, and Ichigo thought he saw the flicker of something in her eyes.

"A woman's voice," Ichigo said, frowning. "Calling to me."

Hitsugaya did not look at Ichigo.

"I didn't hear anything," said Rukia, putting her hand to his face. He pushed her hand away, his eyes narrowed. She looked clearly uncomfortable now.

"I'm not sick, and I'm not imagining it," growled Ichigo. His head had begun to throb again.

"Seien, I am waiting for you." The voice was in his mind; he was convinced of it.

"What the hell is happening to me?" he thought, absentmindedly rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Who is Natyra, Captain Hitsugaya?" he asked, to Rukia's audible gasp. Hitsugaya did not reply.

"Dammit," said Ichigo, his voice low. "I've had just about enough of this."

The boat stopped abruptly, and Hitsugaya turned around. Ichigo had drawn his sword and stuck it into the rocks on the side of the cave, holding them in place.

"This is hardly the time for…," began Hitsugaya.

"This damn well is the time," said Ichigo. His face was set, his jaw tight. "I'm not going any further with you unless I get answers, Hitsugaya, or whatever your name is."

The white-haired boy glared at Ichigo, his turquoise eyes burning with anger. "You're a fool, Kurosaki," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Not a fool," Ichigo replied, looking pointedly at Rukia. "An officer of the Royal Navy who has pledged his loyalty to the Crown."

"Then you are misguided," Hitsugaya replied, with a frown.

"Tell me, then, how I am misguided," Ichigo said, laying his left hand gently on the side of the wooden boat.

"Ichigo," said Rukia, "please stop."

"No." There was no anger in his voice; it was cold.

"You will only hurt yourself, Kurosaki," said Hitsugaya.

Ichigo's left hand began to glow, and he felt Zangetsu's blade grow warm in his right. The boat began to vibrate slightly.

"Tell me who you are," said Ichigo, evenly.

"You don't need me to tell you," Hitsugaya replied.

"I know what you are," Ichigo responded, as the boat began to glow whitish-blue. "Now tell me who you are. You're hardly a child."

"Ichigo," said Rukia, "please. He is not your enemy."

"Then tell me what I need to know," Ichigo said, his eyes still trained on Hitsugaya. Rukia said nothing. "You've already asked more than enough of me. I am only asking for the truth. Where are we going, really?"

"Come, Seien."

Ichigo closed his eyes, breathing deeply as the pain in his head intensified. It would soon become too overwhelming, and he knew there was little time before he lost consciousness, as he had done before. Hitsugaya's face looked out of focus, blurry.

"Tell me, Hitsugaya."

"Stop this," commanded Hitsugaya, raising his right hand. A burst of blue fire flew at Ichigo, illuminating the cave and momentarily blinding Ichigo. Ichigo pulled his sword from out of the stone, releasing the boat.

"Lead me, Zangetsu," he thought, pointing his sword at where he had last seen Hitsugaya.

There was a deafening sound, as Ichigo's attack met something solid. The boat shook wildly, careening down the river, uncontrolled, hitting the side of the cave and smashing into pieces.

"Seien," he heard the woman's voice say, as he felt the icy water swallow him and he began to lose consciousness.

"Natyra," he gasped, coughing as the acrid smoke burned his throat. He took her in his arms; she was pale, her breathing shallow. He looked down and saw a dagger, protruding from her chest.

"Seien," she whispered, her eyes barely open.

"I've got to get you out of here," he said, urgently.

"No," she said, her voice stronger, insistent.

"Roku. Where is Roku?" The fear was almost overwhelming. He looked around, frantic. He would die if anything happened to the child.

"Our son is safe. They will not find him." She smiled at him and he took her hand in his.

"You must take the talisman," she said.

"No," he said, shaking his head. The tears came now, unhindered. She was dying, he knew it; he could feel it in is soul.

"Please, Seien," she whispered. "You must guard it with your life now – I have no more life to offer it."

"Natyra," he whispered, as he felt her hands warm beneath his own. Where there had only been her skin against his, he now felt something solid in his hand.

"Please, keep them both safe," she whispered.

He was drowning; he couldn't breathe. There was no pain, only silence. Above him, lights shimmered – the rocks that lit the cave looked like tiny stars in an evening sky.

"It's alright," he thought, closing his eyes. "It was meant to be."

"No!" The same woman's voice, in his mind. "This is not your destiny."

"I don't believe in destiny."

"You are stronger than this. Use your power."

"Who are you?" he asked, silently. She did not answer.

"Ichigo." The voice of his sword now. "Let me guide you."

He felt himself rise out of the water, as if he were being carried by enormous hands. There was solid ground beneath him now, and he coughed, clearing the water from his lungs. He was lying next to the river. He was completely dry.

"Rukia."

He sat up, expecting to feel pain, but there was none.

"Rukia!" he said, out loud. His voice echoed against the cave walls. "Hitsugaya!" There was no reply, only the sound of the rushing water. He was alone.

*Beacon: A lighted or unlighted fixed aid to navigation attached directly to the earth's surface. Lights and daybeacons both constitute beacons.