Author's Note: A quick update, thanks to some vacation time, for a change. XD The chapter is a bit shorter than usual, but I don't think you'll be disappointed – there is a lot packed into it. Happy New Year's everyone! Enjoy. -Lex

Chapter Nineteen: The Compass*

It was nearly an hour later that Hitsugaya and Rukia stirred, both surprised to see Ichigo alert and awake, standing with his back against the wall, a silent sentry standing watch over them. It mattered little to Ichigo that he had been reassured that no more dangers awaited them in the underground passage; he would not leave either of his companions unguarded again. He had stood watch on many a stormy night aboard the Vincent – it had given him a sense of purpose. It was the same now.

They spoke little as they gathered their things and started off back towards the Talisman, each focused upon the ultimate goal, all still quite tired and worn despite their rest. Ichigo took some comfort in the color that had returned to Rukia's cheeks and the sureness of her step – she was strong, despite her diminutive size, he reminded himself, strong enough to face what lay ahead. More than that, her soul was strong, too; he knew that as surely as he knew the spirit in his sword would not abandon him again. He had know her soul for millennia, after all.

They walked for at least five hours when the passage began to climb, as did the temperature in the cave. Ichigo knew they were nearing the place where the Talisman had been secured but, even more, he could feel its distinct presence. It was as if the cave had become alive with the energy of the stone itself and that his body was an instrument tuned to resonate with that energy – a vessel, awaiting its contents.

"How will this change me?" Ichigo wondered silently. The question was not directed to Zangetsu, but the spirit replied, nonetheless.

"The Talisman will not change your soul," Zangetsu explained, "although it is said the bearer of the stone will gain power far beyond that of any other of our people."

"And if I choose later to give up its power?" Ichigo asked.

"Death is the only way to relinquish the Talisman once you have been bound to it. Those who seek to abuse its power will either attempt to control you, or they will seek to kill you, Ichigo."

This thought was of little comfort to Ichigo, the memory from centuries ago of the dying Natyra handing him the Talisman as she took her last breath still fresh in his mind. Still, far better him than Rukia to take that risk in this lifetime, at least. He would gladly suffer to protect her from that fate. He cared little for the power the Talisman might bring him; he only knew in his soul that, this time, it was his burden to bear. He would do it for her – for all of his people.

"How will I know what to do with the stone once we find it?" Ichigo asked the sword spirit, as they drew closer.

"You will know what to do," Zangetsu replied, obtusely.

As if he had read Ichigo's thoughts, Hitsugaya, at that very moment, turned to the others and pointed ahead to what appeared to be a lit room carved into the rock. "The chamber lies ahead," he said, simply. "The Talisman lies within."

They walked quickly to the room, although none of them spoke. The room itself was not large, but its sides glowed with the same phosphorescent stone as that which lined the giant cavern which had housed Hitsugaya's community of pirates. The floor was smooth, as were the walls and the ceiling. There were no vessels here, nothing that appeared to hold any object, nor any place to dig for one.

Rukia looked at Hitsugaya in surprise. "I see nothing here," she said. "Could it have been taken?"

Hitsugaya opened his mouth to speak, but it was Ichigo that answered, "It's here. I can feel it."

"How do we retrieve it?" Rukia asked.

"I don't know," replied the turquoise-eyed boy, and both Rukia and Ichigo knew instinctively that it was the truth. "That knowledge could not rest with me; it would have been far too dangerous to know both the Talisman's location as well as how to remove it."

Ichigo frowned. "This is something I must know," he thought to Zangetsu. For a moment, Ichigo stood there, not expecting an answer particularly, but unsure of what to do. It was then that he caught a glimpse of a tiny dagger Hitsugaya's waist.

"Give me your knife," said Ichigo.

Hitsugaya's eyes lit with something like recognition, and he handed the blade to Ichigo without comment. The blade was an ancient one, its gold hilt pitted in places, some of the jewels that had encrusted the metal now gone. Ichigo held the blade in his palm, staring at it, as if it might speak to him.

"It was given to me centuries ago, not long before the Talisman was hidden," explained Hitsugaya, "when I was quite young. I was told nothing of its origins then – only that it was a relic of times past, a weapon used once in our ancient ceremonies - a valuable artifact."

Rukia looked at Ichigo and, for a moment, he saw something approaching recognition in her violet eyes, but it disappeared almost as quickly as it had come. Ichigo frowned and ran his fingertips over the razor-sharp blade, hoping for the same kind of connection he felt with his sword. Nothing happened.

"You must search for the answer in your soul," came Zangetsu's voice like a clarion call in his mind. "The answers are there."

Ichigo drew a deep breath and closed his eyes, both hands on the blade.

He stood in the center of a room much like the cave – simple and carved from the bedrock. It was not underground; he could see sunlight filtering in from the entryway. He knew this place. He had come here often. This room was the altar to the spirit world and the gateway between life and death, the entry to the well of souls and the soul domain of the priestly Druids. He was no longer Ichigo, he was Seien. A Druid, a priest, husband to the priestess Natyra.

"Natyra."

"I am here, Seien," came the familiar voice. Then a feather's touch, on his arm. He glanced over to her and she smiled at him and, in that instant, he could feel the faint life within her stir slightly. Their son!

"Why did you not tell me?" he asked her, although there was no anger in his voice, only wonder.

"I wanted you to feel his life for yourself first," she replied.

He reached over to her and she guided his hand to her belly. It looked no different than before; no one would have yet known she was with child. The joy of being the first to know made him want to cry and his heart soared.

"He bears the blood of the priests and priestesses," she said, serenely. "He will come to no harm in this place." She nodded. "Come, love. The spirits await."

"Ichigo?" Rukia's voice brought him back to reality. For a moment, he just stared at her.

"I know what to do," he said, calmly. Then, turning to Hitsugaya, he said, "You must leave, Captain Hitsugaya." His voice was commanding, full of strength and knowledge. He knew what must be done.

"And her?" Hitsugaya asked, looking at Rukia.

"She is safe here, with me," Ichigo said. The look of astonishment on Hitsugaya's face was plain. Then, with a look of understanding, the edges of his mouth turned up in the nearest thing Ichigo had seen to a smile on his face. Rukia looked slightly bewildered.

"I will wait outside," Hitsugaya replied, nodding and walking out of the chamber.

"Why must he leave?" Rukia asked, after Hitsugaya had left.

"Only a descendant of the Druid priests and priestesses is safe in the presence of the Talisman when it is unshielded," Ichigo answered, although again he wasn't exactly sure why he knew this. All he knew was that he needed her there, for what purpose, he did not know.

"The priests?" Rukia said, taken aback.

"You are descended from the priests, as am I," Ichigo answered, without embellishment.

"I am?" she asked. "How do you know this?"

"I can't tell you now, but I am sure of it."

She searched his eyes, frowning slightly. Then, without another word, she nodded.

They stood alone in the center of the room. "Take the dagger," he said, handing it to her. "You must cut me…here," he explained, pointing to a small mark on his right palm, a strange, star-shaped birthmark he had never paid much attention to.

"Cut you? But why?"

"I remember this," he said simply. "I am not sure how or why, but I know I have done this before. With you."

He added this last remark almost without thinking, and she looked at him with some surprise. Then, without another word, she reached out and held his hand in her left, the dagger in her right. For a moment, he thought he had forgotten to breathe. And then, realization flooded through him from her touch.

"Rukia," he said, finally daring to breathe again. She looked at him and he knew in that instant that the knowledge transmitted by her touch was not something of which she herself was aware. He would not tell her now; it was far too complicated to explain or even to understand.

"She will bear my child," he thought, his heart threatening to explode. "A girl, this time. Another priest." He knew instinctively that it would be weeks, possibly months before she would know of the child, the tiny spark within her. "That night, in the pirate cave…"

Enough of thinking of the future. He must do this now; he must get her out of this place and to safety. He must retrieve the Talisman so that she – so that they – might return to England and to safety. Then he could think about the implications of the life she now carried inside of her. Still, the knowledge of the new life that grew within her lifted his spirits and he felt suddenly at peace with his destiny.

"Cut me," he said, trying not to look into her eyes for fear he might betray the secret he held. She nodded, and in her face he saw the steely determination of the captain she was.

She took the knife edge and cut a thin line to follow the mark. A hair's breadth of blood appeared on the surface of his skin, and Ichigo felt his legs become suddenly weak. He fell to the hard floor, knees first, and she caught his arm to keep him from falling forward.

"Ichigo!" she said, alarmed.

"I'm alright," he replied. "It is how it should be. Just hold onto me like you are right now. I'll be just fine."

She said nothing, but held his arm steady, and she could feel a slight vibration in his body. She helped him up into a kneeling position, his weight now resting on his feet and knees.

"Give me your right hand," he said. She obliged, and as she clasped his hand in hers, the vibration intensified.

For a moment, his familiar face seemed to change, and she saw the faint outline of another face, vaguely familiar, something from a dream. But before she could ask him about what she had seen, the entire room began to glow a familiar blue. Ichigo, no longer on his knees, stood at the center of what appeared to be a cloud of energy. He was bathed in blue and white light, and his brown eyes were now as blue as the sky. Although he was standing now, his hand was still in hers and she felt a warmth where there once had been a vibration.

"Rukia," came his voice in her mind. She blinked, then smiled.

"We've both done this before, haven't we?" she mused silently, taking his other hand in hers.

"Many times," he thought, knowing that, in this place, there was little point in lying to her.

He closed his eyes and focused on the Talisman, as yet unseen, but very near. "Come," he whispered. He felt heat pulse from his heart outwards towards his fingers and toes, felt his head fill with a gentle hum, musical, songlike.

Memories swirled through his mind. The woman with the violet eyes, the lush green countryside, a small child laughing and gurgling, a peaceful village. The small house, the horses and cows grazing in a nearby field. Happiness. Peace. Then, later, the bittersweet joy of seeing their son grow to manhood, knowing that Natyra would have been so proud.

"Come," he said, louder this time. The heat grew until it felt as though he would be consumed by it.

"Come," he repeated, again. "It is time to return to the world of the living."

The sound in the chamber reached a fever pitch, the blue light swirling about. Somewhere in that light, he began to lose himself. He tried to open his eyes, but found he could not. He was falling into an abyss of light, where reality was lost and consciousness ceased to exist. He knew he could not find his way back alone. Ahead lay the valley of souls and death. He could not stop his descent.

"Come back to me, Ichigo," came a familiar voice.

"Ichigo?"

He struggled to regain his hold on reality.

"Ichigo!"

His eyes snapped open.

She threw her arms around him. "Thank God you're alright," she whispered. "For a moment there, I thought…"

"You were here to bring me back," he said, the understanding and the words coming at the same moment. "You've brought me back before. There must always be two."

She wasn't sure what he meant, but she didn't care. She held him tighter and he smiled, although he knew she could not see his face. They were sitting on the cold stone floor, the blue light now gone, the room lit as before. It was as if nothing had happened, as if they had imagined it all.

"The Talisman?" she whispered, pulling back from him slightly so she could see him more clearly. He looked up at her and her eyes grew wide.

"What is it?"

"Your eyes."

"My eyes?" he asked.

"They're blue."

Instinctively, he reached for his sword for the answer.

"You are ready, Ichigo."

He opened his right palm and smiled. In his hand lay a small blue stone. Gingerly, he picked it up in his fingers, showing it to her with wonder in his eyes. She looked back at him, questioningly.

"It could kill you Ichigo," she said, her fear growing. "Hitsugaya told me…"

"He told you that many have died trying to become one with the stone," Ichigo interrupted. "That is true. There is only one in each generation who may wield it."

"I…," she hesitated, afraid to betray her heart. Then, frowning, she threw caution to the wind and said, "I don't want to lose you, Ichigo."

He smiled at her. "You won't," he said, softly. "I am the one who is meant to wield it. I know this to the very depths of my soul. I am the one to wield it, at least in this lifetime, Rukia." "Long ago, it was you," he thought, sadly.

"This lifetime?" she repeated, startled.

"I'll explain later," he said, smiling at her again. She said nothing, but took his hands in hers. "It will be alright. I promise you. You must trust me now, as I have trusted you." She nodded and released him from her embrace.

He took the stone in his left hand and touched it to the cut on his right hand. The stone glowed deeply and Ichigo felt his eyes close unbidden, as if he were falling into a trance. For a moment he felt excruciating pain, pain worse than anything he had ever experienced. And just when he thought he could take it no more, that he would lose consciousness, the pain receded and he felt his body melt into nothingness, felt his spirit rise up out of the cave, seeking something familiar beyond the solid walls.

He saw Natyra's face, her violet eyes.

"As it once lived inside of me, beloved, the Talisman will now live in your soul, and with it, my heart, my memories," she said.

"Will she remember too?" he asked the spirit.

"The knowledge is already in her soul. She will remember when she is ready to do so. You must be patient. Her soul will remember you and us."

"I don't want to lose her again; I don't want to lose you." It made no sense, this eternity they shared, this separation. His heart felt torn into bits, like a ship battered on the rocks.

"It is not a sad thing, beloved. She is me and I am her. You and I are fated to find our way to each other over and over again. How many are fortunate enough to share eternity in this way?" She smiled, and her face was now Rukia's face.

"Just please let it last longer this time. Please let our child survive. Please promise you will not leave me too soon, that you will see her grow into a woman."

She did not answer, but smiled at him.

And then she was gone, and he was sitting in front of the living, breathing Rukia again. Her eyes were closed. He touched his right hand to her cheek and she looked at him.

"It's done. I'm fine."

For a moment, she said nothing, but put her hand on top of his. Then, looking at him with an expression he could not quite decipher, she said, "You told me you loved me. I did not answer you."

"Yes," he said, softly.

"I was afraid," she said. "I haven't been completely honest with you. I don't want to hurt you."

"Neither of us have been completely honest with each other, Rukia," he said, his face serene. "There is nothing you need to say now. There will be a time, later, for what you need to say."

"But…," she began.

"No," he said, putting his hand to her lips. "All you need to know is that I love you and that I have loved you for longer than you know." She looked at him sadly and started to speak again but, before the words could come from her lips, he had kissed her soundly on them.

"Damn you, Kurosaki," she said, completely flustered now. He grinned and stood up, offering her his hand. She raised an eyebrow and scowled, ignoring his hand. His hand was as it had always been; the Talisman was now part of his own body. "Damn you for making me fall in love with you."

There was a not-so-subtle cough from the entrance to the room and they turned to see Hitsugaya leaning comfortably against the wall.

"What now?" Rukia asked the white-haired pirate.

"The exit is up ahead," Hitsugaya replied, the knowing look now replaced by his ubiquitous scowl. "But we're sure to have company. If Aizen is a Druid, he'll have felt that the Talisman's rest has been disturbed." Ichigo frowned. "Any Druid nearby would have felt its release, Captain Kurosaki," Hitsugaya explained. "There was nothing you could have done to prevent this."

Hitsugaya gestured back towards the passage and they quickly left, climbing as they went. About a half hour later, Ichigo could smell the scent of salt water in the air and the largely stale air began to clear. He felt his heart pound – he had been away from the ocean far too long. He longed to be back aboard the Vincent.

"If you go back now, they'll hang you," he thought, bitterly, realizing that he had made his choice the moment he had defied Ichimaru Gin and aligned himself with the Druids. He never would captain a Royal Navy ship again, of that he was sure. "You've made your choice, Kurosaki."

*Compass: A navigational instrument showing the direction of the vessel in relation to the earth's geographical poles or magnetic poles. Commonly consists of a magnet aligned with the earth's magnetic field, but other technologies have also been developed, such as the gyrocompass.