Chapter 13

The 11th division was in uproar. More of less, the 11th division was fully back to normal in terms of the noise level. Yachiru was running everywhere with her happy go lucky, but still concerned calling to all the members. Zaraki was not letting anyone off and getting lost trying to reach the 4th division barracks. Ikkaku was back to this yelling old self, with the addition of beating aside anyone who got in his way.

The 4th division was also in the chaos of healers scrambling to dodge the 11th members while trying to get their supplies to the main room where the freshly rediscovered Yumichika lay. Renji once again sat outside the door where as Ikkaku had forced his way into the room and could be heard muttering as the healers worked endlessly on the panting, bloody man.

"Hey," Renji looked up to see Rukia in her white haori looking at him with sympathetic blue eyes. They hadn't spoken much since the betrayal of Byakuya, mostly just saying hi to each other when meeting or talking at the Taicho gatherings.

"Hey back," the red head smiled holding out his hand and gesturing to the empty seat beside him.

"You gonna be okay?" Rukia sat, accepting a cup of tea handed to her with a small smile.

"Isn't that the question you should be asking yourself?"

"Why?" Blue met brown before blue quickly looked away again.

"I know what you're thinking. Yumichika came back, so why hasn't he? Where is he?"

"He left, and I don't ever want to think about him again." Rukia rose with a flurry and turned to Renji, tears already forming on the corners of her eyes.

"You know you do not mean that."

"I do. I mean it." Rukia was crying now. "How could he? After everything he put me, he put you, he put all of us through, he just leaves."

"There has to be a reason."

"RENJI!!" Rukia screamed. "I DON'T CARE ANYMORE!!" She then ran off, leaving a stunned red head in her wake.

Right then, Unohana walked out of Yumichika's room.

"Unohana-Taicho, I apologize for the noise."

"It's fine Renji." Her smile made him shiver but at least he knew he wasn't going to die. "I was going to tell you that you may go see him now."

"Thank you."

Renji entered the room and took in the scene before him. Ikkaku had his head buried in the sheets next to the sleeping blue haired man who himself was spread out on the glowing white table. This scene, if he would describe it in the vain jerk's way, would be truly beautiful. It looked like the ceremony for a fallen angel.

"Renji," The 6th division captain jerked upwards when he say blank purple eyes staring a hole straight through him.

"YOU'RE AWAKE!" A narrowing of the eyes and a small quirk of the lips gave the red head a sigh of relief.

"I have something to tell you and do be quiet. He just fell asleep." A wave of the hand made Renji rush over the bed, careful to avoid Ikkaku's sleeping form; he sat next to ex-shinigami.

"How are you?" Renji breathed.

"I'm doing alright for what can be my current situation." Yumichika smiled, but the blankness did not leave his eyes.

"How long were you there?"

"The war ended 1 year ago, then about 6 months. The other 6 I was being transferred around the Hueco Mundo between different bases. It was more running and catching than it was being locked up."

"We're glad your back."

"I do have more news for you though."

"Huh?"

"I saw Kuchiki Byakuya." Renji spasmed and the room seemed to freeze over.

"Where," was all the red head managed as the visions of the old captain's betrayal flashed through his head.

"He was at a transfer site and we crossed paths. They were saying if I could recall, there is a prison another 60 kilometers east of the one I had been thrown in. I think that's where he should be."

"He was a prisoner?!" Renji's heart was pounding now. The dream that had repeated in his mind at least once a week came back full causing the captain to fall out of his chair, holding his face while his eyes twitched in horror.

"He didn't seem to recognize me when I saw him. I don't know. If he was a prisoner, then he was there longer than I was, how unbeautiful."

"I'll have a squad sent in immediately."

"Renji."

The tattooed man froze in his footsteps inches before the door as he watched the recovered shinigami turn his face away and laugh. It was a cruel laugh that froze him to the bones when he heard it.

"What you saw, me in my unbeautiful image; was not the worst." Renji's heart pounded.

"If what you are thinking is true, then he has been there much longer than I have and," the blank eyes bore into the burning brown. "The rest is up to you to figure out."

A swirl of a white haori, Renji was once again on route to the Hueco Mundo.

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"They're coming." A deep throated growl resonated through the cell hall. He shuddered. He wanted nothing but for that voice to go away. Please just for one day just go away and leave him alone.

"Then we should leave." Yes, do that, leave and never come back.

"No, I want one last round of fun. Where else are we supposed to be able to find such a pretty face in this world where mongrels and those stupid Menos run wild?" No, dear god no. Please no. But they were already approaching. There was no end to this, there was never going to be an end to this.

There were hands on his face now. He closed his eyes. Not now, not ever, please just have them leave him alone and yet, he knew they never would. Please, just let them stop. Those hands, make them go away, please. The red headed man echoed in the back of his mind, offering his hand, a smile on his lips, murmuring those unspoken words to him. Please, take me away from here, please. Those hands were moving now down to his mouth, tracing the straps of the object that held his screams in. They were moving. They were removing it. They were removing it?!

"Since it is the last time," the voice leered at him. "Let us finally hear that beautiful voice of yours echo through the walls." He felt the tearing and he heard a small sound, strangled and hoarse, echo through his ears.

"Who do you belong to?" More pain, more strangled gargles while the two tore him inside and outside. No more, please no more.

"SAY IT!!" No more, too much, no more. The noises were too loud now. Please, no more, no more.

No more than a whisper was heard. "You." Laughter drowned the remaining decibels.

His pride, what pride. Everything shattered and it would never be able to be picked up again.