Chapter 13: Shattered Bonds

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His words cut to the very heart of me. Speechless with surprise and hurt, I turned and walked away. Then I remembered what I should have thought of as he spoke. His words are never simple. And his meaning lies not so much in what he says, but in what is left unsaid.

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Byakuya turned and shifted, body and mind missing the warmth and comfort of Renji's presence. The light from the moon streamed down and fell across his sleeping form, bathing him in blue light as he slept. He moaned softly, flashes of dream and harsh memory turning and twisting in his mind until he was no longer certain exactly where the truth lay. He shivered as Aizen's voice and presence rose up out of the darkness, teasing and tormenting his mind, reminding him that even though he was free at the moment, his freedom could end very suddenly.

"Listen," Aizen's voice hissed softly, "I want you to hear something…"

"No…" he moaned, turning his face away from the moonlight.

A hand reached up to check the bonds at his wrists, then stroked his hair and caressed the back of his neck, sending hard shivers down his spine.

"Listen, Byakuya…you can hear it, right?"

He heard the sounds of someone screaming. The sound was faint…as though traveling through thick walls and barriers. And he knew the voice. He knew that voice better than his own. The sound seemed to heighten and come closer, rising out of the fog in his mind and shaking him with its strength.

"Master! Master! Are you still alive? Can you hear me?"

"Sen…"

"MASTER!"

The sound went suddenly silent, and a hard sob escaped Byakuya before he could stop it. He felt tears on his face, but with his hands bound could do nothing to hide them from the one he felt, kneeling next to his bound form and continuing to touch him with greater intensity and growing intimacy.

"Don't fear he's gone," Aizen's voice told him with feigned gentleness, "I still need the two of you. But you need to know who is in control here. You need to know that I command you and your blade, Byakuya."

"Bastard!" Byakuya shot back, "It does not matter what you do. My blade and I will never be yours to command. Do as you will, then, but do not expect we will help you. We will die before we help you to do anything!"

Aizen laughed softly.

"But you heard him…you heard the desperation, the loss of connection. You and Senbonzakura will be broken, Byakuya. I will break you and Kyoka Suigetsu will shatter the will of your zanpakutou. In the end, you will both serve me according to my dictates…and then, if you still wish it, I will kill the both of you. I enjoy tormenting you, but even I have to employ some limits."

Senbonzakura's screams rose up in his mind again.

"Listen to him, Byakuya…and just imagine what is being done to him. And while you listen, I'm sure I can find a way to make you scream as well."

The weight of Aizen's body settled along his back, reminding the noble of the scaly touch of snakeskin. He shivered again and closed his eyes, cutting away his emotions and forcing his mind to focus on one thing…silence. Senbonzakura's screams sounded like firebells in his mind, making his heart clench painfully, even as he struggled to force the feelings away. He couldn't help his zanpakutou. They were Aizen Sousuke's prisoners…taken down fighting…and continuing to fight with all of their strength. Even in pain, they were together. Aizen had made a mistake in letting him hear Senbonzakura's voice at all. He clung to the sound, using it to tune out the pain as Aizen's body invaded his. He barely registered the teeth that bit down into his shoulder, the nails that raked the soft skin along shoulder and back and the heavy thrusts that sent shocks of pain deep into his lower back. The damage didn't matter. He wasn't going to live anyway. He reached out with his mind, touching Senbonzakura's and reassuring the zanpakutou that he heard his aching cries. Very calmly, he centered on their connection…and the one way they had left to end their torment.

"Senbonzakura…it is time to remember our promise…"

"Master…"

"We cannot save ourselves."

"No…we cannot."

"Neither will we let ourselves be used…"

"Never, Master…"

"Senbonzakura…I thank you…for…everything."

"Thank you, my master…"

"Senbonzakura…I…"

Laughter broke across their connection, tearing through their thoughts and sending them reeling. Byakuya heard a final scream and his zanpakutou's voice faded.

"Senbonzakura!" he cried out in his mind, "Sen…!"

"He can't hear you," Aizen whispered in his ear, "Did you really think I would let you escape me so easily? I told you that I have plans for the two of you…and when you hear your zanpakutou's voice again, you will serve me in the carrying out of those plans."

"No…no…Sen…Sen…Senbonzakura!" Byakuya moaned, struggling to surface from the nightmare.

Another memory streaked like lightning across his mind…Standing on a training ground, his weapon burning his hand as they stepped forward to face…

"No!" he screamed, "I won't do this! I won't!"

"Fool!" hissed Aizen's voice, "You won't even remember this training…and when you stand before him in battle, you won't even know what you're doing! And he will not know what hit him! Focus!"

"I won't! I won't attack…"

"You will attack. I didn't teach this to you to have you hold back. I command your powers now, Byakuya. When I give the order, you will use that attack!"

"No!"

"Attack, Byakuya…"

"NO!"

"Attack now!"

"NO!"

"I said, attack, DAMN YOU!"

Power exploded around and through him, burning him to the core. He screamed in pain and felt his weapon shatter in his hand. He heard himself laugh as hands took hold of him and healing light flared around him.

"You will pay for this insolence, Byakuya!" Aizen hissed furiously, "and when I command it, you will attack!"

"I will die before I obey your command!" he screamed.

Something struck him across the face and stars exploded in his head and before his eyes, obscuring everything.

"We will see about that!"

He couldn't laugh anymore, couldn't cry, couldn't breathe. The pain tore across his flesh, even as the leader of the hollows struggled to heal him. Even the healing light brought pain. Byakuya sucked in a trembling breath and released it in a hard scream of agony.

"Byakuya!"

He gasped at the shock of hearing Renji's voice and forced his eyes open. He was somehow not in bed anymore, but on his hands and knees, halfway between the bed and the sword stand where Senbonzakura rested. Renji knelt at his side and he heard Kisuke sending the children scuttling back to their beds as he shut the door to the bedroom, leaving Byakuya alone with Renji.

"Wh-what…happened?" he managed in a trembling whisper.

Renji's arm curled around him and the redhead pulled him close.

"You started screaming like you were being murdered, Byakuya," Renji said in a shaken voice, "You kept saying, 'No, I won't,' then you just started screaming for Senbonzakura. Do you…want me to get your zanpakutou for you?"

Byakuya swallowed hard and stared dazedly up at the weapon in the stand. He was keenly aware of the presence of tears on his face…of the fact that he was shaking uncontrollably…and flashes of pain registered everywhere, though he could see no sign that he had been injured.

"No," Byakuya said, breathing slowly and resting his head on Renji's shoulder.

What happened? What was it that I saw?

"That must have been some nightmare," Renji said softly, stroking his hair, "Are you sure you don't want…"

"No!" he said firmly, then he stopped himself and met Renji's eyes apologetically.

Why can't I remember?

"I'm…sorry, Renji. I didn't mean to sound angry. I'm not…really, I'm not."

He expected Renji to let go of him, to move away, to still be angry, but the redhead just continued to hold him close, an arm curled around him and his chin rested on the top of the noble's head. He thought, perhaps that he should pull away, but couldn't seem to bring himself to move.

"Akane," he whispered, "She was probably frightened. Renji, could you…go and make sure she is all right?"

A warm hand touched his face.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Renji asked, bringing his face close to Byakuya's, "You're still…"

"I'm fine, Renji," he insisted, pulling free of the redhead's arms, "I'll be fine. Please, I don't want Akane to be frightened…"

"Okay," Renji said, climbing to his feet and pulling Byakuya up with him, "but as soon as she is settled, I'm coming back in here."

Byakuya nodded.

"I understand. We have…things we need to say to each other," he acknowledged, his eyes on Renji's.

The redhead placed his hands on Byakuya's face again and leaned forward, capturing his lips on a gentle kiss.

"Yeah…I know we do. I'm really glad you see that too, now."

He turned and walked out the door, closing it softly behind him. Byakuya stood in the center of the room, staring at his zanpakutou, his heart pounding oddly.

What's wrong with me? Why does even looking at that blade make me feel so cold inside?

He wrapped one arm around his midsection and forced himself forward a step. He reached out cautiously with his mind and was chilled at the silence.

Why won't you speak to me? Even with your power sealed away, I should hear your voice. You must know we are no longer with him. Why won't you break this silence? What did Kyoka Suigetsu do to you?

He stepped closer, his breath sounding strangely loud in his ears as he slowly closed the distance.

Senbonzakura…you are still there, aren't you? I'll set you free…

"Senbonzakura…" he whispered, reaching out to touch the hilt gently with his fingertips.

As his fingers came to rest on the blade, the voice of its inner spirit cracked across his mind, freezing him in place as light and fire exploded around them, shattering the blade and sending Byakuya tumbling across the room and crashing to the floor, his mind falling into blackness.

"Master…Master, I am…sorry…"

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Renji tucked Akane into bed and leaned over to kiss her gently on the forehead.

"You sure you're okay now?" he asked.

The girl nodded.

"I'm okay," she said, blinking, "but Daddy Bya looked so scared. I've only seen him look that way once when Daddy Sousuke…"

She broke of and looked down at her hands for a moment.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I know he isn't really…"

"It's okay," Renji assured her, wrapping an arm around her, "He went to a lot of trouble to make you believe those things he said. I know it's confusing. I'm just glad he didn't hurt you."

Akane's eyes began to tear.

"But he hurt Daddy Bya," she said, wiping her eyes, "I asked Mika why he grabbed Daddy Bya so hard and yelled at him like that time I saw…and she said that I should just try to forget it. I didn't want to. Daddy Bya was always so quiet and kind. I didn't know what he could have done that would make D-d…that man so mad."

Renji pulled Akane closer until the girl's head rested where Byakuya's had only minutes before. She shivered softly and sank into his embrace.

"Akane, it's going to be all right. Byakuya got you away from him. Aizen Sousuke isn't going to hurt either of you anymore. I won't let him. Our friends and I are going to keep you and Byakuya safe. Now…I'm going to send the other kids back in here and the three of you will…"

He broke off as the reiatsu around them rose dangerously, then an explosion shook the house. Renji picked up Akane and ran to the door, bursting out into the hallway. He set the girl on her feet and directed her toward Ururu and Jinta as Kisuke and Ichigo rounded the corner.

"It came from Byakuya's room!" yelled Renji, turning for Byakuya's bedroom door.

"Renji, wait!" called Kisuke.

But the redhead wasn't listening. He tore down the hallway and flash stepped into the room. A sharp gasp escaped him as he spotted Byakuya lying facedown on the floor across the room from the sword stand. The stand itself had been shattered into splinters and Senbonzakura laid in broken pieces on the floor among the remnants. Renji ran and fell to his knees beside Byakuya as Kisuke and Ichigo entered the room behind him. He heard Kisuke's sharp intake of breath.

"Gather the pieces…quickly!" he hissed.

Healing light flared around Renji's hands.

"How is he, Renji?" Kisuke asked from across the room.

"Not good," Renji said, intensifying the power flowing out of his hands and into the noble's limp form, "What the fuck happened? Did someone attack them?"

"No," Kisuke said softly, carefully picking up the shards of the metal blade, "Nothing came in from outside the room."

"Then what the hell was that?" said Ichigo, bending to help Kisuke.

Kisuke looked up at them warily.

"I think what just happened…is that Kuchiki taichou just tried to remove the seal on his blade to connect with its spirit," he said softly, "Only…someone didn't want them to connect that way. Someone or something made Senbonzakura blow himself apart. Hurry now…I have to try to heal the damage or Senbonzakura will die."

"But if that happens…" Ichigo whispered.

"Yeah," Kisuke said softly, looking back at the fallen shinigami, "we're going to lose them both!"