Chapter 17: Unreal
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Come, my beloved…you belong to me. Body, mind and heart…you are mine to command. That you think you have freed yourself from me is simply an illusion. No matter what you do, you will never be free. You live and breathe at my command and I will never let you go…
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Renji's eyes strayed away from the children and came to rest on the troubled noble who stood by the window, looking out into the night. His face was still near white and his eyes flickered with unusual intensity. He left the children under Yoruichi's supervision as they began to pack for the move and went to stand next to Byakuya, slipping an arm around him.
"You okay, Byakuya?" he asked quietly.
"How can I be?" the noble responded softly, "He's somewhere outside that window, waiting for a chance to reclaim what he feels belongs to him…"
"Hey," Renji said firmly, "You are not some piece of property we're fighting over here. You are a living, breathing person, Byakuya. He has no right to try to take control of your life."
"He won't stop," the noble said, his breath making a fog on the glass, "There is something he feels he needs me to do…and whatever it is…it requires that he legitimate our marriage."
"The marriage is invalid…end of story," said Renji matter-of-factly.
"Then why is he playing these games?" asked Byakuya, "If I had ruined his plans beyond salvage, you can bet that he would have done something, not just frightening…but deadly. That he did not suggests that I am still useful to him. He is still planning to go forward with whatever he had in mind, so even our soul bonding and the conception of our child have not disrupted his plans completely. We need to know what those plans are. We need to if we plan to stop him."
"Well, truth be told, we don't know if he has realized yet what we've done. But whether he has or hasn't doesn't even matter. We will stop him, Byakuya," Renji insisted, "whatever his plans are and however he tries to do this…we will stop him."
"Yes…" whispered the noble, still gazing out into the night, "we must."
Renji glanced back at the children for a moment.
"You have your things ready to go?"
Byakuya nodded.
"I just need to change out of this," he said absently.
"Why don't you go into the next room and do that. I'll stay here with Akane, and right outside the room you'll be in."
Byakuya gave another short nod and left the room. He stepped into the next room and closed the door behind him. He dropped his shihakushou on the bed and slipped out of his yukata. As he did, he heard a soft click and the lights in the room went out, leaving the room lit only by the starlight coming in through the window.
Byakuya froze, listening for any sound, but all he could hear was the suddenly harsh sound of his breathing. He heard nothing to indicate the lights were out in the rest of the house. He reached for his shihakushou and hurriedly dressed, then returned to the door and tried to open it…only to find the door jammed. He started to call out to Renji, then caught his breath in surprise as a hand wrapped tightly around his wrist and another wrapped around his waist.
"Do not make a sound," Aizen's voice warned him.
"You're not really here," Byakuya whispered, closing his eyes, "You're just trying to frighten me…"
"I see," hissed Aizen's voice in his ear, "Then try to get away…if you can."
Byakuya twisted in his captor's arms, but found he could not pull free.
"I won't fear you!" Byakuya exclaimed.
Rough hands threw him back against the wall.
"Your body is thrown against the wall, Byakuya, but they do not hear…odd, isn't it?" Aizen's voice said mockingly, "It could be that this is just another illusion…or perhaps not. Are you so sure that I am not real?"
His captor's face moved close to his and Aizen's lips brushed against his, making him try to pull away. The hands held him in a viselike grip.
"Let me go!" he cried, twisting in Aizen's grip, "Damn you, let me go! Renji!"
He tried to pull away again and was slammed into the wall again.
"Do you really think that half-brained mongrel or any of the rest of them can protect you from me? You are mine any time that I want you. Now, do not dare to make a sound, Byakuya" Aizen whispered in his ear, "You are coming with me. And if you attempt to escape, then my forces will destroy them. This place is surrounded by high level hollows. If I order them to attack, everyone here will die. Now…come, Byakuya…"
The other's hands curled around his wrists, drawing a soft gasp from him as his spirit energy was sealed away. Aizen curled an arm around the noble, walking alongside him as they moved to the window.
"Remember…no sound…"
Byakuya's mind raced as they passed through the window and out into the darkness. He knew his soul bonding with Renji was very new, but he reached out for Renji's mind and felt the redhead's mind reach back.
"Renji! He's…here! Renji!"
"Byakuya?"
"The children! Guard the children! Get them to the basement. There is going to be a hollow attack!"
"Byakuya, where are you? Oh kami, he…! Byakuya! The others are taking the kids to the basement! Ichigo and I are coming!"
He heard footsteps pounding in the house, behind them, a door being forced open and raised voices. There was the hiss of flash steps behind them and Aizen smiled widely and turned back to look as Ichigo and Renji burst out the window and began to close in on them.
"Renji…you have to take care of Akane!" Byakuya managed, before Aizen pulled him in tightly.
"Be quiet, Byakuya," he said tersely, then he looked up at the approaching shinigamis.
"Why, Ichigo, Renji, how nice of you to see us off." He said calmly.
"Let him go," Renji said in a low growl, his weapon drawn and already glowing red.
Aizen laughed softly.
"You are persistent, Renji. But this has nothing to do with you. Byakuya and I are married. I have every right to enjoy the fruits of my marriage. And after I clean away your mongrel traces, Byakuya and I will enjoy a lovely anniversary together. We've been married for four years…and every year on this day, do you know what we do to celebrate? I use Kyouka Suigestu to take us back to our wedding day. And every year, on this day, we re-live it…moment for moment…everything."
"Bastard!" yelled Ichigo, "You have no right to take him like this!"
"I have every right!" Aizen hissed softly, "Byakuya fell before me in battle. He was what we call the spoils of war. I could have just fucked him and turned him over to my associates and the Espada, but I gave him a more civilized existence than that. He is, after all a noble and a taichou…and as such, is deserving of some protection. Renji…do you have any idea what the Espada would have done to someone like him? You think I was cruel? That I tormented him? They would have done many times worse…and when they were finished, there wouldn't have been anything left for you to find. You should be happy for him. Byakuya is holds a very important position in my plans and in my life. He is going to help put me on the throne in the spirit dimension…and after that, he and I will fill the rooms of the royal palace with our children. I assure you, there are far worse fates."
"I would rather die than to have you touch me again!" Byakuya snapped, tearing away from him and turning to run.
"Stop," Aizen said calmly, drawing his weapon.
Golden light flashed around the noble and he froze and dropped to his knees.
"Damn you!" shouted Renji, flash stepping toward Byakuya.
Aizen flash stepped suddenly and appeared between them, slashing at Renji and forcing him back, then dragging the stunned noble to his feet.
"Now then," Aizen continued in the same maddeningly calm voice, "I am taking what is mine. But don't worry. Byakuya and I are leaving a gift behind for you."
All around the house, shrieks and squeals rose up in the darkness. Hollows appeared in the air all around them and began to attack instantly. Ichigo sent swung his weapon and a blaze of spirit energy fired through the attacking hollows, destroying more than a few, but barely making a dent in the overall number. Renji flash stepped toward, reaching for Byakuya as Aizen pulled him away.
"Byakuya!" he screamed, "Fight him! Byakuya!"
"He can't," Aizen said, smiling, "I told you. He is mine. He does exactly what I want him to…and right now, he is coming with me."
"No!" cried Byakuya, suddenly breaking free of Aizen's control.
He ran for Renji as the redhead sent his blade arcing around the noble and striking at Aizen.
"Unacceptable," murmured Aizen, sending a blaze of fire that sent the noble crashing to the ground again.
The leader of the hollows flash stepped forward, his weapon slashing Renji across the chest and sending him in a long, slow fall to the ground.
"Renji!" Byakuya cried, crawling toward the fallen shinigami.
Ichigo flash stepped toward Aizen and released a fiery blast. Aizen raised his weapon, blocking Ichigo's attack. Around them, the screams of the hollows rose and rumbled the ground as their numbers continued to grow. Ichigo placed himself between the hollows and his friends and raised Zangetsu in battle readiness.
Byakuya reached for Renji, touching his face and calling the redhead's name frantically. Renji stirred and his eyes blinked open.
"Renji?" Byakuya called again worriedly.
"I'll be okay," Renji said.
"Lie still," Byakuya told him, taking Zabimaru and rising to his feet.
He placed himself between Aizen and Renji, raising Zabimaru threateningly.
"And what will you do with that?" Aizen said mockingly, slashing at the noble.
Byakuya blocked the attack and pressed forward with a blinding flurry of cuts and slashes.
"Byakuya," Aizen said reprovingly, "Your spirit energy is sealed away, so you cannot attack with kido…and the weapon you hold is not your own. You can continue to fight this all you want…but you and I both know that all I have to do is to release my zanpakutou and you will drop in your tracks. Renji is injured and needs healing. Do you want him to die waiting?"
"My fate will be no different than his Sousuke!" the noble seethed, "If he dies, I will take not one breath more than he does!"
Aizen's eyes narrowed disapprovingly.
"You need to dispense with this willfulness, Byakuya. I think you have consorted with mongrels for too long."
"Bastard!" Byakuya cried, slashing at him and catching the flesh of an arm.
Aizen frowned and the reiatsu rose dangerously around them.
"Let us end this game, Byakuya," Aizen said, raising his sword, "Shatter, Kyouka Suigetsu!"
Instantly, Byakuya found himself surrounded by copies of Aizen. He froze with Zabimaru raised, afraid to move lest he might hit Renji by mistake. Aizen flash stepped to Byakuya and pulled him close, sending a kido blast through him at point blank range. Zabimaru dropped to the ground at his feet and Byakuya fell into Aizen's arms. He remained motionless as Aizen lifted him and retreated through the rush of hollows. He smiled at Renji as the redhead struggled to his feet and retrieved Zabimaru, then used his own weapon to open a garganta. Still smiling, he fired a blast at the house, shattering a wall and setting it on fire.
"You and Ichigo had best go see to Akane," Aizen said, nearly laughing, "You wouldn't want her burnt to a crisp, now would you?"
He pressed Byakuya tightly against him and stepped through the garganta, leaving the others behind. They reappeared just outside the entrance to the main building in Las Noches.
"I told you before," he whispered to the near-senseless noble," that it was useless to try to escape me. I give you full marks for managing to get Akane away from me, but she is only going to die now."
"B-bastard!" Byakuya gasped weakly, "You said…"
"I said what you wanted to hear, Byakuya. Face it, you have played directly into my hands."
He set the noble on his feet. Byakuya tried to pull free, but kido ropes wrapped around his wrists and body, leaving him able to be led along by Aizen, but not to work his way free. His heart sank as they passed through the courtyard and into the main building of the fortress, up the stairs and down the long hall to Aizen's heavily guarded bedroom door. They entered the room and the door closed and locked with a sharp click. Aizen released the kido ropes and shoved him toward the shower.
"Wash yourself," he said off-handedly, "I am sickened by the scent of that mongrel."
Byakuya stood, staring as Aizen began to remove his clothing. He seemed to realize Byakuya hadn't moved and his eyes flared.
"You heard what I said," the leader of the hollows said warningly, "I am close to just putting you down in the prison level and letting the hollows have you, but as it is an important day, I will be somewhat lenient with you. Come now…we must prepare for our celebration, Byakuya."
"What celebration?" Byakuya asked sarcastically, backing up a step as the other approached him.
Aizen closed the distance and stood in front of Byakuya, gazing down at him with crushing intensity. Byakuya swallowed hard and stared back. One hand rose suddenly and struck him across the face and he fell back against the bathroom door. Aizen pressed his body close to the noble's and held him there, gripping his wrists painfully hard.
"Why Byakuya," he said, "I can't believe you've forgotten. It is, after all, our anniversary. One doesn't usually forget that."
He brushed his lips against the noble's ear and Byakuya flinched.
"But your mind has been busy, ne? You've been oh, so busy with your stupid little games, Byakuya, that you almost forgot altogether."
He released a puff of hot breath on the noble's throat.
"But not to worry, because I remember exactly…and I will remind you of what a beautiful night it was…but first things first…bathe!"
He opened the bathroom door and pushed the noble toward the shower.
"Well…it looks as though you picked up some poor habits while you were with him, but I will remind you what my expectations are, Byakuya."
He stopped the noble just short of the shower and tore his clothes away.
"You're not one of them anymore, Byakuya. You seem to have forgotten that you are one of us…made so by your imprisonment. Yet, I understand your confusion and will not be harsher than necessary in reminding you. Now…wash yourself."
Byakuya felt his limbs shake, but forced himself to stand still near the shower, staring back at Aizen defiantly.
"I see," said Aizen, frowning, "You appear to have completely forgotten how to obey. Let me remind you then."
He lifted Kyouka Suigetsu and closed in on the cornered noble.