Note: For anyone confused, they left Australia already, it was a side plot I decided to shorten.

Chapter Eighteen: The Eye, The Soul

In the night of death, hope sees a star, and listening love can hear the rustle of a wing.

-Robert Ingersoll

"Stop." Kagome barely managed to pull herself away from Byakuya before they were completely away from the battle. Her and his hair wildly blowing in the tempest like winds playing over the city. The destructive force of nature nearby wanting to buffer them even at the distance. "We can't just leave him! He's been injured."
"So have you Kagome." Byakuya frowned vaguely at her pulling away from him. "Do you really think he can't take care of things himself? If anyone on that field needs help Kagome it's the others. Please come, I don't want to have to drag you away."

She chewed on her lip a moment, but further flashes of lightning sent shivers along her spine and she could feel her hair standing on end from more than just the wind, she held out a hand and allowed Byakuya to pull her close so they could flash step away again. She frowned then as there was a short moment of clarity in the blur, Byakuya had been caught with an arrow in a knee but hadn't buckled. He'd only paused for that short moment then they'd been off again, as if the injury to his leg had barely effected him. She couldn't even pick out a trace of pain on his face, it was a reminder of how strong he really was.

The pain in her leg was awful and she'd been grimacing sense it'd happened and doubted she could stop it even if she'd wanted to. She couldn't heal him or herself without pulling out the offending missiles or it'd just be worse later as the body would heal around them. She waited a few more minutes until they'd stopped, it was a plain field, she could still see the tornado of the Prince but it was much more distant. Winds still played with hair but not as easily now, there was a small hail still falling even from this far away.

She immediately bent to help him with the arrow that had caught the back of his knee. Noting that his fingers did clench a moment when she pulled it out. His face though was serene and she starting healing him despite his comment that she should heal herself first. She was one of few people that could get away with ignoring those sorts of requests.

"Shatter. Senbonzakura." The intonation was familiar by this time but she looked up from her quick healing spell to the field. She didn't see anyone there which was confusing as she hadn't seen him use his blade without cause very often. "Heal yourself Kagome."

"Right." She looked back down, stressed but still in enough pain to want to listen now that she'd tended his wounds. Pushing the arrow through her leg, it'd caught the side and it would be easier than pulling it free, through to keep from crying out she had to bite so deeply into her lip she tasted blood welling from it. She took a deep breath after it was free aware that the petal like pieces of senbonzakura were in the air, if she hadn't been worried about the nasty black like color her skin had taken around the wound in her leg she would have paused to admire it. She closed her eyes and held her hands over the bleeding, feeling the warmth that came with the healing, though it only lasted a short moment before she faltered, it was more difficult to heal herself than others.

Her eyes flickered back open and she frowned at the still horribly black mark on her hip, it had closed but her veins seemed to be black reaching out from it for a while. She knew it couldn't be good, whatever it was. She didn't have time to dwell though, she looked back up to see that she was covered in a semi-circle pink barrier and she couldn't make out what was happening beyond. Byakuya was fighting what seemed to be more than one person, she wanted to help but it seemed a bad idea to move into the undulating wall of blades around her. Instead she looked back at her leg and closed her eyes, trying to heal herself again.

A horrible coldness took over her body and she spasmed, arms pulling away from the leg as her body slammed back against the thankfully soft earth before her entire body tensed and pulled in on itself, leaving her curled on her side in a fetal like position. She couldn't see anything but green and pink and it was a horrible feeling losing control of her body. It only lasted about 10 seconds but she was hesitant to move her arms at first, rubbing them both before pushing herself to a sitting position, frowning at the black spiderweb like marks extending from the wound of her leg.

"Poison." Byakuya's voice made her realize that the wall of pink around her had faded while she was looking at the wound and she looked up, finding some strength in his steel gaze. He bent next to her to look himself, apparently having missed her momentary loss of control. He was doing a marvelous job of keeping the frown from his face.

"But, your wound is fine." She noted, looking at the place where his leg was visible through the hole in his pants. "I can't heal mine."

Byakuya glanced around again, Senbonzakura reforming the barrier it had before but now it was larger, around both of them. He bent down to her leg, holding his hand over it as he chanted lowly. The spell was one she'd heard a couple times before as a healing spell from the Prince, there were small differences but she was sure that's what it was.

The glow appeared and she felt as if she'd been shoved into the ocean in winter, an arctic chill overtaking her body as it tensed and began to shake. Though this time she blacked out and didn't get to see the horrified expression on Byakuya's face as she seized.

It didn't take Byakuya long to take the passed out girl to the 4th squad, demanding the captain's personal attention and before long he was standing by the unconscious Kagome as the gentle captain thoughtfully looked at the wound.

"It's quite wicked." The woman said in a quiet tone. "It appears to be a poison that reverses the effects of healing magic. It sort of absorbs the energy to turn it back against the host. Even if I were to use my magic on her it would only make things worse. I haven't seen poison like this before, only read about it. It's crafted from the blood of exceptionally strong hollows and those few with the ability to craft it were thought to have died out before my time. I could try to prepare an antidote but the wrong dosage could only further complicate it as well."

"What if she was in her own world?" Byakuya asked, having a hard time keeping the concern out of his voice. He may as well have stabbed her when he tried to heal her...

"I am uncertain. It could possibly help. Talking to Urahara might do you some good as well." She suggested. "He may have studied something like this and know a good place to start for an antidote. Either way, I think returning to her world would be wise in that it would at the very least slow the effects."

"Which are?"

"If something isn't done she'll die." Unohana stated softly, she knew it had to be difficult for him to hear. "I doubt she'll regain consciousness in the meantime. Byakuya, I'm..."

Unohana paused as Byakuya had already opened a gate to the real world and was off with the unconscious girl before she could finish. It looked very bad for the young priestess...

ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo

"What's going on?" Urahara jumped up and rubbed at his eyes after he was shoved unceremoniously from his bed onto the floor with a sandaled foot. He blinked slowly at Byakuya laying a girl down on his bed instead. "Wait what?"

"I don't have time." Byakuya commented immediately, his voice harsh and demanding. "The poison effecting her. Do you know it? A hollow based blood poison that reverses the effects of healing magic?"

Outside his door, Jinta with his bat, Ururu with her gun, Tessai with a spatula from the kitchen and wearing his apron, all appeared ready for action but Urahara motioned for them to wait, he didn't want to have to replace the shop if they destroyed the whole thing.

"Well I appreciate a great noble like yourself coming to visit my humble store and all." Urahara yawned as he scratched the back of his messed blonde hair. "But I have no idea what you are talking about. It's a little late to be working, come back in the morning."

"I will not repeat myself." Byakuya stated coldly, his hand settling on the hilt of Senbonzakura.

"Whoa whoa calm down." Urahara waved his hands, stepping between his househeld ready to get themselves killed standing against the suddenly angry captain that had kicked him from his bed. "I've heard of it...but I've not seen it before."

He went to look at the girl, he'd seen pictures of her in stolen reports, she was the one that had destroyed the cleaner in the tunnels. She was much paler now, and once he settled his eyes on the horrible wound on her leg he realized why. He'd only read about it in his short days in charge of the research division but this was definitely what the few pictures had looked like. Perhaps getting up early was acceptable for this.

"Jinta, Ururu, go prepare the training room. Tessai, get the old files on hollow poison. Come on...time is needed." He added when they didn't move right away. He realized the girl wasn't doing well herself.

"Can you do something for her?" Byakuya had lowered his hand from the hilt of his blade but his voice was still heavy. He watched the ex-captain warily, having no trust for him but he could possibly be Kagome's only hope.

"I'll need the blood of the hollow that made the poison or one stronger. By the look of it, it'll take something exceptional." He stated as he continued to stare at the wound. "We don't have long, I can contact Orihime, she should be able to slow the effects...but I wouldn't give her more than a couple of days. Finding a hollow of suitable strength though...and then still having the time to create the antidote."

"The vizard." Yourichi's deep voice of her cat form stated, ignoring the dirty glare she earned from the sixth squad captain at her appearance. "What of them?"

"It should work...but the process takes some time, we'd need a few and they'd need to be here before long..." Urahara stated.

Byakuya moved to find the needed volunteers, whom he was willing to make voluntolds, but then Kagome's hand reached out and grabbed at his sleeve, the girl moaning pathetically and squirming with discomfort stopped him in his tracks. He bent closer and took her hand, frowning at the coldness of it. "Kagome?"

"...kuya..." She was hard to make out, it was as if she were feverish without the temperature. She relaxed a little though when he held her hand, grasping it very gently.

"Stay with her." Yourichi stated. "I'll try to find them, get started Urahara."

He didn't appreciate not doing anything but he couldn't bring himself to leave Kagome's side as she grabbed at him. Memories haunted him of his powerlessness during Hisana's death. "Am I destined to watch the people I love die in front of me?"

"I...I'll go get to work." Urahara thought it best to just leave them, he didn't appreciate the manner in which his help had been demanded but it wasn't the girl's fault Byakuya was a jerk and refusing to help her would only be taking it out on her instead of Byakuya. He'd find some manner in which to repay the rude awakening later.

He tried to call Orihime first but was surprised to find the usual group with Ichigo outside his door looking to help how they could, they'd felt the immense pressure from Byakuya when the captain had come.

"Ururu take Orihime to Kagome and explain what she needs to do. Try to make sure...-he- understands." Urahara explained to the girl first. "Ginta, get Ishida and Chad to help you mash up the herbs we need. Ichigo, you need to come with me, we need you to give some blood."

All of them except for Orihime and Ururu went down into the practice area where there was a lot of space. A few chairs with all forms of restraints and needles with wires had been set up in the short time and Urahara pushed Ichigo into one of them.

"Um...why am I giving blood exactly?" Ichigo asked nervously as his arms were shackled into the chair... "and why do you need these?"

"Well, we'll have to provoke out your hollow form before we take the blood. I doubt your hollow half would give it up freely." Urahara cheerfully explained to the now struggling Ichigo. "Oh come on now Ichigo, it's to save a girl, suck it up."

Chad leaned over to Ishida where they were mashing herbs in bowls nearby and commented. "Makes you glad we're not Ichigo doesn't it?"

"Uh-huh." Ishida agreed with a small nod as he watched Ichigo sigh in defeat as Urahara kept adding more restraints.

"Well, we might just have to start with Ichigo and draw out extra, I doubt the others will volunteer...if Yourichi can find them at all." Urahara said thoughtfully. "Now, this shouldn't hurt too much as long as you don't move a lot."

"How am I..." Ichigo didn't have a chance to protest more as a mouth gaurd was shoved into his mouth at his talking.

"So he doesn't bite his tongue." Ginta snickered as Ishida and Chad continued to stare. "Don't worry, he's been through worse."

"More pity." Chad commented, mashing herbs easily and quickly, several bowls ahead of the other two. Ishida nodded in silent agreement.

Upstairs meanwhile Orihime had finally been allowed to use her powers on Kagome when they were explained as not actually being healing magic. She was watching the girl sadly and trying not to look at the cold expression of the captain still seated nearby.

Kagome had begun to squirm more again after she didn't have Byakuya's hand, muttering incoherently, her expression often shifting between horror or pain with a few others hard to describe in there.

"I...don't think it's working..." Orihime commented after a moment, her flowers had told her there wasn't anything they could do before returning to her earrings.

The only consolation was that Kagome relaxed a little again when Byakuya took her hand. Her wound didn't appear worse at least and it was all he could do to keep his voice steady when he asked Orhime to let them know it didn't work.

The lump that had settled in his throat was growing like a tumor and making it harder and harder to speak at all. He didn't want to, he wanted to help but it was obvious leaving wouldn't help her at all, so he had to sit and dwell on her, the one thing he wanted to do the least.

"You know...they say sometimes it helps people if they hear others talking to them." Orihime suggested softly before she left to find the others.

He stared at her a minute longer, her face was even more shallow, whatever it was those creatures had done, it was working exceptionally quickly. He whispered, for it was all the voice he could muster. "You have to be strong...I know it must hurt but they're making you medicine now, then we'll get you feeling all better and deal with these enemies so we can get back to peace and quiet. The year is nearly up for our engagement..."

She moaned, and he had no way of knowing if his words were reaching her or not, but she wasn't squirming and muttering like before so he continued. "...we haven't even gotten to have a real ceremony yet...I know we don't need it to be official for me to consider you my wife but I would still like to see you dressed up so lovely for the day. Hard to believe it's almost been the year, you've changed everything in my world so entirely in such a short time. I love you Kagome."

He didn't know what else to say, but as she'd settled he felt it best to leave it at that. Still grasping her tiny hand in his, trying to warm it with his breath before he pulled the covers a little tighter around her, adding the captain coat of his uniform to the other blankets. She was growing steadily cooler, more than should be possible with the blankets and room temperature, a very bad sign he knew.

"It...won't work." Urahara commented as he entered the room, having sent the rest home or to bed after the failed attempts to brew an antidote... "There's...nothing I can do."

When Byakuya didn't answer him, he headed out and closed the door again, leaving him with his fiance and returning to his dining room to find himself some sake after the disappointing evening, he'd never witnessed the Kuchiki so somber and didn't want to more now. Yourichi was probably searching in vain at this point, he'd have to contact her after the drink. There wasn't anything they'd be able to do, she was either dead or would me any moment now.

A knock at his door made him frown, it was close to seven A.M. now but the store didn't even normally open until nine so he was ready to send them away. Opening the door to blink in surprise at his latest guest.

End Chapter

Aw, poor Kagome and Byakuya. Sadness. This is so hard to write lately, I'm not sure why as I love the pair so much.

-Aura

To my reviewers:

pclark - Yes, he is a dangerous when angry.

Sugar0o - Heh, some of your guesses are pretty good, but I can't say which ;)

Selenay - Sestran is a busy guy, hard holding everything together...

Courtney - Sorry, I don't really like to write lemons. I don't mind having a little leading up but I tend to let people imagine. Sometimes I get in the mood, so it's a hit or miss thing.