Chapter 4: Enter the Dream

(My apologies to Henka-chan for the long wait for this update. I will try to finish the next more quickly. My gratitude to Purple Light Snow (Arashi's fate will be revealed and we'll get a closer look at Ren's power as he tries to escape the shinigamis.), Nyma (I am enjoying Ren also! I will let him emerge here and then, with Henka-chan's permission may include him in other fics. He is a delightfully different and fun character. And I really like his power. But you'll see more about that soon!), Shenigmatic (lol, happens to me all the time! No worries. Thanks for your support!), and Henka-chan (Thank you so much for your patience while I worked out the details and got my ducks in a row on this. Ren is a wonderful character and I can't wait to develop him more!) Enjoy the chapter! Love, Spunky)

"So what were you able to learn from them?" Tetsuya asked as Renji emerged from the orphanage and took up a guard position beside the noble, "Does Ren's story check out?"

"Yeah, actually, it does," Renji affirmed, shaking his head and sighing in frustration, "But although his adoptive parents were able to confirm what the guy told us, we are still a long way from understanding who would want to kidnap him and take him to Las Noches. He's got no connection to Aizen Sousuke, that we know of, so it's unlikely he would have gone there willingly to help him. But then, what the hell was he doing there?"

"Did he go there on his own?" Tetsuya mused, "Or was he, indeed, abducted and taken there? He doesn't seem to have a reason to have gone there, himself."

"So, if we figure that he was grabbed and taken there, then there may be something about him that made someone want to do that...some physical thing or some power."

"But, as of yet, there is no clue as to what it was that would have made someone want to do that," Tetsuya sighed in frustration.

"And with him living in this part of the Rukongai, where full records of the citizens aren't even kept, there aren't that many places we can find information. We've already asked everyone we can find who knows this kid," Renji added.

"Well, we cannot simply return to my cousin empty-handed," Tetsuya insisted, "We must carefully retrace our steps and be sure we have left no stone unturned. "

"You've got that right," Renji agreed, "We'll keep watch here tonight and keep on looking in the morning. Maybe we missed something or someone who can make some sense of all of this."

"I hope so," Tetsuya sighed, sitting down beneath a tree and leaning back against it.

Renji smiled down at him, then joined him there. They looked up through the tree branches at the bright, full moon, admiring the bluish halo around it.

"That's really something," Renji said, observing Tetsuya's comely profile as the raven-haired noble continued to fasten his gaze upward.

The redhead's arm curled around Tetsuya, bringing a blush to the noble's fine features and igniting a very intense response in Renji's warm loins. And as much as Tetsuya had tried to escape him before, the noble sat quietly, allowing the closer contact and only stiffening slightly for a moment before relaxing again.

"See, this isn't so bad, ne Tetsuya?" Renji asked, his smile warming the raven-haired beauty to the tips of his toes, "Just sitting under this pretty moon, my arm around you and sharing some kisses?"

"I find that idea pleasant," Tetsuya answered, heat flaring on his skin, "Only do not become so focused on me that you forget why we came here."

"Deal," Renji said, closing on Tetsuya's solemn lips and teasing them into a smile with a sweet, nuzzling kiss, "Ah...now, shoot, you made my mind go blank for a minute there, Tetsuya. That's a pretty powerful little smile you have there."

"R-renji..."

His heart fluttered fitfully as the redhead's hands captured his face and Renji's lips caressed his more hungrily. His eyes closed and his heart pounded harder.

"That fleabag horse of yours isn't around here, is he?" Renji breathed into the pale shell of an ear and bringing a lovely flush to the skin, "I don't want him showing up and ruining the mood."

"Arashi is in Karakura Town," Tetsuya managed around another sweltering kiss. He can still sense my riled reiatsu and speak into my mind, but I think he is focused on his guard duty there."

"Good," the redhead whispered, nibbling gently at the soft, sensitive flesh beneath Tetsuya's chin, "No interruptions. So...you said you were riled?"

"I feel a bit dizzy."

"You're breathing too fast," Renji chuckled softly, "Try to relax. I'm not gonna do anything you don't want me too. You want me to stop and I'll stop, okay?"

"Okay," Tetsuya, "I am sorry, Renji-san, but..."

"Renji," the redhead whispered, kissing his way down the gentle slope of a fine collarbone, "Just Renji."

"Renji," Tetsuya whispered back to him, "I am sorry to be so...so..."

"Hey," the redhead said, caressing the noble's soft face and smiling warmly, "You're a shy person. I get that. You don't have to feel bad about taking your time. Just don't be surprised I feel like eating you up all at once."

"Renji!" Tetsuya gasped as the giggling redhead went after his throat again.

"Gods, you're cute, Tetsuya!" he chuckled, seeking the noble's lips again and plunging deeply into his mouth.

Tetsuya reeled at the warm, attractive taste of his red-haired suitor, his member throbbing wantonly between his trembling thighs and his slender hands holding on tightly to the other man's shoulders. He closed his eyes against the heady sensation and opened them again to find that he had been laid very gently on his back, beneath the tree. Renji's friendly, red-brown eyes gazed down into his, watching his reaction very closely.

"Tetsuya, would it be all right if I just looked at you for a minute?"

"Oh, Renji, I don't know. I..."

"I give you my word, I won't do anything. I just...want to see if when I imagine seeing you naked in the moonlight, I'm imagining you right."

"Abarai-san!"

"Hey, what happened to 'Renji' huh?" the redhead laughed, "I just want to see you...all of you, please?"

Tetsuya started to refuse, but found he couldn't look into those handsome, affectionate eyes and say anything but...

"Y-yes, all right," he said finally, closing his eyes and turning his head aside.

His heart throbbed painfully in his chest as he felt a gentle tug on the tie at his waist, and the redhead's hands slowly bared him. Then a warm palm cupped his cheek and he managed to force his eyes open. He froze as he realized that, not only had his pale, lovely body been uncovered, but that Renji had bared himself equally. He would have turned away, but was stricken and held in place by the enchanting vision of the redhead's tanned and attractively tattooed body and the even more beautiful, masculine scent of him. He couldn't think of a word to say, but only gazed raptly up at Renji, while the redhead's eyes admired his moonlit form and his lips smiled contentedly.

"Beautiful," he said, very softly, leaning forward and setting the noble's clothing back in place, "Thank you, Tetsuya."

Tetsuya remained silent as Renji covered himself again, then slid shakenly into the redhead's arms, kissing him enthusiastically and regretting the shyness that had prevented him asking Renji to touch more of him. Without quite realizing what he was doing, he moved forward onto the redhead's lap, catching a surprised breath as their piqued members touched through their clothes.

"Are you teasing me, Tetsuya?" Renji asked, nipping his earlobe.

"I don't mean to tease, I just..."

The words left him, and he bit at his lips anxiously. Renji grinned and slid a hand down his back, curving it around his bottom and coaxing him into moving so that it caused friction between them.

"Oh!" Tetsuya gasped softly, "That is...!"

Renji's other hand moved to join the first, encouraging the slow, grinding motion of Tetsuya's slender hips. Their breath shortened and their kisses increased in depth and ferocity as the two approached climax. Tetsuya blushed and turned his head away as he felt himself being overwhelmed, But Renji's hands captured his face and brought their eyes together as the sweet shudders of orgasm began. They surrendered to a final bout of powerful, open-mouthed kisses, then laid down on their backs, looking up at the stars.

"I can't tell which ones of those are really there and which ones you just made me see!" Renji laughed softly.

"I think my head is equally muddled," Tetsuya admitted, "It's a good thing Aizen Sousuke didn't appear and do something horrid to us while we were distracted. You should really get some rest and let me take the first watch tonight."

"Ah, you're probably right," Renji yawned, rolling over and stretching out on the surprised noble's chest.

"Ahem, Renji, how am I supposed to keep watch with you holding me down?"

"Well, you could always..."

He broke off suddenly as Tetsuya's eyes widened and his face went deathly pale.

"Tetsuya, what's wrong?" he asked urgently, sitting up alongside the reeling noble.

"I...I don't know!" Tetsuya gasped, "It's Arashi. I felt a surge of some kind of power strike him and then he disappeared from my mind! He is...!"

Renji's eyes rounded as Tetsuya stiffened, then slowly his body began to fade.

"Tetsuya, what's happening to you?" the redhead cried, surging forward and trying to hold onto the fading shinigami.

"I'm being p-pulled inward!" Tetsuya managed, his voice starting to fade out, "Renji, go to Byakuya-sama and tell him quickly!"

Renji stared in shock as Tetsuya disappeared completely, leaving him alone under the tree. He jumped to his feet and opened a senkaimon, then plunged inside, flash stepping as fast as he could towards Karakura Town.

"Hang in there, Tetsuya!" he panted, "We're gonna find you, okay?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya crashed down into his inner world, plunging into water, then recovering and swimming swiftly to the surface. His head broke the surface of the water, and he heard Arashi's anxious whinny, somewhere nearby. He hastened to the shore and flash stepped in the direction of the sound, sliding to a stop as the blue pixie-like spirit of his zanpakutou appeared between the cornered stallion and him.

"What are you doing?" Tetsuya gasped as a volley of ice blades erupted from the spirit's hands, "And who is that with Arashi? Answer me, Re-kuhime!"

"I do not answer to you," the spirit said coldly, her ice-blue eyes fixing on his widened ones as she loosed another powerful attack.

Tetsuya flash stepped clear of the spirit, then dashed past her, loosing a cluster of waterform copies of himself to hide his movements.

"You think I cannot see through those?" the angry spirit hissed, "Think again, intruder!"

"Intruder?" Tetsuya mused, dodging as the spirit struck at him again, "This is my inner world...ours! Why would you call me intruder? Has that man done something to your mind?"

"What are you going on about, intruder?" Re-kuhime demanded, "And don't bother trying to escape me. I am not going to let you go!"

Tetsuya reached the rearing stallion and flash stepped to his side, locking eyes with the man who had been closing in on the stallion.

"That is far enough!" he cried warningly, "What are you doing here? What are doing to my stallion and my zanpakutou?"

The young man didn't answer, but gazed at him curiously as Re-kuhime joined him and waited quietly by his side.

"I know you are Ren, that man from the Rukongai that we found in Las Noches," Tetsuya went on, "Why did you come here and what were you trying to do to Arashi? Tell me!"

"I don't want to hurt you," said Ren warningly, his eyes glowing a darker, more dangerous red-golden color and his reiatsu thickening around him, "But they wouldn't let me leave. I just wanted to go home. I tried to leave and your horse got in my way."

Tetsuya rubbed Arashi's neck bracingly, speaking a few soothing words to the nervous stallion, then addressing the Rukon youth again.

"I understand that you were frightened, being held by us like that, but you must understand that if you are connected in some way to Aizen Sousuke, we need to know. The traitor has escaped and we are trying to find and stop him before he attempts to harm anyone. You don't want to hurt anyone, you said. If that is true, then please, allow us to return to Karakura Town. We will talk, and we needn't have to chance anyone being hurt."

Ren considered the words for several long moments, still gazing into Tetsuya's widened sapphire eyes. Finally, he sighed and lowered his own eyes.

"I am sorry, shinigami noble," he said, shaking his head, "They saw me force my way into Arashi's inner world. They won't let me go unless they have no choice."

"What are you going to do?" Tetsuya demanded, raising his weapon warningly as Ren's sword came up and began to blaze a harsh, bright gold color.

"I am taking away their choices. If my power overcomes you, they will be more wary about following me. This is a warning, noble. When they wake you, tell them to leave me alone or I will strike to kill next time!"

"Stop!" cried Tetsuya, launching a volley of ice blades as Arashi did the same.

To their horror, Re-kuhime raised a hand and shattered their attacks, leaving them completely defenseless as Ren's power connected with them. The two felt a wrapping around of that blazing reiatsu, then found themselves falling.

Tetsuya crashed down onto hard, cold stone, reeling as he immediately felt the lash of a whip across his back. He turned in surprise, coming to his knees and locking eyes with a guard he remembered.

"Shigeru?" he whispered in horror.

He looked around in surprise at the changed environs.

"Kami, this is...this is Itamigiri?"

"Move along! Back to your cell, little rat!" the guard snapped, giving him a rough shove, "Or do you need another beating while you're still bleeding from the last?"

"This can't be!" Tetsuya gasped, his eyes rounding, "What did that man do to me? Where is Arashi? Have we left our inner world? What is happening?"

"Shut up, you little toad!"

"What is happening here?" asked a deeper male voice that sent hard shivers down Tetsuya's spine and weakened his legs beneath him, "Is my cousin giving you trouble, Shigeru? Here, be on your way. I will handle this."

He closed in on Tetsuya, who backed away on his hands and knees.

"What are you doing here, Orochi?" he demanded, "How is this happening?"

Then, Tetsuya remembered the last word that had trickled through, just before he and Arashi had been hit with the strange young man's power.

Akumu...

Then, this is...a nightmare? But it feels so real! I must wake up.

He continued to back away as Orochi took the whip from the guard and slowly backed him into a corner.

"This isn't real!" Tetsuya screamed, "I have to wake up! WAKE UP!"

Orochi's hand took hold of his clothing and the whip snapped across his cheek, drawing blood.

Tetsuya touched it with a shaking fingertip, staring up at his wicked cousin with disbelieving eyes.

"It can't be real! Byakuya-sama rescued me! Orochi..."

Orochi threw him back against the wall, pinning him in place and moving in close.

"You tell me if this feels real to you, Cousin," Orochi hissed, his lips curling into an evil smile.

But all that Tetsuya could do as he struck again was to scream endlessly.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ren shivered slightly as Tetsuya and Arashi were overcome and sent crashing back down into Karakura Town.

I am sorry. I didn't want to hurt you, but they had to learn that I won't let them keep me a prisoner. I am sure that once I am gone, Urahara-san can free you from the nightmares. I really don't want anything bad to happen to you.

He turned and used his power to make Re-kuhime sleep as well.

"I am going now. When you wake, please apologize to your master for me. I can tell that he is a good person. I wish it hadn't been him I had to make an example of. Tell him that if no one tries to find me again, I won't use my power to hurt them. But if they do come for me, I will defend myself."

He left the spirit sleeping and headed in the direction Tetsuya had come from. He exited from the place the young noble had entered and came down in the Rukongai, under a large tree a short distance from his parents' house. Ren looked around quickly, but found himself alone.

I can't stay here. Aizen will be looking for me and so will those shinigamis. But I can't go back to the living world either. I will have to go deeper into the Rukongai. And I must not use my powers unless I have to. If I do, either the shinigamis or Aizen will sense me!

He slipped around to the back of the house and entered through his bedroom window. The room was quiet and he heard soft voices in a nearby room.

"I am worried, Michio. He never came back and he didn't leave word. That is not like him. I think that something has happened to him."

"I agree," said the old man, "But there is nothing we can do until morning. We will go to the town official's office tomorrow and report him missing."

"What about the shinigamis that were here? Aren't they still outside?" Noa asked.

"No, I sensed their reiatsu moving away. I guess that they sensed something and went to investigate," Michio answered, "Besides, if Aizen Sousuke is involved, what could the shinigamis do, anyway? If that man is loose again and he wants our Ren, what can anyone do to stop him?"

Ren gathered a few necessary items and a small amount of money, then left a short note apologizing to his adoptive parents. He left his room and slipped away quickly, heading for the lower Rukongai.