Chapter 9: Shadows in Mist
(Thanks to Henka-chan for being so patient while I worked on this one! You are really sweet. :) Hope you enjoy this next installment. I will try to keep the wait short for the next. Love, Spunky)
"What's all the racket in here?" Renji complained, stepping through the open bedroom door and into Ren's room with Tetsuya at his side, "Are you guys okay?"
Immediately, the two skidded to a stop and blushed furiously at the scandalously erotic sight of the sixth division taichou, the Shiba heir and Aizen's purported offspring all nearly naked on the bed and Kisuke, standing and studying them with a flustered expression.
"S-sorry taichou, we will just..." the redhead began, backing away.
"Hold on," Kisuke warned him, "We need to talk about this, and you two should know what's going on, so stay put. Just...you three should cover up a little better."
The three men on the bed hastily adjusted their yukatas to better conceal themselves.
"Do you care to explain what you just told us?" Byakuya asked Kisuke, "Did I hear you correctly? You said that the three of us are...?"
"True resonants," Kisuke repeated, "What that means is that your reiatsu..."
"Resonates at an unusually high level," Tetsuya finished, stepping forward.
Byakuya gave his younger cousin a surprised look and Tetsuya hastened to explain.
"You remember, Byakuya-sama, that I was subject to tests and experiments while in Itamigiri, and that one of the experiments resulted in me being able to be impregnated."
"Yes, but..."
"That experiment had its root in soul resonance, that is, the level of compatible forces that exist in the reiatsu of two or more shinigamis. I was made pregnant as a prisoner because my lover and I resonated strongly enough to make it happen. But you are talking about..."
"I'm talking about three guys with exceptional powers whose reiatsu resonates almost perfectly," Kisuke answered, "The connotations of that are astounding, to say the least. And considering that resonance was behind Tetsuya-san's pregnancy, it suggests you three should proceed with extreme caution. You don't want to have any unexpected consequences."
"What the hell?" Ren exclaimed suddenly, "Are you saying that they might have knocked me up? No way! That's not possible!"
"I assure you," Kisuke said in a dead serious tone, "It is entirely possible. Why don't you ask Tetsuya-san, if you think it's not."
"Wait a minute," Renji said, frowning, "If all of this is true, does that mean that Aizen wanted Ren to have a kid? He wanted his son impregnated?"
"But why?" Tetsuya mused.
"It could be part of some plan he hatched," Kisuke concluded, "Or it could just be that it's a side effect of whatever that bastard's really up to. But think about the implications. We have Aizen's blood in the mix, mine, Ichigo's and Byakuya-san's. That is a powerful combination, and add into that Ren's developing powers. Whether or not a child was Aizen's intention, the kid's going to have alarming potential. But that brings with it another possibility. Not a good one."
"What is that?" Ichigo asked warily.
"Remember that Aizen was rejected by the hougyoku. And the reason it happened was because the hougyoku judged him to be unworthy...for whatever reason. Let's say for a moment that Aizen read that to mean that his body simply couldn't channel the power he needed."
"Kami..." Byakuya breathed, stiffening, "You don't mean to say that he could be using Ren to..."
"To create a body that can wield that kind of power," Kisuke confirmed, "But I don't think he could have anticipated the resonance between Ren and the two of you. Maybe he was going to approach this in another way and this development was unexpected."
"Well, whatever the truth, shouldn't we figure out if we got Ren pregnant?" Ichigo asked.
"I'll run a few tests," Kisuke offered, "And while I do, I want you guys to guard Ren closely. Assuming I'm right about what he was trying to use Ren to do, we need to be prepared for Aizen to come at us with all he's got. He needs to get Ren back to make his plans work."
He looked up at Tetsuya and nodded briefly.
"And Tetsuya-san, if you don't mind, I would like to run a few tests on you as well...to get some perspectives on the resonance and pregnancy."
"Of course," Tetsuya agreed readily, "That makes a great deal of sense."
"Ichigo, Renji, why don't you come with me," Byakuya said, rising and tying his yukata back in place, "We need to get dressed and then provide security here while Kisuke conducts his research."
"Sure thing Taichou," Renji answered.
"I'm with you guys," Ichigo added.
The three exited the bedroom, leaving Kisuke alone with Tetsuya and a slightly blushing Ren.
"S-so, was that really true?" Ren asked Tetsuya cautiously, "You were really pregnant before?"
"Yes," Tetsuya replied quietly, "I lost the child, but I was definitely pregnant. And it was the high level of resonance between my soul and my lover's, along with something that was done in the experiments those men did on me that caused it. The troubling thing is that because someone leaked word of Byakuya-sama's pending arrival the day of the assault on the prison, the guards destroyed much of the evidence of what the scientists there were doing. We don't know who exactly was involved or what their true intent was. And my own memories of what happened were confused by trauma. I was not able to recall anything useful afterward."
Ren let out a soft, sympathetic breath.
"I'm sorry, Tetsuya-san," he said solemnly, "Not just because of what happened to you then. I'm really sorry for hurting you and Arashi. I didn't want to. And now, I feel really horrible about it. I don't know what I was thinking."
"You were desperate," Tetsuya said in an understanding tone, "You felt trapped and you were using the means you thought necessary to escape. But I hope you know now that we are not your enemies, Ren."
"No," Ren agreed, lowering his troubled eyes, "You are acting like friends, even though I haven't treated you like friends. I don't deserve that."
"Hey, you've been through a lot," Kisuke said, shaking his head gently, "It's got to have been hell to know you're the son of the most wicked shinigami to walk the three worlds."
"Yeah," Ren sighed wearily, "But...it's not so bad that I'm also the son of the smartest guy in the three worlds. At least it makes me feel like there's a chance of getting out of all of this in one piece. But...a baby? Really? Do you really think I'm going to have a kid?"
"I have to run some tests to confirm it, but yeah, I do think I know what I'm going to find. And if I'm right, that means we've got to protect you from Aizen and make sure you don't fall back into his hands."
"While also keeping me from being captured by the Gotei 13," Ren said in a worried tone, "This is pretty scary."
"Well, you're not alone," Tetsuya assured him, meeting Ren's eyes reassuringly.
Ren felt an uncomfortable jolt inside at the young man's kindness. He swallowed hard and forced himself to look back at Tetsuya.
"Thank you. And I'm going to make you a promise, Tetsuya-san. Because you have proven yourself a real friend, I won't let anything bad happen to you...not while I live and breathe. You could have hated me and I deserve it for what I did to you. But you're not only not holding a grudge. You're showing me kindness I haven't earned at all. I will find a way to repay that."
"Oh, you don't have to..."
"Yeah, I do," Ren insisted, smiling almost shyly at Tetsuya, "When someone is good to me, I don't forget that."
"Very well," Tetsuya said, looking amused, "We shall watch out for each other, then."
"That sounds good."
"Well then, now that we've got that all patched up," Kisuke chuckled, "Let me get those tests started."
He moved forward to where Ren waited and drew samples of blood and reiatsu, then turned to Tetsuya and did likewise.
"Tessai will be here in a moment with something for the two of you to eat. I'll get to work on these samples so we can get some answers as soon as possible."
The two young men watched as Kisuke left, then Tetsuya sat down on the edge of the bed.
"This is really weird," Ren confessed, flushing slightly, "I mean, I was attracted to Byakuya-san and Ichigo-san. I'll admit that. But I didn't plan on sleeping with them."
"I think they were surprised as well," Tetsuya replied, "But I remember the strength of the resonance between my Naoki and me. It is a power unlike much that I've felt before. Ren-chan, I think that whatever comes of this situation, the three of you will find your lives changed."
"By that asshole Aizen's manipulations," Ren sighed, frowning.
Tetsuya shook his head gently and took Ren's hands in his, looking into his eyes warmly.
"Make no mistake, Aizen did not create this resonance. He only borrowed its power to manipulate you. True resonance is not just a state, but a gift that is said to be divine. If you resonate at this level, you are destined to share a powerful and meaningful connection. And that connection isn't just to mean that you will share a relationship. Gifts of this manner are meant to be used in some way for something pivotal...a fate you may not be able to see now, but that will come to you. My love for Naoki was profound, as was his for me. It led him to protect me, even at the cost of his life, so that I could live and reach Byakuya-sama's side. My growth to taichou level, my devotion to his protection and our close bond was all made possible because my lover protected me."
"I hope that doesn't mean I have to die," Ren said, looking uncomfortable.
"One never knows what his fate will be," Tetsuya said, squeezing Ren's hands gently, "But as Byakuya-sama taught me, what is important is discovering and using one's heart and power to its greatest extent to protect what means most to us."
"Huh," Ren sighed, a sadness coming into his eyes, "I would've laughed at you if you had told me that before all of this started. But now...things are really different."
Tetsuya smiled and nodded.
"But you are safe for now, and among allies."
"You mean friends, right Tetsuya-san?"
"Yes, I meant friends," Tetsuya agreed.
The two looked up and smiled as Tessai entered the room, carrying two trays of food.
"Ichigo-san and Arashi are on watch," he informed them, "The others are having lunch in the kitchen, but the boss said that the two of you should rest and eat in here."
"That looks awesome and I am completely starved!" Ren said enthusiastically, diving into his meal immediately.
Tetsuya chuckled softly and worked at his food more slowly, while Tessai watched them for a moment, then turned to leave.
"Enjoy your lunch," he said, a wicked smile taking over his face as he faced away from them.
Behind him, Ren paused, mid-bite, stiffening as an odd dizziness passed over him.
"Whoa...what the heck?"
Tetsuya blinked in surprise as he also encountered a powerful sensation of weakness and unsteadiness.
"T-tessai-san!" he gasped, catching his breath and shrinking back against Ren as Tessai turned, but didn't look at all like the man he had been.
"No!" Tetsuya cried, pressing back against Ren protectively, "How did you get in here?"
"What a useless question," Aizen said calmly, watching as the two young men struggled and tried to call out for help, "Nothing you do or say now makes any difference. You are coming with me."
"N-no!" Ren panted, stumbling onto his feet and pushing Tetsuya back as the noble tried to stand with him, "Just...just...I'll go with you, but leave him here. You don't need him, right? I'm the one you want! Just leave Tetsuya-san alone! Please, I'll go with you. Just...don't..."
"You misunderstand," Aizen said, moving closer and slipping a reiatsu suppressing band around Ren's wrist, then Tetsuya's, "This young man is very important to me. Let me inform you, I have known about Kuchiki Tetsuya since he was born in Itamigiri, and in fact, I was behind the studies and experiments testing resonance levels and invoking male pregnancy, using that method."
"What?"
"Tetsuya won't remember. He was always unconscious when I was conducting my experiments on him, but I watched over him closely, and I am pleased with how much I was able to learn because of him. He still has value, because what I intend to do to you really should be tested on someone who isn't important, and I have learned all I can from him. Still, he will serve me one more time before he dies."
"NO!"
"Understand, unlike Kisuke, I don't need to test the two of you to know that you are both carrying children."
"What?"
Aizen smiled devilishly.
"Then you...?"
"It's like Kisuke said. I intended to free your powers, then to impregnate you so that your body would act much in the way of a hougyoku and provide a soul that would be strong enough to command the hougyoku as my current body could not."
"You son of a bitch!" Ren raged, staggering forward, only to collapse just short of Aizen, "I'll kill you! I don't care what it takes. I'm gonna...!"
"Very commendable. You have strong spirits and your reiatsu is exceptional. I am proud of you, Ren. You have exceeded my expectations."
He looked up at Tetsuya, who remained barely on his feet and struggling not to fall.
"Ah yes, you will have invoked your power that allows you to slow the advance of toxins, such as the sedative I gave the two of you. but it's no matter. It won't help you. If you fight, you will lose and if you call out, they will not hear you."
Aizen stepped over Ren's fallen form and cornered Tetsuya against the wall, cupping his face in one hand and looking into his terrified blue eyes.
"It's been a long time, Kuchiki Tetsuya, since I looked you in the face. Would you like to remember?"
"No!" Tetsuya whispered breathlessly, "No, stop it! Stop!"
"I have to thank you. Without you, I couldn't have made Ren. And without him, I would have no way to command the hougyoku again."
"You are a monster!" Tetsuya gasped, tears coming to his eyes.
"What are you talking about?" Aizen chided him, "Without me, you would never have known the happiness that came from holding your lover's child inside you. You wouldn't be carrying Abarai Renji's child right now."
"But what good are those things if you just destroy them in the end!" Tetsuya sobbed softly, "It broke my heart when I lost Naoki and again when I lost our baby!"
"Shh, don't worry," Aizen breathed into his ear, making Tetsuya freeze, "I promise you that this time, you won't live to know the pain of losing them. And while we travel to Las Noches, I will indulge you in pleasant dreams to ease your mind. You deserve at least that peace as you pass from life. You have been a lovely and valuable source of information, Tetsuya."
A final flicker of powerful reiatsu dropped Tetsuya in a senseless heap at his feet. Smirking with satisfaction, Aizen collected the two and exited the room.
Down the hallway in his laboratory, Kisuke gazed intently at the screen in front of him, scowling discontentedly. His fingers tapped solemnly at the keys and he studied the screen again. He started to move his fingers again, then paused as he heard a muffled thumping in the closet.
"What the...?"
He rose out of his seat and crossed the room, reaching out and opening the door cautiously as more thumps sounded. A shocked, hissing breath escaped him as he discovered Tessai, bound in a heavy kido chain.
"Tessai!" he exclaimed.
A moment later, the truth dawned on him and he hastily shattered the kido bindings and ran back into the hallway.
"Byakuya! Renji! Ichigo, get over here!"
"What is it?" Byakuya asked, racing into the hallway with the other two men on his heels.
Kisuke gestured to the open doorway that led into Ren's room.
"He took them!" Kisuke exclaimed frantically, "He's got Ren and Tetsuya!"