Chapter 16

There was a coolness in the air that bit at her skin, sending small shivers down her back that made her shake. Not even the warmth from behind her that wrapped itself from her neck to her feet was enough to stem the slight shivers from racking through her body.

Her eyes began to flutter open into a cave that was incredibly dark. The fire had long since burnt down to glowing coals and the twilight from outside had turned into complete night. Her eyes barely managed to break through the darkness to see the sleeping forms of the group of captains. She understood their exhaustion and understood the need to sleep. The mental strain they were experiencing was draining their energy far faster than any normal training session ever could in reality.

She tried to sit up, but she was stopped by the cloth wrapping that was tight around her midsection. There was no way she could, especially since that very cloth had her secured to the source of warmth behind her.

As she laid back down, the heavy arm that had been draped over her side tightened its grip and pulled her back down so her head was resting against the rolled haori that served as her pillow. But the pillow was hard and oddly warm and she realized that her head wasn't resting against the haori, but a bicep instead.

"Planning on going somewhere?" Came a soft, deep voice from behind her as the arm tightened around her middle and brought her closer to the warmth that felt like bliss against the chill.

"The fire... I'm freezing." Nyruki said in a whisper.

The warmth began to curl around her more as the arm her head was laying on bent and a hand came to rest on the top of her head. His other arm tugged at the pink kimono that served as their blanket and brought it up higher on their shoulders before coming to lay back over her side.

"Is that better?" He whispered as his fingers threaded through the loose strands of her hair.

Nyruki nodded, "Yes."

"Are you still in pain?" Byakuya asked, the hot breath that his words were carried on splaying across her neck as he spoke.

"I'm sore." She said as she got comfortable against him.

"As am I. The members of Squad 4 must have finished." Byakuya said, his forehead resting against the cushion of Nyruki's messed braid.

"I would think so." Nyruki softly exhaled, "Why are we still tied together then?" She asked after a moment.

"I can only speculate, but it was most likely to keep us from bleeding and buy us time to be healed." He said as his thumb began to stroke her hair.

At the gentle touch, Nyruki softly bit her lip, but ignored the roll in her stomach she thought was nerves, but it morphed into a low growl instead.

"Sorry." She said as her bottom lip slipped from between her teeth.

"Do not apologize for being hungry. With your spiritual pressure, I'm sure it is a constant sensation." He whispered.

"It is," She softly laughed, "Captain Ukitake used to say I was gonna eat him out of house and home when he brought me to the Ugendo for the first time. I had never gotten to eat so much in my life." Nyruki said, raising her arm from the ground to grip her shoulder where her fingers began to play with the hem of shallow V in his top.

"A familiar phrase; One my father used to say to me when I was a boy." Byakuya said, his thumb still softly stroking her hair just above her ear.

Nyruki simply nodded as she turned her head up slightly to bring her temple to his thumb where it continued to gently stroke. Her stomach rolled again, but this time, she was positive it was out of nerves because it smoldered deep in her gut. She was petrified that their closeness, regardless of it being because of their injury and being tied together, was going to make working as his subordinate impossible. She was petrified of the awkwardness, but despite all of that, she felt so comfortable where she was at. She was confused how someone could be scared, but comfortable at the same time and if she had to be honest with herself, she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.

"Captain?" She asked as her head sunk down against his arm.

"Hmm?" The low tone of his throat could be felt on the nape of her neck.

"Would it reflect poorly on me if I submit transfer paperwork so soon after being assigned to the 6th?" She asked with the nervous rolls getting stronger.

However, the slightest tightening of her Captain's hold on her was enough to distract her. His thumb stilled against her temple and the arm that lay over her side wrapped around her middle and somehow managed to scoot her closer. The warmth fully washed over her back and it helped so much to stave off the chill of the dark cave.

"Why consider such an action?" Byakuya asked, his thumb beginning to softly stroke once more.

"Because of this. I don't want things to become awkward. I was thinking that... perhaps it would be best I go back to the 13th." Nyruki said, her voice shaky despite being a whisper.

She felt him press his head further into her hair which brought his mouth a breath away from the nape of her neck.

"Survival is nothing to feel awkward about. None here would question that." He said as each word drifted across her skin.

Nyruki gulped and her skin shuttered as it threatened a layer of gooseflesh at the sensation of his breath against her neck. She tried to strong arm passed it, but ultimately, the gooseflesh won and erupted across her skin like a shockwave.

"Are you still cold?" He asked softly, having felt the shutter against him.

Nyruki swallowed, "Y-Yes. The fire is almost dead so there's no heat." She sighed, not actually cold anymore, in fact, she was feeling quite warm, but she was thankful regardless, for the cover story.

"Forgive me, but-" He started, only to silence when he removed his arm that was wrapped around her stomach.

She dared not look, but instead paid attention to the feeling of him shifting behind her. He tugged at the edge of his Shihakushō, slipping the hem from between her fingers and pulled it open to bare skin. His arm quickly returned as he pulled her back to him, her back against his now bare chest and without the cover of cloth, the heat from his skin instantly warmed her back far better than it had been.

"It's as you said, Captain. One must look passed awkward when trying to survive." She said as unbeknownst to her, those very same fingers that had clutched the hem of his top, began to trace short lines on his bare skin.

Neither said anything as the warmth finally began to win the war against the chill. Beneath the pink kimono, it was safe, comforting even, to be wrapped up in and pressed against him regardless of rank and title. She had always been on her own, had only ever relied on herself and to be able to count on others, to trust others, was a fledgling sensation only a few years old. She trusted these people, trusted Captain Ukitake above all else and she had put that same trust on her new Captain that proved to be a wise decision. After all, he did save their lives from the abomination with the face of her mentor and adoptive father. There was no way she couldn't trust him after that.

After awhile of simply laying there with his thumb stroking her temple, Nyruki tilted her head just a bit more. He was close enough to see despite the dark and his liquid silver eyes were closed. His breathing was steady and slow and she assumed he was asleep as she moved her hand from tracing lines on his chest to rest her palm softly against his cheek.

"Thank you for proving that you're worth trusting." She whispered ultra softly, her hand drifting down his soft cheek to his jaw.

She only left her hand there a moment before she took it away and curled into herself, her head resting lazily against his bicep. She closed her eyes and settled in, now warm, and was just on the cusp of drifting off when she felt soft warm lips resting, just resting, not moving, not pressed, just resting against the nape of her neck.

"You're welcome."

The air was far warmer. Each breath wasn't laced with a night chill from outside. She was still warm, so warm in fact that the desire to wrest herself from the set of arms surrounding her was nearly nonexistent.

However, she had to, as the others had awoken from their sleep and Captain Ukitake was knelt in front of them with his hand on her shoulder, gently shaking her awake.

"Nyruki? How are you feeling?" He asked calmly and with his trademarked soft smile in place.

She took a moment to analyze herself by gently pressing her hand against her stomach where the javelin had been. The site was sore, but she could freely move.

"Better." She whispered, unsure if the man behind her had awoken as well.

He had.

"As am I. I think we can accompany you all back to the lab to finish this." Byakuya said as his arms relinquished their hold on her.

The arm that had been draped over her side slid up, bringing his hand to splay across her stomach as his fingers snatched up the tied bow of the cloth wrapping and pulled. The fabric instantly released the tension around them both and offered their first glimpse at their flesh that had been so brutally torn.

As she sat up, Nyruki unraveled herself and looked down to inspect her wound, but hadn't been fast enough when Ukitake looked first by gently pushing aside the ripped edges of her top.

"It's not perfect, but it will have to do." Ukitake said as he helped her up before doing the same for Byakuya.

Once on his feet, Byakuya examined his own wound, and it caused a short frown to turn down his lips. Their wounds weren't perfectly healed, as the flesh was rough and angry, but it was sealed and not bleeding. Dried blood covered their skin, having turned from deep crimson to rusty brown and small, jagged edges of flesh kept snagging on their clothes. He knew both needed more time to heal, but that time would come once they were free of the delusional nightmare.

"Is everyone rested?" Byakuya asked as he rewrapped his top and tied his obi sash around his waist.

"Aye, and ready for a fight." Kenpachi said, leaning back against the stone near the mouth of the cave with his arms crossed.

"Are you two going to be able to flash step alright?" Ukitake asked with a soft sigh.

"We'll manage." Nyruki said, managing to return the smile.

"Agreed." Byakuya said simply.

Nyruki's smile broadened for a moment as she shot her Captain a glance just in time to catch the glimpse of a dying smile before he started for the entrance. Her and Ukitake followed suit and joined the group just outside in the warmer air of dawn in the Twilight Forest.

The clouds had returned to their sepia shaded light, and the light haze that kept the gigantic trees shrouded in blackness had softened just enough to separate them all into individual monoliths. The ground was still covered in brown, lifeless leaves and they softly blew in the morning breeze to rustle across the near black dirt.

"I was thinking that our best option to get back inside is to stay above ground. The sewers are deadly with those Mer-Ukitake's controlling the waterways." Kyōraku said as he slipped his hands into his sleeves and gripped his forearms.

"Agreed. Roofs only and once we get to the Squad 1 towers, we'll race up the outside wall to the barred windows." Byakuya said as he rolled his shoulders back to loosen the muscles that had stiffened during the night.

"And if we're faced with more of those creatures?" Hitsugaya asked.

"Anything you can. With any luck, there won't be time to encounter them since we're headed straight for the main tower and staying outside for as long as possible." Ukitake said.

"Then we hope he hasn't amassed them near his lab for protection." Said Komamura.

"Somehow, I doubt he did. He's focused solely on his experiments at the moment." Hitsugaya grumbled as he balled his fists tightly.

"Which is either a good thing, or a bad thing depending on his desired outcome for the 'originals'." Soi-Fon said as she air quoted the word from uncertainty of what exactly, to call their tortured visages.

"Probably full integration with our Zanpakutōs while maintaining our intelligence." Said Byakuya with a clear expression of anger and disgust written into his features.

"How could that possibly benefit him? The moment any of us have that kind of power, we would turn on him in an instant." Hitsugaya said as his white eyebrows pulled together hard.

"Not necessarily, Tōshirō. Did you see us? We were broken; Mere shadows of what we're supposed to be." Ukitake said.

"Jūshirō's right. Our spirits were broken. We were nothing but obedient dogs by that point." Kyōraku scoffed.

"The moment we're out of here, I'm headed to speak with the Head-Captain. He has to know about this." Soi-Fon said angrily.

"Perhaps we are being a bit hasty, Captain Soi-Fon. I think it best we handle this in house." Byakuya said evenly despite his expression and furrowed brows.

"What? You can't be serious!" Soi-Fon barked.

"I am. The Gotei have suffered enough loses in recent events. Losing another Captain to his own delusions would only serve as a detriment and with no one qualified to assume the rank of captain within Squad 12, we're left with self disciplining Mayuri Kurotsuchi." Byakuya explained.

"I'm afraid Captain Kuchiki is right, Captain Soi-Fon. It is our best option." Said Unohana softly.

"Then what do we do?" Soi-Fon asked.

"We will discuss that after we're free of Nyruki's inner world and Mayuri Kurotsuchi's delusions." Byakuya said.

"Lets get going. I'm aching to punch that bastard in the face." Kenpachi said with a heavy scoff from his throat.

With all in agreement, they began their journey southward, flash stepping from massive branch to massive branch, just below the tree tops.

Every movement Nyruki made, the soreness in her stomach spiked, but it was nothing she couldn't muscle through. She had been hurt before, on more than one occasion in fact, from fighting Hollow to training and so on. Being able to move through the soreness was easily done with steady breathing and a healthy helping of stubbornness.

She caught a glimpse from Ukitake as they traveled and it didn't take a whole lot of thinking to know the man was keeping an eye on her to make sure she was alright. The man was so much like a father that no amount of telling herself otherwise could make the smile fade from her face. It was a trait she adored and deep down in her heart, next to the love she held for her late father, there was a wish that Jūshirō Ukitake really was.

It didn't take long for them all to reach the outskirts of the ruined Seireitei with its blackened skies and foul stench. Nothing had changed since their exodus, but the eerie quietness that hung over them was enough to make all their stomachs quiver with uncertainty.

"There is a lot of places for those creatures to be hiding." Kyōraku said as he took his hat from his head and tossed it aside. It wasn't like he was discarding the real thing anyways.

"All the more reason to stick to the roofs." Ukitake said, studying the sight before him for any movement.

As they stood, taking in the scene for a few moments, a bright streak of lightning erupted from the tallest tower of Squad 1, arcing downwards towards the ground. It was gone within the same second it had appeared. However, it was followed by a scream that was carried on the back of the wind that whistled through the ruins. It was distant, but howling, and it echoed off of every single thing the sound could get its hands on.

The scream made Nyruki's skin crawl and she cringed because of it. Her stomach churned and a physical pain ached in her chest the longer she had to listen to it. She didn't care whose it was, didn't care whose throat had created such a sound of desperation. All she wanted was for it to stop.

"Come on. I'm done with this asshole." Nyruki growled before she sprinted forward.

No one refused as they all began to leap from rooftop to rooftop, running along the tops of the walls that hadn't been destroyed and jumping to buildings that had managed to stay standing. Their path was a straight line to the towers and once they reached the base, it was a sprint straight up.

It was a maneuver Nyruki had done on more than one occasion. She solidified her spiritual pressure beneath her feet and used the small invisible footholds to leap higher and higher up the tower's exterior. They all did it, so reaching the high, narrow windows of the tallest tower was as trivial as cutting down a simple Hollow. There were twelve of these windows, enough for each to perch in their own and peer into the lab.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi was nowhere to be seen and no one was strapped to the restraint table near the large bank of consoles and monitors. The tanks filled with colored liquid that housed the emaciated captains were quiet as all seemed to be unconscious. All but one, whose tank was empty; Byakuya Kuchiki's tank of white.

"He took your visage somewhere, Captain." Nyruki said as she shot her Captain a worried glance that reflected in his own features.

"Let us hope that he left your Zanpakutō spirit in that cage." Byakuya said as he leapt from the windowsill down to the lab floor.

"Nyruki! Up here!" Came a voice from above them.

Nyruki looked up and a sigh of relief left her lungs at great speed, "Kibōyūwaku! Are you alright?"

"Yes, but you have to get out of here! That madman finished the fusion serum!" Kibōyūwaku yelled from the cage, hanging high above near the ceiling.

"We can't yet! We've got to look through his data so we can make sure he doesn't do this for real!" Nyruki called back.

"No! You don't have the time! The fusion's complete by now! He turned your Captain first!" Kibōyūwaku boomed, her hands tightly gripping the thick bars of the cage.

Nyruki's eyes shot wide, "No-" She exhaled.

"Nyruki's right! We have to search his data!" Ukitake called out.

"By the realms! You people are just as stubborn as she is! Fine! Take these! Their power doesn't work, but at least you can defend yourselves!"

Kibōyūwaku reached through the bars and waved her hand in a wide arc as it became engulfed with the familiar inky black haze they had seen before. It left behind a long band that churned, but even in the low light of the lab, they could see it separate into several long shafts of varying lengths and shapes.

Only moments passed before the inky black shafts shot downward into the floor, sticking straight up as the blackness tightened and its lines became defined into the shape of swords.

"Outstanding!" Kyōraku cheered as he wrapped his hands around the handles of his duel Zanpakutōs and pulled them from the floor.

Each captain found and pulled their respective swords from the floor and tightly gripped them as they inspected the blades. Despite their power not being able to work, as they were simple replicas, at least they had a far better way to defend themselves should the abominations appear.

Byakuya pulled the visage of Senbonzakura from the floor and flipped it upright with a flick of his wrist and grabbed the handle without missing a beat. His fingers never even shuttered as they wrapped around the handle with enough force to crackle his knuckles.

"We do not have much time. Search the databanks." Byakuya said as he swung his blade downwards to his side with a sharp whoosh.

Both Ukitake and Kyōraku ran to the consoles and thrust their blades into the floor before their fingers erupted over the controls in a blur.

"Nyruki! Go to that side room! There should be another set of controls for this cage in there!" Kibōyūwaku called once more, garnishing their attention away from the pair thundering over the consoles.

"What? I thought the controls were over-" Nyruki started, only to set her eyes on the console she had seen the scientist use.

The moment her two different colored eyes were on the console, or what was left of it, her heart dropped. It had literally been cut in half and each half had fallen to the side in a heap of wires that twisted around into hopeless knots.

"What the hell?" Nyruki gasped.

"It happened not long after you fled! The Kyōraku abomination got in a fight with the Ice Ghoul Hitsugaya and swung down! Kurotsuchi killed both of them for it!" Kibōyūwaku said with her fingers curled around the bars once more.

"You are positive there's another set?" Byakuya asked, glancing at the others as they took up defensive positions around the lab.

"Yes! He griped about it long enough! Now go! He's going to be back any minute to get another captain!" Kibōyūwaku yelled.

Before Nyruki could protest any longer, a firm hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her along towards the side room whose archway was crammed between two massive sets of metal shelves that were heavy with vials and canisters of varying sizes.

The room was more of a storage room with unused consoles filling a good portion of it's space and covered with heavy canvas. The only console that wasn't covered, was a large monstrosity of a thing with more levers, buttons and switches than any of them had ever seen. It hummed with an irritating buzz that ground on their nerves and Nyruki was sure her grimace matched her Captain's whose grip somehow managed to tighten on his sword.

"What am I supposed to do? Just start flipping switches?" Nyruki grumbled as she stared at the console.

"I don't think that would be wise. Any one of these switches could set off defensive countermeasures and knowing Mayuri Kurotsuchi, that is more likely than not." Byakuya said as he kept an eye on behind them.

"I... I don't know what do, Captain. I really don't." Nyruki sighed as the ache of defeat began to thump in her torso.

"Then we will figure it-" Byakuya started, only to cut himself off when the stillness of the lab shattered.

The sound of swords, battle cries and screeching roars erupted from the main lab in a single breath. Neither needed to see what was happened, as they both knew that the abominations had arrived. Kenpachi's familiar thunderous cry rang through the high ceilings as the clang of his sword and wet squish of spraying blood soon followed. More of the captains cried out as they engaged in battle; Hitsugaya, Soi-Fon, Komamura, all of them swung their swords.

For Byakuya and Nyruki, their eyes raced over the console to find which one would release the cage and allow Kibōyūwaku to be freed so she could release them from this illusionary Hell, but there was no label, no marking of any kind to indicate which lever, button, or switch did what.

However, they didn't get much time to continue.

The sound of combat from behind them was broken by a low, malicious snarl that was far too close, far too near to be good. Both Byakuya's and Nyruki's eyes widened as they slowly turned, coming face to face with the hellion of cuts. It was the demon Byakuya, or at least, another one, with wild and hungry eyes and drooling mouth as he stared, unblinking, at his cornered prey.

Byakuya instantly widened his stance and brought his sword to the ready, gripping it tightly with both hands as he stood in front of Nyruki to shield her.

"Keep searching, Nyruki." He hissed, his eyes never once blinking as he studied the demon's movements.

"But-" Nyruki tried.

"Do it! That's an order!" Byakuya burst out without taking his eyes off of the demon whose incredibly long tongue was slowly sliding out of his mouth.

Nyruki gulped through held breath as she furiously began to work the console, but none of the levers, or switches she used seemed to do anything. Each one produced nothing; No buzz, no hum, no whine and no indication that it was in command of anything. She was starting to panic the more her hands worked the useless toggles.

With a whipping whoosh and a snap, the demon Byakuya lashed his tongue wildly, startling Nyruki to spin around and press back against the console. She stared at her Captain's back as heavy drops of crimson blood began to splat onto the floor. His arms were quivering as his blade began to slip from his grasp.

"C-Captain?" Nyruki breathed, her words broken and stuttering with fear.

Byakuya looked over his shoulder as his sword clattered to the floor, "Stay behind me."

Nyruki peered around him to look at his hands and they had uncurled from around his sword's handle that he had been holding onto so tightly. His hands hung limp from his wrists with deep bleeding cuts across them. No wonder he dropped his sword. He couldn't hold it.

"My tendons are slashed." Byakuya breathed heavily as he locked gazes with the demon whose spine filled hair had begun to bristle.

"C-Captain... I-" Nyruki tried to speak, but her words had caught in her throat.

Both stared at the demon with wide eyes, frozen in place as the spines in his hair stood on end, vibrating, bristling like rain against stone. The demon was preparing to fire those quills as his tongue lapped at cuts that appeared from nowhere and there was nothing they could do. Even if Nyruki went for the sword, she wouldn't be fast enough to pick it up, ready herself and slash before the quills were launched. One of them was going to get hit.

The demon hunched over, his lips smiling as he bowed his head and aimed those bristling quills, pressing his skinny hands into the floor for support.

In an instant, Byakuya wheeled around and slammed his hands against the console, trapping Nyruki between his arms with his back exposed to the demon. Within that same moment, that breath of time that seemed so unimportant in the grand scheme of things, the monster fired his quills with a piercing whistle.

Her eyes locked with her Captain's, all Nyruki could do was watch in horror as quill after quill buried itself, jolting Byakuya forward each time one found its mark. Each hit caused him to grimace in pain as his whole body shook with each wet thunk. He was barely able to keep himself propped up against the console, having to drop to a forearm as the last of the quills buried themselves into his back.

When the barrage finally stopped, Nyruki, with tears filling her eyes, reached up and grasped his head as he leaned forward and looked over his dropped shoulder. She instantly wished she hadn't.

His entire back, from shoulder blade to lumbar, was pin cushioned with dozens of quills. They had so easily pierced his flesh as if they were hot and had buried themselves no less than several inches into his body.

With his forehead against her shoulder, she could feel his shaking as he bit back the pain. She was frozen with fear, frozen with dread and all her eyes could do was watch the demon as he smirked with pride and drool for his upcoming meal.

"F-Find the l-lever." Byakuya choked out through the pain, not lifting his head from her shoulder.

"I... I-I... I can't." Nyruki stuttered, her arms wrapping around him and her hand resting against the nape of his neck.

"You have to... It's the only thing that will save us." Byakuya said with a gulp and a groan of pain.

"I... I-" Nyruki tried, but she couldn't speak.

She was frozen with fear; unable to move. She shook just as much as Byakuya was. She didn't want to see what came next, as she knew that the demon was going to finish them off and if, somehow, they were able to free themselves of this nightmare, her Captain wouldn't be waking up and she would be to blame.

As she began to sob, holding Byakuya close, Nyruki closed her eyes and waited for death to come.