Chapter 5: Nightmare

"Where is Tetsuya?"

Rukia exchanged worried glances with Renji, then stepped forward, looking up at her big brother anxiously.

"When we got back here, Koji told us that after you were taken away, security forces came and arrested Tetsuya."

"Arrested him?" Byakuya mused, his reiatsu thickening, "For-?"

He broke off, shaking his head.

"I should have expected this. I should have sent him away."

"You know he wouldn't have left you," Rukia argued, "and don't worry. Koji went to speak to Elder Nori and Ginrei-sama. They will take care of Tetsuya."

"I've just heard from my brother," Torio reported, stepping out onto the walkway near them, "He wasn't able to reach Elder Nori or Ginrei-sama directly, but he exchanged hell butterflies with them and they relayed to him that Tetsuya-san was arrested as a suspected accomplice in your defection and dealings with the rebelling zanpakutos."

"It's insane!" Renji seethed, "They've gotta know that. Tetsuya was here the whole time! He didn't do a goddamned thing wrong!"

"They know that," Rukia said somberly.

"Of course," Byakuya agreed, "but you must remember, Renji, that my cousin is a half-blood. He is looked down on by many nobles for that, and if they couldn't convict me of anything serious, then their next move would be to arrest and try him to punish me."

"Bastards!" Renji hissed, "They can't get away with that, right, Taicho?"

Byakuya loosed a long sigh, his expression grim.

"As my charges were mostly dropped and I am not being incarcerated, they will not convict Tetsuya of anything serious, however—they may hold him until his hearing. Still, they should have had it already."

"They did hold a hearing," Torio explained, "Tetsuya-san had requested a meeting with Elder Nori to discuss his defense, but—"

"I imagine that the powers within Central 46 interfered with that."

Torio nodded.

"Without that, Tetsuya-san could not make a plea, so he is being held until his defense can be planned. Koji said Elder Nori and Ginrei-sama are working on that, but Tetsuya-san cannot be freed until they are ready and get an audience with the council."

Byakuya gave his attendant an anguished look.

"Where, exactly, is Tetsuya being held?" he asked worriedly.

Torio drew in a steadying breath.

"Muken."

Byakuya's already pale face went white and he started to turn towards the estate entrance.

"Taicho," Renji said, taking his superior's hand and stopping him.

The noble glared back at him.

"Let go of me. I won't leave Tetsuya in that place for—"

"You can't leave," Renji reminded him, indicating the monitor on the Kuchiki leader's ankle.

Byakuya's reiatsu swelled and his dark eyes flashed with fury.

"They are taunting me," he growled softly, "punishing Tetsuya to anger me and leaving him in that place, probably beating him to entice me into breaking the rules of my release."

"You can't go, Taicho," Renji insisted.

"I—"

"You can't go," the redhead repeated, "but I can."

Byakuya shook his head, earning looks of confusion from his sister and fukutaicho.

"You cannot go either," he sighed, "They would only target you next. I am afraid that Tetsuya's fate is in Nori and Ginrei's hands now. There is nothing that the rest of us can do without inviting more trouble."

"Nii-sama…" Rukia gasped softly.

"For now, we must put our faith in Nori and Ginrei."

XXXXXXXXXX

A pained grunt escaped a curled figure on the cold stone floor of the Central 46 prison as one of the guards standing over him, kicked him hard in the ribs and aimed another for his face that the cringing prisoner barely dodged.

"Wh-why are you d-doing this?" the young man panted, holding his ribs as he scrambled out of the way of another guard's snapping whip, "Please! I haven't done anything! I'm not resisting."

The guards paused their abuse for a moment, exchanging amused glances.

"You hear him, Giichi?" the first said to the second, "He hasn't done anything."

"Maybe you didn't," the second guard sneered, snapping the whip across the side of the young man's face as he raised his hands defensively and climbed onto his knees, "but your father laid down with a filthy little piece of Rukon trash and made you."

"And you haven't stopped talking either!"

The young man caught the whip as it swung in his direction again and he yanked hard, taking the guard holding it off balance, then throwing himself at the second and shoving him to the ground. He burst into a staggering run, crashing into the dark rock walls and careening dangerously as he searched frantically for a place to conceal himself.

"Little half-blood freak!" one of the guards hissed furiously, "I'll kill you!"

The prisoner angled towards the only thing that offered him any cover, a large white structure that seemed to have someone tied to it. Too late, he remembered…

Oh no! It's him. It's Aizen!

If the ones chasing him were frightening, just the thought of how close he was to the bound traitor was petrifying. Consumed with desperation, the prisoner turned to flee, only to hear a calm male voice that stopped him in his tracks.

"Hmm, who are you?" Aizen asked, using his reiatsu to make his voice sound through the heavy bindings, "What manner of demon are you that it takes two armed men to subdue you when you are obviously bare handed and without any powers?"

The prisoner glanced down at the silver bands on his wrists that held back his power. The two guards that had been beating him stood back, positioning themselves so that if he moved to escape Aizen, he would have to get past one or the other.

The guards know they can't kill me. They are just tormenting me as much as possible to take revenge on Byakuya-sama for his deception. But if Aizen kills me, they will make up some story about what happened.

"Whatcha gonna do now, half-blood?" Giichi taunted him, "You really want to be that close to Aizen? It's probably gonna get you killed."

"Not like you would mind," the prisoner fired back, gritting his teeth as he felt Aizen's power swell.

Oh kami…what do I do?

"I won't hurt you."

The traitor's voice seemed to whisper directly into the prisoner's mind and he froze in place.

"I guess he has a death wish," Giichi scoffed, turning away, "C'mon Kame."

"You're just gonna leave him loose in here?" the other guard mused.

Giichi shrugged.

"Where's the bastard gonna go?"

"I guess you've got a point."

The prisoner waited until the door to the underground cellblock slammed shut, then he bolted away from Aizen and turned back to face the bound monster, panting and shaking softly in the near blackness.

"Who are you?" Aizen asked curiously, "I feel like I know you somehow. They said you are a half-blood? Why are you here?"

The young man swallowed hard, shivering but calming slowly as he pondered Aizen's bound form.

"I am no one important," he answered softly, "Half-nobles often find themselves afoul of pureblood clan members who look down on them. I was unfortunate enough not to realize how Muramasa's activities stoked their hatred."

"Muramasa," Aizen repeated softly, his voice echoing slightly in the younger man's mind, "Ah yes, the guards were spooked at the idea he might try to free Kyoka Suigetsu, although my zanpakuto hadn't fully recovered, so he wasn't terribly helpful to them."

"But Muramasa tried to free him?"

"Yes. He was an intriguing talent, but for some reason, he didn't like the idea of letting me loose."

"I can't imagine what would make him feel that way."

Aizen laughed softly.

"Please, come closer. I am bored just sitting here alone and it's nice to have someone to talk to. It looks like neither of us is going anywhere for awhile, so will you at least tell me your name?"

The younger man swallowed hard, another little shiver going through him.

"I am Tetsuya," he answered softly, "Kuchiki Tetsuya."

Tetsuya felt the strangest sensation touch his mind and suddenly he realized that underneath the bindings, Aizen was smiling at him.

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya closed the garden doors and made his way to the dressing area. He stood quietly, slipping out of his clothes and putting on a red silk yukata. He left the dressing area and sat down on his bed, his mind replaying the day, from waking after making love to Senbonzakura, to the zanpakutou joining him in the shower, from the frightening moment when the verdict was read to the beautiful ache of relief as he received his sentence…the mixture of feelings at the support of so many, the twinge of fear at the rumblings of malcontent…and the deep warmth of the affection that Rukia and Renji had shown him. He sighed, letting the emotion drain out of him. He still felt intense worry for his incarcerated cousin, but with the wheels turning towards Nori and Ginrei securing Tetsuya's release, he felt some of the worry slip away, at least enough that he could finally let down and relax a little.

"Master…" Senbonzakura said softly, cutting into his reverie.

He looked up and was surprised to find the samurai was fully dressed and masked.

"Is something wrong?" he asked softly.

"I do not know," the zanpakutou spirit confessed, "I sense a small storm of emotions in you. And as much as I wanted to appear to you unclothed, to take you in my arms and make love to you again…Master…I…I…"

"Sen?" Byakuya queried, studying the masked warrior closely.

"I…worried," Senbonzakura went on, "I worried that because you were freed and everything will be going back to normal. Well, it seemed that my attentions would go back to being rather…inconsequential."

Byakuya caught his breath softly at the last word.

"Senbonzakura," he said, standing and approaching the samurai, "Are you saying to me that you made the assumption that our lovemaking happened because I feared for my life?"

"Didn't it?" asked the spirit in a low voice, "I felt the emotion in you. I know that whatever you might tell me, you were afraid…and it was that fear that shattered the barriers between us and caused you to make love to me. Can you honestly tell me that is not true?"

Byakuya closed his eyes for a moment, thinking and breathing slowly. When he opened them again, the spirit was gone.

"Senbonzakura…" he whispered, "Sen…"

He looked over at the blade in the sword rack and knew that he was quite capable of forcing the spirit to return to him or going to their inner world to force a confrontation, but as much as his heart was aching to resolve the misunderstanding, he was exhausted and overwhelmed by all of the day's events. His heart ached and his body was weary. He was too tired to even take his usual walk to the waterfall, along the moonlit trail. Instead, he dropped down onto his bed and fell into an uncomfortable sleep.

"Do you feel it now?" a soft voice intoned, "Do you feel him deserting you? It's sad, isn't it…the fickle emotions of that tool we call our zanpakutou?"

He opened his eyes and inhaled sharply at finding himself kneeling within his cell in Central 46. Kouga stood outside the bars, gazing in at him with a look of pity.

"You were so quick to defend Muramasa to me…so eager to point out the resonance between Senbonzakura and you…yet, when it comes right down to it, he is just a silly boy who kept you warm in a cold cell…a nice hot fuck, yes, but certainly not good enough to keep around, ne? You should be glad that Muramasa's spell will fade and he will go back to being your servant. He is too full of himself."

"Do not dare to speak of Senbonzakura in such a fashion!" Byakuya snapped, "And do not pretend to know what is between us. He is my zanpakutou, yes…but he is also part of my own soul…and yes, he stood by me and saw me through my darkest hour. I did take comfort in him. I admit it. I will even admit that it happened because I fell victim to fear…but when I made love to him him, I did it because I wanted to be one with him. I desired him with all of my heart! No creature ever looked so beautiful to me!"

"Then why did you hesitate when he asked you that question? Why didn't you give these heartfelt words to him?"

Kouga smirked.

"Don't feel the need to answer, Byakuya. I know the answer already…and it is this…No matter how you try to say you are different from me…that it was wrong for me to treat Muramasa as I did, you have to admit that your servant was quick enough to desert you as soon as he remembered his place!"

"No! No, Senbonzakura was hurt because I became tongue tied and could not answer him. He left to consider his feelings and to give me time to think. My zanpakutou would not abandon me…"

"No?" said Kouga slyly, "We shall see about that!"

Byakuya gasped as the reiatsu rose around him and red fire appeared out of nowhere around him. He tried to counter the spell but found himself still on his knees and in restraints.

"What are you doing?" he cried, "How are you doing this? You are dead! I killed you!"

Kouga laughed.

"I admit, Kuchiki Byakuya, that you did best me on the battlefield, but just as those fools, Ginrei and Yamamoto did, you too, have underestimated me. Although deprived of my body, I now inhabit you. I am inside you. You remember that during our battle, I sent my reiatsu into your body to throw off your senses?"

"Damn you!"

"I did it then…invaded your mind…so that even should you defeat me, I would be back to torment you…to tear at your mind and drive you to the point of madness! So yes, you and your Senbonzakura won the battle, but you will lose to me in the long run as I slowly steal you away from yourself. You feel it happening already, don't you? It's why I can attack you and it hurts you so much! So now…feel it, Byakuya, feel the pain you deserve for being the fool they sent to finish the job they could not!"

Red fire exploded around his kneeling form, licking hungrily at his skin and invading his lungs as he drew a desperate breath and coughed it out again.

"N-no!" he moaned in a choked voice, "This is…not real…It's not! Senbonzakura…"

"You see how fickle they are? One fight and he abandons you," Kouga taunted him.

"S-Sen! Senbon…zakura!" he gasped, "S-Sen…"

Finally, the fire burned so hot inside him, melting his skin, filling his lungs…that he could feel that he was beginning to die. Desperation gave him new strength and he sucked in the fire, then sent it out of him again in a long, bone chilling scream of pain.

"Senbonzakura!"

Strong hands took hold of him and shook him awake.

"S-Sen…" he half-sobbed.

Then, he looked up and realized that it was not the zanpakutou spirit who held him, but Abarai Renji. Rukia stood in the doorway, dressed in her nightclothes…and it didn't take Byakuya long to figure out why Renji was dressed that way as well.

"Taichou…" Renji said, holding him tightly, "Taichou, are you all right?"

He took a shaky breath and freed himself from his fukutaichou's grasp.

"I am fine, Renji. I…merely suffered from a nightmare. I thank you for waking me."

He looked from Renji to Rukia, noting the fact that his sister was not meeting his eyes. Renji read his expression and cleared his throat nervously.

"S-sorry, Taichou. I…know it's…"

"Renji…stop," Byakuya said quietly.

The redhead gazed at him in surprise.

"My sister has endured great difficulty," he said, looking at Rukia's bowed head, "and if your being here comforts her, then you are welcome in our home. Just mind that you pay appropriate respect to her honor and…do not break her heart."

Rukia looked up at him with grateful tears in her eyes.

"Arigato…Nii-sama. Are you sure you are all right?" she asked, "You…We heard…"

"I am fine," Byakuya assured her, "Go on to bed now. You need to regain your strength after all that happened."

"Would you like me to sit with you for a while, Taichou?" asked Renji.

Byakuya shook his head gently.

"I told you…I am fine. It was just a dream."

"Are you sure?" Renji asked softly, "Don't be angry at me for being persistent, but…you seemed really out of it, even when your eyes opened and you looked at me. Maybe we should have some tea and take a walk or something…"

"N-no…arigato, Renji. I am…weary. It has been a difficult day."

"Is there trouble?" asked a voice from the doorway.

Byakuya looked up as Ginrei stepped past Rukia and into the bedroom.

"It was…a nightmare," Byakuya explained, "but I am all right now. My fukutaichou has reassured me. All is well now, Grandfather."

Ginrei frowned.

"Is it?" he asked, studying Byakuya's worn expression, "I think that too much has happened. I shall assist you in entering a dreamless state of sleep."

Renji stood and started towards the door.

"Well…" he said, "Good night, Taichou. Let us…me…know if you need anything during the night."

Ginrei raised an eyebrow.

"And…where will we find you…should he need you, Abarai-san?"

"Ah…" Rukia said nervously, "He will be…in the guestroom…of course!" she said quickly.

"Of course," said Ginrei, turning back to Byakuya with a knowing look in his eye.

Byakuya watched as Rukia and Renji disappeared out the garden doors. Ginrei followed his eyes after them, then sighed softly.

"It is…good they have each other, ne?" he said softly.

"Grandfather?" Byakuya said, his eyes widening.

"No one should feel that they are alone in such times, Byakuya," Ginrei said, turning his eyes back to meet his grandson's, "No one…"

"I agree," Byakuya answered, sighing, "Tell me, were you able to free Tetsuya from Muken?"

"Not yet," the elder man confessed, "but the wheels are turning. We will be meeting with the council in a few days to present his defense and we will at least get him released into house custody."

"That is good," Byakuya said somberly, "The thought of him suffering in that place…"

"I know, but we will have him back soon."

"I wonder if it will be soon enough. Tetsuya has already suffered too greatly, and now he suffers because of me."

"Now, now, my boy. You need to let go of this for now. It is going to be all right. We will bring Tetsuya home and make things right again. You need to rest now to be ready to play your part."

"Of course you're right."

Ginrei brought a palm to Byakuya's face and focused his power.

"You are not alone," Ginrei whispered as Byakuya's eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep, "I will be here while you need me, my grandson…until you are well again…"

He sat at Byakuya's side, looking out the open garden doors and breathing in the fresh night air. He remembered his own tenure as clan leader and captain…sleeping in the very same room, with Byakuya just a few rooms away. He sighed, remembering how many nights he had crept from his room and walked down the hallway to look in on the sleeping boy…to marvel at how like Soujun he was…and sometimes to dry the tears on the boy's sleeping face. He knew well the loneliness of being head of household…of being a taichou…of having such responsibility placed on one's shoulders at such a young age as Byakuya had. He had hated asking it of his beautiful, powerful grandson…but he was meant to lead. And being the leader meant making sacrifices, some of them unbearably painful. But perhaps the worst was the loneliness. He remembered how it felt, even being older and wiser when he ascended to leadership. And Byakuya had been rushed into his station…as much because of Ginrei's weariness and his desire to leave behind the sad memories of the ones he had lost. But in retiring to the spirit dimension and assuming the post of Royal Guard Taichou, he had also left behind the one other who knew as he did the loneliness of losing both Soujun and his wife. Then to have lost Hisana…

"Byakuya," he whispered over his sleeping grandson, "I did you a great disservice by selfishly indulging my own emotions. I could have comforted you."

He shook his head sadly and checked one more time to make sure that Byakuya was sleeping soundly, then rose and left to return to his own room.

As he left, Senbonzakura appeared outside the garden doors. He looked in at his quietly sleeping master, guilt eating at him as he remembered how Byakuya had called out his name so loudly and desperately. He had wanted badly to come running…but had seen the others responding and remembered the hurt he had felt before. So he had kept his distance. But as time wore on and his conscience ate away at him, he knew he needed to return to his master's side. If not to help him through his nightmares, then to watch over him as he slept…to be the silent, strong presence that had once protected him and now served him.

They were oddly divergent things…to protect and to serve. And he had done both for Kuchiki Byakuya. As a boy, Byakuya had lost his parents and had been left to grow up under his grandfather's guidance. It hadn't been easy. Both he and Byakuya had been young, strong spirits, who wanted so much to be free and to have fun. But there was so much responsibility in being heir. And as much as Byakuya had loved to run and play with him while they were younger, those days ended too soon…and he moved into the stage of watching over the young Kuchiki heir as he prepared to move into leadership.

While being powerful for his age, Byakuya had been in a vulnerable position. There were those among the clan members who would have loved to supplant him. And several attempts were made by these devious ones to infiltrate his heart and use him to gain power. But Senbonzakura was able to help Byakuya see through their machinations. He helped to drive them away.

And while his young master slept, he kept careful watch…always wary of those who would seek to do him harm for their own gain. Yes, Byakuya hadn't always been so powerful. He had once needed Senbonzakura's protection.

But eventually, he grew so strong and he mastered so many high level kido spells…and ban kai strength attacks, that Senbonzakura had become less a protector…and more a servant. He knew that was simplifying things. But in light of Byakuya's inability to admit to seeing him only as a servant and not a real lover…he had to admit that he did have the feeling of being used.

And maybe, he thought as he moved into the room and closed the garden doors, they had used each other…Byakuya to stave off the fear…and Senbonzakura to explore the new and exciting world that Muramasa had opened to him. But that exploration had a beginning and an end. It wasn't fair to expect Byakuya to allow himself to fall in love, only to be forced to say goodbye too soon when his zanpakutou returned to normal.

Perhaps it had been wrong for them to fall in love…or for him to fall in love anyway. He had thought that Byakuya was falling in love with him, but then had felt the storm of emotions inside his master upon coming home and had fallen into despair. He realized now that he should have been stronger. Byakuya hadn't been purposely cruel to him. It was the circumstances that were cruel.

And he wasn't going to let his childish hurt feelings steal away the time they had left…

So he made his way to the noble's side, made his clothing disappear and stepped into the dressing area to avail himself of one of Byakuya's yukatas. He could have manifested his own…but rather liked his master's soft, masculine scent being wrapped around him like that. Smiling at the comfort of it, he walked back to the bed and slipped in next to Byakuya, turning and curling into his sleeping master's arms. He smiled and kissed the frowning lips, then settled against him, feeling the gentle cadence of their heartbeats and closing his eyes.

I was wrong to despair, my master. We resonate strongly with each other. I know that despite the limit of time on our coupling, we are in love with each other. We are not using each other. When you have rested…and we wake again, I will tell you of my love for you…and whatever the words that leave your lips, I will only feel the love that comes from your heart. You have always denied your heart to protect your pride. Why should I have expected that to change? I know your heart whether or not you say the words. I will trust in that…

He nuzzled into a pale shoulder, kissing it gently, then sighing softly.

"Aishiteru yo…Byakuya…" he whispered softly.

"Aishiteru yo…Senbonzakura…"

The spirit smiled, warmth filling him as Byakuya's arms wrapped around him and the Kuchiki leader's thighs parted to welcome him.

"Sen," Byakuya whispered, kissing him, "be with me."

"Yes, I will. I am."