Chapter 15: Path of Destruction
A soft huffing of breath and a little tickle on his cheek brought the reigai awake with a start. He sat up too quickly, blinking and rubbing the back of his head and he started to fall back again onto the sandy floor of the underground training room beneath Urahara's shop, only to be caught and nudged back into a seated position by an insistent equine nose. He turned, fastening his steel grey eyes on the tall black Arabian stallion.
"Ah, Arashi."
The stallion gave him a quizzical look, tilting his head as examining him with a widened blue eye.
Who…are you? You are not Byakuya.
"N-no," the reigai answered, still rubbing the spot Tetsuya had struck to leave him unconscious, "I am his…a reigai form. Have you met a reigai before?"
The stallion sniffed him curiously.
No. Never. I have heard of them, but I also heard that they were outlawed and destroyed.
The reigai smiled ruefully.
"Thankfully for me, some of us were saved by Urahara. I was helping Tetsuya to adjust to the way his marriage to Byakuya would change their relationship. I know that he suffered great harm while incarcerated in Itamigiri and he is uncomfortable with the idea of being loved physically."
Arashi's eyes narrowed and the reigai was sure a thin vapor of steam issued from the tall beast's nose.
"I was not being inappropriate with him," the reigai chuckled, raising his hands defensively, "Do not worry. I would never do anything to harm Tetsuya. Tetsuya is my friend and I care greatly about what happens to him."
Tetsuya has returned to Soul Society. I sense he is in distress, but he ordered me to stay away. I don't understand. Do you know what he plans to do there?
"Hmm," the reigai mused, shaking his head, "judging by the fact that he felt it necessary to knock me out, I don't think he's up to anything good. What I think is that he intends to go before the elders."
But why?
The reigai laid a warm hand in the stallion's glossy shoulder.
"Tetsuya was being hypnotized and used by Aizen," he said sadly, "to spy on Byakuya and the elders of the clan. He is devastated that he was compromised and Byakuya might have been endangered. He and Renji were forced by Aizen to fight. They were used to hurt each other. All of this is weighing heavily on Tetsuya's heart."
A shudder passed through the stallion's body and he lowered his head.
I worried he was keeping something from me. I tried to learn what it was, but when I tried to follow him, for some reason, I kept being stopped. I would be a bit behind him one moment, then the next I would be somewhere else and I couldn't remember how I got there. I tried to talk to him about it, but he seemed confused by my explanation. Now I see. Aizen was interfering with even our communication!
"It seems so," the reigai agreed, "Tetsuya is completely loyal and devoted to Byakuya. To be used in this way has left his mind and heart in chaos. I don't think it wise for him to go before the elders. Byakuya ordered him to wait, and I think it would be dangerous to let him continue."
But he has already reached the clan's council hall! What can we do? We have to stop him somehow!
"We do," the reigai agreed, his handsome face taking on a determined look, "And we will, Arashi. But I will need your help to do it."
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Byakuya cast another glance at the man next to him, sharp gray gaze noting the way Kisuke's fingers tapped in a meaningless rhythm of fidgeting. Byakuya frowned slightly at the realization that even though Kisuke's mind continued to steadily work the problem, his companion was still in his head about Renji being in Aizen's hands. Such a distraction threatened to derail anyone's thinking and in their current situation it could swiftly become deadly. Well aware of the rising threat to their mission, Byakuya returned to their mutual surveillance of Los Noches, scanning the stark white walls that held Renji.
Byakuya's thoughts turned to his cousin's predicament, also brought on by Aizen's cruel machinations. He couldn't help wondering at the torments Tetsuya must've endured while being a victim of the traitor's thrall.
I will kill that monster for laying hands on Tetsuya and using him this way!
He began to sink deeper, speculating that the traitor's attempts to control Tetsuya seemed to have been hampered by his cousin's internal strength and his personal commitment to his leader's well-being. To have achieved such a level of domination over Tetsuya, he decided, must have required multiple lines of attack and it was likely that Tetsuya had been subjected overwhelming courses of mental and physical assault. The very idea shook the Kuchiki leader as he stole another glance at Urahara. His anger began to swell and for a dangerous moment, he felt ready to storm Las Noches then and there, to kill the bastard Aizen himself. Then he shook his head at himself, knowing that letting his mind wander down that path wouldn't do anyone any good. Just as the thought crossed his mind, the wail of an alarm split the air. Looking in the direction of the sound, Byakuya and Kisuke saw billowing plumes of sand near the corner of the fortress.
Kisuke frowned, murmuring, "Who do you think-" just as golden reiatsu flared from the center of the commotion, and a savage battle cry rang out.
"Aizen! Come out an' play, ya bastard!"
"Who else would it be?" Byakuya huffed, grabbing Kisuke's arm.
"Tell me, Urahara. How do we get Renji out of there?"
XXXXXXXXXX
Tetsuya climbed the stone steps of the Kuchiki Council Hall, his heart racing and his body shaking as the reality of what he was about to do set in.
I will enter and face the consequences for what I have done. I would feel more fear, I think, but all I can really feel right now is the heaviness of my heart. All that I have had since escaping the confines and torments of Itamigiri is my love for and protection of Byakuya. To say that I owe him my life doesn't scratch the surface. My life was a sea of darkness, fear and pain before he broke down the walls and tore me free of that place. Once my decisions were my own to make, I chose to be his protector and healer. He took the darkness and the fear and pain away, so I resolved to spend the rest of my life returning the favor.
Of course I couldn't help but fall in love with the man who rescued me and gave me a new home, an adoptive family and a new beginning. I just…never expected, never hoped that Byakuya would fall in love with me. It has been the sweetest, most beautiful gift.
A little sob escaped him as he paused in front of the great doors leading into the central meeting chamber. The guards at the doors gave him a curious look.
"Are you all right, Tetsuya-san?" one asked, laying a hand on his arm.
Tetsuya drew in a shaky breath, turning his face away for a moment before steadying and looking back at him.
"I am sorry, Tsutomu," he managed more calmly, "I've just had some…upsetting news. But I will be all right, arigato."
He swallowed hard, stepping forward as the guards opened the doors to admit him. A little shiver of worry passed through him as he sensed the presence of his personal attendant entering the room behind him.
Koji, of course you sensed my anxiety and my presence here and had to come. I am so grateful for your friendship, but I wish you hadn't come. I…don't want you to see this.
But he was already inside the chamber and the doors had closed behind him. The low voices that had been sounding in the room faded away as he moved forward. He stopped in the center of the room, in front of the large oval table the elders had gathered around. All eyes were on him as the head elder stood and Tetsuya sank to his knees, bowing his head.
"Tetsuya-san, you look distressed," the old man noted in a genuinely concerned tone, "Has something happened? Did Byakuya send you? Will he be joining us too?"
"No, Nori-sama," Tetsuya said solemnly, "I came of my own accord. Byakuya-sama is away on personal business. This is, however, an urgent matter. I ask to be given leave to address the council."
"Of course," Nori answered, nodding, "I am sure that if you have come here it must be a matter of extreme importance. Please give your report."
"Arigato," Tetsuya responded, bowing low to the floor before slowly rising to his feet, "I apologize for bursting in, but the matter is of grave importance. I've learned that the traitor, Aizen Sousuke, has compromised a trusted member of the main family, one of Byakuya-sama's closest protectors."
He paused as hushed voices hissed softly around the room.
"That is very troubling," Nori answered, his frown deepening.
"I want to make clear that the person involved was being used by Aizen without his knowledge or consent."
"That may have little bearing," interjected a male elder with silver hair and deep black eyes who sat next to a black-haired, abyssal-eyed man whose mere presence sent another warning shiver through Tetsuya's body, "depending, of course, on how damaging this security breach was. I do hope that, as Byakuya's head of security you are prepared to take responsibility for this failure."
"Councillor Isas," Nori said firmly, "we will save judgment for later. It is imperative that young Tetsuya be allowed to continue."
"Of course," Isas spat, looking as though he'd swallowed something nasty.
The younger man sitting just behind his shoulder glowered at Tetsuya as he went on.
"Byakuya-sama and I have learned that Aizen has been using this family member to learn confidential information about our clan's plans for the Winter War. In addition, Aizen has been attempting to use him to access privileged information about the Gotei 13 plans for the war. Aizen's hypnosis of this individual has caused serious breaches in family and military security. But even more disturbingly, this person has been in a position to attack and harm, even kill those in our leadership."
"These are indeed very serious charges, Tetsuya," Nori acknowledged, "Has the person in question been apprehended?"
Tetsuya swallowed hard, then lifted his tormented eyes to meet Nori's. The head elder's eyes widened very slightly, but he simply waited for the younger man to continue.
"It was not necessary to apprehend him," Tetsuya answered more softly, his head bowing once more, "Although Aizen's hypnosis is very compelling, he was able to break free of it, at least enough that he realized what had been done. Unfortunately, by then he had caused an officer close to our leader to be injured and captured by Aizen. Abarai Renji is now in Aizen's hands. The man used to accomplish this is, of course, horrified at his own actions and he realizes that all trust has been broken. Even if he can be rehabilitated, he will always be looked upon with suspicion. He will always doubt himself. As such…he offers himself to this council for judgment."
Tetsuya slowly lowered himself onto his knees then he removed his sword and laid it on the floor in front of him, meeting the shocked eyes of the elders directly.
"Do with him as you see fit."
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"Don't go anywhere, Renji," Renji scoffed, straining against the thick kido bindings that held him tightly in place, "Like I'm going to hang around here, ha fucking ha, waiting for Mr. Psycho Ass to come back in here and start playing his creepy mind games again. I'm getting' outta here if I have to break my arms and my legs off to do it!"
He twisted his body as much as he could to one side, then the other, kicking against the ankle restraints.
"Fuckin' kido restraints!" he spat furiously, "But I learned to break out of Kuchiki taicho's restraints in training. I can do this too! ARGH!"
As his lower body tired, he switched to wrenching his hands around, snarling viciously. But as he turned slightly to throw himself against the ankle restraints again, a warning jolt of pain passed through his abdomen.
"Ugh!" he grunted, straightening his body and holding still as the pain continued to throb, "Ah…c'mon kiddo. Not now. I'm kinda busy trying to get outta here before Aizen Psycho comes back to kill us."
He closed his eyes, relaxing completely for several maddening moments, forcing himself to focus on breathing in and breathing out, letting his strength and reiatsu build inside him.
"You're tellin' me something though, right kid?" the redhead panted, "I know you don't wanna die any more than I do. What are you tellin' me? What would Taicho…no, what would Kisuke tell me?"
He wasn't sure if it was the thought of the handsome shopkeeper or his shortened breaths that brought on a feeling of dizziness. Then, he thought it might not be either.
"Wait a minute!" he hissed, slowing his breaths and keeping his eyes closed, "Wait a minute…wait a minute. You are telling me something!"
He swallowed hard, thinking carefully.
"It's no good…can't fight with just my body strength. Can't expel reiatsu because of the restraints, but…"
Renji felt the answer, so close that it brought tears or frustration to his eyes as the baby's reiatsu seemed to churn inside.
"Damn, kiddo, it feels like you're going to burst outta me right now. Don't do that, okay? Don't…"
Another twinge in his belly brought a feeling of panic and his heart began to race as he felt the chances of his escape shrinking. Beads of sweat leaked down his arms, legs and torso and another twinge passed through his belly. And just when he was sure all was lost and Aizen would step through the door, the answer welled up in his tortured mind.
"Yes!" he gasped, staring at his right hand and building up a kido spell, "Feels like you'll burst outta me. Right kid, that's it! Build up the power and concentrate it. I think you just saved us!"
A shaky laugh escaped him and he looked down at his heaving belly.
"You know this is crazy, right?" he half-sobbed, "But Kisuke did say that the spirit chamber you're in is made to protect you. Hang on, all right? I'll try not to kill us both."
He focused firmly on his right hand, turning his head and body away as his hand began to throb and swell with pulsing red light.
"It's my favorite kido, kiddo," the redhead snickered, "and if I can't expel it out of my body, that's okay, because the restraints are touching me. I can break them!"
The red light around his hand grew blinding and Renji forced out the words before he could think twice.
"Hado number 31, SHAKKAHO!"
