Chapter 7: The Deadknights
(A sweet little shout out to Sol_Uki for giving me the nudge I needed to finish this chapter! More will be on the way soon as I'm feeling quite inspired!)
Out of the corner of one widened eye, Kisuke saw Tetsuya's sword manifesting in the young man's hand and he stepped in between Tetsuya and the hulking man who had broken in.
"Hey now, that's not necessary," the scientist said quickly, waving the younger man off, "Tetsuya, this guy's a friend."
"A…?" Tetsuya began.
"F-friend?" Renji finished, staring up at the battered looking warrior.
"Yeah," Kisuke reassured them, moving forward as Kenpachi grinned down at them and slid his sword back into its sheath, "You're one of the Deadknights," he said, shaking his head, "the one they call Kenpachi?"
"That's me," the big man chuckled, "I'd heard all about everyone forgettin' the nobles and the world goin' crazy. Looks like they weren't fuckin' with us."
He stepped to the side and a slighter, white-haired youth with bright turquoise eyes who Renji and Tetsuya realized seemed to be wearing garb similar to Byakuya as he had been in their vision.
"I think it's been obvious from the beginning that we weren't being misled about the state of things in the Rukongai."
The white-haired man nodded briefly at Tetsuya and Renji.
"Kuchiki, Abarai, good to see you alive."
The two looked back at him blankly and the young man stepped closer, studying them for a moment.
"I'm Hitsugaya taicho and this is Zaraki taicho."
Kenpachi rolled his eyes.
"You gotta be so damn formal? The noble clans are done for. You can pull the stick outta your ass now, Toshiro."
"That's Hitsugaya taicho," the white-haired man snapped.
"Like anyone gives a shit about that now," Kenpachi scoffed.
Toshiro turned his attention to Kisuke, meeting the older man's gaze warmly.
"When we burst in, I thought I saw a bit a familiarity in your eyes," he said, earning a little nod from the other, "I saw it again when Kenpachi said your name."
"Right," Kisuke agreed, "It's like…hearing it and feeling the little reiatsu when Kenpachi said it kinda stirred things up. I'm still pretty foggy. It feels sorta surreal, but yeah…I think things are starting to come back."
"Looks like my favorite little cupcake is comin' back," Kenpachi snickered as Tetsuya felt the playful touch of the man's eyes and flushed brightly, "So, you an' Red managed to find each other, eh Tetsuya?"
"I am recovering my memories," Tetsuya affirmed, "and as I have, it seems that Renji's memories have begun to return as well. We recalled something about a looming battle with a fierce enemy and an evacuation that I was to attend to."
"Yes," Toshiro answered, his eyes widening, "Tetsuya, it was you who oversaw the evacuation and protection of the Kuchiki family, wasn't it?"
"I'm not sure who I was evacuating or to where," Tetsuya admitted solemnly, "but I felt an urgency to keep them safe. I know that much. And if, as you say, they were my family, my noble clan, it makes sense."
"If anything can make sense anymore," Renji said dryly.
He paused, brightening at the return of old friends he'd long thought were dead.
"But hey, you guys are here now, and it's clear that you're the ones who've been called the Deadknights, the scourge of the Deadlands. You guys scare the living daylights outta everyone in the Rukon. Most people won't set foot in the Deadlands because of you."
"Damned straight," Kenpachi chuckled, "We wanted it that way."
"So that you could regroup!" Tetsuya exclaimed softly, "So that you could gather information."
"Yes," Toshiro affirmed, "That's what we've been doing for all this time. Well, that and trying to find something we think could help us gain some kind of advantage in fighting back."
Toshiro paused, his breath catching as he spotted a black-haired, grey-eyed man dressed in a pale yukata, exiting one of the rooms behind the others.
"Kuchiki!" he gasped.
"Well now!" Kenpachi rumbled, grinning widely, "If it isn't the guy we've been looking for forever. How've you been, princess? You're looking kinda sickly. We've gotta do something about that."
Byakuya gave the bigger man a stymied look and Toshiro's expression clouded.
"You don't remember us?" he asked Byakuya, "Not at all?"
"You…look familiar," Byakuya answered, his eyes falling on Tetsuya and studying him more closely, "My mind is still being affected by whatever was done to me before, but I know at least that you have been in my dreams…my nightmares. Who are you?"
Toshiro stepped forward, sheathing his sword and meeting Byakuya's questioning eyes comfortingly.
"We're your friends," he offered, "We don't know what protected us. Maybe it was because of where we were or some variance in our enemy's power. We've not been able to understand the why of it, but a group of us weren't affected as much by what happened, and we realized that if we wanted things to go back to what they were, then we needed to find two people…Urahara and you."
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Ichigo felt the deep haze in his mind retreating and very slowly, he felt the return of warmth and light around him. He hardly dared to open his eyes, although he expected that it wouldn't do any good to keep them closed. The guarding demon's power seemed to cut through any defenses he had.
"Ichigo?"
He's using that again…Byakuya. I guess I get why. He knows. He'll use anything to hurt me, to take revenge on me for…
He took a slow breath, noticing the retreat of the heavy, acrid scents that had hung in the air around him. Even though his eyes were closed, he could see that there was light in the place where he laid, although he knew better than to completely trust his senses.
Reminds me of when we were dealing with Aizen. That guy had power over illusions too.
Wait a minute…
He focused inwardly, pondering the last things he remembered.
Kyoraku had released Aizen, cause he reasoned out that Ywach was a devil that could only be defeated if we joined forces with a devil who we knew would fight on our side…although he'd probably try something afterward.
Images flashed in his mind, sharpening then fading away, sounding loudly, then retreating.
Damn it.
He swallowed hard as he recalled seeing Renji with a huge hole opened up in his chest on one side.
But no, that was Aizen. He protected us so that we could kill Ywach. I knew he would betray us after, but when I think back, he seemed too badly damaged, and he seemed frustrated that the hogyoku wasn't healing him quickly enough. And it doesn't make sense that Aizen would want to punish me for killing his enemies…the soul king and Ywach. If anything, Aizen would be happy I killed them and he wouldn't have wanted to punish me for helping him. So, he can't be the one. I…
"Ichigo, you are awake now, aren't you?" Byakuya's voice persisted, "Please open your eyes."
"Come back to us, Ichigo," pleaded a feminine voice that made tears form in the corners of his tightly closed eyes.
Rukia!
But…is it really her? How can I know?
He felt a warm, soft hand slip into his and felt lips brush against his cheek.
"You're home now," Byakuya's voice promised, "You've been sleeping for a long time as you recovered, but Tetsuya assures us that you are recovering well and you should be awake."
"T-Tetsuya," Ichigo mumbled dazedly, an image of Byakuya's healer and protector coming to mind.
"I'm here," Tetsuya's voice affirmed, "You're doing very well now, Ichigo-san."
Ichigo took a deeper breath, moving experimentally and finding that there was no longer anything binding him. In an instant, he shot out of the bed, his eyes flaring and power exploding all around him.
"Ichigo, stop!" Byakuya cried out, using his reiatsu to shield the others in the room.
Backed into a corner, Ichigo remained stiffened and wary as he glared at the others and the room they were in.
If it isn't real, it's such a perfect fucking illusion that I can't break through it! How do I know? How do I know if this is real this time?
"Please try to calm down," Byakuya said in a quiet, but firm voice that sounded exactly like it should to Ichigo, "We'll explain everything to you, but you need to be of a frame of mind to listen. I know you have been through a great deal."
"We all have," Rukia said warmly, "But Ichigo, you are safe now. We're all safe, thanks to you."
"What happened before? Where was I? Th-they were torturing me!"
Tetsuya and Rukia exchanged stymied glances as Byakuya studied him for a moment before continuing.
"You were badly injured and knocked out in your fight with Ywach. What you remember are probably dreams you experienced while you were unconscious."
"No," Ichigo persisted, "they were real. I know it."
"They might have seemed very real," Tetsuya reassured him, "but look closely at us. You know us. We're just here to help you. You've done so much for all of us."
"Where's my dad? Where are my sisters?" Ichigo demanded.
Byakuya squeezed his hand bracingly.
"Once it was clear that you were recovering, your father told us that he needed to return to the living world to care for your sisters. You are welcome to return as well, but…"
Byakuya glanced at Rukia and Tetsuya, and the two nodded and slipped out of the room.
"I was hoping that you and I could speak more about…us."
Ichigo gazed back at him silently.
"Ichigo," Byakuya said more softly, "we faced many challenges in the war with the quincies. We suffered more than a few defeats before we were able to triumph. In that time, I was forced to face the fact that I had failed, that I'd been weak, that I needed to be stronger. There was something…someone actually, who inspired me to fight my hardest. That someone was you."
Ichigo's heart pounded and his hand trembled where Byakuya held it. The Kuchiki leader raised it to his lips, kissing the back tenderly.
"Thank you, Ichigo, for all you did for Soul Society and for me personally. I now feel freed to tell you…I am more than grateful."
He leaned forward, pressing his lips to Ichigo's. A fierce ache welled up in the substitute's chest as he realized.
It's not real.
"Stop it," he growled in a low, furious voice, "I know this isn't real."
"Ichigo?"
"IT'S NOT REAL!" Ichigo howled, his reaitsu exploding around him and shattering the illusion.
His face registered shock and his body jolted as Aizen's power struck him, sending him crashing back down onto the bed and leaving the usurper glaring down at him.
"Well, that went…terribly, Sosuke," Gin snickered, "You should have known that someone like Ichigo wouldn't fall for your illusions so easily."
Aizen huffed out a little flustered breath and shook his head determinedly.
"If at first you don't succeed…"
"Oh, this is going to be fun to watch!" Gin laughed, moving in closer as Aizen bent over Ichigo again.
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Rukia and Orihime tumbled down onto the floor of the Kuchiki archive in a tangle of arms and legs as the door into the royal realm slammed shut behind them. They scrambled to sit up and look around and clumsily bumped heads in the process.
"Oh!"
"Ow," Orihime groaned.
"Sorry!" Rukia apologized, placing her hands on the ginger-haired girl's arms to steady herself.
The two paused, seeming finally to shake the ever present fear that they'd suffered before entering the safety of the archive. They both emitted a sigh of relief, then looked at each other and giggled at the fact they'd done it at the same time.
"Are you all right?" Rukia asked, brushing several errant strands of hair out of Orihime's eyes, "He didn't hurt…"
She blinked slowly, glancing down at her friend's pregnant belly.
"Sorry," she said more sadly.
"Why are you sorry?" Orihime asked, taking Rukia's hands in hers and squeezing them firmly, "You found me and you saved me."
"Not soon enough," Rukia answered penitently, "He did hurt you."
"Not really," Orihime insisted, "I mean, he did trick me with his illusions and he made me think that Ichigo and I were king and queen and we were having a baby, but even though he used his illusions to make me believe something that wasn't true, he didn't do anything cruel or very painful."
"But…"
"Rukia," Orihime sighed, looking into her friend's eyes, "I'm really all right. I know he tricked me and I know now this is not Ichigo's baby, but the baby didn't do anything wrong, right?"
Rukia considered for a moment, staring at her friend's belly as Orihime rubbed the bump tenderly.
"This baby is just another person Aizen-sama…that Aizen has used."
Rukia's breath caught and her face flushed brightly as Orihime caught her hand and brought it to touch the swollen baby bump.
"I don't know about you, but I feel like protecting the baby is the right thing to do," the human girl went on, "and while we protect this baby, we also need to look for Ichigo. If he isn't the king and Aizen is at the palace, then…where is Ichigo?"
"Right," Rukia managed, shaking her head to clear it, even as little butterflies seemed to flit about in her stomach, "If Aizen was using illusions on you, then he may have Ichigo hidden somewhere. But, Orihime, there's a lot going on in Soul Society."
Orihime's eyes widened and she paled visibly.
"Our friends?" she whispered.
"I think Aizen must be responsible," Rukia explained, "You remember feeling Ywach die, right?"
"Right. I know he died. That was real."
"Aizen was fighting on our side, at least, he was on our side until Ywach died, but while everyone was taking in what had happened, Aizen must have realized that he was going nowhere except back to Muken, if Kyoraku Sotaicho caught him. I don't know what he did, but when I woke up after the battles up here, I realized something was wrong and I hid myself so that I could watch and learn what had been done. When I saw Aizen and Gin, I knew."
"Aizen and Gin?" Orihime pondered, her brow furrowing, "But Gin died, didn't he?"
"He did," Rukia agreed, "but…the Gin that I saw with Aizen in the palace, that Gin…was a hollow."
"A hollow…"
"Yes. I overheard Aizen talking about how he found Gin and brought him back. They are intimate."
"They were when Gin was alive too," Orihime recalled, "but Gin also wanted to kill him."
"Which Aizen knew and he used to his advantage," Rukia sighed, "Then, he killed Gin. He must have regretted it after or maybe he wanted to torment Gin even after death. I don't know, but what I do know is that right now, we need to gather information. We need to get all of the information we can about Aizen and his powers, about what happened after the battles with the quincies and we need to formulate some kind of plan."
"I think you're right," Orihime agreed, "but Rukia, I think you also know that if we're going to beat Aizen at his games, then we're going to need Ichigo."
"Yes," Rukia agreed, "we're going to do all we can…to find him!"
XXXXXXXXXX
Noting that Kisuke seemed to have things well in hand, Zero left the hallway, retreating back into the room he'd been sharing with the unconscious Two. He sighed, dropping into a chair at Two's side and taking the white-haired man's limp, cool hand in his.
"Quite a ruckus out there, huh?" he mused, looking down at the man sleeping fitfully in the bed, "But Kisuke and Tessai will take care of it. While they're at it, I'm gonna take care of you."
He closed his eyes, picturing Two's face and replaying the bits of dream where he'd been seeing Two dressed in white clothing and wearing a beautiful smile. He remembered the taste of fine wine and even though he couldn't remember the words, he knew they'd had long conversations, that they had been close.
Actually, even closer than 'close.'
Two's smiling face seemed to come closer in his mind and the white-haired man's gentle scent filled his senses, drawing a contented sigh from deep in Zero's chest.
Yes, I feel it. We were more than friends. We were in love, if not actually lovers. I know the feeling of being in love with him, even if we've both forgotten.
He opened his eyes again and he could still feel the ache and the flutter of that love all through his tensed body. He could be an impulsive man and he knew very well that impulsive action wasn't likely going to change their circumstances, but alone in the room with no one to call him on his inappropriate behavior, Zero gave in to the call of that dreamy, surreal feeling and he leaned forward, pressing his lips to Two's and kissing the unconscious man tenderly. As he did, he realized suddenly that Two's eyes had opened and widened and Two grabbed onto his arms, sitting up and hugging him tightly. And the name that sounded in Zero's ears swelled with the force of truth that shattered the illusions around them.
"Shunsui!"