~FIREFLY KNIGHTS~

Bleach Copyright Tite Kubo

Firefly Knights Copyright Illand Girl

'For those that need a Guardian.'

Chapter 37: Lie To Me

Poke poke poke

"Hey kid, you'll catch death out here, dressed like that."

He opened a single brown eye, glaring at the figure looming above him. What he initially thought to be a stick poking him was in fact a sheathed sword. His eyes drifted down to it, then back to the child above. Messy black hair fell every direction- including down the bridge of his nose, and icy blue eyes that reminded him of a fox staring tiredly at him.

"Who the hell are you?" The tired boy asked him. They had to be close in age, at least, it was what he figured at first glance. Both brown eyes open, he sat up, raising his chin defiantly.

"Why should I give you my name?" He asked. The tired boy raised a brow, frowning.

"It's customary to give your name in a fight. So that your opponent knows who killed you, or who you have killed. Don't you know the rules?" From tired to exasperated, the boy tapped his sheath against his own foot now. "Name's Hiroshi, by the way."

"Rules?"

"Mah, are you dense? The rules in this district. Kill or be killed. You don't look like a fighter though."

He eyed Hiroshi, from his unruly locks to his equally unkempt clothing. Holes like the robes he wore, some pieces clearly sewn on or patched over. It barely fit him, being a slapdash of colours that didn't match on a body that was edging into teen-hood. Hiroshi frowned, holding both the hilt of his zanpakutō and the sheath in both hands. From the ground, he huffed, eyes half drawn, equally as tired.

"You're going to fight me?" He drawled. It surprised Hiroshi; had he not just explained the rules?

"Well- yeah?"

"Why?"

"Wh-" It surprised the black-haired boy, disarming him enough for the fox-like appearance to fall from his features. He recovered quickly, hiding the surprise with irritation. "Are you touched or something? You must be, to wander all the way out here without any weapons."

"I don't need weapons." He said, eyes growing darker. Hiroshi scoffed.

"A sharp tongue only gets you so far, kid." Hiroshi pointed out, still holding his weapon in front of him.

"It's worked for me thus far." He shifted minutely, preparing to strike, Hiroshi noticed. "Besides, you can't cut me with that blade."

Instead of being intimidated, Hiroshi grinned, bringing himself back to the beginning of their conversation. To him, Hiroshi's grin was anything but joyful. It was wolfish in nature, reminding him of all the others who hid themselves beneath a pretense, only to show their true colours in the end.

"You wanna know why I wanna fight you?" He lowered his sword, enough to not obscure the brown-haired boy sitting at his feet. "It's because I want to ."

"That's it?" He stood up, dusting himself off. Hiroshi chuckled.

"You think I need a reason?" Hiroshi asked, noticing the piercing gaze of the other boy. Hiroshi was minutely taller, looking square into deep brown eyes that looked straight through his soul.

"I think you're afraid to give a reason, because if you do," he shifted his stance. "Then when you lose, you lose your reasoning."

It was fast, the span that the smaller boy moved away. He spoke an incantation, hands moving briskly, smoothly, efficiently-

But it came to a halt when a blade touched his throat. Barely two words in, Hiroshi was baring down on him. The exhaustion was clear on his face, but the fire in his blue eyes were palpable. He stood, frozen, the cold steel resting on his throat hadn't even made a whisper of noise before resting against him. Brown eyes searched cold blue, and for the first time since he'd found this place, he remembered how to feel fear.

A display of power, so simple and whitewash of how terrifying it truly was. Hiroshi had won with a mere draw of his sword. Envy crept against his spine, his jaw resting against the cold steel. He would look Hiroshi in the eye, if this were to be the end- then he would meet it head on, no matter the cold chill creeping in his chest, or the fear that sent his heart pounding. He would not look away. Hiroshi, however, did not move.

"Listen, I'm not really into that philosophical shit. I do something because I want to do it, end of story. But you... You're someone who needs to find meaning in life, aren't you?" The corners of his mouth tipped up. "You need to find validity in your actions, to justify wanting something."

He didn't know who this Hiroshi was, but he decided right then and there, he hated him. But Hiroshi didn't care, because he couldn't read minds and he didn't know what sort of thoughts were running wild in that brain of his.

"So I'll ask again, what is your name?" Before the brown-haired boy could speak, his stomach growled, disarming the rising tension. Hiroshi blinked, like a curtain had been lifted and a darkness had finally passed over, then chuckled. The blade disappeared, heat rush into his chest at the prospect of life- what a cowardly thought, and it made him hate Hiroshi all the more. It took him by surprise when Hiroshi held out a rice ball. A peace offering? Or poison? No, no point poisoning an opponent when you just beat them. He'd met his match, resentfully, as he felt more a child now than he ever had in his entire life.

Hiroshi completely ignored him after, eyes entirely focused on his meal. Perhaps the only meal the skinny boy had that day. Then why would he share with an enemy? He couldn't understand such a baffling thing.

And yet, he found his lips moving, before he could contemplate it, he finally answered.

"Sōsuke," he said finally. "My name is Sōsuke Aizen."

"Ya look furious, captain." Gin mused. Sōsuke remained indifferent, eyes staring into the wastelands of Huecho Mundo. The abounding sands vacant of activity, even in the distance where hollows roamed free. None dared to tread near Las Noches lest they had business with its king.

"Do I?" He asked in a purposefully neutral tone. Gin grinned.

"Ya look like a kid who had his toy stolen." The silver haired soul reaper mused, almost humming. He knew what that meant and was eager to see. Aizen's eyes narrowed a margin, his features uncharacteristically stiff.

"Perhaps I have." He said quietly.

Behind them, Kaname Tōsen walked into the room. He shut the door behind himself, bowing upon entry.

"Such formality, I thought we were passed that, Kaname?" Sōsuke spoke, not turning from his observations of the sands. Yet his mind was acutely aware of the third member in the room. Kaname stopped some feet away, silent as a crypt. The room felt heavy as the blind man carefully stood. Kaname had always considered himself loyal to Sōsuke, but the man was not born without faults. Something the ex-squad five captain never truly forgot.

"My Lord, it is my wish to always show you respect." He said, voice tight with unspoken emotion. He could not see him, but he knew Gin was watching Kaname with that usual grin, waiting for him to fall off kilter, watching for any chinks in the armour. Sōsuke hummed, finding amusement in that sentence.

"Respect you say?" He turned, looking to his subordinate. "I hope to always have the utmost respect from those most loyal to me."

Kaname felt his pulse quicken, bowing his head, submitting to the subtle torture of silence.

"Of course, my lord. Always." His voice did not waver, but his mind was mercurial, a dichotomy in motion between his mind and body. He knew what this was, had been standing with Gin beside his lord many times. Sōsuke had a way with words, but there was no need to say out loud what this was. Lord Aizen was never one to lend kindness, especially not to someone he suspected of crossing him. That, in itself, was the first chink in his armour he'd ever found.

That girl was the first chink in his armour that Kaname had ever seen firsthand. He broke his own rules for her, and he didn't understand why. Why go through so much trouble for such an abomination? He couldn't fathom it.

"That is good. I would like for you to stand with me then, Kaname. So that we may discover where this treason began." Sōsuke said, never looking away from the blind man. Kaname resisted the urge to swallow.

"Treason, my lord?" He asked, frowning.

"Disobedience is never tolerated, and to actively plot against me, in any capacity, is an act of treachery, don't you agree?" Sōsuke's voice was smooth, but the undercurrent was taught with thinly veiled threat. Kaname chose his next words carefully.

"And what if disobedience is necessary to plot in your favour, my lord?" Kaname asked, giving up the tryst of lying. Sōsuke knew, he always knew, and the evidence was in this trial the blind ex-captain found him on. The king of Las Noches looked down his nose, disappointed in such a quick defeat. He had hoped for a challenge, but those seemed to be far and few in between as of late. So, he made his own entertainment, carrying a faux smile that seemed more sinister than sweet.

"Enlighten me, Kaname." He said kindly, but it had an inverse effect. A cold rushed into Kaname, he resisted the urge to shiver. He did not know what would happen, but he knew that he would keep his head high for as long as he could. It may not have been the method to go about things, but he did not believe he was wrong to test the waters.

"I wish you to know, my lord, that I stand loyal to you, and your cause," Kaname said stiffly, chin held higher. "Even when you are not."

Gin couldn't quite hold in the laughter that slipped past thin lips. The boy scout may be one of Aizen's most loyal companions, but he was not so delusional to ignore when favouritism was branched elsewhere. That was all it was, Gin decided, because Kaname did not understand why Aizen put so much thought into the girl's well-being in the first place. And he would never understand it, not without witnessing Hiroshi and Sōsuke's dynamic firsthand.

Sōsuke was silent, still amused. He had felt Kaname's loyalties slipping ever since the plan to collect Naomi was enacted, but he had thought perhaps it could wait a little longer, after the war, to reconfirm it. It could not wait, it seemed, as the once boy scout level of loyalty had drifted away.

"You consider yourself loyal to me, and yet you claim I have become- what? Lost? Misguided? Please Kaname, tell me how have I done this?" Sōsuke asked, not a hint of anger in his voice, something that surprised Kaname.

"I simply mean that you have not been entirely yourself lately, and I wish to stand beside you even as you handle this... matter at hand." Kaname explained carefully. He could not let his words get the better of him, even if Sōsuke tried to push him, he would not falter.

"And what is this change that has you concerned enough to act, Kaname?" Sōsuke asked, using his name continually to disarm him. It was working, whether Kaname admitted to it or not.

"This... fascination. I worry it has murked the waters of your mind." Finally, feeling as if the truth were only at his finger tips, he said. "I do not understand your intentions with that child."

"My intentions are simple," Sōsuke said plainly, at least it would appear that way to anyone but Gin. "I intend to extract what I can from the girl."

There it was, the line that evoked pity from Kaname. He knew, in a sort of sense, what his lord wanted. It was not loyalty, or kindness that drove Aizen to enact punishment against her. It was because she was his, and he had limited time with her, and interrupting it, was only setting him back rather than forwards with her. She was his entertainment.

"Ya know, Kaname," Gin mused, his grin splitting his face in two. "I'd almost say ya care for that kid."

"I pity her." Kaname said plainly. "I pity what short life she has lived, created and turned into an abomination by her own father no doubt."

"Careful, Kaname." Sōsuke said shortly. There would be no slights to Hiroshi, not from someone like Kaname. But his subordinate was riled past the point of caring.

"That girl is dying," Kaname said tightly. "She is an abomination, a time bomb waiting to detonate. It would be a mercy for her to have a quick death, rather than exist as a nexus point for us to study and examine."

"Ah, ya respect her so much? Never woulda guess it from ya, Kaname." Gin laughed, not entirely buying the plot the blind man wrote so well. "Here I thought you were just jealous o' her."

"Jealous?" His voice rung out, but he was stunned into silence. The snake knew he hit a nerve.

"Ya, I'd think so? Just like Loly and Menoly. Strange ain't it? That they thought she was a call girl, warming our beds. Course Captain here never told anybody why Naomi was brought here, 'cept Ulquiorra, and you o'course."

Kaname had made the mistake, focusing on surviving the ire of Sōsuke, he hadn't noticed the snake coiling beside him until he struck. Gin didn't stop there, frowning as if deep in thought. The blind man couldn't see, but he could hear it in the smugness of the other ex-captain's tone.

"Funny how Loly and Menoly didn't know where she was until yesterday. None o' them did, 'cept us, and Ulquiorra. Mighty convenient that they knew when ta strike, when there would be nobody to stop them, yeah?" Gin chuckled. "And of course, who better ta ask to test her than the woman eater himself? Yes it's all so strange, don't you agree, Kaname?"

A cold dribble of sweat went down Kaname's neck, something completely unnoticed by him, but for the snake and lord in the room? It was the final indicator.

"Enough, Gin." Sōsuke said, watching the internal suffrage of his subordinate. It would be enough; they did not need to push him any further down the road of repentance. Sōsuke looked down at his loyal companion. "I do not fault you for your concerns, Kaname. It takes true loyalty to see a change in perception. For that, I cannot fault you."

'What are you saying, Lord Aizen?' Kaname thought, but before he could voice this, the doors behind him opened. Nnoitra Gilga and Ulquiorra Cifer walked through the door.

"I have brought him for you, Lord Aizen." Ulquiorra announced, meeting an eye roll from Nnoitra. Sōsuke thanked him as Ulquiorra waited by the door.

"Come closer, Nnoitra." Sōsuke called. Nnoitra, unassuming, waltzed closer, stepping in front of Kaname with his stance lax and his hands in his pockets. The tension in the air remained, Aizen remained the ever tense hand of God himself as he surveyed his subordinate. The arrancar did not register the tension in the room. Whether by sheer inadequacy or ignorance, none could decide.

"Nnoitra. Please explain your actions to me." Sōsuke said smoothly. All remained silent for another moment before the tall arrancar spoke.

"Apologies, Lord Aizen. I was told that the girl had far more power. I expected her to fight back, at least a little more." Nnoitra fought down a smirk. "I sensed her power from earlier and expected her to do it again."

Gin remembered that moment, when he thought she had shattered the seals set in place by Aizen. At the word that her precious boyfriend had been cut down, her temper rose. Her reiatsu sky-rocketed in an instant, but before he could reach her, Sōsuke had appeared. In that instant, everyone in Las Noches would have felt it, the cold, unforgiving nature of her reiatsu.

"I see, and did she live up to your expectations?" Sōsuke asked, surprising Nnoitra. The arrancar frowned, uncertain what game they were playing, if any.

"No, I don't think she even tried." Then as an afterthought, he added, "it was pathetic really."

All was quiet. Nothing moved, no one spoke. Nnoitra was confused by the behaviour of Aizen. His gaze travelled to the snake standing nearby, watching him, suspicion rising as thin lips pulled back to show teeth. That was one beast he didn't trust, and from the look in his slitted eyes, Nnoitra suspected someone was amiss.

"Pathetic?" A single word, holding such connotation despite the lack of ambience to it. Nnoitra felt something shift, finally sensing the heaviness in the room. "Do you think I waste time, collecting pathetic things, Nnoitra?"

Ever still, uncrackable porcelain, Aizen gaze at his minion. A calmness covered him, but Nnoitra felt it in the air around him. From the years of battle and the centuries of struggle. He may have very little knowledge in the way of politics or psychological warfare, but he had the sense of when he was the predator and when he was prey. He could tell in an instant what Aizen was.

The man was far from the relaxed facade he wore.

"No, my Lord. Which is why I was expecting more from her." Nnoitra said carefully. Aizen hummed.

"I would corroborate your story with Loly and Menoly, but they are, unfortunately, no longer with us. Would you please tell me what you felt in her reiatsu? What was it like?" Aizen asked. Such an odd question, Nnoitra thought, but he acquiesced. The sensations he felt, both earlier in the day and with her laying under him. Her skin soft, supple. A violence to him similar to other females that defied him, struggled against him. He couldn't ignore the sudden surge she had, where her kick had broken through his Hierro and wounded him, broken a rib. He had not made any indication, his rage too volatile. But in that instant that she had broken through, he had felt it. The cold. The freezing depths that he felt that reiatsu was beyond anything he had felt besides Ulquiorra himself and his chilling energy.

"She felt like Ulquiorra. For a moment, I thought he had released his zanpakutō." Nnoitra said, thinking of the feeling that rippled through all of Las Noches at the time. What was Aizen trying to glean from this? He did not understand.

"How strange. Ulquiorra? Have you noticed this coincidence?" Aizen asked, shifting the attention in the room. The small arrancar still remained by the door. His face never changed, even as he felt several pairs of eyes on himself.

"Yes sir, it is an anomaly that I have not investigated further." He admitted. It was exactly what Aizen expected to hear.

"Then tell me, as someone who has been on the receiving end of Naomi Sakurai's power, do you believe that Nnoitra would fare well against her?" He asked, surprising Nnoitra. Kaname as well, could not understand what Aizen was getting at. He normally did not question him, but in matters concerning the girl, he did not understand.

Ulquiorra did not hesitate to answer.

"No," his voice flat, without discrimination. "I believe the girl above his skillset."

"You fucking-" Nnoitra was cut off as Ulquiorra continued, looking him dead in the eye.

"A normal arrancar, under the circumstances, would have been destroyed by your attacks. But the girl survived with minimal damage. Unleashed, she would devour you." He said it factually, almost flawlessly, but not under the sharp eye of Aizen. The slightest hint of irritation entered his voice, as if the concept of Nnoitra defeating Naomi was admonishing. He respected her, it appeared, good.

Nnoitra growled, turning his back on his superiors to face down his kinsmen. The tall arrancar hunched to glare into the eyes of Ulquiorra, who did not hesitate in his disapproving stare.

"He is correct, Nnoitra." Aizen spoke, a smile in his tone itself. "She has exceeded even my own expectations. And as long as she is a guest here," he could hear the faintest chuckle from Gin, "she is to be left alone."

'What are you doing, Lord Aizen?' Kaname thought again. Why was the arrancar being let off so leniently, while he was stricken with the mockery of that snake? He did not understand his methods, but perhaps the reality was that his lord saw Kaname himself as the perpetrator, and thus, the one at fault for orchestrating the assault. He had not been lying; he had wished a quick death for the girl. Albeit forgetting about Nnoitra's less than savoury habits with women.

Nnoitra turned, observing the ex-squad five captain with a narrowed gaze. There was something more to this guy, and Nnoitra wasn't sure what it was. The man was tough, but silent in his actions. The only thing more biting in this room was the snake beside him, and Nnoitra wasn't a fool to think Gin would ever play to anyone's side but his own. Especially not when there was an opportunity to cause havoc.

"A guest? I thought she was a toy," his eyes dredged to Gin, curious. "Heard she was in your room before. Thought she could come play with me."

Kaname felt it, Gin did too. Their stoic captain's smile waned, eyes sharper, but the espada didn't realize it. Nnoitra was too busy taunting his way out the door to Gin. He could see it, the way the snake's eyes followed Naomi behind the bed, the way his reiatsu flared when Nnoitra considered fighting Ulquiorra in that room. He wasn't aware what emotions followed, but there was an attachment to the girl, and he'd be damned if he went along silently about it.

"Mah, all this tension for a bit o' fun, yeah?" Gin laughed, disarming the fifth espada. It was not the reaction he expected. The man was mirthful. "Can't blame 'em, captain. She is a pretty lil' thing."

'What are you doing, Gin?' Aizen wondered, but then saw the course of action. He would let it go, see how it proceeded. Both sets of eyes turned to Nnoitra, seeing the confusion on his face. Gin grinned.

"She's tasty, yeah?" Gin cooed, and it was then that Kaname realized the corner he would be backed into. The prison the snake finally dropped him in. What a bastard, protecting the abomination to the very ends of his limits. Nnoitra, if aware of the situation, did nothing to reveal himself. Hands in his pockets, stance lax once more.

"Delicious." He licked his long tongue over thin lips. To his dismay, there was no fault in Gin's grin, despite the taunting.

"I recall Lord Aizen calling her his guest," Kaname said, tone dour. "Not a toy for you to slobber on."

Slowly, the grin fell from Gin's lips, his eyes opening a fraction. It had worked, all the posturing, veiled threats, and now the man was exactly where he needed him to be. Nnoitra glared at Kaname, sneering as he looked down at the man.

"You need to get laid, Tōsen. Uptight prick." He muttered the ending, but the sharp senses of the blind man caught it.

"You need to watch your tone, speaking ill in the presents of Lord Aizen." He said, tone sharper than before. Nnoitra snorted, ignoring the man.

"Don't be a boy scout, Tōsen." He drawled, looking back to the snake and his lord. Both looked indifferent to the events unfolding, but neither stopped Kaname as he turned to the tall espada.

"Your lack of loyalty is showing, do not hinder me with your misguided attempts at insult, Nnoitra." Kaname said, hiding none of his disgust in his voice. Nnoitra turned to face him, eyes lit with anger.

"You wanna talk loyalty, Kaname Tōsen ?" He challenged. "Fuck your loyalty, it's as flimsy as a tree branch ready to snap in a soft breeze."

Kaname drew his sword, slicing into the espada with blinding speed-

Nnoitra caught his blade, glaring down at the soul reaper with contempt.

"Oh? You wanna fight, little soul reaper?" He laughed, keeping his mouth open to fire a cero-

A blade went straight through his head, slicing into the wall beside Ulquiorra. The remaining arrancar did not move, hardly distracted by the long sword crumbling the wall next to him.

A pin could've dropped in the next second, before the shrk of the blade returning to Gin could be heard. It was slow, spraying blood in its wake. Nnoitra still stood, with a stunned expression, and then he fell backwards. The thunk of his body crashing to the stone floor was the only sound for another beat.

Kaname stood in confusion, wondering why Gin had chosen to assist in that moment. However, as he turned his attentions back to Aizen and Gin, he could sense the growing tension in his lord.

"Are you alright, Kaname?" Aizen asked, choosing not to address the elephant in the room. Kaname swallowed, feeling his heart increase rather than settle. Was this his execution? The snake had taken his liberty from him. Had he not?

"Yes, Lord Aizen." He said, and- feeling an incredible weight on his shoulders, he fell to a bow. "Forgive me, for speaking out of turn. I was- it was not in ill faith."

He smoldered in his own self-loathing, none of the other males in the room stopped him. Gin's smirk returned, cold and calculative as it always had been. Aizen's smile had returned, satisfied with the results.

"I trust in your ability to remember where you stand, Kaname." He said with false warmth. Tōsen ate it regardless, plunged his hands into the hearth with blind faith as he stood up. He lived to see another day, because his lord had not lost faith in him. Tōsen reminded himself, that it was his choice to follow the ex-captain, and it was by his own volition. He could not lose faith now, not when they had come so far.

"Of course, my lord." He said, bowing his head. Sōsuke's smile waned to a thin smirk, satisfied. His brown eyes travelled to Ulquiorra, standing unassumingly by the door. "Ulquiorra, would you please dispose of the body?"

A minor hesitation, his eyes flickering to the door on Sōsuke's right. His task was to protect Naomi Sakurai, and he hesitated at leaving. It was admirable, and for a moment Sōsuke wondered when reluctant obedience turned to want when it came to the order. He decided it was not worth pursuing at this moment, and filed that information away for later.

"I will remain here, until your return." Was all he said. Ulquiorra nodded, lifting the large corpse over his shoulder with very little effort, before leaving the room. Kaname sheathed his sword, head still to the ground. "You may go, Kaname."

Reluctant, but knowing an order when he heard one, Kaname bowed once more before leaving. The snake chuckled, looking at the bloody floor as he sheathed his sword.

"That went better than I expected," he hummed, turning his gaze to Sōsuke. The captain didn't look at him, also staring at the blood on the ground. Gin wondered how far he could poke. He'd done his part in playing the villain well today, and as such, he desired a reward for all his efforts. "I did wonder if ya would kill Nnoitra yerself if I hadn't stepped in."

'Ever watching, aren't you, Gin?' Sōsuke thought. He had sensed the growing ire of his leader and pounced before Sōsuke could. It was preferable, as Sōsuke didn't want to dirty his hands. But the slight done to his command, to his possessions ... it could not go unaddressed.

When his captain didn't take the bait, Gin continued on. "Ah well, we lost a grunt. Guess it ain't that mucha loss for a human kid, huh?"

"She's a child to you now?" Aizen hummed, catching the gaze of Ichimaru. "How odd to voice it when moments ago you spoke of her charm and allure."

Gin's laugh was fake and nervous, but not at all sincere. A mockery of someone who had been caught.

"Jeez Captain, you of people shoulda known it was a joke." Gin said, his laugh lulling into that foxlike smirk. "Didja really think so low o' me? Ta take advantage o' our poor girl- I mean... our guest ?"

"Come now, Gin. We both know children are not to your interest." Aizen said, a mocking smile on his face, smug at how Gin cornered himself so easily. Gin's smirk thinned, but he didn't comment. Sōsuke looked at the door, thoughts travelling to the sleeping girl.

"We gained more than we lost," Sōsuke said, thinking of the entire scenario and how it panned into his favour. The glint that Gin hated, the one that spoke volumes of his treachery and infidelity, was painted on the man's face.

"I may have lost a rook, but perhaps I have gained a queen."

Gin had nothing to say to that, staying in the room as Aizen ventured to check on their guest . He considered following, but what would he do? He felt for the girl, dammed from her birth. The moment she stepped into the Seireitei, her fate was sealed. He thought her made of tougher things, but in his ambitions, Gin entirely forgot that Naomi Sakurai was just a human girl. A child who had lived barely a blink of what he had. She was safer if he was not present to mock their leader. Whatever he did to her, it was easier to be away and pretend he was unaware. Unassuming, and unknowing that Sōsuke considered her a possession of his and not a person. Yes, that was what she was, that was what this was all about. Loly, Menoly, Nnoitra. They touched his possession, and for that they had to pay the price.

That was entirely what this was about.

Aizen closed the door behind himself, being silent as a crypt as he entered.

She finally slept, taking hours to settle in after he left her there. If he had not known she was still alive and well, he may have thought her a corpse when his eyes settled on her. She was pale, breath quiet and slow, with tear streaks on her face. She would regain her strength once she rested, though he had doubts that her mind would last against him for much longer. She was ready to break, ready to pull apart. One more clean strike. He could become Ichigo, could make her relive that memory with Nnoitra, but with Ichigo. Sōsuke wondered what would become of her then. What would happen to the brilliant mind who baffled him and entertained him for hours? It was doable, with all the attachments she had, she could learn true fear, remember her place.

She shifted, rolling to face him. Aizen was hit by how different she appeared than Hiroshi when she slept. They had the same eyes; the same cunning expression that was whispering of defiance every time they opened their mouths. But it was the soft slope of her jaw, the fullness of her lashes, and the paleness to her skin that was inherently different. So feminine, and youthful. So mottled with small scars all over her body, something Hiroshi could never stand. Marring of the skin, of any kind. Perhaps it was in seeing his daughter riddled with scars that his memory lingered even long after he had vanished. It was why he felt intrigued by her, why he kept her around. Why he put in all the effort to spirit her away in the first place. It was in the similarities he found Hiroshi, yet the differences were her most prominent features. Truly baffling to him.

"You need to find validity in your actions, to justify wanting something."

Decidedly, he felt his time was being wasted watching the girl sleep. She was still asleep as he left the room. Not in a hurry- he assured himself. But in the back of his skull, he could hear Hiroshi laughing at him, calling his bluff. Sōsuke could steel himself against the world, but nothing would ever block out the memory of the only man to get under his skin.

'Damn you, Hiroshi.'

"Naomi!"

Someone was calling for me, but they were far away. It sounded like they were underwater, or was I the one beneath the surface?

I gasped, crashing into white sand. It stung, getting in my clothes and slicing my knees. My hands burned as I scraped along. I tumbled, rolling down a dune and plopping at the bottom. Sand followed, half burying me alive. Moments passed; my first instinct was to cry.

It was cut short by a massive creature. A white mask, claws, it reminded me of a bear, but more teeth and bone. I wailed. It leaped at me, but another monster struck it. This one looked like a deer, if deer had long rows of teeth and saber fangs. They were fighting, I wailed again. My little legs tried to climb the hill of sand. I didn't get very far. The bear swiped at me, missing by an inch. It hit the sand, causing the dune to collapse. Sand went everywhere, in my eyes, in my nose, my open mouth. It tasted terrible. I struggled to escape, my head popping out.

The fighting moved; a small beast joined them. This one looked like a big cat. I sniffled, struggling to free myself from the sand. As I did, the fight returned. The bear escaped the cat and deer, charging at me with a mouth filled with rows upon rows of ugly teeth. I closed my eyes, afraid.

Something shifted behind me. I looked up, seeing long legs and bright eyes staring down at me. A blank expression on its face. The bear was close, but then it was just gone. I didn't see where it went. The creature was still looking at me, with big green eyes void of emotion. It stared, just for a moment, but then it began to walk away, leaving me in the sand.

"Wait!" I cried, struggling to free myself.

It didn't.

"Wake up."

I jolted, confused how I had fallen asleep. It took several seconds for me to remember where I was. No longer in the white sands, struggling after that all white being. When I opened my eyes, bright lights flickered on, stunning me momentarily. Across the way, I could make out a faint outline of a person. No- not a person, an arrancar.

"Ulquiorra?" I asked, throat sore from crying. He stood there, relaxed and impassive as ever.

"You have slept for long enough." He said, ignoring me. I grumbled, feeling stiff. "There are ointments and bandages in your bathroom, along with more clothing you to the change into."

His eyes travelled to the bathroom, then back to me. I appreciated that, at the very least, I could keep some of my autonomy. Even if the implication was that he had been in here while I was sleeping. Had I always been such a heavy sleeper? Or was it simply because of the events that unfolded? Begrudgingly, I nodded.

"Thank you." I said tightly. Ulquiorra turned, though his eyes lingered on me.

"It is Lord Aizen's wish, not my own." He left then, surprising me. With nothing left to do, I took a bath, washing myself as good as I could. I couldn't entirely clean my back wounds, but Hell would freeze over before I asked for help. Looking in the mirror, I was coming to the horrible realization that this place was mentally and physically leaving so many bloody scars on me. It was damn near laughable at the absurdity of it all.

I did my best to bandage my entire torso, which- I gotta say- I actually did a pretty good job. This time for clothing, I found some long, flowing pants, with a fitted jacket. Another robe to go over top everything. I left my hair down to dry, brushing through it once before deciding this was enough. Briefly, I noticed a second door to my room that I hadn't noticed before. I considered walking towards it, barging it open to see what lay beyond, but hesitated. After the events of yesterday, I wasn't feeling up to exploration, and decided to head out the door I knew lead to the hall.

Ulquiorra stood out there. My eyes immediately went to his sleeve, where a single spattering of blood remained. He followed my gaze, then looked at me, before turning on his heel to leave. I was marginally baffled, wondering what had occurred, but I followed down the hall towards the lounge without complaint. Would this be me for the rest of the time I existed? Being led from doorway to doorway? Never given a reprieve? It was likely, but I wasn't in the position to disobey or reject it.

"You are quiet." He commented. I frowned.

"You say it like it's a bad thing." I pointed out. Ulquiorra looked over his shoulder. If this guy ever had thoughts or emotions, he was brilliant at hiding them. Other than annoyance, I'd yet to see a single thought run across his face. He looked ahead, saying nothing else. As he turned though, I realized that his eyes looked somehow familiar.

He stopped abruptly, startling me from my thoughts. When he turned, I focused on his eyes again, frowning. I knew those eyes- but from where?

"Have we met before?" I asked. His heavy brow dropped further, if it fell any further it'd be in his mouth.

"Are you touched in the head?" He asked, voice telling me what he thought of my sanity. I was undeterred though, ignoring his jabs.

"Your eyes," I said, looking between both. "I've seen them before."

Instead of outright mockery, Ulquiorra stilled. He did not speak, nor did he waver in his gaze. He just stared, blatantly, as though trying to solve a puzzle. I stared back, looking through his eyes, trying to remember where I had seen them before, when the memory of the dream came back.

The same green eyes, on a solid white being. I felt surprised, wondering why I had seen that, and why I felt so small, infantile even. Why did I see Ulquiorra as that creature? A white, all bone, being with the brightest eyes I'd seen since coming to this place? Yet I didn't voice any of these things, and Ulquiorra said nothing about my statements.

"Were you..." I caught myself thinking out loud, and decided to keep my thoughts to myself. Eyes slipping to the doorway in front of us. "Nevermind."

He stared a moment longer, before turning to open the door. Ulquiorra said nothing about what I mentioned, leading me to believe he was simply trying to decide if my sanity needed to be brought up to his lord. I, decidedly ejected this conversation from my head, not wanting to linger on why I saw Ulquiorra as a giant beast.

In the lounge, it was only Aizen. I don't know what I expected, but perhaps it was something more than simply the two of us. I didn't want to see him, or anyone for that matter, but considering the circumstances I knew there would be no validity to my opinions. Ulquiorra excused himself, closing the door as he left, leaving me with the man with the plan.

"Good morning, Naomi. Did you sleep well?" He asked. I nodded, not having the energy to play pretend.

"Yes, though how can you call this morning?" I asked, eyes flickering to the landscape in front of us. He chuckled, an almost real smile covering his features.

"I suppose time has its own way of keeping with you, even if you are no longer amidst the sun." He turned, walking towards the opening. Numbly, I followed, stopping beside him. "This is one of the few places in my castle you can see the outside world. The rest has a canopy, that mimics sunlight."

I was moderately surprised, wondering how on earth he built it all.

"How long have you been building this place?" I asked, genuinely curious. Aizen's gaze remained on the horizon, as did mine, but I could sense him looking at me from the corner of his eye.

"Years, far longer than you have lived." He said. It was an opening, a chance for me to ask about my father.

"Why build this?" I asked instead, chickening out. "Why do any of this?"

"Did we not already have this discussion? I believe you called it ' a nice seat with a pretty view ' the last time." He taunted, surprising me. Partially because he remembered, but also unsurprised because this man probably remembered what I ate the first night I was here.

"I don't believe you." I said simply. There was no point in mincing words. Sōsuke Aizen was the type of man to play a game with you, and desire you to play it back. But I didn't want to play, not after the previous day's events. "I don't believe for a second that you are simple-minded. No, your goals do not make sense to me at all. It's too contrived."

Crass, callous, I considered taking those words back, but despite my long sleep, I felt tired. My memory of last night, of surrendering my hope of returning home, had brought a darkness to my mind. It did nothing for padding my survival instinct. If Aizen felt anything at my words, he did nothing to give it away. I waited, curious what he would say, whether he would insult me further. He didn't say anything for a long time, and I began to wonder if he had even heard me, or perhaps he was counting down from a thousand to not kill me on the spot?

"Harsh words, Naomi. I want to say I'm impressed, but it feels more like I hit a nerve yesterday. Is this your idea of retaliation?" He asked, a lilt to his voice that sounded angry and humoured at the same time.

"This is not, I just expected better from you." I said, turning to the long table where food usually sat. "Is there any tea made?"

"Jasmine, please, help yourself." He said without missing a beat. I walked over, making a cup of tea for myself, taking a seat at the table. Aizen stood by the opening, saying nothing for a long moment. Then he turned, looking right at me with a neutral gaze.

"What is it that you expect of me?" He asked. I raised a brow.

"You're curious?"

"Of course, I am. You have built this image of me, tended to it and allowed it to bloom into something beyond my current visage. Who wouldn't be intrigued by such supplementary worship?" It sounded overly egotistical, even for him, but somehow exactly what I imagined him to say in response. I took a breath, wondering internally what I expected from this man. It wasn't simplicity, or contrived. I didn't think the seat itself was what he wanted. It was all so confusing for such a brilliant mind that felt so lonely to push others away. It was as though the thought of someone getting a foothold on him, or above him, bothered him. It felt-

"Control." I said, sorting through my in my thoughts. Aizen tilted his head, observing me carefully. "You don't strike me as the type to enjoy subjugation. You want control to liberate yourself of that, don't you?"

He didn't say anything immediately, striding across the room to sit in his usual spot at the table. I stared across at him, watching as he made his own cup the same way I had. When he finished, his eyes met mine. A clever way to control the situation, by busying himself to prevent an answer. I didn't bite, sitting back and sipping my tea quietly, knowing he wanted me to fill the silence and jump to another statement. But I didn't, and the silence grew. Aizen watched me, eyes narrowing, as he too sipped his tea.

A minute passed; he looked comfortable in the silence. I enjoyed my tea. Three minutes passed, and I caved. With a huff, I leaned against the table.

"I rest my case." I said pointedly. Aizen sipped his tea, languidly enjoying it. As he placed it down, he hummed.

"You seem... different." He pointed out.

I nodded, staring at the tea in my cup. "I've accepted it."

"Accepted what?" He asked, though he must've known by now. When my eyes met his, there was nothing to give away that he knew.

"That I will die here."

No change in his smooth movements, no flicker of his gaze. Yet I got the clear insinuation that he did know that was what I would say.

"So you have given up." He said, tone also giving nothing away. I made a noise of disagreement, staring pointedly into his eyes again.

"No no, I've accepted fate. I have accepted that-" my chest tightened, "-being rescued is just a fantasy. But what I won't do, is give up." I picked up my teacup, looking into it again. "Call it childish, or sheer stubbornness, hell it's probably insanity at this point."

My eyes caught his above the rim of my teacup.

"But I will not go down without a fight, Sōsuke," I raised my glass, giving cheers to nobody. "I refuse."

"And what does this entail, exactly?" He sounded like he held back a laugh. His eyes were cruel, cold, and yet- beneath that, I saw genuine humour. "You have surrendered your hope, your freedom, and your peace. What do you have left to fall back on, other than the cold reality that this is it?"

Despite the cold, despite the context, I felt a genuine smirk fall into place on my lips.

"No one is coming for me. Isn't that what you said?" I reminded him, leaning into the darkness. It was cold, gripping, I would drown if I wasn't careful. Yet as I looked across to Aizen, I felt something shift. A perspective changed, like looking through a mirror. This was the most emotion I had ever seen from the man, and it was probably all I would ever see. But I had to know, why did my admission rattle him so much?

"You seem startled, Sōsuke." I taunted, feeling like the script had flipped in that moment. Titles no longer captive and captor, but two individuals looking across at one another, trying to glean something from the other without knowing what it was they sought. "Were you expecting me to fall apart?"

"Not exactly." He reined himself in, returning to that same neutral, smug look he always wore. "I had suspected mental acrobatics, perhaps some tears, but not this duplicity of acceptance."

"It is not duplicity. I have accepted it," I tilted my head, eyes narrowing as I observed him. He was different now too, I noticed. His mind was closer to the surface than it had been before. Was this a trap? I imagine it was, as this man had never lost his facade in the entire time I had known him. It didn't matter though, none of it did. All that mattered, was the end result. Aizen was quiet, not saying a word as I watched him from behind my cup. He too studied me, eyes searching mine. I was hit with the sudden urge to know him. Not for some sympathy tryst, or a bid of kinship, but rather to know the enemy in a way that I could fully accept. To know the monster that lurked in the dark and whispered soft things in my ear. Who was Sōsuke Aizen? Why had my father considered him a brother?

Who are you, Sōsuke?

"Educate me." I said suddenly. "As I said before, your position in the heavens- it doesn't make sense to me. Explain to me what it is you want up there, why you want to be in the at the top so badly. It can't just be control. It can't be for the view. So please, educate me."

"Why do you want to know?" He asked simply. Had anyone ever asked him that before, I wonder? I looked at my almost empty teacup, then back to him.

"How can I oppose someone, reject their ideology, if I don't even know what it is?" I put my cup down, maintaining eye contact with him. "Make no mistake, you hurt my friends, you caused a lot of trouble for all of us. But I have to know why. Would go through all of this trouble? Why any of this? Really ."

He maintained eye contact with me as I leaned forward in my seat, resting my head on my hand, silently urging him to speak.

"Tell me how you and my father became brothers." I urged. Sōsuke remained calm, betraying no emotions, and yet the lack of reaction was admission enough. Gin had not been lying when he told me they were brethren. The extent of it, I did not know yet, but it was true. My father and Sōsuke had history, and some part of me, deep in my gut, knew that in order to understand Sōsuke, I needed to know this history.

"Are you certain?" He asked, raising a single brow. His eyes scorched me as they searched deep within. "Is what you're asking worth it?"

"Yes." I said immediately. This was it, to finally get some semblance of answers. Aizen hummed, finishing his tea.

"I suppose we have some time," he mused, pouring another cup for us both. I settled in, watching his gaze linger. "But to know the truth, you must know, your father was not a good man."

"I can glean that for myself, Sōsuke." He paused at my words, then gave the softest of smiles. I didn't believe it, but something felt honest about it.

"Then, let us start at the beginning, shall we?"

Thank you to everyone who still reads. Naomi is finally getting some truths to her. Thank you for the reviews.

Cheers

Iland Girl