Chapter 9: Our World in Flames

Torio and Koji Kuchiki huddled together in the corner of a cold, damp cell in the bowels of Ywach's Silbern palace, their icy hands clasping and their bodies quivering. Koji met his brother's red, weary eyes warily in the darkness and his voice shook when he spoke.

"Wh-what do you think they've done with the children?"

"I'm not sure," Torio answered softly, keeping his voice carefully lowered so that the guards couldn't pick up on their conversation, "I think I heard something that sounded like sleep. They may be sedating them…or…perhaps putting them in some kind of suspension."

"That doesn't bode well for us," Koji sighed, pressing closer to Torio, "I mean, they really just took us because we were able to keep the babies calm. As soon as we're not useful to them…"

"I think it's not a coincidence that we were kept alive," Torio whispered back, "Koji, they know who we are. They know exactly who all of us are. They carefully did not kill you and me. They also purposely did not kill Tetsuya"

"Well, he has a power that the quincy king is curious about," Koji speculated, "And you and I directly serve the Kuchiki clan leader and a family member who interests the quincy king."

"That the quincies have gathered such detailed information about the great clans suggests that their king may want to either capture or destroy that power," Torio mused, "Stealing the children works both as an attack on the powerful clans, and as a way of taking the power from those clans."

"You think they want that power for their use?" Koji asked, frowning, "But these are children! It would be years before they…"

"Maybe they have a way of harvesting the power from them," Torio suggested, "I don't know. But I do know that we have to find a way to get ourselves and those babies out of here."

"Except, how do we do that, when we're locked up down here?" Koji sighed, "If we only had the use of some kind of power…"

The sound of a door clanking open made the two attendants cringe into the corner of their cell, watching as two guards dragged a shinigami officer to the cell next to theirs and shoved him roughly inside, locking the door behind him. They didn't dare speak until the guards had left, but when they were gone, the two hurried to the side of their cell and reached through the bars to try to rouse their barely conscious comrade.

"Officer Rikichi!" Koji hissed urgently, reaching through the bars to take his shoulder and shaking gently.

"Ugh!" Rikichi groaned," I don't know anything…"

"It's us, Rikichi," Torio said reassuringly, "Are you hurt somewhere? The seal prevents us from using any other power, but we can still use healing functions."

"Oh…oh, thank you," Rikichi sighed gratefully, "They didn't do anything really horrible. They just beat me up and asked me a lot of questions about my place in the Kuchiki household. Th-they are very interested in people close to Captain Kuchiki and people familiar with Tetsuya's powers."

Torio's already worried frown deepened.

"It seems like they know that the power Tetsuya used to try to protect the children is not an ordinary shinigami power," he concluded, "The quincy king seems interested in any strong power he can discover in our families."

"The quincies have a way to steal our bankai," Rikichi told them, "I overheard that while they were interrogating someone near me. I heard that they were trying to provoke Tetsuya into using his bankai, but that his use of the power he employed to save the children wreaked havoc on his body, and he's powerless right now. They were interrogating him, but he passed out, and they haven't been able to wake him again."

"Do you know where they're keeping him?" Torio asked.

"No," Rikichi answered, "I do know that the quincy leader is going to come to see him. I just hope that he's not able to do anything to Tetsuya. I heard they were pushing him hard for information. Maybe that's what made him pass out."

Rikichi climbed to his knees and looked back at the outer door of the holding area.

"We need to find a way to get to him. We can't leave him in the quincy king's hands."

Koji nodded in agreement.

"As soon as Tetsuya's body recovers from the use of his special power, they will do something bad to him."

"So, we have to be ready," Torio decided, "We wait, and we watch for any opportunity to either make an escape or to get someone to help us. Then, we find the babies and Tetsuya, and we get them out of here!"

The three young men quieted and huddled close together, sharing their body heat and resting quietly as they awaited their opportunity to escape. As they waited in their cells, Tetsuya laid on an examination table in the nearby infirmary, his eyes closed and his bruised body bared, restrained and attached to an array of monitors. His quincy physician bent over him, carefully checking the six centers in his chest and abdomen that usually focused his power, then he turned his attention to the unconscious shinigami's spirit core, a few inches below his navel. The doctor's brow furrowed and his lips frowned.

"Impossible…" he muttered unhappily, "I don't know how we will understand your ability if you won't speak to us and your body gives us no clues. His majesty is going to be displeased, and you know, if you are too difficult, then he'll cease trying to drag the truth out of you and just kill you instead."

"I don't think that you're going to get results by scolding an unconscious man," Haschwald commented, stepping into the infirmary with Ywach at his side.

"You majesty! Commander Haschwald!" the doctor called out, dropping to one knee.

"On your feet," Ywach said quickly, "You won't do this man much good by letting him lie there."

The doctor rose, but kept his eyes lowered respectfully, also fearfully as he gave his report.

"I am sorry, my lord," he apologized, "We were able to rouse Tetsuya Kuchiki, but as soon as we began to torture him, he lost consciousness again. I am afraid that, having used whatever power that was, he damaged himself, and that will take time to heal. It can't be done with our abilities, because he simply cannot tolerate the flow of reiatsu through his burned spirit centers."

"Hmm," the quincy king mused, moving closer to the restrained noble, "perhaps it can't be done with your powers, but he will respond differently to mine."

Haschwald gave him a guarded look.

"You plan to restore his spirit centers?" he asked, "I ask because the way you use your power, you would be basically making him into a hybrid. Do you really want to honor a lowly shinigami with powers that come from you? Your power took turns even you didn't foresee in Ichigo Kurosaki and Uryuu Ishida."

"It did," Ywach answered, fixing his dark, malevolent eyes on Tetsuya's comely sleeping face, "But…you and I are the result of the unexpected also. Sometimes, when the situation calls for it, it is good to step beyond the norm."

"I am only thinking of how this will be received by the Sternritters. Along with the powers you granted them was the promise of retribution against the ones who nearly annihilated our people a thousand years ago. You are already riling them by bringing Uryuu Ishida to your side. After all, he may be a powerful quincy, but his family essentially turned against us, their own kind. They are blood traitors. If you adorn one of the enemy and treat him as your own…"

"Haschwald," Ywach said calmly, "You forget that I am about to ascend to the throne over all of the known worlds. I will not just be the quincy king, I will be king over all living things. It makes sense to reward excellence wherever I see it in this new world I am creating."

Haschwald's frown deepened.

"I suppose you are right, your majesty, however, it will be difficult to obtain understanding and acceptance of this among the Sternritters."

"I need neither the Sternritters' understanding nor their acceptance," Ywach said matter-of-factly, "I think you know that."

"Of course," Haschwald said quietly, narrowing his eyes slightly.

Ywach gazed down at Tetsuya's bared body, his eyelids lowering as he began to invoke his power, but almost immediately, a golden light flashed around the unconscious shinigami's body and odd, darker golden symbols flashed with the light, holding his power back from reaching the young man.

"Oh!" Haschwald gasped, staring in surprise, "This is…?"

"Yes," Ywach agreed, glaring at Tetsuya, "I see this gift was given to his soul directly by the former king's consort, Hajime Kuchiki. When my power reaches out to touch him, this light interferes, effectually placing him in a different dimension."

The two watched in silence as the light flickered with power, continuing to radiate around Tetsuya's body.

"Your majesty, what are you going to do?"

He reached out a hand in Tetsuya's direction, but stopped short of touching the protective light.

"I feel the warning," Haschwald said more softly, keeping his hand extended, but not touching the barrier that protected Tetsuya, "You might be able to touch him in this state, although your power cannot pass through. Even with my ability, I do not dare make physical contact."

"Hmm…"

"So, what are you going to do with him?" Hascwald asked, continuing to stare at Tetsuya in fascination.

"The souls of the former incarnations of the king and consort are sealed within the king's prism, a crystal pyramid that we will find within the palace. Once we have killed the king, and obtained the king's prism, we will be able to acquire and use this man's powers in any way we choose."

Ywach closed his eyes, raising a second barrier that curled around the golden one."

"What is this for?"

"Why, to keep our people from blundering into the seal and dying before I choose for them to do so," the quincy king explained, "No one but I shall be master of all souls in the three worlds!"

He scowled a final time at glowing barriers.

"Come, Haschwald, it is time to begin the attack!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya sat in front of a group of young soldiers, quietly instructing them as older officers moved hastily around them, setting defenses and preparing the division headquarters for the expected attack.

"In the case of an attack, I expect all of you to shelter within the barracks, and wait for the officers to call out the reserves."

"But sir, we've heard about this enemy," one of the soldiers objected, "We want to fight them!"

"I understand," the noble said calmly, "but what you need to understand is that this is not an enemy we can fight in the usual ways. This enemy is insidious and hides in shadows, appearing suddenly and somehow sealing even our greater powers. I do not want you engaging the enemy, as you are all in early stages of your training. You need more battle experience before I would subject you to a battle such as this. Your lives are valuable. I therefore order you to guard your lives until such time as your senior officers call for your assistance, which they will only do if there is no other choice. If you are called upon, you must take whatever action you can to stop any enemies who threaten us. You…"

He froze as he sensed sudden and huge reiatsu surges in multiple areas around him. Byakuya stiffened, then nodded to the soldiers in front of him.

"Go now and lock down in the barracks!" he ordered them, "All officers proceed to your checkpoints and protect your assigned areas!"

He flash stepped to the front door of the headquarters, reaching out with his senses and picking up Renji's heavily disturbed reiatsu.

Kami, Renji's reiatsu has never been like this, not even when we fought each other! What manner of enemy is this?

He hurried along the streets, past panicking residents and mobilizing units of fighters, honing in on Renji's presence and working his way swiftly there. As he ran, a chill went through his heart as he sensed that fighter from within his division and others were already beginning to die at the hands of the enemy.

"Renji!" he breathed, quickening his flash step as he closed in on the place where his fate awaited him.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kenpachi stood atop the wall of the western Seireitei gate, his green eyes intense as he watched the bright, glowing blue pillars that shot down from the sky and crashed into the ground, creating a rumbling that shook everything around his division for miles. Nearby, Ikakku and Yumichika noted the direction of one of the disturbances and flash stepped away.

"All right," Kenpachi laughed heartily, "Time to kick some enemy ass! Get out there and show them how to fight!"

He headed for the nearest glowing blue column, his eyes and reiatsu already flashing in anticipation.

So, you bastards think you can break into my home and kill the people I protect. You think you can come and destroy us? You've got another thing coming!

His green orbs widened as the first of the quincy foot soldiers erupted out of the light and started towards them, raising their bows and firing as they walked.

"You weaklings aren't worth my time!" Kenpachi roared, slashing through a group with his sword, then surging forward.

He spotted what looked to be a female quincy officer, and slowed for a moment as she started to speak.

"What a pain in the ass," he grunted, slashing at her, mid-speech, "Don't fucking talk about your fighting powers. Use them or die!"

A second quincy officer moved towards him, raising a shrill, knifelike torrent of sound.

"What? You gonna try to kill me by yelling at me? What a fucking insult! Get outta the way and let the real fighters fight."

He let out a hearty laugh, slashing through another group of rank and file quincy soldiers, then skidded to a stop as he came face to face with a quincy officer who studied him for a moment, then moved forward to challenge him. Kenpachi started to laugh again, then paused and stared in surprise as the quincy morphed suddenly into a perfect copy of him.

"I am now host of all of your abilities and strengths, the quincy announced arrogantly."

"Finally, a respectable opponent," Kenpachi spat, "Or are you just jerking me around?"

He surged forward, slashing at the copy of himself.

"Okay, this is definitely more like it!"

The two clashed wildly, their errant flashes of power raking over the land around them, crashing into the soldiers fighting nearby and sending them tumbling away like wind driven leaves.

"Copying me is pretty damned good," Kenpachi said approvingly, "But, there's only one problem with doing that."

His sword crashed against his copy's and the reiatsu between the two forced them apart.

"See," Kenpachi went on, "I'm the original, and what that means is, because I improve over time and get to be a better fighter, I'm always gonna be a step ahead of you."

"That's right, Kenny!" Yachiru shouted, "You tell him!"

Kenpachi's sword slashed, then he turned and slashed again, raising his power. The copy tried to keep up, but found he couldn't keep up. In moments, he laid in a pool of blood at the big man's feet.

"You're a fucking shame," he scoffed, "Where's your boss? Where's Ywach? I want a piece of that bastard."

He glanced down at the quincy's bloodied remains.

"Oh, sorry, I should've asked you that before slaughtering you. My bad."

He laughed and stared to walk away, but a sudden, familiar swell of power in the distance caught his attention, and he turned to look, his lips curling in fury.

"Byakuya," he breathed softly, his green eyes flashing a dangerous golden.

He felt his spouse's reiatsu rise up sharply, then it began to decline rapidly.

"Little bastards," he seethed, glaring and bursting into flash steps, "I'm gonna destroy you for touching him!"

He raced in Byakuya's direction, his feet scorching the ground with every step.