Part 30

Not missing a beat, the Chusei imposter ran at her again, not giving the girl enough time to get a proper grip on Kurobara. As she deflected the latest attack, the sword was wrenched out of her fingers and landed a few feet away. The two girls looked at it, then back to each other. Fake Chusei had a look of glee in her eyes which made Deha snort. "You seriously think I'm that easy to take down?"

With one swift movement she raised her leg and kicked Chusei square in the stomach, sending the girl reeling backwards. "You can thank Renji for teaching me that one." She dived for her zanpakuto just in time for the other girl to recover and attack her again; this time she was pissed off and came at her with a vicious attack. The girls carried on fighting; slashing and deflecting with all their might. Deha had an advantage in height and weight, but what Chusei lacked in stature she made up for in speed, which was what gave her the advantage when Deha made a sideways swipe with Kurobara, then used the hilt to butt her opponent in the face. Chusei sidestepped and went for the taller girls injured leg in one movement. Deha leapt backwards and found herself pressed up against cold stone. Chusei swung once more aiming for the girls neck, but Deha blocked the attack, both zanpakutos crisscrossed against her throat.

The Chusei imposter looked at her, frustration evident in her eyes, and Azdeha suddenly remembered what had seemed wrong earlier. The Chusei in front of her had been distracted when Byakuya had hurled Renji into the wall. She had shown emotion, like she was now. The red head could have kicked herself. They weren't fakes, they were the real deal and whoever had set this up had led them right into a trap, where they couldn't feel each others reiatsu.

If she had a free hand she would have facepalmed herself but as it happened, both hands were currently busy fending off an attack from a real captain level shinigami; all she had was her mouth.

"Chusei, you wanna back off a bit and stop trying to slice my head off? It's bad enough you already took a chunk of my hair."

Part 28

Azdeha threw herself to the ground just in time to avoid a fatal blow from Chusei's zanpakuto, but the captain had still managed to land a blow. Wincing from the pain, the redhead glanced down at her thigh which had a long diagonal slash across her hakama. She could feel the blood pouring down her leg and bit her lip, trying to fight past the pain; she hoped Chusei had managed to avoid the artery. Only time would tell.

She rolled into a crouching position and pushed herself to a standing position, bearing her weight on her uninjured leg as she tightened her grip on Kurobara. Opposite her, the fake Chusei was watching her intently, trying to work out the girls next move. She knew that even though this Chusei wasn't real, the copy's skills were superior to her own, despite having come out top of her class in swordsmanship, and she was grateful that neither of them could perform Kidou right now. Both girls were on equal footing when it came that particular combat technique, Deha, however, preferred not to use it, opting instead to fight her opponents in armed combat. She found it much more fun.

The two women circled each other, both trying to work out the others next move. Out of the corner of her eye, Deha saw Byakuya land a blow on Renji, knocking him backwards into the wall of the cavern, and for a moment, Chusei was distracted. The red head grinned and grasping Kurobara in both handstook the opportunity to charge at the other girl, raising kurobara above her head slashing downwards in the ryodan technique she had been taught at the Academy.

Chusei recovered from her distraction quickly however, and raised her blade just in time to deflect the attack, sending Deha skidding backwards, Kurobara still raised. She stared at Chusei, frowning for a moment. Something wasn't right. There was definitely something odd about the whole situation but she couldn't put her finger on it.

She shifted her weight and a sharp pain shot up her leg. Wincing, she transferred her weight back to her other foot, and focused on Chusei. The imposter chose that moment to throw herself at the redhead, blade glinting in the torchlight as she sliced through the air, aiming for her opponents middle.

Gritting her teeth and preparing for the pain, Deha launched herself off the ground, using all the muscles in her legs, and somersaulted over her adversary. She landed heavily on both legs, and then collapsed onto one knee, trying in vain to push the pain away. Across from her Chusei turned around and shook her head.

"I thought you things were meant to be easy to beat." she muttered before planting the tip of Kurobara's blade into the ground and using the sword as a crutch to get back on her feet. She knew the zanpakuto wouldn't be too pleased about that but screw it. It's not like she was much use for anything else at the moment.

Part 27

"You take on the Azdeha copy." Renji murmured, eyes darting to Chusei for second, checking she was prepared. "I would struggle against a copy, I'll admit that now." Chusei looked back just as breifly before grimly nodding and bringing herself to stand beside Renji.

"Got it. Will you be ok with the Byakuya though? I mean even if these copies are weaker that the real things-"

"Hey I have fought against the real guy before remember?" Renji smirked, eyes, however, never leaving the Byakuya before him. Chusei didn't comment further. She was tempted to comment on the state he was left in as a rustle of said fight but now wasn't the time or place.

Watching the pair before them seem to talk Chusei couldn't help but be a little too convinced of who they were. Azdeha even called out and was wrangled back in a way which was just like the Byakuya and Deha she and Renji knew. Before long she shook her head and snapped out of her thoughts.

"Ready?" Renji muttered.

"I was born ready! I'm just going to pretend it's like the time she said I looked like Rukia." Chusei grinned. Renji shook his head before there was a pause. The mood hightened as the pair got serious. "Go."

Dashing forward Renji was the first to clash with Byakuya who ran to meet him but Chusei slipped past and turned to deflect a first strike and swung round Shunen-Ryu to try attack herself. When Azdeha dodged out the way, a few hairs ending up trimmed though, Chusei moved away to try judge the next attack. Next attack she blocked, she struck out, it was deflected. Another strike from Chusei, deflected. Soon the pair both had their backs to the opposing walls, panting lightly. Up close the Azdeha really did look like the Deha Chusei knew. She had certainly had convincing details added to her to look like she may have been down in this horrid place for a while. In the back ground Renji and Byakuya clashed loudly, Renji's unsubtle roars as he attacked echoing around them. Looking right in to Azdeha's eyes Chusei didn't know what to think any more, she was convinced but Renji was right, she had to depend on her senses and she sensed nothing.

Familiar frustration at being messed around mounting in seconds, Chusei kicked out at Azdeha and used the attacks distraction to roll away along the wall to leave her with space behind her and room to attack and keeping the battle between Renji and Byakuya as far away from her as possible.

"You sure do look like the real thing." Chusei crouched a little, glaring at Azdeha, "Unfortunately if there is no reiatsu there is no reality to you so forgive me." Shunen-Ryu glowed dully in the reiatsu-zapping corridor. "I am not going to enjoy this but it needs to be done!" With the last word Chusei lunged forward with another attack.

As Chusei pulled away and frowned slightly when she saw Azdeha's eyes widen a little, like she had said either something important or offensive. [i]'Bingo.'[/i] Chusei figured the imposter realised she knew she was a fake. Smirking, Chusei grabbed both hands on Shunen-Ryu and in a powerful move that made her zanpaktou roar through the air toward's Azdeha's side.

Part 26

"What if they're real and we hurt them...well....you hurt them." Deha was under no illusions as to her own strength. "We should probably try to find out instead of slash no, ask questions later."

"Deha, we don't have time for that. I can't feel any reiatsu off them, can you?"

"Well, no. But I can't feel any off you either." she pointed out. "Unless you're suppressing it."

"No. It's the stone."

Azdeha looked around and for the first time noticed they were surrounded by sleek dark grey stone, like the stone around Seireitei. "So we have no way of telling if they're real."

Byakuya shook his head. Deha thought for a moment then, never taking her eyes off their opponents, directed her thoughts to Byakuya. "The lab where Mayuri had me...I couldn't feel your reiatsu then either. Not until after you took me off the table."

"The table Mayuri used was made of the same stone."

"So how could you tell I was real."

Byakuya thought for a moment, then, "Your eyes. Every fake I've come across has shown no emotion."

"Ok...so we just have to get close enough to look into their eyes. Piece of cake." she groaned, knowing full well the closest she was going to get to either of the shinigami in front of them was about 20 meters if they had their way.

"There's one more thing..." Byakuya gestured towards their zanpakuto. "No reiatsu, no release, remember?"

Azdeha looked down at Kurobara, only just noticing that the usual vibrations that ran through her sword were gone. "Son of a...."

"It's better for you...we're now all on equal footing. If we can't use our release..they can't use theirs. It's all down to swordsmanship."

Azdeha's shoulders dropped. "Still."

"I'll take Renji...you and Chusei are more equally matched in height and strength..and you'd no doubt get distracted fighting your own brother."

Azdeha groaned again, hoping with everything she possessed that Byakuya was right about their opponents not being able to release their zanpakuto either.

"Here goes..."

Part 25

The two shinigami walked side by side in silence, the only noise coming from their waraji hitting the soft ground, and the occasional swish of material against material. It had been ages since they had seen any doorways or hint of another nightmare and Azdeha wondered if it was because there were two of them now. Whoever was controlling this place couldn't work out how to separate them, nor could he work out how to combine their nightmares. She mentally cheered.

Shinigami 1 - douchebag - 0.

Still, she had to hand it to whoever was behind this, he had given her alone time with her captain, even if said alone time was spent wandering through endless corridors in the dim light of torches, not really talking to each other. Both shinigami were tired and their reactions weren't as quick as they would normally be, so they had decided that silence was the only way to be sure that something wasn't about to sneak up on them. Deha didn't mind in the slightest. It wasn't like Byakuya was the most talkative person in the world at the best of times.

She wrapped her fingers tighter round his and shifted closer. His longer legs meant she often ended up trailing a little behind and needed to catch up every so often. He looked down at her, "Do you need to rest?"

Deha shook her head, "Nah, I'm fine. Just..." she indicated towards her feet, "...little legs."

A small smile crept across Byakuya's lips and he turned his head to what was in front of them again, slowing his pace as he did so.

"Byakuya...do you think we'll ever find the others?"

The taller shinigami stopped in his tracks, eyes staring straight forward. "I think we'll find something." He dropped the girls hand and grabbed Senbonzakura. Startled, Azdeha drew her eyes away from his face and looked down the long corridor ahead. There were two figures standing across from them. Both looked like they had been to hell and back, and both had their zanpakuto out.

"CHUSEI!! RENJI!!" With a cheer, Deha ran forward, towards her brother and best friend, but she didn't get very far before she found herself being grasped round the waist and dragged backwards. "Byakuya! What are you doing? It's Renji and Chusei."

"Shhh." He deposited her on her feet, but kept hold of her wrist to stop her moving again. "We have no idea of knowing if they're the real ones, or just another nightmare."

"Oh come on! We're in a corridor, not one of those creepy room." Deha tried to wriggle free, but Byakuya was stronger.

"Stay back, and get your zanpakuto out." He gritted his teeth. "That's an order!" he added when he saw that the girl had no intention of doing either.

Azdeha glared at her commanding officer and groaned, doing as she was told. She grasped Kurobara in her right hand, and unsheathed the zanpakuto. "But for the record, I object to this."

"Noted."

Part 24

They stood like that for a moment, just enjoying the comfort of no longer being alone. Deha buried her head in his torn uniform, savouring the familiar scent of him; cherry blossoms mingled with sweat from battle and an underlying hint of blood. It was a scent she loved, more so than when he had just stepped out of a shower, after all, he was a warrior.

He pulled away from her and put his hands on her shoulders, looking her up and down for injuries, his eyes fixed on the blood stained top she wore. She stared down at it and shrugged. "Not mine...I'm fine."

He looked dubious but he could clearly see there was nothing more than a few bruises and grazes on her arms and face from her frequent collisions with the floor, and opted to trust her. "You on the other hand..."

Deha shook her head and lifted one of Byakuya's torn sleeves. He had a gash down the length of one arm and though it wasn't bleeding now, it had been quite heavily at one point. The man grunted and shook her off. "Forget about that for now. We need to get out of here and locate the others."

Azdeha nodded, though begrudgingly, and looked around the partly demolished room. There were 4 doors and no windows. It was different to the one she had encountered Hisana in so she had no idea which of the doors let outside. If they even led outside. She strongly suspected that the moment they opened one of them, they'd end up back in that underground maze. It probably didn't matter which one. She took a deep breath and walked over to the nearest one, yanking it open. As she suspected...compacted dirt caverns. Behind her, Byakuya had opened another door and was staring out at the same view.

"Guess it doesn't matter what we choose huh?" Deha kicked her door shut and strolled over the the captain, her hand on her zanpakuto. "Let's just get out of here."

Byakuya nodded and held out a hand, "Keep hold of me. This thing will try and separate us and I doubt it'll let us find each other again."

Entwining her fingers around his, the two Shinigami walked through the doorway, the male slightly in front in case anything decided to ambush them. Deha didn't exactly need protecting but she couldn't help feeling a little bit girly and giddy at the small gesture of chivalry.

They found themselves in another dimly lit cavern, this one at least with flickering torches at intervals along the walls. "Byakuya?"

"Hmmm?"

"What is this place?"

He stopped and turned to face her, the shadows under his eyes far more pronounced in the dim torchlight. "I'm not sure. As far as I can tell, we're being forced to live out our worst fears, whatever they are."

"So someone's trying to scare us to death?"

"I don't think they're trying to kill us. If that was the case, the illusions we come up against would be stronger and more difficult to beat."

That made sense. After all, there was no way she would have been able to beat fake Byakuya so easily had whoever it was been trying to kill her. "So you think this person, or thing, is trying to get to us psychologically? Wear us down and make us second guess ourselves?"

"I suspect as much. Let's keep moving."

He turned away and she stumbled after him, keeping a firm hold of his hand and taking comfort in the warm, calloused familiarity of it. "How come we ended up in the same place then?"

In the dim light she saw his shoulders rise in a shrug. "I think we must share a similar fear, which led us to find each other. Whoever set this up probably didn't anticipate it."

"So if we share fears with the others in here...then we might be able to find him?"

"Possibly. But I doubt that there's anything that we would all class as a nightmare."

He was right. She couldn't imagine Kenpachi being fearful of anything, let alone the stuff she feared. In fact he was probably sitting on his own on the steps that led to this  place wondering where everyone else had gone. She laughed despite herself and felt Byakuya squeeze her hand. 

Part 23

The captain held out his free arm, and dropped Senbonzakura, blade down on the floor. The steel of the katana sank into the ground, with ripples of reiatsu and the 4 shinigami were plunged into darkness as bright blades erupted from the ground all around them, towering high above them. "Chire, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

The blades separated into thousands of tiny shards which surrounded them in a whirlwind of metal. They scattered in all directions before converging into one giant cloud which was aimed directly at the two imposters. Anticipating the move, Mayuri grabbed Nemu and flung her into the path of the blades, using the momentum, coupled with his shunpo to move out of the way. The woman didn't even make a sound as the blades seemed to swallow her whole.

"Throwing away your lieutenants life to save your own? How dishonourable."

"Says the man who gave up his wife for his own sexual gratification. And with a street rat no doubt." Mayuri sneered and shunpo'd out of the way of Byakuya's latest attack.

"Hisana died a long time ago. Nothing can bring her back." Byakuya sent another wave of blades after Mayuri who merely moved out of the way again. He had always been masterful at shunpo and Deha knew that unless she or Byakuya did something, they could be at a stalemate for hours.

Despite Byakuya's earlier warning to stay exactly where she was, the young girl wriggled around in his grasp so that her zanpakuto was no long wedged between them. As long as she stayed close to him she wouldn't be in any danger so he couldn't exactly reprimand her for merely turning around.

"Dakishimeru Kurobara." She whispered it, knowing the spirit within the blade would hear her regardless and watched as the steel lengthened and drooped, transforming into a steel whip embellished with thousands of tiny thorns. As Mayuri shunpo'd from place to place, each time avoiding Senbonzakura's attack, Deha calculated her next move and the next time Mayuri paused, she used the split second to crack her whip, much to both captain's surprise, and annoyance, and the zanpakuto coiled itself around Mayuri's arm, keeping him in place. The captain sneered and pulled at the coil, which only led to the thorns embedding themselves deeper into his arm.

"Byakuya, now!" Deha held on tight to stop Mayuri from pulling back, as another wave of petal like blades headed towards him, but Mayuri was too fast. Realising that the one person Byakuya was trying to save was on the other end of the whip, he grasped it with his other hand and yanked as hard as he could. Deha stumbled forward, closing the gap between her and the insane imposter, and right into the path of the oncoming shards.

"DEHA!" She was knocked to the ground by a powerful impact and lost her grip on Kurobara, but it had been enough. She raised her head in time to see Mayuri being engulfed by a ball of tiny glittering blades which then dissipated, leaving the man lying, broken, on the ground.

She felt the weight that was pinning her down let up, and she rolled onto her back. Byakuya was standing over her, his face a mixture of anger and relief.

"Why do you find it so hard to obey even the simplest of orders?" he sighed offering her a hand getting off the ground.

"It's all part of my charm?"

She took his hand gratefully and he helped her up, pulling her into his arms, and crushing her against his chest.

Part 22

"Byakuya-sama? What are you doing?" Hisana got to her feet and approached them. She reached out and grabbed hold of Deha's shihakusho, trying to pull her out of Byakuya's grasp.

"Leaving," was the only answer she got before Deha managed to unsheathe Kurobara and, with a very shaky, but precise slash of her zanpakuto, hacked the woman’s arms off. She fell backwards and her detached hands lost their grip, hitting the floor and rolling away, their mechanical innards on display for all to see. Deha felt sure Byakuya would be horrified by what she had just done but when she turned to face him, he was completely apathetic.

"That was my finest piece of work," Azdeha heard the oddball captain unsheathe his zanpakuto and groaned. She was barely able to keep her balance and if Mayuri was about to fight then Byakuya would need his hands free. She pushed away from him, and stumbled back to the table, steadying herself. Byakuya whirled round to catch her again, but she shook her head.

"You just concentrate on him. I can take care of myself."

Byakuya nodded and pulled Senbonzakura free of his hilt. They both knew that Mayuri's Zanpakuto, Ashisogi Jizo, was a formidable blade. Its shikai had the ability to spew poison and was feared throughout Seireitei.

"Are you sure this is a good idea Kuchiki-sama? After all, you've been fighting for days now." Mayuri grinned.

"I have no doubt that this will be my easiest battle yet."

"Even with a distraction?" Mayuri nodded once, and Nemu reappeared, her own zanpakuto ready.

Byakuya looked unfazed. "I will beat you both if I have to."

"Oh it's not you Nemu is going to be fighting."

Azdeha turned just in time to shield herself from Nemu's attack with Kurobara. She cursed audibly and stumbled backwards. Mayuri's drug still hadn't worn off completely and she knew Nemu was near impossible to take down given that Mayuri had created her to be practically invincible.

"Deha?" Byakuya called back to her, without taking his eyes off Mayuri.

"I'm fine!" she lied. She knew that this was going to be a struggle but if Byakuya could concentrate on his own fight and take down Mayuri, as long as she managed to hold Nemu at bay, they might just be able to get out of this place in one piece.

Fortunately for her, Byakuya was in no mood to play around. While she darted from spot to spot, avoiding Nemu's attacks and blocking the ones that got through, Byakuya was attacking Mayuri with a fury she had never witnessed before. After days of being stuck in this place, she wasn't surprised. She was frustrated herself and she had only been here a few hours. She couldn't imagine what effect being here for as long as he and Renji had would have on a person. Clearly loss of patience was one of them.

Azdeha smirked, noting that Byakuya had clearly resurrected some of the suppressed childlike impatience Ukitake Taichou would so often remind him of. She wanted to tease him, but now was clearly not the time, especially as Nemu was swiping her blade at knee level, trying to take her legs out from under her. Deha jumped back and landed awkwardly, the drug still coursing through her veins. She grunted as she hit the floor, skidding along it on her back, and Nemu took the opportunity to launch herself at the weaker girl, blade pointed directly at her chest.

Azdeha winced, preparing herself for contact that never came. Instead she found herself upright, locked in a steely, one armed embrace. She looked up and found Byakuya staring ahead, eyes flickering between Mayuri and Nemu, both of whom were annoyed at his sudden intervention. "Don't move an inch." he whispered, barely moving his lips. Deha nodded and braced herself. She knew what was about to happen but had never been this close to Senbonzakura's blades.

Part 21

Byakuya took a step back and stared at the life form that resembled his wife.

"I've missed you my dear, I've been waiting all this time for you to get home." Hisana reached out and touched his hand, but Byakuya pulled away.

"Hisana tell Byakuya-sama how much you want to be with him." Mayuri sneered.

"Yes. I want us to be together again. Like back then. You, me and Rukia. Together. And when I'm alive again, we can have our own family. An heir to the clan. Think how wonderful it would be." Hisana was smiling sweetly but from where Deha was lying, tied down, she could see that her eyes were dead. Like a dolls. Byakuya closed his eyes momentarily, no doubt imagining the scenario. "All you have to do is let me have the girl."

The noble’s eyes flew open and frowned. Turning his head slightly, he looked back at his 5th seat lying helpless on the metal slab before turning back to Hisana and taking both her hands in his. "I wish to see what she has to say about this."

Mayuri snorted, "She'll tell you not to do it of course. I don't see what difference it makes."

"Undo whatever you've done to her Mayuri. I want to ask her." Byakuya dropped Hisana's hands and placed his on the hilt of Senbonzakura. "Or do I have to use force."

Mayuri growled and walked over to the younger girl. She saw him bend over her before feeling a stabbing pain in her arm. Within seconds she could move her arms and legs and she groaned in protest when she realised how stiff she was.

Byakuya came and stood over her, "Deha? Can you hear me?"

Azdeha frowned, and tried to talk but her throat was dry. She coughed and croaked out, "Course I can. Not deaf." She almost jumped for joy when she saw a tiny curve form on the edge of Byakuya's lips. If she could have, that is.

"Then you know what's going on?"

She nodded and smiled weakly.

"If I asked you to give up your life for hers, because I need her back, would you?"

He was actually asking her to do this. To give up her life for Hisana. In his defence he did think she was fake as well, but still. She looked at him and saw the emotion he had been devoid of earlier, flickering in the depths of his blue grey eyes. He really wanted this. She could tell. And she wanted him to be happy. Sighing, she reached up and stroked his face. "If it's what you want, then yes."

"That's what I thought you'd say." Byakuya reached over and kissed her forehead. Deha closed her eyes and felt her stomach clench as his lips touched her skin for the last time.

"So, shall I get started?" Mayuri was walking towards a table that Deha was sure had not been there earlier. It had various devices and tubes on it, the uses for which she could only imagine.

"That won't be necessary."

"Excuse me?" Mayuri sounded as shocked as Deha felt. He was turning the chance down?

"I said, that won't be necessary." The taller captain turned back to his subordinate and grabbed her hands, pulling her up into a seated position, before placing his arm around her waist and hoisting her to her feet. "Can you stand?"

Wobbly, but sure she could walk, Deha nodded, still speechless with awe. He knew she was real.

Part 20

She woke up what seemed like ages later, to find herself strapped to a table. Hisana occupied a table next to her, but seemed to have been shut off for the time being. They were no longer in the room with the silk screens. Somehow they had been transferred to a room of sterile white tiles. She could smell the disinfectant in the air as it stung her nostrils, and the brightness of the strip lighting above hurt her eyes. She couldn't see anyone else in the room, but she could hear Mayuri talking. His voice got louder before she heard a door open and he came into view to the left of her. There was someone else with him.

"As you can see, we're all set to do the operation. All you need to do is choose."

"Mayuri, I always knew you were twisted but resurrecting my dead wife? Using Abarai's reiatsu? I won't have any of it."

Byakuya. She could hear his voice and tried to call out to him, but her voice refused to work. She couldn't know for sure he was real but it didn't matter. If he realised she was awake....

She dropped her shoulders...if he realised she was awake what? This was a fake Byakuya. He'd probably be thrilled to have Hisana back. Enough to give her up.

"Why don't you just call her Deha, like you do in private?" Mayuri teased and she heard a bang, like someone had hit something. "Temper Byakuya. Don't think we don't all know what you and that little firecracker get up to in the privacy of your headquarters. Now...are you going to choose or do I have to kill them both."

"Do as you will. I know this is just another made up situation to make me confront my fears. It doesn't matter who I choose...As soon as you kill one of them, I'll be on to the next nightmare."

Deha heard the black haired man sigh, as he moved into her line of vision. Azdeha felt her body stiffen with shock. He was filthy, covered in blood and dirt. His uniform was torn in places and his hair was pulled back off his face. There was no sign of his kenseiken.

He walked over to her and looked down at her, pushing a strand of hair out of her face. His own face was streaked with dirt and looked down at her with grim determination. He looked exhausted, as though he had been fighting for days.

This was real. He was real....and he thought she was an illusion

Azdeha stared up at her captain, trying in vain to move her mouth and communicate with him, but whatever Mayuri had given her had paralysed her. She was screaming at Byakuya in her head, but not a single sound left her lips. It was agonising to know he was so close, but she could do nothing about it.

He studied her for a moment, his eyes devoid of any emotion, then walked away, heading for the table where the fake Hisana lay. Deha could do nothing more than watch him as he stroked the woman's cheek, and clasped her lifeless hand in his. It was heartbreaking to watch, but on some level, the red head understood. This woman was his first love. He had adored her and he was being given a chance to have her back. She knew that if it was her in that position, she'd be seriously considering taking Mayuri up on his offer.

Byakuya spoke softly, his eyes never leaving Hisana. "You say that you can use Deha's reiatsu to bring Hisana back? Alive. Not just a robotic life form like Nemu?"

He was seriously considering it. Shock coursed through Deha's body and every curse word she knew was directed silently at Mayuri for putting Byakuya in this position. He had to know it was all fake, and in his mind it didn't matter who he chose, as soon as he did he'd be out of here, but the prospect of having Hisana alive just for those few moments was probably too much temptation.

"As alive as you and me. It's your chance to have everything you ever wanted back." She could hear the glee in Mayuri's voice. "All you have to do is say the word. Maybe this will help you decide."

Azdeha heard movement nearby and then a click. Hisana's eyes flew open and she sat up on the table, smiling at her husband. "Byakuya-sama, welcome home."

Part 19

The young woman cocked her head to one side, "Do I know you?"

Azdeha shook her head, still giddy, and noticed that she had been wrong at first. Hisana only looked like Rukia at first glance, but on closer inspection, she was much prettier. Her skin was soft and unblemished, and so pale that the long black lashes that lay against it stood out even more. She had an elegance about her that Deha knew she would never have and it was obvious why Byakuya had loved her so dearly. The young girl's heart wrenched at the thought. If Hisana was here then...

She looked around expecting to see another fake Byakuya emerge from somewhere, perhaps the garden, and walk away with Hisana, without even acknowledging her presence.

"Then how do you know me?" Hisana's question snapped the other girl out of her thoughts and she blinked quickly.

"Oh, I'm in squad 6. I know your...husband." The word caught in her throat like old mochi and she swallowed hard. Hisana took on a look of pride and such love that it almost made the younger girl want to gag.

"Oh, you know Byakuya-sama. How lovely. Are you here in business? I'm afraid my husband is out at the moment." Hisana walked over to a table which held a tray on it. "Would you like some tea while you wait?"

"Oh..um..no thank you. I should probably go. I'm sure I can find him later." Azdeha began to edge towards the door she had entered from but when she reached it, she was shocked to find it led to yet another room. She mentally cursed. Trapped. With her lovers ex wife. Someone out there had a hell of a sense of humour.

Movement in the corner of her eye made her turn and she saw Mayuri standing in the entrance way, with the garden behind him. "Ah Abarai-chan," he smiled which was one of the creepiest things Azdeha had ever seen. "I see you finally joined us."

Azdeha shrugged, "I hadn't intended to, but you know me. Couldn't resist a challenge."

"Indeed." Mayuri strolled into the room and walked up to Hisana, stroking her face. "Beautiful isn't she? I made her myself. A present for Byakuya sama."

So she wasn't real, just an engineered life form, like Nemu. Azdeha felt relief wash through her.

Mayuri turned to her, "Of course, she's not real yet, I need one final ingredient for that, and that's what I invited you here for." The look on the captain's face was beginning to freak her out but the girl remained steady.

"Oh and how exactly do I come into this messed up plan of yours?" Deha leaned back against the wall, feigning boredom.

"I need something from you. It's a very simple operation, but unfortunately, you won't live through it."

"What makes you think I'm going to give whatever it is you need up?"

Mayuri laughed and snapped his fingers. Nemu shunpo'd into the room and grabbed the surprised girl around the waist, pinning her arms, as Mayuri blew some blue dust in her face.

Part 18

Deha wandered down the stone corridor, highly aware that the temperature had dropped as a result of all the rock. She wished she'd taken her kosode back because right now the single layer of cotton she had on wasn't doing much in the way of keeping her warm. She wondered idly how long this corridor had been going on for. Surely she must be halfway back to Seireitei by now. She giggled despite herself, glad to see that her sense of humour was still intact after her earlier trauma. "Ha!" she said triumphantly to the air, "Can't beat me that easily asshole."

She didn't know who or what she was talking to but it made her feel a little bit better to hear the sound of her own voice. She began to sing quietly to herself, the music easing her tension as she manoeuvred the maze of rock.

She hadn't gone much further when she cut her song short, and paused, peering into the dimness beyond. There looked like some kind of alcove up ahead but it could just be a natural feature of the rock. Just in case, Deha unsheathed Kurobara.

The zanpakuto was still buzzing from the earlier kill. It had never been used to kill anything but hollow in the past and the reiatsu that was rolling off it was stronger than the redhead had ever felt before. She glanced down at it in wonder, then shrugging it off, continued cautiously up the path. After her last experience she wasn't about to take any chances and she readied herself for her next test.

Approaching the alcove, she saw that it wasn't merely an alcove, but another pathway this one brighter than the one she was currently on. She knew it was probably a trap, that she should carry on her way instead of falling prey to whatever was in store for her up ahead, but she was determined to beat this. She would take on whatever this person or thing threw at her and she was not about to back down. It was that Abarai stubbornness that had gotten her and Renji into trouble on many occasions in the past, and it would get them in many more once they were out of this place. She was sure that her brother and Byakuya were down here as well now. That's why they had been unable to feel their reiatsu. They were trapped somewhere in this never-ending maze and she was going to find them, and the rest of the search party and together they were going to find the sadist who was in control of all this and kick his pathetic butt.

She nodded her head once in determination and stepped forward into the new corridor. As she did so, she noticed a door in the side of the rock wall. It was intricately carved with flowers and looked expensive. The wood was dark and smooth, and warm to the touch as she placed her hand against it and pushed. It swung open soundlessly, revealing tatami mats and beautifully painted silk screens. She could hear the sound of birds and water rushing and as she stepped into the room, she realised why.

She was above ground again. The room she had entered led out into a garden full of flowering plants and trees, surrounding a pond. She took a deep breath, savouring the cool, fresh air and relaxed a little.

"Can I help you?" a soft voice spoke from behind her, and Deha whirled round, her zanpakuto at the ready, to face a petite woman who observed her curiously. Azdeha gasped. She was wearing the most beautiful kimono the girl had ever seen, with flowers embroidered on it in the finest silk, but that wasn't what had caused the girl to gasp.

She was staring at the woman's face. A face as familiar to her as her own. Rukia's face. Only, it wasn't Rukia. This woman was much older, and taller than Rukia. "You seem lost? Are you?"

Deha stammered, still unable to believe what she was seeing. "Hi...Hisana?"

Part 17

Azdeha blinked back the tears that were beginning to stream steadily from her eyes. Her cheeks felt itchy with the dampness each trail left behind, but she had to be strong and not let this get to her. The minute she did, she would let her guard down and she would be dead. But it was hard to concentrate. Byakuya had a point. He had never actually indicated that she was anything more than a plaything to him. He had certainly never mentioned the word 'love' around her, and she wasn't altogether sure that if her life was in danger, he'd try and save her.

She adjusted her position, shifting her weight to her stronger foot. It gave her the advantage that she could choose to fall into either and attack or defence stance. Whichever she was going to need first. It had been something Byakuya had taught her a while back when he had taken to training her privately; along with being able to predict an opponent’s movements from their stance, and how to use flash step. The latter part she was still trying to get the hang of but she was good at predicting her opponents.

Except Byakuya. He knew full well that she had that ability and he kept his stance neutral, as if goading her into making the first move. She could tell he was weighing her up and working out what she was going to do and shifting from foot to foot wasn't helping her, but she wasn't quick enough to get into position from a neutral stance if the need arose. She needed to do something though. Something he wouldn't be expecting. She stared at his stony face for a moment, the gas light flickering off it, causing shadows to dance across his well sculpted cheek bones, when suddenly it hit her.

It was probably the most ridiculous idea she had ever had, and no doubt it would get her killed, but if there was a chance it would throw him off guard enough to get one single hit in, then it was a chance she was going to have to take. She lowered Kurobara.

"Are you giving up so fast? I thought more of you, Deha." He sneered, "Then again you always were weak when it came to your emotions. Emotions have no place in the Gotei 13."

"You don't really believe that." she took a step forward, hoping that her opponent didn't find it threatening. He didn't. He just looked at her. "If you did you would have let Rukia die back then."

"I was honouring a promise."

Another step forward. "To someone you love."

"Loved. You cannot love someone who is no longer alive."

"Is that why you keep a shrine to her?" another step, she was only a few meters away now, and still Byakuya didn't seem concerned with her movements.

He blinked, slowly, "I do it out of honour."

"Is honour all you care about Byakuya? What about my honour?" she was getting closer.

"Your honour is insignificant. You're a peasant. A commoner from the Rukon, willing to give yourself away to the highest bidder. I merely took advantage. I saw the way you looked at me. It was easy to seduce you, and you drank it up. Believed that I saw anything more in you than just the whore you are."

Azdeha was shocked, but she couldn't let it show. She bit down on her tongue and inched closer. She could just about touch him. He looked down at her, confusion now evident in his eyes, but her zanpakuto was still lowered and he clearly saw her as no threat. "If that's how you feel, then why not use me one last time? If you're going to kill me you might as well get some pleasure out of it first."

"Is that what you're trying to do here? Get me to admit I care?" the corners of his lips turned up in a half smile. "Your efforts are wasted. I could take you right now, and stab you as soon as I'm done, then walk away without so much as a backwards glance."

Azdeha nodded. "I don't doubt it. What I do doubt is your ability to make me feel pleasure." she reached up, standing on tiptoes and planted her lips firmly against his. He responded, kissing her deeper, one hand grasping her hair and forcing her head back as he crushed his body into hers. This was it, she had momentarily distracted him by catering to his sense of pride. In a flash she raised Kurobara and thrust the sharpened blade through her captain’s ribcage. He reeled back, staring at her in shock as his hand flew to the hilt of his zanpakuto. Too late however. Azdeha had already disarmed him when she stabbed him. He looked down at the zanpakuto protruding from his chest and frowned.

"You tricked me." it was a statement. "But....you love me."

"When have I ever told you that I love you? Or that I even care about you?" She echoed his own words back at him, each syllable feeling like poison on her tongue. The man fell to the side staring up at her in horror for a split second before he gurgled once, blood bubbling from his lips, and went limp.

Kneeling next to him, Deha yanked the sword out from his chest. It required a little bit of effort since she had wedged it through his ribcage, but she didn't feel the slightest bit of remorse at her actions.

After all, he wasn't real.

She had figured that out quick enough once she'd remembered that Byakuya had taught her essential fighting skills. He realised that he might not always be able to come to her rescue, so he had given her the ability to fend for herself, so that he wouldn't have to. He had made her a stronger warrior. If he hadn't cared about preserving her life, he wouldn't have bothered. After all, he didn't give anyone else private tuition. Not even his own sister.

She stood up and wiped the blade on her hakama, clearing it of blood before re-sheathing it. "Well Kurobara, looks like I know where your bitch side came from." The blade vibrated in response and Deha grinned. It was time to get out of this place wherever it was.

She stepped over Byakuya's corpse and went to the far wall. There was no join in the wall here, which meant the only exit was the way she came in. But that couldn't be right. She had come from one end of the corridor, where there was nothing…to the other which ended with the door. Unless she had missed a turn off somewhere, which she doubted.

Deha groaned and walked back to the other room where she had left Renji. His body still lay limp on the floor. She glanced at it once, then strolled past it, not bothering to mourn him. He wasn't real either. None of this was. That's why there was a room so far underground, one that was lit with gas lamps even though there was no gas supply down here. That had been the biggest give away. It had been annoying her since she'd seen them but it was only when she had combined her thoughts about Byakuya and the gas lamps that she fully understood what was going on.

Something, somewhere was making her live her worst nightmares and whatever it was, was going to pay dearly for making her feel the way she had in those rooms. She reached the doorway and stepped out into the corridor. Only this was a different corridor. The blood was gone and there was another path in front of her. This one lined with grey stone. The path she had used before was gone.

She looked up at the ceiling, "You are in a whole pile of shit, whoever the hell you are!" she called into the darkness beyond, and with a renewed sense of purpose, she began to stalk down the pathway.

Part 16

She didn't know how long she sat with her brother’s body in her arms. It could have been minutes or hours; the concept of time was long forgotten, but she was beginning to get cold, and her muscles had cramped up a while back. She knew she would have to get up and go through the door, leaving her brother behind. She could have easily stayed with him, hoping that help would soon come, but according to Renji, Byakuya was beyond the door in the wall, and he could still be alive. She might not have been able to save her brother, but there was still hope for their captain.

Reluctantly, Deha lay Renji's lifeless body on the floor and kissed his forehead. "I'll be back, nii-sama." Standing up, she removed her kosode and covered his face with it, before laying Zabimaru by his side. The zanpakuto which had always been buzzing with energy had felt lifeless in her hand. She stepped back and bowed to him, out of respect, before retrieving Kurobara. Her own zanpakuto, in contrast with Zabimaru, felt alive. More alive than she had ever felt it.

She looked down at her brother one last time, then with the steely resilience that proved she was an Abarai, headed towards the doorway she had spotted earlier. She still had no idea what was going on but hopefully she would find out soon enough. Taking a deep breath she lay one had against the smooth wood of the door, and pushed it open cautiously. When no one attacked her, she stepped into the room, eyes adjusting to the brighter light in here. More gas lanterns. Something about them bothered her but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Deha?"

Her head shot up and she turned in surprise and delight to face the owner of the familiar voice.

Byakuya stood a few meters away with Senbonzakura unsheathed. He was covered in blood and he had a cut on his face. His haori was tattered and his kosode was torn. Relief rushed through the red head as she lowered her own zanpakuto and ran towards him. "You're alive. I thought maybe something had happened to you as well. Renji..." she took a moment to collect herself. "Renji...he's dead." She couldn't help bursting into tears again at the thought of her brother lying motionless and cold on the other side of the wall.

Byakuya nodded slowly, his movements slow and controlled as usual. "I know. I thought that might be the case."

"Did you manage to get him? The man that did it?" she gestured towards his blood soaked shihakusho and Byakuya looked down at his clothing. "It looks like he hurt you badly as well." She walked towards him, intent on looking at his injuries. He was nowhere near as badly hurt as Renji had been given that he was still on his feet, so there was a possibility that she could use her Kidou to heal him.

It was only when she got closer that she noticed something was amiss. Deha frowned and looked at her captain, thoughts faltering for a moment. He was injured, that she could see, but his injuries were minimal. Certainly not enough to produce the amount of blood he was covered in. She moved towards him and put her hand on his chest. He didn't flinch; merely stared down at her curiously as she tugged his kosode open, revealing smooth, unblemished skin below.

"You're not injured."

Byakuya snorted, "As if that man could touch me."

"But all the blood?"

"It's not mine."

Azdeha nodded warily. There was no doubt that her captain was strong, but after the mess she had seen of Renji, there was no way whoever the assailant was had only managed to land one cut on Byakuya. "Who is he?"

She stepped back and looked around the room for a body. There was none. "Wh...where is he?" she stammered, confusion clearly etched across her face. "There's no body Byakuya. Where is it?"

Byakuya looked at her steadily, unblinking. "Byakuya? Where's the body?"

Again he didn't answer. Her eyes went wide and she stepped back away from him, shaking her head. "There is no body is there?" The young girl gasped as realisation dawned on her.

This was beyond a nightmare. This was Hell, pure and simple.

"Only your brothers." Byakuya stepped towards her, his face an emotionless mask. "It was a pity, but he had the impression that one day he would surpass me. It looks like he was wrong."

"He was your lieutenant...and MY brother. How could you?" Deha had raised Kurobara in front of her, but she was shaking, and she knew the more experienced and intuitive warrior could tell she was terrified.

"You say that like it matters to me. Like you matter to me."

Azdeha glared at him, "That's not true. You're lying."

"Am I?" Byakuya took another step forward. He had yet to raise Senbonzakura, but Deha knew he didn't have to. If he chose to take her out, he could do so in the blink of an eye. "When have I ever told you that I love you? Or that I even care about you?"