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.