Chapter Nine:Persevere

"If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied, illuminate the 'no's' on their vacancy signs. If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks, then I'll follow you into the dark."

-Death Cab for Cutie, I Will Follow You Into The Dark Lyrics

Haschwalth's lips tingled with a muted electricity as they barely brushed her hand…the shock of reiatsu he recognized as some form of power but when he went to draw his sword he couldn't manage to pull it. He couldn't keep the surprise from his face when he looked at Kagome…the guilt in her eyes didn't make him feel better…he'd have already slain her if he could bring his body to draw the blade. "What did you do?"

"Uh…could you let go of your sword?" She asked, blinking when he immediately did so…his movement was rigid, as though he was fighting it. That's when she realized what Sestran had meant to do all along…this was Majesty? She didn't feel any different…other than having strange butterflies for the blonde that was now glaring at her. "Take me back to soul society."

She tried it…unsure if it would work. Haschwalth set his jaw a moment before he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her through a portal. She was slightly dizzy on the other side but he steadied her and she glanced around. Frowning at the decrepit landscape her home had become…the Quincy had done incredible damage to soul society…it looked to be nearly in ruins other than patches of intact buildings here and there. "This…the quincy did this?"

"Yes. What is this? How are you controlling me?" His voice was icy, and she glanced to him…of course he might not know about Sestran's ability…and even if he did he probably couldn't guess that she shared it…likely because of the child not yet showing in her belly. She glanced to him after surveying the land and then swallowed, the dark expression on his face lacked any of the moments of compassion she'd seen until now.

"I'm sorry…I don't fully understand it myself…please don't hate me. It wasn't my idea…I just wanted to get home." Kagome stated, a bit sad at the idea that he might not forgive her. This seemed more extreme than what Sestran had…was it because she had no way of controlling it? Sestran said he suppressed his own aura most of the time… "But no one is here…do you know where they are?"

"There were troops when we last attacked, though they were centralized around the gate leading to Heaven." Haschwalth answered darkly, her entreaty for understanding clearly dismissed. Kagome sighed and started walking toward the gate.

"Was this the plan all along?" He asked.

"No…I…" Kagome frowned…why should she be giving him any information…what if her ability came to an end? She didn't know what might be safe to explain or not. "…it's complicated. I am sorry though…"

She seemed genuine enough, and every cell in his core ached to believe it even though his mind told him it wasn't true…that this influence was beyond her power. The only thing close to this described in the intelligence was the power of the soul king…so how was she wielding it now? Could he pass it on to others then? Not that the information did him much good while he remained the girl's puppet.

"I believe you…" Haschwalth finally said slowly. He wasn't sure himself if it were true…he wanted to…but he also knew that his emotions were just as influenced by this power. "There, troops are ahead…I doubt my presence will be tolerated without violence."

"Don't hurt anyone." Kagome said with a shake of her head… "I'll try to explain…"

She got the feeling that Sestran would already know…but that's not who she wanted to talk to.

"Hey, don't shoot…we're here…under good terms. Haschwalth is surrendering, he'll help the Shinigami from now on." Kagome remarked, able to feel the heat of the death look he was leveling at her for those words. At least for now this bizarre ability seemed to be sticking. "Where is Byakuya?"

"He's in heaven with the others…but let us send a message…the Quincy's not allowed in." The guard commented, they'd barely stopped staring at the member of the enemy army standing nearby, loathing everything for his inability to act on his own.

"Kagome."

The deep voice that intoned those three syllables made her break into a smile so big she thought it might injure her face. Whatever they needed to talk about…the large arms that wrapped around her felt like home. She returned the embrace, tempted to cry at the sudden flood of emotions. Relief, love, happiness was paramount, but there was an underlying fear and something else she couldn't quite place.

"Byakuya…I'm sorry. I have so much I want to tell you…and we should have talked before…then everything happened and I didn't…"

He set a finger on her lips. "Kagome…slow down. I'm just glad to have you back. I won't let go of you again."

"Until someone else kidnaps her or kills you." Haschwalth remarked in a tone so bitter he surprised himself. Still, he couldn't back up the words, he might as well have been a marionette for as much as he could move against the soul reapers. He was confused as well as angry and disturbed at this scene of the girl and her captain.

"Sestran explained that he somehow temporary passed Majesty to you…I didn't believe it possible but…it seems you've proven it." Byakuya remarked in his cool manner, back to the serious person she remembered. Kagome nodded, she had more to explain as to her hypothesis about that…but here wasn't the time or place.

"I thought he couldn't open the gate to other soul reapers either?" Kagome asked.

"When he was asked, all he told Kyoraku was that he'd made upgrades…though I dislike the poor security of it." Byakuya replied. As much as he wanted to kill the Quincy, he was under orders to unless the man attacked first. Kagome didn't look harmed despite her days in enemy hands, which helped stay his temper along with the time he'd managed to spend practicing his mastery of his darker half.

"We need to speak. Jurg…Haschwalth, please wait here with the guards until I return, defend the gate if other Quincy try to enter." She wasn't sure how far she could push it…and certainly if he didn't wish her dead before he likely did now. His rage was almost palpable in the air. She couldn't meet his eyes and instead reached out to entwine her fingers with Byakuya's. "Let me see what's become of our home?"

Byakuya glanced at the rigid movements of the Quincy and the hesitant but forced motions fell in line with what someone under majesty did even if they didn't wish to. Byakuya pulled Kagome into his arms and flash stepped away to the only half-destroyed Kuchiki manor. "The damages could have been worse. Some of the rooms did survive."

Kagome frowned at the destruction…so little remained…it seemed as if some horrible natural disaster had swept through. Was this what the enemy was capable of? She took a deep breath, not sure if any time would be the right time to tell Byakuya about her…condition. "I need to tell you something…"

She remembered asking his grandfather for advice…and that she was told to just be honest…she should have been sooner than this… "I'm…pregnant."

"I know." Byakuya settled his arms around her, nuzzling her hair she could feel the slight smile on his face. She blinked several times in confusion, for all the reactions she'd pictured in her mind during her imprisonment that was the last.

"You…know?" Kagome asked.

"It was mentioned already, the strange soul reaper that said you found him. I think that it will be difficult at first…what with this war…but once it's complete we'll rebuild and make certain you and the baby are well taken care of and safe." Byakuya explained, "You'll need to be more careful…stop running into danger."

Kagome shook her head and turned around, her brows furrowing in confusion. "How…what…you are okay with this?"

"Why wouldn't I be okay with it?" Byakuya asked.

That's when she realized, Byakuya thought the child was his. Her heart sunk, she'd been so prepared to rip the band aid off…but this. How was she supposed to explain the circumstances when he looked so happy? When was the last time he'd looked so delightful in his pride? Before she'd gone to heaven…before Sestran's plot had done this to her…she still remembered extremely little about that day…and the morale in the war would drop out if she gave bad news and caused Byakuya to lose control of that thing inside him. Sestran had told her she would hate the leader someday…so far he was proving himself right. Sestran couldn't have told Byakuya about this in the interim? For a godly being he sure was proving to be useless when she needed him.

God…what should she do?

"Kagome, what's wrong? Aren't you happy? Why are you crying?" Byakuya asked, suddenly concerned. His voice inching into a deeper malevolent tone with the next question. "Did that Quincy harm you?"

"No, I…it's…when I was on the other side of the gate…promise you won't freak out." Kagome babbled a moment before asking for the promise. His grey eyes darted between hers, but she realized she'd said too much already when they grew steely.

"The Majesty you used…I should have known." The single bitter laugh he let out bit into her soul…god, why did Sestran put them in this situation? "The child isn't mine…"

"I didn't want to…I don't even remember what happened." Kagome said immediately, which got him to look at her with confusion.

"What do you remember?" Byakuya said trying to keep from gritting his teeth, trying to keep his darker half in control. Whatever happened…he wasn't going to risk hurting her again…he'd just gotten her back.

"Sestran said that something Naraku did put me under his influence…and that this was the only way that it could be broken. He…" She broke off, he was already well beyond most times she'd seen him really angry, his spiritual energy was rising quickly. "I…I promise I didn't know."

"I believe you." Byakuya answered. He remembered Kagome nearly dying as a result of her attachment to Sestran, of her memories that if broken would result in her death. What did she know of that? Anything? If not, he couldn't tell her and risk setting off the chain again. This was the fix Sestran did? The coward didn't even tell him that he'd been with Kagome…he just let him go on thinking that the child was his own…

Byakuya felt slightly sick as he considered it…he remembered telling Sestran that he should stay with Kagome…that he had given up since he couldn't protect her…after he'd attacked her. He hadn't meant it…not really…was this Sestran's cruel form of punishment for Byakuya's moment of weakness? Had Sestran decided to take Byakuya up on his offer when he was so frustrated that Byakuya had given up on another way out for Kagome? Was this his own doing? He'd been too weak to protect her again…

"I know a lot's happened, and I know you weren't always yourself…and I know that there's something more to you now…and whatever it is I don't care. If you become a monster, I'll love you anyway and if I have to I'll become a monster too then so be it. I want to work this out…there's nowhere else I belong but at your side. …please don't hate me Byakuya." Her statement started strong but as it wound toward the end sounded so timid…and broken…not the strong woman he'd come to love…but he still held her tighter for it…pushing the anger away for now. He'd done this to her…and he would not leave her as a result of it.

"I will be here Kagome; I'll always be here. I wish I could always protect you, that I could pluck you away from danger without hesitation or worry and I will always try, but when I can't…in those darkest moments when I fail…I will always be here to hold you when I find you again." He reassured, backing up and frowning more at the tears along her face, using his scarf to wipe them away. "I won't let you go again…I should be the one asking you to forgive me."

She leaned up and kissed him, it was as best an answer as she could have given, their arms wrapped around one another. Sestran would pay for this…whatever twisted thing this plot of his was…but not right now…right now Byakuya was where he belonged…and where he would stay for as long as she needed him. The war, the wholesale destruction of the world be damned, his wife was the first priority…

For the first time since it awakened…the darkness inside him was silent.

End Chapter

I loved writing this chapter. I was so looking forward to this discussion/conversation between these characters…and yay, fluff. So much fluff compared to all the other dark things happening. They make each other better no matter the circumstance. More drama to come!

-Aura

P.S. To anyone that doubted this was a Kagome/Byakuya fic: *mic drop*. That is all.

To my reviewers:

Neo-Crystal – Yes, here. One last chapter for now…until I know more about the Quincy's end game plans in the manga.