Darkest Blue

Chapter 2: Dark Carnival Of The Immaculate

"The dancing has created a fire,

Two-headed strong man disgust, desire.

Midnight (destruct), Break bones (for hire),

Create (sickness), A war for purity.

The blood we shared,

The love we cannot let go,

(I have you now.)"

- I Am Ghost

As Aizen stared out over the vast plains of Hueco Mundo, he was impatient, an emotion given away only by the constant drumming of his fingers on the cool armrest of the throne. Those silly little shinigami, he mused, thinking that they could so much as breathe in his kingdom without them knowing. Despite that scientist's attempts to disguise the reiatsu signature of his guests, how could he possibly expect Aizen to fail to notice that a massive hole had been ripped between dimensions, leaving his kingdom open to any ill equipped invaders? He was angered at first, to learn that the detestable man had been a step ahead of him and had managed to get most of the little interlopers to safety. How he knew that there was an ambush waiting, even Aizen had no idea. But it mattered not, for they had the prize, Ichigo Kurosaki. He had been Aizen's goal from the beginning, the only one that he had ordered his espada not to kill. Not that they wouldn't have harmed him, he was sure that Grimmjow would relish the opportunity to deliver some payback to the boy for the loss of the arm that he blamed the substitute shinigami for. But that was good. He wanted Kurosaki harmed, he wanted him scared. That way he would be easier to break. Aizen had big plans for the boy, all that raw power and potential… It was something to make even he get excited over.

'Aizen-sama.' The emotionless voice of Ulquiorra cut into his musings. Aizen turned in his seat and gloated privately at the sight before him. The raven haired espada stood before him, pristine as always. Behind his small frame loomed a more dishevelled Grimmjow, a red and black bundle flung carelessly over his shoulder.

'Ulquiorra… I see the mission was successful…' He smiled coldly.

'Yes, Aizen-sama.'

'Bring him here Grimmjow. I want to see him.'

Grimmjow grunted, flinging the beaten shinigami down at Aizen's feet. He rubbed his face tenderly; a stinging bruise was beginning to form on his cheek.

'Any problems Grimmjow?' Aizen smirked.

'No… sir.' Grimmjow's upper lip curled in disgust towards the unconscious teenager on the floor. Aizen chuckled, leaning over to curl fingers in dirty orange hair, pulling Ichigo's head up level with his face. His eyes fluttered open and shut for a moment, in an attempt to fight off unconsciousness. A sly smile stole across Aizen lips as he traced his finger along the cuts and bruises which adorned Ichigo's face.

'Leave me now.' Aizen commanded, dismissing them without looking up. Ulquiorra nodded while Grimmjow merely turned and stormed out, still rubbing his sore jaw with an enraged look on his face.

'Now… What to do with you…?' Aizen pondered. He didn't expect the traditional methods to be too effective on the boy. Sure, they'd probably work eventually but time was not something to be wasted at this point, and the boy was far too stubborn and loyal to break so easily. No, this was going to require something more. He could threaten that Orihime girl, he was sure that she would be sufficient to bend the shinigami boy to his will, but not enough. He didn't just want him obedient; he wanted him completely submissive. He wanted him broken to his will, and harming the girl would likely only make him more disobedient. Besides, she was too useful to dispose of just yet. Aizen's finger now traced the outlines of Ichigo's lips, surprising full and soft for a teenage boy. He presented a striking image Aizen thought, altogether more so when he was beaten and bloodied as he was now. A soft smile signified that the solution had come to Aizen, and oh, he was so going to enjoy breaking the boy. It was unorthodox, and not at all befitting of Aizen's stature. But needs must, for even he could be persuaded to walk among the lower species for a moment.

Ichigo stirred again, this time his eyes fluttered open and stayed that way. He struggled to focus on anything for a few moments, wondering why his head hurt so much. As things swam into focus and he saw that the face mere inches from his own was that of Sōsuke Aizen, his eyes widened to their limit, and he scrambled backwards as quickly as was possible in his beat up state, hissing as pain shot up his arms and legs, and from the grip in his hair that had not yet loosened.

'Settle down Ichigo, you'll only hurt yourself more than you already are.'

'Fuck you!' Ichigo coughed, spitting up blood onto the polished white floor. He attempted to smack Aizen's hand away from his head, 'You bastard!' Aizen's eyes narrowed as he hit the boys head off of the hard floor in retort, releasing the grip on his blood matted hair. Ichigo stifled a scream as he came in contact with the unforgiving floor, pain erupting inside his head like a volcano. He would've passed out again if Aizen had not dragged him up by his gi.

'Now, are you going to behave? That sort of behaviour will not be tolerated here, especially not from my plaything.' The traitor smiled, smearing his finger in the blood running from the corner of Ichigo's mouth. Ichigo froze, that sentence instilled more fear in him that anything he had encountered so far in Las Noches.

'What are you talking about you psycho?' He spat, 'Why haven't you killed me?' He earned nothing but a harsh slap for his efforts. Ichigo gasped as he tried to catch his breath, and was ashamed to feel tears threatening to gather in his eyes. He blinked them back, determined to show no weakness to this man.

'You will address me as 'Master' from now on, understand?' the ex-captain hissed. 'Because from now on you belong to me.'

Ichigo's blood turned to ice at these words. Breathless, he managed to gasp out,

'… What?'

Another blow to his face.

'Do not make me repeat myself. From now on you shall obey me completely.'

'Oh that's very fucking likely.' Ichigo spluttered, bracing himself for another slap. To his surprise, Aizen merely laughed and brushed matted red hair behind the boy's ear.

'Oh but of course I don't expect you to comply immediately. I wouldn't ask you to do anything of your own free will, not yet.' His lips curled upwards into a smile that promised agony as he leaned forward to whisper like a lover in the redhead's ear, 'But you will, in time. You can be sure of that.' Ichigo felt Aizen's hands brush his neck for a moment, as something clicked into place. Terrible fatigue come over him as what little energy he had left drained instantly. The shinigami had just had enough time to raise his hands to his neck and realise that he was now wearing a reiatsu suppressing collar, like the one he had seen on Rukia when she was imprisoned, before he passed out.

'…Bastard.' He muttered as he lost consciousness once more and sank into the cold marble floor.

---

Urahara was furious.

It wasn't the regular anger, the 'Kurosaki has wrecked my hat again' or even the 'Yoruichi has thrown out one of my experiments because she thought it was food past its expiration date' kind of anger. It was pure rage, fuelled by utter fear. Fear for Ichigo, of what was happening to him, of what could happen to him. Fear at the possibly that he could already be dead. It was an emotion like none the shopkeeper had ever been seen to express. But if Yamamoto was surprised by it, it was not shown on his impassive face.

'You cannot be serious! Kurosaki is the best chance we have of winning this war, are we to just leave him in the hands of the enemy? First you abandon Miss Orihime and now him too? I will not accept this!'

'May I remind you, Urahara Kisuke, that it was your negligence that brought about this entire situation! If you had not sent those children to Hueco Mundo in the first place Kurosaki would not be captured and I would not have to give this order.' The bearded man retorted.

'He would have found a way regardless of my assistance, don't you see? Kuros-', he stopped mid-sentence before continuing in a softer tone of voice, '…Ichigo. He is stubborn and fat headed and he cares so much about his friends and comrades. He'd never abandon them. Not like what you are suggesting we do to him!'

'It was not a suggestion but an order. You or any other are forbade of entering Hueco Mundo by any means until told otherwise. Any attempt to once again infiltrate Las Noches will be met with severe consequences. I will not lose anybody else. Have I made myself clear, Urahara Kisuke?'

Grey eyes narrowed as the blonde feigned obedience, '…Crystal.'

'Good. See that it stays that way.' The captain commander departed, as the light in the screen flickered off and the picture withered and faded to black. The man in the striped hat turned from the screen, shadows pooled to conceal his face. His shoulders slumped as the gravity of the situation threatened to overwhelm him.

'Good thing I don't have to answer to Soul Society anymore.' He spoke out loud, tipping back his head. 'Gods, Ichigo… I won't abandon you. Not with him. I swear.'

'Kisuke?' A voice filled with concern echoed from the other side of the room.

'Yoruichi.'

'How did it go?'

'The old man is stubborn as always.' He sighed, 'We're going to have to work well below the radar here.'

The purple haired woman smiled, 'I wouldn't have it any other way. Come on now, that redheaded idiot in the next room is getting restless.' Urahara nodded, following her through the doorway. As he slid the panel shut behind him he uttered an almost silent promise into the dark room.

'This time, let me save you.'