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Consort To The Three Kings	By : Snowway32 Category: Bleach > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 7108 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of the characters there within, Kubo Tite owns that sole right and I am making no money from this. It is purely for my own pleasure.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
Wow, I want to seriously thank everyone who reviewed this story! I’m so happy you guys like it that I managed to finish this chapter two days early. Just a small note of importance: I’ll be updating every week on either a Wednesday or Thursday, depending on how fast I can get it out.
I’m busy with a Zan/Ichi oneshot at the moment, so that’s why I felt I needed to post this a bit sooner to give myself some time. As for this chapter, I really hoped that I incorporated Ryuu and Ichiru well into it, as well as Ichigo’s interaction with Zangetsu – he is by far my favourite character to write and there will be a lot more of him within this.
The story of Ichigo’s past, I took some elements from Canon events and changed it completely and at the moment, this is only outline of how Ichiru, Ryuu and Hichigo came to be beside Ichigo. There will be more detailed flashbacks to come, and I hope that this little taste of Ichigo’s quite colourful past is enjoyable. There may be some unintentional spoilers about Ichigo’s parentage, sorry about that if you are not up to date on the Manga.
But as that is all I can think of, please enjoy the next chapter. And please don’t stop reviewing, I am so very happy when you do.

Chapter 2: Raising Power
There was a trembling, all consuming darkness, swirling at the edge of a wavering conscious as a familiar wave of warm reiatsu danced across exposed skin. Dragging an unresisting Ichigo into a somewhat semi-unconsciousness state. Subtle breaths, warm and comforting, rustled through orange locks softly as his head rested upon a warm shoulder and his body curled unconsciously closer to the heat spread next to him. Ichigo could somehow indentify the soft whispering voice cooing children stories in his ear as Ichiru's.
Only then, within that consolation, did the newly awakened consort unconsciously allow himself to fall into a black world where his mind no longer spun and his heart was not as unsettled as before. However, it wasn't long before he was drifting off into what he hoped was a nightmare and not the startling memory that he knew he was recalling so vividly. But it was useless, despite the reassurance that he would never be alone again and always protected by Hichigo, Ichiru and Ryuu, there was no way to escape reliving the terror that he had just barely survived at the hands of a man he thought of as his best friend.
He was shivering, eyes clenching shut tightly even if the dark images just continued to flash behind closed eyelids in a repetitive stream of hitched breaths and rushing emotions. Ichigo was thoroughly startled when several seconds later, in his half-awareness of Ichiru still being beside him, the Mei-Ou's powerful presence suddenly vanished all together in a heady rush of conflicting sensations (not unlike falling from a great height) as it enclosed his heart within a fist of ice. A quiet but distressed whimper passed strawberry red lips as Ichigo clenched his fingers into a fist unconsciously. Eyes tightly clenched shut as wind rushed past his skin, tugged harshly at his long locks and his palms suddenly slammed into smooth concrete as he was brought to a jarring, painful halt.
He could literally feel his brow furrowing in confusion, the sensation of falling from a terrible height left him just as quickly as it had come and then abandoned young Ichigo to become painfully aware that Ichiru was no longer beside him and he had entered into a world so real and poignant, that it would be foolish to mistake the texture beneath his fingers as anything but glass and concrete.
Ichigo flinched instantly when a warm calloused hand suddenly descended upon his shoulder. The owner of that hand not even leaving an inkling of his presence behind besides his firm grip...
'How long are you going to keep your eyes shut, Ichigo? How long are you going to let your fear control you? You cannot escape reality no matter how hard you try.' A deep baritone pointed out almost harshly as amber eyes finally snapped open with ragging emotions. The first thing that Ichigo saw was his orange hair fluttering around him in a hazy breeze as he balanced on what looked like a glass window beneath his feet. Around him spread a blue building, tilted sideways, that provided his current resting point. Gazing across his shoulder, to follow the path of the arm that rested upon his shoulder, his frightened eyes finally connected with a pair of orbs that were the same colour as his own but remained hidden behind wrap-around yellow tinted sunglasses.
What the hell? Had this old man set the trend then? Because Ichigo remembered clearly that when he had first seen Hichigo and then Ryuu and then Ichiru they had all worn the exact same styled sunglasses...
'W-where?' Ichigo asked dumbfounded. For some reason he wasn't really frightened by the looming presence of the dark haired man, but it was the torrent of rain that suddenly fell from the heavens as if a tap had been opened, and soaked through white clothes and orange hair that made Ichigo glare boldly at the looming presence with a delayed shiver.
Huffing his disapproval at the tall, aloof figure that was now standing above him as if the air was solid beneath his booted feet and as if he controlled the weather.
But the presence moved suddenly so that Ichigo caught a proper glimpse of him even through the sheet of rain. He was indeed strangely dressed in low black heeled boots, a floor length flowing trench coat that seemed black but bled to a deep, red with every ripple that crossed the fluttering fabric. It was almost if that coat alone was alive in itself but the brief glimpse of a tattered white collar and white shirt cuffs indicated that he wore proper clothes beneath. However, no matter how Ichigo wanted to question this spirit's presence...he seemed so very familiar to him. Almost like...
'It's been a while, Ichigo.' The Zanpactō breathed softly. 'Two hundred years since I last saw you grace me with your presence within this ever-changing world.' And this time Ichigo knew that there was sadness hidden beneath the calm, reverberating baritone. When the figure dropped down in a blur of movement, a ridiculously large sword appearing within his hands out of nowhere before he landed on top of an unsuspecting Ichigo, the young teen could do very little against his movements. The collision of their bodies caused the younger of the two to slam back into the building with dizzying pain erupting across the back of his head. Through blurring vision and gasping breaths, Ichigo watched breathlessly as the strange old man's left knee came to rest close to his hip just as a right foot rested next to Ichigo's trembling arm.
The agile figure kept Ichigo locked in place. Somehow managing to keep his weight completely balanced as the calloused fingertips of his right hand expertly drove the large sword's tip into the building's concrete surface right beside Ichigo's head. Ichigo, suddenly overwhelmed by the push of the sword's familiar reiatsu singing in his ear, never once flinched as the Zanpactō spirit knelt over his form almost possessively. His own eyes landing on unkempt features there was only praise to be seen behind those sunglasses at Ichigo's lack of fear when confronted with the large blade.
Good, Zangetsu thought, it meant that Ichigo was starting to remember, at least unconsciously, just what it was that always drove him further and further than any human, Arrancar or Shinigami.
'You need never be afraid of me, Ichigo.' Zangetsu remarked softly, calmly, as he pressed a single finger against a furrowed brow to soothe out the wrinkles. 'I am always beside you, I would never hurt you and every time you call my name I will be there to protect you and whatever it is that you wish to protect.' Long blackish-brown hair swayed in the slight breeze accompanying the softer drizzle of rain. A final gust of unsuspecting wind, almost like the breath of rebirth, echoed through the strange world and suddenly dried up the rushing rain completely.
Ichigo was completely unable to look away from captivating amber eyes that were so much like his own. Sighing contentedly as he boldly traced the sharp edge of the blade buried next to his head with playful fingertips.
'Say my name, Ichigo.' The spirit pleaded and Ichigo smirked. 'Say it.' He commanded and Ichigo's smirk turned into a small but genuine smile.
'Zangetsu.' He whispered breathily, watching intently as pleasure sparked in those dark eyes before Zangetsu himself nodded and pulled himself to his feet. One hand resting absently on the tip of the bandaged hilt of his Shikai form before he offered his other hand to his Master and promptly pulled the teen to his feet.
'I am here, Ichigo.' Zangetsu assured firmly, his forefinger pressing against Ichigo's chest just where his heart was supposed to be. 'So calm yourself, Ichigo. Calm your pain and terror. Settle your anxiety. Hichigo, Ryuu and Ichiru would never let any harm come to you and neither will I. So throw away all your fears, all your misgivings and never forget on whose back I always reside and whose hands I am most powerful within.' When the hilt of the familiar sword was pushed decisively into his hands, Ichigo was once again reacquainted with the weight of Zangetsu settling against his soul like a long lost companion promising nothing but comfort and protection.
The newly awakened Ichigo closed his eyes and allowed a small smile to break across his lips.
Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out and repeat.
The simple but stable rhythm of his calm breaths got rid of the tension that had settled across his shoulders and the terror that had encased his heart since the night before. Once again Ichigo ascended toward the warm comfort where he had been before, where Ichiru's calm but powerful presence was waiting, where Hichigo and Ryuu were waiting for him too...returning him to a world where no amount of fear could touch him anymore...
This time when Ichigo exhaled softly, he truly did drift off into a calm and restful state where his brow unconsciously un-furrowed and his breaths were perfectly even. Finally, finally he was allowed to drift into a restful but exhausted sleep. Beside him, leaning against several pillows, Ichigo was quite unaware that Ichiru gave a small smirk of satisfaction at his beloved's actions. His fingers briefly lifting away from Ichigo's brightly coloured locks to brush away the messy strands of his white bangs that flopped into his eyes. His hair was longer and much messier than Hichigo's short, spiky locks but also shorter than Ryuu's two dragon like tails that reached down his back. But what set Ichiru apart from his brothers more than anything was the two curved lines running beneath his right eye in a mirrored reflection of Ichigo's own 'stigmata'.
And within the single light of a lit bed lamp, the second to be born of the triplets watched as Zangetsu's fully released form reverted back to its Shikai state and Ichigo finally breathed easier. So, in return, Ichiru too relaxed as the out of control reiatsu that had been pressing against him and saturating Hueco Mundo, tinged with terror and pain before, eased and calmed almost instantly.
His fingers absently returned to card through orange locks as Ichigo's even breaths tickled pleasantly against the skin of his wrist. His voice, once again dropping to a soft pitch, rising and falling in tandem to the words written in black and white upon the page of some fairy tale vellum he had found to entertain himself with. There was nothing more to do than wait patiently for his brothers to finish settling the dispute amongst the Espada and lower ranking Arrancar whilst he continued reading out loud to keep the little Prince calm.
There was still an eternity to spend by Ichigo's side and now that they had finally returned him to their side, none of the Three Mei-Ou would ever let him leave their sights again. Neither would Zangetsu no Ossan give up his Master for that matter by the flare of the Zanpactō's unique reiatsu in response to Ichiru's thoughts.
~~~~
'Ya awake yet, Ichi?' A lilting voice breathed provocatively within the shell of a delicate ear but the recipient of the call merely shifted restlessly within his considerable sprawl of feather pillows and warm blankets. Burrowing himself into his little nest of comfort further and further, his breath heavily content in sleep. He was far too gone in his dreams to even acknowledge the one that was calling his name. His actions though, caused the one trying to wake him to huff irritably. A frown of irritation marring snow white skin as a warm weight settled itself beside the cocooned form and crossed long legs in a surprisingly relaxed pose of irate tension.
'Ichigo! Wake up!' The voice called again, a finger tugging strands of orange hair that peeked out from beneath the duvet in an attempt to gain more attention. But still, the caller received no form of reply from the one sleeping so peacefully next to him. So instead, Ryuu's black nailed forefinger tapped his chin thoughtfully as he carefully observed the sleeping teen below him with calculating golden eyes. Ichigo had been asleep for more than a day now, but this was the first time that he showed an inkling of response to their coming and going presence. So at least their beloved consort was finally breaking out of his reiatsu exhausted sleep, but how to give him that last jolt into full consciousness?
Waking Ichigo up in the way they used to do two hundred years ago would be a little too provocative for the tangerine haired teen Ryuu thought with a leer. So it was completely out of the question and if shaking him did not work, raising his voice didn't either—.
How had that damn Shinigami always boasted about waking Ichigo in the mornings? Oh yes...
'III-CCCHI-GOO! GOOD MORNING!' The Mei-Ou raised his voice and pitch and watched with fascination as the buried cocoon suddenly stiffened as if being hit by lightning. 'YOUR FATHER LOVES Y—!' Ryuu was suddenly cut off in a flurry of thrown sheets and lighting speed. Ryuu's black nailed hand reaching out instantly to stop the retaliation of Ichigo's swinging fist with the palm of his hand. Wild orange locks flying behind an enraged visage as the consort struggled with his grip on reality. But when he went for another attack, Ryuu stopped it just as easily, sweeping Ichigo's balance away from him before flipping him so that he straddled the curve of Ichigo's lower back.
The teen snarled and twisted beneath Ryuu as he reached his pale hand forward to pin flailing wrists to the bed spread before Ichigo could hurt himself or Ryuu for that matter. He was trying his best to ignore the sweet little noises his strawberry was making just for him and he could barely suppress his shudder of pleasure, but the older of the two spirits made no move to take advantage of the situation.
'W-what are you DOING?!' An enraged voice roared through the morning air but Ryuu only let out a small defeated sigh as he pressed his elbow into Ichigo's spine to pin his movements further. Leaning forward instead so that his white hair fell over his shoulder to brush against the sensitive skin of Ichigo's neck. This time he did not miss the shiver that raced down the orangette's spine at the unexpected caress.
'Calm down, I ain't goin' ta hurt ya.' He breathed reassuringly once Ichigo's movements became lax. 'I'm not your father.' He added just for good measure. Strange that Ichigo stopped struggling instantly at that claim and sunk down into the sheets with silent defeat. Ryuu, having expected more cursing, more resistance to his actions could only breathe his own sigh of relief. Glad that Ichigo had decided to yield to his grip rather than fight him more.
'Have you calmed down now, Ichigo? Can I let you go?' He asked tenderly, golden orbs watching with a soft calmness as startled amber eyes, wide in their surprise and forgotten anger, turned to the side to lock with his own imploringly. They were searching his eyes for a threat but when they found none, Ichigo eventually nodded his consent softly.
The Dark King gave a little chuckle in return before he let go of tanned wrists and stood up. Trying, once again, very hard not to think of just where he had been sitting and the delicious reaction the little Prince had had against his pressing reiatsu. Offering his hand to help Ichigo up, Ryuu quickly led him towards the bathroom suite with only one intention in mind.
'The servants have already drawn the bath, so please take as long as you want. There should be a change of clothes waiting for you on—.'
'Where's Zangetsu?' Ichigo demanded softly with a furrow in his brow, orange bangs hiding the subtle distress within brown eyes that Ryuu could feel tickle across his skin in the form of Ichigo's pulsing, panicked reiatsu. He closed his eyes briefly and sighed for the nth time that day, there was still so much that Ichigo did not know and so much that they themselves had yet to explain to him but to assuage the slight panic within his beloved's eyes, Ryuu pointed over his shoulder to the bed they had just left.
'He's right there, right next to the bed. See?' He said soothingly. 'If you're afraid that he'll disappear then I will watch over him whilst ya finish.' Ichigo, looking quite stricken by Ryuu's offer, nodded his consent and left in a flurry of white, a respectful bow and a soft 'thank you'. The Dark King blinked away the subtle build of surprise behind his eyes, pressing a forefinger and thumb to the bridge of his nose as his frustration built to let out a noisy huff. He felt quite lost with Ichigo's behaviour as he went to retrieve Zangetsu as his consort had asked before he settled the familiar weight across his back. His footsteps leading him to lean against the wall next to the bathroom, one heel pressing against the smooth surface before he rested his head back to observe the white ceiling in silent contemplation.
Zangetsu's form was humming against his back in contented happiness and the Dark King smirked, a hand reaching up to lazily stroke the hilt of the powerful blade to calm the raging excitement now rushing through his blood and flesh.
'I know you're happy Ossan, I can feel it. So thank you. If you had not dragged Ichigo to you last night, then we might have had a full blown brawl on our hands. So thanks for calming him when we couldn't.' Zangetsu said nothing in return to the softly spoken words but Ryuu felt the blade's emotions as his own, like all of them did, rushing through him in a calm flow of acceptance. And that was more than enough of an answer.
With his mind drifting into a warm daydream, Ryuu waited patiently for the bathroom door to open again and for Ichigo to emerge. Breakfast was waiting for them in the tea room and deeper into the castle; Ryuu could feel Hichigo's frustration in the throne room as he dealt with the reports on Soul Society's movements in retaliation to Ichigo's awakening. And Ichiru, he was making his way towards them. Having probably finished his inspection of the training grounds and the troops of the lower ranking militia, all that was left was to join breakfast with the four of them finally reunited.
'Half asleep there, Ryuu?' Ichiru asked with concern as he stepped into the large chambers, observing his brother leaning against the wall of the bathroom suite. Ryuu only gave a subtle nod of his head. Quieting a bunch of out of control Espada in light of gaining a new and powerful member of the Ruling Trio was not easy to settle with simple words. His tired body and exhausted mind was a testament to that as it had nearly taken an entire twenty-one hours between him and Hichigo to settle the fights and objections to Ichigo's return to their side.
Not that the other Arrancar had any say in the matter in the first place, but that did not mean that they didn't try untill the Kings' full dominion over Hueco Mundo had been established once again. Two sets of golden eyes shifted instantly to rest upon the creaking door as a warm and familiar presence flooded the Royal Chambers in a powerful push of reiatsu. Ichigo, newly dressed and refreshed, emerged from the bathroom attired in a very familiar uniform of white hakama, a deep red obi, white kosode and a long haori of beautifully worked silk that dragged behind him a good meter on the floor. Swaying locks of damp orange partially hid three intertwined dragons worked in silver thread upon the back of the garment in semblance of their royal crest.
'What?!' Ichigo suddenly snapped in embarrassment as two pairs of golden eyes set in a sea of black sclera gaped at his form, causing him to unconsciously cross his arms across his waist in self-consciousness as he looked away. Trying very hard to hide the inevitable flush of rose red that was creeping across his nose in response to the unwavering attention trained fully on him. The combined gaze of both Ryuu and Ichiru was so powerful and intense that it was carving heat into Ichigo's trembling flesh, setting his heart beating painfully against his chest and his soul pining terribly for something that he could not quite explain just yet.
'How nostalgic.' Ryuu breathed softly in disbelief.
'Hn.' Ichiru agreed. When Ryuu had said that the servants had set out clothes for Ichigo, he had assumed it would just be a quick change of clothes and not what Ichigo was wearing now. This was the exact same garments of royalty which Ichigo wore when he ascended the Court of Darkness as Crowned Consort. And just the sight of it was so powerfully painful that they could hardly breathe. Because on the night before Ichigo had been mercilessly killed before their eyes, the last night that they had spent entwined in each others' arms after celebrating a hundred years together...Ichigo had worn the exact same clothing—.
'P-please stop looking at me like that,' The orangette pleaded softly, he could feel not only the sorrow in their haunting gazes but the eternal affection and longing that rested there as well. It was a powerful sensation that chased across his skin and made him tremble, because deep inside Ichigo wanted nothing more than to comfort the pain within their hearts and settle their external unease.
'It hurts me too.' He whispered brokenly, and sadly those words were all it took before the two Kings were suddenly snapped from their thoughts and Ryuu stepped forward. Coming to a halt a few feet away from Ichigo's standing form before he fell to one knee and bowed his head respectfully. Within his hands, just like Urahara had held the large blade before, rested the Shikai form of his Zanpactō as it was offered to the Consort formally. Ichigo felt his heart jump into his throat as he took the offering and settled the familiar weight of Zangetsu across his back with the ease that came from hundreds of years of familiarity.
'Come, Ichigo.' Ryuu called Ichigo back from his wandering thoughts as he rose to his feet with a slow nod and they all started for the closed doors simultaneously. 'Breakfast is waiting and I am sure there are still many questions that you want answered.'

'Took ya long enough to come, Ryuu, Ichiru. I was 'bout ta start without ya—.' Hichigo's teasing voice was suddenly interrupted by a sharp inhalation of breath being tugged into straining lungs as wary golden eyes set upon the sight that followed in behind his two brothers. Kami, it was like he was transported two hundred years into the past within a single instant and no matter how he tried to fight the conflicting emotions crawling across his skin, the Dark King could not shake the desperate yearning that assaulted his heart.
'Who authorized this?' He hissed lowly, threateningly, at the five Arrancar lined up against the back wall. Five heads, previously respectfully bowed, looked up in startled fright at the King's now ragging anger. Hichigo had not expected this; his quick meeting with the top five Espada to retrain the troops for facing Shinigami had turned into a deadly confrontation as his reiatsu rose higher and higher with his increasing anger. Just who had taken the unauthorized privilege of arranging Ichigo's attire into their own hands? Who had given them the right to see his beloved dressed like this before even he had? Who had—?
'I did, Shirosaki-sama.' Ulquiorra said, the Cuatro Espada stepping forward from the line of Espada with a small bow of apology. 'Kurosaki-sama right now is in a dangerously vulnerable position. If I had not arranged the attire as it is, what is to say that the lower Arrancar won't try to kill him? As he is now, he is marked as yours in body, soul and mind. No one can—.' The emerald eyed Espada was suddenly cut off by a dismissive noise as golden eyes bore deeply into his with scorching rage.
''Yer explanation is too long, Ulquiorra!' Hichigo barked with irritation, waving his hand dismissively as his lips pulled into a deadly smirk. 'I will dismiss this fer now since yer logic is sound. But the next time you want to play dress up with Ichigo, ya ask me first. He's not some toy to be played with, Ulquiorra. Piss 'im off and I'll kill ya. And who says he so weak he'd be killed by the lower ranking Arrancar? As he is now, he's stronger than you. But that doesn't matter. Just leave, I believe that I've earned some time away from my duties.' There was complete silence as the five Espada filed out of the palace's traditional tea room without a single word. Not a single Arrancar spared the orange haired Consort a glance in fear of what the Triplet Kings would do to them if they did.
'Tch, thought they would never leave.' Hichigo remarked bitterly. The sudden shock of what Ichigo had just witnessed and the extreme control over the immense power that Hichigo possessed within him, chased a sudden shudder through Ichigo's limbs as he shifted his weight almost uncomfortably under the heated stare that was trained solely upon him. Two hands on his lower back ushered him towards a blue silk zabuton(1*) across from where Hichigo's was comfortably sprawled across an array of exotic, colourful pillows.
Settled in a lazy sprawl of limbs, a long kiseru (2*) of gold and black, was carefully balanced between the elegant fingertips of Hichigo's right hand as a hazy curl of smoke scented the air with the sweet-bitterness of nostalgia that Ichigo could not place. Amber orbs could only watch helplessly mesmerized as the golden eyes of his savoir two nights before never broke contact with him. A dark blue haori of blue silk, much like his own black one, rippled evocatively with every move the Dark King made as he went through the motions of putting out his kiseru and leaned towards Ichigo's seated form as if being drawn there by a magnet.
The elbow that had been resting upon his propped up knee moved a black nailed hand so that gentle fingers pushed wayward orange strands behind Ichigo's left ear before the young Consort was offered a gentle smile so unlike anything he had seen before. The simple action, affectionate and loving, caused Ichigo to flush red at the realization of just how close he was sitting to Hichigo and how the unexpected touch made him actually lean forward subconsciously to get more of it. His heart suddenly erupting into a painful ache, desperately beating against his chest as he saw Hichigo frown when he tried to pull away with uncertainty.
There was still so much that he did not understand, so much that made his mind reel with endless questions but in a single instant, Ichigo allowed his instinct to drive him the second time gentle fingers caressed his cheek and the hand moved away to rest upon his shoulder comfortingly. Hichigo smirked, not missing the flash of disappointment and want in amber eyes at his withdrawal before he settled against his spread of pillows again with a quiet sight. Golden eyes watching intently as Ichigo did not even flinch once when two bodies settled beside him, completely boxing him in from all sides.
Ichiru and Ryuu, having settled down in their respective places next to Ichigo, slid a warm tray of food in front of the teen's kneeling form and encouraged him to eat.
'You have many questions, right Ichigo?' Hichigo asked quietly, his eyes watching the shy nod when amber eyes gazed at him from behind hooded black lashes. Long tanned fingers, with the ability to do such pleasurable things when properly trained, curled around wooden chopsticks elegantly as determination flashed sharp and hard within chocolate brown eyes staring at the Dark King harshly. 'Good, if ya did not, I'd be very worried right now.' Hichigo smirked. 'But I wish ta ask you one thing in return, and please answer me honestly Ichigo. If I were to ask you right now to fire off a Black Getsuga Tenshō, enter Bankai and summon our mask, would you be able to do it?' There was a sudden gaping silence as amber eyes widened in realization before they promptly narrowed in anger; a sneer pulling at strawberry red lips as Ichigo glared at Hichigo angrily for even insisting he couldn't.
'Of course! Who the hell do you think I am?!' He yelled abruptly, his pride stinging at Hichigo's satisfied smile and Ryuu's chuckle at his justified response. Their reaction chased another flush across a delicate nose as Ichigo wondered if he should hide his face in the folds of his haori or strangle either one of the triplets for finding amusement in his vehement, rightful response.
'We're not questioning your ability Ichigo.' Ichiru interjected soothingly. Halting the progress of Ichigo's angered reiatsu before it could be rivalled in intensity by Hichigo. 'But what Hichigo is trying to point out to you is that in coming into contact with Zangetsu last night, all the knowledge of how to wield his power and your own has been returned to you. That also means that your memories and knowledge should be returning to you, however small they may seem at first, until eventually you will be able to recall everything that happened and exactly how you ended up in this situation.'
'You want me to wait for answers?! But I—.'
'Shizukesa, (3*) Ichigo.' Hichigo commanded softly. 'We will never withhold any information from you, ever.' Startled at the change of tone in Hichigo's voice, Ichigo bowed his head in shame. Feeling as if perhaps he had gone too far in his rushing emotions until a single forefinger traced his jaw gently and tipped his head back up so that warm golden eyes reassured him he had done nothing wrong. The soft touch, Ichigo noticed absently, had gotten rid of his ragging anger and fear of what it was that Hichigo would reveal to him.
'I was just making sure that you knew the dynamics of our world, Ichigo. That you knew about what a Shinigami is, a Hollow is and how the barrier between them had been breached in creating us.' At Ichigo's hesitant nod that he understood, Hichigo leaned back against his pillows and closed his eyes briefly to recollect his words. It was hard controlling the pain of recalling the information that he had been trying to avoid for a very long time. He had been dreading this day for a long time because Hichigo knew that he was going to be hurting Ichigo all over again.
'In order for you to understand where your powers came from and how we all came to be, I need to return to when you were first brought into existence, Ichigo.'
~~~
'As the only child of Shiba Isshin and Kurosaki Masaki, you were born in a small village outside of Edo in July, 1667. Not only were you born as an exceptionally powerful human through your mother's blood, but you were something that had never been seen before...a child born from the taboo union between a Captain of the Gotei 13 and a human with an uncommonly powerful reiatsu.'
'During the Feudal Era of Japan, Soul Society was very much quiet in its influence over humans and their world. They did not pay much mind to the Spirit Mediums of the Royal Courts that were said to see them and even possessed abilities to exorcise Hollows. But your father noticed. And foolishly fell in love with one of the Court's most noble Priestesses of all time, Kurosaki Masaki.' Hichigo recounted softly, carefully watching Ichigo for any pain to his words as the teen had all but given up on finishing his breakfast. Now, long fingers clasped in his lap, his head was bowed as he listened intently to every Hichigo spoke. And if Ichigo closed his eyes, it was almost as if he could see the memories of his past flickering before his very eyes but remained just out of his reach that he could not grasp just yet.
'Isshin abandoned his Captain's post to be with her, an offense punishable by death in Seireitei. But still, your father practically sold his soul to the exile Urahara Kisuke in order to obtain an untraceable gigai that would make him seem human so that he could stay by your mother's side until she passed on. And so strong was their spiritual union in the end, that Masaki risked her own life to break free from her gilded cage and the court guards constantly posted by her side.'
'You were born a year later, Ichigo, so small and fragile in health but so very strong in spirit. You nearly ripped the very fabric of existence and crushed several souls with your uncontained power.' Golden eyes now locked with glowing amber. 'Isshin, strangely gifted in the art of healing, kept you alive and Urahara managed to seal the powers that were trying to rip you apart from the inside. Their combined effort worked for a little while and the three of you lived in bliss for sixteen years before unavoidable trouble came looking for Isshin.'
'You and Masaki had been living in complete ignorance to the crimes that Isshin had committed in order to stay beside you. When he was accidentally recognized by a stray Shinigami from his previous division, Soul Society dispatched the Gobantai Division, under Hirako Shinji ,to bring back Shiba Isshin for execution and to eradicate his living scion. That night your mother was killed right before your eyes. You were sixteen years old as you watched helplessly as a strange spirit thrust a sword through your mothers back and your shoulder (thinking he killed you both) as she tried to protect you. He then separated your father from his body and before he could fight back, injured him near fatally and then left to search the home for 'dangerous artefacts in connection to the traitor Urahara Kisuke.''
'They made one fatal mistake that night, Ichigo. Hirako left you alone with your father still alive.'
'It only took a single instant where your father, even though quite injured, used Engetsu to transfer half of his shinigami powers into you. Isshin had hoped to awaken the Shinigami powers that Urahara had sealed within you so that you could protect yourself. But, powerful and unpredictable child that you are. You nearly consumed all of your father's reiatsu. That was the night that we first opened our eyes with Engetsu's help. Me, Ichiru, Ryuu and Zangetsu had always sleeping deep, deep inside of you and had been awoken in a single instant of destructive force to be pitted against the power of a Shinigami Captain who's reiatsu was not even half in comparison to ours.'
'Can you imagine the outcome, Ichigo? A sixteen year old child with the suppressing reiatsu of two captains and now way to control it? You may have been inexperienced but he never stood a chance. It was over in seconds, if not less but such a large explosion of power rendered you unconscious and vulnerable to the sword of his Vice-Captain who had been watching the display idly. Isshin was taken back to Soul Society to be executed but you survived only because Aizen Sousuke did not want you dead. He saw too much value in your life and with his ambitious plans of ascending to the throne of the Soul King, he made sure to leave you where Urahara could find you and inform you of a way to still protect your father.'
'Can you imagine what you did next Ichigo?' Hichigo asked softly, taking a deep breath as he watched sadness dance within amber eyes.
'I went t-to rescue Dad.' Ichigo said softly.
'That's right. Do you remember what happened?' Ichigo shook head in the negative, he could half see, half understand the memories that danced before his eyes as Hichigo spoke but he could not recall any more than that. His breath was already harsh and ragged, his body completely numb to the outside world as the only thing that now existed to him was Hichigo's lilting voice and the images of blood, terror, terrible helplessness and pain that they invoked within his mind. Ichigo wanted it to stop but he also knew he had to listen to the end, had to listen so that he could comfort Hichigo, Ichiru and Ryuu of their own sorrow by him not knowing this.
He owed the Triplet of Kings at least that much.
'Isshin made a very powerful ally in Urahara Kisuke and his childhood friend Shihōin Yoroichi, who despite wanting nothing to do with Soul Society, would not abandon their friend to his undeserved fate. Urahara Kisuke trained you for seventeen days, where you were not only entrusted with Zangetsu's frightening power but awakened the power of us deep inside of you as well. We made such a terrifying monster back then Ichigo,' Hichigo grinned in sweet remembrance. 'The carnage of sweeping through Soul Society like an army of a thousand men.'
'But it was a trap. Aizen had done everything in his power the moment you, Urahara and Yoroichi entered Seireitei to get his hands on you. He wanted to harvest your powers in order to lead his own army of Arrancar into battle against his former comrades and then ascend to the throne of the Reiou. It didn't work very well in his favour though as you not only distorted his plans by actually breaking your father out of captivity, but made the rest of Soul Society aware of what the traitor was doing behind the curtains.'
‘But sadly, you were captured by him despite our powers and taken prisoner.'
'For two years he pushed and pushed to break you, to break us with visions from his silly little Zanpactō.' Hichigo spat in disgust. 'But, silly little Shinigami never realized that we would never break, his taunts only made us stronger and strengthened the link between you, me, Ryuu and Ichiru. When one of us was exhausted and could no longer take the emotional exhaustion and pain, the other would take over for a while. He made his final mistake when he thought our constant switching was an indication that we were losing our sanity and declared us 'broken'.'
'Deeming you ready to submit only to his will, he locked you up into a little glass box and tried to turn you into one of the most powerful Arrancar that ever existed with a silly little toy called the Hōgyoku. Aizen had said it himself in one of his tirades; when the Hōgyoku decides upon a Master, it reads the very depths of its master soul and then tries to create what it was that he or she wishes for the most.'
'You, Kurosaki Ichigo, child with a reiatsu much, much higher than any Captain in Soul Society and even Aizen Sousuke. Do you know how your heart read so purely innocent as you stole away the subjection of the Hōgyoku right from under Aizen's fingertips?'
“I want to protect, I want to be protected. I want to love for an eternity, I want to be loved in return and I never want to lose the powers I have that will allow me to protect those I love wholeheartedly. I never want to be alone ever again...”
'We were all tugged from the very depths of your soul that day, Ichigo. Your lovers, your protectors, your power and we became those who you protected in return. Me, Ichiru, Ryuu, Zangetsu and you...five complete souls bound together so tightly and irrevocably for eternity. That should one of us die, no matter how many years it takes, Fate would be rewritten and the reincarnation would repeat itself in the slim chance that one us dies...'
'And the first order we executed that night? The Four Kings of Hueco Mundo, rulers of the night and protectors of those under our rule...Kill Aizen, protect Kurosaki Isshin, Urahara Kisuke and Yoroichi Shihōin. Aizen never stood a chance against us Ichigo, it didn't even take an hour to eradicate all who tried to oppose us and just like that, we turned his entire army against him and in the process gained the disapproval of Soul Society. But, because we never caused trouble outside of Hueco Mundo and even protected some of the Shinigami from rogue Hollows and killed their traitor we were left alone for the most part.'
'Fifty years later, you stepped down from the throne Ichigo and decided to stand beside us as a Consort. Not because you were weaker, no, you found your strength in submission and we in turn gave you whatever it was that you wanted and needed. Even though a fierce fighter, if the things you wished to protect were not there then fighting and ruling like a King was not what you wanted. Soul Society though, saw that as a weakness and in a bid to once again regain the balance of power in their realm, decided to assassinate us in a bit to get to you, the creator of their so called 'chaos'.' Ichigo felt his breath hitch softly in his chest, his heart was racing and his head wouldn't stop spinning. It hurt, Kami it really hurt and every word that was spoken was ripping him apart inside now because he knew what was coming...he didn't want Hichigo to say it, didn't want any of them to relive the pain...to relive what he had brought upon them by his selfish need to always protect those he loved the most...
'Yame te(4*),' Ichigo whispered harshly through his racing emotions, cutting through the words before Hichigo could even let them past his lips. 'Yame te! I don't want to hear it! I don't want to—. The pain you suffered was because of me, because I—!' The orange haired teen was suddenly stilled, his crying words silenced as warm arms engulfed him entirely and wound protectively around his waist. It was the only pillar that now kept him conscious. A cheek brushed against his own so that a chin rested on his shoulder, soft lips whispering within his ear what he had not wanted to hear.
'Gommen ne(5*) Ichigo, but these words I need you to hear. It is not my intension to hurt, not our intension to cause the one we were born with so much pain, to disrupt the flow of selfless love that we were born out of but because you sacrificed yourself for us that night...we have been growing stronger just for you. Your selfless act brought forth within us an even fiercer determination to protect and our failure to get to you in time two nights ago proves that were are still not strong enough. So lend us your strength for a bit, lend us some of your determination because Soul Society will not get away with this.'
'We shall not waste our second chance, these two hundred years of waiting for you to be reborn is very little considered to the eternity that is still ahead of us. Even if you have momentarily forgotten the insatiable love we share, we shall carve it into your skin from the beginning. And in return you shall carve your love into our skin only deeper than ever before. Never forget, we will always be beside you. So do not look so sad, Zangetsu is going to get angry again because of the rain. We all are.'


'I think you said too much again, Hichigo.' Ryuu noted, frowning in concern when Ichigo not only stiffened at the intimate contact of Hichigo's embrace but soon after the older of the triplets had stopped talking, he went completely limp from the overload of information. His entire weight sagging against Hichigo's embrace in what seemed like emotional exhaustion and internal shock.
And they had just managed to wake him from a full day of sleep, Ryuu thought sadly. Hichigo glared over Ichigo's shoulder with narrowed eyes, his arms tightening against a slim waist before he tugged the unresponsive form forward so that the teen's head rested on his hakama clothed thigh. Ichiru shifting restlessly in his seat as he watched fireworks of anger ignite between Ryuu and Hichigo. Both having their own opinion on how to solve their current predicament but neither made a move to implement it in fear of upsetting the strangely docile consort.
'It doesn't matter if I said too much, Ichigo would eventually remember everything and if I left anything out, I'd be the one in trouble won't I?' Hichigo hissed softly, fingers carding through orange locks as Ichigo's glazed amber eyes fell shut and he shifted against Hichigo's form. His hand unconsciously curling in soft white fabric as he breathed deeply, quite unaware of the three pairs of golden eyes that watched the scene in quiet amazement. One pair of sun coloured orbs completely captivated by his display and the other two sets of eyes quite envious at Ichigo's unconscious actions towards the older of the three.
'He seems much more attached to you.' Ichiru remarked jealously and Ryuu crossed his arms and looked away with a huff, determined not to be beaten by anyone or to admit defeat when it stared him in the face. Hichigo just smirked cheerfully though, retracting his fingers from orange locks and closing his eyes as he went through the familiar motions of lighting his kiseru in a subdued manner as to not startle Ichigo from the trance like state he seemed to have entered.
'It's only natural,' Hichigo said. 'I've been with Ichigo for longer, so it makes him more comfortable to seek me out and respond to my presence accordingly.' Black nailed fingers returned to soft orange locks as Hichigo allowed the soft strands, like silk, to cascade through his fingertips thoughtfully. Out of the three of them, he had spent the least amount of time with Ichigo since he had arrived in Hueco Mundo and he was definitely going to make up for it. He hated the fact that his presence was always required more than Ichiru and Ryuu's throughout the palace. But then again, having Ichigo resting against him like this made up for it in more ways than one.
'It's still unfair,' Ichiru frowned with a pout. 'I couldn't even calm him down last night, if Zangetsu no Ossan had not—.'
'Yes, if Zangetsu had not called to me, then there would be a lot of trouble right now, right? And I still would have been ignorant of everything as it were.' An irate voice claimed from Hichigo's lap, amber eyes snapping open to pin both Ichiru and Ryuu with a well aimed glare. 'I'm flattered that you bicker for my attention but please, can you be quiet for a little while? I'm still trying to sort through the mass of information pushing into my skull and the quiet from before was nice.' Ichigo pleaded softly, content to stay exactly where he was and to try and control his reeling thoughts and conflicted emotions.
'It's not like I can explain my actions towards you quite yet but if I was truly your Consort in the past, then I know I would have loved you all equally. So please don't fight, it upsets me and it's giving me a damned headache. Besides, if that Goat-Face is really coming like you claimed Hichigo, then we'll all need our minds intact before he shows up.' With a decisive huff, Ichigo shifted in Hichigo's lap so that the back of his head rested against in a warm lap. Gazing thoughtfully through hooded lashes at the strangely erotic display of elegant fingers, lips and curling smoke at Hichigo's discretion in finishing his smoke.

Footnotes:
1* - Zabuton – Floor Cushion
2* - Kiseru – Japanese Smoking Pipe
3* - Shizukesa – Hush
4* - Yame te – Stop It.
5* - Gommen – I’m sorry.
Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it and look forward to the next chapter, things will be getting a bit more playful with Isshin and Urahara around. And some sweet fluff with Ichigo’s sisters and the triplets.
Yours Faithfully
UM
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Consort To The Three Kings