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Inconceivable	By : wolfkin59 Category: Bleach > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 1393 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, and I don't make money from this.

Chapter List
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Inconceivable:
Chapter Three:
Waking up to breakfast in bed is not a bad thing...unless, like Ichigo, you live in a cave and haven't yet managed to make or buy a mattress. Ichigo wants a bed, he really does; stone floors are not conducive to an active love life, and he's a young man with a high sex drive. So he mentions to Kisuke that they could probably borrow horses and a wagon from the blond's old store and transport a mattress at least far enough to get it onto a dragon without being seen. Kisuke even likes the notion, though he knows Yoruichi will strangle him if he leaves a mere note one more time.
Still, they have other things of more urgent importance to attend to, so the idea is pushed to one side. Instead, they scarf their meal and clean up, and three other dragons fly with Benihime and Zangetsu to the keep where Kisuke found their kin.
The rooftop stirs with scaly heads and long bodies uncoil as the five dragons and two riders arrive. Landing is relatively simple, as the incoming dragons are nimbler than is usual for their species. Benihime and Kisuke swoop down first, since the blond is the only one the other dragons will recognize. In short order after the large, dark female, Senbonzakura alights, followed by Katen Kyôkotsu and Minazuki and then, finally, Zangetsu and Ichigo.
::You said there were twelve, human,:: the icy dragon rumbles. He appears to be irked at what he perceives as deception, though Kisuke really doesn't care. If the dragon wants to be mad, he will be, and nothing the ex-shopkeeper turned Dragon Lord can do will make a difference.
::Manners, Hyorinmaru!:: chides Zangetsu, speaking so that only the other male, Benihime, and the riders can hear. ::No matter your dislike or distrust, there is no need for a lack of courtesy.::
Disgruntled but unwilling to fight a comrade previously believed long dead, the large, lighter-scaled male shifts his weight. For the first time, Kisuke notices the pattern on the ridges of his scales, almost like a dusting of snow. It's an entrancing sight, but the blond's mind has never been so fully obsessed with anything - except Ichigo - that he cannot also hear and respond to events around him.
Benihime raises her head haughtily, scales bristling with offended pride. ::Speak so to my rider again, Hyorinmaru, and I will not let you off with a warning. He said there were twelve of us, and there are. But he never told you that we'd all be present for the meeting.:: She is about to say more, but Zangetsu's mild words cut her off.
::Sode no Shirayuki is nesting. The others were left to safeguard her and the eggs.::
For all that dragon facial features never change much, Ichigo can almost see the shock and excitement the ice-blue dragon feels. He doesn't need to look to know his lover is waving that damned fan in front of his face to hide the conniving, manipulative smile sprawled across his lips. Sneaky may be a word better applied to Shihôin Yoruichi, but when he gets subtle Kisuke can leave everyone baffled; it's just one more thing Ichigo admires about his eccentric lover.
::She lays?:: There is awe in the ice dragon's tone, coupled with a wistful yearning that speaks of his desire to nest.
That any female, but particularly Sode no Shirayuki, is nesting is big news, and the dragons stir with a mix of surprise, excitement, and doubt.
The ash-gray female from before - Haineko, Kisuke remembers vaguely - is present as well, and she looks pissed as she hisses, ::Why is she pregnant when I've been trying for years?::
Ichigo snorts and shakes his head. "Because Kisuke's a manipulative ass." While this is true, the orange-haired Dragon Lord's point in saying so isn't honesty; he caught the jealous note in Haineko's voice, and he will say what he thinks is needed if it will preclude irrational or envious behaviors.
Gray-green eyes spear the younger man with a wounded look, but Ichigo knows better. "Ichiiii!" There's a brief pause as the dragons who don't know him wait expectantly for the ex-shopkeeper to wax poetic about his better nature. What they don't notice is that Zangetsu, Senbonzakura, Minazuki, and Katen Kyôkotsu all dawn the same long-suffering air, while Benihime appears quietly, ferally amused. "Don't give away my secrets!" whines the blond.
This is not what Hyorinmaru expected to hear, and his startled stance might be amusing if anyone but Haineko would pay even a little attention to the icy male.
Huffing, the orange-haired Dragon Lord says, "Gods, Kisuke, you're acting like a child! Hime, if he doesn't shut up in the next two minutes, drop him, will you?"
Crimson-edged black scales glint as she tilts her head without further ado; Kisuke yelps and grabs for a hold but misses, falling to the stone below. Limbs akimbo, hat upside down on the floor behind his head, scruffy blond hair even more disheveled than usual, the Dragon Lord glares at his dragon. Maybe it's a sign of how utterly devoted he is to the other man, but Ichigo can't help but sigh noiselessly at the appealing, fallen form.
"You're supposed to be on my side, remember?" Kisuke pouts at the red-and-black dragon staring down at him.
Benihime tilts her head amusedly. ::I do not recall the oath mentioning anything about having to be on your side when you insist on doing things you know you shouldn't.::
No one can tell whether he finds the argument irrefutable or whether he's been distracted, but the blond turns his head to level a glare at Zangetsu, and Ichigo rolls his eyes when his lover grumbles, "And you, aren't you supposed to be Ichigo's better half or something? Why do you let him pick on me?"
Silver-on-black scales gleam as Zangetsu huffs amusement and lowers his head to rest next to the scruffy Dragon Lord. ::I'm not the one who's supposed to be his better half, Kisuke; that's you.:: Instead of kindly allowing him to absorb that information, the dragon continues. ::And besides, it would reflect poorly on me, were I to come between any who suit as well as you and he.::
Gray-green eyes stare for a second, brimming with emotion. But he masters it after a moment and grins. "I didn't know you cared, Zangetsu!"
As the male dragon lifts his head with pretend disgust at the ex-shop owner's antics, something large and dark comes whipping down at Kisuke. He doesn't appear to see it, but with Kisuke, Ichigo knows, very little is as it seems.
::So you don't underestimate him or misunderstand our reasoning,:: Benihime says, ::we sent Kisuke as our lone messenger because...::
One light-skinned hand rises and calmly catches the tail, and it's a surprise to Hyorinmaru and Haineko in particular that the nonchalant, immature man they'd met is suddenly on his feet and easily holding his own. A lazy gray-green gaze wanders assessingly over the rooftop, and humor flashes quickly into view. He's wearing his hat again, and nobody remembers seeing him pick it up. Then that damnable fan makes its appearance, and he's laughing as he fends off attacks from the dragons he knows with one hand and fans himself with the other.
"My," says the blond. "I didn't know you were so interested in me, but I'm flattered!"
Hyorinmaru is sure this is not the case, and finds something in the human's tone vaguely offensive, though he can't quite pinpoint what.
"But you know," Urahara continues, "I might've preferred a different method of proving myself." His eyes are darker now, more dangerous, and Ichigo curses silently to himself as he's reminded once again of just how hot his lover is when he shows his dangerous side. How anyone could resist such sexy temptation is beyond the younger man, because he sure as hell can't - and doesn't want to.
::Really?:: queries Benihime. Her tone is innocent, and immediately puts her rider on guard. ::So we should have tossed you off the roof instead, so they could see you survive on your own?::
He glares at his dragon. "Oh, yes, a lot of help you are! You know full well throwing me off the roof would have the same effect as it would with you; I'd get revenge and devastate the surroundings, and no one and nothing involved in the incident would escape without massive bruising or broken bones, maybe even worse."
Benihime snorts and starts rumbling quiet laughter. ::That's my rider!:: she cheers cheekily. ::You're just as cruel as I am, under that facade you wear!::
Gray-green eyes widen, hurt. "Hime!" the blond whines. "Don't be mean!"
"Yeah," scoffs his lover. "He's not that nice a guy."
Even Zangetsu cracks up, laughing so hard Ichigo falls from his perch on the dragon's crest into Kisuke's arms. Under the robes, wiry strength holds him tight. When Kisuke speaks, it's hard for Ichigo to pay attention because the eccentric Dragon Lord is nuzzling his ear.
"Mean, am I?" drawls the blond, amusement and danger lighting his eyes equally. "Feeling neglected, love?"
Shuddering with poorly hidden delight, the orange-haired man says shortly, "No time; we're here for a reason."
With a soft hum of agreement, Kisuke whispers, "Then I'll just have to fix the problem later, won't I...?" and releases the younger rider. To his dragon, mind to mind through their bond, he says, ::You're just amused by how effective we are together, me with my facades and you without them. Don't bother denying it.:: The amusement that wafts back is gentle and not aimed at him - always a plus, where Benihime is concerned.
Returning their attention to the unfamiliar dragons, both riders realize that none of the gathered strangers had laughed, so their private moment has more witnesses than just the black-and-red female. Ichigo does his best to ignore the fact, while Kisuke accepts it with a fatalistic shrug. Oh, well...
Benihime takes the opportunity to finish her earlier sentence, saying, ::Kisuke is well able to take care of himself, better than Ichigo, and as we dragons would have been rather...conspicuous...we asked this rogue-ish rider of mine to undertake the search for us. Obviously, he succeeded, or we wouldn't be reunited.::
As their other companions regain their composure, a silent conversation occurs between the dragons who are not known to the riders. It finishes relatively quickly, and once more both sides face each other.
::...May we meet the nesting mother and the others?:: queries Hyorinmaru, speaking for himself and the other dragons clustered behind him. ::Of course it means following you, but... The blond human did not lie, and seeing you, Zangetsu, and you, Benihime, alive is quite heartening. I am willing to place trust in these humans if it means our race will have young again, if the nesting is real.::
Kisuke fights down the urge to sneak a glance at Benihime and Zangetsu, but he doesn't fight the smile that dawns behind his fan. "I think we can manage something like that, though I don't think we should take very many at once. Say, two of you now, and the rest may drop by in pairs at other times?"
The effort Hyorinmaru makes to fight down a demand for more allowances - or perhaps even obedience - is visible, and all are silent as they wait and watch. Finally, the large male growls, ::Better safe than sorry, I suppose; you may be right. Though we will take the safe way, too, and broadcast our thoughts to others so they know we are unharmed, as well.::
Nodding cheerfully, Kisuke agrees. Benihime and Zangetsu lower their heads again to allow their riders to rejoin them, and one by one the dragons lift into the sky. For the first trip, only Hyorinmaru and Haineko accompany them, and Kisuke suspects it's because the two have an established, militaristic relationship - and the male doesn't want her making trouble he can't resolve.

Knowing what the incline is like this time allows Zangetsu to make a more graceful landing, and he follows Senbonzakura and Minazuki further into the cave. Katen Kyôkotsu and Benihime will follow Hyorinmaru and Haineko down, because it seems prudent to have one Dragon Lord on either side of any unfamiliar dragons...or possible dangers, period.
Once all are on the ground, Zangetsu nods for Minazuki to lead the way. Senbonzakura follows, then the silver-edged black male, before Urahara gestures, palm up and fan in hand, for the long-lost dragons to go next. Unsurprisingly, Hyorinmaru goes before the ash gray female, and in relatively short order, all are clustered about Sode no Shirayuki and her eggs.
Five dragons growing in those colorful eggs, and eight that Benihime says are stillborn. But considering how dainty Sode no Shirayuki is - and how bulky and cumbersome her mate, Zabimaru, is - and the track record of dragon births in general, five surviving young is nothing short of a miracle.
Knowing his thoughts because she, too, thinks of the miracle this is each time she sees the shining white mother and her eggs, Benihime says softly, ::Have I thanked you for this miracle lately?:: As her rider opens his mouth, she cuts him off. ::Don't tell me it's not a miracle; we could not do anything ourselves, and no other human with your knowledge would have helped us.::
Blinking, Kisuke finds he cannot refute her assertion and so bows his head in her direction and quietly replies, "I would do so for any in need, who would not willfully harm others."
And he will, Benihime knows. Her blond, quirky rider is one of the most generous people - human or dragon - she has ever known, and she knew many dragons and Dragon Lords before Hueco Mundo invaded last time. Urahara Kisuke is more generous to his friends and allies than anyone else she has ever met, and he will do his best to save anyone he cares about, regardless of the personal cost. His heart and his intelligence match her own, as do his creativity and stubbornness. These reasons are why she has never had another rider, and probably never will again. Kisuke is more than just her rider; he is the other half of her, and how could she replace a part of herself?
That damnable fan thunks against her head, Kisuke's gentle way of telling her she's getting too lost in thought, too morose. She knows he's just as bad as she is; this is why they silently remind each other to deal with life as it happens sometimes, instead of getting caught up in a future that is still more than five years to come. Sure, sometimes their long-term plotting is a good thing, but over-thinking problems does nothing but complicate them. This is why she appreciates his presence, his reminders, his eccentric human habits that so confound all about him. So she sends a warm wave of amusement through their bond and returns her attention to the two dragons present whom she has never lived with.
Hyorinmaru's icy scales gleam like crystal shards as he lays his huge form down to watch intently. ::So it is true,:: he whispers, and he's so enthralled that his words are heard by everyone in the cave even though he didn't mean for anyone to hear. The big male basks in the possibility of having his own young. It's a long-standing dream of his, and never before has he believed it entirely possible. ::How?:: he asks plaintively.
Gray-green eyes observe him knowingly. ::We told you; it's all because of Kisuke.:: Her tone is gentle, because she, too, has felt the wistfulness that comes of yearning for young over the years. But unlike Hyorinmaru, the red-and-black female has never tried to nest, because up until just recently she has never had her rider, nor found a male she deems worthy of her complete trust.
Ice blue eyes watch Benihime confusedly. ::And how does one human make such a difference?::
Ichigo snorts, rolling amber eyes in fond exasperation. "It's because he's Kisuke. If he cares, he can't not make a difference."
Kisuke blinks and admits, "I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult. You could be calling me callous, or you could be comparing me to a pillow."
This time the eyes roll with annoyance. "Just take it as a compliment, Kisuke," groans the younger man. "If I was insulting you, I wouldn't be circumspect - and you know it."
Nodding acquiesence, the blond agrees. "That's true... It's not your style. You'd rather put a sword through someone than insult them."
As tempting as it is to say, I stick my sword in you all the time, but you seem to enjoy it, Ichigo refuses to sink to his lover's level of corny and/or perverted commentary. Besides, the ex-shopkeeper might also remark on how Ichigo likes to be stabbed, as well. And that really is not something he thinks is appropriate for a public conversation. So he looks back to the mother-to-be and her eggs just in time.
Haineko lunges forward, anger in every line of her body. Her targets are Sode no Shirayuki and her brood, and Ichigo's anger and fear for his friends spurs Zangetsu into her path in sheer reaction. Her mistake is attempting anything in the presence of two Dragon Lords and their dragons, because in the split second it takes for Ichigo and Zangetsu to come between the ash-colored female and her intended targets, Kisuke's head whips around and his mind spits out a single, furious order.
::Still!::
It isn't a spell. There is no form, no structure to the magic. The only thing keeping her in place is the blond rider's mind, and that mind is livid. Generous or not, Benihime can feel that Kisuke is a mere heartbeat away from such anger that his magic would kill the imprisoned dragon immediately. But, like her chosen rider, she is terrible at feeling sympathy for anyone who has attacked - or tried to attack - those she considers hers. And the gray female has done just that. So instead of calming Kisuke even slightly, Benihime unfurls her wings and deals the smaller female a harsh blow that knocks her sideways and down.
Snarling rage - at both the hit and being thwarted - the ash gray female takes in a deep breath in preparation to cause as much burn damage as she can.
Katen Kyôkotsu has managed to sneak closer, unnoticed, and drops her tail on the gray female's nose. This serves dual purposes: the flame that had been intended for use on others instead is swallowed in surprise, and the younger, smaller female dragon loses the air of unmitigated rage.
Finally, another dragon recovers enough to speak. ::Haineko!:: Hyorinmaru's shock is evident in his voice. ::What are you doing? Why would you attack a mother and her eggs?:: He sounds hurt, betrayed, and his emotions seem to cut through her single-minded anger.
She sags. ::I... Why should she be a mother when I have tried so hard? Where is the fairness in that?:: This is a heart-wound that has been long in the making, and will be long in the healing.
Gray-green eyes hard, the blond rider watches from atop Benihime, and he knows that this is something he will have to plan for - and around - when Haineko's rider is found.
Mental voice implacable, Hyorinmaru glares at her, rumbling a growl so deep that it's more felt than heard. ::Life is not fair; you know this. If you try any such thing again, I will kill you myself, Haineko. Depriving a mother of her young, or vice versa, is not going to make life any more fair to you. Grow. Up.::
Harsh though the words are, the message gets through, and Haineko seems to wilt, chagrined.
Having seen what Sode no Shirayuki - among others - went through before Kisuke arrives, the crimson-edged black-scaled female decides to act...though cautiously, because she doesn't want to chance another impetuous attack. So Benihime moves forward, curling her neck around the younger female's own, and leads Haineko a little further away from the white dragon's nest. ::If you want a brood of your own, Kisuke is the one to talk to. He is the one who helped Sode no Shirayuki pick the right mate and take care of herself enough to have five young that are not stillborn.::
Haineko starts. ::...pick the right mate? What do you mean?::
::According to him, there are certain behaviors we dragons exhibit around prospective mates, and the more often we show this behavior, the more young we can successfully have. The thing is,:: grumps the larger female, ::Kisuke's a stubborn, arrogant ass and hasn't told anyone what the behaviors are yet. Including me.::
Amusement trickles from the gray dragon, and Zangetsu relaxes slightly, knowing that Benihime has the younger female well under control. ::You are mad because he is as secretive as you?:: laughs Haineko softly.
::No,:: sniffs the red-and-black dragon. ::Merely annoyed that he can blab about everything else - including his love life! - but not something that could benefit an entire race.::
Kisuke laughs quietly, having heard everything. "I would speak, but I suspect it would do more harm than good. Anything that can affect an entire race - or species - is generally a double-edged sword, and I dislike stabbing myself in the foot." He winks, humor evident.
As the tension leaves the cavern, Ichigo breathes a sigh of relief, grateful that Kisuke is on his side. The blond is a miracle to him, and the orange-haired young man has been exposed to his astonishing feats so often now that he only feels relief when the extraordinary happens around his lover. Relief...because luck wears off, and either this is one hell of a long lucky streak or Kisuke is more of a manipulative genius than even Ichigo gives him credit for.
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Inconceivable