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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
- 3
- 4
- 5
Wow, this one took a lot to finish but I'm sure you'll like it a bit more than the previous chapter! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate it all the efforts you guys always put in showing me you enjoy the stories I write.
I'm have been secretly excited this who week, so I finished it a bit early for you guys. Well, considering tomorrow is my birthday...I decided that I get the day off! Can't wait, my Onii-san's taking me out for some drinks!
As for this chapter, I hope you guys enjoy it and thanks again for reading it...I really appreciate it. This chapter took a lot out of me since I was racing to finish it, so I hope it is up to standards. Please enjoy:

Chapter 4: Diadem's Darkness
'Just, please. Wake up.' Ichigo begged with a despairingly hitched sob. His voice was getting stuck in his throat; his calls now near inaudible as his breaths became more and more ragged and uncontrolled. His chest was heaving, faster and faster...his vision blurring at the edges with uncontained tears. God, it felt like he couldn't breathe, couldn't think...all he could see dancing before his hazed eyes were the last moments of his own life. It was a sickening sensation that had triggered something deep inside of him. Something that made Ichigo feel those last few moments imprint themselves upon his mind.
He was no longer the observer with Zangetsu by his side to calm him, but he was the one experiencing the pain. The slow spread of poison through his veins and gasping for his rapidly fading breaths that were much too close to reality. Frustrated fingers dug into long orange locks, tugging and pulling at the strands painfully just to try and find a way to ground his headily floating consciousness from the ragging emotion breaking him apart piece by piece inside. Ichigo was crying, he could feel the icy tendrils of tears streaking down his cheek unbidden of his permission. And his heart...it was beating way too fast against his chest.
His chanting cries for the Kings to awaken and help were all but silenced by now. Ichigo was shivering near constantly, a deafeningly helpless feeling settling across the entirety of the Royal Chambers with the heady push of wavering reiatsu that was fighting to escape his skin with his internal despair. The consort whimpered pathetically, curling his legs close to his chest before he pressed his furrowed brow against his knees in hopes that his movements would disturb his lovers from their sleep now that he could no longer form the words to call for them.
But it was useless, he was rapidly losing focus of where he was and in what time period. Ichigo couldn't even hear anything but his own ragged gasps for breath and the heady blood rushing through his ears in blind panic. What he had seen, what was eating him up from the inside...it was...it was not something he was meant to witness so soon. His body told him so, even his mind was struggling against it. But now that he had seen it...Ichigo was lost in a sense of pain he couldn't understand anymore. His body was shuddering in a new sense of cold that had settled across his skin and refused to leave him.
To Ichigo, it was as if a demon had grasped his heart and was squeezing it within its clawed hands. Breaking and shattering the small amount of ignorance Ichigo had left inside of him about his past life and what pain they must have lived through. And it was painful...so desperately painful as memories he could now recall vividly about his own death pushed into his skull from all sides and overwhelmed him instantly. His entire being was rapidly filling with anguished despair that Ichigo did not know how to control.
Does he call out to his beloveds again? Hoping that they would wake this time...or does he try and get past this despairing fear and pain by himself...
What do I do? What do I do?
His answer, however, came from the far away and distant call of his name. It was like someone was trying to reach him from beneath a vast ocean of confusion, but strangely enough, Ichigo heard him. And slowly but surely through the increasing concerned calls of his name and a warm body shuffling closer to his own, Ichigo was brought back to himself. His breaths were still ragged, his heart still painfully tight within his chest but when cool fingers reached for him and tenderly lifted his forehead from his knees with considerable ease, Ichigo could only see and despair with pain when golden eyes that he only wanted to see shimmer with happiness were darkened with their own panicked emotions.
'H-Hichi?' Ichigo breathed softly in disbelief; unable to fight the warmth that now slowly began to seep through his skin where they touched when a smooth forehead pressed tenderly against his own. Achingly familiar fingertips came up to brush away the tears that clung to long lashes; making Ichigo want to sob in relief when it was followed by two palms tenderly resting on his cheeks to bring him back to himself and draw their faces closer together. Ichigo drew in a shuddering gasp, trying to concentrate on his surroundings that were fading in and out of awareness at a frightening rate. But when he noticed that Hichigo was talking to him softly again, Ichigo wanted nothing more than to shake away the cotton that seemed to have taken up residence within his ears.
He could see lips moving in front of him, calling out to him, but his ears were still not working quite right. Hichigo was repeating the same important phrase over and over again, telling Ichigo to do something but the teen could only frown in confusion. He was losing his grip on reality, his vision tainted with dots of black but he could hardly even concentrate long enough to try and get his ears to work again. He shook his head softly, eyes clenching shut in an attempt to tell Hichigo that he couldn't understand what he was saying but instead Ichigo gave a harsh cry when sharp nails moved to dig into his shoulder and scratch the back of his neck rather painfully.
'Damn it, King! Ya need ta breathe.' The voice rumbled angrily above him, finally reaching him, as Ichigo suddenly squirmed at the sensation of fingers digging into the back of his neck and wrenched his head back with a hiss of pain to keep their eyes locked. But Ichigo stubbornly kept his eyes shut, swimming through haunting sensations as his breaths hitched painfully within his chest with every attempted exhale. But even then he tried his best to obey Hichigo's calls without question, especially when another set of sharp black nails dug into his pulse point rather threateningly. 'Open your eyes and look at me, Ichigo.' Hichigo implored, his voice now much softer than before that Ichigo reluctantly obeyed.
Dark eyes blinked open in surprise when his racing panic disappeared in a rush the moment cool fingers moved away from his neck to rest against his frantically beating heart.
Ichigo shivered at the new sensation crawling against his skin. It was as if Hichigo had just reached into the depths of his heart itself and pulled the source of his pained anguish and panic straight from his very soul. The younger of the two almost instantly relaxed his tensed shoulders, dazed eyes struggling to stay open at the sudden and overwhelming sense of exhaustion that raced across his entire being. But when Hichigo sighed and pressed their foreheads together again, their lips were now hovering mere millimetres apart. The Mei-Ou still hadn't let go of his grip on the back of Ichigo's neck but it had turned gentler. Ichigo just couldn't seem to find it in himself to care at their proximity. His breaths, Ichigo noted, was now much more calm than before and Hichigo...his puffs of air were washing pleasantly across Ichigo's cheeks with every controlled exhale he made.
'Don't look away, King. I'm right here so don't close your eyes.' Ichigo shuddered, cool fingertips once again trailing sensually up his chest, away from his heart, to come to rest against his rapidly heating cheek. 'Keep breathing, Ichigo and draw your power back into yourself. You're going to wake the whole castle if ya don't and I don't want that stupid Oyaji storming in here.' Hichigo said seriously and Ichigo nodded dazedly. Feeling out for the tendrils of his reiatsu that was angrily snapping out across the room and slowly but surely started dragging it back into himself as Hichigo implored him to do.
However, just as he was about to tug in the last of it, Ichigo completely lost his concentration and faltered when Hichigo's own brush of reiatsu curled around his and forced it back into himself. He groaned at the sensation...it was like Hichigo was winding him in up in a warm, heady blanket that promised nothing but pleasure and comfort. He felt the Dark King's chest rumble with a soft chuckle as Ichigo's eyes nearly fluttered shut. But that did not last long as he gazed up from hooded lashes at the warm, pale features partly shadowed by the weak moonlight creeping in from outside of the open curtains.
Within Hueco Mundo's eternal night, they are all so beautiful here. So hauntingly beautiful that I cannot hope to compare, Ichigo thought bitterly to himself. Do I really belong beside them? The wash of tears stinging and building within his eyes was so harsh and painful and sudden that Ichigo completely missed the darkening desire flashing within golden eyes that gazed into the very depths of his soul. And they read his doubting mind within an instant, where this time it wasn't sharp nails that dug him out of his emotional haze but biting teeth.
Sharpened canines dug into Ichigo's bottom lip with an angered hiss...puffing a warm breath across Ichigo's mouth as he shuddered helplessly at the stinging pain.
'Ow!' He yelped indigently. Ichigo attempted to push Hichigo away from him but his palms only encountered a solid and immovable chest. His outcry was instantly silenced with a breath of surprise when the pain was soothed with a slick tongue and warm lips pressing fully and gently against his. Ichigo's surprised gasp at the soothing sensation and bold move was muffled when warm arms wound around his shoulder and tugged him tightly into a warm embrace. And it was so completely sweet that Ichigo instantly melted at the touch. The pain from the bite digging into his lip had awakened him from his ragging thoughts but this kiss...it was going to send him right back into that same uncontrollable daze as before.
Hichigo was toying with him, Ichigo knew. He was deliberately teasing, drawing out their kiss and waiting for Ichigo to give in to him. And with a warm tongue brushing against his lips every now and then, it was becoming harder and harder for the consort to stubbornly keep his lips sealed at the assault. Ichigo was losing track of time, the heated rapture causing him to dig blunt nails into strong shoulders to ground himself but it wasn't working. When Hichigo shifted again, manoeuvring them closer together so that Ichigo was practically sitting in Hichigo's lap, the elevated height gave Ichigo the chance to take control of the swipes of a tongue that was driving him insane.
He had hoped not to give in so easily but he couldn't help it. He sighed softly, lips finally parting at the playful teases the Dark King bestowed upon his lips. He pressed forward boldly without thinking, the smooth slide of lips on lips dragging a deep groan from his throat as Ichigo completely gave in and lost himself to the warmth brewing deliciously within his soul in acceptance of the situation. Long tanned fingers, no longer trembling from panic, instantly shot up to curl in spiky white locks to tug and bring Hichigo closer to his own, allowed another muffled groan to escape his lips when a tongue curled against his and coaxed him into a heady play of sweet rapture. Ichigo quivered at the sensations. The soul deep connection he had felt building steadily between them since his death, flared to life for the first time since returning to his rightful place and urged him to do something...and beside the Three Kings of Hueco Mundo it was becoming increasingly difficult to hide his growing desire for more.
'Nnngh...Oh god,' Ichigo moaned incoherently when they were forced apart for a breath. His tongue was swiping across his bottom lip to gather the taste of blood and saliva that Hichigo's kiss had left behind within him. The Mei-Ou had bitten into his lip quite deeply but Ichigo couldn't find it in himself to care. His eyes were falling shut when their foreheads rested together for several more seconds. Ichigo looking deeply into the golden eyes of Hichigo that were shimmering with a softness that made warmth blossom across his cheek.
Cool fingers curled around his hips with a smirk before tugging Ichigo headlong into a warm chest and dragged him from dark sheets of their bed and towards the bathroom door.
'W-what? W-why—.' He murmured dazedly, his mind was still trying to catch up to what had just happened and why.
'Che. Ye'r so clueless sometimes, King.' Hichigo reprimanded softly. 'You were thinking stupid thoughts again, I can always tell when ya do and I had to stop it before it could have gotten worse.'
'Huh? So you k-kissed me?' Ichigo asked with a frown, struggling to get the words past his lips without flushing a deep scarlet so red that he was making the synonym of his name into a reality. His fingers balled into a fist as he shook with unnamed tension. God, he was losing it...he had enjoyed the intimate touch so much that he couldn't find it in him to retaliate now and he was sure that Hichigo knew it too .
So when he was pushed into the bathroom without remorse he gazed over his shoulder in confusion. 'Get cleaned up, Ichigo. It's not even early morning now but if either Ryuu or Ichiru wake up in the morning to see you marred with such obvious tear stained cheeks and tortured eyes rimmed in black, they are going to start asking questions. It's perhaps not something ya wish te explain, tight? You don't want to say what you saw tonight?' At Ichigo's reluctant nod, Hichigo leaned against doorframe and switched on the soft light.
'I'll help you get back to sleep, but you have to clean up first.' And with that the door closed softly and Ichigo was left in the softly lit bathroom that was fit for a King... His mind still a million miles away from him and his heart beating painfully excitedly against his chest.
...
Hichigo made a noise of irritation at the back of his throat, golden eyes bathed in a sea of black gazed sadly out of the window to his right. Kami, but that had been unexpected. He hadn't meant to drag Ichigo into his dream but with everything that had been happening at an alarmingly fast rate and then with Urahara's stern warning that Soul Society had already begun to move against them, he had been struggling to control his subconscious mind for a while now. But not only that, his soul was unconsciously calling out for a deeper bond with Ichigo where all the culminations of events lead to their current situation, where his ability to drag an unaware Ichigo into his dreams, became more prominent.
It was rare for their consciousness to get entangled and allow for the four of them to share dreams between each other but it happened sometimes when the conditions were right. Hichigo however, was just grateful that Ichigo had managed to wake himself up before the worst of the memory had truly started. The older being of the two wouldn't have been able to live with himself if he forced the rest of that memory upon Ichigo's shoulders so soon. It was nothing short of a nightmare for them and would be for their Consort as well with it being twenty times the intensity of the beginning part that Ichigo had just witnessed.
But still, the eldest of the Three Kings had been rattled with the reaction Ichigo had displayed towards it. In fact he had been quite shocked, afraid for Ichigo if this was his reaction to an awakening memory buried deep inside of his soul. How would he react when he started remembering some of the tortures they had suffered at Aizen's hands? Or one of the many times that one of the Three Kings had nearly died themselves in a bid to desperately protect Ichigo himself? Hichigo really didn't want to think about it because it was seriously messing with his internal will to keep walking forward.
Scrubbing his palm angrily across spiky white hair, Hichigo blew out a despairing sigh whilst internally cursing his slow reaction to Ichigo's suffering.
He had been slow in regaining his consciousness at first, too slow. With confusion reigning his mind the moment he had felt the very tug of Ichigo's presence disappearing from within his soul, it had taken quite a while to reorient himself within the world again. But what Hichigo had seen when he had blearily opened his eyes, he would never forget. There was such panic, such sorrow, such fear, such beautiful tears...he had wanted nothing more, in that moment, than to have wiped away everything that Ichigo had seen. But it was an impossible wish.
What had been done...could not be undone.
So Hichigo instead, had done all he could to calm Ichigo from his sheer panic and drag him forcefully from his curled up, shivering form. But those beautiful soulful eyes, when they had finally opened for him in tandem to that headily dark reiatsu swirling violently throughout the room, it was the first time since his reawakening, outside of Ichigo summoning his mask, that Hichigo had seen Ichigo's eyes invert to golden orbs bathed in a sea of black sclera. And they had stared up at him so helplessly lost in a violent torrent of undeniably emotions and crawling fears. Something had definitively cracked within Hichigo within that solitary moment of realization.
He could still remember it clearly. It had been a habit Ichigo had picked up after Urahara's training all those hundreds of years ago. Where, even though Ichigo hated it, he had the ability to revert back to his baser instincts when his emotions were too much to handle, his senses needed to be sharpened or his mind was totally overwhelmed. And that was the form it usually took. But for the three of Ichigo's beloveds, it had always been a pleasure to watch for it invoked a sense of fierce possessiveness within them. Especially when glimpsing Ichigo in the heights of undeniable pleasure.
Usually in an instant those hauntingly beautiful brown eyes would swirl to black and gold to resemble theirs so perfectly. And it would tug and pull at their hearts, solidifying their connection with each on a deeper level where it was guaranteed to remain untouchable by others and would be eternal and everlasting in the time to come. Even tonight, Hichigo could barely contain his baser instincts to possess Ichigo all over again when he had glimpsed those eyes again. Especially when they had been awash with crystalline tears that shimmered like diamonds in the light of Hueco Mundo's moon.
'You really need to be more aware of what you do to us.' Hichigo murmured softly to himself, black nailed fingers coming up to swipe the tingling warmth still lingering upon his lips. He shuddered headily at the remaining pleasure that had been left behind, head falling back against the wall to stare up at the vaulted ceiling in silent contemplation. It had been just as he remembered...the sweet taste, the feeling of rightness of belonging...but this time it was likened more to Ichigo's responses when he had been inexperienced and they had found comfort in each other whilst still locked away in Aizen's hands. But Hichigo wasn't complaining, it was kind of endearing, the uncertainty and bold need Ichigo had displayed in a contradiction to his actions.
He had always known that their Consort put all his passion and desire into everything he did, and surely this was no different.
Hichigo knew instinctively, though, that should Ryuu and Ichiru find out he had stolen Ichigo's first kiss in his newly awakened form, they were going to murder him without remorse. Or rather...they'd try. But then it would only turn into a bickering fight before they would find some common ground and pursue Ichigo for the same touch of bliss Hichigo had first experienced. But damn it, Hichigo cursed. It had been more than worth it, though, he decided. If he had finally managed to still those despaired tears of helplessness that had threatened to spill again after Ichigo had regained his control, then Hichigo was more than happy with the outcome.
Now he just had to get Ichigo back to sleep and—.
'Hichigo?' A timid voice called out behind him, causing said King to blink open golden eyes he had not even known he had closed sometime during his ragging thoughts. Ichigo's warm presence and voice succeeded in nearly instantly pulling his attention away from the beautiful vaulted ceiling. But instead, Hichigo was left with the real problem of wanting to recapture those sweetly swollen lips with his again. And here they were oh so tempting...he was literally fighting with himself to not attack Ichigo where he stood. Looking so adorably flushed with the cold water he had probably splashed on his face and uncertain of himself in the silver rays of the eternal moon.
But at least Ichigo looked a little better from before when Hichigo had forced him through the bathroom door. There would probably be dark rings of exhaustion beneath his eyes tomorrow (ready to turn him into a cute panda), as always happened when Ichigo was stressed and didn't sleep through the entire night, but at least the traces of his tears and pain had been washed away for now. His bruised lips though, Hichigo just hoped that Ichigo's ability to heal faster than normal kicked in before it would be time to rise for a new day. Because when Ichiru and Ryuu noticed the obvious touch of difference upon those delectably plump cherry red lips, there would be a whole world of trouble and guilt awaiting them both.
'Hmm?' Hichigo asked after a while of uncomfortable silence where Ichigo was shifting restlessly from foot to foot. Bringing up blackened fingernails to lightly scratch at Ichigo's cooling cheeks, Hichigo tipped a lowered chin upwards to bring their eyes of twin gold and black to clash together thoughtfully. He didn't like this uncertainty that Ichigo showed however, he was clearly still rattled by what had happened, looking even guilty for his own reaction, but the Mei-Ou merely gave a huff and furrowed his brows in irritation.
Ichigo should never need to look so lost. So Hichigo assured him once again that he was not so alone as he seemed to be inclined to think.
'Never look away from me, Ichigo. Always look forward.' He reminded sternly but gently, swaying forward a bit to allow his reiatsu to curl around Ichigo's in a show of comfort. Hichigo had an incessant need to calm and comfort Ichigo when he could clearly see a flicker of uncertainty and confusion spark within those eyes of his. There was nothing worse for the both of them, no, for the four of them, should there be pain and misunderstanding between them.
'B-but my eyes.' Ichigo stuttered uncertainly. 'W-why are they like this? It's just like that night where—.' A single black-nailed finger silenced Ichigo's further protest in a single instant as Hichigo hushed his beloved softly. Ichigo's own brow furrowed in confusion as Hichigo just chuckled softly at his reaction. The Dark King couldn't help it, Ichigo was just too cute for his own good sometimes. He was glad though, that now the touch of sorrow in those golden eyes had been drained a bit. Ichigo was probably going to be sleeping in tomorrow morning again but Hichigo wouldn't complain. Indulging his lover in small luxuries was something he always did.
Tomorrow...there were still so much to be done, Ichigo still had to meet the Espada and be tutored in the expectations that his presence as their consort entailed.
''S okay, Ichigo. Don't worry about them.' Hichigo quickly dismissed Ichigo's fears before the teen's mind could run away with him again. 'They do that sometimes when you are distressed or happy. It'll probably fade before morning comes.' He said reassuringly.
'Oh, Ok. And Hichigo?' Ichigo asked again, blinking tiredly as a warm arms wound around his waist and started ushering towards the large four poster bed that was raised on a small platform.
'Yes?' The older of the two asked with a frown.
'W-what you did earlier. Thank you.'
'You're welcome.' Hichigo said softly. Of course Ichigo had felt the instant that Hichigo had reached into his soul with his own power to calm his wavering emotions by using his Consort's heart as a link. But to be thanked so sweetly, this night...despite its terrible start...it was turning out to be quite welcome to the usual stifling need to smother their raging emotions in case Ichigo got affected by them. 'Now come, King. It's about time we get to bed. There's a lot of things to be done tomorrow.'
'Why do you call me King?' Ichigo asked just as they settled back into the spread of pillows of warm sheets and Hichigo forced tensed shoulders back against feather-soft pillows and pulled the warm covers over them. A forehead rested against the base of Ichigo's neck as warm arms secured around his waist and a soft kiss of good-night was pressed against the smooth flesh there. The action caused Ichigo to squirm a bit and repeat his question when there was no answer was forth coming. But instead, this time, he got a quiet but insanely amused chuckle ringing pleasantly in his ear.
'He, he, he.' Hichigo cackled softly in pleasure, pulling Ichigo closer to his chest as he pushed his reiatsu into the room to surround Ichigo completely and tug his consciousness backwards into a peaceful calm. 'I ain't tellin' ya a thing King. You'll have te remember yerself one day, but fer now...just enjoy me bowing my head to you.'
'And sweet dreams this time around okay?'
'Yeah, sorry about that.'

All was quiet within the world, the clocks were ticking ever forward into the spread of a new day. And in likening the time to the human world, Hueco Mundo's eternal night was now fast approaching five-thirty in the morning. It was within those few moments that the first stirrings of trouble were set to begin. There was a shift in the air, a creeping shadow making its way steadily through the confusing halls of Las Noches and straight in the direction of the sealed Royal Chambers, that were far removed and buried deep within the centre of an array of twirling and twining hallways that would confuse many not having lived their entire life. It had all been constructed for the safety of the Three Kings and their Consort after the unavoidable tragedy that had happened two hundred years before. And if one was really knowledgeable, they would know the truth behind those passages.
They were moved and shifted every other day to rearrange the pathway of getting even close to the Royal Chambers. Where even if found, getting inside was an even bigger problem. The entirety of the chamber was completely sealed by sekkiseki stone that had been stolen from the quarries of Soul Society so that not even an ounce of reiatsu could be leaked through the palace to alert would be assassins from knowing where the Kings resided when most vulnerable to the sword, when sleeping peacefully within their bed. But for this moving figure draped in dark shadows, his knowledge seemed to contain an inordinate number of facts as he moved swiftly down the correct twists and turns in the ever present maze of white and black halls.
Bypassing several guards and Arrancar of varying strengths without their notice of his movements...it was a mere twenty minutes later that his silent feet came to rest before the large black, double doors that spread threateningly above him. This was it, the fabled entrance to the Royal Chambers. The floor to ceiling, arched doors that reached near eight meters in height with its imposing engraving of the silvery Royal Crest of the Three Kings, could not be named as any place but the right one. Three eastern dragons, poised and ethereal were entwined in a deadly embrace. Where above their heads was the startling image of a refined crown decked with jewels and shimmering golden light, and if one were to look closely...the Heavenly Chains of their Consort's Bankai kept them tied together with fine twining chains of black as the utterly terrifying black Zanpactō itself was laid by their clawed feet.
The heady scroll spread beneath their forms contained the dark words: Vis est Vox (1*) that served as a reminder that the five entwined souls that made up the ruling party of Hueco Mundo...relied not on sophistication or ambition for their conquests, but based their incredible power and unpredictable actions on pure instinct. And that was what always made them so very terrifying to Soul Society. The mere concept that the Three Kings and their Consort would only fight with their hearts and their instincts leading them and not with a set of rules that dictated their actions, it was so much more unpredictable and effective than Seireitei's set system that made up of the Gotei 13. So it was with this in mind that the shadowed figure snorted his amusement at the powerful image spread before him.
It was frightening, a reminder of the unbridled power resting just behind that door that had blossomed from a single, powerful soul. Shadowed hands, finally having found their unshakable resolve, reached out for the closed doors and made ready to move as muscles coiled beneath black cloth and the shadow displayed his readiness at his task. There was a blur of movement, a flicker of a sealed blade before surprising gymnastics propelled the interloper forward, feet first, at the heavy black doors in hopes of breaking through the sealed entrance.
'III-CCCHI-GOOO! GOOD MORNING MY SPIRITED SON! I HAVE COME—.' Isshin leapt from his hiding place in the shadows, his usual antics propelling him towards his one goal since he had awoken earlier that morning. However, before he could even make it halfway across the large hallway, his momentum was flipped midair by a winded kick to his stomach. The casual action sent the older Shinigami hurtling towards the high ceiling before his attacker appeared above him milliseconds later and dug a boot into his spine to send him hurtling towards the ground again at frightening speeds. This was going to hurt, he thought to himself absently as the ground came up to meet him in a deafening crack. A lithe body pinning him forcefully into the cracked ground with the heavy press of dark reiatsu eating away at the playful father's resolve.
There was a startled yelp from the older Shinigami as his attacker dug their booted heal into the back of his head to push him further into the ground, regardless of his broken nose gushing blood into the dent his face had created in the floor. He wailed painfully, arms swaying uselessly by his side in an attempt to get his attacker to let him up for a breath. This one was definitely a cruel one...
'W-WWHA! ICHIGO! YOUR FRIEND'S SO MEAN TO ME—!' A cool hand gripped the back of Isshin's neck, squeezing painfully tight as his head was wrenched upwards and thin arms with surprising strength lifted him from the floor as if he weighed nothing. Sharp and playful brown eyes shimmering with amusement came into contact with emotionless emerald green. Twin tracks of green tears the only indication that Isshin had run into one of the more dangerous of the Espada than he had thought. And he was proven right when a single pointer finger gathered the dangerous beginnings of an emerald green Cero.
The message was clear...'You move, you die.'
'Silence, trash.' Ulquiorra hissed dangerously low. 'You shall not disturb Kurosaki-sama. Hichigo-sama has forbidden it. I shall escort you back to your quarters, where you will stay until you are called. You shall not speak, you shall not move from your bed and you shall not set one step outside of your doors. This is not a request, trash, this is an order you shall obey or by Shirosaki-sama's word I am to throw you back into the human world.' And with that the whimpering Isshin was dragged by his collar from the Royal Hallway, thoroughly outwitted by his so called 'second son' (for Ichigo would always be his first) and defeated by the Cuatro Espada in mere seconds. So what could he do but allow himself to be manhandled all the way down to the Family Wing, thrown unceremoniously into his room by an Arrancar slightly shorter than his own son but stronger than anything he had expected.
There would be many other times to play, but apparently this morning was not one of those days of leniency granted by the Three Kings.
Within the Royal Chambers itself however, several moments earlier, an orange haired figure stirred sleepily from his restful dreams at the resulting bang and crash on the other side of their chamber door. He jerked softly at the unexpected noise, exhausted chocolate brown eyes fluttering open blearily through the touch of confusion settling across his hazed mind. He could have sworn he had heard something that sounded suspiciously like his father's morning wakeup call but when everything went silent again with a decisive but muffled 'bang', Ichigo let out a tired yawn and rubbed at his itching eye as Hichigo shifted closer to his back, their legs twining together as the Mei-Ou murmured something sleepily against the skin of Ichigo's neck. Said consort shivered at the sensation rushing through his veins, startled when warm fingers not belonging to Hichigo's wound around his waist, buried themselves in his hair and smooth lips pressed tenderly against his forehead.
'Hmm? W-wha? Wha's going on?' Ichigo murmured sleepily, chocolate brown eyes struggling to stay open as the press of Hichigo's heady reiatsu twined comfortably with his threatened to drag him underneath the heaviness of unconsciousness again. But Ichiru, the one who had just kissed his forehead, curled possessively against his chest and pressed closer, Ichigo could only blink in confusion at the flicker of sadistic satisfaction shimmering within those golden eyes as their eyes locked. He was about to ask again what was going on but Ichiru silenced him with a chaste press of lips against his own.
'Don't worry about it, Ichigo. It's probably just Ulquiorra taking out the trash. Go back to sleep, Ichigo-Koi, I can see you're tired.' Ichigo frowned deeply at the kiss to his lips but he was far too tired to say anything against it. So instead, he snuggled deeper into the warm embrace surrounding him. Praising himself for not even startling when Ryuu somehow managed to worm his way across the splay of pillows and sheets to lay his head atop Ichigo's now...his sweet timbre breathing a soft endearment in Ichigo's ear before black-nailed fingers twined in sleep tangled locks.
'Ul-Ulquio...huh...wha's that?' Ichigo asked with quiet confusion, blinking once more to keep himself for several seconds longer.
'Ulquiorra, his name's Ulquiorra but don't worry too much about it now, Koi. You'll meet all the Espada later today. So just go back to sleep.'
'Okay.' Ichigo breathed happily, his wandering confusion rushing away as he finally shuttered his eyes. Three warm and breathing bodies carrying him away from his consciousness as sleep claimed him once more. He was tired, his little emotional break down earlier that morning had sapped him of all his strength so it was ridiculously easy to fall into a warm and delicious sleep. That (when aided by Hichigo's reiatsu wrapped so firmly around him since then) was so deep and fulfilling that Ichigo's awareness of the world moving on without him was so far away from reality that he slept for another five hours straight. And when next he was reluctantly tugged into consciousness, it was to Ryuu's gently rousing him into consciousness with sweet words whispering promises into his ear and tickling kisses littering his forehead and the top of his head, cheeks and the tip of his nose.
Ichigo murmured incoherently with a whine, he was still so very tired...it probably had something to do with summoning that form with Hichigo's help earlier that day, but once Ryuu gripped him around the waist and pulled him into a seated position that had him falling happily back into the spread of soft pillows, the young Consort was forced back into a state of forced wakefulness. His beautiful amber eyes finally fluttering open as a hand came up to stifle his yawn of fatigue. And absentmindedly long, tanned fingers brushed the estigma running so beautifully red beneath his left eye before he pushed his mussed hair away from his forehead and winced at the brightness of the artificial lighting illuminating the large room he shared with his lovers.
'Come, Ichigo. Up ya get, finish your breakfast so we can start to dress you formally for meeting with the Espada.' At the warm tray of delicious breakfast pressed into his lap and the sweet scent of warm tea curling teasingly around him, Ichigo smiled happily. It was the first time he had been offered breakfast in bed, god he was really pampered by these three. The breakfast however, served a second purpose, to drag him into a more awakened state, and it worked beautifully. Smiling sleepily but brilliantly up at Ryuu who sat on the empty bed beside him, Ichigo couldn't help the contentedness he felt chasing through his veins that begged for more.
'Eat up, Ichigo. We don't have much time.' Ryuu reminded him softly, warm fingers pushing Ichigo's bangs from his face before he left Ichigo to himself and disappeared into the large , separate room Ichigo discovered a while ago was actually a walk in closet at the far end of the room. Strangely all Ichigo could see when Ryuu re-emerged twenty minutes later was white and black satin fabric, black sashes, a large folded haori and a beautifully crafted black box that resting atop the collection of traditional clothes in the Third King's hands.
As Ichigo nibbled happily on the last of his two onigiri, savouring the salty taste clinging to his tongue after finishing his miso soup, the teen continued to stare at the black box with curiosity as it drew his full attention. It felt familiar, like he should know what it contained, but instead he found himself leaning into the new touch when Ryuu slid the clothes onto the bed and settled next to him with a hairbrush. Ichigo did little to suppress the small moan of appreciation as the brush began to untangle his locks gently and Ryuu allowed him to lean back against a strong, supportive chest to completely melt into the touch.
'What is it?' He asked softly, sipping at his cup of sweetened tea thoughtfully before reaching for the tempting mahogany blackness that hid a secret from him. But Ryuu captured his hand quickly instead, pulling it away from grabbing at the box that was quite large but so beautifully crafted all together. Making a tutting noise, the youngest of the triplets briefly ran his fingers across Ichigo's mouth to capture a stray piece of rice that had been left behind before he nudge the tray away and shoved Ichigo towards the bathroom unceremoniously with a bundle of clothes in his hand.
'It was a gift from Urahara-san the night before you were crowned our consort. Since he has returned now, I believe that honouring that memory would strengthen the bonds we possess. I'll help you settle it after you finish cleaning up, but get dressed quickly Ichigo, we only have half an hour left.'
...
Ichigo sighed softly. Lifting a tanned hand to admire the gracefully way the large silk bell sleeves of the black and silver haori draped across his fingers , hands and the way it was drawn towards the floor with the pull of gravity as he emerged from the bathroom feeling much more contented and refreshed than ever before. He could feel Ryuu's gaze on him in an instant, this time the older being of the two was not attempting to hide his reaction towards Ichigo's state of dress. And trapped within that gaze, Ichigo found himself flushing under the scrutiny. Especially when black nailed hands were lifted to straighten his lapels and resettle that obi Ichigo had tied in a skew knot.
'There we go,' Ryuu said playfully. Finally pushing the large black box into Ichigo's hands to sate his ever burning curiosity. 'You look as beautiful as always—.'
'Won't Hichigo be angry again?' Ichigo asked with a frown, quickly dismissing the compliment before he could flush a deeper red because of it. The Third King merely shook his head and chuckled at Ichigo's concerns. 'No. He was the one who requested you get all dressed up, Ichigo. Now open the box, we don't have a lot of time.' And with those words and soft reassurances, Ichigo's fingers, which had been itching to pop open the lid to the beautifully designed box since he had first seen it, did as he was told. A frown tugging at his forehead at the contents now displayed before his curious gaze.
It was quite a beautiful collection, he noted. Four silver circlet crowns resting atop a bed of black velvet, just waiting to be worn again.
One, decidedly more detailed than the rest, which he presumed was his because of the fine details of chains of black twining together to form an intricate pattern, tapered off in the middle to create the crescent moon of Getsuga Tenshō that was bowed around the three entwined dragons of the Royal Crest. And right in the centre of the moon was draped a tear drop formed of topaz suspended by a small chain. The jewel itself was so bright and warm that it drew Ichigo's curios fingers towards it, where to his amazement, the moment Ichigo touched it he could feel Zangetsu's unique reiatsu rush across the tips of his fingertips before it settled like a sliver of belonging within his heart.
'W-what—.' Ichigo's question of confusion was cut off when Ryuu pressed a finger to parted lips before he pulled the exact same circlet that had drawn Ichigo's fingers towards it first, from the bed of velvet as he inspected the curls of the black chains that seemed to move and twine with his reiatsu drenched fingertips. The crown itself eagerly pulsing with power at the similarity in reiatsu to its original master.
'Watch carefully, Ichigo.' Ryuu implored as he pushed Ichigo's nervously fidgeting hands away from his chest before he smoothed the wrinkled brow of his beloved Consort with a pressing thumb. There was a moment of silence and calm before he lent forward to slide the cool silver, black and topaz object over long fiery orange locks until it came to rest against a smoothed forehead and sealed seamlessly at the back of Ichigo's head with a curl of thin black chains and a twist of reiatsu. 'These crowns were created to tie each of us together. You, the centre of our being, has control over Zangetsu and thus when your reiatsu mixes with his...we are granted the same courtesy.' The youngest of the Three Kings said softly, a silvery light now engulfing his own form for several seconds before the three other crowns ( a simple circle of silver engraved with the dragon crest) vanished and reformed upon three separate foreheads.
Ryuu smiled softly and reassuringly at Ichigo, a stray forefinger now dragging across the unbreakable circle nestled upon his own brow.
'These were created as a status symbol within Hueco Mundo.' The older being began, taking Ichigo's hand in his as he began to lead the dazed Consort away from their shared chambers. 'When worn, it means the Ruling Five are at the height of their power once again. It serves as a call to arms, a reminder that when needed, the leaders will once again rise and stand beside their soldiers' sides to fight the injustices done against them and to protect what is ours.'
'It is the message, Ichigo, to the Court of Darkness (so aptly named in mockery to Soul Society's Court of Pure Souls) that we are complete once again and you are by our side for an eternity to come.' Ichigo, too dazed to contemplate the heady promise within those words, listened as best as he could with Zangetsu's reiatsu pushing and thrumming in his veins pleasurably. He was not sure if he liked the heaviness that it pressed upon his forehead...it reminded him too much of a duty that he had yet to fulfil and it frightened Ichigo that he had not yet found the courage to even ask what was expected of him.
But never once had Ryuu, Hichigo or even Ichiru pushed him to do something he was uncomfortable with or didn't want. In fact they seemed to help more than anyone else had ever offered to help Ichigo during his life. And that was something that was quickly overtaking his heart and soul for he could sense the deep connection brewing within them as it grew stronger and stronger each day. This new influx of information from Ryuu though, was driving Ichigo to the brink of insanity. What did he have to do? Why did the crown upon his head, representing his rightful place upon this plane, feel so heavy with sorrow and pain the moment the Mei-Ou had slipped it over his head?
And yet, if Ichigo searched his soul deeply, the adverse emotions bled away as Zangetsu's reiatsu hummed pleasantly against the skin of his forehead as a reminder that he was not alone...just as Ryuu, Ichiru and Hichigo's reiatsu enveloped him in a warm blanket of security. The nostalgia of the weight was settling across his limbs knowingly by now. Becoming just enough to keep him quiet and complaint for his next step in retaking his duty.
But if there was one thing that Ichigo was eternally grateful for, never once had Ryuu pushed him further into conversation. The King merely smiled and pressed a comforting kiss to Ichigo's forehead, right upon the topaz jewel thrumming with Zangetsu's reiatsu, to calm Ichigo's seemingly panicked eyes when they came to a halt in front of the throne room.
'Don't look so bewildered, Ichigo. We're only going to meet the Espada today. They are leaders of the Arrancar army or shall we call them the 'ten swords' so that you can understand their standing better? Carrying this crown with pride upon your brow shows them that what once was, can become ours again. Don't worry so much about the intricacies of the court, Ichigo, we'll get one of those who have been with us since the beginning to re-educate you about how Hueco Mundo works. Just be yourself today. There is no such thing as rules and regulations within these walls.'
'We rule with our hearts after all, not our heads as Soul Society seems to do.' After patiently waiting for Ichigo's nod of acceptance, Ryuu pushed open the doors to the Throne Room. Dragging many curious eyes towards the entrance as large amber eyes gazed at the room in awe. Hichigo, Ichigo noted, was seated upon the white throne that seemed to rise from the earth itself like a dais of respect. He was by no means formally sitting like a King should be...in fact he was barefoot, sprawled sideways across the throne with his arms resting nonchalantly over his stomach as his head turned lazily in Ichigo's direction as they stepped into the seemingly cold room filled with white and black.
The gaze he was shot, a subtle smirk that disguised the warmth within golden eyes, caused Ichigo to instantly turn to the side. With that gaze alone, Hichigo definitely remembered what happened earlier that morning. Not that Ichigo was complaining but with Ichiru looking at the two of them curiously at their new form interaction, he concentrated instead on taking one step at a time into the large room. Ryuu's ever faithful hand grasped in his, providing a pillar that was keeping Ichigo together in that moment. Even when the intimate twining of their hands was hidden by Ichigo's long bell sleeves, there was no mistake that at least half of the ten Arrancar standing below the raised dais, knew exactly what they were doing.
'Welcome, Ichigo.' Hichigo said with a small smile, slipping from his throne as he flitted down to Ichigo with sonido and stood on his other side. 'To your Court of Darkness. These men, and woman, some new...some old...are what protects this realm and ultimately you when we cannot stand beside you. So greet them properly, they don't bite.' And just like that Ichigo's misgivings settled as another hand grasped his beneath his belled sleeves and Ichiru took Hichigo's place upon the throne...upon all their foreheads rested the silver circlets that were tied to his directly.
He had finally come home.

1* - Vis est Vox – Nature is Power, well something like that. My Latin has never been any good considering my other worldly languages is trapped between German and Japanese and a bit of French. But just know that the inscription ultimately means Instinct is Power, it seems to suit the five of them pretty well.
Thanks again for reading my honeys, next official update is next week Wednesday for Requiem if I don't finish a quick one shot before that. See ya in a fortnight, so enjoy your next week. This story's about to heat up!
Ja Ne
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Consort To The Three Kings