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Chapter Text

Inconceivable

Chapter One

Urahara Kisuke can't remember the last time he slept on a real bed; he's been on the road for so many years that he's almost forgotten what a bed is. At one time he used to have a home, and he even remembers his old shop. But that's in the past now, and as fond as he is of his friends and the children, there are two things he has to do.

He has to find as many surviving dragons as he can, and he has to return to his lover, his dragon, and his lover's dragon.

Kisuke knows if his friend Isshin was still alive, the man would kill him for being intimate with his son. And really, Kisuke knows he deserves it. But Kurosaki Ichigo has an inner fire that lures him in, and the blond man hasn't the will to resist.

Being away from that enticing fire, that intensity that has drawn him in from the start, is not something Urahara Kisuke wants. But for the dragons and for his own and his lover's future, he will deal with the younger man's absence.

Which is why he's riding a horse instead of his dragon - he always thinks of Benihime as his dragon, though really it might be better said that he is her human - he will do anything, anything at all, for the dragons and his lover alone.

Blond hair waves in the wind as he nods to another person who is riding with the caravan. He doesn't trust anyone here, but he knows he can fool them, can act as if he is nothing more than a naive, eccentric fool, so he doesn't worry.

Everyone here sees him as harmless, and the night that bandits attack the camp, Kisuke casts the spells Benihime taught him to and sends the caravan people to sleep. He isn't worried, doesn't need to be. All of his life, he's been using magic instinctively, protectively, and the only reason he knows now is because Benihime taught him how to cast a few spells on purpose before he left. Really, mere bandits are nothing. Not a threat, not even worth killing, but he'll knock them out and tie them up, and maybe leave a note explaining things before he goes. Maybe.

Can't stay with the caravan once he's cast magic, and for a moment he almost regrets that. But he has too many secrets that aren't his alone, and he won't risk the others so he can't stay. He has to go, and he will, and just as soon as he's finished moving and tying up the bandits, he does. Magic leaves traces, and if he remains with the caravan he will be found by those who brought about the downfall of the Dragon Lords in the first place. So he saddles his horse and gathers some supplies just in case, and he goes.

Leaving in the dark of night, without most of the pay he was promised, Kisuke feels as if he's skulking about, and the thought makes him smile. It reminds him of Yoruichi, and isn't that nostalgic? Once he's found more dragons and rejoined his lover, they'll have to go visit everyone at the shop.

As he rides off into the woods, enjoying the irony that his penchant for instinctive magic means he never has to worry about disguises or hiding his face, Urahara wonders that Ichigo chose him for a lover. Contrary to his idiot act, Kisuke is a genius, the kind of man who invents fifteen things in one night and shows them off at breakfast because of a comment made the night before. But for all his intelligence, Urahara Kisuke doesn't understand what exactly drew the younger man to him, and so sometimes he worries that Ichigo will find someone else, someone new...someone younger.

It's a depressing thought and he tells himself not to worry, the dragons have seen them together in the future, but what if the dragons aren't telling him something? What if, after the dragons have returned to their rightful place, Ichigo leaves him? The dragons wouldn't care about it at that point, if they'd already gotten what they wanted, right?

Part of him knows better, knows that Benihime wouldn't lie to him and that she is the one who pulls details from the oracle's mind so they can act on things now instead of respond to events later, but Kisuke is a man with a brilliant mind and too much idle time, and his mind is analyzing and picking apart everything it can. Hopefully he can stay sane as he goes dragon-finding...

It's already been six months since he left his lover, and the separation is hell. Kisuke is perverted and sneaky, with a tendency to hide his emotions behind facades of carelessness or humor, and without Ichigo to call him on his bullshit and make him unwind...this is a lonely trip.

He says a faux cheerful goodbye to the caravan people as he watches them ride away, knowing they wonder if he is a treasure hunter or one of those people who likes finding relics of lost ages. Kisuke hides a knowing smile behind his fan and lowers his head until his hat shades his eyes. Dragons could be called relics of a lost age, he supposes, but since they're going to make a comeback he doesn't consider himself a relic hunter, and treasure doesn't have a mind of its own, so that one's out too.

When the caravan has wound its way out of sight, Kisuke turns his reluctant horse and sends her up the poorly maintained road. Is it insane to be eager to meet creatures that could kill him with almost no effort? Because he wants to meet more dragons, wants to help them and reunite them and save them. He wouldn't even mind babysitting for them.

Urahara doesn't pay attention to the time, just keeps an eye on his surroundings and watches his horse to make sure he won't have to go the rest of the way on foot. He finds the first keep by following a dirt road that's so overgrown no cart would get through. Settling the horse in doesn't take long, but he knows searching the keep and its caverns will take days. But first things first, he has to find a room to sleep in, somewhere to stash his supplies and tack.

Urahara Kisuke has searched through seventeen small keeps in the mountains so far, and hasn't seen a sign of dragons yet. It would be disheartening except for the fact that the more he searches, the closer he gets to finding them. Which is why he's here, at a keep that's not on any map. He has seen it before, very faintly, from the tallest tower still standing at the previous keep, and something inside him has whispered, This is it. That's the place where dragons are.

He stables his horse and rubs her down, knowing she'll spook if she meets dragons herself. So he allows her the run of a paddock that still has decent fences and goes exploring.

Compared to the other keeps he's seen, this castle is in decent condition. It's not crumbling, which is always a plus, and it still has most of its walls, even if some of them have scorch marks from the battle. (And if that sight makes Kisuke's blood boil at the thought of someone trying to kill the dragons he loves so much, well, only one other human knows about his feelings.)

It doesn't take long to find a suitable room and stash the tack, and Kisuke goes dragon-searching with two of his packs slung over one shoulder. He dislikes being unprepared; in one pack is clothing, bandages, and rope. In the second pack is dried food, a pot, a skillet, flasks of water, and the rest of his first aid kit. Urahara doesn't need tinder to start a fire any more; Benihime taught him fire spells before he left, and they're good ones. They're the spells dragons use for long distance demolition and destruction, except for the small one their riders use for starting camp fires.

The first place he checks is what would have been the dragons' weyrs when the Dragon Lords were still around - he chuckles at the thought, because technically there are Dragon Lords again, but it's a lonely notion, being one of two Dragon Lords and in hiding. He finds nothing, but he wasn't expecting to, not when that had to have been one of the places laid to waste by those damned invaders -

Unable to bear the thought of humans slaughtering helpless nesting dragons and breaking open eggs to murder the young before they, too, become a threat, Kisuke's scruffy blond head shakes.

He visits the training arenas next, still not expecting any discoveries. And he's right, there is nothing. So Kisuke turns his attention to the castle roof, thinking that either he may get lucky and see dragons from the heights or at least another place to look.

Finding a way onto the roof proves problematic. It's not that he's looking in the wrong places, it's that whoever the architect was really didn't want people getting on the roof without permission, because the final staircase is hell to discover. Hand raised to scratch at blond hair in mild confusion, Urahara pauses in the throne room to take another look around.

Bland is the first word that comes to mind. The throne room is bland. Kisuke would like it much better if it had a splash of color here and there, say, some green, perhaps? Maybe red, or orange... No! This is a horrible time to be thinking of Ichigo! Taking a deep breath, Urahara pushes thoughts of his lover aside and concentrates on his task.

Right. So, if a throne room is bland, it's probably hiding something. Something like a staircase? But who would hide a staircase in plain sight?

Someone who doesn't want it found, someone who knows it will be overlooked.

Well, that makes sense.

So gray-green eyes take another look around, and notice... There are corners that don't look right on either side of the doors used by supplicants and visiting dignitaries. Something about the chairs seems off, all throughout the room. The roof is very well supported. Too well supported? As in may-have-been-built-for-dragons kind of sturdy support arches and beams?

A delighted smile dawns on that sneaky face, and Kisuke isn't sure whether his lover would smile with him or get annoyed and smack him for not immediately stating his thoughts to the younger man. (But that's just part of the fun that comes of being with Ichigo; so little surprises him any more, whereas the orange-haired, fiery man has a knack for it.)

After a few mistakes, Urahara finds a passageway hidden behind the remains of a once-heavy tapestry. The tapestry is too faded for him to make out the scene woven in thread, and the passage entrance is really more of a window, complete with glass that had at one point been deliberately colored to look like stone. In the dim interior of the passage, it looks too flat to be stone, and has fallen out of place, instead leaning against wood a short distance further in.

Untying a torch from his belt, he lights it with a minor fire spell and sighs. "Crawling through ruins... The things I do for dragons." And he enters the passageway.

It is a long, twisting thing, and probably winds its way through walls and under floors, but eventually it does indeed emerge just where he wants to go. The door at the end has been warped by weather, lodging itself solidly against stone. Standing well back, Urahara softly invokes one of the long distance demolition spells Benihime has taught him and watches the door erupt with flames.

Stepping through the doorway right after the flames died down is probably not the brightest idea Kisuke's ever had. He immediately finds himself knocked sideways and pinned to the nearest wall by something that, from the feel of things, is quite a bit bigger than he is.

His first thought is, Oh, shit. The second is, Here be dragons! Really, considering he's pinned to the wall by a creature so many times larger and harder to hurt than he is, his enthusiasm would confound anyone else. And it does, if only because of the gleeful grin on Kisuke's face.

The dragon pulls away from Urahara with a baffled snort and the smell of heated stone and ash. ::Explain yourself, human!:: it snarls in his mind. Upon not-so-close inspection, the dragon looks to be colored like a cream-and-gray tiger striped cat...and is female. Something in the way she bristles gives her away.

Kisuke grins and tilts his head slightly, gray-green eyes dancing with triumph and laughter. "Senbonzakura was right, I did find you! Ah, but I have to arrange a rendezvous with you before I can rejoin my Ichi, my hime, and Zangetsu, though..." His voice trails off with a sad tone, a downcast look on his face. Then he glances up at the dragon still glaring intently at him, and his eyes are innocent and playful at the same time. "So, interested in meeting more of your kind?" They aren't speaking aloud... Are they wary of people, too? Or do they just not see the point in spoken words?

Wings flaring and flexing with ire, the female snarls at him and whips claws around to strike, but another dragon - a larger one - gets in her way. This one is male, with scales like ice and the coldest aura Urahara's seen in a long time.

::No, Haineko.::

::But Elder - ::

::No, I said. He knows a name he shouldn't, and I want to know why.::

Gray-green eyes blink. I know a name I shouldn't? ...the only name I actually mentioned was...oh. They probably think he's dead, hm?

::Human, who are you, how do you know of Zangetsu, and why do you speak as if he's still alive?:: rumbles the male. He makes an imposing figure, but Urahara has never been particularly daunted by anything except perhaps Ichigo, and he doesn't intend to start getting scared now.

"Urahara Kisuke, at your service," he smiles, bowing. "Didn't you know? Zangetsu's still alive; currently - "

::You lie!:: comes the low, furious growl. ::His rider died, I saw it! Zangetsu would never have chosen to live on after such loss!::

One ash blond eyebrow rises. "It's rude to interrupt, you know," he chides the dragon, as if there is no doubt he'll survive the encounter, come out whole and sane. (Or at least as sane as he ever is.) Fanning himself lazily, he says, "But I suppose you won't listen until I tell you why he's still alive, hm... Well, that's Senbonzakura's fault. He's an oracle, you see, and he saw that the Dragon Lords would not win the next war if Zangetsu died. So he badgered and bullied poor Zangetsu until he agreed to live on."

The ice dragon ponders these words for a time, and then rasps a quiet query. ::Why would Zangetsu's survival be key to winning the next war? And for that matter, what war?::

Gray-green eyes gleam merry death for future enemies. "The war to retake dragon-kind's homeland, of course! And his survival is key because, according to Senbonzakura, Zangetsu and Ichigo - his rider - are supposed to act as a leash, of sorts. Well, my hime probably needs one, I think, but usually it's me who keeps Ichigo calm so him being my leash doesn't make much sense to me. Still, Senbonzakura is the oracle, so I guess I can wait and see. Might be fun to be the one needing leashed sometime." He shrugs with an air of I-don't-know-anything, but neither dragon falls for it.

::...your hime?:: a voice asks after a short pause to assimilate information.

A broad grin spreads on Kisuke's face behind that damnable fan. "My dear Benihime. Only mind I've ever found as conniving as mine." He chuckles, smirking. She's every bit as bad as he is, maybe worse.

Cold blue eyes all but bore holes in the former shopkeeper. ::Benihime. You ride the bloodthirsty Crimson Princess?:: That she-dragon has a reputation, and it's not good. Hyorinmaru knows her of old. ::The same Benihime who fought riderless in the last war because she hadn't found a human she deemed worthy?:: Inwardly, he thinks, If he's her rider, he's probably as manipulative as she is. Unflattering, but Benihime is an experience in her own strange way, and the big male is wary of this human standing before him so fearlessly because of it. Truthfully, he isn't sure if the human is a danger to dragons or to humans, and the man is proving to be as unreadable as the dragon who has claimed him. ::So she survived. When she left that last field of battle, she was so badly wounded it didn't seem likely she'd live.::

Under the hat, one blond eyebrow rises. "Mm, well, she was hurt pretty badly, but the wounds healed fine. Her real problem was poison. Buuuuut I was climbing around near the lair she'd made one day, she sensed me, and she cast a spell that brought me to her. Surprised me some, but when she described the symptoms to me it wasn't difficult to mix up an antidote for her." One hand reaches up and adjusts the hat as he looks the ice dragon in the eyes. "Ichigo came looking for me - he's young yet, for a mage-born human, and his hair is orange, so you'll probably recognize him when you see him - and tripped over Zangetsu's tail on the way down." He laughs softly behind the fan. "Zangetsu caught him before he did himself harm, 'hime decided she liked having someone who knew how to make antidotes on hand, and...somehow it all has gone according to Senbonzakura's predictions so far."

Hyorinmaru is silent for a time, digesting the information. He isn't sure what to think of Zangetsu living to have another rider; typically dragons only allow one person to ride them, ever. But maybe that's part of why they were so overwhelmed in the last war?

Finally he says, ::Urahara, was it?::

Kisuke nods. Gray-green eyes darken as seriousness dawns on the blond man. For a human so frivolous, he seems to use his somber mien as a coat, as something to put on and take off.

::I am not sure yet if I trust you.::

Crestfallen, Urahara asks, "How long is it going to take? I want my Ichi!" And he pouts for good measure. Can't I get a break, here? I've been on the road for a year already, just searching for kin of friends, and I can't even get them to arrange a rendezvous when I do find them? ...fine, how can I turn this to my advantage...? Kisuke is not a genius for nothing; if anyone can get the dragons to set up a meeting in the current climate of distrust, he will do it. It amuses him that Ichigo would probably get mad and swear and call them names as he raged on behalf of their dragon friends.

Humans look ugly when they stick their lower lips out, thinks the ice dragon. ::Why don't you go find the dragons you know, then, and bring them all here?::

Sharp gray-green eyes flick an assessing glance in Hyorinmaru's direction. "You have room for twelve more dragons?"

Mildly, the old male tells him, ::If you really are Benihime's rider, if Zangetsu really is alive, we will find room somewhere.::

Somehow Kisuke thinks this is not quite the answer Senbonzakura was hoping for, but seeing Ichigo again is too tempting to pass up. And perhaps it is petty of him, but as he nods his acceptance and turns to go, he says over his shoulder, "Summer thunder, dragon cries, Dragon Lords make war with lies."

The looks of consternation that greet his words make speaking worthwhile, and he smirks to himself as he takes his leave. No one but a Dragon Lord has ever said those words; they're in the pledge that binds dragon and rider, as sacred as the first flight. Let them chew on that while I'm away.

As the blond walks back into the castle and makes his way to his horse and the rest of his belongings, Hyorinmaru can't help but think, That human's an ass. He probably is Benihime's rider; he's so much like her.

This is not the most flattering thought, when the dragon and rider he thinks on are two of four prophesied as saviors of dragon-kind. But who has ever said heroes and princesses can't be manipulative bitches and bastards?

Blood-red and black scales gleam as the battle-hungry female dragon raises her head. Eyes the same gray-green of her bonded rider's turn in Ichigo's direction. ::He comes,:: she tells him, mind to mind. The seaside caves are too close to too many humans for any of the dragons to speak aloud here, and none of them want to be discovered. ::Kisuke has found others, and returns to us. He will show us prime caves to raise young in, where no human who is not one of ours will ever find us.:: Her giant head tilts as she huffs smug amusement. ::See,:: she tells the other dragons, ::this is why I would not take a rider before Kisuke; his odd behaviors are merely distractions so his true purposes go unnoticed and humans think him harmless. How many other humans do that, especially to such an extent, and are still loyal and worthy of becoming Dragon Lords?::

It's Zangetsu who snorts softly and says what no other dragon present will dare to. ::You sound jealous, Benihime. Mad that you can't appear harmless as well?::

She snakes her head in his direction, careful of the orange-haired human sitting next to Zangetsu. ::Actually, I've been thinking about that... I think I've found a way to make myself take the shape of something more harmless, and it should be easily dispelled. When Kisuke gets here, I'll get his opinion, and if he agrees then we'll try it.::

Silence seems to echo in the cave. There is no need to state that Kisuke is a brilliant inventor and can account for damn near anything even if his methods are strange and unorthodox. It makes Ichigo proud of his lover, though his heart hurts due to the prolonged separation.

Sensing his mood, Benihime turns her great head to him and nuzzles him gently. ::Don't worry, youngling. He is mage-born, canny enough to outwit any but me, and has already started his journey back to us. Kisuke won't let mere humans stop him, and the other dragons have sent him to fetch us.::

The other dragons stir restlessly, anxious to be among long-lost kin.

Orange hair looking like flames in the sunset light, Ichigo finally falls asleep, cradled between dragons of blood-edged black and silver-edged black. His last thought before dreams sweep him under is, The only thing missing is Kisuke...

Chapter Text

Inconceivable

Chapter Two:

It's with great surprise that Kisuke, whose aim had been to find a convenient bush, falls forward and tumbles down an incline. This particular incline, he discovers when he looks back up, is so steep it might as well be called a cliff, and even animal trails crisscross it but rarely.

Shrugging to himself, he uses the convenient cliff instead of the non-existent bush, then decides to explore the cave before climbing back up to his horse.

He discovers that it's a very, very large cavern, so big even the wildcats and other creatures don't care to call it home. And every so often it has openings off to the sides, little caverns that would be good for young dragons. The roof of the cavern is so high above him Kisuke suspects Zangetsu and Benihime might not hit their heads on it even if they raised their heads high, though he could be wrong about that. Thinking back, he's certain he passed by this side of the mountain at least once, so he should have seen the opening... But the cavern mouth doesn't have much level standing room; the stone floor tilts downwards into the caves, and there are trees growing around the opening. Plus, there's an overhang at the top of the cliff, and this is a ways down.

In short, it looks like the perfect place for a community of dragons and their Dragon Lords to start.

But if he doesn't get moving soon, he'll be trying to climb the cliff face in the dark, and that's a hassle Kisuke would rather avoid. Besides, his horse is still up there, saddled. He'd rather not leave it there; it's a pretty decent horse, even if he'd prefer to ride Benihime.

Urahara Kisuke holds his hat to his head with one hand as he reins his horse in with the other. He's reached a town that's close to the cliffs, and he wastes no time on greetings as he drops by his old shop to leave his horse, its tack, and a note. Probably when Yoruichi sees him next she'll knock him sprawling, because the note is rather...abrupt. Especially considering he's been gone for six years already.

But, all things considered, he doesn't want to have to lie to his old friend, and until there are enough Dragon Lords well enough trained to take on the armies that had invaded from Hueco Mundo in the last war, he won't be able to tell her the truth. Kisuke knows this, and so he sneaks off again, so low-profile that even the Shihōin clan leader can't tell he's been and gone. And okay, so leaving a horse and tack aren't going to bother her much at all; he's left stranger things before. The note, on the other hand...

Long time no see! Well, I guess longer still, now... Anyway, I'm sure by now you've figured out that I'm up to my ears in something big, but it's not really my secret to tell so you'll just have to wait and find out when the time is right. Tell everyone we sent greetings and will visit when we can! (Ichigo still loves his sisters, but I don't think he wants anyone else to hear him say so. Such a tough guy!)

Kisuke

P.S.- Ichi's taken to playing hermit. He's so cute sometimes.

...yeah, Kisuke doesn't have to be present to know that as soon as she reads his note, she'll alternate between amusement, annoyance, and irate temper. Probably he deserves every bit of it, because Shihōin Yoruichi knows him well enough to tell without any hints what his emotions were as he wrote. Not to mention he doodled little chibi versions of himself and Ichigo here and there, too.

Mischief is such a wonderful thing...

The white female, Sode no Shirayuki, is close to laying her eggs, has maybe a week left before she has to when a familiar, scruffy blond head pokes over the edge of the seaside lair. For a long moment, Ichigo can't believe his eyes. Then he's up and running and helping his lover to his feet, and neither of them knows who instigated the kiss but damn, that need is burning them alive!

They come up for air only briefly, more due to bodily requirement than anything else, and Ichigo gasps something about want, need, and how he misses the eccentric pervert when he's gone. He doesn't need to feel the amusement wafting about the cavern to know he's going to be embarrassed as all hell tomorrow evening when they wake up. (There are so many witnesses here, even if they are dragons.) But that's tomorrow, this is today, and the blond is irresistible when he gets that rogue-ish, sweet look.

Kisuke's eyes catch just enough star light to glint dangerously, and the smile on his face makes the orange-haired rider shudder. That look alone is capable of seducing entire castle populations in a split second, but Ichigo isn't worried. If there is one thing the scruffy blond man is, he is loyal. The only one who gets that look has orange hair, eyes of molten amber, and is already easing forward to tease that sinful mouth with his own. And as they stumble to the bed they share to enjoy their reunion, Benihime's gray-green eyes flick a look at Zangetsu - a look that speaks volumes about how fond she is of not just her own rider but also the other dragon's.

In unison, great scaly heads of silver-edged black and crimson-edged black lay down. It's no accident that the view of recently reunited riders is suddenly gone, blocked by facades of nonchalance as the two most dangerous dragons in the cave curl their enormous bodies with an eye to protecting the humans present from spying eyes.

Humming softly with satisfaction, the dragons drift off to sleep, knowing that they'll be moving come next nightfall.

XXX

Moving the dragons is time-consuming and risky, and damn if it doesn't feel like an adventure. Kisuke smiles to himself as he watches Ichigo scan the ground for humans to avoid. There is nothing like the thrill of a reunion followed by the threat of death and disaster to focus one's mind. His mind is currently locked on the orange-haired, serious rider of the silver-and-black dragon flying next to him, and perhaps this is not the smartest way to go about sneaking dragons to a new home, but Urahara just can't help himself. Or, well, if he can, he won't. Because at this point humans would just get killed for sticking their noses in dragon and Dragon Lord business. Better all around if caution allows avoidance. And if that means he can ogle his lover discreetly - or not so discreetly - then the blond is happy.

As darker-scaled dragons, less likely to be noticed at night, both dragons with riders are flying lower and providing cover for the lighter-scaled dragons - mostly for Sode no Shirayuki, whose white scales can only draw attention at night. As the only two dragons currently bonded to chosen riders, Benihime and Zangetsu are flying the lowest of all the darker dragons. It's not that the dragons are incapable of fighting - it's just that they fight better in concert with Dragon Lords, and only two are known so far.

No one disturbs them the first day, and the dragons alight on a cavern lip in the very edge of the Senkaimon mountain range. It borders Seireitei and Karakura, and the passes are guarded by the noble houses of Seireitei. Eventually it meets the Rukongai mountains, where Seireitei's outcast Shiba family make their homes. I should drop by and visit Kūkaku, thinks Kisuke, but only once the Dragon Lords are well established again.

Dragon Lords. According to the common people the blond man met on his search, dragons are extinct and Dragon Lords are a myth. Strange how quickly humans forget. The only people left who believe are the long-lived mage-born - and most of those are from either Seireitei or the Rukongai. Probably the Senkaimon range would have mage-born, too, except that there are monsters there that don't take kindly to humans, period. Urahara wonders idly if the creatures that live in the Senkaimon range would accept dragons, or if whatever lives there wants no sentient beings to trespass, period.

Then Benihime is landing, the last dragon down because her scales blend so well with the night. She tilts her head and laughs as her blond rider tumbles off to one side, rolling until, with a thump that knocks his breath from his lungs, he hits a wall. When he can breathe again, he throws his head back and laughs, the hat falling off and landing on his right side. Benihime lets out a pleased rumble, somewhere between a growl and a purr, and chuffs quiet laughter as her rider picks up his hat and tries to point it at her chidingly. Due to its floppy nature, however, the bucket hat proves a disappointment in his pointing endeavor. To one side, honey-brown eyes roll as Ichigo shakes his head at the antics of his lover and the equally quirky dragon.

Zangetsu snorts softly, scoffing at their childish antics but understanding that stress relief comes in different forms. ::I doubt they will ever grow out of that habit, youngling,:: he tells his orange-haired rider. ::They are both of them stubborn in ways that aren't always obvious to people not paying close attention. And besides, they know how to be serious when the situation calls for it.::

It's Ichigo's turn to snort, and he retorts sarcastically, "Yeah, but how often do you see them actually get serious? Unless there's a life or someone's mental well-being on the line, they joke and goof off."

The silver-and-black dragon sets his head next to his rider and ever-so-mildly says, ::True, but doesn't it make you feel better to laugh? They are doing their part to lighten the load for us all, though they two are solely responsible for our plans of action at the moment. It does them no good to fret, so they jest and act up.:: His tone gains a wicked edge as he adds, ::And you know you love his single-mindedness and odd tendencies, exhibitionism and ignoring you in favor of experiments aside.::

Red suffuses the young rider's face, and he doesn't seem to know whether to laugh or snarl as he lightly smacks Zangetsu's snout and growls, "Shut up," before stalking in his lover's direction. Kisuke, now wrapped up in a conversation about spell-making, doesn't notice him.

Benihime is just as enthralled in the discussion as her rider is, and Zangetsu decides he has just enough mischief left in him tonight for this last bit of wickedness. Winking at the other ten dragons, he raises his head high, craning carefully over the large female. If they weren't in a cavern, she would notice a shadow sneaking over her, but as it is she merely continues exchanging theories with Urahara, who is so involved in the debate that he doesn't notice either.

Zangetsu blows a breath over her nose and drops his jaw in a grin as she jerks backwards. Benihime's eyes narrow, and she looks about ready to dive head-first into open combat when the scruffy blond rider tosses the furled fan at her cheek.

"Hey, now, 'hime, no fighting until we have the other Dragon Lords, remember?" He grins broadly at her, head tilted back and one hand holding his hat on.

She huffs and bares her teeth at the silver-and-black dragon, but he merely tilts his head minutely and watches her with patient, quizzical amusement. Sooner or later, she will get paybacks. Meanwhile, she carefully picks up the infernal fan between two claws and drops it on the blond's lap so he can annoy others with it.

Weary of being ignored, the orange-haired rider seizes the blond's wrist and yanks him around, leading him to a quiet corner where they can sit and cuddle until they get tired. The only bedding they have here is their blankets, though, and stone is neither a comfortable pillow nor a pleasant mattress. Their old mattress was left behind by the seaside, due to a lack of sufficient rope to tie it to a dragon.

Two pairs of eyes watch fondly over the humans, and Benihime snorts softly to indicate that she's dropping the anger and is willing to - at least temporarily - forget what caused it. She wants to lay down near her rider; it's a comfort thing, and though she hasn't experienced it before, she knows that this yearning, this need to be near her blond rider is caused by the bond between them. Dragon Lords are mage-born, every last one. Only ever mage-born, because the magic they have and tend to use instinctively is what binds dragon and rider when the oath is spoken. Benihime doesn't mind this craving; it is and has always been her choice, and Kisuke is great company. Zangetsu must be feeling the need to be close to his rider as well, because he lays down on the humans' other side, and once again the dragons form a barrier between their riders and the world.

XXX

Kurosaki Ichigo wakes up the next evening to a certain blond trouble-maker tossing bits of rock at him. Rolling, the orange-haired rider mutters the obligatory expletives and stretches. "Okay, okay, I'm up already!"

"Damn," says a crestfallen Kisuke. "Wish we had time to stay, then. But Sode no Shirayuki's getting close to her time, and we need to get moving."

Growling choice words about his lover as they pack up what little bedding there is, the lean and wiry younger man loads his portion onto Zangetsu and settles in for another long night's flight. Not that it isn't wonderful to be flying with his beloved friends, but going from almost no flying to suddenly being in the air all night...it's hard on the body.

The next two nights of careful flight pass without incident, as does most of the third and final. But just approximately two-thirds of the night through, someone spots a glimpse of one of the lighter dragons, and suddenly they're under fire.

::Go!:: Zangetsu calls to Benihime. ::You know where the cave is and they need someone to guard them in case they run into more problems! We'll be fine! I'll track you when I can!::

It tears at Kisuke's heart - at all their hearts - to leave the younger man and the veteran dragon behind. But parts of his own and Benihime's minds never shut down, and before too long they realize they've evaded what pursuit managed to dodge Zangetsu and Ichigo. They're well on their way to the cave Kisuke found on his last trip. Which is good - very good - especially for mother-to-be Sode no Shirayuki, who is a highly visible oh-shoot-me-now snow white target at night. Urahara would much rather she make it safely to the cavern and lay her eggs.

Meanwhile, Zangetsu circles above the raiding party. He recognizes their insignia and makes sure to pass the information to Benihime, and then time is running out; if they don't manage to break contact with the enemy this time, they won't be able to. So he circles higher and higher and higher, until Ichigo's holding on for dear life, and then he drops. They plummet down towards the enemies, and Zangetsu breathes flame on them before lashing out with claws and tail even as his rider draws a large sword. Orange hair rippling in the wind of their wild flight, Ichigo uses one of the combat magics Zangetsu has taught him.

"Getsuga Tensho!" With a single swing, half the raiders' camp is leveled. No more supplies, and plenty of people in dire need of help.

Too bad, thinks Ichigo. That's what they get for trying to hurt those I want to protect. Besides, if I remember right, those raiders were from Hueco Mundo, and we'll have to fight them sooner or later. Though later might have been preferable; more time to muster riders and raise dragons.

As they turn towards the mountains once more, screams and curses sound behind them. The noise doesn't bother them for long, however, since silver-traced black wings take them higher and higher in the sky. Zangetsu orients himself according to the images he takes from Benihime's mind, and Ichigo relaxes slightly as they finally come in for a landing. All things considered, perhaps he should have stayed tense, because he isn't prepared for the unfamiliar angle and goes flying when Zangetsu stumbles. Luckily he falls onto Kisuke, who lets out a startled grunt and collapses backward, landing hard, but manages to keep their heads from hitting stone.

Sitting up, the blond laughs, hand on his hat like he's embarrassed, but Ichigo knows better. "Ahaha, yes, the incline is rather disruptive at first. 'hime had to help balance Sode no Shirayuki during her landing, so don't feel bad."

Molten amber eyes glare daggers at the former shopkeeper. "And yet you didn't think to warn us?"

"Well, Zangetsu's usually pretty graceful, and he's not pregnant. Sooo... We didn't think about it." Gray-green eyes crinkle with amusement, and Ichigo huffs disgruntlement at his lover. Love the man, but he can definitely be infuriating at times.

Then one of the dragons lets out a long, tense hiss, and the others pitch in with a croon so hushed it doesn't even echo. Sode no Shirayuki has chosen her lair, and the strain of the move has pushed her to lay her eggs early.

Sharing happy glances - in Kisuke's case, borderline gleeful - the two riders join the semi-circle of dragons surrounding the entrance to her new home. Times like these are for friends and family, for spending with whomever is close and beloved. Ichigo darts a glance at his lover's face and sees a look of anticipatory pleasure. It warms his heart - until the blond opens his mouth.

"I can't wait to babysit!"

Oh hell no! Kill me now, pleads the younger Dragon Lord. The last thing we need is him teaching the baby dragons to act like Benihime in miniature!

If anything ever hears him, Kurosaki Ichigo never finds out. To distract himself, he focuses on the multi-colored eggs.

::As the young ones grow, the shells will lose color. Then they will hatch, and if need be their mother will help crack the shells.:: Zangetsu sounds weary, as if he'd had young of his own at one time and they'd been slaughtered. And perhaps he had; his last rider had been alive during the time of the Dragon Lords, and had died in the war that wiped them out. It's a reasonable assumption, though not a pleasant one.

Ichigo isn't sure how to comfort Zangetsu, so he's relieved when Benihime nudges the morose male and leads him to her chosen resting place instead of his. Even as the red-and-black female shows her dominant side and push-push-push-push-pushes the silver-and-black male down so she can lay half beside and half on top of him, the orange-haired young man's attention is drawn back to the eggs Sode no Shirayuki is laying.

This is life, and it's going to be safe, it's going to survive. That does more to cheer up the rest of the dragons than anything else so far.

Looking at the nine dragons crowding close to watch, to be part of the birthing of the next generation, Ichigo can't help but wonder, Is this what it was like when I was born? He doesn't have an answer for that, probably never will, but for some reason this doesn't bother him. Ichigo doesn't need to wonder about his birth, about his family, because every time Kurosaki Isshin hasn't been able to be around for his own children, Urahara Kisuke has made sure someone trustworthy has. It's just one more reason for Ichigo to love him, as if he doesn't have enough.

For all that Kisuke has his doubts, Ichigo doesn't. He knows why he loves the blond, and those reasons won't go away. He also knows that the ex-shop owner is with him by choice, because he wants to be...because no one and nothing can keep Urahara Kisuke with anyone he does not want to be around. What he worries about - and he knows how irrational it is, when Kisuke's the one who taught him survival and combat skills in the first place - is that someone will kill him if he, Ichigo, isn't there to watch the blond's back. But however irrational, however unreasonable, this worry is one he can't stop. And Ichigo even knows why: if, by some quirk of fate or luck that the irascible rogue couldn't predict, someone managed to kill him, then Ichigo's world would collapse, and he would shortly follow his lover into the next life. Without Kisuke, the one person who has never once failed to find a solution for any problem plaguing the younger man, Ichigo will lose his will to fight. Fighting and Kisuke are synonymous. Both are glorious, hectic, often dangerous, and both offer Ichigo a chance to figure someone out. Only, Kisuke is in so many ways an enigma. The one riddle he has fought against and not understood completely, because Kisuke doesn't fight with his all unless it's to the death, and he doesn't want to kill Ichigo.

Kurosaki Ichigo isn't a fool; there are very, very few in the world that would so readily help five orphaned children without even asking for some form of repayment. And he's even more in love with Kisuke because of that little factor, too. Urahara Kisuke will help people who aren't fighting him just because, and that is a very endearing trait in a man so handsome. But the blond's act of insanity and his truly awful sense of humor mean that no human except Ichigo and the friends and family at the shop have ever come close to the inner, hidden self. It isn't that some haven't tried - it's that Kisuke is a really irritating man, and he doesn't like letting people figure him out. So most never make it.

It's an honor to be someone who knows the blond as well as anyone ever has. Urahara Kisuke is a complicated man, and though he doesn't necessarily need to, he sometimes deliberately cultivates an air of mystery. Underneath it all, however, he is simply an eccentric man with strict codes of honor and an odd sense of humor. Of course, he's perverted on top of that, too, but that much is obvious to pretty much everybody.

Beside his orange-haired lover, Kisuke's eyes have drifted from Sode no Shirayuki and her eggs to Benihime and Zangetsu. It's quite a sight, two gigantic forms tangled together. Blood red edging on black scales gleams as the female shifts, and fond gray-green eyes watch her coax the unsettled male into relaxing. He isn't entirely certain, but he suspects the dragons are forming quite an attachment to each other, and he's curious to see how far their interest in each other will take them.

Benihime opens one eye and flicks a content, pleased glance in her rider's direction. She doesn't need the bond to know exactly what he's thinking; they're so much alike they might as well be one being instead of two. ::He is honorable and generally even-tempered, and he balances my extreme tendencies well. But there is a wound in his heart that has not healed, and I would like to see him whole, as I know he can be. If that means nesting...:: An inelegant mental snort sounds in Urahara's head, and Kisuke grins. ::You know me; I would not consider it with any other we know. Dragons are arrogant - yes, I know, I am included in that list; you can quit laughing at me already! - but Zangetsu is...confident in his abilities but humble for all that. He does not presume himself the strongest, nor smartest, nor...well, anything.::

Urahara smiles quietly, happily, and nods. Good luck is his only sentiment, and he doesn't need to say it because she knows it's what he's thinking. After all, it's what she thought during the start of his relationship with Ichigo. His smile widens, and he turns back to the nesting mother and her eggs. Healing Zangetsu's heart will take time, but somehow he knows it's worth the effort.

Chapter Text

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 Kyōkotsu 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 on his face. Sneaky may be a word better applied to Shihōin 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 Kyōkotsu 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 mean 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.

XXX

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 Kyōkotsu 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 Kyōkotsu 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.

Chapter Text

Inconceivable

Chapter Four:

The next morning brings with it only weariness, though the troublesome guests are gone. Ichigo is restless but exhausted, and the only reason he can sleep at all is that Kisuke holds him tight, leaning back against Benihime's cheek. In turn, Benihime sleeps twined with Zangetsu, the duo coiled close about their riders even as their bodies tangle together.

When evening falls, it is time for decisions...but Urahara is fairly sure he knows what they'll do. So he wakes his younger lover gently, fondness etched upon his face, and lights a fire to start making breakfast as the orange-haired man stretches and grumbles.

Kisuke waits until after the meal to convey that he has a plan, then holds a quick, silent conversation with Benihime before turning to Zangetsu. But much like the Urahara himself, the black-and-red dragon is one who makes up her own mind and acts quickly when she feels the need—and apparently this is one of those times. And whatever she says, she speaks only to Zangetsu.

::One of us must stay here to help and guard the others, but for what Kisuke has planned, two humans will be needed. If you do not believe you can guard them both, carry them both, then tell us now. Because if they return hurt, I will take payment out of your hide. And if one or both of them don't return...I will kill you myself.:: This last is hissed at the large male, who blinks at her before lowering his head in acknowledgement.

::If I am unable to protect them, it will be because I am dead,:: vows Zangetsu solemnly. ::You needn't fret so.:: As an afterthought, he adds, ::And your rider is a genius anyway. If it comes to battle and I cannot see a way to win, or at least escape, I will consult with both riders. You have my word.::

To one side, Ichigo stands with his lover, who raises one blond eyebrow in a silent query. In a likewise silent answer, Zangetsu lowers his huge form into a crouch to allow riders to climb atop him. At the same time, Benihime settles back on her haunches, eyes narrowed into cat-like slits that shine all the more green in the dim cave.

::Fare well, my rider,:: she bids as they launch into the sky and begin the next stage of their journey. ::Fare well and may the grace of the gods go with you.:: It is the first time in a long time she has used a prayer of any sort; this one has gone unspoken since first she left her mother's nest. The war seems to suck all belief from her—except that now, she has something else to believe in even more than she does the atrocities of war. Now, Benihime knows a blond who, given time, can manipulate any given situation to produce any result he wishes.

She believes in nothing in this world so much as she believes in Kisuke.

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As they take to the midnight skies, Ichigo looks back over his shoulder at his lover. He hasn't been told what the plan is, but that doesn't surprise him. If he has learned one thing about the Urahara since he first met the blond, it is that said blond has a penchant for secrets. After all, you can't spill a secret you don't know.

Thinking about all the things he's learned of the blond brings him back, eventually, to the first time he met the ex-shopkeeper.

Mom's been dead for years; Dad's death is still fresh in all the Kurosaki children's minds. It is a bare day since the priest brought the news...and informed them that their father's body was lost in the sea as he tumbled from the cliffs. Ichigo doesn't want to remember the horrified wails from Yuzu, the silent dismay of Karin. But he can't do anything else. Even the priest's words are buried beneath the tragic wave that knocked him spinning.

And then he comes. The blond. That eccentric, strange-looking blond in green and white robes and sandals.

He comes with a sad look and claims to be a friend of their father, but Ichigo never heard him speak of this man, this Urahara Kisuke. In disbelief he reads a letter penned by his father's own hand.

Ichigo,

If you're reading this, I'm sorry. I failed. And I can no longer protect you or your sisters.

I don't know what dangers you face, or even how many people you can trust, wherever you're at.

But the bearer of this letter...trust him. Urahara Kisuke is an old friend of mine—and a man who will do his best by all of you, even if that means calling on his oldest and best friends. He will take you to his shop and probably you will meet Tsukabishi Tessai and Shihoin Yoruichi there. I trust them with you—and your sisters—too, but Kisuke will be your surest protection, and here's why: he's the most likely to be able to predict and deflect dangers targeting you children.

I wish I could be there for you. But if I can't, he will. He promised, and he's a man of his word, after all.

Your loving father,

Kurosaki Isshin

Tears in his eyes, the orange-haired youth looks up at the blond standing sadly next to him.

"It was a letter I never wanted to deliver," says the man. Shadows twist and dance across his face, hiding his expression. "But I am not the kind of person to leave children on their own, even if Isshin hadn't had me promise to look out for you. When you're ready, we'll load the cart and be off to a safer place. I don't know what enemies remain."

Karin breaks in, heartbroken but still suspicious in defense of her siblings. "Enemies? What enemies?"

Eyes a dull gray, flecked with green, stare at the girl with such sadness that she takes half a step back before catching herself. "Your father was a good swordsman and a good man. Swordsmen make enemies, more as their skill grows. Good men make more yet, if they live long enough...and he did."

Ichigo grumpily agrees with this truth. So they pack, load the wagon, and away they go. When they get to Urahara's shop that night, all three Kurosaki orphans are too tired to take in much of their surroundings, so the blond ushers them off to new rooms and new beds.

The morning after their arrival at the shop, bandits arrive at dawn. They stand in the yard, shouting threats and waving weapons, and Ichigo sighs and prepares to go teach them a lesson. A hand on his arm stops him, so he looks at his father's friend. Urahara is smiling.

"I am not incompetent, you know. You haven't even settled in yet; let me handle this, hm?" he says, tapping his cheek with the folded fan.

It occurs to Ichigo that this man is probably the single most infuriating person he's ever met. Part of it is the fan; part of it is the hat; part of it is the fact that as soon as he discovers one hidden facet of the man's personality, two more appear to confound him. No little bit of it, too, is the silver tongue that twists words into mangled coils and leaves them for someone else to untangle. Kurosaki Ichigo has never liked verbal battles; he's too physical, too active. But he raises one eyebrow and eases back on his heels, letting the odd shopkeeper do as he wishes.

Moving with hidden grace, the scruffy store owner walks outside. "My, my," he says, smiling kindly behind his fan, "what is this about?" Sharp gray-green eyes observe every detail, though no one notices.

"Whadda ya think we're after?" sneers one of the bigger bandits. "It's a store; we want goods and money!"

The hat's brim lowers to cover most of Urahara's eyes, hiding the sudden dangerous gleam. "Oh, really?" he asks ingeniously, fan furling shut with a snap and disappearing into his sleeve. "Well, customers don't usually come to the shop so early, but if you want to save money you've come to the right place."

Ichigo wants to punch the blond for general stupidity, but a deeper, more observant part holds him back. That man is up to something, and he wants to know what.

"Customers?" Several bandits snicker. "You're not going to get money, fool; we're here to take it all!"

"Is that so?" His mild, kind tone is what makes Ichigo wary; no one who speaks like that is about to be nice, not when there's laughter underscoring the words in this type of situation.

"Get 'em, boys!" shouts the leader, a hulking man who looms over the shopkeeper.

"What do they teach people these days?" queries the blond man as he knocks one cold with a chop to the back of his neck. His next target lunges at him; Urahara trips him blithely, then drops a palm down so fast the man's head leaves an impression in the dirt when it hits a second later.

As the Kurosaki orphans watch in awe—and, in Yuzu's case, worry—their father's friend confronts an entire bandit group barehanded...and wins. Twelve would-be bandits lie strewn about the road and the store's front yard. Every one of those men seems more dangerous than the blond, but where Urahara's concerned it appears wise to be cautious. Whoever these would-be bandits are, they have come to the wrong place, and never once did the shop owner so much as form a fist.

Yuzu exclaims loudly about how amazing the blond is, and Karin looks impressed. Well, Ichigo is too—but he's not going to show it.

"Think you can teach me how to take people out like that?" the young man asks. He knows other ways to take people out, but they all involve fists or, in rare cases, swords. Urahara used no fists, no weapons. Just his hands.

Adjusting his hat—and hell if that isn't the most ridiculous and annoying hat Ichigo's ever seen—the shop owner smiles. "Mm, yes. I suppose I could. But after breakfast, hm? Being nice to fools leaves me hungry." And those gray-green eyes flash cold amusement. It's only a moment, but honey-colored eyes catch it all. This man, this odd, eccentric shopkeeper...he is not so nice as he pretends to be. Ichigo will remember that.

But his father's letter claims Urahara as a friend—and would the blond have taken in three kids who didn't even know he existed if he wasn't friends with Kurosaki Isshin? Ichigo guesses maybe he would; there are two other children living with him, after all. But this leaves him with a conundrum, an enigma. Just who and what is the real Urahara? The nice one, or the cold bastard who fights so well? The one who adopts stray children or the one who beats the living daylights out of people because they're causing problems in his territory? (Because Ichigo's sure that's why he stepped in, not because they were supposedly tired from the long trip the day prior.)

Ichigo resolves to find out.

Smiling at the memory, Ichigo leans back against his blond lover. I found out, alright. He distinctly remembers finding out that the shopkeeper has more to him than an onion has layers and is just as good at getting reactions from people. It disgruntled him then, but now he's older and wiser (or perhaps is just more accustomed to the blond) and if anything, he finds it amusing.

Content just to be with his dragon and his lover—though he feels something is missing, and that would be Benihime—Ichigo sighs and leaves the immediate details to the other two. Without realizing it, he drifts off.

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Urahara Kisuke feels his lover's muscles relax in slumber. With a soft smile, he nuzzles the younger man, knowing they are safe on Zangetsu's back. It's a shorter journey this time, since they only need to find daytime shelters for one dragon and two humans, and they make it about a third of the way in one night. The next two nights are the same, and then they reach the seaside cave and Ichigo goes down to fish for their supper, and finally the blond has a chance to talk to Zangetsu alone.

He comes at it slyly, acting as if he is merely missing Benihime, because if he isn't careful he might well scare the other male away from the prospect completely. Gray-green eyes appear lonely as he says, "I wonder how 'hime's doing..."

Zangetsu tilts his head and eyes the blond fondly. He approves of this man his rider has chosen; for a human, the man has dragon sensibilities—and is smarter than most, to boot. ::I am sure she's fine,:: he rumbles reassuringly. ::She's not one to let anything stand in the way of what she wants to do, after all.::

"That's true..." Those expressive eyes are wan, though, as he sighs. "But we've got a long task ahead of us, whatever we do, and we're going to be apart for long periods of time again..."

The dragon snorts, then nudges Kisuke with his nose. ::Not if you hurry up and get that spell working, the one Benihime was going on about.::

"Oh yeah!" The blond stands and hurries to his packs, where he pulls out a journal and riffles quickly through the pages in search of something. "Ah ha! Here it is!" He frowns and mumbles to himself for a bit before pulling out a pen and making notations to one side. There's a long moment full of nothing but the sound of the pen scratching across the paper before he softly asks, "Since 'hime's not here... Would you like to be the first to test this? I'm pretty sure I've got the kinks worked out, but we'll have to wait for Ichigo to rejoin us."

A pause, and then Zangetsu replies, ::Yes. I do not like it when Ichigo goes into danger without me.::

"So long as you realize 'hime's going to be jealous," the blond gently reminds him.

::She likes me,:: the dragon retorts, unaware of the double meaning in his words. He doesn't know she likes him as a potential mate; he means it as fondness, the way one friend likes another. ::Whatever she does won't be permanent.::

"Well," says the blond, flipping his fan open to hide a smile. "As long as you're sure."