Author's notes: Well, it's the first chapter for the sequel to Janus' Maze! For first time readers, check out Essential Notions Concerning Hydrogen Monoxide and then A Skein of Afterlives: Janus' Maze. JM is undergoing an editing process. I appreciate any comments, questions, or constructive criticism for Liminal Cocoon! -hearts-
Also it goes without saying, spoilers for Kamakura/Gensoukai Arcs. Things deviate a bit from true canon, but I've tried to keep the majority of it there.
Edit: Because I decided that I liked Tenkou and Taimou without the 'u'.
Still looking for the answer
I cannot find the finish
It's either this or that way
It's one way or the other
It should be one direction
It could be on reflection
The turn I have just taken
The turn that I was making
I might be just beginning
I might be near the end
-Excerpt from "Anywhere Is" by Enya
Immediately after they touched ground, Hisoka sighed knowing they would be surrounded by his partner's Summons. He looked at the crumpled fuda that protected him from others' emotions and balled it up tossing it at Tsuzuki's head. It wasn't like he needed it for Shikigami. He couldn't sense their emotions to begin with.
"Hey! What was that for?" Frowning at the balled up fuda in his hand and carefully smoothing it out, Tsuzuki blinked at it.
Gripping the strap of his sack because he was secretly glad to feel Tsuzuki again without needing to touch the link, Hisoka looked over his shoulder at his confused partner. "Hey. I'm going to wander around while you visit."
Tsuzuki held the charm carefully in his fingers, worried about his partner nonetheless. "Visit? Where—OMPH!"
"Master!" The pale-haired young man dressed in loose warrior robes perched on Tsuzuki's back with a long striped tail curling out above him.
"B-byakko, please get off of me. That kind of hurt."
As Byakko's happy cries faded behind him, Hisoka looked at the map Rikugo had given him and walked towards the Central Prayer Area of Tenkuu Palace, thinking of meeting the six-eyed Shiki. Stopping he could sense that someone was shadowing him. With a bored expression he knew who it probably was, even if he couldn't feel his shiki. "Riko…"
"Rrrrrrrikoo! Hi ya Amigo! Long time, no see!" The cactus hopped out of the shadows wiggling around, imploringly looking up at its master. "Why didn't you summon me at least once?"
"Because you're useless. You'd get annihilated by anything I couldn't handle myself."
"Even though that's mean to say, it's nice of you to look out for me! Though, that's really my job…" The prickly plant's eyes watered up and suddenly a jet of water flushed out, drenching Hisoka. "I'm sorry you have no faith in us, master!!"
"You stupid cactus!! You got me wet!"
"Riko, riko! We're a team, you need to remember that!"
Holding the bouncing cactus down by its cowboy hat to avoid the needles, Hisoka groaned. "I know."
Halting its hopping, Riko looked up at him worriedly. "You're not thinking of Kurikara still?"
Hisoka waved dismissively continuing his walk to the Central Prayer Area. "He's out of my league if all I could manage was you."
"Don't say that!! You're stronger now!" Mouth stretching into a wide smile, his shikigami looked very pleased with itself as it kept pace with him.
"And that means, what? That you grew a few centimeters?"
"Not only that, but I have two new attacks and I can handle stronger opponents, amigo!"
"Riko, don't bother me right now. I'm looking for—"
"Oh? What a pleasant surprise." The two eyes above his eyebrows closed politely, Rikugo bowed lightly to the boy. "Greetings Hisoka. If you're back to try taming again, might I suggest Mount Koho?"
As Riko bounced and waved its stubby arms in worried babbling, Hisoka blinked blankly at the suggestion. "What's there?"
"Hisoka, no! We shouldn't go there!"
When Rikugo offered no explanation as he looked at the hopping cactus, Hisoka sighed turning to his shikigami. "Why not?"
"Fierce Shikigami dwell there. They've got mucho mean attitudes and short tempers!"
"We're going anyway. Rikugo, could you please take this to my room? I'd like to leave now." Hisoka offered his bag of clothes to the astrologer, who took it bowing gracefully to him. "Certainly. Would you like for me to come along?"
"No. I think I can manage."
"That's right! We can manage, amigo!" Jumping in excitement, the cactus wiggled happily. Hisoka didn't notice that his Summons was beaming at the astrologer in gratitude as he hung his head to the side dreading the thought of spending any great length of time with his noisy summons.
"Good day, young Hisoka. I'll tell Master where you've gone."
"Thanks."
"Oh and you may need this." The fortuneteller held a map out to him. "Mount Koho can be very disorienting due to the magic of its residents. Be on guard."
Hisoka nodded and carefully pocketed the offered parchment.
Teiko fluffed her wings irritably. The winds had changed sour as if an ill omen had descended upon the kingdom of Hei Hei. She was the commander in charge of the king's personal guard, but today she was, as the rotation system required once a fortnight, on watch.
Her ears perked at the sounds of an intruder making no attempt to keep their footing quiet. Teiko smelled the air and immediately her hackles raised. One of Enma's children had dared to walk into their territory. How foolish! Spreading her wings she hopped into the breeze, gliding towards the arguing she could clearly hear.
"Riko, when I asked for some water, it meant enough to cup in my hand, not several liters!!"
She landed quietly in the brush watching the diminutive Shinigami and a common riko. She chuckled softly to herself. It was laughable really that such a weak shikigami was all the human had to protect himself.
"I'm sorry, master! You just looked so thirsty…"
"And now I'm soake— Who's there?!" The boy's sharp green eyes pierced into the dark shrubbery Teiko had taken refuge in. She stepped forwards, and sat cleaning her face with a paw.
"It's a hei hei! Be careful!!"
Yawning and stretching harmlessly as a few seconds sluggishly passed, she stood circling the boy settling her wings defensively on her back as she inspected the spark of power flickering deep within the human. "Human, you have trespassed near our kingdom without a formal invitation." Holding the mischievous smirk on her feline face, she mused that if she had been anyone else, she would have already attacked to ward the boy off. Unfortunately, his true power was elusive, and evading her Sight. She had no idea what he was capable of.
"If you do not turn away now, you will not be allowed to leave until the King has demanded it."
"I'll take my chances. I'm looking for a suitable Shikigami." Despite his riko's protest, he stepped forward impertinently.
Outspreading her wings, her power poured forth from her as she bent into her defensive stance. "I will rip your throat out before you have a chance to go any closer to our sacred city!"
That stilled the boy as his hand tightened by his side. "Is this your test?"
"No one from our great kingdom would taint their hands with a foul creature of Enma, human!!" She growled out fur standing on end. "Be gone!!" Summoning a great hale of wind, she had not expected to blow the boy into a tree. He hadn't even bothered to shield. Was he mocking her?! But no, the boy crumpled, chin against his chest and making no motion to tell his panicked servant to quiet.
"Hisoka! Amigo, wake up!!" Realizing its master was fully unconscious, the cactus type turned. "Master, I'll protect you! No hard feelings, hei hei!"
"You think you can defeat me?" Curious, Teiko raised her head tilting it and looking down at the pathetic summons as it danced in place and its needles waved and seemed to shimmer.
Twirling and waving its arms in a stance, Riko smiled. "Exactly! Thousand Waterfalls, Wash Out!!"
A massive wave of water soared above her and she stood agape at the enormity of water it had summoned. Then she jumped flapping to try to gain some altitude to flee it, but was caught in the enormous cascade of water. She felt like she would suffocate as it slammed her into the ground and carried her swiftly away. When she finally surfaced, she howled in frustration as she struggled for the edges of the great valley river. The infernal servant had dumped her into the raging river about sixty meters away!
When she finally managed to reach the shore, she was several kilometers from where she had fallen in. She shook herself out as best as she could, fur matted to her body uncomfortably and feathers horribly out of place. She shivered from the cool mountain wind as she scrambled up the nearest tree to the tallest branch, set on gliding upstream. She toppled on her first jump realizing a little too late that the water made her too heavy to try anything remotely like flying. Taking it by foot, by the time she made it to the boundary of the kingdom, they had already passed into it leaving a sickening scent to trail them by.
She had never imagined a lowly shiki managing such a higher-end mid-level attack! The boy's ability was decidedly a lot more insidious than what she typically associated as Shinigami. A power that could not be weighed by Sight alone troubled her.
For now, she planned to catch up to them before they entered the Palace and kick them out. The King would be glad and probably not strip of her of rank at least.
Probably.
Nearly all of his summons crowded around him eager to find out what was in the basket. Kouchin slipped the photo album easily from his grasp as Tsuzuki tried to maintain at least three different conversations.
"Oh, what's this?" She smiled setting her biwa down where she had been sitting by the fountain. "A collection of finely detailed images of our master and his partner, how wonderful!" She opened it reverently.
"I wanna see!!" Tenko giggled happily, crawling on the fountain next to her. "Oh wow! They look so happy in this picure!"
At that point Suzaku, Kijin, and Byakko simultaneously stopped and turned to the young shikigami's happy cries.
"It seems brother's words came true afterall!" Tenko beamed up at Kijin who smiled down at her then towards the picture in question. "I only proclaimed that they would reap the benefits of a strong partnership."
"What are they doing anyway?" Byakko leaned obtrusively trying to twist his way around them to see the picture straight.
"Oh, congratulations, Tsuzuki!!" Suzaku crowed in glee scooping him up in her arms and hugging him tightly. "I knew he'd see the light."
"Wha— No, no, I think you're—" Tsuzuki tried before getting cut off.
"It's that?! Wow! Good going, master!" The guardian of the west cheered.
"Uhh." A little confused, their master raised his arms up. "Wait. Hisoka and I aren't together like that."
"But you're sleeping together in the same bed even!" Tenko hopped up with the album in hand and pointed at the picture in question. Tsuzuki flushed realizing that he hadn't finished looking at it after Hisoka had tried to damage it.
"That's… uh."
"Out with it!" The look in the fiery eyes of his Phoenix demanded it.
Sunlight spilled over their forms in the photo, where Tsuzuki was curled up protectively around Hisoka, his jaw against the younger one's head. One leg sprawled over Hisoka's, while Hisoka had pressed against him seeking warmth and assurance through constant contact.
"That's in the medical ward in Meifu. Hisoka's mental barriers were shredded by a vicious attack and I didn't want him to have nightmares."
"Where is your partner?" A careful Kouchin interjected warmly with just a hint of gentleness. "We had assumed that you both would be staying for a small duration of time."
It was when Tsuzuki turned to look down the walkway that he noticed Touda, who remained in the shadows on the open-air walkway some distance away with his arms crossed and leaning against the wall, but close enough to hear everything.
"He said he would be wandering around some place, while I visited. Tenkuu, could you tell me where Hisoka is?"
"Master, the boy left my protection just a few minutes ago."
"From where?" Tsuzuki felt like he had been punched in the gut, and pulled away from his summons.
"North gate, master."
Looking upset Tsuzuki wondered if Hisoka had ditched him in some misguided belief that he needed to go it alone.
Suzaku wrapped an arm around his waist pulling him against her and lightly touching his head and brushing a hand along his jaw, smiling for him. "He'll be alright, Tsuzuki."
"Yeah! We can catch him before he gets too far!"
"That won't be necessary, Byakko. Young Hisoka insisted that he needed no assistance."
Every eye turned to Rikugo's abrupt entrance.
"Young Hisoka has gone to Mount Koho to see if a hei hei would accept him."
"But they have such a hatred of Shinigami…" Kouchin quietly reiterated what the other Shikigami were thinking.
Bristling Suzaku took an aggressive step towards the astrologer, but a firm hand made her stay. Tsuzuki's voice was calm when he asked Rikugo, "Why did you let him go?"
Smiling faintly, Rikugo gave a helpless gesture. "Master, he has his own shikigami to take care of him. I offered my assistance and he refused. Besides, it was his Riko who insisted they go alone together far before you two returned. If anything wayward were to happen, young Hisoka's summons knows how to contact me."
Tsuzuki lightly touched the vibrant link and felt an echo of a headache call back. His summons crowded him again when he visibly relaxed.
"You have to trust that he can take care of himself, master."
It was wise advice, but Tsuzuki was hardpressed to let it alone even though his summons ushered him to the dining hall. They always knew when he was hungry.
"Daion, Taimo! There you are!"
The oily pot bopped to the side once and then stilled, as Taimo nodded affirming his presence.
Looking left and right, their master looked baffled. "Where is Sohryuu?"
Kijin provided a quick answer while the others passed looks. "He's meditating over a solution since the wormholes have only grown more constant since last you visited. He believes that the Celestial Emperor may grant him a vision that will provide a solution."
"Oh. An Gennmuu?" Scooping fried rice from the plate of food in front of him, Tsuzuki talked around a large mouthful.
"Who can say? He's gone off somewhere mumbling about tribes."
Feeling a jolt of pain in his side, Tsuzuki winced touching where he felt something pierce him, and looked at his fingers expecting blood. There wasn't any. He blinked as his vision went blurry.
All of them sensed danger for their master though they were all quite confused since there was no threat in sight.
"Tsuzuki?" Taimo asked in deep concern peering at his fingers and at his paling face.
Unexpectedly, his eyes rolled back and limply fell forward towards his food, only to be caught by the back of his shirt by a stoic Touda.
"We have to move as fast as we can, amigo!"
Holding his head as he glanced at the city marked on the map, Hisoka grimaced as his healing ability took longer than normal to wipe the pain away. "That cat really packs a punch."
"You can't judge them by their size, Hisoka." That his summons was actually admonishing him surprised him.
"Obviously." He glanced towards Riko hopping cheerfully near him. "What did you use on it?"
"Thousand waterfalls! It washes the enemy away so we can run!! Isn't that good?" It took Hisoka a moment to realize the grinning cactus was asking for praise.
"Sure. Thanks, Riko." He packed away his map sighing lightly as his summon whooped in joy. "The city should be less than a few kilometers away."
"Well we gotta put some speed into it, amigo! That hei hei'll be back! They're very territorial, you know!!"
A very deep growl came from the pure white cat with wings that stood many meters away in front of them. A single red line marking the top of its head between its slitted green eyes told them it was the very same hei hei who had attacked them earlier. Wet fur was matted to the thin frame of the angry shikigami. "Get out! Leave this place!! I have no time to waste on filth like you!"
"Hola! Why didn't you just attack us then, hei hei? You aren't very bright, are you?"
"CUTTING GALE." Power flared up around the small form, and leaves were scooped up in the heavy bout of wind whirling straight towards them and snapping hapless branches in its path.
"Shield!!" Hisoka yelled out activating the charm he had made on his own, and a dome of light shimmered around the two just big enough to envelope them both. The miniature tornado battered at the shield, but after several moments howling wind died away without cracking their protection. Hisoka was trying to hold his hand steady and breathe evenly, not wanting to lose. The hei hei looked even more drained huffing, but its pose was still fierce with its hackles raised. "Coward!!"
"Am I? You're the one who won't admit you're weak. Come on, Riko." He dropped the barrier and stepped around the hei hei giving her some room.
The cactus shot a pitying look at the winged cat as they passed right by it, still out of breath.
"Feather Strike!" Sharp feathered quills rained down on them from suddenly extended wings, but most missed their target though not because of Hisoka's reaction time. A quill was lodged painfully in his right side, but it had been Riko who had jumped into the way pre-emptively and Riko who was covered in innumerous feathers.
"Riko!!" Despite the stabbing pain, he grabbed his summons by the pot and carried it a very short distance away from the hei hei before his legs gave out. He mentally cursed his inability to get away as Riko twitched. "Riko. Just hold on!"
"Haha. Who's 'weak' now, scum? Those quills are poisoned with a paralysis serum. You're at my mercy!!"
Glaring at the tiny shikigami and gritting his teeth to prepare himself, he grabbed the one in his side and yanked the barbed quill out swallowing the tears into a pained hiss. "We'll get through this, ok Riko?"
"You won't be able to move in a few moments. I win by default!"
The pain was excruciating as his body slowly began to knit. Ignoring the hei hei in favor of pulling out the ones in his summons, Hisoka was angry at himself for misjudging it. He hadn't had any clue of the attack with his empathy insensitive to shikigami though that didn't make him feel any better. He should have avoided getting so close to it. As he excised the quills from Riko with care, he watched the 'wounds' bleed out water and hoped that the cactus was okay as he spread his fingers out above his shiki to heal.
"Boy!! I'm talking to you!"
Hisoka's head snapped up. "Shut the hell up. If you had the energy to attack, you would have already!!" He lowered his hands when he saw the wounds knit up. Please, wake up!
"a-amigo…"
"Riko? What is it?"
" gotta flush…" Suddenly a wave of water outpoured from every pore of his summons and Hisoka was left drenched again.
"Rrrriko!! I'm feeling great!"
"You stupid cactus!! I'm soaked again!!"
"Aww, master, you really do care about me!"
Just then remembering that they weren't alone by the presence he sensed, he sluggishly moved his head to look at the proud hei hei whose legs were shaking from the effort to stand, Hisoka grimaced holding his side as the wound itched and burned like a sore. "What's your name?"
"I would not lower myself to your level, Shinigami! We are not equals! You haven't won yet!!"
A small smile twitched at his lips at that, feeling very fuzzy and relaxed. "You sound like me." Then, slumped over exhaustion and poison having taken its toll.
"This fax must be wrong. What needs to be solved? Is it a soul retrieval or a demon banishing?" Terazuma frowned down at it. "Can't go barging into the Kid's family home without something to go by."
"It does say 'investigation', Hajime. Whatever it is, it's urgent."
They looked up at the blond-haired cheerful resident scientist entering the workroom sipping coffee. "Hey Wakaba! Judging by your look you have a new case?"
"Yes…" She said carefully briefly looking to Terazuma before continuing, "Watari-san. We've been sent orders to investigate Kurosaki Nagare near Kamakura City."
"The Kurosakis again? How terrible."
The two partners exchanged glances.
"What do you mean, Watari-san?"
"Oh. We forgot to tell you. Tatsumi and I took care of an unnatural pregnancy and sent Bon's mother, Rui, along in your area, while you two were busy with another case about half a year ago... I'm still not so sure the offspring was part-demon… The pregnancy would never have been so drawn out, but we needed to complete the investigation quickly before I could get any conclusive evidence. Ask the Gushoshin for a copy of the report if you need to. They'd understand the need and relevance to your assignment. We'd never told Bon, and never spoke of the case to anyone other than the chief really."
"You got any advice with dealing with the kid's family?" Terazuma's gruff voice didn't cover his discomfort in the slightest.
"Be wary of his uncle, Iwao. He's merciless. As for Bon's father," Watari paused collecting the pieces of observation to create a mosaic in his mind of his personality, "he's cold and detached. Something you'd expect with an old family like that. However it was unsettling that he didn't even blink or look remorseful when we told him who we were and that we would kill his wife and what could partially be his child."
"The hell kinda father is that?" Terazuma growled out as Wakaba shushed him.
Rather than answering the question, Watari decided to let a dirty secret air. "I suspect the attitude is because the Kurosakis commit infanticide with their firstborn daughters, giving the next boy born the same name as the daughter before him."
With a thunderous roar, Wakaba suddenly found her partner's shikigami standing where Terazuma once was. Watari choked on his coffee finding the sudden transformation peculiar and took several steps back. That was certainly unexpected.
"Hajime! Seal!" Hands immediately at Terazuma's shoulders, Wakaba tightly held them as he fumed. "Calm down!!"
"How could you leave the bastard alive?!" Enraged eyes met tranquil golden ones, masked by glasses.
"You assume Bon's father is responsible? How naïve."
Holding out a spare shirt and slacks, Wakaba looked to Watari. "Who…?"
Terazuma flushed both at the injury to insult and his nudity, snatching the articles from her hand and slipping them on.
"It was the uncle. Regardless," Watari looked pointedly at the fax lying innocently on the table. "We were only told to 'investigate' his mother. You'll know what needs to be done once you see it as we did." He waved one-handedly after refilling his cup of coffee and headed to the door. "Have fun and say hello to Miya, the maid. She was ever so helpful in our investigation!"
"Thank you, Watari-san." The Suzaku gate miko smiled warmly waving back as the scientist left.
"I can't forgive a parent upholding a tradition like that." Her partner glared down at the fax.
Carefully touching his back as she leaned into him, Wakaba nodded. "Let's work on an alibi, Hajime." Knowing they might not need one because of the family's previous contact with their coworkers, his partner had suggested it mainly to soothe his temper before they headed out.
He calmed down, but his temper had smoothed into a fiery resolve.
The bastard responsible would find justice by the living's hands.
TBC.