Chapter 7: Missing Pieces

Byakuya felt his cousin's fingers move where his own curved around them, and he sat up straighter in the chair he had occupied all night.

"Tetsuya?" he called softly.

His cousin moaned distantly and shifted in his sleep, his lips moving and faint, unintelligible words forming there. Byakuya tightened his hand on his cousin's and leaned over Tetsuya, bringing his free hand to the unconscious man's face.

"Tetsuya, watashi no itoko, please wake up!" he whispered urgently.

Tetsuya went still again, and Byakuya sat back, sighing softly and rubbing his eyes with one hand as the other continued to hold his cousin's.

"There have been no changes through the night?" asked the clan healer.

"No," Byakuya said, shaking his head gently, "He is the same. Yasuo, is there nothing more that you can do?"

The clan healer shook his head.

"I have healed his injuries to the best of my ability," Yasuo admitted, "The rest is up to him. But I can, perhaps, shed some light on what he has endured recently."

Byakuya nodded.

"What did you learn?"

"There were injuries to his wrists and ankles, indicating that he had been bound, and odd cuts on his hands, arms and legs that suggested that he cut the bonds with something sharp. There were healing marks on his back, as well as signs of disruption in his reiatsu, suggesting that he was beaten. There were no signs of sexual assault. He was not extraordinarily thin nor was he dehydrated, so I do not think that he was held for long by his captor."

Byakuya's eyes flared at the healer's description.

"Were you able to identify the reiatsu of his captor?" he asked in a low, dangerous voice.

"Not yet," said Yasuo, "His captor was powerful, and had the foresight and knowledge to anticipate and plan for covering his tracks in case your cousin escaped. But…there is something that he could not cover up."

"And what is that?" asked Byakuya.

"Your cousin's clothes and body were damp when he arrived here. I have taken samples from his clothes and skin cells, and have determined from the trace evidence that he was submerged in a river and tumbled in a strong current. Bruising on his body supports this. And the only river close enough for him to have emerged from and arrived here wet, is the one that runs through the manor property and then goes out and into the Rukongai. That suggests that he was being held on or near the estate."

"Very well. I will have our security forces scour the grounds for any sign of where he might have been held. I want to know who did this to him and why! He has been missing for years, and I suspect that this person who captured and tormented him knows why!"

He squeezed his cousin's hand gently and whispered an assurance that he would return. He left the room and summoned the head of house security.

"Tsutomu, have you had any word back from the trackers that you sent out last night?"

"They arrived a short time ago," Tsutomu said, nodding, "but they were unable to find anything definitive."

"I see. Our healer has found evidence that Tetsuya fell into the river that runs through our property. I want another team to scour the riverbanks and to let me know immediately if they find where he entered or exited the river."

"Yes sir," the man replied, "I will see to it personally!"

Byakuya watched him leave, then flash stepped to the barn, where a healer stood next to a weary looking Arashi.

"How did he fare last night?" he asked the healer.

"Well enough, considering," the healer said, patting the stallion on the neck and feeding him a horse cube, "He was dehydrated and had injuries suggesting a fall of some kind. He was damp, so it seems that he fell into water a short time before he was found. But he may have been trapped or confined before that, where there was no access to food or drink. If he was confined, he was meant to starve to death. I found a lot of bruising and some cuts from the fall, but he did not suffer any broken bones."

"Thank kami for that," said Byakuya.

"I healed his injuries and now he really just needs proper food and rest. I have instructed an attendant, who will care for him."

He started to go on, but was interrupted by the arrival of a hell butterfly.

"Taichou," said Renji's voice, "I received word this morning that there was a break-in at the orphanage in Rukongai 33 last night. I came to investigate and found that the only thing that was taken were five files on orphans who lived here. Taichou, the five boys whose files were taken were the same five that were meeting yesterday to celebrate their birthdays. I sent word back to the division to put Rikichi and Miki under guard. I was concerned because last night, three of the five boys who were at the party disappeared without a trace…and without giving any indication they were leaving. I have groups investigating each of their homes for clues, and I will report to you as soon as there is any information."

Byakuya frowned and let out a frustrated breath.

"Continue to see to my cousin's mount," he told the healer, "I will return later for an update on his condition."

"Of course, sir."

He flash stepped back to his bedroom, pausing for a moment to check on Tetsuya, then hurriedly dressing and heading for the division office. He was just arriving as the division alarms sounded and the shriek of a powerful hollow shattered the peace of the morning.

XXXXXXXXXX

Rikichi blinked sleepily and yawned, loathe to leave the warmth of his bed. He pressed closer to what seemed to be a pillow pushed up against his back, but the warm pillow seemed to move, startling the youth into sitting up quickly.

"Wh-wha…?" he stammered.

He found himself looking into the wide golden eyes of Kisho's clouded leopard form.

"Oh, it's you!" Rikichi laughed, as Kisho shifted to shinigami form.

"Sorry for surprising you," said the Shihoin prince, smiling at him, "I tried to curl up at the end of the bed, but got a bit cold in the middle of the night. I hope I didn't offend you."

"N-no," said Rikichi, his cheeks flushing slightly, "It's fine."

Miki sat up on the sofa, across the room from them.

"Is it morning already?" he asked, "It must be. I'm starving!"

"I'm pretty hungry, myself," said Rikichi, "We can go to the barracks kitchen for breakfast, or because I'm a seated officer now, we can stay here, make our food in the squad kitchen and bring it to my private quarters."

"Hmmm," said Kisho, "Perhaps until we hear from Kuchiki taichou regarding what happened yesterday, we should stay here."

"I think Kisho's right," said Rikichi, slipping out of bed and retying the belt at the waist of his sleeping yukata, "I'll go and make us something."

"Would you like some help?" asked Kisho, "Though I don't know what help I'll be, because I've never cooked anything for myself."

"Really?" asked Rikichi and Miki together.

Kisho nodded.

"I wasn't allowed to because I'm an heir. My attendant always tries to do everything for me. Yesterday and today are the longest I've been without him constantly bugging me! Though…it's not a horrible problem to have," he said, his golden eyes studying the other two youths, "I imagine that you two had it pretty rough, living in the Rukongai, ne? Mid-Rukon, I've heard, isn't as bad as lower Rukon, but it can be rough…"

"It was sometimes," said Miki, glancing at Rikichi, "But Rikichi and I, and our other friends all had each other. And thanks to Tadao, we had Noa at the orphanage to care for us. We didn't mind doing things for ourselves, because she taught us how to survive."

Kisho laughed good-naturedly.

"You see? That's what I keep telling them at home! If our servants ever revolt, I think half the noble clans would not survive!"

"Well," chuckled Rikichi, "We can't have that. You are just going to have to come with me, and I'll teach you how to cook for yourself."

"Really?" asked Kisho, looking impressed, "You think you can?"

"I don't know," shrugged the youth, "But it will be fun trying. Miki, do you want to join us?"

"Actually," said the other boy, "I would kind of like a hot shower before we eat, if you don't mind. Half the time, our hot water doesn't last long in the apartment where I live."

"See," said Rikichi, "I told you that you should become a shinigami. Even in the regular barracks, the food is always good and hot, and the showers are always nice and warm."

"Huh…maybe you're right. I don't know, though. I'm not so powerful…"

"You did really well against the hollows yesterday," said Kisho, "and I sense respectable power in you. You should apply."

"Maybe I will," said the youth, "but after I take that warm shower."

Rikichi and Kisho exchanged amused glances as their friend walked into the bathroom and shut the door. Kisho followed Rikichi to the kitchen and watched as he gathered the ingredients for their meal.

"We'll make pancakes," Rikichi suggested, "I know the recipe by heart, but it's right here in this book, so you can help prepare it."

"Okay," said Kisho, grinning, "But just remember. You're being helped by someone with two left paws!"

"Two left…paws?" Rikichi repeated, blinking.

"Sorry, bad joke," said Kisho, "and it's really related to dancing, not cooking…but, go ahead."

"Why don't you measure out the flour?" Rikcihi suggested.

He turned to the refrigerator and scanned the shelves for eggs, not noticing how Kisho watched him out of the corner of an eye. Rikichi returned and cracked the egg, then let the inside fall into the flour, as Kisho read the list of ingredients and slowly added them. He watched quietly as the gentle brown-eyed youth stirred the mixture, then portioned it into a pan that had been greased with melting butter.

"You see the bubbles that are forming on top?" asked Rikichi, "You just wait until they pop, and the edges look a little dry, then you flip them over and cook the other side."

Kisho stood beside Rikichi, enjoying the closeness with the other boy and carefully watching the pancakes.

"They look ready now," said Rikichi, handing him a spatula, "Go ahead and turn them. Just flip them over one by one."

Kisho slipped the spatula beneath one of the pancakes and lifted, then turned it, but missed the pan as he let it fall. The two youths watched as it fell to the floor.

Kisho blushed.

"Oops…sorry," he said, ruefully.

"That's okay," said Rikichi, grabbing a towel and dropping to his knees in front of Kisho.

Kisho felt an odd tickle inside, looking down at Rikichi's bowed head, at the colored beads resting on his shoulder…at the slender, graceful hands that mopped up the mess he had made. He dropped to his knees and placed a hand on Rikichi's.

"No, let me get…"

Rikichi looked up and the words froze in the Shihoin prince's throat.

"…th-that…" he managed, staring.

Rikichi swallowed hard, his heart pounding strangely at the touch of the other youth's hand.

"Um…" he stammered, pulling his hand away, "Um…it's okay. I've got it."

He turned away quickly and ran the ruined pancake down the garbage disposal in the sink.

"Go ahead and turn the others," suggested Rikichi, feeling a hot blush on his cheeks as he washed his hands and dropped the dirty kitchen towel into a laundry hamper.

He walked back to the stove and watched quietly as Kisho turned the remaining pancakes.

"That's pretty good for your first time," said Rikichi.

Then he realized what he had said, and blushed a deeper red as Kisho bit his lip and pretended not to notice. Rikichi cleared his throat softly and went quiet until the pancakes were done, then lifted them out of the pan and set them on a waiting plate.

"The butter and syrup are over there," Rikichi said, dropping more batter into the pan, "Go ahead and eat those. I'll make some more."

Kisho smiled as he spread butter onto the pancakes and dribbled syrup generously on top. He ate slowly, his eyes watching Rikichi's back as the other youth continued with the cooking.

"These are better than the ones our cook makes," he commented.

"Hmmm," said Rikichi, glancing back and meeting his eyes for a moment, "Maybe it's just that we made them ourselves and ate them right away."

"Maybe," agreed Kisho, "But…"

He broke off and dove to the floor, dragging Rikichi down with him, as the screeching roar of a hollow sounded outside, and the kitchen wall suddenly exploded inward. Heat and debris rolled over them, throwing them back against the wall and scorching their skin.

"What in kami's name…?" Rikichi gasped as Kisho shifted to his leopard form.

"Get on!" he growled as fire erupted around them, "Rikichi, hurry!"

Rikichi wiped a tumble of bloody strands of black hair out of his eyes and dragged himself onto the leopard's back.

"I didn't know clouded leopards…got this big!" gasped Rikichi, trying to lighten the mood as Kisho leaped and crawled through the debris.

"They don't, baka. But I had to carry you!"

Rikichi laid down on the big cat's back and wrapped his arms tightly around Kisho's neck, closing his eyes and burying his face in the leopard's shoulder to stave off the heat of the fire.

"Wh-what about Miki?" he cried.

"We can't get down the hallway!" Kisho called back to him.

He broke free of the building and slid to a stop as he found himself directly in the path of a huge hollow. The hollow's dead eyes found Rikichi and flared red.

"DIE!" growled the hoarse voice, as it's bony hand rose and loosed a cero.

"Kisho!" Rikichi screamed as the leopard disappeared in a flash step and burst past the hollow.

"No! We can't leave Miki!" cried Rikichi.

"I'm not going to, but…!"

Kisho gave a harsh, catlike screech as a second hollow dropped down in front of them and swung a huge, armored fist at them, throwing the leopard off his feet and sending Kisho and Rikichi tumbling away. Rikichi crawled onto his hands and knees, his body shaking and dripping blood. The hollow advanced, raising his huge fist again.

"Oh…!" gasped Rikichi, shrinking back and raising his hands to fire a kido spell.

"Scatter, Senbonzakura," said Byakuya's calm voice.

Rikichi dragged himself towards the Shihoin prince, who was struggling to rise as a cloud of pink petal blades swirled around the attacking hollow and sent him crashing to the ground.

"Shihoin Kisho," Byakuya called to the leopard, as it climbed to its feet, "Take Rikichi to Kuchiki Manor immediately! Wait for us there."

"B-but Miki!" Rikichi objected.

"He is with Renji," the noble assured him, "Go now, and do not stop until you reach the manor!"

"Hai!" Rikichi cried, crawling back onto Kisho's back as another storm of petals struck the remaining hollow.

Kisho flash stepped away, with Rikichi clinging to his back. He disappeared down the street, turned and ran on, then turned several more times as Rikichi laid down on his back and held on tightly.

He had nearly reached the manor gates, when he heard a ripping noise and saw a garganta opening ahead if them.

"What the…!" he gasped.

"K-kisho!" yelled Rikichi.

"Menos grande in the Seireitei?" Kisho said breathlessly.

"Look out!" Rikichi cried, raising his hands and loosing a kido blast as one of the menos took aim on them, "These things are following us!"

"Well, they won't follow for long!" cried Kisho, flash stepping away.

He turned away from the manor, at the same time, masking the spiritual pressure around the two of them.

"They won't find us now!" the Shihoin prince said, glancing back, "I know a place we can hide out."

"Well, obviously, going to the manor isn't going to work!" Rikichi called back.

"Hang on," said Kisho, "We'll be there in a flash."

The two disappeared into the brush, leaving the attacking menos, staring blankly at the place they had been.