I would like to say thank you to Wikked Wolfie for their recent review. However, I would also like to put out a "shame on you" for all the rest of you. Please, I am on my hands and knees, begging you for reviews. I don't care if it's constructive or not, anything would help at this point.
Also, I would like to thank the Yoshida Brothers, masters of the samisen, for getting me though a thankfully brief bout of writer's block.
If I owned Bleach, my hair would be the same color as Ichigo's…
Chapter 10- The Fog Lifts, Lives Revealed
Ryuu is passing though the inner courtyard. Instead of taking the path to the right like last time, he continues on to a gate on the other side. The guard acknowledges him and opens the gate with out a sound.
Beyond this is an open bridge that passes over a great chasm. At the head of the bridge is a grand building. The gate into the building itself is grand and made of bronze. Above it is a carved mon of the Yamoto clan, the 16-petaled chrysanthemum. Unlike the guards in the rest of the complex, who wear the earthen colors of Lord Chi, the guard here wears golden scale armor of the Imperial Guard.
The guard bows to Ryuu. "Your highness, I wish to inform you that the Emperor is currently in court. Should I inform you of his arrival?"
Ryuu scoffed a bit at this. Of course his adoptive father was in court, when has he not. "No. I will be leaving again shortly. However, I would like the sensei of the Ka dojo sent to my quarters if they are available."
The guard looked confused for a moment before opening the gate for Ryuu. "H-hai, your highness."
Ryuu sat at his desk in his apartments, taking care of what little matters of state he had to attend to when there was a knock at his door. It slid open, revealing an Imperial Guard and a junior sensei dressed in the fiery colors of Lady Ka.
Looked up at the young man who entered. "Ah, Mutsuhito-sensei. Will any of the others be joining us?" (1)
The man bowed low. "No, your highness. I beg for forgiveness on their behalf. They are still in daily drills."
Ryuu smirked. "Who told you that anyone had to apologize for anything? Though I didn't give any names, I hoped that you would be the one they would send. I think you will be best for the job."
Mutsuhito got up from his bow. "Your Highness?"
"You will soon be sent to the Central Reed Plain to train the current incarnation of your Lady Ka." (2)
Mutsuhito looked appalled. "Your Highness! I could not possibly…"
Ryuu raised a hand to stop him. "Though the next youngest sensei may be over a century your senior, you have a patience and sense of perseverance that would put Bodhidharma to shame and you are sensitive and caring of your students. The Lady is still young, so you may need all of these qualities." (3)
He continued on despite Mutsuhito's silent protests. "Though much has changed, you are likely the only sensei here who would be able to adapt to the changes the world has gone though since your passing."
Mutsuhito sighed, knowing there was no way out of this one. "Very well, I shall instruct my Lady."
Ryuu clapped his hands together. "Good! Now that that is decided, I suggest that you carefully think about what you will need and prepare to go to the Central Reed Plain in one day's time. Someone will open the portal for you to the appropriate place."
Mutsuhito bowed and started to leave, but was stopped by Ryuu's voice.
"Oh! By the way, in the Central Reed Plain I am known as Ryuu and I would like to be referred to as such."
Mutsuhito again looked appalled. "I could not!"
Ryuu glared at the young man, his eyes starting to tinge red.
Mutsuhito looked down abashed. "Will Ryuuki-dono do?"
Ryuu's face softened and he chuckled. "I guess so. See you tomorrow."
Mutsuhito bowed again and departed.
Tessai started handing out tea to the people seated around Urahara's round table. Right now there was Isshin, Karin, Yuzu, Urahara and Yourichi. Ichigo was passed out downstairs after having trained for a full day after his near-holowfication, oblivious to everything that had occurred since going down there.
The Kurosakis had just recounted what happened the night before, mainly for Yourichi's benefit. Well, Karin left out the part where she burst into flames. She wasn't even sure that that had actually happened herself.
Yourichi, who thought it best to maintain her ruse should the twins tell the others, lapped a little bit of tea out of her specially prepared bowl before saying anything.
"Well, that's interesting. Ryuu would never become a shinigami though. He hated Yamamoto-sotaicho with a passion."
Urahara interjected. "Well maybe, but that was the only qualm that I know of. He had no issue with shinigami in general."
Isshin continued after a light pause. "Either way, it still doesn't explain his unorthodox uniform and the fact that he apparently never mentioned his new loyalties after being her for so long."
Yourichi ran a paw along the lip of the bowl. "I'm afraid I am of no help on the uniform either. I've never heard of an enso being used by any official organization in the Seireitei"
The door to the outside opened unexpectedly. The group around the table was surprised at who entered.
Urahara stood up to greet them. "Arisawa-san, Inoue-san, this is unexpected!"
Orihime spoke up. "We're sorry to intrude, but Ryuu requested that we share some information with you."
Urahara flourished a hand over to where they had been saving a spot for Ryuu. "Please take a seat. I'll get more tea."
To say that some of the others were a bit skeptical of the story Orihime and Tatsuki told was a bit of an understatement.
Yourichi simply shook her head when they were done. "I'm sorry, but you are saying that Ryuu is a descendant of kami… that he IS a kami? That YOU are the incarnations of kami?"
Yuzu glared at her, upset that she was questioning her brother's friends' honor. "Why is that so hard to believe? "
Yourichi returned the glare. "Look here missy. You just learned about all of this today. To you right now, anything's believable."
Urahara interrupted. "No, Yuzu's right. There were always things that seemed unusual around Ryuu. He always seemed to know things he shouldn't have. He seemed to have an intimate understanding of the way things worked in the Seireitei that any non-shinigami of his assumed age would have never known. "
He looked at Yourichi with an amused expression on his face. "Whether they are right or not, we have been hoodwinked."
She simply rolled her eyes and fidgeted her tale deciding that any further argument would be pointless.
Karin just stared blankly into her still-full teacup, the gears in her head working. My powers don't fit either…
Next time, Ryuu is confronted for the truth…
1- Mutsuhito was the given name of the Emperor Meiji (ruled 1867-1912). I intended this character to be him, both in personality (at least my impression of him) and appearance. I imagined that most of the people in the court would be descendants of the Yamoto family. I apologize ahead of time for anyone who may be offended by my actions involving this character. He's not going to do anything bad, mind you, but using loved historical figures is like playing with fire. It can hurt you bad, but it's so much fun!
2- In the Imperial Court, they refer to the real world as the Central Reed Plain
3- Bodhidharma, founder of the Ch'an (known as Zen in Japan) school of Mahayana Buddhism in China, was said to have once meditated staring at a wall for nine years, during which time he cut off his eyelids to keep from sleeping and his legs atrophied and fell off.