Chapter 12: The Necessary Kiss
Byakuya watched as Renji flash stepped away, then turned back toward the entry gates to Kuchiki Manor. As he began to pass through them, he heard a frantic feminine voice call out behind him.
"Professor Kuchiki!"
He whirled at the sound and encountered the sight of a very out of breath Mayumi running to meet him.
"How did you get here?" he asked sharply, "How is it that you found me?"
"There…is a lot…I need to explain. If you…give me a minute…I will. I just…I have to catch my breath. Sorry."
He led her quickly through the gate, stepping back for a moment when she brushed up against him as they moved through the gate. They passed into the manor and out to the garden patio. A few minutes later, a servant appeared and set out tea, then bowed and left them. Byakuya gazed at her expectantly.
"First…I have to tell you that Professor Hasashi is not who he says he is. He is a shinigami…like you. I learned about the shinigamis from my boyfriend, Seiji, some time ago. You see, Seiji was a shinigami who came to find out what was happening to the students who were disappearing. And he was discovered by Professor Hasashi. He tried to get to Professor Naoki to warn him about Professor Hasashi, but then both of them disappeared. I was afraid to tell you everything before because I wasn't sure who I could trust, but you seemed powerful and you seemed to sense right away that something was not right with Professor Hasashi."
"Do you know any more about the Doragon Tatsujin myth or anything else you haven't told me?" Byakuya asked.
"No," she said, looking regretful, "but I might actually be able to help you find the Valley of Dragons. I heard Urahara Kisuke was studying hollow lore to see if the myth might be there, so I slipped out of his house and broke into Professor Hasashi's office at the university to see if I could find anything helpful. It was then that I found this reference."
She handed him a slip of paper.
"The Origins of All Things Hollow," Byakuya read, "This is a shinigami study of hollow lore. There are few copies in existence. I can search my archive, but I do not know if I will be able to find it. Kisuke might be more likely to come across it…however, I will go and search for it. Can I trust you to stay put, Mayumi?"
She looked at him doubtfully.
"I may have been followed here. I hid in the bushes in the living world until I saw a shinigami about to pass over. I told him that I had an urgent message for you that I had to deliver in person and he guided me through the gateway and to the manor. I was sure several times that I saw someone following, but no one appeared. I just…I worry that if I am left alone that I will be found. May I come with you into the archive?"
"I am sorry. Entry into the archive is restricted. However, I will leave you with someone to accompany you until my return."
He left the table for a moment, then returned with Rukia.
"Rukia," he said turning to her, "this is Mayumi. She is a person related to my mission in the living world. I would like for you to visit with her while I search the archive for a reference."
"Of course, Nii-sama," Rukia said, smiling at the girl, "Is there anything in particular I might watch for?"
Byakuya met her eyes meaningfully.
"You are to watch her with due diligence," he said, blinking slowly.
Understanding appeared in Rukia's eyes.
"Yes, Nii-sama," she said, sitting down and pouring herself a cup of tea.
Byakuya rose and flash stepped toward the archive. Mayumi's eyes followed him carefully until he disappeared inside.
"So Mayumi," Rukia said pleasantly, "When we are finished with our tea, shall I show you the gardens? They are the most beautiful in Soul Society."
Mayumi smiled.
"Yes…yes, Rukia, that would be lovely," she said, her eyes glinting softly as she looked down into her teacup.
XXXXXXXXXX
"The translation is coming through now, sir," Tessai said, pushing several buttons on the console in front of him.
Kisuke watched as the words began to appear on the screen in front of him.
"Sheesh!" he complained, looking at the length of the incoming text, "For savages, those hollows sure to have a lot to say! This could take a while!"
He sifted through the tales carefully, noting several references to the coming of the Doragon Scion and the rise of the Doragon Tatsujin. He continued to travel back in time, searching each time period to try to find a time frame for the myth itself. Tessai returned to the vault and searched for more related texts, returning and feeding them into the computer for translation. Kisuke continued to read, barely noticing when lunch was set beside him. He took absent bites and pored over the information, sighing in frustration.
"There's gotta be something in here somewhere!" he muttered, "Where are you hiding?"
Jinta appeared to tell him Renji had arrived and Kisuke muttered something about feeding the moocher and turned back to his work.
It was just before dinnertime when Kisuke found what he had been looking for. He read carefully, cross-referencing several words and phrases in the translation. He furrowed his brow and printed out the section. He carried it into the dining room and sat down with Tessai, Jinta, Ururu, Renji and Yoruichi.
Yoruichi looked at him quizzically.
"What's wrong? You found the myth, didn't you?" she asked.
"Yeah, but I'm trying to make sure I'm understanding it correctly. You see, several things still aren't making sense. The story I found is an account of Teijo Kuchiki. That part is unsurprising considering the fact that the Doragon Scion has to be a shinigami of great power and the Kuchiki family is one that produces many powerful offspring. Byakuya's awakening as the Doragon Scion makes sense because he is the most powerful leader in the clan's history."
"So what doesn't make sense?" asked Renji.
"I'll get to that in a minute," Kisuke said, looking back at the printout, "Now, it does talk about the awakening of the Doragon Scion and the choosing of the Spirit Link. It goes on to say that once the link is joined, there is a binding of spirit…not just a binding of reiatsu, but a connection of souls. That's why they say that if one dies the other…well, if you get technical, it says the other soul may or will not survive, depending on how the word is translated."
"That's a pretty important difference," muttered Renji.
"It goes on to speak of the power balance between the souls, hinting that it can affect whether a soul survives the loss of the other. In any case, I still take it to mean you don't want to know what will happen if one of you dies, okay?"
"Yeah," said Renji, chuckling, "I'll try to keep that in mind!"
The myth goes on to say that the Doragon Scion must be taken to the Valley of Dragons. I was a little rumpled by the use of the word 'taken' here. It was carefully stated and can also mean 'led' or 'misled.' The language is tricky."
"Was there anything about sacrificing a virgin?" Renji said, scratching his head thoughtfully, "Well, maybe just a girl…"
"Mayumi said a sacrifice of flesh, didn't she?" Kisuke asked.
"Yeah, that's what she told us."
"Well, there's no mention of sacrificing a virgin…and this is where the language gets very elusive, but if I understand correctly, it says there will be a giving over of flesh and a devouring of a pure soul."
"That could be what Mayumi meant," Renji said, frowning, "couldn't it?"
"Well, this is the part that makes the least sense. The myth very carefully lays out each step, each piece. It speaks of the awakening of the Doragon Scion and every step he must take before reaching the Valley of Dragons. But nowhere does it say that a sacrifice must be brought. That either makes no sense, or it makes a kind of sense that we don't want to think about."
"What do you mean?" Renji asked, his voice hardening.
"What I mean is that if just the Doragon Scion and his Spirit Linked travel to meet the Doragon Tatsujin…maybe one or both might be the sacrifice."
"What?" Renji yelled, "How do you figure that?"
"Well, the word 'scion' refers to a descendant, here Byakuya. He is meant to be the descendant of the past Doragon Tatsujin. In his current state, the Doragon Tatsujin is a shadow. He doesn't have the physical form of a human or even the full spirit form of a shinigami or hollow. He's basically a floating field of resonant power. I suspect that what is being said here is that the scion is consumed by the Doragon Tatsujin shadow form and is reborn as the actual physical entity of the Doragon Tatsujin."
"Tell me you're kidding," Renji said, pale faced, "You can't mean that…that thing is going to eat him?"
"That's what it looks like," affirmed Kisuke, "and to make matters worse, that begs the question. If Mayumi is not the sacrifice, then who or what is she? I may not have any idea who she is, but the fact that she is sticking close to you…and even wanted to go to the Seireitei with you suggests what her role is…If I am right, Mayumi is the bait being used to maneuver Byakuya and you into entering the Valley of Dragons. The flaring of the constellation Draco will occur when you are both in the valley and will call the shadow Doragon Tatsujin to meet you."
"So that thing will eat Byakuya's soul? And what about me?"
"That I can tell you with some certainty. You become his counterpart…your link to Byakuya will still be opened, because when his soul is consumed, he merely becomes part of the Doragon Tatsujin, and you become his counterpart…his dragon…quite a power-up from the smaller dragon you wield right now."
He set the papers down.
"This is why I recalled you two here and why I was hoping Byakuya would be with you. You can't let yourselves be dragged into this mess. The problem is, now that Byakuya has been awakened and the Spirit Link opened, his followers will continue to attempt to lure or capture and take you to the Valley of Dragons. The only way to stop it is for Byakuya to somehow resist the intrusion of the Doragon Tatsujin into his body. I have something that might help, but you will have to administer it…because it is a virus, not serious, but one that will cause his systems to immediately and violently reject any intrusion. It isn't enough to fix things, but it can delay the intrusion and allow the two of you to fight the shadow."
"Great," muttered Renji, "but how do we fight a shadow?"
"Strangely enough," Kisuke smiled, "I can actually help you with that…but since Byakuya is not here, I can only affect your zanpakutou. If his cannot be affected, then you will have to fight the shadow with your blade and he will have to stick to kido. And Renji, it will be a very nasty fight. I would not suggest allowing anyone to go with you. It is too likely the Doragon Tatsujin will attempt to use them to stop your blade. You and Byakuya will have to do this on your own…if it is to be done."
"Great! Just great!" exclaimed Renji, "If we don't do this, it never ends, but if we do…"
"If you do, you do it alone and you had better win. If not…"
"Yeah, I know," Renji interrupted, "a flight of dragons will attack the living world."
Kisuke stared at him is surprise.
"No," he said softly, "because the Doragon Tatsujin isn't interested in the living world. He is a hollow creation…meant to bring about the death of the Spirit King."
"Damn!" exclaimed Renji, "I should warn Byakuya."
He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to connect with Byakuya's mind. Strangely, there was no connection. He tried again to no avail, then tried looking through the noble's eyes.
"What's wrong?" asked Kisuke.
"I can't connect with his mind! Kisuke…it's…it's like he's there, but he isn't hearing me! I have to go back to the manor. Something may have happened."
"I'll send a hell butterfly," Kisuke offered, "I'll tell him to wait for you and to surround himself with security."
"And I'll go with Renji," Yoruichi said, "He needs protection too."
"Just remember," Kisuke said sternly, "if they've led him away, then you can't go to the Valley of Dragons with Renji. If he goes, he goes alone."
"But we don't know where it is!" objected Renji.
"Yes, actually, we do," Kisuke corrected him, removing a page from the ones he had been reading, "It's in Hueco Mundo…hollow myth, remember? That page will take you there."
Renji nodded and slipped the page into his shihakushou.
"Now, you said something about affecting my sword."
"Come with me," Kisuke said brusquely, there's no time to lose. Tessai, send that hell butterfly."
"I will."
Kisuke led Renji to his personal laboratory.
"Don't touch anything," he said only half-joking, "Come over here."
Renji followed, looking around at the odd array of solutions and devices, curious about what they were for. Kisuke took Zabimaru from Renji and lowered the blade into a containment unit. Red light hummed around the blade for several minutes, then faded. Worried about Zabimaru, Renji reached out with his mind and connected with the sword's spirit.
You guys okay in there?
-Fine, it just make snake boy a little punch drunk, if you know what I mean-
Renji shook his head in annoyance. He watched as Kisuke handed the blade back to him, then reached into another container and withdrew an ugly looking toad.
"What the…?"
"This little guy isn't just cute," Kisuke said, smiling, "He also carries the virus that will help Byakuya resist the Doragon Tatsujin."
"Kami, don't tell I have to eat him or something!" Renji objected.
"No!" said Kisuke, smiling even wider, "You just have to kiss him!"
"Like hell I'm going to…KISUKE!" Renji shouted, "I'm not kissing that damn toad and don't fucking tell me it's okay 'cause he'll turn into a prince or something!"
"No, he won't turn into a prince or a princess, but he will give you the virus and then you'll give it to Byakuya by kissing him."
"I fucking hate you!" Renji exclaimed, "At least tell me that this virus has a cure! And no weird side effects!"
"Well, it goes away on its own…and the side effects are usually very minor."
When Kisuke had finished describing the possible side effects, Renji hated him even more. Still, this was to save Byakuya's life…
"Ah, kami, this is fucking gross!" he groaned, leaning forward to kiss the ugly creature.
It was then that Abarai Renji discovered that some toads had a very sick sense of humor…and a very quick tongue…
