Chapter 25: Whispers in the Dark
Two days later, they got a reply on a worn piece of parchment that had been scraped clean multiple times. It contained only three words – "Midnight. Hanakuren Izakaya." – and a sketch of a flower just beginning to blossom.
No one spoke for a long moment after Koji finished reading the message. They were gathered once again in the library, as it was one of the few places they were guaranteed both privacy and propriety. Though classes had already begun, no one was frantically studying yet – apart from the librarians, they were the only ones in the building.
At last Rei broke the silence. "Well." She fiddled with the sleeve of her uniform top. "Let me know how the meeting goes, alright?"
Shunsui stared at her in shock. "What are you talking about?" Surely she couldn't be planning on missing the meeting, could she?
Rei's smile was twisted. "We have a curfew, remember? I barely convinced my parents to let me return, and only on the condition that I participate in solely non-combat classes. Any infraction, no matter how minor, and they'll pull me right back out."
"It's not that hard to break curfew," Ryuu scoffed. "We do it all the time."
Rei shrugged. "You do. I can't." Though frustration filled her reiatsu, she allowed none of it to show in her voice.
"But, why not?" Ryuu glanced around the group, then back at Rei, radiating puzzlement.
"Welcome to the life of a daughter of a noble clan," she informed him dryly.
Shunsui's stomach sank. "You have to be there," he protested, flattening his palms on the table. "Can't we… I don't know, bribe the matrons or something?" They might be stricter than the guards assigned to the boys' dorms, but a sufficient bribe had to be a possibility. Though, I suppose word might get back to her family, if we did that… He frowned. "What about sneaking out? Can you cast Kyakko?" If no one saw her leave, no one could tattle to her family.
"That makes you invisible, not insubstantial," Juushiro replied before Rei could say anything. "If anyone noticed doors opening on their own accord, she'd be in major trouble." He bit his lip, and Shunsui's heart skipped a beat. "How closely do they keep watch over your comings and goings? Could you simply avoid returning to your room for a night?"
Rei sighed. "Pretty closely, unfortunately. There simply aren't that many of us. And…" She grimaced. "I think my mother may have instructed the matrons to keep a particularly close eye on me. Every time I turn around, one of them is there, all but taking notes on my behavior."
"We aren't just going to leave you behind," Shunsui insisted, folding his arms across his chest. "You've know… you knew," he corrected, "Mika longer than any of us. You have a right to be there." And it didn't feel fair to abandon her simply because of some inane rule like curfew.
Rei lifted an eyebrow. "That's sweet of you, but it's not your decision to make."
"Don't you want to come?" Ryuu asked.
"Of course I do," Rei shot back, straightening in her seat. "But fleeting desires mean little when compared with long-term goals. I also want to graduate, and imperiling that for the sake of a mission where I'm not needed is the height of foolishness."
Hikaru's mouth tightened. "What do you mean, you're not needed?" He leaned towards her, catching her eyes, and she sighed.
"I mean exactly that." Her expression softened by a hair. "I'll write down any questions that I have for Whisper so you can ask them, and I expect you all to give me a full accounting of the meeting tomorrow. But there's nothing I can add by being there in person."
Shunsui and Hikaru exchanged glances, neither happy with the situation. But Rei's tone brooked no disagreement. If we try to argue her out of this, she'll only get annoyed with both of us. Shunsui grimaced. "We'll tell you everything," he promised, and Hikaru nodded fervently.
"I promise."
Thus it was a subdued group that headed towards the Kyowa district that night. Slipping out of their dorm rooms shortly after the eleventh bell rang, they used shunpo to leap from rooftop to rooftop until they were far out of sight of the Academy. Then, and only then, did they drop down to the street, just another group of young men out to have some fun.
As they left the more prosperous districts, the skin on the back of Shunsui's neck began to prickle. Though they'd all worn their oldest, rattiest clothes, determined to blend in, he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching them. It wasn't anything obvious – no muffled footsteps or shadows whisking behind corners when he glanced over his shoulder. He couldn't even sense any unusual spiritual pressure. But the feeling persisted, niggling at the back of his mind as the streets grew narrower around them.
After several minutes, Juushiro dropped back to walk beside him. "You feel it too, don't you," he murmured out of the corner of his mouth. Shunsui nodded silently.
Koji, who was leading the group, glanced over his shoulder. Of all of them, he was the only one showing no sign of tension. "You all good?" he asked, accent stronger than usual.
Shunsui glanced at the others, taking in their taut shoulders and the hands that hovered near zanpakuto hilts. Then a flicker of movement on the rooftops caught his attention. He whirled, hand dropping to his zanpakuto, then blinked. Was that just his imagination?
Cautiously, he let a tendril of reiatsu curl out from him and drift towards the roof where, for a brief moment, he would have sworn he saw a shadow. Beside him, Juushiro stiffened. "What is it?" he murmured, slowing his progress forward.
At the head of the group, Koji came to a halt. "Kyoraku-san? Ukitake-san?"
"There's someone watching us, isn't there?" Hikaru asked before Koji could continue, shifting his weight from foot to foot.
"Someone, or something?" Ryuu clutched the hilt of his sword. "Is it a hollow? Is it Whisper?"
Koji snorted. "You ain't gonna get hollows in the Seireitei, baka. But…" He glanced up at the rooftops, then shrugged. "Watching us'd be the smart move, if I was Whisper." His tone was nonchalant as he spun on his heel. "Come on, we don't wanna be late."
Ryuu chuckled slightly. "If that's the worst of our worries…" He trotted to Shunsui's side. "Do you think Whisper's really up there, watching us?"
Shunsui shrugged. "Maybe." Like Koji had said, it'd be the smart thing to do, but his tentative probe hadn't detected anything out of the ordinary. If Whisper had been up on the rooftop, he'd been concealing every drop of his spirit energy.
Then again, that's not too surprising, Shunsui mused as Koji led them around a corner into an even narrower street. You'd hardly be a good thief or assassin if you couldn't hide your presence, and Whisper isn't only good, he's the best. Truthfully, Shunsui hadn't fully believed that he existed until Gorou confirmed it. Even now, he had his doubts – given the prominence of the legend, he could easily see someone assuming the name purely for the notoriety.
Oh yes, borrow the fame of the most notorious assassin in the Soul Society, purely on the assumption that they're actually dead, or retired, or nonexistent, his zanpakuto drawled. Brilliant plan, don't you think?
Okay, so it would have some downsides, Shunsui admitted silently. But, still, I could see it happening. It would just take an inordinate amount of confidence.
His zanpakuto chose not to reply as Koji came to a halt in front of a ramshackle building with a red roof and a sign depicting a sake bowl hanging over the door. A surprisingly good sketch of an origami flower was burned into the wood next to the painted bowl, small enough that casual observers were likely to miss it. The plinking of a shamisen, mingled with the low drone of conversation, leaked through the door.
"We're here," Koji announced, stepping aside and gesturing towards the door. A faintly ironic smile twisted his lips.
Shunsui stepped forward, only to be halted by Juushiro's hand on his shoulder. "Are you ready?" the pale student asked, green eyes piercing Shunsui's.
Shunsui bit back a wave of fury at the question. He has a point, he admitted to himself. Not that I was planning on charging in there and accusing Whisper of murder, but still, he can't know that. And there had been no hint of accusation in his tone, just concern and inquiry.
Very mature. His zanpakuto applauded sarcastically. You have the mental acuity of a ten-year-old – a step up from yesterday.
You shut up. Shunsui pushed her voice away. "Yes," he told Juushiro, pressing his fingers against the hand on his shoulder. "We're just here to ask questions, nothing more. I can handle this."
Juushiro flipped his hand over and squeezed Shunsui's fingers. "Then let's do this."
The inside of the izakaya was dark and smoky, lit only by a few lanterns hanging on the walls. Though it should have been one of the busiest hours, the room was only half full, and most of the patrons were silently absorbed in their beer. At the far end of the room, a musician with a shamisen leaned against the wall, idly plucking out a slow, almost mournful tune.
Shunsui wrinkled his nose. The place reeked of stale beer and sweat from laborers who hadn't seen a bathhouse in days, with an undercurrent of smoke from the lanterns. The clientele didn't inspire confidence either – dressed in shabby kosode and trousers, they eyed the students with a mixture of fear and disdain. More than one hand drifted out of sight as Shunsui and the others shed their sandals, presumably clutching weapons under the low tables.
The bartender hurried over. "What is your pleasure, okyakusama?"
Ryuu glanced sidelong at Shunsui. "What's the chances of them having anything decent to drink, do you think?" he asked in an undertone.
The bartender flushed as Shunsui shrugged. "A round of beer for my friends and I," he ordered, tossing the man a silver coin. "That should more than cover it." Privately, he suspected that Ryuu was right – the beer at a place like this was probably little better than water. But, if they were going to use the tavern as a meeting place, it seemed polite to buy a few drinks.
The bartender's flush deepened as he bowed, a forced smile on his lips. "Right away, my lord." He gestured towards an empty table surrounded by tatami mats. "If you would care to take a seat?"
Shunsui glanced over at Koji, who rolled his eyes. Why, Shunsui wasn't sure – impatience, maybe? But then the commoner shrugged. "Thank you." As the bartender scurried away, Koji's lips twisted. "Try not to be so…" He snorted. "Noble, alright? Less you want to look even more ripe for the plucking."
"What do you mean?" Ryuu asked indignantly.
Koji heaved a sigh. "Just sit down and shut up."
As he led the way to the table that the bartender had indicated, a cloaked figure rose from a tatami mat in the corner. "Lost cause, shinigami boy." The person laughed hoarsely. "This group will never be anything but a bunch of noble brats." One hand extended from the cloak and beckoned them closer, then drew back the hood. "I take it you're the group I've come here to meet?"
Whisper snickered as the boys' eyes widened. "But… but… you're a woman!" the chubby one blurted, then clapped a hand over his mouth. He glanced at the boy with the pink armband as though expecting a reprimand, but his friend just laughed.
"Whisper, I presume?" He offered her an elaborate bow with just a hint of mockery in it, then sank into a graceful seiza before her table. The rest of the group followed suit, sweeping zanpakutos out of the way as they arranged themselves in a semicircle before her.
She let the silence draw out as she studied them, fighting back a sneer. Puppies, the lot of them, apart from the young man who spoke in a Rukongai accent and bore the stamp of shikai in his reiatsu. He, at least, had eyes that had seen far too much, and had had the grace to be embarrassed by his companions' cavalier dismissal of the izakaya.
The rest of them, well… She shook her head. The one with the pink armband burned with excitement, but his reiatsu had a tinge of dark hunger that set her teeth on edge. It was unruly, too, flicking out to taste the air like a fire that couldn't be contained by a hearth. Raw power, yes, he had that in plenty, though she didn't sense that he had attained shikai yet. But his control was severely lacking.
The white-haired boy beside him, on the other hand, possessed equal power, but had none of the wildness. His energy tasted like salt where it brushed against hers, and had the same depth as a spring-fed pool. He watched everything with emerald eyes that noted down every detail, though he appeared content to remain quiet for now. Unlike the others, he, too, had winced at the pudgy boy's thoughtless question about the beer.
The body language between those two was intriguing, she decided as she studied them. They moved together with the sort of instinctive awareness of each other that only lovers and best friends had, but there was a hint of tension there, too. The white-haired one's eyes bore a touch of worry whenever he looked at his friend, to which pink armband boy appeared to be oblivious. But his return glances transparently sought the other boy's approval.
She filed the observation away. It could be useful, but only if she was forced to interact with them for a prolonged period of time, and she hoped that wouldn't be necessary.
The remaining four were easier to read. The pudgy boy who couldn't keep his mouth shut clearly worshipped pink armband boy, and just as clearly had no idea what he was doing here. Spoiled and naïve, he would have made an easy mark had she been running that sort of game.
The tall boy to his left was the opposite, with dark eyes that watched calmly from under his bangs. He still gave off the air of a noble, but not one who gave much thought to his status. Judging by the ink stains on his fingers, he probably spent much of his time studying.
The remaining two had ink stains, as well, though fewer of them, but otherwise were nothing alike. The sandy-haired one had reiatsu like quicksilver – less powerful than pink armband, but almost as wild – while the dark-haired one was more sedate. Neither, she judged, was particularly powerful, though the scent of kido hung around the darker one. But they would both probably find shikai in the end.
As several of the boys began to fidget, she laid her hands on the table and broke the silence. "So. You requested a meet. I'm here. Talk."
Pink armband flashed her a brilliant smile. "Let me introduce us. Shunsui Kyoraku, at your service." He bowed slightly. "This is Juushiro Ukitake." He indicated the white-haired boy. "And this is Aono Kira, Hikaru Nakamura, Taro Kannogi, Ryuu Hibiki, and Koji Sato."
She nodded. Dark hair, quicksilver, studious, pudgy boy, and the commoner with shikai. Their names didn't particularly matter to her, though she found it interesting that he had offered them – most of her clients preferred to conceal their identities. Safer for them, if she was caught, though their pretenses of anonymity were usually laughable.
Koji's name intrigued her, though. Despite his accent, she had wondered if he was from some provincial branch of a noble family, but Sato wasn't a noble name. Like most Rukongai brats, he'd probably chosen it himself – she certainly had.
And that… is interesting. Like most of the Seireitei, she'd heard the rumors that the Shinigami Academy had accepted their first ever common-born student, but she hadn't expected to find him in the company of a relatively high-ranking group of nobles. And not as a servant, either, but as an equal.
That, combined with their evident goal to meet with her, pricked her curiosity. Maybe this wasn't going to be a run-of-the-mill job after all.
She leaned forward. "You already know who I am. Why are you here?"
Most of the group appeared faintly scandalized by her bluntness, but pink armband – Kyoraku – just smiled. "We have some questions about a job you did several moons ago."
Before he could say anything else, she rocked back on her heels and folded her arms across her chest. "Nope. Rule number one in this business – you don't spill secrets. I don't talk about past jobs to you, and I won't talk about you to anyone else." That was the guarantee she provided her clients. If word got out that she was flapping her mouth off where she shouldn't, business would dry up like summer dew.
He clearly hadn't been expecting that answer. As his mouth worked, the white-haired Ukitake kid leaned forward. "What if we don't ask you to tell us anyone's private information?"
"I'm listening…" She gestured for him to continue.
He took a deep breath. "Before Midwinter, we were on a practice patrol as a class when we were attacked by hollows. One of our classmates was killed. We later discovered that Gorou Shiba had lured the hollows there to distract the border patrols, so you could sneak past them with an artifact he hired you to steal."
As he laid out the tale in sparse, precise strokes, she had to admit that she was impressed. The kids had done their homework, and had figured out almost everything they needed. But there was one flaw in their plan. "I'm not testifying for you," she told them flatly once he had finished. "Never gonna happen."
"But why?" Pudgy kid again – no surprise there.
She rolled her eyes. "Remember what I said just a tick ago? I don't spill secrets." Plus, testifying in front of a noble tribunal? Were they mad? I'd end up tortured and executed the moment my testimony finished, if not before. The nobles might find her services useful, but they wouldn't hesitate to throw her under the cart to save their own skins. They could always find another thief, after all.
To her surprise, the kid with the sandy hair – Hikaru something-or-other – nodded. "I assumed that would be your first response. Testifying is hardly a profitable move for you, no matter how much we offer to pay you. It's too dangerous, for one thing. But…" He held up a finger. "What if we could eliminate that risk?"
His companions turned to him, various expressions of confusion on their faces, while Whisper scowled. "How?"
"What are you talking about, Nakamura?" the Kira boy asked at the same time. His tone was a hair's breadth away from accusing, as though he suspected his friend of some sort of trick.
The boy smiled. "The tribunal will only have Shiba-san's word that you are, indeed, the notorious Whisper. Furthermore, you were not technically breaking any laws when you retrieved the mirror, as a member of the clan had given you permission to do so. It may have been an unwise decision to comply with such a request, but an argument could be made that refusing the order of a scion of one of the Five Noble Families is equally unwise. Thus, if you swear fealty to one of our clans…"
Before she could stop herself, she burst out laughing. "Swear fealty? Are you out of your mind?"
"It would keep you safe," he argued, folding his arms over his chest. "If you're sworn to a noble clan, and the tribunal has no evidence of any major crimes, the most they can do is order your clan to punish you as they see fit."
Whisper shook her head, still laughing. "And you expect me to believe that one of your families is going to protect a Rukongai thief? Or that the tribunal will believe that I'm merely some retainer who just happened to be paid a princely sum to remove this mirror of yours?" She snorted. "As if." His entire plan had more holes than a sinking ship, and there was no way she was tying her fortunes to that.
His shoulders slumped as though he had expected her to immediately agree to his crack-brained scheme. "But you have to help us!"
"I don't have to do anything," she snapped back, letting a little of her own spiritual pressure free. Just enough to warn them that she wasn't a pushover, but not enough to let them guess at her true strength. The white-haired boy's eyes narrowed, though, and she wondered what he'd just figured out.
She didn't have time to worry about it, though, as half of the boys started talking at once. "But…" the chubby boy started – it appeared to be his favorite word – while the sandy-haired boy shook his head.
"You have to see that this is…"
"Nakamura, you can't seriously expect to take an assassin from the Rukongai on, that's…"
"But, please, we really need…"
The tall, muscular boy, the white-haired boy, and Koji exchanged glances. Then the white-haired boy smacked his palm on the table. "Enough." Silence fell, and he lifted an eyebrow. "Do you really think this is helping?" As eyes dropped and heads reluctantly shook, he turned back to Whisper. "My apologies for the commotion." He hesitated. "While your testimony could be very valuable, I understand why you are reluctant to give it, and we will not press you further on the matter. However, there is another matter we could use your assistance with."
She pressed her lips together. "If it involves more secrets," she began, irritated.
He shook his head. "It doesn't. We simply need you to guide us to where you left the mirror."
After a moment, she shrugged. She'd left intact for a reason, after all, anticipating this very request. Though she'd expected it to come from a Shiba lord, not a bunch of ragtag students, that was no reason to refuse it. "It'll cost you," she warned.
"Anything," pink armband promised immediately.
She snorted. Though it was tempting to take him up on that, taking advantage of his grief and guilt didn't sit right with her. So she named her usual fee. "Twenty gold pieces."
"Done." The kid with the armband reached into his kimono and pulled out a silk pouch. "There's half. You'll get the other half when we see the mirror."
Whisper weighed the pouch in her hand and smiled at the satisfying clink. "Then, Academy boys, meet me at the west gates after your classes are done for the week. Bring whatever supplies you think you'll need for the weekend, but pack light." Though she doubted they could keep up with her shunpo, she wanted to move as fast as possible.
Pink armband nodded, grey eyes hard and determined. "We'll be there."
By the time they made it back to the Academy, the night patrol was out in force, but the watchman barely blinked as Hikaru slipped him a few silvers. "Late night, boys?" he asked, waving them through. "Try to come back earlier next time, alright?"
They all nodded as they filed past him, biting back yawns. Though he had certainly stayed up later to study, Juushiro could feel weariness tugging at his bones as the adrenaline of the evening faded away. Sleep would be very welcome.
But he could feel Shunsui practically vibrating with questions at his side – somehow, his roommate evinced no signs of exhaustion, though he'd surely complain when the morning came. It must be all those late nights partying. Juushiro's lips quirked. Surprisingly, the thought didn't hurt much, though the sight of the bruises on his roommate's neck still stung. But we're going to move past that. And, besides, he had more important things to worry about.
Sure enough, Shunsui took a deep breath as soon as he slid the door of their dorm room closed. "So, why not have Whisper retrieve the mirror for us? Why go with her?" He leaned against the door frame and scratched his head, eyes puzzled.
Juushiro sank onto his cot and bit his lip. "Just a gut feeling," he replied. "Or, well..."
After a moment of hesitation, Shunsui sat next to him and laid a hand on his knee. "What is it?" he asked softly.
Juushiro shrugged. "It's not really logical," he warned, staring at his hands. For all he knew, his intuition could be wildly off-base. And, although he'd come up with a few rationalizations, he knew they were just that – justifications.
Shunsui smiled wryly. "I won't laugh."
Despite himself, Juushiro chuckled. "Well, in that case..." He shrugged, and Shunsui scooted a bit closer. "Like I said, it's silly. But I have a feeling that we need to find that mirror as soon as possible."
"And you don't want to wait the extra day or so it would take for Whisper to retrieve it?" He hesitated for another moment, then wrapped his arm around Juushiro.
The pale student let his head fall back to rest on Shunsui's shoulder, warmth sweeping through him. "I'm not sure she'd be able to," he admitted. She was powerful, far more powerful than he had expected, though he had gotten the distinct sense that she was hiding much of her strength. But if she ran into another one of those hollows, the ones that can talk... A lone fighter, however skilled, would be hard-pressed to handle one of those creatures. And strength of reiatsu didn't necessarily correspond to fighting ability.
Shunsui frowned. "What do you mean?"
"What if the mirror has awoken something else?" Juushiro sucked in a breath as Shunsui began to play with his hair. "What if it's too much for one person to handle? We need to treat this mission as though we're entering a war zone, I think. I don't want anyone getting hurt."
Or dying.
The words hung between them like a knife as Shunsui shifted uneasily, then sighed and pulled Juushiro closer. "Me neither," he murmured. "Me neither."
Neither said what they were both thinking. If they went on this mission, there was no guarantee that they'd all come home in one piece. The mirror had already attracted the notice of one powerful hollow, and the kirin had implied that the strength of its call would soon wake even deadlier monsters. A half-trained squad of students had little chance against the sorts of creatures that prowled myth and legend.
Juushiro shivered. Kami, let us get out of this safely, he prayed silently.
You'll be fine. You'll have us with you, his zanpakuto whispered, voice watery. You need to listen harder for our name, though, so we can properly protect you. The voices chuckled. Of course, you have had other things on your mind, so we forgive you for your inattention.
Shunsui blinked as Juushiro chuckled. "What is it?"
Juushiro shook his head. "Just my zanpakuto," he explained, twisting around so he could see Shunsui's face.
His roommate grinned. "Somehow, I doubt yours is as annoying as mine."
"Probably not," Juushiro admitted. From what little Shunsui had said about the spirits inhabiting his inner world, he had gotten the impression that they were utter terrors.
Shunsui laughed, but the laughter fell away quickly. "So..." He rested a hand on Juushiro's hip. "What do we do now? If Whisper won't testify..." He bit his lip, reiatsu flaring with agitation.
"I don't know," Juushiro admitted. "We might have enough evidence if we can retrieve the mirror?" It would all be circumstantial, though.
Admittedly, evidence didn't always play a major role in tribunal cases, from what he'd learned. Hikaru would know better than he did, but he'd gotten the impression from class that political maneuvering was the name of the game in cases like this. After all, the five noble families controlled the law – what they said went. In a situation like this, with scions of two of the five going head to head, it'd be a question of influence, favors, and honor.
Given that, Whisper's testimony, while useful, might not be wholly necessary. We might be able to win without it, if we can do a good enough job arguing. Make it clear that supporting Gorou has political ramifications, and maybe... He sighed. That assumes that Rei can get her family to cooperate, though. And I don't know how likely that is.
A soft kiss on his forehead startled him from his thoughts. "No need to solve all the world's problems tonight," Shunsui chided gently. "We can figure it out tomorrow. We have time."
Juushiro licked his lips, tilting his head back slightly so he could look Shunsui in the eye. "You sure?"
Shunsui chuckled and pulled him close, kissing him on the lips. "I'm sure."
Author's Note: I really appreciate the support all you lovely reviewers (Psycho-Neurotically Disturbed, A Guest, speedfanatic05, EmpressSaix, and Silverfang KJ this time) have been showing me. Trust me, it helps! I hope you're all still enjoying the story as it moves towards its conclusion – I'd be surprised if there's more than 3 or 4 chapters left at this point. So, if you have something in particular you want to see, let me know!