Chapter 10: The captains' judgement
On the other side, they were welcomed not only by Kuchiki Byakuya, but also a small youth with white hair wearing a captain's haori, frowning at them, in company with a tall red-blond woman.
"Yo, Renji-kun!", she called good-naturedly.
"Hello, Matsumoto-san!", replied the red-head. "What are you and Hitsugaya-taichou doing here?"
She made to answer, but was shushed by a look from her superior. "So he returned", stated Hitsugaya-taichou.
"As I promised", replied Byakuya.
"Come with me, Malfoy-san", he commanded. "Thank you, Abarai-kun, you may go."
"Don't you want to hear my report, taichou?", asked Renji. "There's pretty much to tell. It might influence your judgement."
Byakuya threw him a strict glance. His fukutaichou did not twitch a lash. He sighed. "If you insist, Abarai-fukutaichou. Come with us. But keep it short."
Lucius' heart was pounding as they walked through the white streets. So I'm to be judged?, he thought. What about the two weeks to prove myself? It's only been a day!
"So that's the ryoka?", whispered Matsumoto to Renji at the back of the small procession. "Yup, that's him", he replied.
"He looks a bit gloomy. Is he any fun?"
"Would you shut up, Matsumoto!", called her captain. "Safe your gossip for some other time."
"No fair!", pouted the woman under her breath. Renji grinned at her, sympathetically.
They arrived at the 1st squad at sunset. The large doors were immediately opened.
Hitsugaya turned to his fukutaichou. "You may go back to the barracks, Matsumoto", he said. "There's a lot of reports waiting."
She sighed heavily. "Yes, taichou!" And with a flash, she was gone.
The remaining four stepped through the door and walked on until they entered the wide meeting hall where they found the other captains already assembled. Only Kyouraku shuffled in just after them and took his place next to the Ukitake. The doors closed with a loud snap.
"Let us begin", proclaimed the soutaichou. "Kuchiki-taichou, step forth."
Byakuya came forward until he stood in the middle of the hall. His face betrayed as always no emotion. The white porcelain of his kenseikan shimmered dully in the dim light.
"You have allowed the ryoka to leave Soul Society without consulting us", growled Yamamoto. "State your reason."
"He was suffering unbearable pain that could only be eased by his passage to the Living World", replied Byakuya. "Or his death", he added.
"You only had the ryoka's word for that", said the soutaichou. "Was there anything to prove his claim?"
At that, Unohana stepped forth. "I have examined the man", she said. "He was indeed in severe pain that could not be relieved. It was connected to the tattoo on his arm. It has been tethered to his soul."
"Why did you hand the ryoka his weapon, Kuchiki-taichou?", demanded Yamamoto.
"It was his only means to get to the place where he was called", answered Byakuya.
"How so?", asked the soutaichou.
"It is called 'apparating', if I remember correctly", said Byakuya. "Malfoy-san used it in his fight with Soi Fon-taichou. It can be used to disappear and reappear at a known place of one's choice."
"I witnessed it", confirmed Soi Fon at the soutaichou's inquiring look.
"Why don't we hear the report Abarai-fukutaichou is here to tell?", suggested Kurosutchi, an eager look on his strange features. "It might enlighten us towards the ryoka's true intentions."
"Step forth and give your report, Abarai-fukutaichou", said Yamamoto.
The red-haired man did not look at him as he passed Lucius. Does he realize he has my destiny in his hands?, Lucius asked himself. Will he plead for or against me?
"We arrived at a large room where several people were already assembled. The pain Malfoy-san experienced seemed to lessen at our arrival. A man with a tarnished soul approached him."
"A tarnished soul?", inquired the soutaichou.
"It has been fragmented and several parts were missing. The person felt like a living Hollow."
A whisper went through the assembled captains. "Continue, Abarai-fukutaichou", said Yamamoto.
"This man was addressed as 'Dark Lord' and he tortured Malfoy-san for his late arrival. Then he demanded to know where he had been. He told him he had been to the Afterworld and that his wand, his weapon, had been taken from him. The 'Lord' then demanded to know how he had gotten there, revealing his wish to 'find out all their secrets'. Malfoy-san told him that two colliding spells had taken him here, but did only remember one of them. At that, the 'Lord' ordered him to find out in a week's time. He presented Malfoy-san's son to help him with the cause. Afterwards there was much talk about those people's recent actions. They are a bunch of cowardly murderers! As I understood, Malfoy-san and his son will be punished gravely and might even be killed if he does not present the passage to Soul Society."
"So you have allowed a murderer in Seireitei", stated Yamamoto.
"May I ask the ryoka a question", asked Byakuya in reply. The soutaichou nodded.
The 6th-squad captain turned around to face Lucius. "On the day of your arrival, you told me that you came here because a new spell and another called 'Avada Kedavra' had mingled. Is that correct?"
"It is indeed correct", replied Lucius, his heart pounding madly. Was he really trying to save him?
"And which spell did the ryoka tell this 'Lord' he had used, Abarai-fukutaichou?", asked Byakuya.
"I think the spell was called 'Divina porta'", answered Renji.
"So you did in fact know which spells collided to form the passage to Soul Society, but did choose to hide this fact from your so-called 'Lord', Malfoy-san?"
"Yes, I did", confirmed Lucius. A murmur went up in the hall at that.
"Silence!", demanded the soutaichou, striking the ground with his staff. "Kuchiki-taichou, your point is what exactly?"
"It seems the ryoka has tried to protect Soul Society from his superior", said Byakuya. "This should be held in his favour."
"I do not understand why you would plead his cause so valiantly, when you yourself had to force him to surrender his weapon to you, proving him to be a threat to Soul Society", said the captain-commander.
"That is indeed true", said Byakuya.
"I did not have to use force to bring him back", remarked Renji. All heads turned to him. "And he did not hesitate to give his weapon to me. If I may say so, I think he is mighty worried for his family. If we don't allow him to go back, his son will suffer for it."
"Did you change your opinion on his views, Abarai-san?", asked Unohana-taichou, remembering his words at Lucius' first examination.
"No, Unohana-taichou", replied Renji. "But I have the impression he is starting to doubt them, himself. I don't trust him, but I think we should grant him the rest of his two weeks' probation to earn our trust."
"That is not for you to decide, Abarai-fukutaichou!", said Komamura-taichou. Renji blanched and lowered his head, stepping back.
"Even if we decide to grant him that, how does he plan to hinder this 'Lord' from gaining access to Soul Society without failing?", asked Kyouraku-taichou, his expression hidden by the brim of his hat.
"I want to hear the answer from the ryoka himself", hissed Soi Fon.
Lucius swallowed. "I will be honest with you: I have no idea", he said. "I was merely playing for time, hoping I would find a solution if I had a few days to think about it."
"How about we help with that?", proposed Ukitake-taichou. "It is in our interest that the living do not pass."
"Have those people the same skills as you, Ryoka-san?", inquired Kurotsuchi-taichou.
Lucius nodded.
"It is not our task to keep them from passing!", exclaimed Hitsugaya. "The ryoka has to take responsibility for his actions himself."
"Malfoy-san, are the spells you used somehow special, or are they known to others than you?", asked Kyouraku.
"One of them has been developed recently, but a handful of people can cast it, too", answered Lucius, wondering what the man was aiming at. "The other one is the Killing Spell, it is widely known."
"How high do you estimate the possibility that the accident might happen again?", asked the 9th squad captain.
Clever! But why would he help me?, thought Lucius. "Since the spells must collide at the exact right moment, not very high, but also not impossible, given the fact that they are both prone to be used during battle", he answered.
"I conclude that even if Malfoy-san keeps his secret and takes the punishment for it, whatever that might be, there still remains the danger that the passage will be discovered by accident again", stated Kyouraku. "I therefore support Juushirou-kun's idea to help the man."
"I see your point", said the soutaichou. "Nevertheless, Kuchiki-taichou needs to be punished for letting the ryoka bring the possibility to pass here to their attention."
"That's not fair!", exclaimed Lucius. All attention turned to him. He felt a blush creep up from his neck. Why the heck did I call out? I am in no position to criticize them.
"Please reconsider", he said. "Kuchiki-taichou allowed me to return to the Living World out of mercy. I deem it not just to punish him for that."
"I take full responsibility for my actions", proclaimed Byakuya proudly. "There is no need for a mere ryoka to plead for my cause."
"Yet this act of unselfishness makes him redeemable", muttered Renji under his breath.
"Your sentence will be tied to the outcome of the dangerous situation you induced, Kuchiki-taichou", stated Yamamoto. "It is in our all interest that it will be resolved quickly."
"I take that as a yes", remarked Kyouraku towards Ukitake, who smiled at him in response.