Chapter Ten: Ad Undas
Everything was choked in darkness, and above his head, the lightning split the heavens, illuminating the barren, dry land around him in a cruel, shadowy glow. Deep within Juushirou's heart, fear and desperation curled together into one thrusting emotion, panic flooding through every one of his senses as he gazed up helplessly at the torn, electric sky.
He had never been afraid of storms before, yet somehow this time he could not suppress the waves of terror that still lapped against the raw edges of his soul. Nothing quite made sense, and the harder he tried to pull his thoughts together, the more they seemed to drift away from him.
There had been someone else, he knew that. A fleeting sensation of another's presence still brushed against his soul, making him feel that he wasn't completely alone in this unfamiliar wasteland. Yet no matter how hard he looked, he could not see anything for miles around except darkness and death.
The lightning struck the ground at that point, sparks flying in all directions and as one caught the dry trunk of a dead tree, it blazed into flame, the suddenness of the heat seeming to sear through Juushirou's heart. He gasped, struggling for breath as the flaming tree's blackened branches reached out across towards him, curling themselves tightly around his chest until he could not draw even the smallest puff of air into his worn lungs. Pain dominated his every sense, and tears sprang into his hazel eyes as he fought in vain against his relentless, ruthless captor.
So this was death, then? If he submitted, would the pain then stop? Would he be able to rest and let go, and leave this terrible place forever?
Yet somehow he knew, despite the pain, it was not what he wanted.
"Juushirou?"
As darkness crashed once more over his senses, he thought he heard the faint lapping of waves against a distant shore, and from somewhere in the depths of his black confusion he was sure he had heard a voice, faint yet comforting in his delirium. Instinctively he reached out for it, seeking the comfort and warmth that radiated from its tones, and as he did so, he felt something gentle sweep over him, wrapping him in security and love. The burning branches withered and fell away as ash as the sensation grew stronger, and he drew a gasping breath of air into aching lungs, greedily clinging on to the faintest chance of life.
And then the voice spoke again.
"Rest a while. You needn't be afraid. You're not alone, after all. You're not alone."
"Why are you cosseting him so much?" A second voice cut across his senses, but it was more concerned than it was angry. "He was the one who almost left us alone, In. And you want to reassure him that everything is all right? A few more moments and he'd have been beyond even our reach."
The air around Juushirou's body suddenly seemed to be replaced by cool, rippling water, and his eyes jerked open, struggling to bring his surrounds into focus. Somehow, he had been here before - yet in that instant he could not place how or when. Just as he was sure the disorientation would overwhelm him, something small and black swam into his field of vision, and as he gazed at it, suddenly he had the strongest sense that he had seen this creature before.
Little by little, his thoughts began to come together, and he parted cracked lips to speak.
"In..." he murmured, and the creature flipped its fins, a sense of relief radiating from her small body.
"So you do remember." She murmured. "I wondered if you were too far gone to know who we were, Juushirou. You realise, don't you, how close you came to destroying yourself this time? Last time, your Father intervened before your power truly got to that level. Last time, even after so long ill, you were able to come here and relinquish all of your earthly pain and suffering to speak to us. But this time it's different. You let your panic take over and you threw everything out there without giving a thought to your own safety. This time the pain and damage has burned right through to the core of your soul - you almost burned us too, Juushirou. This time, you almost died."
Juushirou blinked, gathering his wits as little by little he put together what she meant. It was true, he realised - though he now understood that he was deep inside his own consciousness, he could still feel the burning, raw pain shooting through his lungs, and every breath felt like a victory against oblivion. Blood stained the corners of his mouth, and he absently reached up to wipe it away, glancing at the reddish stains it left on his hand with a detached feeling of awareness.
Then another thought crossed his mind.
"Shunsui?" He murmured, and at this, the second fish made himself visible, a long, slightly charred white tail swishing in the smooth water as he fixed his companion with beady black eyes.
"Your friend is fine. Thanks to him, you're away from the scene of battle." He said quietly. "Your concern is yourself, right now. Do you understand what strength this soul truly possesses? Whether you acted instinctively or consciously, the same is true. You can't control it, yet. You're not ready. Do you want to die before you've learnt all the ways how?"
"The Hollow...was going...to kill him." Tears glittered on Juushirou's lashes. "I can't...see that...happen again."
"Let it go, You. The boy's upset enough." In murmured, and Juushirou felt somewhat soothed once again by her maternal kindness. "He's a long way from being ready, we both know it. But wanting to protect his friend - surely we should understand that impulse best of all. Juushirou was repaying a debt - he was doing what he could not do, three years ago."
"I know." You agreed resignedly. "But look at the state of him."
"Still, we managed to reach him." In reminded her companion gently. "And thanks to the warmth of his friend's reiatsu, his has calmed to the point where he's aware of himself once more. So long as that's the case, he won't die. So long as he hasn't given up."
She turned towards Juushirou.
"I'm right, aren't I? You want to live?"
And in that moment, Juushirou knew that he did.
"Yes." He said hoarsely. "I want to live. And I want to get stronger. So that next time I can do something without causing a bother to other people."
"Then go back to the old man's Academy and listen to his wisdom." You told him frankly. "Let them take care of your wounds, and rest until you're fit to rise and fight again. Work hard and concentrate on learning things as you're ready to learn them. That way, you'll become stronger."
"And you'll be with me?"
"We already told you, we're always with you." In assured him. "No matter what."
Juushirou's eyes widened as he remembered something else, and he held out his hands to them, brushing his fingers against their smooth scales as he did so.
"Last time you said something...about your real name." He murmured, and at his question, there was a moment of silence, the two fish meeting gazes across the smooth water.
"You're far from ready for that kind of conversation." You said at length. "You barely escaped this battle with your life. This time, you were lucky. But we can't trust you with information like that until you can master the skills you're being taught without putting yourself into danger."
"There's no hurry." In added soothingly. "The time will come, but You is right. This isn't it. Don't be in too much of a hurry, Juushirou-kun. You'll only lose your life if you rush in. You have a very special talent, after all. Don't destroy it by trying to use it all too quickly."
"But I..."
"You want to help. We know." You said evenly. "But you're still just a boy with a boy's powers. Your potential is as great or greater than your companions, but potential is hardly concrete. Until you learn to use that strength, it'll be nothing more than potential. Trust us and trust the old man. He knows. He's seen us in your aura, after all. He understands you better than you understand yourself. Follow his guidance and then we'll be able to talk - about our name."
Juushirou felt somehow deflated, and at his expression, In brushed her fin gently against his cheek.
"Your friend is worried, and it's time you rejoined him." She said gently. "Healing may be long and difficult, this time - but bear it like a man, all right? You have life, and nothing is more precious than that. With life, anything is still possible. Remember that."
With that the two small creatures began to fade and blur into the surroundings and, as the water too became more and more of an illusion, Juushirou was suddenly aware of the heavy pounding pain that burst through his body. Somewhere in the hot surroundings, however, he was aware of someone else, and he fought against the agony and the blackness, forcing his eyes to open.
As he did so, he saw a blurry face staring down at him, concerned brown eyes meeting his hazel ones, and he blinked a couple of times, bringing his companion into focus.
"Juushirou!" A voice exclaimed, then, "Dammit, you know how to scare someone, you know that?"
"Shun...sui." Juushirou managed, then his chest spasmed and he struggled to pull himself into a more upright position as he coughed, choking on the scalding blood that surged up through his vocal chords and into his mouth. Distantly he heard Shunsui's exclamation of alarm, but at that moment all of his senses were occupied with the violence of his reaction to their adventure, and as the attack continued, he felt someone's strong arms supporting his trembling body, holding him steady as the shudders wracked unrelentingly through him.
At length the attack was over, and he sank back against his companion helplessly, pain and exhaustion flooding him completely as he closed his eyes.
"What the hell was that?" Shunsui's voice broke through his thoughts and he opened his eyes again, dragging a rough breath into his lungs.
"Just...let me rest." He murmured. Then he closed his eyes again, allowing the fever to take over as he sank back into darkness.
Silence hung heavily over the Headmaster's office, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife as they waited for the word.
Across the room, Genryuusai could see the mixture of fear and anxiety on the young faces, the strain that flickered in even Ryuu's clever grey eyes as one minute ticked into the next, and then into a third.
Hirata had long since given way to his sobs, and he was huddled up against his big-hearted classmate, Enishi having told him firmly that it would 'be all right' and that there was 'nothing to worry about'. Still, there was tension in the large boy's frame, too - and Genryuusai sighed, closing his eyes momentarily as he composed his inner emotions.
Kyouraku Shunsui. Ukitake Juushirou. As he thought each of them out in turn, he could pick up the threads of their reiatsu, distant yet still burning with the fire of life. It had relieved him at least to know that his students were not dead - yet till he had had confirmation from the Gotei that the Hollow threat had been removed, he would not act. So long as he knew the two First Years were alive and a safe enough distance from the flare of the Hollow's dark aura, that would have to do for now.
"Sensei, are we never going to go after them?" At length it was Enishi who broke the silence, consternation in his gaze. "It's been more than four hours now since they left the school, and if they're in trouble..."
"Until I know that Hollow has been properly dispatched, Enishi, I will not risk any more lives." Genryuusai said softly. "Your classmates are not killed - Endou, stop crying so pitifully, please. There are no corpses to shed tears over yet, and I mean to ensure there won't be, either. You're old enough to react with the dignity of an adult, after all - try and show it."
Hirata sniffled back his tears, gazing at his Headmaster hopelessly.
"I was worried." He murmured. "That I'd k...kept Ukitake-kun's s...secret and now h...he's hurt because I d...did."
"If he's hurt, it's due to his own reckless behaviour." Genryuusai said frankly, getting to his feet as he moved across the room towards them. "Kyouraku too. You were foolish, true, for not telling me the truth sooner - but even so, their mistakes are their own. Do you remember now what I said a few weeks ago, when I warned you about protecting those who didn't mean to take the rules seriously? Sometimes we are talking about life and death, not simply frivolities involving student hi-jinks."
His gaze flitted across to Ryuu.
"This applies to you, also." He said firmly, and Ryuu flinched, gazing at him in dismay. The boy's usual austerity had been completely shattered by the long wait, and as Genryuusai gazed at him, he saw the youngster as he truly was - a teenage boy no more poised than the rest of them, stripped bare from the pride of his Clan's colours. "You've already made it clear that you sensed when your classmates left the Academy grounds. Yet you said nothing about it until now. I expected more sense from you, Kuchiki. That is not the way a Noble son behaves."
Ryuu dropped his gaze, for once having no reply, and Genryuusai sighed.
"It was all Kyouraku-kun's fault." Hirata murmured viciously, clenching and unclenching his fists. "Ukitake-kun was worried about him, because of the Hollow. He only went to help Kyouraku-kun, Sensei - he wasn't trying to break the rules."
"And did he come to a member of staff for help?" Genryuusai demanded. Hirata flinched back, shaking his head.
"I think..he didn't want...Kyouraku-kun to...be punished again." He said softly, and Genryuusai sighed.
"Punishment is meant as a tool to teach." He said simply. "If the pupil avoids his lesson, how will he ever learn for the next time? Kyouraku is very gifted at avoiding things - classes, responsibilities, people. Ukitake does him no favours by protecting him in any regard and he should know better."
"But Ukitake is not Clan, Sensei." Ryuu found his voice at that moment. "He doesn't understand all things in the way we do."
"I had hopes of his good sense because he was not Clan, as you put it." Genryuusai said crushingly. "I've dealt with enough foolish Clansmen in my time to know that there is nothing superior about the way the Noble houses handle such problems."
At that moment there was a knock on the door, preventing Ryuu from making any response, and Genryuusai glanced up.
"Enter." He called, and the door slid back, revealing Urahara Yunosuke. He bowed quickly, anxiety in his pale eyes as he glanced at the gathered First Years and then at the teacher.
"Sensei, there's a message from Unohana-sama." He murmured. "The Hollow has been successfully dealt with and the area surrounding it is clear of any like reiatsu."
"And the boys?" Genryuusai asked. Yunosuke frowned, shaking his head.
"Not in the forest." He said simply. "Unohana-sama and the local representatives of First and Fourth Districts's squads checked the whole of the area nearest to the school boundaries, but they weren't anywhere to be seen. With the chaos of the incident, it wasn't possible to get a fix on their reiatsu - but it seemed as though they had left the immediate area."
"On foot? With Ukitake injured?" Enishi's eyes widened, and Yunosuke shrugged.
"That's all I know." He said frankly. "Sensei, what do you want us to do? If the students are hurt..."
"The boys are in a cave somewhere in the mountains that overlook the forest." Genryuusai said softly. "Ukitake is certainly hurt, though I can't be sure about Kyouraku. Still, both are alive. I would like them brought back to the school, Yunosuke. Since there is no threat of Hollows, I'm entrusting the task of searching for them to you. I can't leave the school in case a second Hollow incident occurs in this vicinity, and the events tonight have caused enough unrest that I dare not spare staff. It's an inconvenience, in this climate, that such a thing should happen. Still, I will alert the Healing Bay. Take with you whichever of your classmates is best skilled in healing Kidou - Madeki, I imagine - and two others in case their injuries are more serious than I thought."
"Yes, Sensei." Yunosuke nodded his head.
"I'm sorry to entrust this to you, but in the circumstances, there's noone more suitable." Genryuusai sighed, rubbing his beard absently as he did so. "Ensure that whoever you take is skilled in Shunpo, also. If another Hollow appears in that vicinity, I do not want you to engage it. Not even with your zanpakutou - I want you to put the safety of the boys first and bring them back to the school in as close to one piece as you can manage. Understood?"
"Yes, Sensei." Yunosuke bowed his head again, then was gone, the door sliding shut behind him.
"Can I go with him too, Sensei?" Enishi begged, and Genryuusai shot him a dark look.
"Just because your reiatsu sensing techniques are inferior to your classmates' does not make you off the hook." He said blackly. "Aside from the fact such inferior detection skills are shameful in one with your ability and potential, what use do you imagine you'd be out on the mountain? Did you not hear me say to Yunosuke that he was to take only those students skilled in Shunpo and healing Kidou? What do you imagine you could do in either of those regards?"
Enishi flushed red.
"Nothing." He admitted. "But I'm worried. About them. They're my friends. That's all."
Genryuusai sighed, shaking his head.
"I've finished with the three of you." He said at length. "You are dismissed back to your dorm, where you will remain until further notice. I will send a message when Ukitake and Kyouraku are brought back here - you will not be able to see or speak to either of them before I do, and there will be harsh penalties for any who disobey my instructions. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Sensei." The three boys murmured, and Genryuusai gestured towards the door.
"Then go." He said frankly. "I will decide what punishment accomplices merit when I've had a chance to ascertain all the details of this situation - in the meantime, I don't wish to see or speak to any of you until tomorrow."
As the trio filed out, each one as quashed as the others, Genryuusai sank down into his chair, letting out his breath in a heavy sigh.
Kyouraku Shunsui. Ukitake Juushirou.
Slowly he tut-tutted under his breath.
Perhaps Shunsui has reached that crossroads sooner than I thought he would. But even so - Juushirou, you were a fool to go after him. What were you trying to prove? To save your friend because you couldn't save your father? Foolishness costs lives. There's no glory in pointless sacrifice...are you going to make yourself learn that the hard way?
His lips thinned.
And then the other thing...the girl who came to the school. Shunsui, I will want an explanation from you. I don't want to send you away, after all. But if you continue to avoid things...
But then, maybe seeing a comrade injured because of your carelessness will be the making of you. Perhaps that time alone in that cave will serve as a lesson of a sort, after all. Delaying their rescue for this long was a gamble - I knew long before Yunosuke came that the Hollow had been taken out and that the boys were nowhere near the danger. But even so, sometimes harsh lessons are the best ones for teaching the important things. Not just for those two but for their silly young friends. Cameraderie. Responsibility. Weakness. Trust. All those things and more. And most of all the times when it's right to stay silent, and the times it's right to speak out.
He frowned, rubbing his beard absently once more.
Though how they got to that mountain cave in such a short period of time still interests me. When things have quietened down somewhat, I can see I'll have to look further into that...
It seemed like they had been there days, though Shunsui knew it had only been a couple of hours since they had faced the Hollow in the forest beyond.
He sighed, leaning up against the wall of the cave as he cast his companion a glance. Though he had let the other boy rest, Juushirou had not been able to sleep for long, his body rebelling against his attempts to soothe it with a second attack of coughing and blood. It had frightened Shunsui more than he had been willing to admit, seeing his capable, genial classmate so helpless and in so much pain, yet he knew there was little he could do except support the boy through the worst of his struggles.
Juushirou had spoken little in the meantime, huddled up some short distance away from him, and though the initial violence of the attack seemed to be at an end, Shunsui knew his classmate was far from all right. Even now he was still breathing heavily, fighting against the persistent spasms in his chest with a look of determination on his thin features. It was almost as though he was causing himself more pain by resisting them, and Shunsui wondered absently if it was for his own sake that Juushirou was battling so hard.
After all, he realised grimly, even if he had not said anything about his own fear, he was sure that his companion had picked it up in his aura nonetheless.
He frowned, reaching across to brush his companion's sweat-soaked brow, and muttering a curse at what he felt there. Even without any medical training, he knew that his companion's temperature was on the rise and that the cold, draughty cave was the worst place for him to be.
"You're hot." He murmured, and at his voice, Juushirou turned his head.
"I'm…all right." He gasped out. "I just…need to sit…for a while."
"Like hell you are." Shunsui said sharply. "We're in a freezing cave a mile from the school and you look like every breath you're taking is your last. What part of that is 'all right'? Don't lie. You hurt yourself, didn't you? Either that or the Hollow did something."
Juushirou shook his head, opening his mouth as if to refute his companion's words, but instead he was wracked by a third spasm of coughing, his fingers clawing at his chest as if physically trying to find a way to pull the air into his lungs. For a moment Shunsui stared at him, then, as blood began to bubble once more from his companion's lips, the young nobleman pulled himself together, grasping his classmate's thin form firmly and holding him tightly as the shudders ran through the other boy's body.
At length, they quieted, and Juushirou let out a heavy sigh, closing his eyes briefly in relief.
"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I didn't mean…you've…blood all over you too."
"People who save other people's lives shouldn't be saying sorry." Shunsui said frankly, not releasing his hold for one moment as he gazed at his companion anxiously. "I'm not kidding, though. You've made a mess of yourself in some way coming to help me. I should be the one who's sorry."
Juushirou shook his head weakly.
"My choice." He whispered. "I didn't...listen...to you."
"Well, if you had, I'd be dead, so thanks for that at least." Shunsui sighed, eying his companion in resignation. "But I didn't mean you to go so far as that. I don't know what you did in that forest, but my advice is don't do it again any time soon, all right? I already know you're strong - you don't need to prove it to me. Okay?"
A faint smile touched Juushirou's lips, and despite himself, Shunsui was relieved to see even this slight sign of his companion's normal personality pushing through the terror and the pain. In the forest, he reflected, Juushirou had seemed like a complete stranger – a person whose tremendous power levels had even frightened him, yet even though it was clear his classmate was badly hurt, the tiny smile comforted him.
Whatever that was, it doesn't matter. You are Juushirou still, after all – even with a flare like that – and for some reason, I'm more relieved to see that than anything.
"Are you going to be all right like this?" He asked aloud, and his companion nodded tentatively.
"I will." He agreed, speaking in muted tones as if to prevent the onset of another spasm. "It's just…when the Hollow…it reminded me of Father's death. And…my power surged…and I couldn't hold it back."
"That's right." Shunsui looked pensive, guilt piercing his heart as he remembered their earlier conversations on that subject. "You said in dorm one time that your Pa had been killed by a Hollow. I'm even more sorry, then…for making you relive a bad memory."
He eyed his classmate keenly.
"Though you really didn't have to come after me at all, you know. I don't understand why you did – especially given what happened. If you felt the Hollow, why not get a teacher?"
"I wanted…to bring you back." Juushirou swallowed hard. "If I...had gone to...Sensei...you'd get…into more trouble…for breaking bounds again."
"And you felt you had to take responsibility for that?"
"I suppose. You went to...help Megumi-san...after all. So I...came to help...you."
"You say some odd things." Shunsui murmured, inwardly making up his mind that this was neither the time nor the place to disclose to his classmate his gruesome discovery in the forest clearing.
"I already told you that it's not your problem. I'm not your problem. It's not up to you to keep me out of trouble."
Juushirou looked rueful.
"Somehow...I feel like...it is." He managed, and Shunsui's eyes widened.
"Why on earth?"
"I...don't know." Juushirou admitted. "I just...felt it was...the right thing...to do."
"You really are an oddball, sometimes." Shunsui eyed him affectionately. "But somehow, I like it that way. When we get back to school, though, I'll take the rap for it. All of it. Your part too. Okay? I don't want you getting kicked out because I went off on a whim to find a hostess girl and didn't read the danger signs for myself. If I'd have been killed it would've been my bad - all you did was rescue me from being an idiot."
Juushirou offered another faint smile.
"I suppose it was…something like that."
He took another deep breath, then, "It's all right, Shunsui-kun. You can let me g…go now."
"Are you sure? You're shivering like crazy, even though you're burning up." Shunsui eyed him anxiously, nonetheless releasing his grasp and Juushirou dropped back against the wall with a sigh. Shunsui frowned, making up his mind as he untied his heavy cloak from around his throat.
"Here, you take this." He said, wrapping the thick, expensive fabric about his companion's shoulders before Juushirou could object.
"What about you?" Juushirou protested. "You'll freeze instead of me, if…if you g…give me your cape."
"Don't argue, you'll cough again." Shunsui said sharply. "Just do as you're told for once, all right? I owe it you. You came and you saved me, so the least I can do is keep you warm till we work out a way of getting back to the school. I can't carry you the whole way – you're heavier than you look, despite being skin and bone – and you can't walk there in this state. So take the cape and warm up, all right? I'm not going to listen if you try to complain…and if you take it off, I'll tie it to your hakama."
Juushirou stared at him for a moment, then he smiled.
""Kyouko-san was right." He murmured. "You're much more…reliable than you…look, Shunsui-kun."
"Hardly, considering I got us into this mess." Shunsui sighed. "Even if I did have good intentions, I never thought it would end up like this."
He eyed his companion anxiously.
"Look, should you really be talking? I mean, dammit, you're never like this in school. You cough sometimes, but not like this. Not with blood everywhere."
"Maybe not, but th…this is quite n…normal." Juushirou seemed unperturbed, and colour was beginning to return to his cheeks.
"Normal?" Shunsui's eyes became huge, as his gaze flitted to the blood splatters on the ground and across the edge of both boys' clothing. "Would you mind telling me exactly what part of normal has you ejecting things that should definitely stay inside of your body into the outside world? Maybe you never got taught this as a kid, Juushirou-kun, but so far as I'm aware blood belongs where people can't see it. Choking it up is definitely, absolutely, not even remotely normal."
"It is for me." Juushirou shrugged, and Shunsui stared at him, incredulous.
"How so?"
"I've had attacks like this all my life." Juushirou's breathing was beginning to steady now, and he gripped the edges of the cape, pulling it more tightly around his shivering form as he did so. "That's all. I'm used...to things like this. You're...only so alarmed...because it's the...first time you've...seen it."
"I think I'd be alarmed no matter how many times I saw it." Shunsui said frankly. "I was seriously worried about you, you know - and you're telling me it's some kind of stress up-chuck reflex?"
"No. It's not as simple as that." Juushirou shook his head. "And th...this time I did push...too far. My...spirit power...it's not weak. But m...my body is, so it c…can't handle my reiryoku so good. Normally I...I suppress it really hard. Then I can...mostly...I'm all right. But if I'm using it...it's hard to know...when to stop."
He coughed, and Shunsui tensed, but this time there was no blood, and the older boy let out a heavy sigh of relief.
"Don't." He ordered. "If talking makes it worse, don't talk, okay?"
"It's...okay...so long as I'm quiet...like this." Juushirou assured him. "Besides, it's not...just my reiryoku...that's the problem. My l…lungs are particularly bad, because I inherited the f…family's disease, so it just m…makes everything worse. But it's all right. Really. I've c…calmed down. I was frightened before...and it didn't help. But...but you're here...with me. So I'm not alone. And your cloak is helping…I'm not so cold, now."
He glanced at his hands.
"I probably sh…shouldn't try walking, though." He murmured. "I feel raw inside, and my...head is spinning."
Shunsui gazed at him for a moment, then he slowly shook his head.
"You really act like it's nothing, spewing up blood like this." He muttered. "You're that set on being a Shinigami that you don't care if it destroys you?"
"I'm here to l…learn how to use my skills in a way that they w…won't hurt me." Juushirou said simply. "Eventually, maybe, my attacks will be rarer. That's w…what I hope, anyway."
He cast his companion a smile.
"I h…have an idea, by the way. About what to do. Now w…we're stuck here."
"Go on?"
"I c…can't walk back, and you can't carry me. The Hollow is gone but it m…may come back, so we shouldn't s…stay here." Juushirou spoke carefully, yet Shunsui was reassured by the growing strength in his companion's voice. "They m…must know we're m…missing by now, though. I told Hirata-kun I was g…going after you so if we're not back s…someone will have realised. If they're l…looking for us, I think I know how to g…get their attention."
"I'm listening." Shunsui shifted himself against the hard surface. "Even if I'm about to be thrown out of the Academy, at least if I am, it'll mean sleeping somewhere less freezing and uncomfortable tonight. What do you suggest we do?"
"Kidou." Juushirou said simply.
"Huh?" Shunsui stared at him for a moment, and Juushirou's smile widened.
"Your s…shakka-hou was pretty powerful, even if I d…did have to teach you the s…spell." He murmured. "I think, if…you could do that into the s…sky, someone would s…see it and realise where we were."
He glanced at his hands.
"I'd d…do it myself, but I daren't really r…risk it."
"No, you don't do anything." Shunsui pursed his lips. "I think I can remember the incantation, and I'll do it, don't worry."
He looked rueful.
"I mightn't have gone to any practical Kidou classes yet, and I might not pay attention to the theory, either." He added. "But I guess having noble blood has t'be useful for something, in the end. If the forest is anything to go by, I can shoot up a firecracker - I guess I'm starting to see the point of learning this stuff at last."
"That's something...at least." Juushirou nodded his head, amusement in his tired hazel eyes. "Though it's a waste, Shunsui-kun. That you can...fire a powerful spell like that, and...you don't want to learn how...to do it better."
"There are reasons." Shunsui said dismissively. "But for the time being, getting out of here is more important."
"You sure...you know the spell? If you make a mistake..."
"It's all right. I have a pretty good memory." Shunsui assured him. "And I heard you say it twice - once when you fired it, and once when you taught it me. I'm pretty sure I have it down - so you just sit tight and let me deal with it. Okay?"
"B...be careful." Juushirou warned. "In case the H...Hollow is still around. It...will sense you...after all."
"We're a long way from where that Hollow was, believe me." Shunsui said casually. "But it's all right. I'll keep it in mind."
He got to his feet, glancing at his hands as he did so.
"I'll be right back." He added. "Trust me and don't worry, okay?"
With that he stepped out into the darkness, pausing to gaze up at the clear moon that glimmered in the clear sky above his head.
Perhaps I've been foolish, too. I never thought about learning Kidou for a situation like this.
He sighed, rubbing his hands absently together, then reaching up towards the stars, stiffening his stance in the way he had seen Juushirou do as he gathered the shreds of his reluctant reiryoku together.
I didn't want to learn because I didn't want to fight against Hollows. That hasn't changed...if anything, I feel more strongly that way now I've encountered one for myself. But even so, doing nothing is just as bad as doing the wrong thing, sometimes. I knew that already. I've been in that situation before. But I haven't learnt anything from it. And because of that, Juushirou got hurt.
He frowned, his eyes narrowing even as he began to murmur the spell, the words flowing through his lips as though speaking them was a natural impulse that he had only just begun to awaken.
I suppose when you can't protect everything, you have to choose the thing you want to protect most.
"Hadou no sanjuu-ichi, Shakka-hou!" He exclaimed, as light glittered across his palms, shooting a fire-bolt of ruby light up into the heavens. He took a breath into his lungs, feeling the buzzing, dizzy sensation of adrenalin rushing through his body at the effort, then he gathered his wits, focusing his thoughts once more on the matter at hand.
I can see why Kazoe insists on us doing the dull as dishwater theory before he lets us near practical. My mind's all over the place, playing with fire. Probably I'll get into even more trouble for using Kidou without the proper training - but it can't be helped. Right now getting Juushirou help is more important - even if he says it's all right, he's fevered and hurt and the cold air up here isn't going to do him any good at all.
He flexed his fingers again, focusing his mind as he shot a second and then a third bolt up into the night sky, each one becoming more focused and concise as his body began to compensate for the sudden use of spiritual energy. For a moment he watched, absently reminded of the Shiba-made fireworks that had welcomed his brother home as Leader of the Kyouraku-ke so many years earlier. Then he sighed, lowering his hands slowly. They still prickled and burnt with the energy he had expelled, and for the first time since he had arrived at the Academy, he felt worn out.
Yet even so, he also felt a sense of accomplishment curling up inside of him.
He had done what he could, after all. The rest was up to the school.
He ducked back into the cave, dropping down beside his friend with a sigh, and Juushirou cast him an anxious look.
"Are you all right?" He asked hoarsely, and Shunsui nodded.
"Yes. I'm fine." He agreed. "I'm just not used to doing something like that, that's all. I've no training or anything in technique, so I probably flared it all over the place. But it worked, so with any luck, someone will pick it up and come and find us."
He looked rueful.
"I'm out of breath for the first time this term." He added. "I guess I'm also not used to working hard."
"That's why…skipping classes is s…such a bad idea." Juushirou murmured, and Shunsui shrugged his shoulders.
"I'm not a natural student, not like you are." He responded. "I was born lazy and incompetent...sorry about that."
Juushirou eyed him for a moment, then, slowly, he shook his head.
"I don't think so." He murmured. "In the forest, wh…when the Hollow was there, you f…fired that Shakka-hou perfectly. Your aim, everything - and it w…was powerful. You hit the Hollow…square in the chest and…you knocked it over with the force of your c…cannon. Even Kuchiki-kun didn't do that the…the first time he fired that spell in class, and I h…had to work hard to g…get my spirit power to a place where it would l…let me fire the blast without coughing. He…and I are meant to be…the top two r…ranked in Kidou if you b…believe the assessment scores. But you..."
He pursed his lips, and Shunsui eyed him warily.
"But me?" He echoed, and Juushirou sighed, looking weary.
"Was that r…really the first time you'd ever used Kidou?"
"Yes." Shunsui nodded, looking surprised at the sudden change in angle. "I never did anything like that at home, and I spent most of my childhood escaping my education. The only Kidou I know is the little theory Kazoe-sensei's drummed into me in the extra remedial classes over the last few weeks - which really isn't much."
"You've never d…done Kidou, yet you fired it perfectly just b…based on instinct alone?"
"It sure was a lucky shot." Shunsui agreed, and Juushirou arched an eyebrow, shaking his head.
"No. It wasn't luck." He observed. "You d…didn't think about it at all, did you? You just c…copied what I told you and yet it came out like…like that. That's not a fluke. It's not p…possible to fluke a sp…spell like that. And besides, I felt it too, when Ky…Kyouko-san came to s…speak to you. Your reiatsu changed - and I…wondered at it. Then in the forest...you're stronger than you let people see."
Shunsui smiled ruefully.
"I'm Clan." He said pragmatically. "And my father was a Shinigami, so it's not strange to think I might've inherited something from him. Several things, actually, if my kinsfolk are to be believed. Being Noble-born does gift you a certain amount of reiryoku. But strong? No. I don't know about that. I did something and it worked, basically because it had to work. You were the one who was stronger, Juushirou - you came to my rescue, after all."
Juushirou shook his head slowly once more.
"Your reiatsu isn't average. N…not even for Clan." He murmured. "Which m…makes it all the more criminal, Shunsui-kun - that y…you don't use it. Not doing s…something when you can is worse than not b…being able to do it in the first place. You know that, right?"
Shunsui grinned, acknowledging to himself his companion's observation.
"Perhaps." He agreed. "But it's complicated, if people start talking about your potential and your abilities and all of those things. I didn't ask for the spiritual power I have, and I have my reasons for feeling the way I do. But in situations like this, it can't be helped. You came all this way to help me out, so I repaid it as best I could by using whatever I had to help you out. That's all."
"Then why not use that p…power in class, if you'll use it t..to rescue a classmate?"
"Because you're worth rescuing. I see the point in that." Shunsui said frankly, causing his companion to stare at him in bewilderment. "I like you. You're honest and clear-cut and you don't have agendas for liking the people or the things that you do. School would be a lot more annoying without you, and I don't like situations where people get killed. So of course I'm going to help you. There's no question of that - after all, I'd like to think we're becoming friends. Of a sort, in any case. Right?"
"I...I suppose that's true." Juushirou bit his lip. "But..."
"But I don't feel the same way about what we learn in class." Shunsui's eyes darkened. "Like I said, I have my reasons for not wanting to be a Shinigami. I don't believe in things the way you do. So it's hard to motivate myself to try hard in those situations. I'm at the Academy because it was the better option of my brother's ultimatum. That's all. There's the difference."
"How can you n…not see helping Soul Society as worthwhile?"
"It's not about Soul Society. It's about the Clans, just like everything else in this world."
"But I'm not Clan. And you are, so why…do you hate it…so much?"
"It's complicated. Let's not discuss it here and now, huh?" Shunsui sighed, shaking his head as if to clear it. "I'm not sure if it would make sense to you, even if I tried."
"All right." Juushirou pursed his lips. "But you know, I still think it's unforgivable...having strength and not…not using it. You shouldn't try to c…coast or skip classes, at the very least. You have power. If you d…don't like the way Soul Society is now, then use that power to…to change it. After all, isn't that what…Genryuusai-sensei's…training us to do?"
"Yama-jii? Maybe. The others? Couldn't tell you. And it takes more than a few kids to change a whole world."
"It h…has to start somewhere." Juushirou said sensibly. "And we w…won't always be kids. Not if we keep going the way we are. You should…think about it, at least. If you h…have a gift, you ought to use it."
Shunsui eyed his classmate ruefully.
"You know, you're something else, Juu-kun." He added. "Even half-collapsed, fevered and shivering you're still managing to tell me what to do."
"I…didn't realise…you ever did what…I told you." Juushirou reflected. "Besides…I asked you…not to call me that. Didn't I?"
"You did." Shunsui acknowledged. "But I never did really understand why. It's not like I mean anything by it – and you don't seem to be the kind of person who stands on ceremony with names and such."
Juushirou shook his head.
"It's not that." He responded a wistful look entering his dark eyes. "Just…my F…Father was the…only one who…ever called me Juu-kun. Noone else does. That's all."
Shunsui stared at him for a moment, a faint flicker of envy stirring once more in his heart.
"You really loved your Pa, didn't you?" He murmured, and Juushirou reddened, nodding his head.
"More than anything." He admitted. "It's hard to explain. But…when someone l…loves you, even th…though you're so full of weaknesses, and…even though you…were the one whose life…was traded for someone else's, it means something. He loved m…me even though M…Mother died because of me. And he p…protected me against that H…Hollow, even though it c…cost him his life. He was…special. That's all."
He glanced down, and Shunsui was alarmed to see the glitter of tears in the boy's eyes.
"In my family, the w…weakness I have is k…known as a curse." He murmured, his voice breaking more from suppressed emotion than from physical pain. "And because of that curse my Mother and F…Father both lost their lives. That's why I'm here, Kyouraku-kun. Even if it…it's hard sometimes, or it…hurts to push myself. B…because they loved me and b…believed in me to be here. So I w…won't let them down."
Shunsui sighed, then stretched his arm out casually around the other boy's thin shoulders, pulling the stray flaps of the cloak more firmly over his classmate's body.
"Shunsui-kun?" Juushirou stared at him, and the older boy smiled.
"You're fevered and you're tired and if you carry on like that you'll be babbling out all kinds of things you don't want me to know." He said softly. "You've already made me feel thoroughly ashamed of myself - let's leave it there, shall we?"
"Ashamed of yourself?"
"Yes. For making you relive such a horrible memory." Shunsui murmured. Juushirou smiled sadly.
"It's a memory I'll n…never let go of. I can't, because it k…keeps me going forward." He replied. "It's all right, Shunsui. You don't have to…to feel like that."
"Nonetheless, I do." Shunsui shrugged. "I've never had a bond with anyone that's quite like that one - living or dead. I suppose I don't fully understand it - and perhaps I envy it a little, if I'm honest. But I didn't mean to make this all worse for you."
"You can let me go, you know. I'm n…not about to collapse or fall apart." Juushirou objected.
"You're not the only one feeling the cold. And you're starting to shiver again." Shunsui said frankly. "This way it's easier to conserve heat."
"I'm stronger than that, you know."
"Yes, I know." Shunsui shrugged. "But humour me all the same. You're not coughing now, and if keeping you warm helps with that, then I'm all for it."
"You're not...disgusted by me?" Juushirou shot him an apprehensive look, and it was Shunsui's turn to look bewildered.
"Disgusted? Why the hell?"
"Coughing up b…blood isn't exactly nice." Juushirou bit his lip, looking self-conscious and awkward. "When I was s…small, I used to do it a lot more, although my attacks only b...became as violent as they are now after...after Father died.. It's one of the reasons I didn't m…mix much as a child. Father protected me, because he didn't w…want me to be hurt by people outside. Visitors to the estate either w…wanted to peer at me, or they w…wanted to keep their distance. Though Hiro-kun and my other siblings had fr…friends in neighbouring homes, I never did. I was always with my f…family and it was always enough. But it was because...Father was afraid that they'd be cruel to me. Because of what I am - the c…cursed child with the wh…white plague that runs through our family line like poison."
"I see." Shunsui's eyes narrowed. "They thought they might contract something by coming in contact with you? Or that speaking to you might hex them in some way?"
"Something like that, I suppose." Juushirou looked sad. "I didn't understand it as a…a child, but I came to, as I g…got older. I didn't really talk to…to anyone about it, because I knew they'd w…worked so hard to protect me. But because they had, I…I knew it was the case. The Academy is the f…first time I've been away from my h…home environment in my l…life. Which is why I w…wanted so much to m…make it work."
He sighed, rubbing his temples.
"I haven't lied about my h…health, nor intentionally kept it s…secret." He added. "But I have d…downplayed it as much as possible, I admit it. Attacks like this aren't as c…common these days, and I hoped I w…wouldn't show that side of me to the people I'd meet here. It's not c…contagious, after all. It's inherited. No one is g…going to get sick from b…being around me. But even so - I l…look and seem strange to people."
"You look and seem strange because you're up-front and not swayed by Noble connections." Shunsui said bluntly. "It's not a pretty greeting ritual, true enough - and I wouldn't advise using it as a courting technique unless you're really desperate for options. But you needn't be worried about my opinion. I've been disgusted by a lot of people in my life - but you're not one of them. Spitting up blood is nothing in comparison to the ugly character deformities I've come across in the past seventeen years. You at least can't help your flaws, after all. They can. You're fine, trust me. Better like this than twisted up and corrupted by power and wealth."
"Shunsui?" As a note of bitterness touched the older boy's tones, he saw consternation in his classmate's hazel eyes and he smiled, shaking his head sheepishly.
"No, it's nothing." He said dismissively. "The important thing is that I'm not disgusted by you at all. I've seen blood and enough of it to know I don't like seeing it - but you can't help it that things are this way."
"You seemed scared of it, when I c…came round. I was w…worried you were scared of me, because of it."
"Scared for you. Not of you." Shunsui shook his head, seeing the apprehension in Juushirou's hazel gaze and making up his mind in that instant to say nothing about how the sudden and tremendous swell in his friend's reiatsu had made him feel in the forest clearing. "I was terrified you were going to choke your last, if you want the truth. But I never had a thought about whether or not I might catch it, or anything else like that. My only thought was 'what the hell do I do?', nothing else."
He smiled.
"It takes more than a little blood to frighten me. I've faced Yama-jii and lived." He said casually, and despite himself, Juushirou grinned, relief and gratitude in his hazel eyes.
"I'm glad, though, in a way...that I've seen th…this side of you." He murmured, tension seeping out of his thin frame as he sank back against his friend with a sigh. "Because you d…didn't make any sense, before. And I wasn't sure if I c…could trust in someone who was totally irresponsible. But you…you're not, so it's fine. You're strong and y…you're reliable when it counts, after all. Somehow, I'm glad. Because in the end, w…we make a good team. Don't we?"
"We do." Shunsui agreed, a sudden sense of warmth welling up inside of him at his companion's simple, honest words. "Of course, it might be a short-lived team, if I'm expelled after this little adventure. But either way, I'm glad too. You're an interesting person, Juushirou. You're not like anyone I've ever met, and that's the truth."
"Funny." Juushirou managed a wry smile. "People often s…seem to say that. That I'm n…not what they expected. Even Okaasama…when she first married Father…was surprised by me. I guess…I just…don't fit any particular m…mould. I'm d…determined not to be the s…sickly invalid everyone p…pities, so m…maybe I work too hard at b…being more than that sometimes."
"That's not a bad thing." Shunsui grinned. "To be honest, that's the reason you're someone I'd want as a friend. I'm not an argumentative person and I don't like causing disharmony, because feuds are much too much hassle to keep up with and they never end well. But even so there aren't very many people in this world I'd actually make the effort to call my friend. But spending time with you is never dull. And no matter what happens – somehow I never doubt that you're telling the truth."
He frowned, a sheepish look flickering across his brown eyes.
"That was a bit pompous. Sorry." He amended. "I guess I can't squash all of the Clan blood inside of me. I don't mean it that way. It's just that you're refreshing in the way you handle things and people. And I suppose I didn't expect to find that when Tokutarou-nii shipped me off here. You're totally the opposite from me in a lot of ways. You don't sit back and let things happen but you get involved – with Hirata-kun, then Kuchiki – Houjou too, most likely. You've gone in there and made friends with them whether they've been ready for you to do so or not. It's a power I'm sort of jealous of, if you want the truth. But if I can't have it…I guess the next best thing is spending time with someone who does."
Juushirou stared at him, then he smiled.
"You m…make me sound like an interfering…busybody." He whispered, and Shunsui shook his head.
"Not that." He assured him. "But it is a talent, nonetheless. Even though some people have given you a hard time from the start, you seem able to win them over. Take Kuchiki, for example. He's the worst example of Clan elitism you'll ever meet – but you've ignored that and determinedly reached out to him – so now he's consciously spending time with you. He's even giving you his advice…whether you want it or not. For you to win over a Kuchiki is pretty much paramount to a golden handshake in Clan terms – but I doubt you've even thought of it that way. Have you?"
"No." Juushirou admitted. "Kuchiki-kun…seems lonely to me. That's all. He's n…not very good w…with people. But he's not unkind. We j…just had a misunderstanding to b…begin with. If we're f…friends now, then so much to the g…good."
"That's exactly what I'm talking about." Shunsui grinned. "It's hard to explain, but I'd almost believe you had the power to make allies even of your enemies. And that's a pretty strong trait to have - maybe eventually you will win them all over after all."
"At least, I can try." Juushirou murmured, a sleepy note in his words, and Shunsui chuckled, shaking his head in amusement.
"You can." He agreed. "But right now, get some rest. I'll stick by you till help comes, so don't worry about taking a nap. You need it, after all."
"Mm. Maybe." Juushirou said blurrily, then, "Thank you, Shunsui...kun."
With that his eyes flickered closed, and as his companion's hoarse breathing began to stabilise, Shunsui sighed, leaning up against the cool cave wall.
"And now I just have to wait for help to come." He murmured. "I hope they don't take too long."
He tightened his grip on his friend's body as an involuntary shiver wracked through the boy's thin frame, and despite himself he felt another pang of guilt wash over him.
You really are just skin and bone, aren't you? Sora said so, but somehow when you're animated and involved in things, it doesn't seem like anything could knock you down. Yet right now...right now its as though you're fragile enough that if I let go of you, you might even break.
He sighed.
Even if I didn't ask you to come after me, I should have known that you would. If I'd taken you from the start, maybe then there wouldn't have been so much danger. Maybe one of us would've sensed the Hollow sooner, and headed back to school. You knew, after all, that it was there...even while I was engrossed in examining Megumi's body. And maybe I was still a little shaken up from that...but it's no excuse for having been that careless.
He closed his eyes, visualising the school principal in his mind's eye. Genryuusai had not yet let his students see even a hint of the legendary power that had made him a force to be reckoned with even among the Clans of Seireitei, but Shunsui had picked up flickers of it in the old man's eyes from time to time and he knew that the stories were not exaggerated. That a fire hotter than Hell's own burned within Genryuusai's blade was beyond all doubt - and from the moment he had realised it, Shunsui had fervently hoped he would never come to see his teacher angry.
Although, he reasoned, disciplining a lowly, insignificant first year student for a repeat offence probably did not merit bringing out the full force of Ryuujinjakka's unequalled wrath.
Yama-jii will probably have the whip out, mind you - if I'm lucky enough to just get a beating. More likely it'll be the last straw - he'll give me the beating and then send me back where I came from. He'll let Tokutarou-nii deal with me - and probably think that it's good riddance to bad rubbish.
A faint sense of sadness touched him at that moment, and he frowned, shaking his head as if to clear it.
What was that? Disappointment? In myself or in the idea of leaving the Academy? I can't want to stay there so much as all that, surely? I was cornered into sitting that exam by Tokutarou-nii - none of this was ever of my own volition. And I don't want to be a Shinigami - I don't want to be a killer for my Clan, not like my Father was. So what, then? Why do I feel like this?
A wry, humourless grin touched his lips.
Careful, Shunsui. You're starting to sound like you're forming an attachment to that place. Or maybe...maybe not the place, but the people there.
He opened his eyes, glancing at Juushirou's sleeping form again. Though his normally pale cheeks were flushing now with the encroaching fever, the steady rise and fall of the boy's chest continued to reassure him, and he sighed.
Maybe it's you, after all. Moving straight forward without any agendas or ulterior motives for doing so. In that way you remind me a little of Saku, holding onto the freedom that I've never been able to find. You don't know how lucky you are, Juu-kun. To be able to do something simply because you believe in it. And because you believe in it, I won't let you take the rap for any of this. Whatever happens, I'll make absolutely for sure of it. Whatever Yama-jii does to me - I won't let him send you home. It's a paltry payback for saving my life - but if its all I can do for now, it'll have to do.
After all, noone's ever risked their life to save mine before. And even if it was reckless, and even if I joke about it later - I won't forget it.
"Kyouraku! Ukitake!"
A faint voice from somewhere outside the cave startled him at that point, and he jerked upright, straining to hear anything that might indicate he hadn't imagined it. His senses were exhausted already, from the trauma of the evening and from his unconscious protection of his stricken friend, yet somehow he knew they were no longer alone, and that someone had at last come from the school to find them.
"Kyouraku? Ukitake! Are you here? If you can hear me, shout!"
A dark shape blocked the entrance of the cave, silhouetted for a moment by the moonlight behind him, and Shunsui let out a sigh of relief, adrenalin coursing out of his weary body as he recognised the speaker.
"Anideshi?" He murmured, and Yunosuke nodded, dropping down beside them and casting Juushirou an anxious glance. Behind him came another student, who quickly put a hand to Juushirou's brow.
"Sensei was right. This one's done himself in." He murmured. "Yunosuke, we'll have to carry him...no doubts there."
"What about you, Kyouraku? Can you stand?" Yunosuke asked, as the second student carefully lifted the still unconscious Juushirou from his companion's protective grip, and Shunsui shrugged, a rueful smile touching his lips as he realised he too now was shivering.
"I...honestly, I don't know." He admitted. "A minute ago I'd have t...told you yes, but..."
"Hang onto Ukitake, Madeki." Yunosuke turned to his companion, whose fingers were already glittering with a taint of Kidou Shunsui didn't recognise. "Gujihara! Come give Unohana a hand with this kid, will you? He's out for the count."
"It's all right, Yunosuke. He's light as a feather - I can manage to get him back on my own." Unohana Madeki said quickly. "You deal with Kyouraku. I'll head back now."
In a moment he was gone, his reiatsu still buzzing faintly in the place that he had stood, and Shunsui stared at the empty air blankly, as if struggling to comprehend what he had seen.
"Shunpo, kid." Yunosuke told him briskly. "We'll be taking you back that way, too."
"Shunpo, huh?" Shunsui murmured, and Yunosuke nodded.
"Yes. Like the stuff Aitori probably teaches you in...oh, but you won't be beginning anything like that yet, will you? First years never do get to do practical Shunpo - believe me, it's much more convenient when you can master a skill like that."
Shunsui's eyes narrowed slightly, digesting this, and Yunosuke got to his feet, carefully pulling his junior up with him. Shunsui stumbled, his knees buckling under him, and Yunosuke frowned.
"Hey, kid, was it you who fired those rockets into the air?"
"You s...saw those?" Shunsui demanded, and Yunosuke nodded.
"As we reached the forest." He agreed. "Three firecrackers, they were. But your fingers are charred and you look all in. You ought to be careful, though - Kidou can attract Hollows, if you use it carelessly."
"I w...wanted to bring Juushirou...help." Shunsui murmured, as the world swayed and twisted around him, and he cursed, digging his nails into the palms of his hands as he fought against the humiliation of his dizziness. "He was hurt, you see. But I...that was...today was the f...first time I...ever used...shakka-hou. So I g...guess I w...was a l...little bit...reckless."
"First time, huh?" Yunosuke eyed him keenly. "Then you should take my advice and keep working on it. You've got a talent for it, it seems."
"And...f...for g...getting into t...trouble." Shunsui said faintly, as the world faded in and out of focus.
"Hey, stay with me. Keep talking." Yunosuke said sharply, giving him a brisk shake. "Gujihara? Dammit, are you out there or am I talking to myself?"
"I'm here, Urahara." A tall, stocky boy with glasses entered the cave at that moment, his appearance immediately giving him away as one of Enishi's kinsmen. "What's up? I thought you wanted me to keep watch for Hollows?"
"Mm, but Madeki's taken the other kid back to school and I want your help with Kyouraku." Yunosuke said briskly. "He's about at his limit, and your shunpo is smoother and swifter than mine. Can you take him back and report for me? I'll be right behind you - I'll go find Haru and we'll follow you."
"Understood." Gujihara nodded his head, grasping hold of Shunsui as if he were no more than a rag doll. "Stick it out for a minute, kid. We'll be back at school sooner than you know it."
With that the world around them went swirly and black, and as the haze engulfed him, Shunsui realised vaguely that the sensation was somehow familiar.
So it was Shunpo then, after all.
Displeasure curled up inside of his stomach at the cold, hard realisation.
Not just my instinct or native speed, but something Shinigami do as a matter of course. Dammit, even if I don't try...am I going to turn out as my Father's son, regardless? The exam, the Kidou, now Shunpo...no matter how hard I try not to do something, am I really going to be stuck doing it after all?
In the next instant they were at the school gates, and without missing a beat, Gujihara swept him along the pathway and up the steps, taking him in through the big double doors and along the hallway which led to the Healing Bay. Faintly Shunsui could feel the flickers of Juushirou's reiatsu growing closer and somehow this proof that his classmate had made the trip safely comforted him even just a little. His guide deposited him back on his feet, and much to Shunsui's relief, he found he had stopped shaking enough to be able to stand on his own.
That comfort was to be short-lived, however, for the next moment the door of the Bay opened, and Shunsui found himself face to face with Genryuusai himself. In the room beyond, he caught the briefest glimpse of a flash of white haori, and at it, his eyes widened.
Gotei? Here? But why?
The next moment his curiosity had been overtaken by fear, as a wizened hand was clamped down on his arm, and Genryuusai's steely gaze bore into Shunsui's own.
"We'll go to my office." He said softly. "We have things to talk about, and here is not a suitable place to do it."