Chapter Seventeen: Steel and the Shadow
For the next fortnight, as classes and preparations for the up-coming end of semester exams continued, Megumi's untimely death ceased to be talked about in the hallways. For Shunsui and his friends, it was an uneasy quiet – for though everything seemed to have returned to a sense of normality, they knew only too well that it was only on the surface and that there was still uncertainty in the air. Yet with nothing tangible to go on, they could do nothing but focus as best they could on their ongoing studies and hope that, somewhere or somehow, a clue would surface on its own. Shunsui in particular fretted about this, his promise to Megumi's departed soul still prominent in his mind. Yet even asking Genryuusai for permission to visit the local town had been unsuccessful for the aging Principal had told him that his interdict would only be lifted if he attained adequate scores on all his assessments.
For Sora and Mitsuki, who had managed to inveigle themselves into Aitori's office on the pretence of borrowing academic texts, the hunt for the sword had also come up empty. Whilst Sora had asked the teacher question after question about their Hohou syllabus, Mitsuki had done her best to sense Megumi's fading aura – but although a blade hung beside Aitori's desk, it was clean of any trace of blood or spiritual remnants, and from the dust that lined its hilt, it had not been moved for some time. Both girls had reported back to Juushirou apologetic and disappointed by their failure, Mitsuki even admitting that it was possible the sword had been discarded after the fervour had died down.
Juushirou himself had had little luck in the library, for texts on forbidden chemicals were not easily accessible to first year students. Though he knew that there were probably texts in the restricted section, First Years were not permitted access without a written slip from a teacher, and, with Onoe's suspicions still foremost in his mind, Juushirou was loath to draw attention to himself and his reading interests in this way. Though Kai's sharp words had all but dampened the rumours from spreading across the school, Juushirou was not foolish enough to believe it was completely forgotten, and as a result had focused doubly hard on controlling his reiatsu during class practices in order to prevent a flare-up of his symptoms and a revival of the boy's allegations.
Enishi had rejoined his companions after his time in isolation, sheepish but unrepentant, and with both he and Juushirou having missing studies to catch up on, the mystery of the dead girl in the forest slipped back to second place in people's minds. With her buried body, she had disappeared – and only Shunsui's ongoing apprehensions and Juushirou's nagging sense of injustice had managed to keep her existence real.
And then, the following Sunday, everything changed.
The day had begun innocently enough, with Enishi making what had become a habitual errand of collecting letters to deliver to his dorm-mates before breakfast. As the sturdy student had distributed the messages in his usual, careless way, Shunsui's sharp eyes caught sight of a particular seal on his letter, and he let out an exclamation, scooping it up and loosing the wax with eagerness.
"Shunsui?" Juushirou glanced up from his own letter, shooting his friend a quizzical glance. "What is it? Who's that letter from – something you've waited for?"
"Tokutarou-nii. It's his seal." Shunsui agreed, unrolling the letter and skimming his gaze down the rows of scrawling kanji that his older brother dared to call writing. "You know, I skipped more classes in kanji than he seems to have ever sat, judging by this – God only knows what kind of calligraphy lessons the Shiba-ke go in for. No wonder he hates correspondence so much!"
"Tokutarou-dono?" Ryuu looked startled. "Are you that close to your brother that you're so excited to hear from him, Kyouraku?"
"Not especially. It's not that." Shunsui's eyes glittered, "Just I wrote to him what seems ages ago. And he's finally answered that letter."
"That letter?" Juushirou frowned, setting his message from Chihiro aside. "You mean…Kyouko-san?"
"Yes." Shunsui agreed. "And it seems he's found her."
He grinned.
"He writes, "The girl 'Kyouko' whom you wrote to me regarding has been located in one of the border hamlets and has been brought to the estate as you requested. Shunsui, I've only done this because your message came from Genryuusai-sensei's messenger – I'd better not discover that she's with child or any such thing because if I do, you will regret the next time we meet."
"Your brother doesn't pull any punches, does he?" Enishi remarked, and Shunsui grinned, shrugging his shoulders.
"Given how things were last we met, I don't blame him for his assumption." He said cheerfully. "The important thing is that Kyouko made it safely to District Eight and that Tokutarou-nii knows about her. That means whoever killed Megumi won't find it so easy to get their hands on her."
As he spoke, his gaze flitted casually in Kai's direction, for at his words the boy had tensed suddenly, a look of consternation in his golden eyes. Shunsui pursed his lips, reading the flickers of uncertainty across the boy's aura as he did so. Kai seemed to be engrossed in reading his own letter, but Shunsui knew that with the mention of Megumi's name, he had begun to listen wholeheartedly to his classmates' discussion.
He frowned.
Well, fine then. If he's involved, then he'll understand that Kyouko has Kyouraku protection. And that was my reason for saying it so blatantly, after all.
Out loud he said,
"That's at least some good news."
"Kyouko is Megumi's friend, I trust?" Ryuu asked softly, and Shunsui nodded.
"The one who brought me the message that Megumi was in trouble." He agreed evenly. "I wrote to Tokutarou-nii the day after the incident, to tell him that a girl was heading to our land and that he was to seek her out. It went via Genryuusai-sensei's messenger, because that way there was no chance of anyone intercepting it or changing it on the way. It seemed safest, and I wanted to make sure that Kyouko wasn't the next victim. She did see the people who took Megumi, after all. And she could probably identify them, if need be."
His gaze flitted to Kai once more, noting the faint pallor in the boy's cheeks.
"Though right now Yama-jii seems to have let it all fall into the shadows." He concluded. "So I suppose she won't be called on to do that. Either way, though, I asked Tokutarou-nii to do what he could to help her either way."
"That's probably why he thinks you've got her with child." Ryuu said archly. "Otherwise why would you show such concern to a random District girl with an unseemly chemical habit and no connections or family to claim her?"
"Because she was afraid, and because her life is as important as our lives are." Shunsui said simply, setting the letter down. "At least to me. Megumi's too. So if I couldn't save one girl – I'll protect the other as much as I can."
"Can she be helped, though, Shunsui?" Juushirou looked concerned. "If those chemicals are as addictive as you say…"
"In the case of Nobles hooked on them, there wasn't really a lot of hope." Enishi said softly. "Strong reiatsu and all of that, it hooked into them pretty badly. But if this girl was like Megumi, I guess there's probably a chance of it. She's not as powerful, after all. So there's not so much for it to lock into."
His eyes clouded.
"You might think Kyouraku's way of thinking is strange, Kuchiki, but I'm glad he's helping the girl." He added. "When you think about it, after all, Ukitake's District just like Megumi was. You don't think his life is less important than ours, do you?"
Ryuu coloured, slowly shaking his head.
"I did." He admitted honestly, awkwardness in his gaze. "But I admit, I have come to change my mind."
Juushirou shot his dorm-mate a startled look, and Ryuu shrugged, obviously uncomfortable.
"Whether it be the Kuchiki blood diluted in your veins, Ukitake, or whether it be you yourself – I am at a loss to explain." He said slowly. "But I have come to understand why you were sent here. And I do not consider your life less important than ours. Not now."
Juushirou's lips twitched into a warm smile.
"Thank you, Kuchiki-kun." He said sincerely. "That means a lot, especially from you."
"What about you, Kai-kun?" Shunsui asked innocently. "Do you accept that Juu-kun belongs with the rest of us now or not?"
"I'm not interested in your baiting games, Kyouraku." Kai said stiffly, lowering his letter to glare at his classmate. "So do not try and lure me into them."
"You were listening to us, then. That's what I thought." Shunsui smiled benignly, and Kai's cheeks reddened as he realised he'd been caught out.
"You're rather too noisy to be overlooked." He said stiffly. "That's all."
"Shunsui, don't." Juushirou shook his head. "I'm not asking Shihouin-kun to like me or to accept me – it's up to him, after all."
Kai's brows knitted together, but he turned his attention back to his letter pointedly, and Shunsui sighed.
"What about your letters, Hirata-chan? Any news from the Endou-ke of late?" He asked, turning to the youngest member of the group. Hirata glanced up at the sound of his name, then slowly shook his head.
"Only my sister, begging me to come home." He said softly, setting his letter aside.
"You're close to your sister, Hirata?" Juushirou questioned, and Hirata smiled, nodding his head.
"I suppose so." He agreed. "She's only thirteen, and this is the first time since she was born that I've been so far away from her."
"I know the feeling." Juushirou grinned. "Reading about Chi-chan's news makes me happy, but it also makes me miss them all. She's good at painting a proper picture of things, and it makes me a little wistful for the sea and the forest in District Six."
"Your home is not far from the Rukongai divide, I believe." Ryuu observed, and Juushirou nodded.
"It's visible from the edge of our land." He agreed. "Father used to take me up into the forest to train, and you could see across Soul Society for miles. I always wondered what kind of people lived in Rukongai – people from outside of Soul Society, right? People from the Real World."
"People who even rank beneath you in the social order, one might say." Kai put in snidely, and Shunsui grimaced, scooping up his cloak and tossing it in the other boy's direction.
"If you don't want to be sociable, don't be, but don't spoil the fun for the rest of us." He ordered.
"Well, it's well known the kind of people who live in Rukongai, if you happen to be Clan." Kai shrugged his shoulders. "Those who come from that world to this lacking in even the most basic of spiritual abilities. They are the lowest of the low. Vermin. That's all."
Shunsui pursed his lips.
"I disagree." He reflected. "I think we know too little about Rukongai. And the people there. I don't think they're as you say, Shihouin. I think, just like there are people like Juu-kun here in Seireitei's lower levels, there are probably people like that in Rukongai, too. People fighting battles we can't begin to imagine."
"Then let them." Kai said simply. "Whatever their lives, they are unlike ours. That is all."
"I'd like to visit Rukongai." Juushirou murmured, and Enishi nodded.
"It sounds like an adventure, doesn't it?" He agreed. "Only Shinigami ever do, though. It'll depend if we manage to learn everything we should be learning and graduate properly."
"Ukitake will." Ryuu said frankly. "You, Houjou, should spend more time in the library if you wish to maintain your position in Class One. Especially since Kyouraku has begun turning up to classes and submitting work – lazy as he may be, I do not think him to be a complete idiot."
"Thank you, Ryuu-kun." Shunsui bowed his head in his companion's direction. "I take that as a compliment."
Before Ryuu could respond, however, there was a gasp from Kai's bunk, and Shunsui turned, noticing that his classmate had turned very pale, his fingers gripping the paper of his letter so hard that his knuckles almost appeared white. The clear shock and distress in the boy's golden eyes killed Shunsui's first instinct to tease and he frowned, meeting Juushirou's gaze across the room. There was consternation too in the District student's eyes and, after a moment of hesitation he got to his feet, approaching Kai's bed tentatively.
"Are you all right, Shihouin-kun?" He asked softly. "You've gone white as a ghost – are you ill?"
Kai's head shot up at his words, but he did not make his usual cutting rebuff, staring at Juushirou as if seeing a stranger. For a moment he didn't speak, then he wet his lips, shaking his head hurriedly as he began to fold the scrolled paper back and forth in his fingers.
"No. I…I'm fine. I'm all right. I'm fine."
"Ukitake's right." Enishi's brow knitted together. "You're a funny colour, Shihouin – what gives?"
"Bad news from home?" Shunsui added softly, and at those words, Kai looked once more stricken.
"I guess that's a yes." Shunsui bit his lip. "Though you're not going to tell us so, are you, Kai-kun?"
Kai was silent for a moment, then he wheeled around, glaring at Hirata with a mixture of despair and suspicion.
"You!" He exclaimed, waving the mangled paper in the boy's direction. "What have you said to them? What have you written home to that scheming kinsman of yours – what have you told them, dammit, about me!"
At his sudden tirade, Hirata's eyes became huge, and he shuffled back against the wall, holding his hands up in surrender.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" He protested. "Shihouin-kun, please – don't look at me like that! You're scaring me – I don't understand!"
"Stop it." Juushirou slipped in between them, placing himself protectively in front of Hirata as he met Kai's gaze. "Whatever's happened, it's not going to have anything to do with Hirata…now is it?"
"It may have everything to do with him." Kai's voice was shaking now. "Everything and then some. Him and his poisonous, back-stabbing clan. Get out of my way, Ukitake. Get away from him! I want to know once and for all what he's doing here! I want to know what he wants with this school and with me!"
"Do you have any idea what he means, Hirata-chan?" Shunsui asked softly, and Hirata shook his head fervently.
"I don't know!" He exclaimed, distress clear in his pale blue eyes. "I've said it before – I'm not my Clan!"
"You snivel and hide and get them to protect you, but I'm not fooled by it." Kai snapped, clearly beyond rational thought by this point as he shoved Juushirou aside, bearing down towards Hirata once again. "You're an Endou, after all. Blood is thicker than water, in the end."
"Calm yourself, Shihouin." Ryuu said bluntly. "You are disgracing yourself and your clan with this disgusting display of temper."
"You shut up. You know nothing either." Kai snapped, lunging at Hirata but Juushirou was too quick for him and forced him back, anger in the boy's own hazel eyes as he pushed his classmate up against the dormitory wall.
"Whatever's upset you, Shihouin-kun, I'm not going to let you hurt Hirata." He said flatly, and Shunsui's eyes widened as he registered the sudden steeliness in his companion's aura. "Do you understand that? So do as Kuchiki-kun says and calm down."
"Get your hands off me, District boy!" Kai struggled, but Juushirou only tightened his grip, his resolution growing with every passing moment. Shunsui sat back against his pillows, watching the confrontation with interest. Unlike Enishi, who had flung himself into the fight with Onoe without a moment's rational thought, Juushirou was entirely in his wits and in control of the situation. His reiatsu flickered, but it did not flare out of hand, and though his grip was firm, it was a restraining hold only, and not intended to hurt his companion.
For the first time Shunsui truly realised that beneath Juushirou's deceptively fragile frame was a sinewy strength that had come about just as much by the boy's constant, determined struggles against his disease as it had from his training in the mountains near his home. For every time he had taken sick, after all, he had fought twice as hard to get well. And in that moment, for all of Kai's combat skill and pride, there was no doubt about who was in control.
"When you calm down." Juushirou said firmly now. "I can hold you like this for as long as you like, you know. And I will do, until I think you're not going to do anything we'll all regret. Sensei doesn't like unnecessary fighting, and nor do I. Hirata says he doesn't know what's upset you and so you should believe him. There's no proof, after all, that he's lying."
Kai's eyes became obstinate and stony for a moment, as he struggled to wrestle free, but Juushirou's grip did not waver.
"I have seven younger brothers and sisters." He said softly, his voice level and even as he met his classmate's gaze. "Hiro-kun is as tall as me and twice as sturdy, and I've come up against him when he's lost his temper and isn't acting in his senses. When he's like that, he's full of weaknesses, and in a rage there's no telling what he might do. So I can hold him back, if I have to, until he calms down. And I'll do the same to you, Shihouin-kun. While you're angry, your reiatsu is scattered. You can't fight me off, so do as I say instead."
Kai took a deep breath, but at last Juushirou's words seemed to have penetrated his skull, and as the rage drained out of his body he bit his lip, raising glittering, tear-filled eyes to his classmate's.
"I want to know what his family have done to my sister." He whispered. "Is that too much to ask?"
"Your sister?" Enishi was startled, and Shunsui's eyes darkened.
"Midori-dono." He murmured, and Kai nodded.
"Something's happened to her?" Juushirou asked gently, and Kai shrugged his shoulders.
"Ask Hirata." He said bitterly. "Midori-neesama went to the Endou-ke at the beginning of Spring, to consolidate her engagement to Endou Seimaru and prepare for her marriage into their Clan. Now my brother writes that they can no longer contact her – that she's disappeared from District Seven and that nobody will tell them where she is or what's happened to her in the meantime."
"Disappeared?" Hirata whispered, shock in his own blue gaze, and Kai nodded.
"Don't pretend you don't know." He snapped, and Hirata shook his head.
"But I don't." He murmured. "I really don't, Shihouin-kun. That's the truth. Even if Seimaru-kun had done something to her…even then I wouldn't know."
"What do you mean, Hirata?" Ryuu demanded, and Hirata shrugged helplessly.
"My family are cloaking a feud that stems back to when my Father and my Uncle were children." He said softly, his expression troubled as he recounted his Clan's instability. "My Grandfather is head of the Clan now, and his favourite son was my Uncle, who died last year. Uncle had one son, Seimaru – who is heir to the Clan now."
He glanced at his blankets.
"Grandfather and Seimaru and my Uncle too always disliked Father, because Father wants the Endou-ke to work with the Council and other Noble Families, and they want to continue things the way they've been for generations." He whispered. "Father has been threatened several times, and when my sister and I were small, we'd often be snatched from our rooms by Uncle's men in order to twist my Father's arm on this vote or that one. All the time, Uncle would say that one day he'd get rid of the Endou-ke dead wood and begin afresh – one day, one day. But he died first. And now it's Seimaru who says it – that one by one he'll have us killed and stop Father's complaining forever."
Shunsui's eyes became grave and he slowly nodded his head.
"Brother versus brother for power in the Clan." He murmured, remembering once again the night that his Father had died. "I understand what you mean, Hirata-kun. I understand exactly what you mean."
"Father doesn't necessarily want the Clan, as such." Hirata shook his head. "But because he stands up and disagrees with things, he's become a target."
He shrugged his shoulders.
"Despite all the threats, Father knows that so long as Grandmother is still alive, no one will touch us." He whispered. "Because Grandmother likes Father and everyone in the Clan is a little fearful of crossing her because of her ruthless reputation. But she's ill and has been for some time. She's old, and she won't live much longer. So Father sent me here to learn under Genryuusai-sensei. He knows there's danger coming in the Endou-ke. And he wants us to be strong enough to resist it, no matter what."
He got to his feet, meeting Kai's troubled, incredulous golden eyes with his blue ones.
"Father wants alliances with other Clans, and supported Midori-dono's marriage to Seimaru as a good thing." He whispered. "That's all I know, I promise. Father said Midori-dono was strong in her own right and might well be able to keep Seimaru's antics in check, after all. There's no reason for him - or me - to want to hurt her."
"Then where is she?" Kai demanded, and Hirata shook his head.
"I don't know." He repeated. "That's the truth, Shihouin-kun. I don't know."
Juushirou sighed, rubbing his temples.
"The more I hear about the Clans, the less I like them." He murmured. "I'm sorry, Hirata. I didn't realise things were so difficult for you at home. No wonder you were sent here so young – and that you were so worried about your family. Kuchiki-kun even told me how dangerous Seimaru-sama was – but I didn't really think about it in terms of how he might be dangerous to you."
"From what little I know of Seimaru-dono, he is not a man to be trusted." Ryuu said frankly. "It would not surprise me at all to hear his fiancée had disappeared. Most likely she displeased him in some way, and so he disposed of her."
"Kuchiki-kun!" Juushirou's eyes widened, even as a shudder went through Kai's body at his classmate's tactless words. "Don't say things like that! Shihouin-kun's worried about her – she's not just a name to him, but his flesh and blood!"
"She's a Shihouin. They deal in flesh and blood." Ryuu pointed out, but Shunsui shook his head.
"Even so, Kuchiki, Juu's right." He said softly. "Like Kyouko's life matters, and Megumi's mattered, Midori-dono's matters too."
Kai shot him a startled, stricken look, and Shunsui offered him a smile.
"I doubt that Seimaru is enough of a fool to murder his fiancée, however." He said frankly. "Don't look so frightened, Kai-kun. Your sister is a shadow, isn't she? Maybe she slipped into the darkness of her own accord."
"Then why hasn't she contacted Father?" Kai demanded. "He says she's not been heard from in just more than two weeks, and no trace has been seen of her at the Endou estate, either! Two weeks is long enough to get a message back and forth even through underground channels, and Midori-neesama must have known where the Shihouin contacts were in District Seven. If she was safe, why wouldn't she use them?"
"Because it wasn't safe to do so, probably." Shunsui shrugged.
"You really love your sister, don't you, Shihouin-kun?" Juushirou asked, and Kai nodded, the last of his fight draining from his body as he sank down onto his bunk, burying his head in his hands.
"All of the Clan do." He whispered. "She's not just a shadow, she's the shadow. She's the pride of our family in so many ways. That's why it was agreed, this stupid engagement business. That's why she was considered a worthy match for that creature Seimaru, even though he's not even close to being her equal. I didn't want her to go and she didn't want to go, but that's how it is, when you're Clan. Your family calls and you answer. You don't understand that, Ukitake. You don't understand the ties Clan have on one another – or what those ties can make you capable of."
"Such as the murder of the town wench Megumi, perhaps?" Ryuu asked archly, and Kai's head shot up, staring at Ryuu in dismay.
"I didn't kill anyone!" He protested, and Ryuu's eyes narrowed.
"The girl was killed by a Shihouin's blade, though." He reflected. "Exactly the kind of low deed your Clan might stoop to."
"Megumi wasn't killed by a Shihouin, Kuchiki." Shunsui interjected. "I was pretty sure about that before, but I'm even more sure about it now. It might've been meant to look that way, but it wasn't what happened. Was it, Kai-kun? Your kin didn't order Megumi to be killed."
"I know nothing about any common girl's murder." Kai said coldly. "And right now I have no reason to think about that. My sister is in some kind of trouble, clearly, and I must do something to help find her. If the Clan discover her and she has run away, she may be hurt for abandoning her promise to the Endou-ke. And if she has been hurt by the Endou-ke, I must find a way to take my vengeance on Seimaru. I don't care about Megumi or her friends in District One, Kyouraku. I care about where Midori-neesama is!"
He made towards the door, but Juushirou reached out to stop him, grasping the sleeve of his robe as he did so.
"Shihouin-kun…wait." He said quietly, and Kai paused, turning to glare at him.
"What do you want?" He demanded. "You've already pried enough out of me! This doesn't concern you in any way, shape or form, so let me go! I told you already, you don't understand!"
"I have two sisters, Shihouin-kun." Juushirou said frankly, not loosing his grip for one moment as he met Kai's golden eyes. "As well as five brothers. If anything happened to any one of them I'd be frantic, too. Whether you're Clan or you're not, it doesn't matter. Family ties are family ties. We all have people we love, after all."
Kai's eyes widened in disbelief, and Juushirou nodded.
"Megumi-san might have had family, too. She certainly had a friend who worried enough about her to come and look for help." He continued. "Shunsui and I know Megumi-san wasn't killed by a Shihouin, but she was killed by a Shihouin blade. Maybe you don't know anything about that, or maybe you do. I don't know. But it's possible that the same person who killed Megumi-san is involved in your sister's disappearance. And if you did know anything about Megumi-san, maybe it would help if you told us. Because we might know things you don't – and it might help you find Midori-sama more quickly."
"Juu-kun." Shunsui pursed his lips, inwardly impressed by his friend's forthright mode of attack, and Juushirou smiled.
"I don't like all this sneaking around." He said simply. "Shihouin-kun's been worrying about something for a long time, we all know that. Now Midori-sama's disappeared, well, I think it's obvious what he's been worrying about. And it's understandable, too. It's just proven to me that Shihouin-kun has family he cares for, just like I do. So if I can help him, I'd like to. And if he did know something about Megumi-san, I wouldn't be angry at him. Because I guess I'd keep any kind of secret to protect my family – if that was what I had to do."
"There he goes again." Ryuu looked disapproving. "Reaching out his hands into the flames like a fool, waiting to get them burnt."
"So far he doesn't seem too burnt to me." Shunsui said evenly. "No matter how many times he's waded in. It's a special gift of his, Ryuu-kun. Being nice to someone until he wears down their hostility."
Kai was silent for a long time, his gaze flitting suspiciously towards Hirata, who shook his head.
"I promise I don't know where Midori-dono is." He said softly. "I swear it. But if you want me to write to Father, I will. I'll ask for what news he has, even if it's difficult for him to relay it to me without getting Grandfather's attention."
Kai hesitated, then he shook his head.
"I believe you." He said heavily. "You are too much of a snivelling, hopeless brat to be of any use to a man like Seimaru, and you lack discrimination in your choice of friends. The way you cling to Ukitake is pitiful and demeaning to yourself and your Clan – there is no way a proud fool like that would tolerate you anywhere near him."
Hirata smiled slightly, and Shunsui was struck by the expression in his eyes.
"I think I probably dislike Seimaru-kun more than you do." The boy said softly. "And I am afraid of him. But I wouldn't work for him. I just stay out of his way."
"Besides, we all know all about it now, Shihouin." Enishi put in frankly. "You might as well give in and drop your barriers. If Hirata was a spy, you'd have landed yourself in it good and proper already, yelling at him the way you did. He's not as much of a weakling as you think he is – at least, judging by the scores he gets in class."
Kai sighed, but he seemed to realise he was beaten, for he nodded his head.
"My Clan did not kill her." He said softly, meeting Shunsui's gaze with what was almost a grudging kind of apology. "But I did know of her. And I did know she was killed. She was not a stranger to me, after all."
"Well, that was obvious enough." Shunsui said casually, shrugging his shoulders. "Your reaction when I said her name earlier was proof enough of that."
"You knew Megumi-san too, then, after all?" Juushirou asked, and Kai nodded.
"Briefly. Once or twice we had spoken." He agreed.
"Why would a Shihouin have an acquaintance like that?" Ryuu demanded, and Shunsui snorted.
"For someone who's top of the class, Ryuu-kun, you don't join dots very well." He said frankly, and Ryuu bristled.
"Will you stop calling me so familiarly, please?" He demanded, clearly put out. "I take no active interest in the actions of local townsfolk, so can I be blamed if I do not know every circumstance that you do?"
"Yes, if it puts you at a disadvantage." Shunsui said evenly. "Kai knew Megumi because his Clan knew Megumi. That's all. That's why a Shihouin blade was used to kill her. Because she was connected to the Shihouin-ke and it was meant to make it look like a Shihouin did it."
"But why?" Enishi demanded.
"Because none of the Shihouin could have done it, obviously." Shunsui shrugged. "Because they all had a convenient alibi at the time."
"Which would imply they were complicit in the occurrence." Ryuu said acidly. "To take such particular care over creating an alibi."
"I had nothing to do with her murder." Kai said stubbornly. "I knew her, and then I knew she'd died. I didn't know she was going to die until after she was already dead. Kyouraku found her before I knew anything about it. It was nothing to do with me."
"Let's leave this for now." Juushirou suggested. "If Shihouin-kun says he didn't know Megumi-san was going to be killed, I believe him. And I'm glad that it's out in the open, too. Right now, though, there's nothing we can do for Megumi-san and nothing that needs to be done for Kyouko-san. So I want to help Shihouin-kun find out what happened to Midori-sama. If there's any way of doing that. Because he's worried about her, and she might be in trouble."
Kai shot him an incredulous look.
"But it has nothing to do with you."
"I know. I'm an interfering busybody." Juushirou grinned ruefully. "But I can't not want to, now. Not with having sisters of my own."
"So we're going to help Shihouin find out what happened to his sister?" Enishi asked, and Shunsui nodded.
"Looks that way." He agreed. "Listen here though, Kai-kun. I'm with Juu on this, where Megumi's death is concerned. I don't think you wanted her killed and I don't think you knew she was going to be. If I did, believe me, by now I'd have done something about it."
He frowned.
"But my mind's been ploughing over this for a while now, and even though there's no proof, I'm pretty sure I know what happened to her." He added. "From what Kyouko said to me, and from everything else, too. Your worries about your sister only strengthens those convictions – that someone had a lever on you, and maybe on your Clan, too."
He cast Hirata a bleak smile, taking in the consternation in the boy's blue gaze.
"You know what I'm thinking too, Hirata-chan. I can see it in your eyes, even though you won't say it and nor will I." He added. "But it also occurred to me that someone probably has betrayed the Shihouin from inside – someone or someones – I don't know, yet. But in order to get a Shihouin blade, someone must've been paid off. And that someone must've known what would happen with that blade – and let it go."
"But the Shihouin had an alibi, so what would it even matter?" Enishi demanded.
"It mattered because it meant attention was drawn towards the Shihouin." Juushirou murmured. "And the Shihouin-ke are meant to be smarter than that."
"Right." Shunsui nodded. "Noone inside the clan would be so foolish or haphazard unless they did it on purpose and for a good reason. The Shihouin have a reputation but they don't leave bodies lying around to be found by random school students, after all. Do they?"
"Kyouraku is correct." Ryuu said reluctantly. "Unless they wish to make a point, in which case there is no secrecy but a blatant claim to the crime as a show of strength and power."
Kai's expression became a mixture of horror and dismay, and he swallowed hard, digesting the truth in his classmate's words.
"Kai-kun, your Clan's connection to Megumi-san could destroy them, couldn't it?" Shunsui asked softly. "That's why so much has been happening in secret. Even though she was just a town girl, that's why she was killed how she was and why nothing's happened about it. Now Midori-dono's disappeared, you're probably playing with fire, too. Especially if you keep the things you do know a secret. Because either Midori-dono discovered something and left of her own accord, or she discovered something and was silenced. You know better than we do what kind of strength your sister has and which is the most likely option. But you need to think about it, too. Because this isn't a game. It's never been a game. Has it?"
Kai blanched, slowly shaking his head.
"I can't tell you what you want to know." He whispered. "Even if it's what you already know. Even if you ask me outright, I won't. So don't, Kyouraku. Because betraying the Clan brings a death sentence – for anyone, Shihouin or otherwise, who crosses that line."
"I think Shihouin-kun is protecting his family, too." Hirata murmured softly, and Shunsui turned, staring at the youngster in surprise.
"Hirata?"
"I think he's afraid for them, like I am for mine." Hirata said quietly. "If members of his Clan allied with Seimaru-kun and Grandfather, I can understand why he's afraid for Midori-dono's safety. I'm an Endou, after all. So I'll help to find Midori-dono, if I can. Because the Endou and the Shihouin are meant to be allies. And I'm not afraid of Shihouin-kun, not now I've seen how frightened he is for Midori-dono's safety."
"Just before everyone jumps on an excited bandwagon to save the world, we have examinations and assessments from next week." Ryuu said acidly. "And though it may have escaped people's notice, I believe the reason we are here is to learn how to be Shinigami – not revolutionise the way the Clan system works."
"And with a bump, we're all brought back to earth." Despite himself, Shunsui allowed himself a rueful smile. "Well? There it is, Shihouin. Will you let us help you? Because even if we're just your classmates, you know yourself that you can't just plough into this alone, don't you? You know better than any of us, in fact, what you're up against. Will you let us help you?"
Kai faltered for a moment, then,
"I don't see how you can. Any of you." He muttered.
"That's where you're wrong, though." Shunsui grinned. "Your sister was in District Seven, wasn't she? The Endou-ke's land. Neighbours of both Kuchiki and I."
"So?"
"My brother is half Shiba, which means he has a hook into the Clan grapevines as good as any you'll find." Shunsui continued. "And I need to write to him again, now I know he has Kyouko safely in his custody. I can ask him if he knows anything about Midori-dono, if you want. He'll probably be more interested in finding that out if he thinks the neighbours are up to something, after all. He's a touch suspicious of them when they draw too close to the border of District Eight, so he'll like an excuse to nose around."
"But what good will that do?" Kai demanded. "If your brother goes 'nosing around'?"
"What does Kyouraku Tokutarou have to do with the Shihouin-ke?" Shunsui asked evenly. "Nothing at all. But he and the Endou-ke bigwigs are mutually suspicious. It wouldn't be strange, therefore, for him to enquire after Midori-dono's health and so on. Noone outside of this room would know that the enquiry came from you in the first instance, would they? The Kyouraku and the Shihouin aren't allies. They were on opposite sides of the ballot. Why would a Kyouraku help a Shihouin?"
"Yes, why would they?" Kai's brow furrowed, and Shunsui grinned.
"Because Juu wants us to, and that's good enough for me." He said simply. "He wants to be friends, Kai-kun. Whether you like it or not, you better get used to it...you won't win that battle, so it's better you come quietly and let us help."
"Shunsui." Juushirou grimaced in his friend's direction, but Shunsui laughed.
"You know I'm right." He said casually. "Well? Shall I write the message? If I tell Yama-jii that I've heard from Nii-sama about Kyouko and want to reply to him post haste, he'll no doubt let me use his messenger a second time so it will be a secure delivery. And I won't be explicit. He'll understand what I want to know, that's all."
Kai pursed his lips. Then, at length, he bowed his head in Shunsui's direction.
"Thank you." He said sincerely, all trace of sarcasm or coldness gone from his voice. "I would be grateful."
"No problem. I'll do it today." Shunsui said lightly. "Then it'll be gone by evening. And District Eight is only just over the border. If Nii-sama realises the urgency, he'll reply right away. You won't have long to wait, and it's better than doing nothing."
"Should I also write home?" Hirata asked, and Shunsui shook his head.
"Your family is tentative enough as it is." He murmured. "For now, let's leave it with Nii-sama. He's useful, after all, in his own way."
Kai rubbed his temples, sinking back down onto his bed with a heavy sigh.
"Just because my Clan are assassins doesn't make me a killer, and I've never killed anyone, yet." He murmured. "I knew the order might come, of course, at some point in my life, but it hasn't - not yet. I don't think Uncle ordered the killing of the girl Megumi. I don't know if he even knew about her or it. But there is one thing...in return for your help, Kyouraku..."
He faltered, then,
"There was a Shihouin who knew Megumi would be killed." He said softly. "It wasn't me, and it wasn't Tomoyuki. But one of the Clan did. And he was the one who saw to it that all of us were accounted for. That's all."
Shunsui's eyes narrowed as he understood the implications in his classmate's words. He nodded.
"Thank you, Kai-kun." He responded gravely. "You've just confirmed something that's been bothering me for a while now."
Enishi sighed.
"This is all getting deep, dark and depressing." He reflected. "Shihouin, you look like you could use a hot bath and a good breakfast, and I know I could. There's about a half hour before the Sunday bell - so what say we all go to the bath-house, relax and drop this subject for a while? Till Kyouraku contacts his brother, there's not much we can do about Midori-dono except see if we hear anything through any other channels, after all."
"There's one thing we can do." Juushirou shook his head. "And a bath would be a good way to start it."
"Huh?" Enishi blinked at him, and Juushirou smiled.
"Interfere." He said ruefully. "Shihouin-kun, I know you don't like me very much, so if you don't want my help I won't make you accept it. But you should at least let Shunsui and the others help you if they can. Don't run away on your own any more, that's all. It's not like anyone wants you to face things alone - even if Clans have rivalries and so on outside of this place. This is Genryuusai-sensei's Academy and he wants us to learn to work together. So that's how it should be. No matter where we come from."
Kai eyed him for a moment, then he slowly shook his head.
"I thought from the beginning that you were strange. Dangerous, even." He murmured. "Something the Clans should beware and I was right. You are dangerous. No matter what people say or do, you keep on clinging to your ideals and you push forward, too, without letting anything hold you back. Your spiritual power is unnatural for your birth-level, yet it's somehow all your own. And I can't help but think it's because you don't let yourself be dissuaded from anything. Kyouraku's right, isn't he, in the end? Even if I persist in abusing and dismissing you for the rest of our acquaintance, if a crisis occurs, you'll still look to hold out a helping hand. Won't you?"
"I suppose so." Juushirou looked taken aback. "Does that make me seem strange or foolish? Or dangerous?"
"Undoubtedly naive." Ryuu muttered, and Shunsui chuckled.
"But his strategy is effective." He observed. "Because in this room, five Clans with very different political ideals are represented. Yet in the last few months, Juu's brought those five Clans almost to one accord, even though he wasn't born from any of them. That's why you're dangerous, Juu-kun. You might actually succeed in doing what Yama-jii's hoping for - making arrogant, proud Clansfolk work together instead of segregating and competing all the time!"
"I'm not trying to rebuild Soul Society." Juushirou reddened. "I just wanted Shihouin-kun to know that he doesn't have to do things on his own, that's all. I didn't even ask him to be my friend, or accept me, or any of those things. Just, if you're worried about something and you can't talk about it, it eats away at you. And that destroys you, in the end."
At his words, Shunsui bit his lip.
"Very true." He acknowledged gravely. "Well, Shihouin? Do you surrender, then, to Juu's terms?"
Kai sighed, a weary, resigned look entering his golden eyes.
"I want to know my sister is safe." he said softly. "At the moment, Kyouraku, nothing else is more important."
"Then let's do as Houjou-kun suggested, and head to the bath house. All six of us, for once." Juushirou suggested, and Kai slowly nodded his head.
"Very well." He agreed cautiously. "But this conversation ends here. My sister will not be discussed outside of this room. Is that understood?"
"More than." Enishi assured him. "It's private, after all. None of us will say a word."
"Some of us can find several things far more interesting to talk about." Ryuu said candidly. "Such as what kind of assessments we're due to be facing in the weeks ahead."
"You really are determined to bring us back to the mundane, aren't you, Kuchiki?" Shunsui observed. "And on our free day, too. Tut-tut."
"The assessments are important." Ryuu bristled. "Especially for you. Doesn't your freedom depend on the results?"
"Sadly, yes." Shunsui sighed. "Which means I'll have to turn up and actually make sure I finish them. Such a pain. Oh well."
He shrugged, stretching his arms over his head.
"Before I think about sacrificing my day off to study, though, I'll write my letter to my brother." He said firmly. "Then we'll know all the sooner whatever there is to know about Shihouin Midori's disappearance."
The house was still empty and abandoned, dusty and delapidated in the same state it had been the day she had left the deserted town in search of pastures new.
Saku pushed back the splintering wood of the door, slipping into the main hallway and glancing around her for any sign of disturbance or trouble. A faint sense of sad nostalgia washed over her senses and she paused for a moment, ordering her thoughts back into their proper order.
She had never thought to come back here, after all. Yet here she was, less than two years on, recrossing the territory that she had so firmly turned her back on.
Back on Kyouraku land.
Memories washed through her and she sighed, shaking her head to clear them. Memories were all she had of those times, after all - and though they were precious, they were also painful and bittersweet.
And for the time being, there was something more pressing on her attention.
She turned, poking her head back out into the darkening surrounds as she scanned the area for the familiar glint of feline gold eyes.
"The house appears empty, Mistress." She murmured, as she caught sight of a shadow in the darkness. "We can shelter the night here in safety. This town is long since abandoned, and I know this area well."
The cat leapt up onto the sill of the window, slipping through the broken slats in the shutter and into the room inside. She made no comment, but as Saku rejoined her, she felt somehow ashamed at allowing her beautiful, proud companion to see such dirty surroundings.
"I'm sorry, Midori-sama." She said softly. "To make you stay in a place such as this."
"No. It will do quite well." Midori responded in the hoarse, throaty tones of her feline form. "I'm tired and it's been a long day. It's not easy to slip into Kyouraku land from Seventh District, after all."
She stretched her legs, twitching her tail as she opened her jaws in a predatory yawn.
"If you hadn't known that soldier at the divide, we'd still be there now." She added. "Who was he, by the way? A former suitor, perhaps?"
"No, Mistress." Saku reddened, shaking her head fervently. "Nothing of that sort, I promise. He once lived in this town, that's all, when my father and I were here. We knew each other for about a year, and his father was the local apothecary, so I sometimes acquired medicine from him. That's all. Nothing more than that."
"I see." Midori reflected. "Well, either way, it was a fortunate coincidence. He knew that you were from District Eight, and he didn't suspect a black cat at your heels as anything more than a companion animal. So we are here, and about time too."
Her body glittered with light as she morphed back into her human form, and Saku slipped her cloak from her shoulders, offering it to her companion.
"It will be drafty here tonight, Mistress." She said softly. "Even though it is summer, the wind can pass through buildings like this with alarming ruthlessness. You should not be so unattired, else you might take sick."
"Then we'll have to make do with what we have." Midori's eyes became thoughtful as she slung the cloak around her shoulders, pulling it around her naked body. "This was your home, once, yes? This house belonged to you and your father?"
"Technically, I suppose, it still does." Saku nodded. "There are probably still garments of mine locked away upstairs. That is..."
"I think it would be well that I dressed in your class of clothing for the night." Midori agreed. "Shihouin finery would only give away to anyone who saw me who I was. And while I can travel through the day as the Shadow-cat, it takes enough of my spirit power to maintain my wits at that level. I would sooner relax in my true form, if I may."
She eyed her companion quizzically.
"You don't seem worried that this place may have been raided by thieves or vagabonds?" She observed, and Saku shook her head.
"This town was abandoned due to disease." She said soberly. "By anyone who could. There are a lot of superstitions about disease in these parts - though the cause was a contaminated water supply and Kyouraku-sama saw to it when he reclaimed this area that all the wells were cleared of any infection. This area is safe, because thieves in District Eight are prone to believing in spirits of plague dead haunting their old places of residence."
"I see." Midori looked amused. "Then their idiocy is to our advantage, it seems."
"I'll go at once and find you some clothing, Midori-sama." Saku suggested. "Then I'll light the fire in the grate, if I can, so we have some warmth."
"I can light a fire." Midori assured her.
"But...Mistress..." Saku faltered, and Midori smiled, reaching across to touch the girl's cheek.
"You do not have to do everything for me." She murmured. "I have been trained in many ways, after all. It's true that your help and knowledge so far has been invaluable to me - I have never been to District Eight, and have no particular connection with the Clan here to ask them for help. But I have spent time outside and I have built fires and caught my own food. All Shihouin children are trained in many arts, after all. We are assassins, are we not? Such things are a natural part of our childhood."
Saku blushed, nodding her head.
"I'm sorry." She murmured. "I didn't mean..."
"You have no reason to apologise to me." Midori shook her head. "Just go and get your clothing, and I will do what I can to make a fire."
"Yes, Mistress." Saku bowed, hurrying from the room and up the broken staircase to the upper landing. As she did so, a flashing memory shot across her senses, and she bit her lip, shaking her head to clear it.
I will not remember Father, and I will not remember Shunsui. I won't let that take over from my duty now. I'm here because Midori-sama asked me to bring her across District Eight, and that's my duty now. Shunsui is the past. Father is dead. All of that is another lifetime ago. Foolish childhood games. But I'll be glad to leave District Eight again. Because so long as I'm here, I don't know when I might encounter someone from that Clan. And what the risk might be of meeting Shunsui himself.
She pushed open the door to what had once been her bed-chamber, finding that it was coated in dust but untouched since the day she had left. She had originally travelled light on her trip to District Seven, and so many of her old clothes were still in storage in the back of the battered old closet. After examining a few to see which were the least affected by insects or rodents infiltrating the property, she pulled a couple from their resting place, flinging them over her arm and hurrying back down the stairs. Though several of the steps were broken and dangerous, she did not misplace her footing once, and soon she was back in the main salon, dropping the garments down before her companion with a respectful bow.
Midori turned from where she had been carefully arranging what wood she could find in the fire's grate, and she smiled at the sight of her servant.
"Good work." She said approvingly, as a flicker of red light blazed briefly from her finger, licking up against the wood pile and casting it immediately alight. "And we have a fire, so we have warmth. I will change, I think, into what you have brought. At least then maybe I will attract less attention."
Saku bit her lip, and at her expression, Midori raised an eyebrow.
"Yes?" She asked softly. "What is it, Saku? What troubles you?"
"Nothing, Midori-sama." Saku coloured. "Simply that...I think...even dressed in common clothing, people would be able to recognise that you were a Lady. And a Lady...of the Shihouin-ke. Forgive me, Mistress, but your appearance...is distinctive."
"Yes." Midori glanced at her arms pensively, nodding her head. "The Shihouin are, unfortunately, quite easy to pick out by those who know what to look for. But for now it's all I can do. I don't suppose we'll leave here until the morning, will we?"
She sighed, shaking her head.
"I had hoped to make quicker progress, but escaping District Seven was a headache in itself." She murmured. "It's taken us nearly a fortnight to do what should be possible in less than a day, thanks to all the diversions and set-backs we've encountered en route. I really didn't expect to have to spend so long simply hiding from Seimaru's patrols or tracking back the way we'd come to fool him – he's more persistent than I gave him credit for. I should've known that the moment I disappeared, he would send people to look for me. And that with his connections, he can cover the whole of the area in a very short time. You are extremely good at hiding, Saku."
She sighed.
"Even given our family's dubious relationship with the Kuchiki, I think we would have found it easier to slip into District Six, if it had simply been a matter of escaping. It seems the Kyouraku hold tight borders against the Endou and probably with good reason, too. But District Six is no good - since District One is our ultimate goal. Perhaps it would've been quicker to go that way around, but I did not want to run the risk of traipsing through my Clan's own land while not knowing what exactly is at stake."
She dropped the cloak to the floor, scooping up one of the garments and pulling it over her body, tying the sash at the waist with a shrug.
"This isn't what I'm used to, but it will suffice for the time being." She murmured. "At least in this District, if border security is that way, Seimaru must apply to Tokutarou-dono for permission to invade his land and search for me. I have heard, after all, that the Kyouraku have a strong military reputation and I believe Tokutarou-dono is in much the same vein as his forefathers when it comes to tactical skill. Besides, I cannot imagine Seimaru wanting to do that. To admit to a neighbour that his fiancee has disappeared...is somewhat embarrassing for a man like that."
She sighed, sinking down onto one of the motheaten cushions that littered the floor.
"I am tired, Saku." She murmured. "And worried for my family. I do not know what consequences might have fallen on them because of my disappearance, and I had hoped to make it to District One before this. How long do you think it will take us to cross this land into the next? I trust there won't be quite so much security at the border between Eight and One?"
Saku frowned.
"I have never been to District One, Mistress." She admitted. "But I think...I think Kyouraku-sama is better disposed towards them than he is towards District Seven. I do not think it will take us more than a day to cross the most narrow section of this District and I believe we will cross the border with far less trouble on that side than we have encountered so far."
"I can imagine that." Midori said wryly. "The Yamamoto-ke hold the respect of most of Seireitei, on account of Genryuusai-dono. And I think, perhaps, it is he we are going to meet. I am not clear on everything yet, but the more I think about what I heard in that chamber, the more I think I must apply to District One's Clan for help. Perhaps, if your judgment is right, we might reach their border by nightfall. I hope so, in any case. We have wasted far too much time already."
"Do you intend on contacting your own family, now you are safely outside of District Seven, Mistress?" Saku asked softly. "They must be worried about you."
"Yes, undoubtedly they must, yet I won't do so at this time." Midori shook her head. "I don't know who is and isn't a traitor, not yet. When we get to District One, Saku, I have words to have with Aitori Hideaki. I must discover from him the depths of his deceit to my Uncle. Once I have disposed of that problem, I will be able to see things more clearly. Doubtless if Aitori is the traitor Seimaru believes he is, I will be able to find the evidence I need in his possession. But if I start alerting Clan now, it may put Kai in danger or in a difficult position. You have to understand that things are more complicated than they seem. After all, Father does a lot of important secret work for the Clan. And it would be very bad for all of the Shihouin if that became public knowledge."
Saku frowned.
"I see."
"Do you?" Midori eyed her quizzically. "Perhaps you do. It's hard to know, Saku, what you see with those dark eyes of yours. They hold so many emotions, sometimes. Yet at others, they hold none at all."
"Midori-sama?" Saku stared at her companion in surprise, and Midori smiled.
"There was a young man, once, wasn't there?" She asked gently. "A young man from whom you chose to run. You do not like being back here, in case you meet him again - yet even so, because it's my wish, you come here. That's the kind of loyalty that made me bring you. You truly are in all respects my servant now, aren't you?"
"I am, Midori-sama." Saku agreed sadly. "And as for the other thing..."
She sighed, sinking down on the cushion opposite.
"It may be true that I loved someone, and that he loved me." She murmured. "But we were children who didn't understand anything about the world. Our parting was neither his fault nor mine, in the end. It was just that we'd challenged fate for far too long - and in the end, it divided us. We should never have met, nor formed the friendship we did. And because of it, we were punished. I left District Eight because I wanted a fresh chance to begin my life - and leave those thoughts behind."
"I see." Midori pursed her lips. "And did you?"
Saku shook her head slowly.
"My body left District Eight, but my heart wavers back here from time to time." She admitted. "But even if I did see him again, it would only be painful. For me and for him, I think. The last time we met, I saw such pain in his eyes that I never wanted to see it again. We belong to different places, and we have different futures. So I went to District Seven. And gained employment with the Endou-ke."
"Who gave you the most menial jobs, beat you when they needed someone to punish and allowed you the most cramped of sleeping quarters as your own." Midori said flatly. Saku flinched, nodding her head.
"Yes, Mistress."
"And then, of course, they gave you to me. Because I wasn't really wanted there either, and none of them could be bothered to wait on me properly." Midori sighed, stretching her hands over her head. "It fascinates me, Saku, that you are so much lower than I, yet I feel I understand your feelings far better than I should. And more, that you understand mine. I'm glad I chose to take you away with me. I should like it, if from now on, you were always by my side."
"Midori-sama?" Saku looked startled, and Midori grinned.
"You have promise, even despite your modest roots." She said pragmatically. "When things are resolved and I can return to District Two, I wish to take you with me as my own personal servant. Your loyalty to me is proven day by day, when you put yourself at risk to shield me, or help me sneak into land which obviously fills you with painful memories. Such devotion is rare, but I approve of it. And I would like to keep it, if I can."
"I'm already your servant till I die, Midori-sama." Saku held up her scarred hand as proof, running her finger over the half-healed wound. "And I do not break my promises easily. Father didn't raise me that way."
"Your family had some status, before his death?"
"Not status, but before Mother died, we were independant." Saku responded. "Father was a craftsman, and he and mother were of the lowest noble birth. We could support ourselves without entering service or depending on others for kindness or employment."
She sighed, shaking her head as a fleeting memory of a young boy in a torn kimono crossed her senses once more.
"But that was a long time ago. We were beholden to the Kyouraku-ke for some years, and then not. Things change."
"Then that is how you understand so well my way of seeing things." Midori's expression cleared. "Your family were helped by the Kyouraku-ke, and you encountered them directly. Therefore you understand better than most servants what the Clan classes can be like."
"I suppose so, Mistress."
"Tell me, then...did you like the Kyouraku-ke? What you saw of them - were they people in whom you could trust?"
"Like all families, Mistress, they had their good and their bad." Saku's eyes became shadowed. "But yes. I think...they were people who could be trusted. And even though Father and I were cast out on their orders...I do not hate them for it. I don't believe they will allow the Endou-ke to raid their land looking for you, either. I think...they are a Clan...who have honour."
Midori chuckled.
"Which the Endou are sorely lacking, you mean." She said appreciatively, and Saku frowned.
"I didn't..."
"You didn't say it, but it's nonetheless true." Midori's eyes twinkled. "And I won't argue with it."
Saku eyed her companion for a moment, then,
"Allow me to go and find food, Mistress." She said softly. "I know, I think, a place close by which will sell wares even at this late hour, and noone will look on me alone with any suspicion."
"All right." Midori agreed. "Tomorrow I want to cross as much of District Eight as we can, so we'll need to be up bright and early and we may not have time to stop for food then. Do what you can, Saku. I'll leave it to you."
Saku bowed, getting to her feet and slipping from the room, leaving the building through the broken doorway and heading down the rocky path that led to one of the nearby hamlets.
I wish Midori-sama hadn't asked about the Kyouraku-ke. I can't explain to her what it makes me feel.
She sighed, rubbing her temples.
But she did rescue me as much as I'm rescuing her, now. Midori-sama is proud and beautiful, and a Noble Lady of the highest birth. Yet she is not cruel to me, and I trust her. She has kindness, even in an assassin's heart...and since she came to the Endou-ke house, nobody has beaten or threatened me. To leave with her and risk being caught and killed was a preferable fate. So if she wishes me to remain by her side, I will do so. For as long as she needs me.
She gazed up at the stars, recognising constellations that she and Shunsui had picked out one by one from the roof of the old boathouse, years ago.
You used to say I had freedom, Shunsui. But it's never been as true as you think. Still, even so, if I'm with Midori-sama, I can face that fact without fear. If I'm bound to her, so be it. District Two will be a long way from here, after all. And at last, maybe, I can break those shackles. I can let go of the claim you still have on part of my life…for both of our sakes. Likely by now you have forgotten about me - and all that's left is for me to forget about you. And then, when I have, everything will be as it should be. You in your place, and me, finally, in mine.
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Author's Note: Pk, I said weekend, but Friday's almost there, right?
And to anyone who celebrates - a very Happy Easter XD