Chapter Thirty Two: Aut Vincere Aut Mori
Almost twenty four hours on, and there was still no word.
Genryuusai moved along the hallways of the old estate, a frown on his wrinkled, wizened features as he ran over the events of the previous few hours in his mind. Though men had been dispatched across District One, they had not been able to trace any sign of Hirata, and though there seemed little doubt that Seimaru had visited the school, he had found it impossible to clearly link the two events together. Seimaru too had disappeared – or perhaps, retreated just beyond the scope of District One's patrols, for if Aitori had been acting in his interests, he had probably a better idea of First District's security than most foreign nobles visiting the area.
Genryuusai had never had a high opinion of Seimaru's intelligence, but even so, he had begun to wonder exactly how far the young man's scheme had spread.
That you were responsible for that town wench's death, I am now certain. That you also caused great distress to others in the town, and corrupted Aitori to your bidding – I am sure of this, too. Now your cousin disappears, and I have no choice but to once more draw the line in your direction. Yet you have covered your tracks impeccably, Seimaru. For one so young and so brazen, I wonder…did you have help, then, in figuring out your scheme? Or have I simply underestimated the intellect of Shouichi's ambitious young grandson after all?
His eyes became near slits.
And you've become so brazen as to think you can threaten my life? Yet you must know that your sword is no match for mine. What manner of weapon do you have, then, that makes you so sure? Does it connect to the ill-advised Shihouin-ke and Aitori's work, after all? Perhaps there are deeper roots in all of this – but even so, even I cannot unearth those roots without at least some clue to there whereabouts. My thinking matters nothing at all when dealing with Clan actions. The Shihouin-ke should not bear all the weight themselves – yet even Midori seemed to know that they will probably have to do so.
At that moment he reached the ground floor, former servant quarters now converted into what was known as 'confinement'. Beyond this point only those who had committed the gravest of sins and their disciplinarians were permitted to tread, and each small chamber had been identically furnished in basic style, with no more than a futon, a small table and a chamber pot. The windows were small and high up, allowing just enough light in to allow the occupant to see to read or write, and school-approved text books were stacked on a wooden shelf opposite the door, encouraging the miscreant to focus their time on their studies as opposed to continuing their mischief. Each door had a specific slit carved in it to allow food to be given twice a day – at sunrise and sunset – but otherwise the student was more or less isolated from the outside world.
The rooms led out onto a small yard, ten feet by ten feet square, into which a student confined for longer than twenty four hours would be given compulsory exercise for an hour in each day. Given the nature of his crime, however, Genryuusai had instructed that Tomoyuki was to be denied this privilege and as a result he had been kept to his chamber ever since the fight with Kai and Juushirou in the school grounds.
He would remain there until proper arrangements could be made to return him to his home district, yet in the meantime Genryuusai saw no reason to treat the boy with mercy.
Grief is something a soldier does not act on. Grief is irrational and provokes recklessness. You were reckless, Onoe. And I will not forgive you for raising a blade against your school fellows, no matter what the provocation. My students do not act out of raw emotion. They act with planning and precision and I have no use for Clan hotheads in my training program.
"Sensei!"
As he rounded the corner towards the furthermost room or 'cell' that housed the hapless Tomoyuki, a voice accosted him and he paused, seeing Gujihara Tetsu hurrying towards him. There was a look of anxiety in his eyes, and at the sight of it, a curl of unease began to work its way up inside of Genryuusai's aging chest.
"What is it?" He asked sharply, as his kinsman reached him, bowing his head briskly towards his senior as he did so.
"Onoe, sir." Gujihara said urgently. "Unohana's with him, but…he isn't…he wasn't…"
"Onoe?" Genryuusai felt his fears grow, and he pushed the substantial student aside, hurrying down the hallway. "What do you mean, boy? Tell me plainly. Why is Madeki here? What has happened to Onoe? Has someone been down here, or slacked their observation duty?"
"Nobody has spoken to Onoe since we brought him here, except for us." Gujihara shook his head firmly. "Sensei, I promise – I swear nobody has been in or out of isolation in that time. One of us has always been with him, even through the night. But still…"
"But still?"
"We couldn't wake him this morning, Sensei." At that moment Yunosuke stepped out of the shadows, consternation on his own features. "When I came to take over from Haru, Onoe was sleeping. I wanted to ask him something, so I sought to wake him – but I could not. And when he did not stir, I saw…he was very pale. Gujihara was with me, and I sent him to get Madeki at once, since Unohana-sensei is still away in District Four. And I was about to send for you too, only…"
"Only you hoped that whatever had happened could be resolved without needing to report it formally?" Genryuusai asked softly, and Yunosuke nodded.
"If there is blame it's on my head, for that was my decision." He said soberly. "You gave us instruction not to leave Onoe alone, and Haru had already left by the time I noticed something was amiss. Gujihara was the only other one present – and since I thought Onoe unwell, I sent…"
"For a healer first of all." Genryuusai sighed, nodding his head. "No, your judgement is sound. However, what I want to know is what could have occurred with all this supervision that means the boy won't stir? Let me through, Yunosuke. Let me see for myself."
"Yes, Sensei." Yunosuke stood aside, and Genryuusai stepped into the small confinement cell, taking in the pale, huddled form on the floor. As he did so, Madeki glanced up, gravity in his dark eyes.
"He's not dead, Sensei, but I don't know if I can help him." He said softly. "He's breathing but it's soft and faint and his reiatsu has dropped even since I came here. I'm pretty sure it's some kind of poison – something he must have had concealed on him when we brought him here. Something we failed to notice…something he must have taken with his food without our realising."
"He is a Shihouin." Genryuusai gazed down at the boy's still form, his heart heavy as he took in his student's youthful features. "And he has compounded one foolish act with another. Retsu is not within easy reach, and to summon her would take too long even with the shunpo skills you and she both possess."
"We searched him for weaponry when we brought him here, but found nothing." Yunosuke said guiltily. "But poison is something discreet – something he could easily have concealed. Though in honesty I don't know where…we were very thorough and he was quite unconscious after his fight with Ukitake. He wasn't resistant at all."
"The Shihouin are known for their skills with herbs and poisons." Genryuusai said pensively. "Some of their potions act immediately, and some take some time to develop. It is more than possible that he ingested the substance long before he was in your custody, Yunosuke. Before he even went to fight Midori. Maybe he took it with the intention of killing her and then himself, to prevent being hauled to justice for it. This is the Shihouin way, after all. This is how they are."
He bent down, reaching out a finger to touch the boy's brow.
"He is weak indeed." He murmured. "Without intervention he will no doubt not last much longer. I imagine he didn't intend to be interrogated – which means that he knew something and did not want to share it with anyone."
"Something connected to Aitori-sensei?" Madeki asked, and Genryuusai nodded.
"Most probably." He agreed. "Make him comfortable, Madeki, and do all you can to keep him stable. I realise you are fighting a losing battle – to move him from here would be pointless, since there is nobody in the Healing Bay who could administer an antidote to a Shihouin poison without knowing the exact components. Still, do your best in any case. I will not hold you responsible if you fail – it is my responsibility as a teacher to have foreseen this possibility, after all."
"Yes, Sensei." Madeki said gravely.
"What did you want to ask him, Yunosuke?" Genryuusai asked, and Yunosuke frowned.
"Ukitake wanted me to ask him about the Endou kid." He said sadly. "He said that nobody else knew anything, but maybe Onoe might. But I haven't been able to, so if he did, it's useless now."
"Endou Hirata is still missing." Genryuusai said gravely. "District One's retainers have not found any trace of him in the surrounding area. They are moving further afield, but I have doubts as to how far a young boy of such a nervous disposition could get on his own – and I worry he is not on his own. Perhaps Onoe did know something – but either way, for now it remains unspoken."
He eyed the still form once more, then got stiffly to his feet.
"I will send a message to District Four, even if it is a futile aim." He said quietly. "I may have discarded him as my student, but he still has potential information we might need. Besides, I dislike looking at death in such a young face. He is no longer welcome here, but he is far too much a child to know that he has done all he ever needs to with his life."
"You can't come through here, you silly kid!"
Gujihara's words from the corridor outside pierced through the old man's reverie, and he glanced up sharply, seeing the senior student grab hold of someone, holding them firmly as they struggled against his grip.
"But Onoe-kun!" He heard a female voice say, and at the sound of it, shock rippled through his senses.
"Edogawa Mitsuki." He murmured, stepping into the hall and closing the door of the cell behind him. "What on earth are you doing here, child? Gujihara is right, this is no place for first years. Have you taken leave of your senses?"
"Onoe-kun is dying, isn't he?" Mitsuki raised tearful, anguished eyes to her head-teacher, reaching out her hand to him as if begging him to listen to her. "He's all alone and he's slipping into mist and darkness. He's getting weaker and I can barely feel him now – Sensei…"
"She's on the verge of full blown hysteria, Sensei." Gujihara glanced at his prisoner, then, "Shall I take her back to the first year dorm? Or the Healing Bay? Because…"
"No, please...please don't take me back. I can't…I don't…please don't take me there." Mitsuki's eyes became huge and she shook her head, panic rippling through her aura. "Please let me see…I want to see…Onoe-kun!"
"What has got into you, child?" Genryuusai put a gentle hand on her head, eying her in confusion. "This isn't like you – to break rules so blatantly and in this manner. What do you mean? Quiet yourself, please. And tell me calmly. Nobody will take you anywhere if you don't want them to, but I can't understand you when you're like this."
Mitsuki closed her eyes, drawing a heavy breath into her lungs, then,
"Onoe-kun took Eimin-yaku." She murmured. "He must have taken it before yesterday evening. I didn't know…no one knew. But even so, he took it. I can feel it, pricking at his aura. He took it and now…it's eating him, little by little. He's lost in mist."
"Eimin?" Genryuusai's eyes narrowed. "And how would you know that?"
"I can feel it." Mitsuki's tears ran unchecked down her cheek as she gazed up at her companion helplessly. "I can't explain how, just…I can. I know what it feels like. I know…because…"
She took another deep, shuddery breath, then,
"My mother did the same." She murmured. "My mother took Eimin because she wanted to sleep and sleep forever. She was ill and tired of the pain, and I felt her…she did it for me, because it hurt…and I hurt…and she wanted…"
"You're getting incoherent again." Genryuusai said sharply, and Mitsuki shook her head as if to clear it.
"I can feel it, when people are in pain." She whispered. "Retsu-sama said it was because I was a healer…but I can, all the time. No matter who or where, I know. And when Okaasama was sick, it used to upset me too. Inside and outside and she hated it – even though she knew it wasn't her fault. So when it got really bad, she decided that she would just go to sleep. But she didn't want anyone to know…so she took it…and slowly it took her away. Bit by bit, it ate up her reiatsu until she died. And I felt it, when she died. I felt all of it."
"And now Onoe…?"
Mitsuki nodded.
"It felt the same." She murmured. "And he's disappearing into mist. I can feel it. He's afraid of it. I don't think…he doesn't want to die. Only…because of Shihouin-kun…and because of everything…"
"He thought he was doing his duty." Genryuusai rubbed his temples. "I had no idea you were a healer, Mitsuki. I confess it's an area I know little about, though if Retsu-sama said as much to you, I'm sure it must be true. But even if you are right, I don't know what antidote can reverse the effects of Eimin."
"Madeki might, though." Gujihara suggested. "Unless…Edogawa, do you know?"
Mitsuki shook her head miserably.
"Mother took it so no one would know. So nobody would be able to stop her. Only I know she did, and I couldn't stop it." She said brokenly. "No one else knows she died that way. Everyone else thinks it was…was just her illness, in the end."
Genryuusai pursed his lips.
"Edogawa, you come with me." He said quietly. "Gujihara, take what she's said and mention it to Madeki. If he knows of a remedy, do as he instructs you to do, and obtain whatever he needs to still the poison in the boy's system. If it acts slowly, we may have some time yet…though I wouldn't like to know how long. If it consumes reiatsu…"
He paused, then,
"But for now, that's all we can do." He said frankly. "And there's nothing more you can do here, Edogawa – even if you are worried. You're in the way, and so will I be, now. Far better to come with me and calm down – you'll frighten your classmates if they see you like this."
"Please let me see him." Mitsuki begged, grasping hold of the old man's hakama sleeves as she sent him a beseeching look. "Please, Sensei. Just for a moment. Let me..."
"What do you imagine you could do?" Genryuusai demanded, and Mitsuki shook her head.
"Maybe nothing." She whispered. "But I had a dream, and I felt like...in his subconscious, he called to me. I felt him moving away...maybe if I saw him...maybe I could reach him somehow."
"You had a dream? About Onoe-kun?" Genryuusai's eyes narrowed, and Mitsuki nodded miserably.
"Yes, sir."
"I see." Genryuusai's lips disappeared behind the heavy bristle of his moustache, then he nodded. "Very well. You may see him briefly, and tell Madeki your suspicions yourself."
"Sensei?" Gujihara looked astounded, and Genryuusai sighed.
"It's unusual, but when I first began to train Retsu-dono, she too had dreams about those around her in pain." He said quietly. "Even the most powerful Unohana rarely have such sensitive wits. For Edogawa to come here like this, and to say what she's said - it seems clear that she has a talent of a similar nature that's only just beginning to make itself known. Onoe's case may well be hopeless - but there's just the faintest chance, if he did reach out in fear and if he did make a connection to the girl - that he can yet be saved. Tetsu, I want you to go send a summons to District Four instead. We'll do what we can here, whatever that may be."
"Yes, sir." Gujihara still looked mystified, but he disappeared nonetheless, and gently Genryuusai took Mitsuki by the arm, sliding the door back once more to admit them both to the small cell.
"Madeki, Edogawa wants to speak to the boy." He said softly, as Madeki shot them a startled look. "I realise it's unusual, particularly for a Kuchiki to come to the aid of a Shihouin. But it seems Edogawa is not an average Kuchiki, and her desire to help is stronger than her sense of Clan rivalry. I'd like to nurture that, if I can - so this once I will humour her request."
Madeki pursed his lips, shuffling across to allow Mitsuki to drop down beside him.
"The child had a dream and sensed Onoe's drifting." Genryuusai added. "It seems Retsu-dono has picked her out as having keen healer's senses - and it seems that she's right."
Madeki eyed Mitsuki keenly.
"And you came to help him, because of that?" He asked, and Mitsuki nodded.
"I don't know any Kidou healing spells. None at all." She murmured softly. "But I always know when someone is in pain. And I had a dream...he was like a shadow, drifting away in mist. But he was scared, too, and it jarred against my senses. And I couldn't not come, even if I got into trouble."
She settled herself more comfortably, then,
"Senpai, in my dream, I could feel Eimin-yaku." She added quietly, and Madeki looked startled, then nodded his head.
"For a slow acting poison of this nature, it seems a logical suggestion." He agreed.
"You agree with her suspicions?" Genryuusai asked, and Madeki nodded again.
"It's the most logical explanation." He said grimly. "Sensei, Eimin-yaku doesn't have an antidote. It's a reiatsu-sapping herbal compound which gradually sucks the spirit out of the person until they fade into nothing at all. It eats reiatsu - at a gradual rate, it breaks it down and prevents the body from generating more. In the end, that weakness submerges the patient in sleep. And then they die."
"Then it is always fatal?" Genryuusai looked troubled, and Madeki shook his head.
"If an individual has enough strength, they can survive." He murmured. "If they have significant reiatsu to begin with, they can sometimes withstand it until the drug has worn through their system and worked its way through. But Onoe isn't powerful enough to fight off its effects. Those who do survive it generally have stunted spirit power from that point on - nobody ever recovers without scars."
He paused, then,
"In the past it was used as an emergency remedy to the sense-enhancing chemicals the Urahara-ke tested and tried." He added softly. "But nowadays there isn't that need, and so it isn't usually used for anything except to cause death. It's become an assassin's weapon - a poison that acts when the killer is miles away. And a poison that an assassin can take before committing an atrocity, in order that he won't be questioned afterwards."
"That's most likely what the silly boy has done." Genryuusai sighed heavily. "Too young to be trusted with such heavy burdens. Tell me, Madeki - would his aggression have been heightened because of the potion, too?"
"No, I suspect that was fear and grief more than anything else." Madeki shook his head. "Eimin-yaku is a soporific that acts slowly and steals people's lives till they sleep. It doesn't have any other effect than that - but knowing he had limited time and knowing he was going to die...it may have affected his judgement and his actions."
Mitsuki took a deep breath, gently reaching out her hand to brush his brow.
"Maybe if I can find him, he won't fade away." She whispered, and Madeki eyed her doubtfully.
"Even if you are a healer, with no training...do you think you can locate a fragmented spirit and hold it steady enough to keep him alive?" He asked. "I've tried already to find him, but without success. And you're too raw to be expected to hang on to another's life force for any period of time. It would put you in danger too."
"But if Edogawa can find him, Madeki, maybe then you can help him?" Genryuusai asked.
Madeki nodded.
"I can try." He admitted. "But Sensei...there is another problem. If you're hoping to interrogate him, well..."
He paused, then shook his head.
"Memories are comprised of reiatsu, too." He said frankly. "It's not for sure that he'd even remember his own self, let alone anything over the last few days."
Genryuusai was silent for a moment, then,
"He's been foolish, but I dislike the unecessary shedding of young life." He said quietly. "We will try, therefore, even if we are unsuccessful. I was prepared to report to a Clan if a child died in conflict last night. I am not prepared to make a report of one dying of poison in a confinement cell where he was under observation. We will do what we can - whatever that may be."
He glanced at Mitsuki.
"Can you sense him?"
Mitsuki frowned, then slowly nodded her head.
"He's very faint, but I feel it. The same traces of reiatsu as I felt in my dream." She agreed. "Senpai, if you put your hand over mine, maybe you'll feel it too."
"Well, it's worth a try." Madeki agreed, doing as he was bidden. "Whether we save him or not, Sensei's right. Healers do whatever they have to do to save life, no matter what. So we'll try, Edogawa. We'll do the best we can - and hope that it's enough."
"In a sense, it almost feels like a hollow victory."
Midori sank down onto the cushions, letting out a heavy sigh as she gazed at the gold key and wax seal that symbolised her position as head of the Shihouin-ke. An hour earlier, she had been unanimously invested with the title and honour of the Shihouin, after her Uncle's difficult and awkward confessions had sent shockwaves burning through the core of the family as a whole. Most of the members had been blissfully unaware of the dark dealings in the shadows of the Clan, and it had been a harsh wake-up call for many how close to the precipice they stood. Not even Aitori or Onoe's closest kin had made a murmur of objection to Midori's claim to power - and the entire ceremony had been efficient, short, and somehow insubstantial.
Yet it was over and done, witnessed and authorised by the representatives of the Clan. In name and deed, Midori was now the official head of the Shihouin - and the one for whom the burden of power and responsibility would now fall.
"Saku, I don't know how I expected to feel. Relieved. Happy. Worried...I don't know. But I think I feel empty. That it's come to this - that I've come home like this, with so much still at stake."
Saku turned from the window, casting her mistress a concerned look.
"Midori-sama, forgive me for asking, but your family...will they be in grave danger of their lives?" She asked quietly, and Midori nodded.
"The chemicals Father has been working on under Uncle's orders are illegal in all of Seireitei." She said sadly. "They were outlawed by the Council a long time ago and the harshest penalties were placed on anyone caught involving themselves in such illicit work. Uncle has played a dangerous, desperate game and Aitori's actions have caught up with him. We were too late, in the end, to cover all of the tracks successfully. Once that town girl died...people were going to notice that something was amiss. That there was such a flow of chemical abuse in that area - even in the short time we were there, it was noticeable. That the Shihouin should be linked to such a thing in their own district is questionable enough, but in another...yes, Saku. They are in very grave danger of their lives."
Saku sighed, her eyes becoming troubled as she digested her companion's words.
"Then it isn't only those in the District who can be punished by association." She reflected. "Even the noble Clans can be, too."
"Punished by association? I suppose so, if you mean Kai and I." Midori nodded. "And by reputation, of course - our family name will be dragged through the mud in all sectors, particularly the Kuchiki-ruled ones. They'll delight in this - the stiff old frump in charge most of all since he hates us all more than the rats that scurry round his tenants' grain barns. But the ones who will be condemned will be the ones who are guilty. Father. Uncle. Nii-sama. Maybe my cousin, though as a child he may well escape the worst of the blame. Yet it will be a heavy burden to bear if it comes to that. I am not looking forward to their coming, Saku. When the investigators arrive...I am not looking forward to it at all."
"Change is an end and a beginning." Saku murmured, and Midori looked surprised.
"I beg your pardon?"
"I'm sorry." Saku flushed, bowing her head hastily towards her companion. "I did not mean to speak out of turn."
"No...speak to me." Midori shook her head. "You have shown me loyalty since we left District Seven, even at risk of your life. I intend to reward that loyalty - and I trust you. I'd like you to speak to me as you see fit - I will not punish you for saying your thoughts aloud when it is just the two of us."
Saku eyed Midori for a moment, then she nodded her head.
"Yes, mistress." She murmured, and Midori snorted.
"Mistress will also have to go, since I intend to train you, not belittle you." She said pragmatically. "Your senses are far too keen to be ignored and I won't ignore them. Midori-sama is enough for the time being - I will accept that, since I'm sure it would damage your pride to suggest anything else. But mistress is no longer welcome. Understood?"
"Y...Yes, Midori-sama." Saku looked startled, then she smiled.
"I'm glad I came with you." She added softly. "Even if it has been dangerous. Whatever happens in District Two, I believe the Shihouin-ke can come through it. If Midori-sama is leading them, then this Clan will be fine."
"You've been in bad situations yourself, I know." Midori's gaze became thoughtful. "You haven't spoken to me in more than brief and cryptic sentences about it, but I've realised it all the same. You were uncomfortable in District Eight, and you were glad, I think, to leave it. You mentioned your family having been turned off Kyouraku land - will you share with me your misfortune now we are in the middle of mine?"
Saku's expression became shadowed, then she sighed.
"Misfortune is a part of life, so far as I can see it." She said at length. "My mother died and Father had spent our money on treating her, so we went to the Kyouraku for help. Father was employed by the local Kyouraku lord, and it was enough so as I would be able to have my childhood unmolested. But I knew and so did he that when I came to eighteen, I would not be presented for marriage. I would go into service at the estate. It was arranged and agreed. That was how things were."
"And you are now what age, may I ask?" Midori pursed her lips, and Saku pinkened.
"Nineteen, Midori-sama. I will be twenty when the leaves start to bronze and fall from the trees."
"Nineteen." Midori nodded. "Very well. So you did not go into service for the Kyouraku after all?"
"N...no." Saku sighed, then, "I do not think Midori-sama would like to hear the full extent of my story. You may think me disrespectful or naive - you may even be angry with me for presuming things I had no idea I was presuming."
"I will hear it, nonetheless." Midori said quietly, and Saku nodded slowly.
"I grew up in close proximity to the Lord's nephew." She said softly. "We played together often and we were very close. Too close, in the end. As children who know nothing about the world can be."
"The Lord's nephew." Midori's eyes became slits. "Then..."
"Kyouraku Shunsui-sama." Saku dropped her gaze. "Because of our friendship, Father and I were turned out and Father died of disease some two years later. I left District Eight because I did not want to see Shunsui-sama again. It was too painful...and I knew by then that what might have been between children couldn't be between young adults. We knew too much, both of us. We were from different worlds. I did not realise how I was disrespecting his Clan at the time - or how close I was to sacrificing my honour without realising it. But now I know those things. So I didn't ever want to go back."
Midori beckoned for the young woman to join her, and Saku did so, hesitating a few feet away from where her mistress sat.
"You were in love with a Prince and lost your whole world because of it." She said frankly. "I wondered, you know, what your connection was to that family. And your knowledge of Shunsui-dono's character was somewhat bothering me, also. But I'm not angered at it, nor do I consider you disrespectful. You were a child who didn't understand. Now you are an adult - or near enough - and you do. For his sake and for yours you have both acted wisely. There is nothing to criticise in that."
She gestured for Saku to sit down, and Saku knelt obediently on the floor before her.
"You still love him, though, all the same." She murmured, and Saku nodded.
"Maybe I'll always feel that way." She agreed. "But I won't go back on my decision. I'm here by your side now, Midori-sama. I won't stray back to District Eight, no matter how difficult your situation becomes or how strongly I feel. I've made a promise and I'll keep it. This will be my home now, so long as Midori-sama wants me here."
Midori smiled.
"I do want you here, very much." She said evenly. "And I am quite serious about training you to do more than simply attend to a lady's needs. I won't be an average lady, after all. It may come to it, Saku, that you will find life here enjoyable and challenging. Certainly you will have the privileges you have earned as my trusted companion and invaluable ally during the past few weeks. I will ensure that everything you need to live safely in District Two will be done - and in return I ask for your continued loyalty and dedication. Do you think that is a fair offer, without insulting your own pride? Because low you might have fallen, but I do not consider your kin to be of a level below the Ukitake boy's."
"It is a fair offer, Midori-sama." Saku nodded her head once more. "And I accept it with gratitude."
"And if, in the future, I was to find a suitable person for you to marry, in order to further my ambitions - would you then accept that offer, or would your heart refuse it?"
"My heart has no say in those things." Saku said quietly. "I have become a pragmatist, and a realist...whatever I was as a girl. I did not come here expecting any such honours or attentions, and I will live happily without them. But if it will be to Midori-sama's benefit, I will not try to object."
She smiled faintly.
"I should like to try and be happy too, in the end, and maybe with time I could be." She reflected. "At the moment it is too soon - but in time..."
"Too soon for any of us with political upheaval on the horizon." Midori agreed. "In the meantime, it's far more important to me to prepare my case for the Council and to begin training you as my aide and as a fighter in your own right. You may learn to kill people, and I won't apologise for teaching you. It may be you never use it - but I want you to be able to, if ever it comes to a case of your life versus theirs."
Before Saku could respond, however, there was a knock on the door of the chamber, and Midori frowned, even as Saku scrambled to her feet to open it.
"Midori-sama, my apologies for the interruption." A guardsman stood beyond, dressed in the retinue that still marked out her Uncle's retainers, and at his expression, Midori pulled herself into a more upright position, eying him warily.
"What business brings you here?" She asked, her heart clenching as she considered whether Genryuusai's time limit might have already passed and even now investigators might be at her gates.
"From District One, my lady. Someone has come claiming to need to speak to you."
"District One?" Saku paled, and Midori bit her lip.
"Did this someone give a name?" She asked quietly. "And were they allowed to saunter past border patrols as they saw fit?"
"No, my lady." The guard coloured, shaking his head. "He was arrested trying to slip across into District Two. He claimed an acquaintance with you, however, and said it was of some urgency. He carried a Clan crest, and so..."
"A Clan crest?" Midori's eyes became slits. "A Yamamoto one?"
"No, my Lady. The crest of the Endou-ke...forgive me, but I thought it might be...a message from your..."
"Seimaru-dono wll no longer be my fiance." Midori snapped quickly, before the man could finish his halting insinuation. "If I am head of this Clan and he is to be head of theirs, there are no grounds for marriage. That arrangement will be immediately annulled - you may not speak of him before me in that way again."
"Yes, Midori-sama." The guardsman bowed hurriedly. "Only, the boy..."
"Perhaps it is Hirata-sama, Midori-sama." Saku said softly, and Midori's eyes widened with surprise.
"Hirata...?"
"The boy gave his name as Endou Hirata, my lady." The guard recovered himself, nodding his head. "A messy, miserable figure he cuts too. A boy of fifteen or sixteen - no more. Looks far too scrawny and thin to be an Endou, but even so..."
"Bring him before me." Midori cut across him once more, consternation and curiosity burning in her golden eyes. "Immediately. Endou Hirata is the son of an important ally of this family - if he has come here, I will see him at once."
"Yes, Midori-sama." The guard withdrew, and Midori and Saku exchanged looks.
"Hirata, here?" It was Midori who broke the silence. "But what on earth would he be here for? I don't understand. It's not an easy trek."
Saku looked troubled, then,
"Perhaps something has happened about which he wishes to warn you, Midori-sama."
"Perhaps so." Midori sighed. "But even so, to come here...it's a reckless act and risky to say the least. With Hollows on the horizon and who knows what other dangers lurking in the shadows - he's foreign to this territory and to District One. How could he know he would be able to even see me? Had I denounced him..."
"Midori-sama is someone in whose word he can trust." Saku responded. "I believe it, and I think, so does he."
"Mm." Midori pursed her lips. "Then I suppose I'll hear him out and find out what he's come here to do."
"Midori-sama, Endou Hirata-sama to see you at once." The guard reappeared at that moment, and Midori's eyes opened wide as she caught sight of Hirata's thorn-ripped, dishevelled clothing and tearstained cheeks. She nodded, gesturing for the guard to leave them.
"Please tell my maidservants that we have an important guest, and that a room should be prepared at once, with a bath and a change of clothes befitting a young man of noble blood." She said quietly. "Hirata-sama is my ally and will be treated as such - see that it is done at once."
"Yes, ma'am." The guard looked faintly confused, but saluted her anyway, disappearing to carry out his errand. Hirata stood in the doorway of the chamber, looking uncertain and pitiful, and Midori raised her hand once more, indicating for him to come in.
"Close the door, Hirata, and take a seat." She said gently. "Then tell me, if you can, why you are here."
"Midori-sama." Hirata's eyes filled with fresh tears as he realised she was not going to turn him away, and he hurried forward, sinking to his knees before her as he reached out to clasp her extended fingers beseechingly in his. "I didn't know if I could see you - I didn't know if you'd see me. But I didn't know what else to do. Or where else to go."
Something in his desperation suddenly struck the young noblewoman and her lips thinned.
"This has something to do with Seimaru, doesn't it?" She asked quietly, and Hirata nodded.
"Yes." He whispered. "Everything to do with him. Please, Midori-sama. I need your help. I don't know if you will give it, but you're the only person to whom I could come...for this favour, the only one in all of Seireitei who might listen and understand."
Midori took a deep breath into her lungs, then,
"Tell me." She said quietly, and slowly and awkwardly Hirata choked out everything that had happened since the night of the confrontation.
As he faltered and fell silent, fury burned through the young woman's body and it was all she could do not to let out a cry of rage.
"That creature knows only too well how best to hurt and manipulate those around him." She murmured. "To continue so brazenly - he must feel confident that such an act now would look like Shihouin guilt proven positive, especially since it's known Genryuusai-sama has evidence against us. It might even incriminate Kai or I - and that would be the end of the Clan completely. And as for you...and his threats against your friends..."
She sighed.
"You were brave to defy him, knowing he could kill you. And braver still to run, so as not to involve those who were not already involved." She said at length. "You are right, Hirata. I was the person to come to. This is my problem as well as yours - we are both bound to this because of Seimaru's actions. And if he's given you the same ultimatum as Genryuusai-sama gave to me, he must mean serious business. Tell me, what of Tomoyuki since I left?"
"He was in confinement and under the watch of the Seniors. Seimaru can't see him, which is why he took me." Hirata said slowly. "He thought he would scare or threaten me into acting. He said he could kill me, so far from home, without Grandmother making repercussions for him. But I can't...I won't hurt Sensei. And I don't want Ukitake-kun or anyone else to be hurt. I...I'm not strong enough to fight Seimaru. Not yet. But..."
"But I might be?" Midori asked gently, and Hirata reddened, nodding his head.
"And you seek to call on the alliance we forged, knowing that I already owe you and your Father a debt and that this might be an opportunity to repay it." Midori sighed. "And when I've only just arrived home, as well. Investigators will be here in a matter of hours...but you're right. I can't sit back and do nothing when it's Seimaru acting against you and against my Clan. Genryuusai-sama's view of the world is a lot more realistic to me now than it was a few months ago - and far more realistic than Seimaru's warped desire for power. Very well, Hirata. I will help you. I will come back to District One...and I will speak to Seimaru myself."
"Won't that be dangerous, Midori-sama?" Saku looked anxious, and Midori shrugged.
"You don't need to come, if you'd rather stay here. Hirata, the same applies to you." She replied. "As it is, you're probably both safer in District Two for the time being anyway."
"No...if Midori-sama is going, I intend to go with you." Saku said firmly. "That's my job, after all. To be by your side even if it's dangerous."
"Me too." Hirata looked troubled, but he nodded his head. "I didn't come here to rest or to hide. I came to get help. But I...I don't want to just run away. I do that all the time...but not this time. I intend to come back with you too, Midori-sama. I want Seimaru to know that I'm not just a mouse who squeaks alone in his corner. I'm old enough and smart enough to have alliances of my own - and that I'm not so easy for him to break down now."
Midori cast him a glance, then she smiled.
"Then the first thing you should do is go wash and change." She suggested. "So as you at least look like a noble son, not a drowned rat. I can't do anything about your glasses, whatever happened to them on your trip here. But if we're going back to District One, you're going to at least look presentable. Saku, take him and hand him over to the people who robed you when we first arrived. It won't take long for them to tidy him up, and I must speak to Uncle before we go."
She sighed, then,
"I wanted to be here when the investigators arrived, so my trip will have to be brief and even then I may not make it." She added. "But we will go by horse and we will travel via the shortest route to the border and beyond. In the meantime I'll prepare Uncle for the possibility of my absence."
"Is it really okay?" Hirata looked anxious, and Midori nodded.
"It will be." She said evenly. "Answering the call of my allies is a precious duty and one I can't forsake. After all, I need those allies as much as they need me...now and certainly in the months to come. Go with Saku, Hirata, and trust my people to see you right. We leave as soon as possible - and I'll put Seimaru under no illusions about how things are going to pan out from hereon in."
"Everything is still all over the place."
Shunsui flopped back on the grass, gazing up at the blue patches of sky that peeked through between the heavily leafed branches. "I don't know about anyone else, but the whole atmosphere is starting to really get to me. If it's not one thing, it's another. Ever since Megumi was murdered...it's just got heavier and heavier."
"Hardly surprising, considering a teacher was also taken out." Sora sighed, shaking her head as if to clear it. "And now with Onoe as well..."
"Mm." Shunsui's gaze shifted across to Mitsuki, who sat a little distance away, pale and distracted with a faraway look in her grey eyes. "Mitsuki-chan, are you with us or are you away with the fairies? Did Onoe worry you that much, that even now you're thinking about him?"
"I'm sorry?" Mitsuki turned, looking surprised, and Shunsui sighed.
"You are worried." He said quietly. "But Madeki-senpai was able to reach him with your help, wasn't he? The kid is still alive - right?"
"Alive. Yes." Mitsuki looked troubled. "But that may be all it is. I'm sorry, Kyouraku-kun. I'm not trying to be negative. But..."
"You know a lot more about this than any of us." Sora told her gently. "It's all right, Mitsuki-chan. If you feel that way - going to help him was the right thing to do. Retsu-sama would probably say as much as well."
"Kai's still in the Healing Bay, Onoe's in confinement because moving him or otherwise seems to be too risky and no one wants to have the two of them anywhere near one another considering what happened the last time they were." Shunsui said slowly. "Hirata's still missing. Juu's beside himself and it's taking a toll on his health, which worries me...he came back to the dorm in a state last night and even though he says he's okay, he was definitely running a fever this morning. Kuchiki refuses to say anything to help the situation and has shut himself in the library to get away from the 'Shihouin hysteria'. Houjou means well but he's not really that good at patching up Juu's worrying. Besides, there's nothing to patch it up with. Hirata's been gone a full twenty four hours - maybe more by now. They've searched all over the place but no trace of him has been found anywhere. What are we meant to do but worry, given that?"
"As you said." Sora rolled over onto her stomach, resting her chin in her hands. "It's sucking all the fun out of being here, all these political things getting in the way. And as for Hirata..."
She shrugged her shoulders.
"Mitsuki hasn't had any kind of feeling about him." She continued evenly. "She was crying in her sleep about that idiot Onoe, but she hasn't said a word about Hirata. So I guess I don't think he's been hurt. I think if he had been, we'd know."
"Are your senses that sharp, Mitsuki-chan?" Shunsui looked surprised. "I know you felt it when Megumi died, but even so..."
"I know Hirata-kun, and I know his reiatsu well." Mitsuki nodded. "If he was hurt, I think I'd feel it - at least so long as he was in District One. But I haven't."
"As long as he was in District One?" Shunsui's eyes narrowed. "What if someone decided to take him home?"
"To District Seven? It might have happened like that." Sora frowned. "But if it did, at least he's with his family and they ought to let us know. Rather than worry that he's been eaten by a Hollow. The kid's quiet, but you know, I'm surprised at how much I notice him not being here. Maybe it's the knock on effects of his vanishing - or everything else that's been going on of late."
"So this is where you are."
At that moment Enishi's voice cut through the conversation, and Shunsui turned, glancing up at the tall boy as he cast his substantial shadow across the grass. As he did so, he caught sight of the individual in his classmate's wake, and he sighed, shaking his head slowly.
"Juu, you're supposed to be sleeping off your fever." He said reproachfully. "What are you doing out here?"
"Not sleeping, evidently." Juushirou said frankly, sinking down onto the grass and shooting his friend a rueful smile. "I can't just sit up there, not while I'm worried. And I can't sleep while I'm thinking of what Hirata might be wound up in. So it's better that I'm out here. The air will probably help, in any case. I'm not going to do anything crazy - I just would rather be involved."
"I couldn't talk him out of coming with me." Enishi said guiltily. "I thought he was asleep, and I was going to sneak down to see if there was any news, but...he wasn't and he insisted on coming along."
"Better not to fight with him, not if his mind's made up." Shunsui sighed. "But listen, Juu - we've had a crazy few weeks and we both know that first thing this morning you were running a temperature. I'm not trying to say you're weak or feeble in any way, but you did get into a fight, and you have been worried about Hirata almost since then, too. A lot's happened and you don't deal that well with stress, not when it's relating to people you care about."
"True enough, but it doesn't change anything." Juushirou shrugged. "I'm sorry if I've worried anyone - but this is just a little fever for me. Most of the time I can function at this level."
He frowned.
"So there's still no news?"
"No, but Sora thinks he's probably not been hurt...because Mitsuki picked up Onoe but nothing from Hirata."
"Onoe?" Juushirou's eyes widened, and Shunsui cursed.
"Damn, I forgot you didn't know about that yet." He muttered.
"Well, now you've mentioned it, will you explain it to me?" Juushirou looked anxious. "Did I do something to him, when we fought the other night?"
"No. Nothing you did to him." Sora said pragmatically. "More what he did to himself. He took some kind of drug, Juushirou - or poison, or some such thing. In any case, Mitsuki woke up in a state this morning, and the bottom line is he's stable, but he hasn't woken up and no one really knows if he will."
"He tried to kill himself?" Juushirou was aghast, and Mitsuki nodded her head.
"Using Eimin-yaku." She said softly. "Madeki-senpai managed to pull him back and steady his reiatsu loss...but he was very weak and he might...there might not be Onoe-kun left inside of him even so."
Juushirou bit his lip, and Shunsui nodded.
"I know." He agreed. "But they've done what they can for him and there's nothing more for us in that respect. You had nothing to do with it either - he did it, most likely, before you and I even stumbled on his fight with Kai. It was something slow acting - well, Mitsuki knows more than I do about that."
"Eimin-yaku is a soporific and it consumes reiatsu." Mitsuki said softly. "It takes about twelve or fourteen hours to begin to act, and then it takes as long as the person has reiatsu to finish its job. It's usually fatal - people who do survive are often damaged beyond repair."
Enishi's expression became shadowed.
"Mm. Eimin. I've heard of it." He said gravely. "Grandfather...his twin sister..."
He faltered, then,
"During all the experimentations with chemicals, she was made very ill." He said carefully. "In the end she couldn't be saved. They tried to use Eimin to reduce the out of control spirit power and restore her sanity and health, but it took her instead. She died a day after they first made her drink it - Grandfather said that she just faded away."
"My mother also, when I was twelve." Mitsuki said softly. "Not because of experimentation or chemicals, but because of illness. She made the decision that she wasn't going to be a burden to Father and I any longer...so she took it and let it take her bit by bit till she slipped into sleep and died. Father still doesn't know that's what she did - in the Kuchiki-ke, suicide is considered dishonourable, so I never told him. He thinks it was her illness that took her and so does everyone else. But I knew. She did it because she knew I understood how much she suffered almost as much as she did...she didn't realise I'd sense every moment of her drifting away from me, too."
"Edogawa-san." Juushirou sent her a horrified look, and Shunsui pursed his lips.
"So that's why you look so out of sorts." He said quietly. "I'm sorry, Mitsuki-chan. I should've realised it was more than just worrying about Onoe."
"I am worried about him." Mitsuki admitted. "But I suppose it also woke up some bad memories. Still, because I recognised it...Madeki-senpai could reach him. And maybe...some part of him will be saved. Maybe. I hope."
"And Hirata?" Enishi asked. Mitsuki shrugged.
"I haven't felt him in pain or in immediate fear of his life, so I think he's probably all right." She replied. "Unless he's left the District completely."
"Could he have done that?" Sora looked doubtful. "He's harmless enough, but hardly the kind of kid to go rogue and start wandering the wilds. If he was taken home, fair enough - but if he wasn't..."
"All we know is that he's not been found." Shunsui said with a sigh. "Even by District One's retainers."
Juushirou sank back against the trunk of the tree, closing his eyes briefly as a gentle breeze blew through the cluster of trees.
"I just wish he'd make contact." He murmured. "If he's safe, I'd like to know that he is. And he'd know that we'd worry. So that must mean he can't make contact. And that makes me worry more."
"Ukitake-kun." Mitsuki bit her lip, then she shuffled across towards him, slipping her hand into the obi of her hakama and pulling out a small vial.
"I was going to give this to Kyouraku-kun to give to you, because I knew your fever was up again and that you were hurting." She said softly, embarrassment in her gaze as she studiously avoided Shunsui's eyes. "But since you're here, I'll give it to you now. It's only herbs, like before - but I think it will at least help bring your temperature back down. You're probably restless because of that as much as anything else."
"There's our budding healer for you." Shunsui said lazily, smiling despite himself at Mitsuki's tentative suggestion, and Juushirou shot her a rueful smile.
"I get the feeling that even if I wanted to tell you I was fine, you'd be the one person who I couldn't convince." He reflected. "I'm sorry that I'm making you worry most of all, Edogawa-san. I don't want to be the cause of your nightmares a second time."
"At least you have the grace to apologise to her." Sora snorted, shaking her head. "Shunsui's the cause of plenty of nightmares for me, but I've never once heard him apologise for them."
"You dream about me?" Shunsui sent her a teasing look. "Do tell."
"Not like that, so don't even think about it." Sora warned him. "Just every time you do something crazy, I wonder how mad Okaasama will be with me when she comes to finding out!"
"Nii-sama was happy enough." Shunsui shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Sora-chan. I'm a model student now, after all."
"Like hell you are." Sora sighed. "But I guess you could be worse."
"Is Kuchiki-kun still in the library?" Juushirou asked, and Shunsui nodded.
"Seems that way." He agreed. "I don't know. I realise he's still on basic socialising skills, but even so, I thought he was concerned about Hirata being missing. And now you're flagging, Juu - I'm a bit disappointed in him letting the Shihouin rivalry get in the way of worrying about his friends."
"Who's letting the Shihouin get in the way of anything?"
Ryuu's voice prevented anyone else from responding, and Shunsui winced, turning to see Ryuu pacing across the grass towards them. There was a big old book under his arm, and an annoyed expression on his young face as he joined the group under the tree.
"You have ears like a lynx. I can't believe you heard that...no, more, I can't believe I didn't see you before I said that."
"You must be slipping." Ryuu said acidly. "Perhaps I will outplace you in the next examinations after all. Besides, you are mistaken. As if I would allow the Shihouin to trouble me more than for a brief moment."
"This morning you did say you were trying to get away from all the Shihouin talk, though." Juushirou eyed him doubtfully. "Was that not the case, Kuchiki-kun?"
"That was for your benefit, because I knew if I said what I was really going to do, you would want to play a part in it and you are in no fit health to do so." Ryuu fixed him with a pointed gaze. "You should be in bed resting. Isn't that what you were told to do? Even from here I can see your eyes are barely more than shadows."
"The fever made him restless, apparently." Enishi said with a sigh. "And I couldn't make him stay put."
"I suppose I'm not surprised." Ryuu pursed his lips. "But even so, you are foolish with your body, Ukitake. You only have one...you should treat it more carefully."
"What's the book about, Ryuu-kun?" Mitsuki looked curious, and Ryuu smiled, patting the cover almost smugly and sending a faint cloud of dust into the surrounding atmosphere.
"For someone who claims to be concerned about Juu's body, Kuchiki, you could waft your ancient dust someplace else." Shunsui objected, waving his hand in front of his face as he stifled the urge to cough. "You do realise, after all, that his lungs are the bit that's most wonky out of all his dodgy parts?"
"I don't think I like the way you said that." Juushirou objected. "I'm not wonky or dodgy. And I'm far enough away to not get the dust. Besides, I have Edogawa-san's remedy...I'll be fine."
"In that case, try drinking it. Staring at it probably won't do you much good." Sora said firmly, and Juushirou held up his hands in mock-surrender.
"I was about to." He protested. "Are you all going to fuss over me or are you going to listen to Kuchiki-kun? He's come here for a reason - let's find out what it is. I'm only a little feverish - I'm not about to have a coughing fit and I'm not so bad while I'm sitting down. Stop staring at me and pay attention to him instead. You have something important to say after all, don't you, Kuchiki-kun?"
"Yes."
Ryuu nodded his head, looking somewhat mollified as he opened the book, flicking through the pages and pausing on one. "I went looking for this. We have a volume in the library at home - albeit a newer edition, and the plates are not as faded and worn as in this one. However, even though some of the text is hard to make out, the bit I was seeking seems to be intact. The kanji is quite complicated in places, but I am able to read it and I imagine most people with a decent Noble education could."
He shot Enishi a doubtful look at this juncture, then,
"Ukitake, you have a high level of Kanji understanding, and you read a lot. You also would probably be able to follow it quite easily."
"But what is it, exactly?" Sora demanded. "It's a nice big book, Ryuu-kun - but what has it to do with Hirata's disappearance or anything else?"
Ryuu smiled triumphantly.
"This." He said, patting his finger down on the right hand page. "Bakudou no Gojuu Hachi. Kakushitsuijaku."
"Kidou?" Juushirou's eyes widened, and Ryuu nodded.
"It's a tracing spell. It allows you to track down specific reiatsu." He said proudly. "I've seen my Uncle cast it a couple of times. It seems quite straight forward to me. You draw a circle and cast specific characters into that circle, dividing it into four parts. You voice the incantation, and it tracks down the reiatsu of whoever you might be seeking. In our case..."
"Hirata." Enishi breathed.
"But could we do it?" Sora looked doubtful. "We've barely got to grips with shakka-hou and soukatsui…this is higher level Kidou for sure. Isn't it?"
"Probably." Ryuu agreed. "But even so, I don't think it's beyond our capabilities."
He cast Shunsui a glance, then,
"Kyouraku could certainly do it." He added, and Shunsui's eyes widened in surprise.
"Me?" He demanded. "Why would you think that?"
"Because you're top of the class, most probably." Enishi reflected, and Shunsui shook his head.
"Not in Kidou. Juu's higher than me there." He responded evenly, and Ryuu pulled a face.
"And do you really think that I would ask Ukitake to cast a spell like this, considering his current health?" He demanded. "Be sensible. Besides, you do not have less skill than he does. Without belittling his own talents, he would be the first to admit that the reason he's top is because you're lazy. In terms of your control and your ability you are the obvious person to think of."
"But then Shunsui might get into trouble." Juushirou coughed slightly, pulling himself into a more upright position as he peered across at the book. "Sensei told him after the night we were out in the forest that one more slip and that'd be it. He's on his last chance – using dangerous level Kidou wouldn't be something he'd just ignore, surely?"
"I don't mind, particularly." Shunsui reflected, but Juushirou shook his head.
"It's too risky." He said firmly.
"But you want to find Hirata, don't you?" Ryuu looked startled, and Juushirou nodded.
"I do." He agreed, biting his lip, then, "But I don't want to risk losing anyone else. It's already strange enough…if Shunsui was kicked out, it'd be even stranger. And it might not even work. It might not find Hirata. And it might all be for nothing after all."
"You're not going to get emotional and silly on us now, are you?" Shunsui eyed him warily. "I know you when your fever's on the rise and you say stupid things. Pipe down a moment and be rational, will you? I've told you before. Other people's lives are more important than whether or not I'm sleeping in District One or District Eight."
"It is a complicated spell, though. And the kanji's re-e-e-ally old." Sora shuffled across to read it. "Kuchiki, are you sure that Shunsui could do something like that? He might have talent but he's also a flake. It might blow up in his face."
Ryuu shook his head.
"I heard Minabe and Kazoe talking on my way to the library." He said pragmatically. "And I heard them mention Kyouraku by name. Minabe seemed to be holding forth about something Sensei had said to Tokutarou-sama – something about Kyouraku being able enough to be skipped straight into third year come the end of the year and bypass second year altogether. It was that which got me thinking about it more closely. If that's true, then there's no reason why he shouldn't be able to cast this spell. After all, in the forest, you did shakka-hou with no prior training, didn't you?"
He turned to Shunsui, who nodded, his expression aghast.
"Please tell me you misheard that." He said emphatically. "I do not want to be skipping anywhere, thank you very much!"
"It's all right. I don't think it's going to happen." Ryuu said acerbically. "Minabe was complaining about your laziness and saying that she'd allow you to be promoted like that over her dead body."
"Thank God for that." Shunsui let out his breath in a rush. "I only hope he hasn't given Nii-sama ideas, saying crazy stuff like that. Let me see the book, Ryuu-kun. I can't say what I can and can't do until I see the spell for myself."
"Shunsui!" Juushirou frowned, and Shunsui sighed.
"Do you see another option?" He demanded. "Kuchiki's idea is a good one. It might not work, but it's the best idea any of us have had and it's better than doing nothing. We can but try it – right? If we screw up then we screw up – but if Hirata's in danger…"
"I don't think Hirata is in danger." Mitsuki murmured. "And you're upsetting Ukitake-kun, Kyouraku-kun."
"That's because he doesn't think straight when he's fevered, and he does and says silly, rash things." Shunsui said frankly. "He knows it as well as I do…that if this is the only way to get around it, it's what we should do."
Juushirou's lips thinned, then he sighed.
"I don't like it." He murmured. "But I understand what you're saying, too. Hirata's life is important. It's important to me, too. I just…I suppose I am overreacting. We've stretched Sensei's patience a lot lately – maybe I'm worried about…about…th…th…that."
The end of his sentence dissolved into a fit of coughing, and Shunsui sighed, shaking his head.
"I told you the dust was a bad idea, Ryuu-kun." He said softly. "Even if it's just a tiniest fragment, Juu's chest is sensitive enough to pick it up."
"It's not Ryuu-kun's fault. It's you, making him worry." Mitsuki said reproachfully, and at the look in her eyes, Shunsui held up his hands in mock surrender.
"If looks could kill, Mitsuki-chan, I'd be flat out by now." He said lightly. "Juu-kun, take a breath for a moment and calm down. If you're feeling that rough, someone should take you inside."
"No. I'm all…all right." Juushirou shook his head, warding off his friend's supportive hand. "I'm fine. Really."
His eyes narrowed.
"And I want to help Hirata too. Let me. Please."
"You want to do a spell in that condition?" Enishi demanded, and Juushirou nodded.
"Hirata is m…m…my friend." He murmured. "And it should b…b…be me."
"Hirata is everyone's friend." Shunsui corrected him softly. "He was your friend first, maybe. But we're all worried about him and we all want the little tyke back. Take a moment and sit back, Juu. Enishi's right. You're not in any state to cast shakka-hou, let alone something this complicated. We've not even begun covering Bakudou yet."
"But if…I do it…you won't…be in trouble." Juushirou pointed out, and Shunsui snorted.
"You think Sensei would let me off if I sat back and let you do it when you can hardly breathe?" He demanded. "Get real."
Ryuu frowned.
"Then I shall do it." He said firmly, startling everyone by his sudden announcement. "If it is upsetting Ukitake that much that Kyouraku might be in trouble, and if he is unable to do it, that leaves me. I am third rank in Kidou, after all. And I don't believe my own reiatsu to be particularly inferior in this respect."
"Kuchiki..." Sora gazed at him in surprise, then she grinned. "Well, then that settles that, doesn't it? No one in their right mind would kick a Kuchiki out of the Academy, and Ryuu-sama doesn't have the track record either of you two do for getting into silly situations."
"Are you sure?" Shunsui eyed Ryuu quizzically, and Ryuu nodded.
"I think that if you were to do it, our chance of accuracy would be better." He admitted, surprising Shunsui with his honest appraisal. "Even if you don't often use the power you have, I am aware of that much at least. But I do not think it beyond my capabilities to at least cast the spell. Whether it finds him in the end...I don't know."
"If he's back in District Seven, it might be too far to reach." Enishi pointed out, and Ryuu nodded.
"It might." He agreed. "And there may be other barriers and spells inbetween. But nonetheless I shall try."
"Other spells? Why would there be other spells?" Sora frowned, and Ryuu offered her a thin smile.
"You aren't as naive as that." he observed. "People cover their tracks with spells all the time. If Hirata had help leaving the school, they might not intend him to be followed."
"Or something else." Shunsui said quietly. "Hirata didn't intend to be followed."
"Shihouin-kun said him not coming back might...might mean that." Juushirou said reluctantly. "I can't say what else he t...told me. It's not...something I can d...discuss. But...that Hirata might have b...been forced to choose. And...he m...might have chosen not to c...come back. If he's not h...hurt, he m...might be hiding scared somewhere and...and unsure what to do."
"Or he might be concealing himself with Kidou and acting on whatever decision he made." Ryuu said evenly.
"How would he do that, Kuchiki?" Sora pulled a face. "We've not done Bakudou yet, like Shunsui said. We won't start even the basics till next semester. And all barrier spells are Bakudou, right?"
Ryuu's eyes narrowed, and he shrugged his shoulders.
"Hirata is exceptionally good at hiding if he doesn't want to be found. Better than Kyouraku is." He responded astutely. "And to begin with, we hardly noticed him out of class hours. I have come to wonder, recently, with the lack of success in finding him...perhaps this wasn't because he was hiding, after all."
"The first time Ukitake and I noticed him in the dorm was really because he was crying and we heard him. Till then we hadn't seen him at all." Enishi frowned. "But..."
"That's true." Juushirou nodded, surprise flickering across his gaze. "And he does have exceptionally tight control over his reiatsu - I remember Aitori-sensei and Kazoe-sensei have both complimented him on his ability to make it appear as though it's next to nothing even when preparing an attack. But...are you saying that...Hirata might...be able to..."
"Hide himself with Kidou?" Ryuu shrugged. "Why not? It seems a wise survival skill for one such as him to have picked up growing up in the kind of family he has. He is not like the rest of the Endou-ke, after all. It wouldn't surprise me at all. He's survived for a reason, and that may well be it."
"Is there a spell that could do that?" Mitsuki asked softly, and Ryuu nodded.
"I looked that up too." He agreed. "This book is full of various Bakudou spells and there are ones which can make someone appear invisible. I don't know that that's what he's done...but given his reiatsu control abilities, it might explain how he could disappear...and not even Genryuusai-sensei's retainers could find him."
"He could even be here, under our noses." Enishi whispered, and Ryuu shook his head.
"Genryuusai-sensei would soon see through that." He said frankly. "No. Hirata isn't here. Wherever he is, he's either in trouble or keeping his head down and out of it."
"Either way, we need to know which of those it is." Shunsui replied gravely, meeting Juushirou's gaze for a brief moment. "Let's move somewhere more secluded and see what we can do with this spell of yours, Ryuu-kun. If it even gives us a faint clue...that will be something to go on at least. And it might tell us the most important thing - if he's still alive."
"We could take it up to the Dorm." Enishi suggested, and Sora snorted, shaking her head.
"That's not fair. Mitsuki and I are part of this too - if you do that you'll be shutting us out." She objected.
"Maybe that's for the best, though." Ryuu eyed Mitsuki for a moment, then, "Your Father would not understand if he thought you were breaking rules, Mitsuki."
Mitsuki sighed.
"No. Maybe not." She murmured. "And I really don't think Hirata is hurt. But if Sora's involved, and Ukitake-kun and you are, I want to be too. I don't want to be left out."
"Then that's settled. We're not going to the boy's dorm." Sora said pragmatically. "We'll just have to find some other way to do it instead."
"Where else is there? Deeper into the forest?" Enishi glanced around him, and Ryuu shrugged.
"Possibly, although the closer we go to the boundary, the more suspicions we're likely to arouse." He reflected.
"The Dorm would really be better." Shunsui bit his lip. "Even if it did mean you girls were cut out of it."
His gaze flitted to Juushirou, who frowned.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm fine." He snapped, reaching across to take the book from Ryuu's unprepared grip. "It's like Sora says. If we're going to try this, we're all involved. Even if Kuchiki-kun is going to cast the spell, the rest of us can h...help him r...read it and work out th...the best w...w...w...way..."
Before he could finish his sentence, however, he choked, the book slipping through his fingers and falling to the grass as his hands went automatically to his chest. Pain crossed his expression, and the spell forgotten in an instant, Shunsui was immediately alert, hurrying to support his friend as he stumbled.
"Juu! Dammit, that's it. We're going inside, whether you like it or not."
"But..." Juushirou protested hoarsely, and Shunsui shook his head.
"We'll leave the spell till tomorrow." He said quietly. "We'll go back to the Dorm now, and you can rest - which you should already be doing. We'll take the book and talk it over and work out the best way to do it. Then tomorrow we'll meet down here again after breakfast and we'll see if we can find Hirata. All right?"
"But what...what if..."
"Mitsuki says he's not hurt. I believe her." Shunsui said frankly. "Whereas you are, and I'm not having that. Yell at me when you're better. Hate me and fume silently - I'm all right with that. But I'm not going to have you pushing yourself to your limits when its not necessary."
"Shunsui!" Juushirou began to protest, but Ryuu reached for the book, tucking it once more under his arm.
"As Kyouraku said." He added quietly. "Mitsuki's senses are sharp. She's a Kuchiki, after all. I trust her judgement, too. But Hirata would not forgive us or himself if we let you get sicker because of him. So we'll go inside."
His eyes became steely.
"And you will sleep, this time, else tomorrow we will conduct the search without you." He said bluntly.
Juushirou's eyes widened in surprise, and despite himself Shunsui grinned.
"You heard him." He said approvingly, relief in his dark eyes. "Thank you, Ryuu-kun. I appreciate your support."
"It's common sense." Ryuu said archly. "In any case, preparation will take time whatever we do. So tomorrow, then? I will study this carefully and by tomorrow I will know it well enough to cast it as accurately as I can."
"Then we'll all meet here tomorrow morning." Sora got to her feet, holding her hand out to pull Mitsuki up with her. "And see whether or not we can do what Sensei's retainers haven't managed to do. Find Hirata."