Chapter Forty Three: A Hime's Heart
So it was done.
Keitarou sat back against the wall of the hidden laboratory, idly tipping his knife from right to left as he considered everything that had happened. Outside, he knew, it was howling a blizzard that had already delayed the return of the Clan leader, but even so, he knew that Seimaru would be pleased. Everything was, after all, working exactly according to plan.
It's interesting how such a thing can create such a lot of unrest in such a short space of time.
His lips pursed in malicious amusement as he reflected on the chaos that had ensued that morning, when the princess and her mother had been discovered missing. This had only been compounded as the frozen cold corpses of the fifteen or so unfortunates had been found in the courtyard, and the Endou-ke woke up slowly to the possibility of treason in their midst.
They will all fluster and flurry, sending for Seimaru to return without knowing that this is all his plan as much as anything else. They are truly foolish, the men of this land. Truly foolish indeed. I had heard the Endou were hunting birds, but really, they seem more like headless chickens.
"Kei-nii?"
Shikiki pushed back the makeshift divide that separated her sparse sleeping area from Keitarou's main work area, padding across the cold slabs towards him. There was a question in her eyes, and Keitarou scooped up his knife, returning it to his obi as he held out his hand to the young girl. Relief flooded her gaze and she fan forward, hugging him tightly.
"Kei-nii, last night, something bad happened." She whispered, and Keitarou brushed her muzzy hair from her face, gazing down at her in surprise.
So the girl had felt it, then? The release of his weapon in the darkness? Even through the haphazard, confusing stone of the partly Sekkiseki walls, Shikiki had picked up the faint flare of Chudokuga's release?
Faint excitement stirred in his heart at this. She really was coming on!
"Something bad?" He said out loud, and Shikiki nodded, stifling a shiver.
"I was scared." She admitted. "I don't know what it was, but it didn't feel nice and I wanted it to go away."
"And did it?" Keitarou asked softly. Shikiki sighed.
"Yes." She said uneasily. "But...Kei-nii, how much longer must we stay here? Seimaru-sama is frightening, too, and...there's just Kei-nii and me, now."
"But I promised, didn't I? That you'd soon have a playmate." Keitarou chuckled. "Don't look like that, Shikiki. I know that you worry about me, but really, there's no need. Our staying here is only temporary, after all. Already I can walk above ground and be accepted among the Endou-ke even despite who I am. Soon that will be true for both of us. I will take you with me, after all. When everything is complete. I intend to help you make your barriers strong enough that you too will be accepted by the people there. And nobody will ever hurt you, then. You'll have a proper place to sleep and good food to eat - and you won't have to be frightened. All you have to do is trust me - and keep working hard exactly as I tell you."
Shikiki glanced down at her fingers, and Keitarou saw the glittering pink light flicker briefly across them.
"I couldn't save Dai-nii." She said sadly, guilt in her young tones. "I wanted to, but no matter how much I did, I couldn't. So I'll work hard, Kei-nii. I always will. Because...I wanted to help Dai-nii. And I want to help Kei-nii."
She sighed, lowering her hands.
"If someone hurt Kei-nii, maybe I could help him." She whispered. "Do you think, if I did that, then Dai-nii would be happy?"
"I think he would be extremely happy. And proud." Keitarou got to his feet, pulling the young girl to hers. "But Daisuke wasn't killed by you, Shikiki. He was killed by Endou Shouichi. What happened wasn't your fault and I'm not angry with you. Nor would Daisuke be. And I'm sure, if you do as you say and keep training and working hard - that's the best thing you can do."
He patted her on the head.
"Tomorrow I will leave here again." He added. "Perhaps I will be away a day or so. But it will be the last time I will travel far from the main house, so don't look so despondent. I promised you a playmate and I will deliver on that promise. When I come back, I won't be alone."
"What's he like?" Shikiki's childish curiosity overcame her apprehension, and Keitarou grinned.
"Hopefully someone who will prove very useful." He murmured. "But for now, I have to go and make my report to Seimaru-sama. Everything has gone according to our plans so far, after all - you needn't worry about anything at all."
With that he grabbed up his reddish cloak, pulling it around his shoulders and fastening it with the Clan badge that he had received from Riku on his visit to Hokujou.
"Stay strong." He told her gently. "I promise that you won't be alone here much longer."
With that he crossed the chamber towards the one normal section of wall, slipping into shunpo and dropping out of the flashstep in the halls of the manor house. Outside, despite the weather, he could hear the melee of guards and servants hell-bent on their errands and the unmistakeable flicker of Seimaru's distinctive reiatsu flooded his senses.
So the Lord had returned? Good. Delayed, but not by too much.
Kei smoothed down his faintly crumpled Clan hakama, striding purposefully along the hall towards Seimaru's study. As he had expected, the Clan leader was there, surrounded by officers from both his military and shinigami squads and more than one member of the Endou council, each one clamouring for his attention.
He took a deep breath.
"Seimaru-sama, I must speak to you on a matter of absolute urgency."
He spoke clearly and crisply, his voice carrying through the babble and at his sudden, unexpected interruption, there was quiet as all eyes turned to stare at him. From the midst, Seimaru shoved his men aside, moving forward so that his gaze met Keitarou's from across the hall.
"We're all here to speak to Seimaru-sama, Minazake." One of the council nobles complained, and Keitarou bowed his head apologetically towards the man.
"I realise that." He said calmly. "But I believe Seimaru-sama should hear my story first and foremost. After all, I imagine you are all here to report to him about the unexpected events of last night. And I have...some information that may be of use to him on that matter."
"Events of last night?" Seimaru's eyes narrowed, and he strode forward, grabbing Keitarou by the collar of his hakamashita and holding him firmly, his glare penetrating right through to the man's core. "I've received harried, irrational reports from all areas that somehow, in my absence, my aunt and cousin have slipped my custody and have disappeared from District Seven. And! Although everyone seems to know this, I find that no complete regiment managed to set up an adequate pursuit last evening. Fifteen good soldiers are dead, and my kinsfolk are nowhere to be seen. Most likely they have reached the border. By hell, Minazake, if I find you had any knowledge or involvement in this..."
"On the contrary, sir, what I've learnt has only come by my ears this morning." Keitarou met Seimaru's gaze without confrontation, making no resistance against the other's strong grip. "Two maids talking in the halls not far from the apartments you have so kindly assigned me since my arrival here. A young maid named Yuriko seems to be missing a uniform, and when challenged by another, she claimed it was stolen from her. And more..."
He paused, his eyes becoming calculating, and he saw Seimaru's expression flicker with comprehension.
"Futhermore, it appears that Kibana Hiroto-dono is no longer in District Seven." He murmured. "And that the maid, Yuriko, saw him some time prior, covered in blood and heading for M...your unfortunate uncle's quarters, not long before that person was arrested and imprisoned. That was the day a shinigami died, I believe? I thought I should bring this information to you at once, so as you could act on it as you saw fit."
"Kibana? Killed one of my men?" The shinigami lieutenant was stricken, and Seimaru loosed his grip on Keitarou's clothing, shaking his head.
"Everyone is dismissed!" He exclaimed suddenly, making the most of the group jump with his unexpected raise in voice. "I want to know what Kibana was involved in and whether this was a plot by my Uncle to sieze power against me! Do you need further proof of that man's duplicity and treason? I want Kibana and I want him brought back here to answer to me. On his testimony, you will maybe see for yourselves what kind of a man Misashi-jisama truly is and how he seeks to ruin this Clan! Go, all of you!"
He swung around, flicking his finger at the lieutenant.
"You did not report to me the death of one of your men." He said, his eyes gleaming dangerously. "I leave Seventh Squad under your command most of the time, but do not forget that I am your Captain - and I dislike such omissions of information."
"Seimaru-sama..." The lieutenant began, but Seimaru shook his head, shoving the man aside.
"You can redeem yourself by finding the girl, Yuriko, and bringing her to me." He said quietly. "Understand? Find her. I want to hear her evidence also."
His gaze slid back to Keitarou.
"You, inside my study. Now." He said flatly. "I want to hear by what source this information truly came to you. I can't believe it to be a coincidence."
Keitarou bowed his head.
"Yes, Seimaru-sama." He agreed quietly. "I will tell you whatever you wish to know."
As the crowd slowly dispersed to follow their leader's orders, Seimaru grasped Keitarou roughly by the arm, hauling him bodily into his study and shutting the door behind him with a firm click. As he did so, Keitarou was struck by how little it had changed since Shouichi had called it his own. It was barely different from the day he had lured the old man out to his death, and deep down the scientist was surprised. Seimaru had stamped his own mark in so many places - yet here, in the room that had been at the heart of Shouichi's government, he had made not even the slightest change.
Almost as though it's a shrine to the dead man. Well, well. Seimaru did love his grandfather after all. How touching.
A derisive smile touched his lips.
I suppose we all have weak points.
"That was a bold entrance." Seimaru was speaking, and Keitarou turned his attention back to the matter at hand. "To face so many people and make such announcements. Sometimes I think you like playing games as much as you do carrying out my orders, Aizen."
"I am disliked by you." Keitarou said simply. "If I was to suddenly appear, disperse a crowd and gain preference over them for your attention, people would talk. But if I brought information to you, then you would obviously want to investigate it. It seemed the most logical solution to the problem."
He grinned.
"Besides, the fate of a maid girl is not really my concern. Nor, I imagine, is it yours." He added. "If you kill her, or pardon her, it's all the same to me. The plan doesn't change."
"I noticed that all of the guardsmen I assigned you are conveniently dead." Seimaru sank down behind his desk, gesturing for his companion to repose himself as he did so. "My Lieutenant insisted on me viewing the corpses myself, considering the magnitude of the event. Only one or two of them died by a true sword blade, which I suspect as Kibana's work. The others..."
He paused, his lips thinning, and Keitarou could tell that he was scrutinising his companion's lean form carefully.
"They were killed by something else." He said quietly. "My men are foolish and they miss things. I am not so foolish. They were killed by some element of spiritual power. A sensation and a reiatsu I have not felt clearly before except once...lingering, faintly, in the atmosphere around my grandfather's body."
"Reiatsu, Seimaru-sama?" Keitarou's eyes widened in pretend surprise. "What kind of reiatsu? I thought nothing was detected at Shouichi-sama's death site - nothing of any particular significance, anyway?"
"No. Nothing of any significance. Nothing at all." Seimaru said blackly. "Only I was looking for it - for the proof that he had been taken down, and even I could not clearly discern it. I dislike Kidou and people assume I have no aptitude for that nature of skill - but I am still a shinigami and I still have good training behind me to justify my suspicions. And last night...Aizen, I want to know the truth from you, please. About what really happened. I know you were following my orders on both occasions - but I do not like things to be concealed from me. I am not an idiot, nor am I someone you should risk crossing. You may have killed my Grandfather, but you would not have so much luck silencing me. So tell me. What it was I saw on those corpses this morning that reminded me of my Grandfather's death."
Keitarou looked thoughtful for a moment.
"I am surprised you suspect even me of plotting against you, now." He said with a sigh. "Since suspecting everyone around him is what in the end killed Shouichi-sama. You have to know, Seimaru-sama, that you can only truly know your allies and your enemies by allowing them close enough to tell the difference. I believe we are allies. I would not act against you."
"Then answer my question." Seimaru said coldly, and Keitarou looked resigned. Slowly he slid his fingers into his obi, pulling out the tantou knife and laying it down on Seimaru's desk.
Seimaru frowned, picking it up and turning it over, eying the neatly engraved spider that adorned the blade. The tiny chink of metal at the tip caught the light, and Keitarou was reminded of the spell he had cast on Eiraki-hime and the tiny fragment of zanpakutou that even now was buried deep within the young girl's heart.
"A tantou knife? What about it? I just said, didn't I, that those men didn't die by normal means? Unlike Grandfather, they had marks on their bodies. Something burrowed into them - all of them - right through to their heart, with a very distinct trace of reiatsu lingering around each of them. And now I think of it, I'm sure Grandfather said the same...that in the past, people - Endou guardsmen - had died in similar circumstances. That someone had unleashed on them...something."
He set down the knife.
"One youth may have died by this blade." He added quietly. "But that is all."
Keitarou shook his head, retrieving the weapon and returning it to its hiding place.
"Sealed, you would not detect even the faintest trace." He murmured. "But by that blade, your men died. By that blade, your Grandfather died. By that blade, I stole all of their lives and I have no regret for any of them. By that blade, Seimaru-sama. By Chudokuga's blade."
"Chu...doku...ga?" Seimaru's demeanour changed, and he stared at his companion as if seeing him for the first time. "You...Aizen...that thing is...a zanpakutou?"
"I wouldn't say that." Keitarou's expression became cold. "I'm not a shinigami. I'm not accepted or registered by the Council of Elders. Most everyone who has ever clearly seen that blade released has died, Seimaru-sama. Some because I chose to release it to kill them, and some because it suits me best if nobody can bear witness to its existence. I am a spider in the shadows - that is the man that I've been forced to be by circumstance, but I find it suits me quite well."
He sighed, shaking his head as if to clear it.
"I did not want to disclose it to you, since I have never left a clear witness to my sword's power and it puts me in a vulnerable position." He said regretfully. "For you to know...was never my intention."
"And now you intend to kill me, like you killed Grandfather?" Seimaru's fingers hovered over the hilt of his weapon, and Keitarou laughed, his expression suddenly lightening.
"Of course not." He said frankly. "I wouldn't even try. I'm not foolish either. I know what Yojinmozu is capable of and that, in a lot of ways, you're more ruthless than Shouichi-sama was. Besides, we're allies. Our aims and goals are the same. I only raise Chudokuga against betrayal. I don't use it recklessly. And so far I've employed it for your purposes - not my own. I killed Shouichi-sama on your orders, don't forget. Not on my whim."
"You had enough reason to hate him." There was still some wariness in Seimaru's gaze, but he slowly nodded. "Still, I see your point. But you should have told me. You should have told me from the start. That you carry a zanpakutou - do you not think that I might make use of this in other ways? Had I known you had such a thing, I could have used it more efficiently to my benefit!"
"It is already working hard in that respect, Seimaru-sama." Keitarou said calmly. "As we speak, Eiraki-hime and her Lady mother have met with Hirata-sama and our plan has slipped perfectly into operation."
He shrugged.
"Thanks to Chudokuga, Eiraki-hime is trapped in my web." He added. "A tiny fragment of my weapon remains within her body. Through that fragment I can keep a constant watch over her and her activity. Everything is as you hoped it would be. Hirata-sama is indeed in District Eight, and more, is not under particular supervision by the Kyouraku-ke. It should not be difficult for me to infiltrate their land and continue to the next stage of the plan - that is, if you still trust me enough to let me out of your sight?"
He eyed his companion quizzically, and Seimaru sighed.
"I am weary." He admitted. "From the Council and now this. There are few people worth trusting and fewer still I would trust in my immediate presence. I don't like secrets, so I wish to know, from now, everything that you do and in every way you use that sword of yours. You understand? Everything. True zanpakutou or not - flawed or not - you are my servant and I still control you. You are Urahara-ke, and your safety relies on cooperation with me as much as my success relies on your actions. We are bound together in this now - I will not tolerate any further deceit."
"My sincere apologies, Seimaru-sama." Keitarou bowed his head low before the Clan leader. "I give you my word that I will not omit to tell you such things from this point on."
"Then the plan continues as it did before." Seimaru got to his feet, moving to the window. "You are dismissed."
He turned, fixing Keitarou with a piercing gaze.
"Perhaps now I understand a little how my Grandfather died, but I will ask no further questions about it." He said, his tone edged with a dangerous note. "It benefitted me, so as it stands, I am content. However, I want you to know, Aizen, your current choice is the right one. To remain my ally and to act with loyalty to me means to preserve your life and your freedom to move around. My Grandfather may have dispensed cold justice, but my zanpakutou has the power to curse any who cross my path. Even those who are spiders in the shadows. Fire kills, after all. And I will kill you, if you raise your hand against me. I will kill you as a traitor, exiled Urahara and hand your corpse to the Council of Elders. Do we understand each other?"
"We do." Keitarou agreed pleasantly. "Though since I have no reason for or intention of betraying you, Seimaru-sama, I should hope those words will never be ones I need to take to heart."
His smile widened.
"I will go to make the necessary preparations, then." He added softly. "To leave for District Eight."
With that he withdrew, closing the door softly behind him and heading back along the hallway towards the main entrance hall, red cloak flapping behind him as he began to work out exactly what he would need for the trip ahead.
But now it is decided. If and when we succeed in this, Seimaru may prove to be a dangerous ally to have.
He frowned, reflecting on the conversation in minute detail as he walked. He had not wanted to reveal Chudokuga, and now that he had, he would have to tread more carefully.
I must realise more clearly, at times, that Seimaru is perceptive enough to put threads of his own together. In the end...I may have to take steps to deal with that, before he becomes a true threat to my safety.
His brows knitted together.
And before he jeopardises my true goal - my Seireitei revenge.
"…I simply don't quite understand his judgement on this matter."
The strains of a woman's voice drifted across the cool winter air towards the gardens, as two of the ladies of the extended Kyouraku-ke made their way between the main house and one of the many guest annexes that the estate boasted. "I realise there is a case for granting sanctuary, of course, but at this time, with so much at stake?"
"Tokutarou-sama can't be judged in this matter." The other voice, Rae's calm, gentle tones responded, firm and decisive as she replied to her companion's question. "I would have urged him to act as he has done – Shunsui-sama also. It's the duty of neighbouring Clans, after all, to provide safe haven for those persecuted in other Districts. As the wife of the Clan leader, I will have to become accustomed to such decisions – it is part of my duty, after all."
As the voices drifted away, Hirata sighed, leaning up against the trunk of the tree as he contemplated.
It was early, he reflected. Not long past dawn, and the frost on the ground was glittering in the early morning light. Rae-hime would soon be swept away by her maidservants to be dressed and pampered for the ceremonies ahead – and he knew that they would be long, complicated and with no expenses spared as Tokutarou prepared to make a statement to all around about the level of his status within District Eight. It was a day for celebration, yet celebrating was the last thing Hirata felt like doing.
Though Shunsui had made it out to be an easy matter, Hirata was fairly sure it had not been anything of the sort. His friend was kind, he reasoned sadly, and would gloss over the difficulties in order to make his kinsfolk feel welcome and accepted in his brother's land. But to convince a Clan who hated the Endou to willingly offer sanctuary must have come at a price – and Hirata wondered how much Shunsui had had to beg and plead in order to bring it about.
What had he had to promise his relatives, in order to gain their agreement?
Hirata had not dared ask, but he was sure it was a high cost all the same.
He stood upright, moving slowly across the gardens towards the main house.
He too was playing a part, now, after all. Although he was well aware that eyes were on him from all angles, he was playing the part of the innocent, unknowing exile – the young boy from District Seven who had renounced his Clan and who had not become involved in the political web of confusion that Seimaru had begun to weave. Often he wished he was still young enough not to understand – but he knew that was a futile, wasted hope. Eiraki understood, after all – at fourteen, she understood all too clearly. And at seventeen, Hirata too knew what was at stake.
His father's face flashed across his mind and he clenched and unclenched his fists, anger curling up inside of him.
Right now there's nothing I can do. But even knowing that, it doesn't make it any easier to stomach. Is that because of what I have to do? Or is it just that I know there's nowhere I can run away to any more?
"Nii-sama?"
Eiraki emerged from the trees at that moment, thick winter shawl around her shoulders and, beneath it, a soft pink cloak covered her body as if forming a fabric shield against the outside disapproval of other people. Hirata was sure that Eiraki knew just as well as he did – yet even so, he slid into his role as older brother, putting a smile on his face and holding out his hand to help her over the uneven tree roots that poked up from the frozen ground.
"You've risen early too." He murmured, and Eiraki nodded, pulling the warm wraps closer around her as she stifled a shiver.
"I don't know what it is, but even though there's no snow here, I feel twice as cold as I normally do." She said pensively. "Today is Tokutarou-sama's wedding day, isn't it? Today he will marry Rae-hime."
"Yes." Hirata nodded.
"I…I wonder if we truly are welcome to the wedding." Eiraki bit her lip. "Even as we are, with the kindness shown us – I wonder, Nii-sama. Should we even think about such things?"
"Tokutarou-sama has included you and Okaasama in his invitation now. To refuse would be rude." Hirata said softly. "We don't want to cause trouble here – not when so much relies on their goodwill."
"I know. It just all seems so surreal." Eiraki rubbed her chest. "As though I might wake up and find myself still in District Seven. Do you not feel that way? As though none of this…is truly real?"
Hirata was silent for a moment, then he sighed.
"To me it is all very real." He said grimly. "But I have had much longer to become used to it than you. Since the day I defied Seimaru a year and a half ago, I have been exiled. So I know…that this is real."
"Nii-sama, will you tell me?" Eiraki murmured, looking at him curiously. "What it was you did…that upset Seimaru-sama so greatly?"
"Don't call him ~sama!" A sudden, uncharacteristic flash of anger rushed through Hirata at this, followed by immediate remorse as he saw Eiraki's eyes widen in dismay. "I mean…there's no reason to, not now we're here."
"I know." Eiraki reddened, glancing down. "But I feel as though he's still watching me, even here. Even when I know he isn't – and it's just the two of us. Even so, Nii-sama – that's how I feel."
Hirata sighed.
"I shouldn't snap. It's different for me, after all." He said heavily, taking her by the arm and leading her slowly back towards the house. "As for what happened – Seimaru wanted to assassinate Genryuusai-sensei. He wanted me to be his puppet and help him to do it – but I refused him and I ran to District Two for help from Midori-sama to oppose him. He threatened to kill people if I didn't work with him, so I had no choice but to go for help. Midori-sama came – she's been kind to me in more ways than I can repay her. And all…all was settled. At least, then."
Eiraki's eyes clouded.
"I see." She said softly. "I wondered, you know. For a long time, because nobody told me what you'd done or why you'd become exiled. I…I didn't think you would just leave us and never come back, but I…sometimes I was afraid that you had. That you had run away from us because you had found a way to escape."
Hirata offered a faint smile.
"I can see why you'd feel that way." He reflected. "I'm not…well…I've never been that strong, really. I'd be more likely to just run away, wouldn't I?"
Eiraki faltered, then shook her head.
"I don't think so." She murmured. "Not now. Not this Nii-sama. I don't…really know you like this, Nii-sama. The person who's been on his own, learning how to fight…the person who's talked about protecting us and taking down Seimaru-s…Seimaru. I don't know what District One is like, or what you've experienced since you've been there. But I think…this Genryuusai-sensei must be a good person. Especially if he's somebody Seimaru bears ill will towards – any who have crossed Seimaru must be on our side."
She sighed.
"I'm happy." She said pensively. "But I'm also…sad. I feel like there's space between us – like you're moving away from me because you can. Hime can't really do anything at all, Hirata-nii. I'm realising that more and more, now. Okaasama and I – both of us are simply just there as pawns, aren't we?"
Hirata was silent for a long while, then,
"Grandmother was never a pawn." He reminded her. "She would've killed anyone who called her so, too. I don't know, Eiraki. Our Clan has a lot of problems at the moment and they aren't ones easily solved. I suspect…it will need all of us to solve them. Even if Father and I are the only ones who can inherit the Clan…"
Eiraki nodded her head.
"You're right." She agreed sadly. "It just seems like such a huge mountain for us all to climb."
"And whether the Endou-ke would even accept me as I am, at only seventeen." Hirata reflected. "Clan leaders are not usually recognised until they reach twenty. That was Father's aim, I think – that by that point, I would be trained and able to come take Seimaru on. He didn't anticipate all this so soon – none of us did, except maybe Seimaru himself."
"Seimaru killed Grandfather." Eiraki agreed. "Father said not, but I don't believe it and I don't know if even he does, deep down. Even though there is no proof – that's what I think. That's what…what I believe."
"Grandfather was as ruthless as Seimaru." Hirata shrugged. "Either way was walking on thin ice. Since Grandmother's death, the truth is none of us have really been safe, have we? If we even were before that point."
"I wonder how Kibana-dono is faring." Eiraki murmured. "He was badly hurt, I think – and he risked so much to help us. Yet everyone has said he must be kept quiet and alone – that we cannot see him until he is much stronger and better able to receive us. I'm concerned for him, Hirata-nii – have you been able to see him at all? After all, you're better acquainted with this Clan than I – and have bonds with its heir that Mother and I do not."
"Kyouraku-kun said that Tokutarou-sama had ordered him to be kept completely quiet." Hirata shook his head. "And that those orders were based on the report of his doctor, so I suppose we have to do as he says. I'm sure he's being well cared for, though. And we've heard no bad news – so probably he just needs time to recover."
He frowned.
And probably Tokutarou-sama wants to speak to him alone, before anyone else has the chance to.
"I suppose so." Eiraki nodded, though Hirata could tell she was still troubled. "I just hate not knowing things, that's all. Things here, things there. People…Kibana-dono didn't tell us what happened after he sent Mother and I to find the horses. I know there were soldiers and there must have been a fight. But…Kibana-dono never told us anything. He just said we must take the opportunity and get away."
Realisation glittered in Hirata's blue eyes.
"You're worried too about the other man who helped you, aren't you?" He asked her. "The man Okaasama said had a grievance against the Endou-ke – the man Seimaru wanted you to marry."
Eiraki bit her lip, slowly nodding her head.
"He took a big risk to help us, and he too was there that night." She agreed hesitantly. "He would not come with us, Nii-sama. He said that he couldn't – that he had to stay and besides, someone had to discover where Father was being held. He hoped…if he could…to find out and find a way to set him free. But…but Kei-sama isn't like Kibana-dono, Nii-sama. He isn't a soldier. He's clever, but he's never wielded a sword – he's never been allowed to. And…and when we left him, there were soldiers…if Kibana-dono was hurt, I worry that…"
"That this Minazake-dono was also hurt."
"Or worse." Eiraki twisted her hands together. "Seimaru wouldn't think twice about s…sacrificing Kei-sama if he thought he needed to. I saw it, once…the bruises he took when he had displeased Seimaru just with one wrong word in a council session. And perhaps Kibana-dono has said nothing because…he fears to tell us the truth. He would keep such a thing a secret, I know…he would realise that it would be upsetting, to know someone died for our sakes like that. But either way, I want to know. I want to know exactly what happened, Hirata-nii. I need to know…if helping us escape has meant the cost of his life."
She coughed, rubbing her chest again as a shiver ran through her thin form, and Hirata sighed, slipping his arm around her shoulders.
"It's cold out here." He murmured. "We'll go inside. Until Kibana-dono wakes or until we are allowed to see and speak to him, those things will have to remain unknown. I'm sure Tokutarou-sama will want that information, too…the exact circumstances of your escape and the current situation in District Seven."
"Yes." Eiraki agreed bitterly. "To make sure it correlates with the account that Okaasama and I have given."
Hirata gazed at his sister for a moment, realising that she knew far more than even he had realised, then sighed, nodding his head.
"Probably that, too." He admitted. "We're aliens here, Eiraki. Me as much as you. Though I'm grateful to the Kyouraku, I'm not sure of my ground here even so. Kyouraku-kun I trust – after two years together at the Academy I know he's someone I can trust. But he doesn't make the decisions. Tokutarou-sama does. So…probably you're right."
"Well, I haven't lied." Eiraki said simply. "So if that's the case, I don't mind. Kibana will simply agree with our account, since the one we've given is the true one."
"I never doubted that." Hirata assured her, and Eiraki managed a faint smile.
"I'm glad to be with you again, Nii-sama." She admitted. "Seimaru…he says such horrible things about you and about what he wants to do."
She glanced around her, lowering her voice, then,
"While we are alone, there is one more thing I must ask of you."
"All right." Hirata nodded. "What kind of thing? I'm listening and there's nobody else here."
"Before we left…there was a rumour." Eiraki's tones were little more than a murmur, and Hirata could sense the tension in her young frame as she spoke. "That the reason Father was locked up – the reason he hadn't been killed before the council – was because of something you'd done. Something you had…that made Seimaru afraid."
Hirata's eyes widened, and he stared at her in dismay.
"Something?" He managed, and Eiraki nodded, grasping him by the hands.
"A letter. Something like that. Something that could get him into trouble if he didn't do as you wanted." She agreed. "So instead he wanted to kill you first and then Father – something that makes me think Father's life is safe even if Mother and I are here. Is it true, Nii-sama? Does such proof against Seimaru really exist?"
Hirata was silent for a long time, then he sighed.
"What if it did?" He asked softly. "A letter that incriminates the Endou-ke would incriminate all of us, not just Seimaru, surely? We are all connected by the same shame through our blood…if such a thing did exist, would it matter?"
Eiraki's eyes widened.
"It does exist." She whispered, and Hirata's heart ached at the hope he saw flash into her desperate blue eyes. "Nii-sama, you really do…there really is…"
"I do not have any such proof." Hirata made up his mind, shaking his head as he gently pushed his companion away. "I'm sorry, Eiraki. There's nothing more I can say about that."
"You're lying to me." Hurt flickered in Eiraki's expression. "You do have it, yet you won't trust even me, your own blood sister with the truth? We're in this together, aren't we? Yet you won't tell me something about the fate of my own family? Not even to put my mind at rest that Father…and that there might be something that, even now, we could do?"
"I'm sorry." Hirata shook his head. "But I'm not lying to you, Eiraki-chan. I don't have any such letter. To keep such a thing among my belongings while relying on the kindness of the Yamamoto-ke would be dangerous and foolish, after all."
"But one does exist?" Eiraki demanded. "The letter does exist? Tell me the truth, Nii-sama…tell me the truth!"
She coughed again, and Hirata was aware of her struggling to draw breath into her body, tension running through her young frame as she faltered, stumbling slightly against the cold ground. Anxiously he reached out his arms to grab hold of her before she fell, supporting her until the spasm had finished, and as he gazed at her, he felt his fear growing.
Her skin was pale –ash pale, paler than he'd ever seen her before. Yet in direct, striking contrast her lips were touched with crimson, and Hirata knew that it was blood. His resolve, which had wavered for a brief moment, now hardened as he realised the burdens his sister carried were already too great to be added to by another.
"Eiraki-chan." As his concern wrapped itself around his heart, Eiraki drew a deep breath into her lungs, leaning her weight on him as she struggled to regain her composure. "Eiraki-chan, are you all right?"
"I…I'm just…tired." Eiraki found her voice at length, putting her finger to her lips, and Hirata found himself not at all reassured by the sudden hoarseness in her tones. "And worried – about a lot of things. That's all, Nii-sama. That's all."
She rubbed her chest again, and Hirata saw a faint flicker of pain cross her vivid blue eyes.
"And I don't like it…when you lie."
Hirata lowered his gaze to the ground, then,
"If evidence exists to condemn Seimaru, it is not in my hands." He said quietly. "That is the truth, Eiraki, and I swear to it by my Clan blood and by whatever honour you think I still have left. I don't have any such letter."
"Then you entrusted it to an ally? Another Clan? The Shihouin?"
"That would be dangerous, would it not?" Hirata chided her. "Which Clan is truly our ally, now? The Shihouin I trust, but with a weapon like that…? Would you give such a thing to a rival Clan and hope they wouldn't use it against you?"
"I…I suppose not." Eiraki sighed, and Hirata saw a little bit of the fight seep out of her. "But…you don't have it, Nii-sama? You promise me that you don't?"
"I promise." Hirata nodded. "If such a letter exists, it is not in my possession."
"I see." Eiraki rubbed her temples, and Hirata felt a second shudder ripple through his young sister's body, a spasm which she managed to suppress but even as she did, a second flicker of pain crossed her blue eyes.
Cold dread settled in the pit of his stomach as he remembered having seen Juushirou act in much the same way.
"You're tired and you shouln't be worrying about these things." He said softly. "Come inside, and sit quietly. I'll fetch the Kyouraku physician, and then…"
"No. Not that." Eiraki shook her head, sending him a troubled look. "I'm all right. Really. They don't need to w…worry about me. Not on Tokutarou-sama's w…w…wedding day."
She faltered, and Hirata was half afraid she was going to cough again, but somehow she stopped it, closing her eyes briefly and swallowing hard.
"Perhaps I have just taken too much cold air." She whispered. "I'll sit quietly inside – and that will be enough."
Hirata had his doubts as to whether it would be enough, but even despite his fear he was sensible enough to know that arguing with Eiraki in her current state would do no good at all. Instead he nodded, guiding his fragile companion into the building and along the hall to the front sitting salon. Juushirou was there, curled up in a corner reading a book, and relief crashed over Hirata's senses as he registered his friend's presence.
Surely of all people, Juushirou would understand?
"Ukitake-kun!" He exclaimed, and Juushirou raised his head, setting his book aside as he registered the anxiety in his classmate's pale blue eyes.
"Hirata…Eiraki-hime?" The next moment he was on his feet, for Eiraki had slipped to the floor, hand clasped to her chest as she fought to bring air into battered lungs. She coughed again, and Hirata was sure he could hear the faintest of wheezes as she struggled to regain her normal breathing rhythm.
"What happened?" Juushirou paused at Eiraki's side, casting his friend a dismayed look. "Hirata, shouldn't you send for the physician? Eiraki-hime looks white as a ghost, and coughing like that…"
"No." Eiraki managed, grasping at the District boy's arm as she shook her head. "I'm all right. Just c…cold. That's all. Please. I don't want to cause trouble on…on Tokutarou-sama's w…wedding day."
"Outside she coughed blood, Ukitake-kun." Hirata said softly. "It made me think…of your haibyou."
"Haibyou?" Juushirou looked stricken, then he shook his head, turning to meet Eiraki's gaze.
"Clansfolk don't have haibyou, and in this day and age it isn't contagious. It's inherited, not caught. I…I think." He said softly, although Hirata could tell that there was a flicker of doubt in the boy's hazel eyes. "I don't think that could happen, Hirata. Really. After all, I've been around lots of people ever since I was small – and nobody has ever caught haibyou because of it."
"I'm all right." Bravely Eiraki struggled into a sitting position, shaking her head. "I'll just sit…sit quietly here, out of the wind. I think...perhaps the long, cold ride here has given me a chill after all – but if I stay in the warm, it will soon right itself."
"Even so, Hime, you should see a doctor." Juushirou responded.
"I'm all right. I don't want to worry anyone." Eiraki insisted. "Please. I'll just sit…here."
"Arguing will just upset her more." Hirata said sadly. "Though I don't like it, I don't see what else we can do. At least, in here its warm and comfortable. Perhaps that is the cause. Eiraki-chan has never been overly strong, after all – and her nursemaids rarely let her outside in the winter when she was small."
"Well, in that case I can think of one thing that might help." Juushirou got to his feet. "I'm at a loose end now – since I'm no active part of the wedding and I don't want to cause any more trouble with Kyouraku clansfolk by showing up where I'm not really needed or wanted. But I'm sure I'm not the only person that applies to – and in the circumstances, that may be the best thing to do."
Hirata stared at his friend blankly for a moment, digesting this cryptic speech then, as he read the expression in the other's gaze, comprehension flickered in his pale eyes.
Edogawa-san. That's what you mean, isn't it, Ukitake-kun? Because she's not a doctor – not a healer, yet. But even so…if there's something wrong with Eiraki-chan, she'll know it right away. And if that's the case…then I can put my mind at rest. Edogawa-san isn't involved with the Kyouraku-ke, after all – or the wedding. If we were to ask her – it wouldn't cause any problems at besides, Edogawa-san is a girl. She may understand best – being a hime too – the things that trouble my sister.
He nodded his head.
"I think so." He agreed, and Juushirou offered him a smile. "I think that may…help. Eiraki-chan, please, stay here and rest...if you feel more unwell, I want you to ask a member of the Kyouraku staff to send for help. Ukitake-kun and I think we know something that may help you…will you promise to stay here?"
"All right." Eiraki was surprised, but she nodded her head. "But I really don't want to cause any trouble."
"It won't be." Juushirou assured her. "If you will just wait here – Hirata and I will make sure of it."
Mitsuki pushed back the door of the small guest salon, pausing as she rested her gaze on the huddled form of the younger girl who sat curled up on cushions beside one of the long windows. She was gazing out at the scenery, but Mitsuki could feel the confusion and distress in the other's aura, and she hardened her resolve, stepping inside the chamber and pushing the door softly shut behind her.
Her healer's instincts told her that Eiraki was suffering, but even so she knew it was not so much a physical wound as an emotional one. Something was making the young girl's spirit waver and swirl so uncertainly, and Mitsuki swallowed hard, remembering what Retsu had told her about raising her own defences against other people's shattered auras.
She had run to the rescue when Kibana had been hurt, for his life had been in danger and her instincts had overridden any fear or anxiety she had had over treating a stranger. Yet this was different, and although she had given both Hirata and Juushirou her word, she was unsure how to break through Eiraki's shell.
My weakness is Juushirou, after all. Even if I'm nervous, if he asks me to do something – I really can't say no. Not when he looks at me that way…there's nothing else to do but agree.
"Edogawa-dono?"
Belatedly Eiraki seemed to realise she had company, for she turned, shooting the Kuchiki a feeble smile. She was pale, Mitsuki noted, and there was the faintest hint of red around her beautiful blue eyes, yet she had not broken down into floods of tears and Mitsuki could tell that she was working hard to keep those emotions deep inside of her.
Except that's no good when it comes to me.
Mitsuki's brows knitted together.
I know either way, and something has to be done. She's still so young, after all – too young to be suffering like this. If I can somehow help her…but how? She's a stranger to me, and it isn't like it was with Kibana-dono. He was slashed and bleeding. Eiraki-hime is in a different kind of pain. A pain that radiates from the inside out – I wonder if I even understand that pain at all.
She bowed her head slowly in Eiraki's direction.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, Eiraki-hime." She said, in soft, gentle tones. "Only your brother was a little anxious about you, and so he asked me…"
"To come and treat me?" Eiraki's eyes widened, and she shook her head. "So that's what Ukitake-san meant when he said…but I'm not unwell, Edogawa-dono. I don't know what Nii-sama might have told you, but…"
"I can tell that." Mitsuki smiled, inwardly quelling her misgivings as she crossed the room to join the younger girl by the window. "I'm a healer, after all – I can tell when someone is injured or sick."
"Then…why did you come?" Eiraki looked confused, and Mitsuki spread her hands.
"Because I can also sense other things." She said matter-of-factly. "Your spirit is displaced and unsettled – I don't know what by, but something is weighing on your mind. Perhaps something you can't talk about – but something is, nonetheless. You're not physically sick, not right at the moment. But whatever it is is eating away at you. Worries can cause sickness too, after all – so if you can confide in someone, it would be better if you did so."
Eiraki stared, her expression stricken.
"Can you read my mind?" She whispered, and Mitsuki shook her head hastily.
"No. I can't do that." She said firmly. "I promise, Eiraki-hime. I'm not invading your personal thoughts. But healers are like that, you see. We pick up things from other people that most folk don't. And I can tell…that you're unsettled. And that it's starting to take its toll on your body, too."
Eiraki sighed, sinking back against the glass of the window. She didn't speak for a moment, then, in a soft voice,
"Edogawa-dono, have you ever…"
She paused, searching for the words, and Mitsuki did not push her, waiting patiently for the child to speak.
"I'm worried about Father, of course." Eiraki murmured. "But…is it wrong that I'm more worried…about something else? About some…one else?"
"Is it wrong?" Mitsuki hid her surprise at the sudden question, pursing her lips as she thought it over. "I don't think it's ever wrong to worry about someone. Not if they're someone you care about."
"I…suppose that's true." Eiraki sighed. "Father is in such danger, though, that I feel guilty. I am worried about him. Very worried. And I want Nii-sama to hurry up and get strong and fight Seimaru so that we can go home and be safe as a family again. But…I don't think Seimaru will kill Father so easily. Not if Nii-sama is still alive. And so…and so…I suppose…"
She buried her head in her hands, and Mitsuki felt a wave of weariness flood the girl's aura.
"I can't speak to anyone about it." She said, her tones muffled. "Not really - I don't think they'd understand. After all, it's not like I'm…and…I don't know…but…he took such a risk, and…"
She faltered, raising her head suddenly and Mitsuki could see the fear in the girl's eyes at having let something slip out. In that moment the healer knew exactly what the situation was – for she could sense it, rippling in waves through Eiraki's raw heart.
"He?" She asked softly, and Eiraki shook her head hurriedly.
"I…I can't…"
"Well, I don't know who he is." As Eiraki found it hard once more to form words, Mitsuki made herself more comfortable on her cushions, offering the younger girl a smile as she felt the faintest of connections between them. "But even without knowing, I can tell you care for him very much. And that's not a bad thing, Eiraki-hime. You shouldn't be ashamed because there's somebody like that."
Eiraki let out a heavy sigh.
"If people knew everything, they'd find several reasons why." She said darkly. "You don't know, Edogawa-dono. I don't think…you should ask me questions. It…it…"
"Whoever he is, he must have done something very special to secure your affections so strongly." Mitsuki murmured gently. "I'm not going to ask you for his name, or even any more about him. As you said, it's not really my business to do so. But even if you don't believe me, I understand what you're not able to say. You're not a child, after all. You're a young woman and its not at all strange that you should form attachments – even fall in love for the first time."
At the word 'love', Eiraki stiffened, and Mitsuki knew she was on the right track.
She nodded, making up her mind.
"I do know how you feel." She said simply. "The first time you feel it, you don't know what you should do about it. And if they run into danger – especially to protect you – it hurts more than anything when you can't protect them in return."
Eiraki gazed at Mitsuki in surprise, and Mitsuki laughed.
"I'm not that much older than you." She explained gently. "And it's not been that long since the first time I realised I was in love."
Eiraki sighed, twisting her fingers together absently in her lap.
"It's complicated for me." She murmured, and Mitsuki realised the girl's defensive barriers had dropped a fraction, as a fragile bond had begun to build up between them. "Since Clanswomen don't choose who to fall in love with. They don't even…maybe they aren't even meant to fall in love. Mother and Father love each other, but that happened after they married, because they didn't even know each other before. And…I suppose…everything is confusing now. Because I'm engaged to be married and if we survive this I…I will go through with it. But…even so…knowing that it's a lie…"
"My Clan are just as strict. Perhaps worse." Mitsuki nodded. "I'm a Kuchiki, after all – and Kuchiki hime are usually betrothed from infancy."
"You…are Kuchiki-ke?" Eiraki was startled. "But…a healer…surely…?"
"I suppose you can call me the black sheep." Mitsuki responded thoughtfully. "Healers aren't often born outside of the Unohana, but I'm one of the exceptions that was. Because of it I've followed different pathways to most of my kin – because of it I was never betrothed as a small girl. My father was too protective of me – my mother didn't want me to be forced into something I didn't want. And now I'm glad of those things – because I've made up my mind not to get married. Not at all, most likely – because I don't want to be married to a man I can't love."
She smiled, reaching over to touch Eiraki's shoulder.
"If it's the same for you, you shouldn't feel guilty." She added. "Nobody can force you to love someone that's been foisted on you, after all."
"No…no, it's not that." Eiraki pinkened, shaking her head. "I mean…I suppose…I can't explain without breaking promises I have no business breaking. But…Edogawa-dono…if you don't intend to marry, does that mean…?"
She broke off, then, bravely,
"Is the person that you loved…no longer there?"
"He's there." Mitsuki's eyes became wistful and she shook her head. "He's there and I hope he will always be there. In one way or another."
Eiraki's eyes became huge, and Mitsuki laughed at her expression.
"No…I don't have a lover." She said ruefully. "It's not like that. We're only friends, because society dictates we can't be any more than that. But even so…I know I'm in love with him. And more, that I won't ever feel so connected to anyone else. So I decided, since I can't marry him – I won't marry at all."
"Do…your family know about this person?" Eiraki was obviously curious now, and Mitsuki shrugged.
"Ryuu-kun is probably the only one of my kin." She admitted. "Who knows about how I feel. But it isn't a secret, exactly. Why? Is that what troubles you most – telling your family that you feel that way?"
"No." Eiraki shook her head. "It's not that. It's not that at all. It's…"
She glanced at her hands.
"There are things I can't talk about. I gave my word." She said uneasily. "But…there is somebody. And he has never behaved inappropriately towards me or compromised me in any way. I…I don't know, perhaps he thinks I'm still a child. I haven't told him, and I don't know now if I ever will. He took great risks, after all – and now…"
She sighed.
"He isn't of the level of birth my family would approve. Not even Father – not anybody, I imagine." She said with a sigh. "So I can't tell them – especially not now. Especially with everything so…like this."
Mitsuki's mind flitted to the fallen Kibana, and the state Eiraki had been in when they had first found her.
Is that it, then? Is Kibana-dono the one she's worried about? He took risks, after all – brave ones, when all is said and done.
Out loud she said,
"You know, I think, your brother's friend? Ukitake Juushirou? You must do – you spoke to him this morning, I think?"
"Yes." Eiraki looked surprised. "The white haired boy from the Districts whose blade Grandfather was forced to ratify. Hirata-nii thinks a lot of him – they seem to spend much time together."
There was a faint wistfulness in her tones at this, and Mitsuki wondered if the young girl felt left out by Hirata's new and developing independence from his family's shadow.
"Mm." She nodded now. "Then you'll understand that my feelings and yours really…aren't that different at all."
"Ukitake-san…is the one you…?" Eiraki whispered, and Mitsuki smiled.
"Yes." She agreed lightly. "Though it would no doubt horrify the majority of my Clan."
Eiraki's brow furrowed as she digested this.
"Some months ago, it may have shocked me, too." She acknowledged, a faint note of bitterness in her voice. "Certainly, before Nii-sama left for the Academy, I would never have considered anyone of birth beneath mine. Not as good or as bad – not as anything at all. But…things change. And I know now that Clan – especially my Clan – are full of evil. I saw it, on the ride here. The empty villages and the people my Grandfather and my cousin have victimised for their own ends. I understand a lot more now than I did before."
She looked sober.
"I think Ukitake-san is a good person." She added quietly. "And this morning he was kind to me, even though he had no reason to become involved or to show me any concern. Nii-sama trusts in him, and I think that he's right to do so. It doesn't matter that he's from the Districts, after all."
"I can't disagree with you." Mitsuki dimpled. "The truth is, living in the Districts and growing up how he has means that Juushirou is stronger and more self-reliant than most of us who've grown up being pampered as Clansfolk. And I don't always think that I can match up to him in that. In social status, he ranks beneath me. But in the things that are important – I know he's way out in front. Not just of me, but of a lot of people, too. No matter how much people try to stop him, he keeps pushing forward – and I admire that. I admire people who don't give up. Who fight against the odds for what they believe is right."
"So do I." Eiraki was clearly remembering something, for a faint smile touched her own lips. "You really do understand, don't you? Why I can't talk about it – how I feel?"
"I do." Mitsuki nodded her head. "And I'm sorry if you think I barged in on you. I was worried – I could sense it, fluttering in your aura, and Hirata and Juushirou both mentioned it too. This morning, you were unwell, and…"
"I coughed and choked up blood." Eiraki murmured. "And it scared Nii-sama at the time. That's all."
"Has it ever happened before?" Mitsuki asked, and Eiraki shook her head.
"No. But I'm not strong physically, and never have been." She replied. "I've never had to do the things that we've done lately – and you said too that I'm not ill. So…"
"Hirata would've worried because he's seen it before – coughing blood." Mitsuki said gently. "Juushirou suffers from a chronic condition where he has attacks of that nature – and that was probably Hirata's first fear or thought when you stumbled."
"Ukitake-san does?" Eiraki looked thoughtful. "Is that, perhaps, the haibyou that they mentioned this morning?"
"Yes." Mitsuki nodded. "It's not a nice disease – Juushirou is brave and he fights through it no matter what it throws at him. But it has killed people in the past and caused others a lot of suffering besides."
"Then I see." Eiraki pursed her lips. "I suppose, then, I must have frightened Nii-sama more than I thought."
"I think probably the stress in your aura accounted for it." Mitsuki reflected, reaching out her fingers and pausing them a short distance from Eiraki's own hands. "I can still feel it. That uncertainty. Like something has dug right through to the core of you and wrenched you about. But love is like that – perhaps you're simply lovesick and it's a bad combination."
"I think I've been selfish." Eiraki coloured red at this. "Worrying only about how I'm feeling, rather than anyone else. I've missed Nii-sama – and now I'm here, I've done nothing but criticise him or put pressure on him – or scare him. You must think me a horrible brat, Edogawa-dono – and probably you'd be right."
"I think you're a sister who's always been protected by her big brother." Mitsuki's eyes twinkled. "I'm a little jealous, since I have no brothers or sisters. The closest I have is my cousin Ryuu – but it isn't quite the same thing. If I had a brother to cling on to, I'm sure I would do so. I don't think you're a brat at all – fourteen is still young to go through so many things."
Eiraki sighed heavily.
"You're a kind person." She decided, causing Mitsuki to pinken now with self-conscious embarrassment. "And I think…you're going to be a good healer, too. I didn't know you were Kuchiki-ke – even though I can sort of see it now, you don't act like our neighbours generally do towards members of my Clan. The Clans are all full of problems, I think, but it seems that of all of them the Endou is the most universally hated. Although I don't think that's a wrong perception. I suppose…I'm realising that the kindness shown us here is kindness my people wouldn't show their enemies' kinfolk if the situation was reversed. Seimaru-sama would take great pleasure in cutting down Tokutarou-sama, if he could, and he's already assaulted Shunsui-dono, who's shown us so much particular generosity since we arrived. The more I see it, the more angry I am and the more ashamed of my family. I want to change things – I want to be able to change things. But what can I do? A fourteen year old girl trapped in a foreign land with absolutely no power of my own. That's why it bothers me, Edogawa-dono. All those years I spent there and I did nothing. Now I'm not there – and I want to do something. All I could do was run away…run and demand help from my brother instead of offering him support. I am selfish. I am foolish. And the more I dwell on the risks people took to save us – the more unhappy I become."
Mitsuki slipped an arm around the young girl's shoulders, hugging her tightly.
"You're not selfish or foolish. Nothing you've said to me is that." She said soothingly. "Right now, the best thing you could do was leave District Seven. It was the only thing you could do, and the right thing to do at the time. Focus on that, and on one other thing, too. You're really not alone. Not now you're here. Even if you can't go home – even if you never go home. The Endou-ke isolate themselves – but you're not isolated any more."
Eiraki buried her head in the older girl's shoulders, yet she still did not cry, and Mitsuki sighed, patting her gently on the back.
If she'd let out some of that pent up emotion, perhaps her heart would heal.
"People got hurt. People died. More may die." Eiraki whispered. "On my account. On Mother's. On the account of people who simply do nothing but let tragedy occur. I heard it myself, Edogawa-dono. From the family of one who had lost their kin – I heard it. How my family's soldiers hunt and kill them – mercilessly, no matter who they are. Yet that person still didn't show me hatred. He…he showed me kindness. And the more I think on it, the more wretched I feel. That so many people are kind to me – and I can do nothing in return."
"It is wretched, when you feel helpless." Mitsuki nodded. "I know – believe me, that's why I started training as a healer in the first place. But it might be that your part to play hasn't come to light yet. It might be, when things calm and settle in District Seven, your role will be then – helping your family to rebuild their reputation and their land by stopping the things that you've just said you hated. This is only one battle, isn't it? Don't put so much on yourself. It's not your fault and you've done nothing wrong."
She smiled, holding the younger girl at arm's length.
"And you don't need to call me so formally, if you'd rather not do." She added. "I'm Mitsuki, and that's fine."
Eiraki returned the smile, and this time there was a faint flickering of genuine emotion in the blue eyes.
"In that case…may I…call you Mitsuki-neesama?" She asked shyly. "Since I don't have any sisters, and…you said you were an only child. And will you call me Eiraki-chan? I…I think it's nicer, and right now I don't feel like a 'hime' of any kind."
"Nobody has ever called me 'neesama' before." Mitsuki was taken aback. "But I don't like being called 'hime', either. We're people, not our status – so if that's what you want, I don't mind. You can call me that, if you want to. And I'll remember to call you Eiraki-chan, if you'd really prefer it."
She grinned.
"I can keep secrets, so if you want to confide in me, I'm listening." She added. "Even secrets you want to keep from Hirata, if necessary. But don't bottle everything up inside. It's bad for you and it will make you ill – understand?"
Eiraki paused for a moment, and Mitsuki realised she was considering this carefully. However, before she could reply, the door of the chamber slid back to reveal Juushirou, an anxious Hirata in tow. Eiraki glanced up and in that moment the opening was gone, for Mitsuki knew that the young girl did not want to share her heart in front of her older brother.
"It's all right, Hirata-kun." The Kuchiki got to her feet, offering him a faint smile. "Your sister isn't ill. She's tired and worn, that's all. Probably stress is the cause of her illness this morning. I think she needs to rest – to try to sleep more and worry less about everything that's happened. But you needn't fear something more sinister – there's no sickness in her aura."
But there is pain, and pain I can't explain to you. It's pain that you can't understand her feeling – since it's the pain of a young girl in love with a man she cannot a little longer and she might have confided fully in me – but for now, this reassurance is as much as I can give..
"That's good news." Juushirou looked relieved, and Hirata nodded, bowing his head slightly in Mitsuki's direction.
"Thank you, Edogawa-san." He said solemnly.
"It's not a problem." Mitsuki smiled, casting Eiraki a warm gaze. "After all, your sister and I get along well."
"Ryuu-kun was looking for us to get ready for today's ceremony." Juushirou put in now. "Hence we came to find the both of you as well, to see how Eiraki-hime was, and whether all was well."
"If that's the case, we shouldn't keep anyone waiting." Eiraki glanced at Mitsuki, who nodded.
"I agree." She said softly. "Though if you ever want to talk to me, Eiraki-chan – just say so. While I'm a guest in District Seven, and while you are also – I'm always within easy reach."
Eiraki pinkened slightly, nodding her head.
"Thank you, Mitsuki-neesama." She said shyly, and Hirata's eyes widened.
"Mitsuki-neesama?" He echoed, and Mitsuki nodded.
"Eiraki-chan likes it and so do I." She agreed simply. "So I said she could, if she wanted. You don't mind, do you, Hirata-kun? I'm not trying to steal your sister away, only…"
"Sometimes girls have things they find easier to tell girls, and boys the same." Juushirou reflected. "I see it all the time with my siblings – how there are things Miyabi will only tell to Chihiro, no matter how much she clings to me when I'm home."
"I don't mind. I'm just glad Eiraki's all right." Hirata shook his head. "But we should get going. Okaasama will be wondering where you are, Eiraki-chan – and we don't want to make a bad impression considering we're unusual guests at this wedding."
"I agree. I'm coming now." Eiraki agreed, getting slowly to her feet and bowing her head in Mitsuki's direction. "And we will talk again, I'm sure. You're easy to talk to – and I'm glad that you came to speak to me."
"I'm glad too." Mitsuki dimpled, patting the younger girl on the shoulder. "But for now, lets think of happier things. The wedding should be a good occasion, after all – we should all go and try and enjoy it, regardless of the wider political picture. Even if it is just for one day."
"Mitsuki's right." Juushirou nodded. "For Tokutarou-sama's sake, that's what we should do. He's been kind enough to have us here – so lets not do anything to waylay his wedding!"