Chapter Fifty: Moral Divide
Juushirou had been reluctant at first to eat any of the food Keitarou had given him.
The day had been long and cold, and his mind had flitted back several times to the panicked look in Shikiki's aqua eyes at the mention of the word 'shinigami'. It had bothered him far more than he had liked to admit – in their brief conversation, he had almost imagined himself talking to one of his young siblings, and for her to be so suddenly afraid had struck a nerve deep within his young body.
And so he had spent much of his alone-time thinking – pondering over in his mind how something he knew to be good could also be something that she knew to be bad.
District Seven is the answer, of course. In this place, everything is twisted.
Juushirou frowned, leaning back against the cold wall as he eyed the empty plate once more.
I half expected that to be drugged or laced with something, but it tasted normal enough and I feel quite all right. Yet even so, I'm on edge here. It's in the air – just the atmosphere of District Seven in general. That's why Shikiki is afraid. That's what she fears…isn't it? That darkness in the air.
He sighed, rubbing his temples.
No. It's not that. I want it to be, but it's not. It's what she said – and Keitarou-san, what he said too. About Daisuke-san and his murder. About what that child has been through. It doesn't matter how good I know shinigami are. She's not seen that side of it. District Seven or not – do most shinigami care about common people? In the other areas, ordinary folk like us aren't hunted down and killed for having spiritual ability, true…but…but can I really say that the Clans care about protecting us from harm?
He closed his eyes, as an image of his father's death flooded his senses.
I wasn't able to help Father. Nobody was. Nobody was there, then. Though they came, later…they weren't there when he needed them. Was it another Hollow somewhere else that caught their attention? Or was it simply that it wasn't attacking anyone of any importance, and so…
He grimaced, shaking his head as if to clear it.
No. I won't let Keitarou-san poison my mind to the idea. I know that it wasn't like that. I know that it was just an accident – that there weren't enough shinigami then to protect everyone at once. It wasn't anyone's fault that Father died. He was just unlucky. We were just unlucky. Someone else probably got saved that day. Someone else who has something vital to give to this world. Someone else who…
His thoughts faltered, as he became aware of a dampness on his cheeks and he muttered a curse, reaching up to feel the trickle of silent tears running across his pale skin. He dashed them away, frustrated, for it had been a long time since he had let his emotions over his father's death run rampant through his mind.
Father had a lot to give, too. To give me, and my siblings, and Okaasama. He had a lot…a lot still to give. But the only people who ever knew that were my family.
He took a deep breath into his lungs, realising that they still felt raw but that he no longer felt on the verge of coughing.
"You promised to move forwards, Juushirou. To step up and protect those who couldn't protect themselves." You's voice was faint, yet somewhat soothing to the boy's mangled wits as it brushed gently across his senses. "That was Hidenobu-sama's sacrifice, in the end. He protected you because you have something vital to give to this world. Don't let anyone ever convince you otherwise."
"I know. I believe it. I'm not giving up." Juushirou spoke out loud, and a soft chuckle came from the dark hallway beyond the cage bars.
"I'm glad to hear that." Keitarou had crept up on him yet again, but this time Juushirou only glared at him in defiance, indignation prickling through his every nerve at the interruption. "Oh, I'm sorry? Were you not meaning those words for me?"
"I was talking to…myself." Juushirou muttered, and Keitarou grinned, shaking his head.
"No. You were talking to that." He responded, gesturing to the cell opposite where Sougyo no Kotowari remained confined. "I can feel the pricking at your reiatsu and at its as you try and make a connection across the divide. I'm sorry to have kept you both separated as long as this. It's a very new bond – you must prefer to have your zanpakutou more within your reach."
"I'm fine." Juushirou pulled himself to his feet. "What do you want with me now, anyhow? You've already dragged me here, locked me up, lectured me about politics and sliced off my hair. What else are you going to do to me before the day is done?"
"You've eaten. I'm glad. I wasn't sure if you would." Keitarou's gaze flitted to the empty platter. "Without replenishing your energy, it would be dangerous to try to do anything. But since you've eaten, all should be well. I'm going to let you out of here, Ukitake. You and your zanpakutou – so that you can show me what they can do."
"Where's Shikiki?" Juushirou's heart leapt at the idea of the door being unlocked, but he could not shake the young girl's fear from his mind, and Keitarou chuckled.
"She won't come here for a while, I don't suppose." He said lightly. "She's afraid of shinigami…until she knows you aren't going to hurt her, she'll keep her distance. She's a feral child, when all's said and done. She's learnt to survive by keeping out of danger when she can. The only person she trusts completely in is me – it will take longer for her to reach out her heart to you too."
"I don't understand why you have her here." As Keitarou pulled out the key to the cage door, Juushirou leant up against the wall, trying to see as far beyond his captor as he could into the blackened hallway. "I don't understand what she is to you – why you'd care so much about the well-being of one peasant girl, when…"
"Shikiki is special." Keitarou told him simply. "She is worth my time and my attention and therefore I give her both. The true merits of people in this world aren't where they're born or what bloodline they have, Ukitake. They lie entirely with what a person can do. You are the same. I don't seek to hurt you in any respect – I don't like having you locked up, but right now it's as much for your own safety as it is for Shikiki's. You have things that interest me – therefore I am willing to invest time in learning about them. And, of course, in gaining your trust."
"You'll be waiting a long time for that." Juushirou muttered, and Keitarou looked amused, even as he unfastened the cell that held Sougyo no Kotowari captive.
"Yes, probably." He agreed pleasantly. "But I've waited a long time for a lot of things. I can wait a little longer."
He moved into the dim-lit cell, and Juushirou was aware of a sudden ripple across his senses as the scientist carefully and protectively lifted the precious sword, glancing at it and blowing the dust from the blade's surface before stepping back out into the light.
"Really, you ought to get this thing a sheath."
"It has one. I just left it behind." Juushirou said coldly. "There wasn't time to think about things like that."
And I wanted Hirata to have it, just in case…at least if he has it, he has the letter. And at least…Seimaru can't get his hands on that.
Keitarou eyed him thoughtfully, then nodded.
"I wanted to see, too, how you reacted to being down here." He continued, moving back towards the door of Juushirou's cage.
"How I…reacted?"
"Mm. Your changes in reiatsu since last night have been interesting to me. Tell me, Juushirou – are you familiar with a substance called Sekkiseki?"
"I don't think so." Juushirou looked blank, and Keitarou nodded again.
"As a common born boy, I'd expect that reply." He admitted. "Most ordinary prisons are built out of rough-hewn rock and stone, and I doubt you've crossed over the law enough times to be considered a candidate for one of them. But Clan prisons are different. Clan prisons often hold Clansmen with considerable spiritual ability. Some with the ability to use zanpakutou, even. So the prisons are built from Sekkiseki. As it happens, Sekkiseki used to be mined in District Seven, so this one is no different. It's a form of stone that dampens and consumes reiatsu. It forms a barrier around the prison, keeping outsiders from breaking in – and it dulls the spiritual abilities of those held within, to prevent them from breaking out. Useful, you might think…considering the number of times Clan fight Clan."
"I see." Juushirou's mind flitted back to the heaviness he'd felt since his arrival in the underground dungeon. "Then that's…"
"Only about ten percent of your strength is restricted here at the moment. Outside, however, it's far greater a barrier and hence nobody knows we're here except Seimaru-sama." Keitarou responded. "Prisoners would have been cuffed with Sekkiseki too – but I don't want to damage your abilities more than I must."
He narrowed his eyes, resting his hand against the cage door.
"I'll open this. I'll let you take your sword." He said softly. "But if you try to attack me, I will have to defend myself. I don't want to hurt you – I want quite the opposite, in fact. But I will…if necessary to protect Shikiki and I from danger. Besides, it would hurt her, too. She's hiding, but she's here, and she'd know, if you attacked me. If you don't want to confirm her fears about shinigami, you'd do best to do as you're told."
Juushirou bit his lip, then he sighed.
"And if I don't attack you? Where will you take me?"
"A short few steps down the hall into an old, disused torture chamber." Keitarou said cheerfully, and Juushirou froze, staring at him in dismay.
Keitarou tut-tutted.
"Disused, I said. It's empty. That was its former life. Now it simply is an open arena. A space with foundations strong enough and where I can set up a firm barrier if need be against the powers of your sword. It's an ideal place for measuring reiatsu changes and for understanding your ability from all angles. Unless you consider releasing your sword to be torture…there won't be anything to fear."
He pushed back the door, gesturing for Juushirou to step out into the hall. Juushirou hesitated for a moment, then he did as he was bidden, finding that even though the hallway was gloomy and dull, there was some relief in being able to step out of his prison cell.
As he did so, Keitarou held out his sword, and Juushirou took it, running his fingers along the blade as he reached out to make sure his zanpakutou's spirits were unharmed. The blade glimmered faintly for a moment, as if reacting to his familiar touch, and he sighed, relief flooding his body.
"Do you think I would hurt it? Don't be foolish. It's a very important scientific subject to me. I would treat it like gold." Keitarou's voice brought him back to himself, and he gazed at the scientist warily.
"Well? Where now?"
"This way. Follow me." Keitarou's fingers glittered with a faint bluish light and Juushirou's eyes widened as he recognised the familiar flare of a spell between his companion's fingers.
"Kidou again." He whispered. "Even though you say you're not a shinigami, you have a zanpakutou and you know kidou. What else can you do, Keitarou-san?"
"Plenty, but I'm not the one being investigated. You are." Keitarou said casually. "So follow me. The door is straight ahead…step inside and wait. You'll have plenty of space once you're there…and I want to understand the conflicting waves that come from that sword by seeing exactly what it does when released."
Juushirou frowned, but did as he was bidden, finding himself in a large, domed-ceiling chamber. It was rounded in shape, yet Juushirou did not think it was cut in a perfect circle, for along one wall were occasional indentations that marked further cage doors. It was a very clean room, yet this somehow added to Juushirou's unease of being there.
People were tortured here. Interrogated here. Probably put to death screaming and begging for mercy. In a place like this, I'm supposed to raise Sougyo no Kotowari. In a place like this…
"Well?" Keitarou leant up against the door frame, curiosity in his muddy eyes. "You told me you were a student, so I don't expect anything very advanced. That you can just release it – that is enough for me to see what your reiatsu's true nature is. Will you indulge me, Juushirou? I won't be frightened by it, I promise – release your sword and show me your weapon's real form."
Juushirou tightened his hand around the hilt of his weapon, reaching out tentatively to the swirling fish that flickered and splashed against his senses. They were there, he knew it, even though in this heavy, cloistered environment he knew their usual sharpness had been dulled by the Sekkiseki and the uncertainty of the situation. For the briefest of moments he considered refusing, then he remembered what Keitarou had said about District Eight and the threat of war. He sighed, then brought his left hand reluctantly over the weapon's hilt, summoning the threads of his spirit power together as best he could.
"Nami kotogotoku, wa ga tate to nare."
As he whispered the words, he felt waves flow through his body, and the sword began to divide from one normal katana into two distinct zanpakutou blades. As the soothing golden light bathed his whole body, he refocused his wits a second time, holding desperately onto the flaring spiritual energy as he forced the second part of his release into being.
"Ikazuchi kotogotoku, wa ga yaiba to nare. Sougyo..no…Kotowari!"
As he pulled the two blades clear of each other, glittering light still trailing off them, he raised his head to face Keitarou, whose expression had become thoughtful.
"Hadou no Yon. Byakurai." He murmured, flexing his finger forward, and Juushirou let out an exclamation, automatically bringing the weapons up to shield his body. As he did so, the lightning spell glanced off the silver edge of one blade, and Juushirou felt immediately alive with the surging electricity, pouring it forth as his zanpakutou instinctively prepared for its rebound attack. As the light seared from the zanpakutou, however, Keitarou raised his hands, murmuring the words to a spell Juushirou did not know.
The flare glanced harmlessly off a barrier and disintegrated, and Keitarou smiled, clapping his hands together in approval.
"Well. I wondered what would happen if I did that."
Juushirou drew a shaky breath into his lungs, then,
"Why…did you…fire at me? You said…you didn't…want to…hurt me?"
"I think what your zanpakutou did in response was far more damaging than a tiny bolt of byakurai." Keitarou was unrepentant. "You'll have to forgive the scientist in me for wanting to explore all the possibilities."
Juushirou glowered, and Keitarou laughed.
"No harm done, in the end." He pointed out. "Although…am I right in thinking that you can't control that technique just yet?"
Juushirou sighed, glancing down at his swords.
"I'm only a student. I told you." He murmured. "I'm not that much of a shinigami and I can't do anything clever."
"Splitting your sword in two is quite clever." Keitarou pointed out. "I had wondered…well, I was almost sure there were two distinct consciousnesses in the weapon when I held it just now. But I thought…I was being too optimistic. I've never heard of it before…to have it right here before me is…"
"Sensei said that it was unusual." Juushirou nodded. "But I don't think it's that special. I mean, just because nobody's had one before…there are a lot of people who might yet get swords and…I'm sure mine won't be the only one, in the end."
"You sound as if you already know of another." Keitarou said lightly, and Juushirou reddened, inwardly cursing his carelessness.
This man picks up on every faint inflection of a thought I have, let alone the words I actually speak. I have to be more careful. I don't need him developing interest in Shunsui, too.
He shook his head.
"I don't know of any other zanpakutou which are double blades." He said evenly. "That's the truth. The Council told me it was a first…and Sensei, too. I don't know of any other sword like mine – I just think that, eventually, there will probably be others. It only makes sense - there's no reason for me to be unique."
"Mm. I suppose that's true." Keitarou sighed, and Juushirou felt that his companion was disappointed. "Well. Even so, I have you. And what you've told me makes me even more certain that Seimaru must not get his hands on you. You are extremely important – even untrained, a technique of that level in such a basic sword release is…quite unexpected. Even though I had thought…"
He pursed his lips, moving across the room and clapping his hands down on Juushirou's shoulders, looking him square in the eyes.
"You're not in good health." He said bluntly, causing Juushirou to start and stare at him in consternation. "I realised it this morning, when I spoke to you before going to pander to the Endou council, but then I wasn't certain if it was just the shock and cold of last night's adventures. Now, though, I'm sure of it. Using your spirit power hurts you, doesn't it? It isn't simply a matter of Sekkiseki. You're reiryoku is too powerful for your body."
Juushirou's expression became sullen, and Keitarou sighed.
"Yes. I thought so." He murmured. "It's not my imagination. Your strength has a flaw. I tested it just now, by firing byakurai at your body. You acted instinctively and your blades protected you – but I felt that raw edge at the same time. If I was to push you further, Ukitake, what would happen? If I pushed you beyond your limits…would it be a fatal mistake?"
Juushirou stared at him, aware of the genuine concern in the other's eyes.
Is he worried about me, or about losing a scientific opportunity? Oh, I don't understand this man! I don't understand him at all!
Out loud he said,
"I was born with haibyou and I've always had it. You're right that my spiritual power is stronger than my body…but Sensei has been working with me and I've been learning, too, how to control it as best I can. It's better than it was…and I don't intend to let it kill me."
"Mm." Keitarou eyed him keenly. "Perhaps that fact – that obstinacy to live despite the obstacles – is why you are so strong. But yes, I suppose it explains the hurried manner in which you obtained this release – and also, the long command you have to free your blades from one another. To control that power in a feeble frame takes willpower – evidently it's willpower you have, which is an element clearly in your favour."
He grinned.
"I like it. I like it a lot." He admitted. "But seeing it has confirmed for me that you're useless in terms of reidoku. Even being near the chemical might be enough to cause a chain reaction – if your body is as delicate as I think it is. So one door closes and another opens – I will have to test that out on somebody else."
"Kei-nii?"
Shikiki's voice prevented Juushirou from answering, as both turned to the doorway, seeing the young girl watching them with an uncertain look in her aqua eyes. As her gaze rested on Juushirou's released sword, her eyes widened, and she bit her lip, taking a half step back.
"Kei-nii, I felt…I felt a storm coming." She whispered. "Only underground. How is that possible? That there's a storm underground?"
"This is your storm, Shikiki." Keitarou tapped Juushirou on the shoulder. "Your young companion here has been showing me his shinigami swords…that's all."
Shikiki looked apprehensive, and once again Juushirou felt his heart clench at her hesitation.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Shiki-chan." He said softly. "Not all shinigami hurt people. Just because some hurt you…I promise, that's not the kind of shinigami I intend to be."
The little girl did not respond, and Juushirou saw Keitarou's gaze become thoughtful, glancing from Juushirou to Shikiki and then back again. A faint smile touched his lips, and he nodded, crossing the barren floor to where the youngster stood.
"Stay and talk to him." He said softly. "I have to go and write down what I've learnt this evening, but it seems you two have things to discuss."
"But…Kei-nii…" Shikiki was clearly frightened, her protestations piercing through to Juushirou's heart, but the scientist simply patted her on the head, ushering her gently into the underground chamber.
"You are plenty strong enough to prevent any danger." He said softly. "Juushirou is a student. There's nothing he can do with that sword which could cause you harm – I believe that now I've seen it for myself. You are far better trained than he is – have faith in yourself. And in him – because I don't believe he intends you any harm."
With that he was gone, stepping into the darkness beyond, and Shikiki swallowed hard, staring at Juushirou as if she had just been put in a cell with a wild animal. For a moment Juushirou thought that she was going to bolt, then, with a soft shudder the door of the chamber slid shut, and the young student realised that Keitarou did not mean to make their conversation optional.
I've passed a test of some sort. I hate to think what. But whatever it is – he's no longer afraid to leave me with Shikiki. But should I be afraid to be with her? What did he mean, she's plenty strong enough? He seemed confident – but what could a child do? Does he trust in my reactions that much? Or does he know something I don't?
Aloud he said,
"Keitarou-san is right, you know. I don't hurt children. My sisters and brothers would never forgive me, if I did."
Shikiki did not attempt to move from her place by the door, simply gazing at him warily.
No, she was not gazing at him…she was gazing at his zanpakutou. With a jolt Juushirou remembered what the young girl had said. She had felt a storm…she had felt his swords release. She had known about the surge in spirit power and had even defined the element to which it somewhat belonged. She was afraid not of him, but of the silver weapons he still clutched in his hands. She could feel the power that radiated from them…and it was enough to terrify her.
Maybe the last zanpakutou release she saw resulted in someone she knew being killed.
Juushirou put the pieces together carefully in his head.
If she can feel it, no wonder she's afraid of it. It's just like me with Hollows…even now, I don't think there's anything I'm more afraid of than that. It's hard to overcome it – even if you know you have to to move forward. It's how you associate things – it'll take more than just my words to convince her that I'm not like any other shinigami who's ever caused her harm.
Before he could think of another way to reassure her, however, there was the heavy, groaning sound of aging metal being drawn back, and with a jolt Juushirou swung around, noticing that one of the cell doors that he had noticed on first entering was being forcibly pulled open. They had seemed dusty, unused and unecessary, yet as this one slid back, Juushirou realised that once more he had been taken for a fool.
The cells had seemed empty, because Keitarou had made them seem empty. But as the fleeting vapours of the sealing spell began to drift across the chamber, Juushirou found his senses engulfed by something else – something dark, raw and empty as a terrific screech filled the room. Shikiki let out a scream. Juushirou's heart almost froze in his chest as he saw first the shadow cast on the smooth chamber floor and then, little by little the deformed, misshapen creature to which it belonged, lumbering heavily and painfully forward into the faint kidou-powered light.
It was a Hollow.
Fear paralyzed Juushirou for a moment, then the next moment he was second-guessing himself, for although the creature was broken and warped, it still wore worn sandals on its feet, the torn flaps of a faded hakama flapping loosely against its bulging, bulbous legs. Its head was more than half consumed in a bubbling mass of white, yet Juushirou could still make out straggly dark hair that fell over what might once have been an ear, if it had not been forcibly warped to rest against the creature's chin. Its mouth was malformed and distorted, its huge lips overlapping sharp uneven teeth and its tongue protruded at intervals, thick with greenish saliva as it seemed to be scenting out its environment.
It was a Hollow, but not a Hollow. It was a person, but not a person. It was…inbetween.
Juushirou felt giddy as he realised this fact – that the monstrosity that swayed before them, clearly confused by the sudden release on its cage had once been as human as they were.
The beast let out another deafening howl, throwing back its head at an angle that to Juushirou should've been impossible, and he was sure he heard the sickening crack of breaking spine bones as the bubbling white mask seemed to spread across the individual's neck. Juushirou did not know if it had been male or female, originally. It was neither now – not one thing nor the other, yet in the middle of its chest, the flesh was decaying and blackening, and Juushirou knew that within a short space of time it would probably erode completely, forming a proper Hollow of violent, despair-ridden proportions.
Anxiety vibrated through his zanpakutou blades to him at this point, and he knew that In'you had felt it too. The creature's misery and confusion and despair. Was it in pain? Juushirou didn't know, but the distress in the creature's aura was stifling, and he felt the surge of reiatsu rise in his chest, only just managing to force back a coughing fit as hot blood seared through his lungs.
And then he had another realisation.
The creature was not heading for him. It wasn't even looking at him. Its beady, blood-red eyes had fixed on a smaller, easier prey – on the young girl that Keitarou had so easily left behind just bare moments earlier. With a roar, it thundered forwards, charging at Shikiki with intent, and the girl screamed again, scrambling to get out of its way as it lifted a heavy, swollen fist angrily in her direction.
The blow cracked and chipped the thick walls of the chamber, yet the creature did not seem to feel pain nor notice the blood that now coated its dislocated knuckles, merely swinging around for a second opportunity. Juushirou felt every signal in his body surging to protect the child, yet the heavy weight of the creature's suffering had struck his senses and he found he could not move his body. Instead he watched, helpless, as the beast swung for Shikiki a second time, and then, as a faint pink barrier flared up between them, surprise flooded the young shinigami's heart.
Shikiki…just fired that barrier?
As the creature's fist glanced off the barrier, it let out a roar, then redoubled its attempts, punching at the fragile pink wall with all its intent as if its entire life depended on it breaking through. And, as he stood there, Juushirou wondered whether or not it did.
Keitarou sent Shikiki in here, shut us in here, and then let this creature loose. Is this another part of his test? For me and for Shikiki? Is that how he works, after all? He wants to keep us alive, but if we get killed in the process, so be it? He really is crazy. He's completely crazy.
He forced a deep breath into his lungs, tightening his grip on Sougyo no Kotowari as he felt the hilts slip across his sweat-drenched palms. The Hollow-man's dense, frightened reiatsu had reminded him too much of the day his father had died, yet he forced himself away from it, focusing his attention instead on the young girl. As he did so, he registered something glittering against her curly hair, and he understood.
Keitarou-san left bait for the creature to follow. He intended it to attack Shikiki…in order to see what I would do about it.
Anger surged through him, followed by resolve.
Well. If that's how it is, I'll show him. I'll show them both. I'm not about to let a child get killed.
As this thought crossed his mind, he felt as though a spell had been lifted from him as his legs at last began to listen to his urgent commands. As a crack began to sear across Shikiki's barrier, he darted forwards, lifting his swords instinctively to use as shields against the Hollow-man's huge fists even as Shikiki fell to the ground, her magic shattering into fragments of pink light around her. She was crying now, tears of panic flooding her chubby features and this only added to Juushirou's determination. Despite the increasingly shallow nature of his breathing, he made himself a firm barrier between the monster and the child, forcing his fear back as best he could as he met those beady red eyes head on for the first time.
In that instant, he knew he had no choice.
In that instant, he knew he had to kill it.
His heart lurched as he recognised the reality of the situation. What stood before them was a Hollow, and as a shinigami – even a trainee one - he was sworn to protect Soul Society from Hollows. Yet it was still a person…a folorn ribbon wound into the long dark hair, the still-identifiable wood slats of peasant sandals, and the ripped sash hanging down from a once distinguishable waistline.
He swallowed hard, feeling momentarily sick at the idea.
But there's no way back. A Hollow is a Hollow. Even…if it's only just becoming a Hollow. Even if I don't…understand…it will kill us. If I don't…it will kill Shikiki and I both.
He took another deep breath to steady himself.
There's no other way out.
"Juu-nii! Juu-nii, look out!" A shriek from the young girl, followed by a hastily flared pink barrier made Juushirou realise he had let his guard down and that the beast had almost managed to land a hit against his fragile body. He gathered himself, shooting the child a grateful smile, then,
"Get back. Get back out of its way!" He ordered firmly. "I have to stop it, Shiki-chan. I have to kill it. And I don't think you want to see it…so…get back and cover your eyes. All right?"
"Kill…it?" Shikiki echoed, and Juushirou nodded.
"It's suffering." He said softly. "It's a Hollow, now. Too much of a Hollow to ever go back to what it was before."
Light glittered across Sougyo no Kotowari's blades, then,
"Shinigami aren't meant to kill people." He said thickly. "But we are…we are meant to…purify Hollows. So this is…part of that duty. I'm meant to protect you, Shikiki. Protect the living. Against…against the dead."
As he said the last line, he raised his right hand blade, bringing it down heavily and purposefully against the top of the creature's skull. As he felt the weapon slice through the outer mask and further, through the decaying tissue below, he could sense his own distress and resignation mirrored in his zanpakutou's swirling spirit.
As he brought the weapon down, down, down, there was a tremendous, earth-shattering shriek of pain and of helplessness. Then, as the creature's form began to fragment into shadow, Juushirou dropped to the ground, twin blades slipping with a clatter onto the cold, hard surface as a fit of violent coughing wracked his thin frame. Helpless to his body's protestations, he could only stare as the being disintegrated into nothing, proof positive in the end that it had truly been more Hollow than human.
"Juu-nii! Juu-nii!"
Shikiki was at his side the next minute, and as he drew air roughly into his ragged lungs, he felt her grip hold of his arm, staring up at him in anxiety and dismay. Tears still stained her cheeks, but the fear and apprehension was gone, and in his confusion Juushirou felt a faint glimmer of relief for this at least. She had seen him kill, yet she no longer feared him. Had they become allies then, in that moment? Had that been Keitarou's intention all along?
"Are you all right?" As a fresh round of coughing rippled through him, Shikiki tugged urgently on the boy's robes. "Juu-nii…Juu-nii, did that thing hurt you? Did it…?"
"I'm…I'm all right." With a super-human effort, Juushirou managed to stem the spasm, turning to cast her a pained smile. "Are you? I'm sorry…it wasn't nice…was it?"
"It was a monster. It had to die." Shikiki had not loosed her grip on Juushirou's arm, and the young District boy realised she was still shaking. "I've seen them before. In the village. They grab people an' eat them. Then the shinigami come…but you have to hide…because…the shinigami…"
"Attacked the people the Hollows attacked." Juushirou murmured, and Shikiki nodded. "Because in this District it's a crime to have spirit power if you're low-born. That's what happened to your parents, isn't it, Shikiki? They were hunted down because they had spirit power and attracted Hollows to chase them."
He sighed, drawing another painful breath into his lungs.
"It's not like that in my District." He whispered. "I didn't understand…because of that."
Shikiki glanced down at her hands.
"I'm sorry, Juu-nii." She said contritely. "I was scared because you were a shinigami. But…but…you saved me. My barrier broked up…it would've killed me. You stopped it, even though I was scared of you. An'…you hurt yourself, too. Because I was silly."
"It's not silly to be scared." Despite himself Juushirou grinned, reaching over to pat her on the head. As he did so, he was aware of faint spirit residue there, and he knew that his earlier suspicions had been correct. "We're all scared of something."
He rubbed his chest.
"I'm scared of Hollows. One killed my Father, and I've never forgotten." He admitted. "So you see, you weren't the only one frightened by that thing. I w…was f…frightened too."
"Really?" Shikiki stared at him, then she nodded, as if making up her mind.
"I'll help you." She said, and before Juushirou could react, she'd thrust her fat fists forward, spreading the palms of her hands across Juushirou's aching chest. The touch sent shockwaves of pain through his delicate system, yet before he could protest, a faint pink glow began to spread out from the young girl's skin, and little by little he felt the raw roughness in his chest subside. After a couple of minutes, she pulled her hands back, offering him a shy smile.
"I can't do very much, yet. Not with a whole person." She said apologetically. "An' your chest is all beat up an' bruised an' stuff. But I…I wanted to help a little. If I could."
Juushirou put a hand to his chest, staring at her in confusion.
"You have barrier magic. And you can…heal wounds?" He murmured. Shikiki shook her head.
"I'm not a healer." She said matter-of-factly. "Only Kei-nii says I have magic barriers an' they can fix broken things."
She looked sad.
"I can't fix whole people, though. I tried…to fix Dai-nii, but I couldn't find him and I couldn't make him alive again. So there are things I can't fix. But I promised Kei-nii I'd keep working hard. And I will. Because I want to be able to, next time. I want to be able to help Kei-nii if he's in trouble."
That's why Keitarou keeps you here.
Juushirou gazed at the little girl in wonder.
Because you have a talent he can exploit and utilise and because of it, he's good to you. I see now. I see why he considers you important to him.
Slowly he held out his hands.
"Are we friends now, then?" He asked gently, and Shikiki reddened, nodding her head.
"Yes. I'm sorry. I won't be scared of Juu-nii again." She said solemnly, grasping his fingers in hers, and again Juushirou was aware of the residual glittering magic against her skin. "I know he's a good shinigami, now. An' not the bad kind that kills people."
Juushirou's gaze flitted to where the broken scraps of sandal and cloth lay abandoned on the ground, and he bit his lip.
I wonder if that's true. I wonder if what I just took down was a Hollow…and if it was just a Hollow, why I still feel odd about it. Even if I know it was too far gone to be anything else…did it still have a human mind in there? Did it know, when I cut through it with Sougyo's blade? Did I purify it…or…did I simply…kill it? I really don't know.
"Is this your zanpakutou?" Shikiki shuffled across the floor, putting a tentative finger towards Sougyo no Kotowari's nearest blade. It glittered faintly in response to her touch, and she giggled, brushing her hand more firmly against the smooth surface.
"It's like it wants to say hello to me." She murmured. "Can it do that, Juu-nii? I never touched a zanpakutou before. But…I don't think it's a scary one. It feels…friendly. Like Juu-nii."
"Zanpakutou are supposed to come from a shinigami's soul, so I guess it would be like me." Juushirou grinned, reaching across to pick up the two discarded blades. For a moment he touched the cord that bound them together, then shrugged, carefully and firmly reforming the two into one simple katana once more. "But it's safer when its sleeping, like this. I don't think it would want to hurt you, Shikiki – but in zanpakutou terms, Sougyo is still a baby. So it can't always control everything it does – and nor can I. That's why you felt the storm before – we're both still learning a lot of things."
"Sougyo is its name?" Shikiki was curious, and Juushirou nodded.
"Sougyo no Kotowari." He agreed.
"What does it mean?"
"Justice of the Twin Fish." Juushirou explained. "My zanpakutou's spirits are fish, you see. A black fish and a white one."
Shikiki sighed, shaking her head.
"I don't know anything 'bout shinigami really." She murmured. "I jus' thought they were bad, because they always seemed to do bad stuff. But…"
"Every person is different, whether they're a shinigami or not." Juushirou told her gently, getting to his feet and hauling her up with him. "You have to decide for yourself each time you meet someone new whether you can trust them or not. That's all. And for the time being…we need to find a way to open the door."
"We can get out of here easily." Shikiki shook her head, grabbing Juushirou's hand and tugging on it. "The monster came in from outside, didn't it? If we go that way, then surely we'll get to being outside. And then…"
"Outside is dangerous for both of us." Juushirou shook his head, privately believing that the 'monster' had not done any such thing. "We're better off waiting here until Keitarou-san decides we've done enough talking for the time being."
"Probably Seimaru-sama's called him away again." Shikiki said heavily. "I don't like Seimaru-sama. I wish he'd leave Kei-nii alone."
"What did Seimaru do to you, Shiki-chan?" Juushirou asked gently, and Shikiki shook her head.
"Nothing. Kei-nii protected me." She admitted. "But he...has a bad aura. I don't like him at all."
"You and me both." Juushirou said categorically. "But then, at the moment, I'm not sure if I like Keitarou-san much more."
"Why not?" Shikiki was startled. "Kei-nii isn't like Seimaru-sama. Kei-nii is..."
"The one who shut us in here." Juushirou reminded her, and Shikiki nodded.
"Kei-nii wanted us to be friends." She reminded him. "I was being silly, so that's why. He didn't know the Hollow was going to come."
Again, Juushirou felt differently, but he could tell from the young girl's expression that he would not convince her otherwise.
He slid the bare bladed weapon into his obi to free up his hands as he made his way slowly towards the shut door. To his surprise, there was a slight dip cut into the stone, and, as he ran his fingers along it, the door shuddered and slid back to reveal the hallway beyond. For a moment he just stood there, staring at it in disbelief, then,
"There was a way out of here all the time."
"Well, there would be." Shikiki said sensibly. "People have to get in and out somehow. And we came in. So of course we can go out. Kei-nii said he isn't going to lock these doors any more because it's not dangerous for me to come play anywhere underground now. So obviously it wasn't locked shut. That'd be silly."
Juushirou frowned, slipping his fingers into Shikiki's chubby paw and stepping cautiously out into the dark corridor, his gaze flitting around him for any sign of his captor. Keitarou was nowhere to be seen, yet somehow Juushirou knew he was watching them and had probably observed everything that had happened in the domed chamber without making either of them aware of his presence.
No wonder he's managed to hide from the Council for so long, if he's that good at concealing himself.
"I see you two both had a productive conversation." As they stepped through the furthest door, into the open lab area, the scientist spoke, getting up from his seat behind a desk piled high with random sheets of paper covered in spidery black scrawl. "I'm glad. I hoped you'd be friends sooner rather than later."
"Kei-nii!" Shikiki loosed her grip on Juushirou's hand, darting forward towards her adoptive guardian. "Kei-nii, there was a Hollow, an' Juu-nii killed it, an'..."
"A Hollow?" Keitarou pursed his lips, then sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry. It seems that the old bolts on those cages have worn and rusted worse than I thought they had. I didn't intend you to get hurt - I trust you're both all right?"
His words seemed sincere, yet somehow Juushirou did not trust in them. He nodded.
"We're fine." He said flatly.
"Good." Keitarou smiled. "Shikiki, now you know that Ukitake isn't a danger, you should run along and eat your evening meal. I'd like to talk to our shinigami companion alone for a little while - do you mind?"
"Mm-mm." Shikiki shook her head. "I'll go now, Kei-nii."
And with a grin she skipped off in the direction he had indicated, disappearing into the darkness through a doorway Juushirou had not perceived to be there.
Once alone, he turned his attention back to the scientist, a quizzical look in his eyes.
"You set that up, didn't you?" He asked softly, and Keitarou smiled.
"I won't deny it." He agreed comfortably. "But you were never in real danger, Juushirou. There's no need to look angry - I had no choice but to act somehow. Time is short, and I wanted to break down the barrier between you and Shikiki and get her to trust you."
"Even though you were the one who first made her afraid of me?"
"I told you before, truth is as important a tool as deception." Keitarou pointed out evenly. "If I had lied, what then? She would have found out, feared you and stopped trusting me. Far better that she sees for herself what you are and that you don't intend to hurt her. She's a young child - such things are simple in her mind. Now she trusts you. Task completed."
"And that creature? That...whatever it was? What was that even doing here? What had you done to it...what..."
"Ah." Keitarou's expression became sad and Juushirou found it impossible to tell whether the man was lying or not. "That's a tragic tale. It's happened, you know, round these parts of late. District individuals like you with strong spirit power that they've had no training to handle properly. Some of them have been pushed to extremes by the actions of the Endou-ke - and the result is what you see. An overload, if you like...a breakdown in the barriers between normal spirituality and reckless attempts to grasp power to defend themselves. I have brought a few here, over the years. I had intended to use reidoku to stabilise them, but instead, so far, all died. That one was the last of the poor souls remaining here - reidoku, it seems, is not a cure for broken sanity."
"I'd heard it was the opposite." Juushirou muttered, and Keitarou nodded.
"I had hoped that the two would bounce off each other and create a shock reaction." He owned. "But as a scientist, even my hypotheses can be flawed."
"You could've seen both of us killed with one of those hypotheses."
"No. I had faith in your strength and in Shikiki's own." Keitarou shook his head. "And that you...were not the kind of person who would let her get hurt. I have your measure, and I was right. Also..."
He reached across to tap the hilt of Juushirou's sealed weapon.
"I think I've learnt a little about this. I can give you some advice, if you like...that may help you in the future."
"I don't trust you."
"No. You don't have to. Not yet." Keitarou shook his head. "But you should at least hear me out."
He smiled.
"What you do with the information is up to you. You'll lose nothing by simply hearing what I have to say."
"Fine." Juushirou sighed, suddenly too weary to put up any further argument. "I'll do that, but its as you said. I don't have to follow it - or anything you said. You might have my 'measure', but you can't use me as your puppet. So long as we're both clear on that..."
"Crystal clear, and I don't believe I've tried to keep it a secret." Keitarou shook his head. "I've been unwaveringly honest with you so far. Even if the truth hasn't been to your liking - I haven't deflected your questions with falsehoods. So you shouldn't be so quick to doubt me. I told you, didn't I? Truth is also a weapon."
"I've only your word for it that anything you've said is true." Juushirou reminded him. "You don't seem to have lied - but you've still worked for Seimaru for too long for me to think everything you say is honest. You've convinced Shiki-chan that you're a good person, yet you told me you weren't. One of us you've lied to...haven't you?"
"I see." Keitarou let out an amused chuckle. "Yes, I suppose so. I'm glad, you know, that you haven't proven to be slow witted. It does make things so much more interesting for me."
He rested his hands on the desk.
"As for the 'advice' I hoped to give you, you can do with it what you will." He added. "But did you ever stop to think about how your zanpakutou is formed in shikai release?"
"Formed?" Juushirou blinked. "You mean...two blades?"
"Your zanpakutou is one sword divided into two edged weapons." Keitarou said matter of factly. "The proof of their unification is obvious - even when released, they remain connected through the thin ribbon of energy that runs from one hilt to the other. It's just my hypothesis, of course, having seen you react to my kidou only once...but I wonder if you've taken that fully into consideration?"
Juushirou frowned, his brows knitting together as he processed this.
"The ribbon...between them?"
"And the links that run off it. Silver shards of your spirit power - you don't think they're simply there to be decorative, do you?"
"I..."
Juushirou faltered, and Keitarou grinned.
"When I fired byakurai at you, you blocked it quite naturally with one weapon." He said softly. "Not both of them, but simply one. It happened swiftly, but even so, I'm fairly sure that the sword that sent the flare back at me was not the same blade as the one my spell hit."
Juushirou's eyes widened, and Keitarou nodded.
"Whatever you did with my spell, you did not deflect it." He said softly. "You absorbed it, changed it, and fired it back. It happened at such speed you probably don't fully realise it yourself, but when the charge went from one weapon to the other, those silver links shifted and glittered for the briefest moment. And what you fired back at me was not byakurai. It had changed. It had been made yours."
He shrugged his shoulders.
"Think about that for a moment." He suggested. "You have trouble controlling this, at the moment. But to me it seems a matter of basic physics. You have to tinker with it and make adjustments until you can be sure of how and where your weapon is going to respond. And, perhaps, one sword is a shield, while the other..."
"Wa ga tate to nare." Despite himself, Juushirou glanced down at the sealed weapon, biting his lip. "So...if I was to...if the spell had glanced off the other sword...it would have just...deflected?"
"Possibly. Who knows?" Keitarou grinned. "I'd have to see your weapon released far, far more to build a sound theory as to its exact methodology. But its a good basis to start from. Your swords are not the same as each other, even if they look it. Finding out the extent of each sword's ability is part of your duty now."
"Mm." Juushirou pursed his lips, then, "Why are you telling me this? Why...does it even matter to you?"
"I told you. I seek your trust." Keitarou said lightly. "More, I hope that, with time, you'll come to see things more clearly in the way that I do. We're not the same in many ways and we come from different sides of the moral spectrum. But we do share one thing at least. Neither of us like to see our kinsfolk suffering. And both of us want to be able to protect those kinsfolk from persecution or fear. The Clans aren't interested in taking care of ordinary folk...the ordinary folk need to take care of their own. And if they can't..."
"If they can't?" Juushirou murmured, and Keitarou's grin widened.
"They need people like us - like you, like Shikiki, like me - to do it for them." He said quietly. "In order for everyone to be able to achieve according to their ability and not their bloodline, they need folk who will stand up for them. Don't you think so too? Isn't that why you chose to become a Shinigami?"
"Well, yes, but..."
"Think it over." Keitarou spread his hands. "For now, you're tired. I've tricked you and I'm sorry for it, but I don't have any further plans up my sleeve this evening. You should go back to your cell and rest."
"You're not going to lock me in?" Juushirou asked, and Keitarou shook his head.
"Now I know you won't hurt Shikiki, I don't need to. I have nothing here that I intend to keep secret from you." He said matter-of-factly. "In the end, I'll give you what time I can to acclimatise to this world."
"You still think I intend to stay here of my own accord?" Juushirou arched an eyebrow. "And what if someone comes to find me? What if...?"
"Juushirou." Keitarou shook his head, faint amusement in his muddy eyes. "You have to realise that there's no chance of that happening. Nobody is going to come to rescue you."
"I didn't say I needed rescuing." Juushirou retorted, and Keitarou laughed.
"Even so, nobody will come." He said softly. "Do you realise why it was that I spoke to you and made a gentleman's agreement with you over Eiraki-hime? I could've grabbed you and pulled you into the Senkaimon with the greatest of ease. I could've drugged you and taken you by force. But I did not. Do you know why that was?"
"I..." Juushirou frowned, and Keitarou eyed him pensively.
"I wanted you to choose to come with me." He said softly. "In your mind, you protected your friend's Clan. But in the end, your friends will see it differently. You left without a fight, without a warning, without anything. You abandoned them. Betrayed them. Came to me of your own accord. They will not look for you in this place. District Seven is a political noman's land for most Clansfolk. The risks are far too high."
"I don't see things how you do."
"No. Nor how they do. You're District. They're Clan. You'll never change that, or really understand." Keitarou told him evenly. "There's no sense in this argument. Nobody has come so far, have they? Nobody will. You exchanged Eiraki-hime's life for your own - and you agreed to work with me of your own free will. You even used your weapon without authorisation to take down a Hollowed civilian, despite not being a member of any Gotei squad. Those things are already betrayal, being that you know I work with Seimaru. You should hope they don't come for you, on those grounds."
He smiled, and there was something cold and unsettling in his smile.
"Because there's nobody there to shield us, before the Council of Elders." He added softly. "Nobody but ourselves, not while the world is as it is. Nobody to listen to us over those who wield political influence. It's time to let go of your idealistic fancies, Ukitake. This is reality. In this world, we're on our own."
It was already pitch black outside as the motley crew of Academy students scrambled out of the second floor window, ignoring the startled cries of house staff and retainers as they struggled to keep their focus on the tiny, spiritual butterfly that fluttered just out of their immediate reach.
"It just figures that it'd be a dark butterfly at night." It was Enishi who voiced the thoughts of all of them as they paused for a moment, trying to work out which way the insect had gone. "It makes it twice as hard to pinpoint where exactly it's heading."
"It's all right. I can still sense it." Shunsui said, holding up the glittering stone as he did so. "I think it's connected to this - either way, whatever that bug is, it's going that way. Towards the forest. Towards the place where Juu disappeared."
"Well, that makes sense." Ryuu observed astutely. "Being that the note said the butterfly would lead in the direction of..."
"But the only thing that's there is the Senkaimon, which we can't open." Sora cut across him impatiently. "Even Okaasama said it wasn't safe for her to try infiltrating - if she couldn't, how can any of us? Even if that is what happened, how are we supposed to do anything about it?"
"There must be a way." Hirata said quietly. "The message was sent to me. It's not an accident. There must be...something we haven't thought of yet."
"I'm still not sure what this thing I have is." Shunsui admitted. "But whatever it is, it's drawing me deeper and deeper into the forest. Even though I can't see the butterfly, I'm still certain that's where it's going. Sora's right - it is the Senkaimon it's heading for. I'm pretty sure. So...whatever this is..."
"Perhaps its a key." Mitsuki suggested hopefully. "A way to open the Senkaimon without a zanpakutou."
"Is there such a way to do that?" Ryuu looked doubtful. "In my Clan, I have never heard of such a thing."
"Well, to be fair, Ryuu-kun, we're not dealing with your Clan." Shunsui said grimly, his mind flitting once more to the conversations with Eiraki and Kibana about the shadowy Keitarou. "And whoever sent this probably knows a lot more about Senkaimon than the average Kuchiki."
"It's still glowing." Mitsuki murmured. "It's responding to you, isn't it, Kyouraku-kun? Since you touched it – it's reacting to your reiatsu!"
"I think so." Shunsui nodded. "Either way, it and the butterfly are both saying we go this way. So we go this way until something tells us otherwise."
"No kidding." As they reached the clearing, Enishi let out an exclamation, raising his hand to gesture towards the trees that stood ahead. Between them, glittering in the moonlight was the enigmatic butterfly, and beyond that, a gaping hole of darkness that glimmered and gleamed at the edges as if enticing them to step inside.
"But that's...that is the Senkaimon Okaasama opened." Sora took a tentative step towards it, reaching out her fingers to touch the distorting air. As she did so, bluish energy prickled across the gap and she let out a yelp, falling back onto the cold grass.
"Sora-chan!" Mitsuki was at her side immediately, and Sora grimaced, sucking her fingers.
"I think it's saying 'keep out'." She said ruefully. "Maybe it's hopeless after all. Okaasama said it wasn't safe for anyone to step into this Senkaimon without it being stabilised - for us it should be impossible."
"But the butterfly is here." Kai pointed out. "And Hirata's right. The letter was addressed to him. Not to someone with a zanpakutou or a Gotei rank."
"I wonder." Shunsui's eyes narrowed, glancing at the still glittering stone that prickled against the skin of his hand. "Just from what Mitsuki-chan said just now, let me try."
"Shunsui, be careful!" Sora warned. "It's like some kind of byakurai or something like that...it'll zap right through you."
"Doesn't seem that way to me." Shunsui thrust his hand forward into the dark opening, clasping the stone tightly between his fingers as he did so. "Nothing is stopping me. Not so long as..."
"You have that stone thingummy." Enishi's brows knitted together. "So Edogawa's right? It is a key."
"It seems to be." Shunsui withdrew his hand, eying it for a moment. "It's pricking at my reiatsu, just like Mitsuki said."
"Can I see it?" Ryuu asked, and Shunsui nodded, holding the stone out. As he released his grip on it, however, the Senkaimon opening began to waver and distort, and Ryuu let out a gasp, pushing the object back into the other boy's hand.
"Ryuu-kun?" Mitsuki eyed him in concern, and Ryuu looked grim.
"Like with Sora. It did not welcome another's touch." He said softly. "It appears that it prefers you, Kyouraku."
"Why would it?" Enishi was startled. "If the message was for Hirata…"
"I suppose I was the one who first picked it up." Shunsui turned it over in his hand pensively. "If it was sent to Hirata, probably whoever sent it imagined he'd be cloak and dagger and keep it to himself – if it's connected to the Endou-ke, logically people aren't going to think he'd start discussing it with the family of his Clan's arch-rival. So if its some kind of safety measure to make sure that nobody else gets access…probably it's tuned to the first person who touches it."
"So what do we do now?" Sora asked. "Even if you're right…"
"Seems clear enough for me." Shunsui shrugged. "If it's tuned to my reiatsu, I should be safe enough. If that's the case, I'm going in."
"Kyouraku, wait a minute!" Kai grabbed him by the arm, yanking him back as his classmate prepared to plunge into the black beyond. "You don't know what's in there. Even if the stone did unlock it, remember who it was probably meant for. You don't know if it's a trap or if you'll get killed the moment it closes. It might explode. It might implode. A hundred things might happen. We don't know enough about Senkaimon - we should go and get someone to help."
"Shihouin's right. This is beyond us." Ryuu nodded, causing the dark-skinned Clansman to stare at him in bewilderment. "We should go and summon Kyouki-sama before we think of taking a step."
"Okaasama's left here already, but Oniisama hasn't." Sora nodded her head quickly. "Ryuusei-nii is strong with his zanpakutou - I'm sure that..."
"No. There isn't time." Shunsui's gaze flitted to the butterfly, noting the faint shredding at the edges of its wings. "I can't explain it but...we don't have time to hang around here. That creature - whatever summoned it, its lifespan is limited. In the study, its wings were perfect, but now...they look like they're beginning to age. It was trapped in that box, and we don't know how long before it disappears completely."
"We don't even know what it is, though." Enishi pointed out. "Why a butterfly? Where did it come from? What the hell has an insect to do with Ukitake's disappearance?"
"I can't explain it, but it feels like everything." Shunsui murmured. "It's weird but...even though that...thing doesn't seem to be thinking, it feels as though it knows where Juushirou is. Or at the very least, it knows something we don't. And more than that I can't explain, but...when I put my hand into the black just then...I got the feeling that someone else had been there before us."
He paused, then,
"I'm sure it was Juu's reiatsu. I'm sure that he stepped through here. And if he did...then I'm going to as well."
"Kyouraku!" Kai protested, but Shunsui grimaced, shaking himself free from the Shihouin's grasp.
"If I'd been awake last night, I might've not been able to do anything." He said heavily. "But I might've. And either way, this is my family's estate. Protecting Juu is part of my duty, too. I promised Nii-sama, Nii-sama promised Kyouki-sama. Juushirou's safety is important...and this...somehow...I have to go."
He held up the stone.
"I shouldn't have touched it, but I did, and now I've got to see it through." He added simply. "If I don't, whatever happens is my fault for not doing anything. I promised I'd stop prevaricating and start acting on things. Seibara said she'd challenge me…I'm taking this as the first challenge."
"Sei…bara?" Sora stared at him blankly, and Shunsui shook his head.
"Nothing. Not now." He replied. "But you won't change my mind. I'm going to do what the note said. Follow the butterfly and find Juu."
"I'm coming with you." Hirata said softly, and Shunsui stared at him.
"Hirata, we've already seen that I'm the only one who can even put a finger into that opening!"
"I don't care. I'm still coming." Hirata's eyes narrowed. "I told you earlier, didn't I? It's time I go back and sort things out, too. I'm going to do it."
"Not a chance." Kai said firmly, but Hirata shook his head.
"It was sent to me. The message." He said quietly. "Kai-kun, take Aitori's letter and give it to Tokutarou-sama when he returns to the manor. Tell him everything. Absolutely everything. I put my Clan in your hands. Tell him…tell him also to ask Eiraki-chan about Minazake. I can't explain here but…tell him anyway, that he needs to know about Minazake Roukei."
"Minazake...?" Kai frowned, and Mitsuki bit her lip.
"Eiraki-chan's fiance?" She murmured. "But…why? I don't…"
"Just do it." Shunsui said matter of factly. "Hirata's right. It may be important – tell Nii-sama that and let him do with it what he will. Saying any more is dangerous…but…tell him especially…to ask Eiraki-chan about his name. About the man she calls…Kei-sama."
"Hirata should be there, then, if it involves his family." Ryuu suggested, and Hirata shook his head a second time.
"Maybe I should be, but that would be running away again, so I won't." He replied. "I've made up my mind - I'm going with Kyouraku-kun."
"It might not let you enter any more than it let me." Sora warned.
"The message was sent to me." Hirata reminded her. "There'd be no point in it at all, if I didn't take the bait."
He cast Shunsui a glance, and Shunsui could see the apprehension and fear in his eyes. Slowly he nodded, holding his free hand out to the younger boy.
"Hold on." He said grimly. "Don't let go, whatever you do. If we go in there as one entity, then maybe it'll be enough. It's all I can think of – but you're right. You should come too. And if the people at the other end really want you to…well, I can't see that they'd try to keep you out. Sora and Ryuu aren't connected to this, but if this is Endou-ke related, you are. It would be foolish for you to be kept out, if you're the one they're enticing in the first place."
"It might be dangerous." Mitsuki whispered, taking a hesitant step towards the murky opening. "Kyouraku-kun…maybe…"
"We're not all going to go, so take that look off your face now." Shunsui told her firmly, shaking his head. "I have the key-stone. Hirata's as much as I can try and sneak past the barrier, and chances are the forcefield will let him pass. It doesn't want anyone else. It doesn't really want me. So the two of us are going – and the rest of you will just have to report to my brother and see about things here instead."
Kai sighed, sliding the letter into his obi.
"You shouldn't be going into the unknown unarmed." He reflected. "And the Kyouraku dagger is still on the desk in Tokutarou-sama's study. If you're going to be foolhardy, Kyouraku, at least…take this with you."
He fumbled at his belt, pulling free his Shihouin weapon and reaching across to slide the sheathed blade into Shunsui's sash.
"Misashi-sama is my ally and Hirata too." He explained, as Shunsui stared at him in surprise. "It's only a wakizashi, not a full katana – but at least you won't be going in with nothing. You're better with a weapon than Hirata is – so it's better you have it than him."
"Kai…" Shunsui was momentarily taken aback, then he grinned. "Thank you. I appreciate it. And you know, I don't think it's long before my brother and your sister are officially allied too – I'll take pride in carrying it with me."
"Make sure you come back alive so you can give it back." Kai instructed, though there was a serious note behind his light tone. "Neesama had it crafted for me just last winter as the heir to the Shihouin-ke and she won't be pleased if anything happens to it in the meantime. It's an important thing, for a Shihouin heir to carry their blade as well as their honour with them – so keep it in mind, huh?"
"You have my word." Shunsui bowed his head solemnly. "It and I will come back in one piece. Hirata too."
Kai pursed his lips.
"Then I'll take the letter and do as Hirata instructed me." He said, resignation in his gaze. "Edogawa, step back from the gate. It won't let you pass, even though you want to find Ukitake as much or more as the rest of us. It's a now or never decision…we can only do what we can do here and let them go…even if it is dangerous."
"Yes." Hirata was silent for a moment, then he reached out, tentatively grasping Shunsui's hand in his own small fingers. He nodded resolutely, and Shunsui it was more to rally his own spirits than anything else.
"Well?" The younger boy murmured. "Let's go get Ukitake-kun back."
So someone had fallen for his bait in the end.
Keitarou stood in the clearing across from the abandoned village, his expression thoughtful as he deciphered the faint traces of spiritual energy on the midnight breeze.
Well. So perhaps you were right, Ukitake Juushirou. Or more likely, I am. That letter's secrecy is important to you - and to those who you were protecting. It seems that Seimaru will be happy, then - since his target is determined to drop right into my open trap. However...
He brushed his fingers against the hilt of his zanpakutou, then shook his head slightly, lifting the weapon and slicing it cleanly across the air. For a moment the atmosphere wavered and shook, then fine cracks began to appear in the air in front of him. With a second sweep of his sword, he split the door's exit point into shreds of spiritual energy, his palm glittering with a powerful sealing spell as he allowed flickers of binding kidou to loop themselves around the Senkaimon's village exit.
I need a little more time, first. Time to work with Juushirou. Time to work with Shikiki. Time to convince him that he's truly been abandoned here and break down that idealism of his enough to make everything worthwhile. So forgive me, if I distort your path onto another and make your journey longer. For the time being, I don't want you here. Until you appear here, Hirata-sama - Ukitake Juushirou is mine to do with as I see fit. So I'll buy a couple more days time. Seimaru will not expect you to appear yet...
A faint smile touched his lips as he slowly lowered his tantou knife.
Besides, that may suit you too. To arrive in District Seven yet out of your cousin's watchful attention - it might work best for you too, that way. I don't care, in the end, who holds the Endou-ke. That part of my interest has expired - all that remains is the final reidoku test and that can happen any time. No. Right now I have something more important. Much, much more important.
His eyes became near slits, and Chudokuga glittered eerily in the moonlight night.
I need a little more time to develop them. My weapons of Clan revenge.
Author's Note
Yes, the Ulquiorra/Orihime foreshadowing regarding Juu's choice to come to District Seven was deliberate ;) We don't know if that was all Ulquiorra's own decision or whether Aizen played a part in the creation of the scheme - but it seems like something one of his kinsfolk would think of doing, don't you think??