Chapter Fourteen: Gold Eyed Assassin
There was a wild wind blowing across the moors of the District. Alone as he watched the sun setting, the figure gazed out across the horizon, a thoughtful, troubled expression on his face. His eyes, normally alive with light and energy remained clouded and dull, and for some time he did not move.
Then he turned, cape flapping around his body as he made his way slowly back down towards the main estate.
"Senaya-sama! Senaya-sama!" As he stepped through the doors, retainers hurried to greet him, falling over themselves to claim his cloak and to welcome him back to the manor. He eyed them with a tired, almost resigned smile, then with a flick of his fingers dismissed them, heading instead down the hallway towards the archive.
Even from that distance, he was aware of raised voices, and he sighed, rubbing his temples as his head began to ache. Still, he could not put it off any longer, and so he marched purposefully forwards, hesitating only for the briefest of instants before throwing back the door to confront the ones within.
As the door slid back, though, it was not Guren and Seiren who were arguing, but Shirogane and Seiren, the hilt of the shinigami's magnetic blade glittering in the light of the kidou lamps. In that moment Ryuu knew that it was not Senaya whose eyes he was looking through but his own, and that the illusion of imprisonment was surrounding him and not his long dead ancestor.
At his abrupt entry, both turned, speaking as one person as they hurried towards him, Seiren grabbing at his arms and Shirogane staring at him with a pleading, desperate look in his dark eyes.
"Ryuu, you know that this is the only path you can take."
Seiren's voice echoed somehow through his mind, yet the Seiren that stood before him did not speak, his eyes dark and his expression set. On the table near where the two had been quarrelling, a book lay open, its pages turning in the evening breeze, and Ryuu knew with a jolt that it was Senaya's nikki, several pages blowing loose and scattering around the archive like leaves falling from the trees. In that instant he had the sudden feeling someone was watching him, and he turned, trying to pull free from Seiren's grip as he met the gaze of a shadowy apparition, there for a brief second but then gone the next. Ryuu had seen it, though, and had read the reproachful look in his grey eyes.
"You're already fighting over what was mine." The voice was unmistakeable, though the spectre was no longer there and Ryuu could feel Seiren's grip tightening around him as Shirogane and the archive seemed further and further away.
"Ribari-sama." Ryuu murmured the words, struggling hard against his father's hold, but Seiren was determined and as more pages from the nikki scattered around the room, Ryuu was afraid they would both be smothered by it - overcome by the secrets that his grandfather had tried to take to his grave.
Ryuu's eyes snapped open, and he drew a desperate, hoarse breath into his lungs as he realised that he had been dreaming. His body was damp with sweat and his blankets were tangled around him, indicating that even in his sleep he had been fighting against his father's restraints. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly as he tried to bring the threads of his composure back together, but even though he knew that the images had not been real, his heart was pounding fit to burst and in the end he pushed his blankets back, getting to his feet and padding across towards the window of his chamber.
It was still dark, he noted, but the first faint rays of light were beginning to touch the horizon, and therefore it would soon be dawn. It was cowardly, he realised, but that faint glimmer of the sun's rays brought him comfort and he rested his hands on the sill, remembering absently how, as a child, he had been frightened of the night, convinced that the shadows were coming to swallow him up. It had been a silly story told to him by his mischievous and sometimes malicious second sister Kinka after they had had a squabble over some insignificant matter, but Ryuu had been only three or four at the time, and had taken the words to heart. A faint, humourless smile twitched at his lips as he remembered the trouble his nurses had had for the following few weeks, trying everything they knew to get him to go to bed without angering Seiren and his wife over the treatment of their precious only son.
I was spoiled more than I knew, wasn't I - spoiled in many respects, one might say.
He sighed, resting his chin in his hands as his gaze traced the faint outline of the landscape he had seen in his dream. It lay to the west of the Kuchiki manor, on the opposite side of the estate to the thick forestland where Ribari had been cut down, and even as a child Ryuu had rarely gone there, for there had always been rumours that ghosts walked the moor at night. Or had that been another of Kinka's stories? Ryuu wasn't sure, but in this faint light he could almost believe that lost souls stalked the moorland, unable to find their place of rest.
Of course, there are no ghosts in Soul Society. My studies have taught me that such a thing is an impossibility, given the spiritual make up of this world.
Ryuu pursed his lips at this.
But even in the face of such absolute evidence, it is sometimes impossible to school the brain into understanding.
He rubbed his temples, considering again his dream.
I must only endure this for twenty four hours more. Tomorrow I will leave here by the most direct route possible and then Mitsuki and I will be back in District One, a world away from this place and it's smothering chains of office. Today there are no official memorials - that is over, and Ribari-sama's soul has been appeased. Therefore today I can prepare myself for tomorrow...and it cannot come soon enough. If I am even beginning to dream about such things...truly I have been close to this chaos for far too long. Tomorrow discussions about the succession will also no doubt begin - and I wish to be as far from here as possible when that subject arises officially.
He turned back towards his room, leaning up against the cool panelled wall as gradually light began to trickle into the finely appointed chamber. It was not as fine as his room back at his own family's estate, yet it was well appointed and spacious, everything that might be expected by a Second degree member of the Kuchiki Clan on visiting the main manor. But to Ryuu in that moment it seemed nothing more than a gilded cage...and more than anything he longed to throw caution to the winds and flee its confines once and for all.
That is not like me.
Ryuu's eyes narrowed as he interpreted this thought.
To want to behave so recklessly...was it the dream's fault? Was it Senaya-sama I dreamt of, or really just myself, not sure of where my position should be? Did Senaya-sama ever have that feeling in his heart when faced with the conflict of people that he loved?
He sighed, sinking down onto his bed and burying his head in his hands.
Maybe Senpai's theories are starting to bother me too. Saying things that go against what I understood to be true. Senaya-sama was murdered - or did he engineer that murder in order to secure the future of this Clan? And then the nikki - were those pages really torn from it? I wish I had taken them with me, because then at least they would be in my control and I could have burnt them to destroy such evidence from ever falling into enemy hands. Now they must be in someone else's possession - and it worries me about whose. Who else knows what those pages contain? Does even Guren-sama? Or...no, I don't believe he does. Surely, he does not. Yet even so...
He froze, a sudden thought crossing his mind as he remembered what had been written in those short but explosive passages.
Senaya-sama is dead. His secrets died with him. But Kinnya-sama remains alive. Kinnya-sama, Senaya-sama's own brother...of all people. The way Senpai spoke of him is quite a different person from the hermit who exiles himself and does not even come here to pay respects to Guren-sama's lost heir. His name was mentioned on that sheet - I'm sure it was. Though I don't remember clearly how, because I passed over the difficult kanji. Its significance didn't mean much to me then - but after talking to Senpai, perhaps it should. Perhaps...Kinnya-sama did know about it. Could he not have known, if he was so involved in Senaya-sama's government as all that? Was he removed from the records on his request, or Senaya-sama's whim - was it because of something he knew? But in that case...why did he exile himself? If not for Raiko-dono's sake...why?
He got to his feet, hurriedly grabbing his Clan mourning robes from where they had been neatly folded by a maid-servant and beginning to dress with urgency, his mind racing as he considered the implications of that thought.
I have been foolish not to consider this already. Senpai as much as said that Kinnya-sama was Senaya-sama's younger brother, and I do remember having read in the archives and throughout my studies as a boy that as Father is Guren-sama's right hand man, so Kinnya-sama was Senaya-sama's. Does that also mean Kinnya-sama knows why Senaya-sama died? Perhaps he would, but I don't think I dare raise such a subject, not when things are like this. Yet the pages from the diary - the more I think on it, the more sure I am that Kinnya-sama's name was mentioned in those lines. Was that coincidence? Did he not know anything at all? Or did he know everything...
He paused, his fingers tightening around the fabric of his hakamashita as a fresh idea assailed him.
Was that really why Raiko-sama was only exiled and not killed when Senaya-sama removed her from the Clan? Was it because of what Kinnya-sama knew - did they strike some kind of deal? Father has been writing to people about me, I know that. But no reply has yet come from Kinnya-sama's manor, not so far as I know. Is it just that he no longer cares about the running of the Clan? Or is there...something...else?
He fastened his obi, checking his reflection briefly in the long mirror and pulling his dark hair back into a tail behind his head. He looked presentable, and that was enough.
Today is the last chance I have to find anything out about that, before I go back to the Academy. Perhaps I won't find it out, but if I don't at least try, then...
The sun was almost fully risen now, and Ryuu flung back his door, almost colliding with a young maid who let out a shriek of alarm at his sudden appearance, scuttling away down the hall before he could raise his voice to call her back.
Skittish girl - but who can blame her, given that the family too are skittish?
Ryuu shut his door firmly, the maid soon forgotten as he hurried down the hallway towards the main stairs. Shirogane's words about the servants' stairs flitted briefly through his thoughts, but at that time the manor was fairly empty and so he met none of his kinsfolk en route, a fact for which he found himself quite relieved. He did not want to explain his behaviour to anyone - most specifically, he did not want his Father or sisters to know where he intended on going.
"Ryuu-sama!" As he reached the stables, he was greeted by a startled groom, who set aside his brush, bowing his head hurriedly to acknowledge the Clansman. "You've risen early - is there something you need from us?"
"A horse, and quickly." Ryuu said frankly. "I have a place I need to ride to - and it won't wait, because I return to District One tomorrow."
"A...horse? A place to ride to?" The groom looked surprised, and Ryuu nodded.
"It's vital that I do so." He agreed briskly. "Please, have a horse ready as soon as you can - I mustn't waste time unecessarily."
"Yes, sir." The groom bowed his head, then raised his voice to a nearby stable-hand who scuttled off to carry out the instructions.
"One other thing." Ryuu rested his hand briefly on the groom's arm, then, "It isn't necessary to trouble anyone with my journey this morning. Do you understand? I have no intention of causing any distress and my actions might seem unusual, even to my kinsfolk. Therefore the easiest thing to do is not to tell them. In particular I do not want you to reveal this to my Father. He has far too much already to deal with without concerning himself with my other activities."
"Sir?" The groom was dumbstruck, and Ryuu offered him a faint smile.
"You may consider that an official order." He said softly. "You are to say nothing to anyone about my errand here this morning. I will return as quickly as I can, and with luck nobody will even notice I have gone. But my trip is nothing to do with my kinsfolk and I do not want it misconstrued. I am merely taking some time to view the land hereabouts - a last time before I travel back to the Academy tomorrow."
"I see." The groom was still bemused, but he nodded his head. "If that's your order, Ryuu-sama, then it's understood. Please, ride safely - are you sure you want no escort?"
"No...an escort would hamper me." Ryuu shook his head. "This is something I must do alone. You need not fear for my safety."
He patted the sword at his waist.
"I have Shizurugi and I am able to use it if need be." He added. "I shall return quite safely. Please do not worry. I will be well."
Providing I can reach Kinnya-sama's manor and beg an audience with him, then perhaps all might be.
"Yes, sir." The groom bowed respectfully, even as the stable-hand returned, leading a tacked and prancing horse into the main courtyard. Ryuu nodded his head in acknowledgement of the man's promise, then crossed the cobbles towards the beast, which tossed its head, bright eyed with excitement at the thought of an early morning ride.
As he placed his hand against the horse's warm neck, Ryuu found he knew how the animal felt.
Both of us tense with anticipation and desperate to be off.
Deftly he mounted his steed, adjusting his grip on the reins and glancing down once more at the stable staff.
"Remember, not a word to anyone." He reminded them. "You have no knowledge of my being here this morning - I will tolerate no other understanding of my orders."
"Yes, sir." The groom agreed, and Ryuu nodded, pressing his toes gently to the horse's flanks and the creature stirred into life, tossing its head slightly before taking off across the courtyard towards the main gateway and the path that led from the Kuchiki estate out towards the rural villages and clusters of towns that led to the agrarian coastal region of District Six.
Kinnya-sama is Ukitake's grandfather, and entangling myself in that business is a dangerous thing indeed. Things I should not know about I have been made aware of - and of late those things have only multiplied. It may be that he won't see me - or if he does, he may not speak to me of what I wish to know. But if at the very least I can ensure he speaks of it to nobody else. If I can accomplish that...this journey will not be in vain.
His eyes darkened once more.
I just hope with all that's going on, I can return before I am missed. I am uneasy - because of the dream or because of all of this I am not sure. But I sense a bad omen in all of this...I just hope it is going to be all right.
That was interesting.
Nanaki peered cautiously around the wall of the manor building, her gaze drifting towards the stables where the unmistakeable sound of horses hooves was diminishing into the distance. Though she had not dared reveal her presence enough to see clearly who had been on the horse, she felt fairly certain she already knew the answer. It was the bocchan - the one she had seen in the library, who had looked right at her and yet had not seen anything of note, and who had hurried from his chamber without warning this morning, paying her not a single bit of attention as they had passed in the corridor.
Almost as if he has other things on his mind.
She leant back against the wall, contemplating this carefully to herself.
Maybe Seiren-dono received my letter and showed it to his son. I'm getting a good feel for how things work in this disgusting pit of noble privelege and it wouldn't surprise me one little bit. Especially given what Ryuu-dono was looking at in the archive - and now he's disappeared without warning from the manor. Very interesting. I wonder if Guren-sama is aware of any of this.
She let out a heavy sigh.
Working here is such a pain. I'm not used to it, even after this many weeks. All I see are things that make my blood cold - people who have no idea of manners except when talking to someone of rank, and a sense of falseness pervading everything. Perhaps I'm not what I seem, either - but it almost seems as though the people here are concealing more than I am. How did I ever stand such a stifling existence? I can't even imagine it, not any more. That I was ever not able to breathe. The sooner this world is brought down the better - even for these people, it would be better. If their family is built up on so many lies for the sake of appearances...it would be better to bring the whole facade crashing down now.
The stable staff had begun to disperse now, back to their usual posts as they prepared for a new day. Nanaki knew the routine by this time, for she had seen the messengers arrive on a daily basis just past dawn, bearing important correspondence for the Council or for other parts of District Six. Late morning would often bring the returning riders on fresh horses, conveying urgent replies that were hurried to Guren's direct attention, and so the Kuchiki kept in close touch with events across the rest of Seireitei. When Ribari had died, it had been navy-clad messengers which had taken the news to the provincial landholders to announce the tragedy and Nanaki had watched with some detachment as little by little Kuchiki from all across Sixth had ridden to the main estate to pay their respects.
A flood of swarming insects in robes of death.
Disdain flickered across her features.
Because they saw one boy lying in state, there's all this fuss. That one life which is worth more to them than so many others - what would they say if they knew how easy that one life was to steal away? He was just as vulnerable as any of the common folk who starve or are hunted by Clansfolk into destitution. I've seen it with my own eyes - while these people gather here, doubtless there are others dying in other places without even a second thought from the Kuchiki.
She glanced down at the sleeves of her serving robes.
Just as I am invisible to the noble blooded when robed this way. To the Clans, the Districts are simply something to govern and lord over, not something to care for or aid. Our reasons for being here are just...I see the proof of it every day. To be able to breathe...this is the only path to take. Even if it's dangerous.
She put a hand to her chest, feeling the hard metal of the pendant just beneath the thin fabric. She had not asked more questions about how Masaki had obtained the item, though deep down she knew that she had not wanted to discuss his methods in any detail. Whether the girl who had possessed it was dead or not did not concern her - maybe she was, maybe she was not, and only Masaki knew that for sure. But what methods and wiles had been used to win her trust...Nanaki frowned, shaking her head as if to clear it.
Not even for the sake of this cause...I don't believe he would touch another woman in any way. He can talk to her all he likes - use his wit and intelligence to win her over. But he knows...that he has obligations. And that...I wouldn't like it...if he did anything like that. But I...I trust him. Even though he's been away so long as this. I trust him. He would not betray me. We've been through too much now - he would not.
A sudden commotion from the stables drove any further gloomy thoughts from her mind and at the sound of a yell followed by the clashing of metal, she stiffened, hurriedly resuming her position as she cast her gaze once more towards the place where the best of the Kuchiki steeds were kept. Where two or three stablehands had been quietly going about their duties with the minimum of fuss, there was now a hustle of confusion, with one man sprawled across the cobbles, a slick pool of red liquid trickling between the cracks and grooves into a sizeable puddle. Nanaki could tell that he was dead, even as his companions swarmed forward to protect him, and as her gaze fell on the black-clad assailant, she frowned, feeling faintly revulsed by the cold emptiness in his bright golden eyes.
Maybe they'll catch him, or kill him, or both this time. I can only hope.
"What the hell are you doing!" The chief groom who had spoken to Ryuu just a short time earlier darted forward, wielding a pitchfork in the direction of the black-clad assassin, who merely stared at him, apparently unphased by this sudden show of aggression. "Get back inside, lads - someone go summon the guardsfolk! We've got an intruder - and he's not going to be easily tamed down!"
Guards...
Nanaki's brow wrinkled.
Well, if they come, so be it. I said I'd watch...so I could report back. I never said anything about helping him escape. Not this time. The sooner he's no longer part of things the better - if they take him, oh well.
"Taibashu!" One of the younger men's sudden yell brought Nanaki back to the situation at hand, and her eyes widened as she realised the black-clad assailant had grabbed hold of the pitchfork, giving it a hefty shake. The head groom was a stocky, well-built man but his years told against him, and the young killer seemed unphased by the man's weight, for he flung him down against the ground with some force, tossing the weapon aside as he advanced on his prey. Three darts of light followed, and Nanaki realised with a jolt that they had been blades concealed in the dark of the assailant's attire. The groom let out a groan, clutching at his stomach, and Nanaki bit her lip as the black-clad figure turned his attention back towards the three remaining stable hands. They were all young, one her age and one probably younger, and they backed away in fear as the assassin drew a katana from the ebony sheath at his waist, twisting it and then drilling it forwards towards the tallest of the three. Though they outnumbered him, it was clear that the stablehands had little if any military training, and with a few short, determined sweeps of the dark-metal weapon it was over, the boys tumbling forwards as their life blood was slashed from their bodies.
As they fell, Nanaki felt a curious sense of regret well up inside of her and she clenched her fists, forcing it down.
They might be innocent in this, but there have to be some sacrifices. They're martyrs, perhaps. It's not pleasant to accept, but in any war there are always innocent dead. Isn't that what he said? That in order for the many to prosper, there will always be a few to fall...and now what's that idiot doing?
She frowned, watching the assassin walk between his victims slowly, his black clothing splashed and soaked with the spray of blood as he poked at each one with the end of his katana. It was almost as though he was testing them for signs of life, and as one of the young boys let out a whimper, Nanaki thought she saw a flicker of something cold and hard dart through the golden eyes, followed by a swift sweep of the weapon across the child's jugular. Fresh blood gushed from the wound, and the boy's body jerked and then lay still, his eyes rolling back into his head.
Nanaki found herself feeling distinctly nauseous as the black-clad figure drew his weapon ruthlessly through the throats of the other men, stepping through the pooling blood as though he was not even aware that it was there. There was no finesse to his attacks, simply a base brutality driving each swing, yet he moved with a calm resolution that made it seem as though he was completely detached from what he had just done.
Nanaki shivered, biting her lip.
He's such an animal. No wonder I don't like spending time alone with him - even if I know he would never do that to me. If he even tried to touch me...I know what would befall him, though there's no telling whetherhe'd even understand.
The sound of footsteps on the cobbles made the assassin suddenly pause, raising his gaze and for a brief moment his and Nanaki's eyes met. Then he thrust his weapon roughly back through the loop on his belt and into its sheath, launching himself up onto the roof of the stable house and away into the trees beyond.
Stupid fool.
Nanaki buried her head in her hands.
He was supposed to attack people and be seen. Not kill them and escape. Is he really under our control? He hasn't left a single witness - just a whole lot of blood and mess that some poor fool will have to mop up. Will the Kuchiki even care that this has happened? I doubt it. Nobody important was killed. But it's time I got away from here. I can't be placed as a witness to any of this - even if they don't suspect me at present, my situation would soon unravel if people pried too deeply.
As guardsmen flooded into the yard, Nanaki slipped back into the manor buildings, up the back stairs and into the servants' quarters where she paused, letting out her breath in a rush.
I'll have to report this as a failure. I can't imagine this is what he intended you to do, you stupid idiot. And to think we still feed you.
"Nanaki? Ah, you are here." At that moment one of the senior maidservants pushed back the door, and Nanaki slipped immediately into character, bowing her head towards her companion. "Good - they need an extra hand on the third floor with the guest chambers. Hurry along and see to it, will you? Miouko-sama is not a patient woman and I don't want another earful."
"Yes, ma'am." Nanaki bobbed her head again, then scurried off to obey the order.
I'll try and see what the aftermath of this is. That the bocchan left the estate right before the attack happened might be useful, even though we didn't plan for it. Maybe there is still something to be salvaged from all of this. I'll talk to him, when I get back later. And try and work out exactly how we're supposed to move forwards. The suspicions still haven't been cast because he left no living witnesses. Which may mean...
Her fingers brushed against the hidden pendant again,
That it will all be up to me.
The taint of death was all around.
As Mitsuki hurried through the halls of the building, she swallowed hard against the sudden, stabbing bolts of pain and fear that threatened to overwhelm her. As she reached the top of the rear stairs she stumbled, grabbing hold of the railing to steady herself before hurrying down the steps two at a time towards the back servants' door. Already she could hear the commotion of the Kuchiki's guards approaching the scene, but she did not stop, driven on by the faint flickering of life forces which had one by one been struck out like a candle flame.
Someone had been here. Someone had killed. And death was in the very air itself.
Mitsuki swallowed hard, trying not to choke on the heavy wave of scattered spiritual energy that saturated the whole surroundings. Pushing past the guardsfolk with little care for their weapons or their yells of protest, she burst into the stable compound, her heart lurching in her throat as she surveyed the scene.
At first all she could see was blood, a great, red lake of blood that seemed to cover the whole area. Then she got a grip on her wits, forcing herself to calm down as she hurried down beside the injured men, searching desperately for any sign that any of them had survived the attack.
What had happened or how, she did not know - and at that moment, she did not care. Her healer's instincts had drawn her here and she had obeyed them wholeheartedly, knowing that she had no time at all to waste and that people needed her help.
She dropped down to the ground, paying no attention to the blood that immediately began to seep into her navy mourning robes, making them sodden and heavy with the victims' blood. A quick glance had told her that four of the men were already dead and beyond her help, but the head groom's aura still flickered feebly with life, and so she put her hand gently to his chest, a faint greenish glow of energy surrounding him as she summoned her reiryoku to bring him relief.
As she did so, the man's eyes fluttered open, and he stared up at her in confusion, moistening his lips as he tried to bring her into focus.
"Don't speak." Mitsuki did not know how she kept her voice calm, for her heart was still pounding with the shock of the event, but somehow she managed it, slipping her free hand into his bloody fingers as she offered him a smile. "Your wounds are deep...you shouldn't try to move."
"Edogawa...hime." The groom's words were hoarse, and Mitsuki felt his spirit fluctuate slightly, as though unsure whether to keep fighting on or to give up his battle. His lips parted and closed a few times, as though there was something else he wanted to say, and as she bent her head lower, she struggled to make out three faintly gasped words. She frowned, troubled by what she'd heard but knowing that now was not the time to be asking the man questions. There would be time for that later, if he lived - for now her instinct was to help him if she possibly could.
She loosened her hold on his hand, running her fingers gently across his torso and pausing as she felt the hard metal embedded there. Two of the weapons the assassin had flung had embedded themselves into the man's body, the third having skimmed harmlessly across the cobbles and into the grass nearby, but a small knife used with accuracy was more than enough to take a man's life.
And there are two. With long blades. Deep into your gut and chest. I could remove them, but probably that one...is damaging your heart. If I don't remove it, your heart won't be able to keep beating long. But if I do, the blood you've already lost...
She forced the thought aside, redoubling her reiryoku as she spread her Kidou net further around her patient. The rest of the world around her was no longer there - the bodies of his fallen companions and the arriving members of the Kuchiki guard all a mixed blur at the edge of her awareness. All that Mitsuki was focused on now was the man who lay before her - his life on a knife-edge and his strength ebbing away with every second.
Yuuyugo is in my chamber. I didn't have time to go back to get her.
Inwardly Mitsuki berated this fact, even as she strengthened her Kidou for a third time.
With Yuuyugo, I think I could save him. But I don't have time to go get her. I just...I only have Kidou. And...a gamble. To take the knife...or...to leave it. It's only grazing the organ, but...its also stopping the blood from gushing forth. Could he stand it...if I...
"Edogawa-hime!" A retainer's voice penetrated her concentration, and she glanced up at him blankly.
"Can I help?" The young man asked anxiously. "He's alive, isn't he? If he saw something...can I help?"
"There's nothing you can do." Mitsuki shook her head, turning her attention back to her patient whose eyes had fluttered closed. "He's lost consciousness again - and I'm not sure I can save him anyway. He has two knives embedded in his body - one of them is right up against his heart. I think...it's damaged it. If I take it out...the chances are he'll die from the resultant bleeding. If I leave it, his pulse is already erratic and starting to falter, so his heart might stop at any time. Right now there's nothing anyone else can do. There's only the slimmest chance that, if I take the blade out...somehow...I can stop the bleeding without Yuuyugo when I do."
"I'll send someone for your sword immediately." The man offered, and Mitsuki shook her head.
"No time." She said grimly, slipping the fingers of her left hand around the hilt of the offending weapon and saying an inward prayer for help. For a moment she did not move, then she summoned her courage, tightening her grip and pulling it free of the wound. Immediately blood began to pour fourth, and Mitsuki tossed the blade aside, pressing her palm down against the open wound as she willed the bleeding to slow down.
Yuuyugo would be able to stop it. But my Kidou...may not be quick enough to do the same thing.
She closed her eyes, focusing her entire attention on sealing the flow of blood, though with every beat of the man's damaged heart, a fresh flood threatened, and Mitsuki felt sweat beading on her brow as she fought to hold it back.
At length she seemed to be succeeding, and she took a deep breath, her fingers shaking as she drew them back tentatively from the wound. The man was still breathing, but they were shallow, uneven breaths, and Mitsuki could see from the pallor of the other's face that he had passed beyond the line of return. She swallowed hard, trying to control her emotions as her Kidou barrier faded softly away, followed by the slowing and gradual stopping of the groom's heart.
"Edogawa-hime?" The retainer sent her a quizzical look, and numbly Mitsuki shook her head.
"Then we have no witnesses. Nobody who can tell us what happened here." The retainer turned towards his men, and for a while, Mitsuki didn't move, her gaze not leaving the fallen man's face.
"Having a life is more important than having a witness." She said softly. "This man was murdered. They were all murdered. That fact should matter more...than anything else. You don't need a witness to tell you that."
"Hime..." The guards glanced at one another, and Mitsuki got shakily to her feet.
"Someone got in here and attacked innocent men for no reason at all." She added, her voice trembling. "They didn't care that these men had lives...or that their fear or pain would flood through this whole place as they died. They were cut apart like they were meat for market. They weren't just witnesses. They were people, too."
"Hime, you're covered in blood." A second retainer stepped forward, reaching out a hand to steady her on her feet. "Let me call for a maidservant to help you - there's nothing more you can do here."
"No...I'm all right." Mitsuki pulled away from the man's touch, shaking her head. "I'm fine. A little blood is nothing to a healer - I'm only shaking because I couldn't save his life. Not because of anything else."
Tears trickled down her cheeks and she reached up a bloodied hand to wipe them away.
"First Ribari-sama, now this." She whispered. "What is happening here? Why are people being killed like this?"
"Mitsuki!"
Shirogane's voice broke through the haze of her thoughts and she turned, seeing her cousin staring at her with a mixture of horror and disbelief. At the sight of him, Mitsuki felt her strength buckle and she stumbled forward, blood trickling down her legs and onto the ground from her heavy, sodden skirts.
"I couldn't help them, Senpai." She choked out, and Shirogane frowned, grabbing her firmly by the wrists and giving her a little shake.
"I'm sure you did what you could, but like this you're a mess." He said briskly. "Come inside and let me call someone to help you clean up and change. Whatever happened here, leave it to the retainers to sort out. You've used a lot of Kidou - and you're white as a ghost yourself."
"Mm." Mitsuki nodded slightly, then, "Why are you here? Where...?"
"I felt your spirit power flare." Shirogane said gravely. "And heard a commotion from the stables. I was looking for Ryuu - a maid said that she'd seen him heading this way this morning...but it doesn't look like he's here."
"Ryuu?" Mitsuki's eyes widened and she glanced around her, suddenly fearful. "Ryuu came to the stables...? But...?"
"I don't know. It might not be true." Shirogane gave her arm a little tug, leading her back towards the main manor building. "But if he was here, he isn't here now. Probably he wasn't here when all of this happened...most likely he's actually in the archives, because that's where he is mostly and you know it too."
Mitsuki closed her eyes, a faint shudder rippling through her body.
"That man died because I didn't have Yuuyugo." She murmured. "But I didn't have time to go get her. If I'd had Yuuyugo...maybe...but like Ribari-sama, I was too...too late..."
"You can't heal everyone." Shirogane told her bluntly. "And you shouldn't criticise yourself for that fact. You wanted to help and I'm sure you did your best. Your Kidou was flaring far and wide and even a complete dunce in spiritual power would have felt your desperation."
"But..."
"Your Kidou eases pain, doesn't it?" Shirogane cut across her. "Your spells helped me, so I know that they do. You couldn't save his life - possibly that's true. But I've no doubt you made his last moments easier. And even if that's not good enough by your high standards - you still can't see yourself as having failed him. You didn't cut him open. Some other creature did."
"Senpai..." Mitsuki stared at Shirogane in disbelief, and Shirogane offered her a wry smile.
"I have very few allies left here these days." He said frankly. "But I think you're one of them, and so I'm returning the favour."
"Yes." Mitsuki managed a faint smile. "Thank...thank you. Most people just...think I'm odd. When I get...like this."
"No...I'm starting to understand it." Shirogane sighed. "Not the way it is for you, but how helpless you feel when you can't help someone who should be helped. It's all right, Mitsuki. You're not odd. But right now, you are covered in blood and you look half-demon yourself. So that's the first thing you need to take care of, before anything else."
"I suppose...I'll frighten people like this." Mitsuki glanced down at her blood-stained clothing. "I didn't even think about it. I just..."
"Went to help." Shirogane nodded. "I know. As a fighter, blood doesn't bother me, either. But it will bother those with greater sensibilities - better change before one of Ryuu's sisters sees you and runs with a story to Seiren-dono. He might stop you associating with Ryuu the way he's stopped me."
"Senpai, do you really think Ryuu is in the archive?" Mitsuki asked hesitantly, and Shirogane shrugged his shoulders.
"I have no idea." He admitted. "But I am fairly sure he wasn't at the stables when all of this happened. He wouldn't have just run away...would he?"
"No. No, he wouldn't." Mitsuki shook her head. "He would've faced whatever entity did this...and he wouldn't have fled. You're right. He can't have been there. I'm sorry...I'm just jumpy. Everything being this way worries me."
"Ryuu's safety worries me too." Shirogane confessed, his eyes darkening. "Whether or not Seiren-dono believes me. That's why I was looking for him - because I think he's in danger."
"He thinks you are." Mitsuki murmured, and Shirogane shrugged.
"I'm a better fighter than Ryuu, and besides, I'm expecting trouble now." He agreed. "But I'm not sure if Ryuu really is. And I think he's higher on the hitlist than I am - if he really is now the heir to the Clan."
Mitsuki was silent for a moment, then,
"Yes." She agreed soberly. "Tomorrow when we leave...I will be a lot more relieved than I am right now."
"Shirogane! Mitsuki? What on earth...?" Guren's voice came from the end of the hallway, and both turned, meeting the agitated gaze of their Clan leader with mixed emotions.
"Mitsuki, what happened?" Guren was quick to pick up the blood on Mitsuki's clothing and skin, and Mitsuki swallowed hard, taking a breath to compose herself.
"There was some incident at the stables." She said unevenly. "Someone killed some of the stablehands and one head groom. I tried to save the groom but I...couldn't."
"I was taking her back to her room so she could change and wash, then report to you, sir." Shirogane added quietly. "We both assume you want to know as soon as possible what happened."
"Murder...in the stables?" Guren's expression became one of distress. "Just...?"
"The assassin - whoever it was - escaped." Mitsuki murmured. "And left five men dead. Nobody else...seems to have seen the incident at all."
"Five dead and no witnesses." Guren clenched his fingers, and Mitsuki knew he was remembering his son. "I see. Then yes. Mitsuki, change. Come to my study as soon as you have - Shirogane, if you know something of this too, I want to hear that as well."
"Sir, there is something else." Shirogane said respectfully. "We don't know where Ryuu is. One of the maids said she saw him heading to the stables...but he isn't there now."
"You think he's been kidnapped?" Horror flooded Guren's gaze, and Mitsuki's heart lurched in her chest at this so far un-considered possibility.
"We weren't able to establish whether he was there or not, sir." Shirogane shook his head. "Just that we don't know where he is."
"There's no reason, I suppose, for him to go to the stables..." Guren murmured, but Mitsuki shook her head.
"He would have come...because of me." She whispered, fear encircling her heart as she contemplated the implications of her words. "When I use my power like that, to try and heal...Ryuu would have come. If he'd been near enough to feel it - he would have come. Ryuu's always protected me - he'd be worried I was in danger, and so...he..."
She trailed off, as the words of the dying man flitted suddenly through her thoughts.
She had only been able to make out three of them, but even so, those three struck terror and confusion right through to the core of her soul. Yet, as she met Guren's gaze, she knew that she could never speak them out loud. That what that dying groom had entrusted to her was information he might have lost his life for - information that could have far reaching implications not just for them but for people far beyond the Kuchiki borders.
For the man had seen his attacker, and more, had tried to tell Mitsuki what he had seen. And the words he had spoken had been unmistakeable.
Gold eyed demon.
Author's Note: Manga 414 & Gin's Zanpakutou skill. This has nothing directly to do with Meifu but it was brought to my attention this week that the latest chapter of Bleach involved Gin using a technique which bears a very spooky resemblance to Keitarou's Kairaishi - the spell where he uses a chip of his sword to control another person, poisoning them as they go.
I'm much amused by this =D. After the shadows in Shunsui's sword and Juu's shikai that's the third time Meifu has unconsciously foreshadowed canon. So from this point on I'm ficcishly denoting Gin a descendant of Keitarou's xD. Just for fun, ne? xD