Chapter Forty Four: Kuchiki Conviction
"You sent for me, Genryuusai-sensei?"
Ryuu stood before the desk of his headmaster's study, a questioning look in his grey eyes as he met the old man's thoughtful gaze. To any casual observer, the Kuchiki was impeccably turned out, his unform clean and neatly fastened and his hair pulled properly back into the white ties that befitted a student of some breeding and character. His words were soft spoken, respectful and polite, yet Genryuusai had not taught generations of this family for nothing. As he gazed at his student, he reflected pensively that Ryuu was at his core no different from other proud Kuchiki – keeping his cards close to his chest and cloaking his real feelings in a haze of good manners.
He could not put off this conversation any longer. Today was the penultimate day of the summer break, and before too long, other students would begin to return to the school for the autumn semester. Though the number of students present at the school had no real bearing on his decisions, Genryuusai had felt it better to consult Ryuu's opinion before the news of the Senior mission became public knowledge.
And given that, among the students who had stayed behind were those like Sora whose ears were always close to the grapevine, now was as good a time as any other.
"I did." He broke the silence now, offering the boy a smile. "Summer break has almost ended, and so I thought to speak to you before your fellows return."
"Just me, Sensei?" Ryuu's expression registered wary surprise, and Genryuusai inclined his head slightly in confirmation.
"For now, yes. It is information your classmates will also receive, but in your case I felt it important to make a special exception," he said lightly. "It relates to the Senior curriculum for the coming term."
"Oh." Ryuu visibly relaxed at these words, and Genryuusai knew he had feared more bad news from home. "I thought that maybe Guren-sama or Father had been contacting you again, and I was afraid…"
"To my knowledge, nothing untoward has happened in District Six since your Father's visit here some weeks ago." Genryuusai shook his head. "Whether it is calm before a storm or whether it isn't is yet to be seen – but in any respect, your family do not seem to have suffered any more hardship in the meantime."
"Thank goodness," Ryuu murmured. "Since Guren-sama was attacked, and then all this fuss about the Shihouin…"
"Tell me, Ryuu, what you believe to be the truth?" Genryuusai asked softly, and Ryuu started, immediately on his guard.
"Sensei? I thought this was about…"
"It is. But my question has relevance, as you'll come to see." Genryuusai sat back, gauging his young companion's demeanour carefully. Ryuu was particularly talented at concealing his feelings, but the old man could sense the anger and frustration rippling just beneath the boy's detached appearance. "Will you share with me your thoughts? I know you have told me on several occasions that you believe in your cousin's innocence. Is that still the case?"
"Shirogane-senpai? Of course." Ryuu was taken aback. "I've no reason to suspect him of anything, except for getting too close to danger."
"Yes. I believe that is probably true." Genryuusai stroked his moustache thoughtfully. "He is hot tempered and principled, your cousin – but most dangerous of all to an enemy, he has a quick and clever brain. I imagine that forcing him into exile has allowed the assassins a little more breathing space in District Six, for Guren-sama is tied up in Clan concerns and your Father…"
He trailed off, noting the flicker of something in Ryuu's grey eyes, and he pursed his lips.
"I see," he said softly. "You're not so convinced of Seiren-dono's innocence in this matter, are you?"
"I…I don't know," Ryuu admitted awkwardly. "But to have such doubts in my own Father – Sensei, it must be wrong, but yet I can't completely shake it from my mind."
"You have reasons to suppose your Father would harm young Ribari?"
"He…has me," Ryuu said sadly. "I'm his motive, Sensei. If he wanted to act against Guren-sama and Ribari-sama, I would be the reason why."
"To give you the Clan?"
Ryuu nodded.
"Then that's why you're so reluctant to accept such a proposition?"
"No," Ryuu sighed heavily. "Sensei, I…I really don't want to lead the Kuchiki Clan. Support it, yes. But I'm not…I don't…"
He paused, rubbing his temples, and Genryuusai waited for him to gather his thoughts, knowing that such confessions were not characteristic of his difficult, awkward student.
"I don't understand people well enough to lead the Clan." At length Ryuu raised his gaze, and Genryuusai saw a hopelessness deep in his eyes. "All I have to recommend me is Father's bloodline, no skills or talents worth speaking of. The Kuchiki deserves a leader who can appreciate the things I cannot."
"Learning about people is the same as learning about your studies, surely?" Genryuusai asked softly, and Ryuu shook his head.
"There are conditional factors involved," he replied frankly. "A person does not always react in the same way. A book, on the other hand, always contains the same contents regardless of when you choose to read it. I like such stable boundaries."
"But the only certainty in life is change, and change begins with instability," Genryuusai pointed out.
"Indeed. Which is precisely why I feel I would not make a good Clan leader," Ryuu responded quietly. "Before I came to the Academy, Mitsuki was probably the only person who I considered close to me, and I know now that that was because of the way her gift makes her understand even things that are not said. Here, it's true, I've managed to forge bonds with people and created friendships I hope to keep for the rest of my life. But those friendships were not really forged by me, Sensei. They were forged by the others around me choosing to include me in their activities. Before I knew it, I had become comfortable with that arrangement – but I did not instigate it, nor can I tell you how it came about. A Clan leader can't be reactive in that manner. He must be able to take the initiative and forge the bonds himself. And I confess…such a thing is beyond my limited scope of human understanding. I would administrate the Clan to a high level, and I have confidence in my sword skills. But I am not born to lead people and understand them. And I would bring the Kuchiki Clan to harm."
"You've spent much time thinking on this, haven't you?" Genryuusai realised, and Ryuu nodded.
"Yes, sir. I have."
"Then you've thought around all the possibilities, realising that you remain the one most likely to be named Clan heir?"
"Yes sir."
"All right then." Genryuusai rubbed his beard pensively. "Then for the time being we'll return to the matter of other people - your belief in your senpai, and your doubts about your Father. It's my personal belief that neither one of them are your enemy, but there is one way we can try to know for sure."
"Sensei?" Ryuu blinked, and Genryuusai smiled.
"This must not be circulated to your companions, even Mitsuki," he said quietly. "In Guren-dono's absence and in light of your current position within the Clan, I'm sharing this with you and you alone. I have heard from your cousin Shirogane since he left the main estate."
"From Shirogane-senpai?" Ryuu's eyes lit up with a mixture of relief and hope, then, "He is safe?"
"I believe so." Genryuusai nodded, his mind flitting to the faint flicker of familiar spirit power that had crossed the District border early that morning. "Though of course his current whereabouts aren't known for sure. However, in his letter to me, Shirogane shared some information of his own. And he also expressed clearly that he believes Seiren-dono to be innocent of any crime."
"Senpai did?" Ryuu's eyes registered shock, then they clouded.
"But if he knew the things I do…" he murmured, more than half to himself. Genryuusai gazed at him for a moment, but decided not to press that issue any further.
"I called you here today to find out how your thoughts were," he said instead. "It's traditional for my Senior class to spend some time in the Real World before they graduate. The trip is not supervised, and unlike your camp in second year, it is not strictly regimented, either. It is plunging you into an area with known Hollow activity of a medium to basic level and allowing you to use the skills you've learnt in a real environment for the first time. It's my intention to send your class on the same trip as I have previous years. My only question is…whether or not you will go too."
Ryuu's expression had become one of first excitement then incredulity, and then at last, dismay as he registered the last part of his companion's words.
"Not go?" he echoed. "But why? Sensei, why should I be kept behind?"
"There is a possibility that the people who are hurting your Clan are using the Real World as a base for their operations. That's how they're able to escape so completely – no one Clan nor the Council has full jurisdiction over the Real World, and therefore exiles there are hard to hunt down," Genryuusai said gravely. "Your life might be put in increasing amounts of danger if you were to go. Your family would probably not approve of you going at all, given the current circumstances."
Ryuu's brows knitted together as he considered this.
"If I did go, however, I may lure these assassins out of hiding," he murmured, and Genryuusai could see the boy's clever brain at work as he thought through the problem in his usual methodological fashion. "In which case, there is a benefit to sending me, isn't there?"
"That has also been considered," Genryuusai agreed. "I'm not asking District Six to make this judgement, Ryuu. I'm asking it of you. I'm of the belief Shirogane and your Father are both innocents and that they are being used by more dangerous people as pawns to satisfy some aim or goal unconnected with your Clan's hierarchy. But without evidence, I cannot safely offer Shirogane sanctuary here because it might risk incurring the wrath of your kinsfolk. At best they would probably withdraw you from my care, if he is really considered a suspect in this."
"Make me leave?" Ryuu's eyes reflected horror. "Before graduating?"
"Your Father's concern for your safety indicates that isn't an impossibility, with things being as they are."
"I have already told him…I've said…"
Ryuu clenched his fists, anger crossing his proud features.
"Sensei, I don't want Father interfering in my education," he said flatly. "On no terms whatsoever should you consider his requests – whether they be major, minor, or perceived to be for my benefit. I am an adult now and able to decide for myself what path to take. I am going to graduate with my fellows in the spring."
"That is your resolve?"
"Yes, sir. It is."
Ryuu's eyes flashed with a sudden determination that took even Genryuusai a little aback.
"And with your permission, Sensei, I should like to accompany my classmates to the Real World. If I bring danger to me, I will just have to face that danger. But if it helps unmask those who seek to hurt people close to me, I will go. That is the duty of a shinigami, is it not? To enter situations and encounter personal risk in order to protect others?"
"It is indeed." Genryuusai's lips spread into a warm smile and he nodded his head. "You have grown a good deal in the time I've known you, Ryuu – and I am proud of the answer you just gave. Very well. I shall continue to make arrangements accordingly. I have the consent of the most high ranking Kuchiki I have easy access to reach, and therefore I can proceed."
"Thank you." Ryuu's expression became grave. "My Clan has caused you considerable disruption already since the year began. I would like to help offset that by proving of some material use."
"Don't underestimate yourself," Genryuusai told him softly. "Your life is not a bargaining chip that can be thrown away. Dangerous though this errand is, I want you back alive. Understand? You aren't there to sacrifice yourself for your Clan's sake."
"I have no interest in dying, Sensei," Ryuu said firmly. "Dead people make even worse Clan heirs than live ones of my calibre, and therefore I will not risk death."
Despite himself, Genryuusai was amused by his student's blunt appraisal of the situation, and he nodded.
"Good," he said approvingly, "then there's no more I have to say to you. Your classmates will begin returning the day after tomorrow – please keep this mission a secret from them until I choose to tell them about it directly. I am trusting you – understand?"
Ryuu bowed his head, and Genryuusai knew that the student understood he had been trusted with more than just the keeping of a secret.
But such trust seems to have lightened the burden that hangs over you. I'm glad I made the choice I did. Ryuu is the kind who likes control – and likes to be useful, not helpless on the sidelines. This gives him a purpose and a test for his future. It's a gamble, but I believe he will come back alive. And that it might be the gamble we need to lure that mad scientist out.
It was going to be a nice day.
Shirogane paused at the top of the mountain path, turning to gaze back down pensively at the ground he had already covered. Though he remembered the layout of District One quite well from his time as a student here, he was still struck by the length of the track from the border to the familiar mountain range where he and his fellows had carried out various training exercises, and he let out a little sigh, dropping back against the sheer rock face in relief.
There had been no rain, and though there were dark clouds in the direction of District Two, the sun was already gleaming brightly over the land of the Yamamoto. This was both a blessing and a curse, however, for the mud-spattered peasant robes that had been his disguise since leaving the Ukitake home were all the more heavy for their dishevilled state, and he knew that the landscape hereabouts was likely to be unforgiving for some distance ahead.
The peaks of District One are dry and exposed...but at least there's no mist and I can see my path ahead with some clarity.
He stifled a yawn, reflecting pensively on the group of traders he'd left behind. Had Funaho rejoined them safely? He hoped so. That she would keep his secret, he had no doubts - but despite himself, he felt a faint flicker of regret at the manner of their parting.
If she'd never seen Shirogane, it would've been better. I destroyed her illusion, and that was not my intention.
A bird wheeled overhead, letting out a raucous shriek as though warning its fellows of his presence, and Shirogane cast it a rueful grin.
"You're safe enough," he said aloud. "I'm tired and I'm hungry, but firing Kidou to bring you down would alert people to the fact I'm here, and I can't do that right at the moment. There aren't as many guards as I thought there'd be, but I won't make them any more suspicious than they already are."
His stomach growled faintly, and he pushed the thought away, turning back towards the path that led in the direction of the Academy.
When I was a second year, we camped near here. There was a lake of some size, if I remember correctly - a lake of clear water in which one could bathe without fear of disturbance. I can wash the mud free from my body, even if it would be too risky to try and clean my clothes. The morning heat has made me sweat and the cheap fabric is sticking to me. Being unrecogniseable may have its advantages, but I'm not sure I can show that face to the people I know here. They might not believe that it's me - and explaining may take time.
He ran his fingers pensively against the rough rock face, judging how far along the mountain path he had come. As a student, he had often strayed beyond the immediate borders of the school's most local town, preferring to spend time by himself in relative quiet when he wanted to study or practice swings with his sword. It had been this fondness for solitary pursuits that had inspired Genryuusai to hold him back from graduating in the first instance, for he had managed to evade most all of the necessary duties with the junior students in his first spell as a Senior, but as he found his way off the mountain path and onto the track that led to the lake he remembered, he reminded himself that his life now was somewhat thanks to his having taken a deshi.
The Ukitake-ke took me in because of that service. Funny how things work out...though I imagine they wouldn't seem so coincidental to Sensei. I underestimated him and the way in which he sees the world - but thinking on it now, he'd be a frightening person to have as an enemy. I hope I can convince him that I'm innocent. If he's shielding me, there'll be no danger. But if not...
He stepped into the clearing, pausing to watch the gently rippling surface of the lake water for a moment. It was deceptively peaceful in these parts, for there were no settlements in this rough terrain, and it was for that reason that the second years usually held their camp in this particular region of District One. Yet though there were signs that people had been here within the past few months, Shirogane was relieved to see no immediate signs of student activity, and he let out his breath in a rush, reaching to unfasten the mud-thick sash that was knotted about his waist.
Stripping down to his underclothes, he set the remainder of his dirty clothing in a neat pile on the bank. Concealing Ginkyoujiki and Shikiki's flute beneath the folds of fabric, he dove deep beneath the slick, cool water, enjoying its feel against his skin. He had roughed it with equanimity, but there was no mistaking the feeling of being clean, and as the gentle water teased his thick dark hair loose from its rigid ties, Shirogane allowed himself to truly relax, closing his eyes against the glare of the bright morning sun as his body floated naturally to the surface.
But he could not spend forever here.
Reluctantly he left the water, his ebony curls dripping loose around his shoulders as he stepped onto the bank. The thick, coarse fabric of his undergarments felt heavy against his skin, but he no longer felt so caked in grime, and he smiled grimly, realising that he had washed away the last of Gin's existence with his quick, impromptu bath.
Gathering up the remainder of his clothing, and tucking both the flute and the still wrapped Ginkyoujiki under his arm, he started back towards the main path, knowing that a brisk walk in the bright light would soon dry both his wet hair and his dripping underclothes. It was not the kind of appearance that, a few weeks earlier, he would have willingly chosen to show the world, but Shirogane had learnt much during his exile and he didn't even give it a thought. Instead he felt only refreshed by his dip, enjoying the caressing touch of the warm sunlight against his bare skin.
Unless I miss my guess, this path also leads into the part of the mountains where bears used to live. I remember Sensei telling us that the creatures no longer came this close to shinigami activity, but there were caves and other places in this vicinity. If that's true, I might be able to find somewhere I can conceal myself for a little while.
He stifled another yawn.
It's hot, I'm tired, and I didn't sleep at all last night thanks to my long trek. Funaho-san's token meant nobody even looked at me when I crossed the border, and though there might be investigations into the disturbance last evening, I'm well away from it now. Nothing's happened this side of the border, so District Two will likely be looking into that as an isolated incident if they even bother to care. It doesn't seem as though anybody's stationed in this area to find me - so Sensei's either kept my letter to himself, or has decided not to have me so easily arrested.
He glanced down at his mud-caked sandals, reflecting pensively that whilst it would be nicer to walk barefoot, the uneven surface of the path would likely render his feet to ribbons.
What you gave me has stood the journey well though, Kamikura-dono. And thanks to Miyabi and Shikiki, my guise as a travelling musician has been perfect. A few hours sleep should not hurt me - if I can find a suitable cave to shelter in.
He ducked beneath a trailing vine, pushing back the branches of several bushes as he took a short-cut between the sheer faces of the mountains to the path that led to the caves. He had used this path before, to slip easily and quickly into more open terrain, but now he used it in reverse, racking his memory as he did so to pinpoint the location of the former bear hiding places. They were largely hidden from open view, several overgrown by heavy greenery in the temperate District One climate, and he had never really tried to find them before. However, his persistence eventually paid dividends, and he ripped apart the curtain of leaves and trailing stems, stepping with some relief into the dry coolness beyond.
The cave had not been used for some long time, and Shirogane found himself glad to be out of the sun. Even in the short space of time, his body had dried, and though his dark hair was still damp, he took the soiled sash from his clothing, tying the curls mercilessly and swiftly back out of his face.
Resisting the temptation to flicker a spell from his fingers to better light the cave, instead he made do in the gloom, feeling his way carefully as he moved deeper inside the mountain. At the very end of the tunnel was a slightly more open area, a result of a natural seam in the rock, and dead leaf matter lay strewn about it, discarded and dusty from several years in this secluded location.
Shirogane bent to touch the leaves with a thoughtful look on his face. Then, carefully and deftly, he gathered the scattered matter together, unfolding the bundle of clothing and spreading the hakamashita out across the makeshift pile with the cleaner side facing up. Slipping the flute and then Ginkyoujiki down at his side, within easy reach in the case of trouble, he dropped down onto the haphazard bedding, realising with approval that though it was far from perfect, it would shield him from the cold of the stone and the hardness of the uneven cave floor.
And I'm too tired to be fussy about where I sleep. A fire might be nice, in here, being that it's so far from the outside sun - but there's a nice coolness to the air, and smoke would only make it hard to breathe.
Shirogane curled up on the worn fabric, closing his eyes.
Just a few hours to sleep and regain my strength before I work out how to try and get to the Academy. Just a few more hours...and then my journey will go on.
"How long, exactly, are you planning on lingering around here for?"
Seiren glanced up from his seat by the window, setting aside the book he had only been pretending to read at the sound of his wife's voice. Since he had returned home to the manor his Father had given him on the event of his marriage, there had been little conversation between the couple, but as he raised his grey eyes to meet Shouko's accusing ones, Seiren knew that that state of affairs had about reached their limit.
He sighed, taking in his wife's appearance with a look of resignation in his gaze.
As if my head isn't already aching enough.
When he had first withdrawn to his manor, following his conversation with Kinnya, it had been mostly in order to think over his Uncle's words and to detach himself from the frenzy of suspicion surrounding his surviving nephew. But there had been another reason too – since his confrontation with Ryuu, he had struggled to sleep at the central manor, and had hoped that by coming home he might be able to get past this and rest.
However, being constantly in his wife's presence had never been conducive to Seiren's relaxation, and the tension of this manor had hardly been superseded by the tension at Guren's. Consequently he had slept badly again the previous night, the dull throbbing ache across his temples telling him that he would have done better not getting up at all. He knew that it was stress, and that as a small child his body had often reacted this way, for his naturally weak physical constitution and highly strung disposition had only been overcome by hard hours training with a sword among the rank and file soldiers. Determination had made him stronger – but at times like this, when political pressure loomed, his body was prone to slipping back into old bad habits. Consequently his patience was at a minimum and his tolerance for Shouko's company at its thinnest.
At least if he had remained in his chamber, he thought darkly to himself, it was almost a guarantee that his wife would not visit him. They had not shared the same bedchamber since the birth of their youngest daughter Miouko – an event which had coincided with the birth of Guren's only son Ribari by a matter of days. Though most outside of Seiren's immediate circle believed that the couple had drifted apart once it became clear Shouko was not willing to bear any more children, Seiren knew that the truth was something else – and thinking about that fact too only made his head ache further.
This morning, as every morning, Shouko was the image of the Kuchiki lady, her black hair wound back from her face in a traditional Clan style and her lips touched by a rich red veneer that Seiren was sure had probably been imported from foreign lands. It accentuated her delicate, pale complexion, but there was nothing particularly delicate in Shouko's needle-sharp silver eyes, and although she had always been considered a great Clan beauty, Seiren could not see her as anything more than a painted figurine.
She wore a delicate cream kimono crafted by the finest tailors in Sixth District and from the most expensive woven silk. The gentle green obi at her waist was embroided with sakura blossoms, and in her hand she held a carved fan which, had it been unfolded, Seiren knew would match the rest of the outfit to perfection. When they had been courting, Seiren had soon learnt of Shouko's fondness for fans of different styles and woods, and he had spent a good deal of money on having several specially made to suit her exact tastes. That had been a different time, and they had been different people - but Shouko's material interests had not waned as easily as her marital ones, and as her eyes became piercing now, Seiren knew that they were probably about to have another of the disagreements that had rent their marriage into little more than a political farce.
"This is my manor, Shouko," he spoke quietly now, watching as the fan flicked open and shut to indicate the lady's displeasure. "I can therefore come and go as I please. As you well know, I've given over most of the place to you whilst I'm at the central court...but this is still my land and my holding and I can do with it as I see fit."
"The Kuchiki court is where you should be now," Shouko strode across the room, flipping her fan around to jab her husband in the shoulder. "You know that that's the case. Ryuu's claim will fall and fade if you're not there to push it, and with things how they are, the family needs strength and unity. For you to choose now to take a holiday of all times - what is playing across your brain this time, husband?"
"Politics are no province of women, and especially not of you." Seiren's brows twitched together in annoyance at her peremptory tone, and Shouko snorted, jabbing him with her fan a second time as she bent her head low to meet his gaze. A wave of perfume washed over him, and Seiren frowned, recognising the scent too as an expensive imported fragrance.
"If I hadn't married such a useless shell of a man, perhaps I wouldn't need to pay any attention to it," she said now, her voice scathing, "but somebody needs to do something. At this rate, the standing of this family will slip into dust, and I didn't marry you so that you could discard your duties and slip away into shadow on your own whims."
"Surprising as it may be to you, but your opinion is neither wanted nor required." Seiren pushed her arm aside, getting to his feet and forcing her to take a step or two back. "As my wife, you have no purpose in this Clan other than to be mother to my children. Since you're quite capable of exploiting all the other advantages of being the sister-in-law of the Clan leader, I'm surprised you can find time from experimenting with the latest expensive products to pay attention to anything else."
"Do you think I would have married you, if you weren't Guren-sama's brother?" Shouko's retort was derisive. "You always like to pretend you have importance, Seiren, but the reality of it has always been quite different. Do you think I would have settled so easily for marrying you if I hadn't seen the other possibilities involved? I am the mother of your children, including your only son. And unlike you, my son is not useless."
Her eyes narrowed.
"But you want to hurt his position anyway, because it's something you can never attain to?"
"On the contrary, I want the best for Ryuu as well, just as you do." Seiren shook his head impatiently. "This conversation holds no purpose, Shouko. You and I both know we have nothing to say to one another, and it's infinitely better when we don't."
"Then go back to being Guren-sama's shadow," Shouko spat out, opening her fan and holding it up like a shield between them, fluttering it casually before her face. "That's the only thing you've ever been any use for - answering your brother's demands with dull-minded obedience."
"Guren-sama is head of the Clan," Seiren snapped, and Shouko laughed, shutting the fan again with a snap.
"Yes. Yes he is," she said quietly. "And I should have married him when I had the chance."
"You never had a chance of marrying him," Seiren snorted. "You played your suit at his door, but Father's mind was already made up as to how things were going to be. Nobody stood a chance against Father when he had a decision made. I was no happier about it than you, but I at least thought we'd reached a tolerable understanding about our future. I would always provide for you and give you the quality of life you demanded, and in return..."
"I would bear you a son," Shouko hissed, her eyes like slits. "I kept my side of the bargain."
"And I've kept mine," Seiren returned neatly, reaching out to take the fan from her hands and examining it with a cursitory glance. "This is new. You've been spending my money again, as you're so good at doing - on unecessary accessories to pretty up your aging body. You're not the young hime you used to be, you know - there's only so long you can conceal such things from the outside world with costly fabrics, clever toys and cosmetics."
"A gentleman never makes such comments about a lady, let alone about his wife." Shouko snatched the fan back, ire glittering in her grey eyes. "But this is all I should expect from you. This is all the man I married has to offer. I should never have accepted Senaya-sama's terms...I should never have agreed to enter into this bond at all."
"That goes for us both." Seiren's eyes hardened and he turned away from her. "But since there's no option around it until the day one of us dies, there's nothing to do but put up with it."
"Yes. Until one of us dies," Shouko sighed, leaning back against the chamber wall as she lazily fanned herself. "You're lucky, Seiren. I haven't tried to put an end to you, because I know that the moment I do, this house and all the things that go with it will be taken from me and given to Ryuu's care. While I live as your wife, and you spend so much time away from here, I have the life I want. I can bear the inconvenience of being your consort, and so I haven't resorted to trying to kill you. But that shouldn't deceive you into thinking I have any latent affection for you. Any fondness I may have had died a long time ago - when I realised that I married a man without a spine."
"What are you talking about now, you foolish woman?" Seiren was annoyed. "I have enough things already on my mind without meaningless discourse with you, so if you have a point to make, make it. Ryuu's situation is something I'll settle and your involvement would do him no good at all. I am not ignorant to my duty where my son is concerned - you should remember your position in this family and keep your painted claws out of things you have no place interfering in."
"It's a mother's place to seek the best for her son," Shouko said thoughtfully, "and that's the other reason I've spent so long putting up with you and your pointlessness. I want to see Ryuu inherit this Clan. When I married you, I intended to birth the next Clan leader. Now that possibility is right in front of us - you should be at the forefront, spearheading his claim and making sure there is no room for doubt."
"I have already written to get confirmation of support from across District Six," Seiren retorted. "I have not simply been standing back and waiting."
"You've done that these past nineteen years." Shouko wheeled around on him, glaring at him with angry, feline eyes. "Dithered and lingered and done nothing of any use whilst your son was time after time discarded in favour of a whelp born of your sister and some low born soldier Kuchiki and the boy Guren-sama thought so much of. Ryuu's education has constantly been dogged by your inadequacy, and his position in the Clan overshadowed by your inability to assert yourself in the way you should. That's why I say you lack a spine - because undoubtedly you do."
"Speak sense!" Seiren exclaimed, pushing her away. "You expected me to rebel against my brother when his son was born? You make it sound as though you were glad to see Ribari-sama sent to his grave!"
"Ribari-sama." Shouko echoed his words, a mocking note in her voice. "Well, maybe I was. I didn't plot to kill him, Seiren, but no, I wasn't sad to see him die. He was an inconvenience - a disruption in a perfectly formulated future plan. Ryuu was born to inherit this Clan. Why else did we name him for the dragon? Ribari's death was an indication from the Gods that Guren-sama's son was never going to be Lord of this Clan. The succession lies in a different direction. It belongs to Ryuu. And now is the most precious time of all."
"You've always been like this," Seiren sighed, turning back to the window as a sense of hopelessness washed over his body. "Ever since Ribari-sama was born, you've been this way."
"Of course I have!" Shouko shot back. "What else would you expect! Your young son was right there, in a position where he might have been acknowledged as Guren-sama's successor! Had he been anointed and presented to the Clan, it would've been hard for even a son of Guren-sama's to take over without a lot of fight and fuss, but you hesitated! You talked about waiting till Ryuu's majority, and then..."
Her eyes darkened.
"When that boy was born, you were the first to bow your head and swear loyalty to him," she said, disgust clear in her tones. "You betrayed your own son and your duty to him to pander to Guren's offspring instead."
"The son of the Clan leader is the heir to the Clan, Shouko - though I don't expect someone unconnected to politics to understand that." Seiren did not even look at her, aware that she was bristling with righteous indignation at his every word. "Besides, it was the right thing to do. I liked the boy - and I would have served and supported him as I do my brother, had he come to inherit the Clan in my lifetime."
"That's why I say you're weak," Shouko muttered. "Because you so easily lurk in the shadows, instead of taking the initiative and doing as you should have done. I tolerated it for a while, but when Ribari was born, that was the end of it for me. You lack the spine or the guts to do what you know to be right - instead you listened to your Father's rhetoric about supporting the family. To your son's detriment, Seiren. To this family's detriment. You have never done as you should have long ago done."
"Shouko?" Despite himself, Seiren shot his wife a troubled look, and at his expression, Shouko laughed hollowly.
"I didn't marry you because I wasn't able to marry Guren," she said quietly, her eyes glinting with something that made Seiren suddenly uneasy. "I'm not a fool, and you know that. You used to compliment me on it, when we were forced into each other's company as young ones. I married you because I understood what that would mean. I knew who I was marrying...and what my duty to the Clan would then be. To birth the child who would inherit it, one day. I kept that promise to myself, and I married you. Even despite the way you act, I've stuck to that resolve. Ryuu is the next leader of the Kuchiki Clan. The only one who can destroy that now is you - by doing unnecessary things to pander to status that was never even real in the first place!"
"What do you know?" Seiren's words were soft, his features paling at her expression, and Shouko smiled.
"What you think I know," she said lightly. "The reason I married you lies in that knowledge. And when you were young, I felt your resentment towards Guren-sama so much more strongly. I never imagined you'd cow to him so completely. I knew you knew...and I assumed you were biding your time, waiting to act. I was excited, then. When Ryuu was born...I was excited to think how the future might be. But then you bowed your head to Guren-sama's son, and then..."
"Stop it," Seiren cut across her, holding up his hands. "Stop it now, before you say things that amount to treason. I don't know how you found out about all of this, Shouko, but the past is the past. Things have moved on beyond then, and..."
"That's why I say you have no spine," Shouko sighed. "If you were a proper Kuchiki man, you would have pushed Guren-sama aside when Ribari was born, and taken what was rightfully yours. If not in your name, then in Ryuu's. Nobody would have been able to challenge you, if you'd have produced the evidence that I know you have, locked away in this manor somewhere. I always waited for you to reveal it...but even now, you have not."
"Evidence..." Seiren's mind flitted to the nikki, and the torn page that had changed his understanding of the world forever. He shook his head.
"I don't have any evidence," he said quietly. "And nor do you, which is why you've never said anything before. Going through my belongings is a nasty habit in a wife, but to do it before we were even married..."
"Idiot," Shouko snorted. "I didn't go through your belongings. I went through your Father's. He was quite sweet on me, if you remember. And I was the one who encouraged you to sort his papers when he died...because I wanted you to know what I knew. I wanted you to take it and act on it, but instead you allied yourself all the more strongly to Guren-sama's cause. I was certain if you knew you'd become angry - that your pride would make you fight it. But you did nothing, and then I realised...you could do nothing, until you had a son. So I tried hard and eventually I gave you one. Things looked like they would go in our favour. But..."
She let out a sigh of disgust.
"I married a shadow," she said blackly, "who lacked conviction, and who let his own son's prospects languish. This was your Clan - it was Ryuu's Clan - for the taking. And instead you took the easy path."
"I never had any intention of rebelling against my brother, Shouko," Seiren turned to face her, discarding the clear derision that glimmered in her silver eyes. "Nor did I ever give you an assurance of doing so. If Ryuu is named heir to this family, it will be by Guren-sama and Guren-sama alone. Understand me? I have no interest in breaking up this Clan, especially since I discovered things that should have been left secret. Father kept it from us for a reason, and I intend to leave it buried. He gave me a task to fulfil – my duty is to fulfil it and that is all."
"Then go back to the Kuchiki court," Shouko said flatly. "I have no time for your company around here."
She made to leave, but Seiren reached out to grasp her loosely by the arm.
"This is my home," he said quietly. "I was given it when we married and formally inherited it by right when Father died. Whatever my position in the Clan, this estate will always be mine. You live here by my will and my permission, but I can cast you out of it if I so choose. I have not done so, but if you start talking about dangerous, treasonous things, I will turn you over to Guren-sama and let him wreak what justice on you he sees fit."
"You really are his lapdog, aren't you, these days?" Shouko wrenched her arm free, shooting him with a malicious glare. "They didn't seal your spirit power when you were born - they sealed your courage."
With that she was gone, sliding screen door banging shut behind her, and Seiren let out his breath in a rush.
An unexpected complication. I never thought that Shouko knew so much, but it's just another thing I have to be careful of. Ryuu's claim is still a strong one, and so long as his life is safe, everything should go smoothly in that regard. But Ojiue's words still linger with me. The evidence is in unknown hands - not mine, not Shouko's, perhaps not even within this Clan.
He rubbed his temples, realising that his head ache was worse now than it had been before.
If I could send her away, God knows I would. But there are some things that a husband can't do to his wife, regardless of how unpleasant her company may be. Just like Father, my family are proving to be my weakness. I only hope that Kinnya-sama's words don't become prophetic. I want to help Guren catch Ribari's killer, but at this rate it seems only a matter of time before everything Father kept so neatly tied away is unravelled. And if Guren knew the truth...what would he do - to me, or...to Ryuu?
"Summer break is almost over."
Sora let out a heavy sigh, casting a glance up at the blue sky overhead.
"It seems to have gone far too quickly this time around, Mi-chan. We've barely had a moment to think about it before term is on us again. Do you think it was shorter this year, or am I just feeling as though our last year at the Academy is speeding by whether we want it to or not?"
It was just past lunchtime, and as the sun rose in the sky over District One, the two girls had taken advantage of the relative quiet to leave the school building and walk the short distance that separated the old manor from the local town. Sora had heard that a special market was being held there over that extended weekend, and, as much to bring Mitsuki from her pensiveness as for her own benefit she had suggested they make a trip to visit it, since their holiday was almost at an end.
From Sora's perspective, it was also a chance to get her friend alone, for although she was not the most perceptive member of Senior Class, the young Shiba knew only too well when those she cared about were under pressure. Mitsuki's oft-clouded eyes and return to the quietness she had exhibited in the first year were only symptoms of a much deeper problem, and so as they walked together through the gaily laid out streets of the little town, Sora cast her companion a sidelong glance, hoping to see some sign of brightness cross her friend's face.
"No, I feel that way too." Mitsuki offered her friend a smile at the glance, nodding her head as she answered Sora's question. "A lot of things will happen after this year is over - I'm not anxious for it to come in some ways, you know. So you're not alone at all."
"You and Naoko are still at odds." Sora chewed down on her lip. "Is that going to be a permanent state of affairs, Mitsuki? I mean, it's your business and all, but it makes life difficult for me, trying to exist between the two of you. And though you know I wouldn't choose sides against you, Nao-chan is my friend still."
"I'm not telling you not to be friends with her, am I?" Mitsuki looked startled, and Sora shook her head.
"No. But it is awkward. Truthfully Naoko thinks I'm entirely on your side - and whilst that's possibly true, it's not that I'm against her. I don't like being in the midst of a feud - arguing with people isn't something I do well, and so..."
"I'm sorry." Mitsuki looked contrite. "I know I've been a lot of trouble for you since I came back - maybe it would've been better in some ways if I hadn't."
"Do you really feel that way?" Sora was stricken, and Mitsuki sighed, shrugging her shoulders.
"I don't know," she confessed, turning to glance absently at a brightly decorated stall of various trinkets and cheap jewellery offerings that one of the local tradesmen was doing his best to tout. "A lot happened at home and I was glad to come back here. But since I've been here, things have been funny too. I'm worrying about things and the more I try not to worry about them, the more focused I become on them instead."
"Things...like what happened to Ribari-sama?"
"Somewhat." Mitsuki inclined her head, turning to offer Sora a sad smile. "But most of all...Senpai."
"All right, tell me something absolutely upfront and honest." Sora frowned, grabbing her friend by the shoulders unexpectedly and wheeling the other girl around so that they were facing each other, mindless of the disruption their sudden stop mid-street had caused to other market goers in the meantime. "This worry you have for Nagoya...you can tell me, and I won't betray it to anyone. But the amount you're thinking about him makes me wonder if you really do have feelings for him. I mean, other than just as a healer."
"Who knows?" Mitsuki sighed, gently detaching herself from Sora's hold and leading her friend across to one side of the trackway so that other people could pass. "And we're getting in everyone's way, so don't do that all of a sudden. I'm not sure how to explain how I feel where Senpai's concerned, if you want the truth. It isn't something that goes easily into words."
"Mitsuki." Sora's eyes became big. "But what about Juushirou? I mean, I know that you both say you're friends...but...have I imagined the fact you guys really haven't spoken a whole lot in the last few weeks?"
Mitsuki exhaled slowly, and Sora could see her friend thinking over her response carefully, a pensive expression in her clouded grey eyes.
"I'm in love with Juushirou," she said softly. "That's the only thing right now I'm sure of. I'm still in love with him, even though we've never been able to move it beyond friendship."
"Then...Nagoya?" Sora's brows creased together in confusion, and Mitsuki shrugged her shoulders.
"Like I said, it's hard to put it into words," she said helplessly. "I think it's a thing that people like me - healers - feel but other people can only really understand if they can feel it too. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, Sora - but I don't know really how to put it other than that."
She glanced at her hands.
"As for the fact Juushirou and I haven't really talked much lately, that's down to him, not me," she said with a resigned smile. "I haven't been avoiding him. I'm not sure he's been avoiding me, either - just he was working super hard for the final exams and I know he wanted to take his place back from Yamamoto-kun."
"Really?" Sora arched an eyebrow. "It looked to me like you were putting a river between you because you neither one of you knew what things to say."
"I have a feeling Naoko spoke to him about something," Mitsuki admitted. "I did ask him if she had, but he told me not. Still...since then, I don't know. I don't want to say he lied to me, but if I ask him again, it will make him feel as though I do think he lied. He's not a good liar...and honestly, Sora, I think he did lie to me that day. But..."
"Hang on." Sora held up her hands. "You don't want Juushirou to think you think he lied to you, but you think he lied to you anyway?"
"Something like that." Mitsuki managed a feeble smile. "And so I've left it alone. I haven't pressed him. But there is a gap...it's like a vacuum of unsaid things that neither of us have worked out how to say. I know how he feels about me, and he should know how I feel about him. But this year isn't like other years. At the end of this year, things will change. And at the moment I don't know how."
"All right, I suppose that's true." Sora frowned. "You'll probably get an assignment in Fourth Squad, since Unohana-sensei is so fond of you. And Juushirou - if nothing else, Shunsui's saying he'll have him in Eighth, so I can't imagine he won't get a placement of some kind."
"Sensei will probably try and ensure it, though I wonder if he'll succeed." Mitsuki's eyes became thoughtful. "Retsu-sama said to me that normally it was something Clansfolk did for their kin - and the same problem applies for me as well in some regards. I have to have the consent and support of my Clan to place in Fourth Division. Much as I dislike the idea, I feel as though Naoko's predictions may be founded in some truth."
"Then why are you mad at her?"
"Perhaps because of that fact?" Mitsuki spread her hands. "She wasn't right in all respects though. I'm still hoping that the rules will be changed - Retsu-sama says that Genryuusai-sensei's been moving behind the scenes to try and remove the need for a shinigami candidate to have a Clan backer before they can enter a squad. It's what's kept so many squads Clan-specific and he wants to change that and broaden the horizons of the Gotei. But these things take time. It may be I have to go back to Sixth for a while after graduation, if Guren-sama commands me to do so."
"In which time, someone might see a use for you and convince you to marry?"
"Well, there's a secret weapon in all of this." Mitsuki eyed her friend ruefully. "If Ryuu becomes Clan heir, his status will be enough to override everyone but Guren-sama and it might be that he'll be able to give me the consent I need to join up with Retsu-sama's people. I don't mind starting at the bottom and proving myself - Naoko doesn't think I have it in me to do that, but I know after what happened at home recently that I do. It's all a matter of politics, though. For Juushirou and for me both, I think."
"You've kept him out of most of the stuff that your family's been dealing with," Sora reflected thoughtfully as they paused to buy o-dango at a small stall, stopping to finish them before moving on. "This is the reason for that too, is it? Because his gaining squad placement might be just as complicated?"
"That and the fact his own bloodline is mixed up in this," Mitsuki agreed. "If his illegitimate ancestry had been any other family, it might not have mattered. But Juushirou's grandfather is Guren-sama's uncle - and that...might prove a stalling block, given the current state of things."
"You really do care about him, don't you?" Sora reflected, and Mitsuki nodded.
"I do," she acknowledged. "And there isn't anyone else like that in my mind. I mean, I don't intend to get married or anything like that...being a healer can be dangerous and problematic and probably becoming a Clan hime with a household to run won't ever be my future. But if Juushirou was the one asking me..."
She pinkened, and Sora grinned, patting her gently on the head.
"That's more the Mitsuki I like to see," she said, relieved. "One who's mooning over that silly idiot and blushing over him at the same time. I'm glad, though. Even though you probably can't ever...that you still think that way, I'm glad."
"Yes." Mitsuki recovered herself, nodding her head. "But if I told him that, or if we talked about those things, it might put him in a difficult place. I think he sees that too. Probably that's why there's some distance opening between us. Maybe we're protecting each other, but most likely we both know things we don't want to say out loud about the way things are going to pan out. Graduation probably means Juushirou and I will part ways...such is life."
"Mm." Sora's expression became sombre. "I suppose that's the divide, isn't it, between Clan and District?"
"I am a Kuchiki, and there are people I care for in that family." Mitsuki tapped the dango stick gently against her other hand. "But I would probably still turn my back on it if I had to, in order to pursue my own goals and be happy. Just...if I did that to be with Juushirou, it would have repercussions. And our end targets aren't the same thing. If I was deployed to Fourth Squad, it wouldn't be the same as Juushirou getting a Gotei placement because being a healer is different. So I don't know. Right now it's stalemate."
"All right then," Sora relented with a smile. "You've put my mind a little at rest, though. I really thought maybe you were starting to have feelings for that stuck up bocchan who whipped Juushirou's sword into him a few years back."
"I do have feelings for him," Mitsuki said pensively, and Sora stared at her.
"But you just said..."
"I'm not in love with him," Mitsuki shook her head quickly. "Not those feelings. But I am worried about him. Protective in some parts. Concerned in others. Angry that things are the way they are. Lots of conflicting things culminating in the fact I know he's innocent. Like I said, Sora, it's hard to explain to someone who isn't a healer. But it's not the same as my feelings for Juushirou."
"You want to protect Nagoya?" Sora was incredulous. "I don't see him letting you do that."
"I think he needed us to protect him, and Ryuu and I weren't there when he did," Mitsuki said gravely.
"You might have saved his life once, but Mi-chan...hey, what is it?"
As Mitsuki's expression changed, her gaze suddenly flitting to the west and the mountain peaks that loomed over the horizon.
"It can't be..." she murmured, and Sora frowned, grasping her companion and giving her a little shake.
"Oi, Mi-chan, snap out of it! You're the one creating a blockage in the pathway now, stopping dead like that mid-walk! What's gotten into you?"
Mitsuki did not reply for a moment, then she frowned, grabbing Sora unexpectedly around the wrist and pulling her towards the town gates. Taken completely off guard, Sora could only fight to keep up with her friend's sudden dash from the centre of the busy market out into the surrounding area, for though she struggled to pull herself free, Mitsuki held firm.
"Mitsuki, what the hell has gotten into you!"
At length they stopped, and as Sora struggled to catch her breath, she cast her friend an accusatory look. "Taking off like that like some mad woman - what's got you going now?"
"Shh." Mitsuki held up her hands, and as Sora watched in bewilderment, the young Kuchiki girl stepped cautiously around the clearing in which they now found themselves, as though checking to make sure nobody else was about. As Sora gazed around her, she realised that she knew the area they had halted - it was not far from the place they had camped as Second years, at the edge of the mountains that separated First and Second District. If they were to walk much further along this path, they would reach the lake and the campsite they had spent a turbulent week in those years earlier - but Mitsuki did not seem interested in revisiting old haunts. Instead she seemed to be casing the area, almost furtive in her actions as she checked each and every possible vantage point.
"No guards." At length relief flickered into the girl's grey eyes. "They haven't realised then. Only I have."
"Mi-chan, explain yourself." Sora leant up against the sheer stone face, sending her a concerned look. "You haven't had a flight of fancy like this in a long time - is someone hurt or something? Why did we leave the town so suddenly like that - I don't understand."
Mitsuki's eyes became clouded and she put a finger to her lips, beckoning for her friend to join her beside a thick cluster of green vines and leaves that hung heavy against the mountain rock. Sora sighed, but obediently did so, and as she drew closer Mitsuki pushed the heavy greenery aside, revealing an opening in the stone just big enough for a person to go through.
"Mi-chan?" Sora cast her friend a confused look, and Mitsuki's eyes narrowed. She did not speak, however, and instead Sora saw the faint glimmer of white energy flare around her friend's hands, casting light into the dim tunnel ahead. She beckoned again, and Sora grimaced, but ducked her head into the cavern, following her companion unwillingly through the cold stone passage.
"Sometimes being your friend is really high maintenance, you know that?" she murmured, but Mitsuki did not answer, nor did she hesitate for one moment. They walked in silence for a little while, then, as the tunnel opened out around them into a wider chamber, the young healer dropped to her knees beside what from Sora's angle first seemed like an abandoned pile of rags and leaf litter.
As she drew closer, however, the light of Mitsuki's gentle Kidou spell made the surroundings clearer, and Sora's eyes widened as her hand flew to her mouth.
Curled up in a ball, barely dressed in more than ragged undergarments and with his thick, beautiful hair wrenched back out of his face by a dirty scrap of fabric was the sleeping form of the Kuchiki fugitive.
"Nagoya...senpai?" she whispered, sinking down beside her friend, and Mitsuki nodded her head.
"I felt him," she murmured, hovering her hand gently above Shirogane's body as if reading the flickering of the young man's aura. "I think he was shielding himself by suppressing his reiatsu, but as he fell more deeply asleep, his shield faltered too. I'm more aware of his spirit since I saved his life, and so I felt it, even from the village."
She cast Sora a look of relief, and Sora could see the tears glittering in her friend's eyes.
"He was safe and he made it here." She whispered. "Even despite everything...he's safe."
"Woah there. Don't cry all over him, or you'll wake him up," Sora warned, crouching down to peer at the oblivious figure more closely. "You know, I'm surprised that I even recognised him at all, to be honest. Dressed like this, looking like this..."
"But this is Ginkyoujiki." Mitsuki's fingers brushed against the wrapped sheath of the sleeping zanpakutou with a smile. "And something else...a flute?"
"Looks like a flute to me." Sora picked up the wooden implement thoughtfully. "Nagoya played the flute, didn't he?"
"He did. Does," Mitsuki agreed. "Though that isn't his flute. Still, maybe that explains how he was able to get here. Disguised and acting as a travelling musician, maybe nobody even looked at him clearly."
Her gaze drifted back to the sleeping shinigami.
"He's exhausted," she observed. "That's why I felt his spirit most of all. It's not that he's in pain or injured, but just...tired. He's lost weight too - I imagine he's probably hungry."
At Mitsuki's words, Sora suddenly became uneasy, and she bit her lip, casting her companion a quizzical glance.
"Mi-chan, what are we going to do now?" she asked softly. "It sounds as though you intend to help him, but..."
"I promised Ryuu and I promised myself, that if he came here, I would," Mitsuki nodded. "Maybe I shouldn't have brought you here too, though. I've involved you now - I wasn't thinking, but I should have..."
"I won't tell anyone, if that's what you're worried about," Sora sighed, dropping back against the cave wall. "Just, isn't it dangerous? I know you believe him to be innocent, but..."
Before she could finish her sentence, the sleeping shinigami's eyelids flickered and then opened, confusion flooding his gaze followed by fear and alarm as he registered the fact he was no longer alone. His fingers were already half around Ginkyoujiki's covered sheath before he realised who was kneeling at his side, and as recognition flooded his features he exhaled, releasing his grasp on his weapon.
"Mitsuki."
The word was soft-spoken, unlike the peremptory tones that Sora remembered from the proud and unforgiving student that had once been Juushirou's shishou, but as Shirogane drew himself into a more upright position, she realised that there was no mistake. Though he was dressed simply, his hair messy and his eyes still bleary from sleep, there was no denying that this was the missing Kuchiki exile and that somehow he had managed to break through the borders and reach District One.
"I sensed your spirit." Mitsuki kept her tones muted, reaching out to brush her fingers against his brow. "Though I didn't mean to wake you."
She frowned, eying him accusingly.
"Senpai! Your skin is freezing cold and your hair is damp! You're hardly dressed for sleeping in a cave like this - if you're not careful, you'll start a fever!"
"I doubt it," Shirogane said dryly, gently pushing her hand away. "I took a brief swim in the lake, and the sun was quite bright when I came here, so the coolness was refreshing. I appreciate your concern, though. I suppose that means you still believe as you did before - and don't intend on betraying me to anyone who might be looking."
"Idiot, of course not." Sora's eyes widened at the impatience in Mitsuki's tones, her incredulity growing as Shirogane merely laughed, shaking his head. "I was worried and so I came here. I'm not going to tell anyone else - but you can't stay like this with nothing to wear or eat or drink. Even if you're all right at the moment, too much time in chilled conditions won't do you any good. You've lost weight too - haven't you been eating?"
"When I've been able." Shirogane frowned, his gaze flitting for the first time to Sora, and the young Shiba saw the tension in his slim frame increase as he realised that his cousin had not come to the cave alone.
"It's all right. She's my friend." Mitsuki seemed to read his hesitation, for she smiled, reaching out to pat Sora on the arm. "Shiba Sora - I trust her. She won't tell anyone that you're here if I ask her not to - I know that much for a fact."
"Shiba...huh." Shirogane's eyes became slits. "You're sure of that, Mitsuki? Because the Kuchiki have never had particular relations with the neighbours in District Five, and..."
"I'm Mitsuki's friend, like she said." Sora could not take it any more, and she glared at him, putting her hands on her hips. "Of course I won't betray any secrets of hers - what do you take me for, an idiot? I wouldn't get Mi-chan into trouble, even if she does insist on dragging me through the mountainside to come poke and prod at you like this. I don't know what you came here for, Nagoya-senpai, but judging by the way you're dressed, you don't really look like someone who can ask questions of anyone who's willing to help him. So if I were you I'd swallow your pride and be glad Mitsuki came at all - since as I understand it, you're rather short on allies at the present time."
"Sora..." Mitsuki sent her a beseeching glance, but to Sora's surprise, Shirogane laughed.
"Your friend is right," he admitted, holding up his hands in a gesture of submission. "I've no right to question anyone. I'm sorry, Sora-dono. Mitsuki, I apologise to you too for judging the integrity of your friend so amiss. Clearly she's someone who cares for you a good deal - and if you trust her, so will I."
Sora's eyes narrowed, taking in the expression in the shinigami's eyes, then the one in her young friend's and chewing down hard on her lip as she interpreted what they meant.
Mitsuki cares about him. Has feelings for him. But I believe her when she says they're not love. This...is like she is with Ryuu. Protective. Caring. Wanting to help, as she always does. But...in his case...
Her gaze flitted back to Shirogane.
Is it just because he's on his own, and she's the only one who's come to rescue him? I'm not Shunsui, so I can't pinpoint things as clearly as he can. But if I didn't know better, I'd wonder just how much he thinks of her. That look...didn't seem like the look of a grateful fugitive greeting his rescuer. It looked like...it seemed like something else.
Out loud she said,
"So what are we going to do? We can't take him back to the school. So far as I know, there's still a warrant out for Nagoya-senpai's arrest and even if Sensei was willing to protect him, it might bring him and the school into bad blood with the Kuchiki if everyone knew Senpai was here."
"That was my fear, too," Shirogane sighed, picking up the rumpled hakamashita and wrapping it loosely around his shoulders. "That even if I arrived in First, it might be difficult to make contact with anyone. You finding me may be a stroke of luck, or it may bring both of you into something more murky. I'm not really sure at the moment."
He sighed again, sinking back against the wall of the cave.
"I'm tired and I'm hungry. I've not eaten since yesterday, and I've only had whatever little sleep I managed before you came here." He admitted, stifling a yawn. "Plus last night I was attacked by a Hollow, so I had to use more of my energy than I had hoped. I've been trying to conserve it since I left District Six, but that hasn't necessarily always worked the way I intended."
"For the time being, you should stay here," Mitsuki decided. "Sora and I...well, maybe it would better if not you, Sora, but I at least...will bring you something warmer and softer so you can sleep here without taking a chill, and I'll find a way to bring you food, too. Ryuu's determined to do what he can to resolve your position - he and Seiren-dono aren't exactly seeing eye to eye at the moment, so perhaps things will change soon. A lot is happening - Guren-sama's been seeking help from the Shihouin and the Kyouraku in an attempt to get to the bottom of things, so...Senpai?"
"The Kyouraku, too…" Shirogane rubbed his chin pensively. "Then Guren-sama also suspects the young girl. Good. Maybe then everything will become clear."
He sighed.
"It seems I have no choice but to agree with your suggestion. For now," he agreed. "I took an injury in Sixth District and though I had help and care to heal it, I'm not as strong as I should be. I've lost weight and body strength in my trek to get here."
"Help in District Six?" Sora murmured, and Shirogane nodded.
"Ukitake Juushirou is a classmate of yours, isn't he?" he reflected, and Sora and Mitsuki exchanged glances, nodding their heads.
"Yes he is. Why?"
"He of all people must not know I'm here." Shirogane's eyes became grave. "The ones who shielded and helped me to escape Sixth District - the ones who saved me from my injury at the hands of Seiren-dono's guards - were Ukitake's family. If that were to be discovered, it might bring danger down on their heads and on his. Promise me, Mitsuki, that of all people, you do not talk to Ukitake of my being here, or of anything else that might possess such a hot-headed idiot to get involved in our family's problems."
"I've already resolved not to involve him, so that's fine," Mitsuki said matter-of-factly. "I don't even know if I'll tell Ryuu, yet. It might be dangerous for him too, so I'll see."
"You can't take care of this on your own, Mi-chan," Sora protested, and Mitsuki smiled slightly.
"My kinsman is in trouble," she said simply, "and he's asked me for help. As a healer, I should be able to do that, shouldn't I?"
"Then at least let me help too." Sora made up her mind, reaching out to her friend and pulling her to her feet. "If we both feed him, then it'll be easier to spread the secret between us, won't it? People will be less suspicious that way."
"Are you sure?" Shirogane stared at her in surprise. "It may bring you into trouble, if your family were to know..."
"My mother taught me to do what I believed in," Sora said pragmatically. "I don't know about you, but I believe in Mi-chan. She needs my help, so I'll help her. That's all there is to it, really."
She flashed the startled Mitsuki a warm grin.
"Well? We have food and blankets to acquire, don't we? We don't have to be back at the school for a while so nobody will miss us - while we've an opportunity, let's go!"
Author's Note:
I know someone's going to ask me this. Shirogane is not walking up the mountain nude xD.
Also…though I'm not going to say clearly at the moment how, I need to apologise to some people to whom I believe I may have fibbed. It wasn't a deliberate fib, but something I said would be impossible in this story in response to a couple of reviews actually turns out to not be impossible after all. This…is entirely the fault of the characters and therefore was not foreseen by me – but when it occurs, I apologise to those people to whom I said it never would.
I think those people will know it when they read it.
With which cryptic observation…on to the next chapter!