V: Surprises

(Various POV's)

Watari backed away from Tatsumi as his friend released him and collapsed to his knees. His amber eyes widened slightly when Tatsumi's battle aura flared to life and the shadows suddenly leapt from the trees to surround the shadow-master, swirling and weaving around Tatsumi's still form. Watari flinched as Tatsumi fell over onto his side, arms drawing close to the his chest, slim hands flexing open and close causing the darkness around Tatsumi to expand its circle then retract closer back to him.

Watari turned as he heard Tsuzuki and Hisoka. Skirting around the shadows carefully as possible,  he made his way over to them. "Don't go near him.. I don't know what happened, but I don't think its safe for us to chance those shadows while he's like that, he might believe us foe instead of friend." he said quietly, watching the now seething shadows weave around Tatsumi.

Hisoka glanced at Watari and then shuddered suddenly. "He's in pain, a *lot* of pain.. but its all in his mind. He's not hurt, but his mind is refusing to believe it." he said quietly, emerald green eyes watching the prone form within the shadows.

Watari glanced at briefly at Hisoka before looking back at Tatsumi. "Can you do anything?" Watari asked faintly, his tone carrying a pleading note.

"I can't get through, he's blocking everything." Hisoka said and then shook his head. "Gomen, Watari-san, I can't reach him."

Watari turned his head sharply towards Tsuzuki as he heard the violet eyed shinigami's outcry. Looking towards where Tsuzuki's gaze was, Watari watched as Muraki slowly approached the shadows. The doctor's own aura was flared out like a pair of large faint white wings around him. Muraki stopped just outside the wide limit of the flexing circle of shadows before crossing it, giving the shadows a target. A scream was wrenched from Tatsumi as the shadows flowed into one large stream. The ebony darkness streaked straight towards Muraki, who watched the shadows impassively.

The wings seemed to move as the shadows neared, closing themselves around Muraki, so that the shadows were forced to collide or pass through the misty wings. Those that passed through dissolved, while those that were deflected went back to their proper places beneath the trees.

Watari stared only for a moment in shock before rushing towards Tatsumi and cradling the other man against his chest. "Seiichirou-san.. wake up. Please..?" he whispered softly to Tatsumi, watching his friend's face as he held him close. Watari looked up again to see Hisoka standing in front of them. "Can you do anything to help him now?" he asked quietly, pleading  for the younger shinigami to help Tatsumi with his eyes..

"I don't know. I can try again."

"Please."

With a soft sigh, Hisoka kneeled down beside Watari and took one of Tatsumi's limp hands in his own. He frowned faintly as he closed his eyes, features wincing faintly in pain. After a couple minutes, Hisoka opened his eyes and sighed as Tatsumi's hand tightened around his own for a brief moment before releasing it. Blue eyes opened slowly and looked at green for a moment, before moving upwards to lock with amber.

"You had me so scared." Watari whispered to Tatsumi as he hugged him. "What happened?"

Tatsumi sighed quietly, straightening up in front of them. Fixing his glasses, he collected his thoughts before he spoke. "I was made to re-experience my death. I lost control over my emotions when I realized that's what it was. Gomen, Watari-san."

Hisoka looked away from Tatsumi and Watari realizing just who the man standing off to the side was. "So that's why it finally faded and left, forgive me if I can't say I'm unhappy about the fact your dead.. but why are you here?" he asked as he stood up and turned to face the doctor.

Muraki turned to look down at Hisoka silently, the aura around him slowly fading away. For once he was not contemptuous towards the younger man. "Because I was killed by someone, and I vowed to revenge what he did, Kurosaki-san. I believe you would understand that, ne?" he said quietly, watching Hisoka through his good eye. Hisoka stared back at him hard for a moment before looking away from Muraki to the two on the ground. He glanced back once at Muraki wordlessly before turning sharply away to leave.

Tsuzuki watched Hisoka leave, slightly confused as to what to do next. Silently debating his choices, Tsuzuki decided to let Hisoka go without him and walked over towards Muraki who had turned away from Watari and Tatsumi to walk towards the path lined by the trees.

Hesitantly he stepped up behind the doctor and spoke softly. "Would you.. um.. like to see the rest of Meifu, Muraki?"

Muraki's shoulders tensed slightly before relaxing and he looked behind him at Tsuzuki. "You would actually want to go somewhere with me?" he asked quietly. "Just us?"

Tsuzuki hesitated briefly before nodding, he stepped around Muraki to stand in front of him. "I.. well.. you've changed from the person I last saw two years ago.. and.. you just helped him didn't you?" he asked, eyes flickering over to Tatsumi and then back.

Muraki turned a little to  glance back at the two shinigami's still sitting on the ground. "I merely opened the way for your partner to help him, if you wish to be truthful, I think I'm the reason he suffered the attack." he glanced back at Tsuzuki as he continued. "I don't know how it happened though, just that our eyes met and that it did."

Tsuzuki glanced back towards Tatsumi and Watari for a moment, thinking silently. "Tatsumi-san said he re-experienced his death, but Hisoka-kun said that what Tatsumi was going through was all in his mind.. perhaps your magic has changed somehow with your death.." he said as he turned his gaze from the two shinigami under the sakura back to Muraki.

Muraki studied Tsuzuki silently for a moment before nodding. "It is possible I suppose." he said quietly as he walked away from the sakura. "About that tour.."

Tsuzuki stepped out to join him on the stone path and smiled faintly. "The offer's still open."

"What about your friends..?"

Tsuzuki glanced back to see Watari help Tatsumi to his feet and both men turn towards the office building. "They'll be busy with each other for awhile yet, and I think Hisoka-kun has most likely gone off to find Maykai-kun and talk about the books they've been reading. He tends to do that whenever he needs to calm down." Tsuzuki's smile brightened slightly. "And for once I have no work to catch up on, so I'm free at the moment, or until Tatsumi recovers enough to find me something to do."

"Ah, I see. Just exactly what is it you do?" Muraki asked, turning to face the front of the large building, while continuing to watch Tsuzuki.

Tsuzuki began to walk towards the building backwards, so that he was still facing Muraki. "I'll show you." he said, his tone carrying a small amount of amusement within it. With a small shake of his head at the way Tsuzuki was walking, Muraki followed him towards the large entrance of the office building.