Author's Note: This was written as a contest entry in the Transformers fandom, hence the exposition of the first "scene." Mostly anime-based, and the year is now 2003.
Also, //line(s) of text// indicates whispering by someone not the narrator.
[Note that this has been heavily edited since original posting.]
Warnings: Some angst eventually, giant alien robots making a mess of things, undercover shounen-ai, and Magnus the Perpetually Pissy.
Disclaimer: Yami no Matsuei belongs to Matsushita Yoko and RiD belongs to Hasbro/Takara. I have no claim to anything except the plot.
Silver Sakura
Chapter 1: Shinigami
There are, in the realms of the supernatural, many agencies of power and all manner of creatures. Among them are the descendants of darkness, the powers of the underworld. It is said that Enma, Lord of Death, has many agents to assist in the handling of the technical aspects of the afterlife, seeing to it's proper management through the offices of Juuocho. Of those so charged, perhaps the most important are the shinigami of Enmacho's Shokan division, those who have been charged with conducting lost souls into the next life and investigating any anomalies in the smooth functioning of the kiseki, the List of the Dead.
The shinigami of the Kyuushuu district, the veteran mage Tsuzuki Asato and his young empath partner Kurosaki Hisoka, have been proclaimed as the foremost of the agency. They have investigated numerous strange occurances and survived more traps and twisted plots than is, perhaps, strictly fair. Often they have crossed paths with Muraki Kazutaka, a brilliant doctor whose search for power over life and death has driven him quite mad. Muraki cursed and murdered Hisoka years ago, an act directly responsible for Hisoka choosing to become shinigami. Now the mad doctor's quest has lead him to an obsession with Tsuzuki and the power the experienced shinigami possesses. Wary of openly challenging the considerable power to Tatsumi Seiichirou, kagetsukai and a close friend of Tsuzuki's, Muraki himself moves through shadows and silence, researching new avenues of capturing Tsuzuki without attracting the unwanted attention of the shadow master who has sworn to exact harshest revenge. For with the power of Tsuzuki's magic and his shikigami, Muraki would indeed become a master of life and death.
This contest for power may have continued on largely unnoticed by the secretive robot guardians of Earth if not for a chance discovery by the good doctor. While seeking more information on the Autobots charged with protecting Earth and their alien technology, Muraki happened to cross paths with the Decepticon commander, Scourge. From this accidental meeting came an uneasy alliance in the quest for knowledge and power.
Now, six months later, the first signs of impatience are beginning to show. . . .
"Hey Koji! Bet I can beat you home!"
"You're on!"
Three unseen entities stood beside the road, watching the two boys racing towards them. If not for the obvious youth of the third, they might look like businessmen. There was something about the other two, however, that would have made one think twice of bothering them. As though all three were shrouded in secrets as dark as the trenchcoats they wore. Sapphire, amethyst, and emerald eyes tracked the boys' progress until the youngest broke the silence.
"Tatsumi-san . . . are you certain?" Hisoka murmured, vivid green eyes shaded with doubt as he watched. "He doesn't even look sick. . . ."
"Looks can be deceiving," Tsuzuki replied, a faint frown marring his usually playful expression.
"There can be no mistake; his name is on the kiseki. He should have died six months ago but some power has interferred. I assume the two of you are capable of handling this assignment. . . ."
The kagetsukai shinigami only paused momentarily before disappearing into the shadows. Tsuzuki sighed as he finger-combed his black hair back from his face.
"I can't believe Tatsumi let this case get backlogged six months. How are we supposed to investigate this? The case is cold before we've even had a chance to start!"
"Calm down before you give me a headache. We'll think of something."
"Like what? Trying to kill him and seeing what happens? Actually. . . ."
"Tsuzuki! Wait. . . !"
But it was already too late; the dark-haired shinigami was already running after the two bicycles.
"Baka," Hisoka muttered to himself for the millionth time as he ran to catch up with his partner. Grabbing the mage's arm, he dragged Tsuzuki to a halt. HE was supposed to be the senior partner, the one with decades of experience . . . and he was acting like an idiot. As usual.
"Shimatta, Tsuzuki, think! You can't just unleash magic here. This is an investigation, not a chance to show off . . . remember?"
"All right, all right . . . so what do we do? The case is cold."
"You could start by actually reading the case file," the younger shinigami muttered, waving the file under his partner's nose. "You read, I'll watch. He's home now, so he won't be going anywhere for awhile."
"Ah, 'soka, you're so smart!"
"Just read," he grumbled moodily. Aside from the afternoon traffic, the street was empty, not that anyone could see them. Unless they were actively trying to be seen, only those with a profound need to seek the shinigami or those whom they had been sent to bring back could see them in their current, spiritual forms. So he was understandably startled when a voice addressed them.
"Is there something you gentlemen need?"
//"Uh, 'soka, did someone just talk to us?"
"Baka, of course not."//
"Because if there's no reason for you two to be here, I'd suggest moving on before someone calls the police."
Hisoka frowned in confusion; he wasn't familiar with automobiles, but the yellow sportscar idling before them looked out of place on the narrow street. Although, on second thought, the red eagle pictogram emblazoned on the hood would likely make it look out of place on any street. The design struck him as a rather ridiculous thing to have painted on one's car, particularly such an expensive one.
"Go on, kid, go home."
Amythest eyes narrowed in suspicion as Tsuzuki frowned at the yellow car. The windows were so heavily tinted there was no way to see the driver. A driver who could apparently see them, even though it should have been impossible. There was something strange about his voice as well, but Hisoka couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.
He was still trying to figure it out when the car unfolded into a giant robot.
"Now, I know you two aren't deaf. . . ."
Both shinigami stared up at the robot in disbelief, but it was Tsuzuki who recovered his voice first.
"A soulless construct of man can see shinigami?? That's impossible!"
"Now, see, where I come from, that's just rude. . . ."
"You are a robot," Hisoka offered, trying to gain some sort of grasp on reality. Angels, demons, vampires, enraged shikigami . . . he'd handled more strange things in his afterlife than he could easily count, and yet a transforming robot was sending his mind reeling. A situation that was not helped when he realized he was sensing concern from someone other than Tsuzuki.
"A Cybertronian, actually. Are you okay, kid?"
"I, um, I'll be fine. . . . Tsuzuki . . . I think we need to go back to Meifu. . . ."
". . . and wring Tatsumi's neck? I've got a better idea. . . ."
Tsuzuki called a dove to his hand, whispering to it briefly before sending it on it's way. Hisoka sat down on the curb, feeling strangely dizzy. He had never felt this disoriented with so few people around. Staying in Chijou wasn't his idea of a solution, but he would have to trust his partner's judgement. Even if his partner was an idiot.
REV stepped away from the two strange humans and waited. He allowed himself a thin smile when Hot Shot turned onto the street, transforming to join him outside the Onishi home. He had already told Doctor Onishi and Koji to remain inside; he didn't expect trouble, but he wanted to be ready, should trouble present itself.
"Assessment?"
"They claim to be shinigami. I don't know that I believe that, but whoever they are, they've been watching Koji all afternoon. And their EM spectra are off. Way off. They seemed pretty surprised that I could see them, too. 'Course, it's not like seeing a car transform right before your eyes wouldn't throw anyone for a loop the first time he saw it happen, ya know what I mean?"
Hot Shot merely nodded, studying their unexpected charges. The two humans looked ill at ease, the youth more so than his older partner. He had looked up when Hot Shot turned onto the street, but his head was back down on his knees now. The Autobots had encountered a lot of humans in their time on Earth, but even allowing for variation, these two had particularly uniform, cold spectra. And there was something else, something REV couldn't quite quantify. Something that had prompted him to run two sensor diagnostics already, not certain he could really believe the humans were even there.
"What is your interest in Koji?" Hot Shot asked calmly.
"What business is it of yours?" the older human demanded, strange purple eyes blazing in his outrage. REV couldn't recall ever seeing that color before. At least, not in a human's eyes.
"I believe I asked first," Hot Shot replied evenly.
"Tsuzuki, please. . . ."
Two words from his partner was enough to make the older man pause and subside in his anger. The youth looked up at Hot Shot and REV with pained eyes, though REV couldn't make sense of the silent message he sensed the child was trying to send him.
"As experienced as you both are, I should think a simple matter of retrieval could be handled without calling me. And without such language, Tsuzuki," a voice said dryly from the shadows.
"Oh yeah? Well . . . well . . . well, maybe if these constructs weren't breaking all the rules and if this wasn't a six-month-old case and . . . wait, retrieval? You said investigation!"
"I said assignment," the voice said coldly, it's owner stepping out of the shadows. REV blinked, running yet another diagnostic on his scanners; this human had simply . . . appeared in the shadow of a tree. He had not been there a minute ago. He did, however, possess the same depressed spectra as the other two humans.
"I am not a taxi service!!"
"Tsuzuki. . . ."
"That is debatable, but hardly relevant. That this fails to be a glamourous case is of no concern. If you are incapable of doing your job properly, Tsuzuki, then perhaps it is time you retired."
"Tatsumi-san. . . ."
"Retired! Hah! You yourself have made sure I'll be working for free for the rest of eternity!!"
"Tsuzuki. . . ."
"Hardly. I am not at fault for your tendancy to overcharge the department. Nor am I responsible for the damage you have done to the Shokan division. . . ."
"Tatsumi-san. . . ."
"Ai! That's not my fault! I was being possessed, remember? Demonic general intent on destruction and conquest mean anything to you? Okay, so I was stupid to let myself get into that situation, but it still wasn't my fault. Pah, you'd blame me for everything, wouldn't you, Seiichirou? I guess some things never change, ne?"
"Tsuzuki!"
"I see your ego has not decreased. . . ."
"Tatsumi-san, please!"
"Excuse me?!?!?"
"Perhaps if we interrupted for you kid?" REV drawled. The youth frowned up at him in annoyance, then turned back to his companions. The third human actually flinched minutely at the interruption, then cold professionalism slid back into place as he turned slightly to gaze up at REV and Hot Shot with impressive calm.
"They can hear you," the youth said lamely.
"So I see. . . ."
"I take it you are a person of some authority over these two?" Hot Shot asked calmly.
"In theory, though they sometimes argue the point," he replied, turning a dark look on Tsuzuki momentarily.
"Then perhaps you can explain who you are and what your interests are in the boy, Koji."
"And perhaps some names?" REV added. "Just so I can stop calling him 'kid'. . . ."
"Who we are is not --"
"Important? I beg to differ. We will not simply stand aside and let you kill him."
"I doubt very much that you would be able to stop us. . . ."
"Er, Tatsumi, I'm fairly sure they're the reason we're here," the human, Tsuzuki, interrupted. "If they can see us. . . ."
"Who are you," the slender newcomer demanded in icy tones, blue eyes burning with frozen ire, "that you can see shinigami and interfere in the demands of the kiseki?"
"Ever get that feeling like you're being ignored?" REV asked his partner, grinning unrepentantly. He could tell Hot Shot was not impressed with their supernatural visitors, not that he blamed him; for being charged with helping people make the transition from life to death, they had terrible manners.
"Tatsumi Seiichirou, Kurosaki Hisoka, and I'm Tsuzuki Asato. Apparently, this boy, Koji, was supposed to die six months ago, but something prevented it. You guys?"
"Six months ago? 'Shot?"
"That would have been Wedge's doing, I believe. Decepticon attack during a school outing, though we're still not sure why they tried to kill him specifically."
"Yeah, it's not like he has any special powers," REV mused, blinking at a tiny but insistent flashing indicator light. Signatures were approaching, but he set aside trying to figure out who - Hot Shot could worry about it. He was more concerned with these shinigami and what they wanted with Koji.
"Even without special powers he's annoying! You should thank us for ridding the world of his presence!"
"Forget it Scourge!" Hot Shot growled, shifting position to place himself between the raging Decepticon and the shinigami. As if shinigami needed protecting.
"Who's going to stop me, Autobot? You? Don't make me laugh."
"Then why don't you try taking me on, Scourge."
"Gladly, Mercenary! Sword of Fury!"
"Arm can--" but Ultra Magnus cut himself off abruptly as the very shadows came alive, entangling both Cybertronians' legs in thick chains of darkness. REV was actually surprised at what could only be the intervention of the shinigami.
"That will be quite enough. Had I known your kind was involved in this. . . ."
"Do not tell me you knew about these . . . things. . . ."
"Enough, Tsuzuki-san. Take Kurosaki-kun back to Meifu. As for you two. . . ."
The authoritative shinigami trailed off with a dark glower. It was only at his words that REV noticed Hisoka's increasing level of distress. Guilt nipped at him for not noticing sooner and then the youth and his strange partner were gone.
"As for the rest of you," Tatsumi grumbled, "your conflict has sent all of Meifu into an uproar. Kill each other if you must, but leave humanity out of it."
"I will do as I please," Scourge growled. "And you will not stop me, puny human."
"You test my patience at your own peril. Perhaps we will discover if your kind truly does possess a soul. . . ."
"Why you --!"
The shadows around his legs swelled and rose up like a living wall, wrapping around Scourge and holding him immobile, his arms trapped at his sides. REV could tell that Hot Shot was worried about the situation; he could feel his own disquiet rising as well. He had heard of the shinigami in passing before, but only as masters of fuda magic. This . . . this was something else entirely.
"You test him at your own folly, shinigami," Ultra Magnus rumbled darkly. "Know, too, that no war comes without collateral damage. If your kind cannot adapt to that. . . ."
The green glow of matrix energy surged down from Magnus's chest, shattering the delicate shadow weave that held him. REV tried to fight off an amused smirk at Tatsumi's fleeting look of shock, but from Hot Shot's expression he could tell that it wasn't working. The black 'bot's masked look of censure only made it that much harder for him to hold in a snicker and REV knew that they were going to have words later.
"He is your mortal enemy and yet you would defend him against me?"
"Funny how that happens. . . ."
"I don't need your protection, Mercenary!"
"And I'm not giving it, Decepticon. If anyone's killing you, by rights, it should be me.
"Besides," he drawled a moment later, "if I let him kill you, he might come after me next and where would be the fun in that?"
Somehow, Scourge's snort managed to sound both derisive and mocking. Tatsumi's own noise of disdain sounded no better.
"If you are quite done," Hot Shot said mildly in an attempt to head off any further shows of power, "perhaps you could see Scourge off, Magnus, while Tatsumi-san and I go for a drive. . . ."
REV watched his partner and commander transform to vehicle mode, as if dealing with Scourge could be so simple as merely suggesting a course of action. It rarely was, but Ultra Magnus had proven himself the stronger of the two yet again, so perhaps this time it would be.
"I have no intension of doing any such thing."
"I suggest you do, Tatsumi-san," REV said quietly. "Unless you wish to continue having these confrontations. . . ."
"Very well," the slender shinigami muttered, his eyes narrowing briefly in annoyance. REV was just going to ask him about the shadow wall when the ethereal restraints faded away.
"This isn't over, Mercenary, you hear me? This is not over. . . ."
"It never is," Magnus murmured as he stood, sentinel-like, watching the black tanker truck drive away.
"He reminds me of Muraki-san; you should not have defended him."
"Perhaps," Ultra Magnus conceded with a slight bow, "but it is done now. Have a nice ride."
With a brief nod to REV, the ungovernable matrix-bearer turned, transformed, and drove away.
Hot Shot took care to settle his passenger before pulling away from the Onishi home. He didn't feel completely comfortable with the apparent shadow mage, but if the shinigami were going to insist that Koji should be dead, he was obligated to at least try talking them out of it.
"Thank you for agreeing to speak with me."
"Considering I had little choice in the matter. . . ."
He ignored the implied barb, silently asking T-AI to activate the spacebridge. There was no particular reason to leave Japan - he could drive there as well as anywhere else - but he suspected they might have an easier time in the arid steppes of Mongolia. If nothing else, should things degenerate further, there would be no one else at risk.
"Where are you taking me?"
"Does it matter?"
"Must everything be a contest to you? Or is this merely a reflection of your kind's inability to respect others?"
"Respect among us is not given on command; it must be earned. Thus far I have seen no reason to offer you my respect, Tatsumi-san, only reasons to be wary of your shadow magic. You talk so highly of respect, yet you haven't even asked for my name. It's Hot Shot, by the way, and if it makes any difference to you at all, I'm a special operations unit commander. I thought a drive through the desert would be good for us both, Tatsumi-san. If nothing else, fewer innocent bystanders."
His passenger fumed in silence as they passed out of the spacebridge and onto the arid steppes. A dust cloud rose up behind him as he simply drove cross-country. Hot Shot was beginning to worry over how he was to start their conversation when Tatsumi sighed.
"If you intend to ask me to spare his life, do not bother; I do not have such power."
"Really. Then you lied - you do not command the shinigami."
"I never said I did," he corrected coolly. "I am Konoe-kachou's secretary and so, in that capacity, have some authority over Tsuzuki-san and Kurosaki-kun. But even so, the Shokan Division is bound by the directives of the kiseki; we are agents, not arbiters. Of all the shinigami, only Tsuzuki-san has ever prevailed upon Hakushaku-sama to extend a mortal's life . . . and I can only imagine what he owes for such considerations."
"It would seem we ourselves have some power to prevent his death."
"Only because his young soul should have no need of our aid in the crossing and so we were not directly involved. Now. . . ."
"You must know that we cannot allow this."
"And you must know that there is nothing you can do to stop us."
"He is only a boy. . . ."
"As was Kurosaki-kun. As were countless others before. As will be untold others after he is forgotten. His life is no more meaningful simply because you know him."
"It is to us."
"As mine was to my family, long ago. It changes nothing."
Hot Shot wanted to argue with the cold shinigami . . . but found that he couldn't. Koji was important to the Autobots as the son of Doctor Onishi and as a friend, but truthfully, his life meant little in the grander scheme of things. But the thought of just letting Koji die still rankled.
"He is your friend and so you do not wish him to die. But even your kind must live your time and die, though that time seems nearly forever to the humans around you. His time has passed and you have even been gifted an extra six months; there is nothing more you can do but to accept it."
"It's not fair."
"Life is rarely fair," Tatsumi murmured, and in the space between beats, the shinigami disappeared into the shadows within Hot Shot's own cabin.
It was raining in Meifu. Again.
"Why is it always raining when I bring you back here like this, Hisoka, hmm? Some spell you haven't told me about?"
"Not funny, Tsuzuki," his partner murmured, leaning against him heavily. The elder mage smoothed his ruffled hair, focusing on thinking warm, soothing thoughts. Hisoka's private sanctuary in Meifu, away from all others, was well shielded against outside thoughts, but Tsuzuki knew that, despite his own shields, his emotions were still coursing through his partner. The curse of Hisoka's gift and the power of physical contact.
"Baka. You don't have to worry about me so much. . . ."
"Of course I do; you almost collapsed. As it is, you can't even walk on your own right now."
Unable to argue the point, Hisoka sulked instead. Tsuzuki chuckled softly, hugging his sullen partner briefly before opening the door to Hisoka's Meifu apartment. It was unusual for any shinigami to have an apartment in Meifu - even Watari had an apartment in Tokyo - but the empath firmly claimed that he was not yet adept enough at shielding himself to be able to tolerate living in such a crowded city. Although, after so many years, Tsuzuki wondered if it wasn't more a case that his partner didn't wish to gain that level of mastery. He wasn't sure that he blamed him. Besides, the apartment in Meifu had proven convienent on days when the elder shinigami hadn't felt up to making the transition to Chijou.
"Feeling better?"
"What did I just tell you about worrying?"
"Wah! It's just the two of us, Hisoka; you don't have to act so cold. . . ."
"I. . . ."
"Well, if you're feeling better, we should go back and find out if Tatsumi dealt with the kid himself or not."
"You go, see what Tatsumi-san says. I'll be fine by the time you get back."
"Take a nap then" he suggested, ruffling Hisoka's hair. "You look like you could use it."
"Tsuzuki!"
He laughed as he ducked away from Hisoka's clumsy and half-hearted swat, hurrying to let himself out of the cloistered apartment. It was still raining, but not nearly as much as it had been. A gentle shower this time that felt not unlike a lover's caress against his skin. He was torn between hurrying towards shelter and lingering in the gentle fall of water. As a result, he was well and truly soaked by the time he reached Juuohcho. And yet, he couldn't make himself mind.
"Raining again I see."
"Hai. Is Tatsumi here?"
"No, he hasn't come back yet. Here, wait a second," Watari said, slipping back into his lab momentarily before throwing a towel at Tsuzuki. "Can't have you dripping everywhere, ne? Where's your partner?"
"Resting," he mumbled through the towel. While he wasn't terribly surprised to hear that Tatsumi wasn't back yet, it was a bit inconvienent. It meant the former shinigami could very well be clearing up the case himself. Then again, if he had, shouldn't he have been back?
"Come, have some tea and tell me what happened? Seiichirou was furious at your, how shall we say . . . summons?"
"I wasn't too happy either," he grumbled as he pulled the towel away from his face, following Watari into his lab.
"Hmm, no, I thought not," the blond shinigami murmured as he puttered about his lab, preparing the tea. Tsuzuki gave his hair another swipe with the towel before droping it on the back of the lone chair in the cluttered lab.
"Do you know when he'll be back?"
"Tatsumi? Who knows. There should be some snacks around here somewhere."
"Sweet ones, I hope!"
"Of course!" Watari laughed without turning away from his preparations. Tsuzuki eyed the lab curiously - who knew what strange potions had been secretly added to any snacks casually laying about, waiting for the unwary. Then again, the other shinigami had to eat occasionally, too. And the rice puffs in a grey bowl looked innocuous enough. They also tasted like fish eyes and pork rinds.
"Gah, what kind of snacks are these?"
"Aa, Tsuzuki!" Watari cried as he turned around. "Those are owl snacks!"
"Well they taste terrible!"
"003 likes them. Now sit and tell me what happened."
"Hai, hai, but it's not really that interesting. I don't mind backlogged cases so much, but it's been six months. And then there were these giant robots who could see us even though we should have been undetectable to mortals."
"Hai, the Cybertrons."
"What? You knew too??"
"Of course. The international bureaus have been complaining about them for months. As if we had any sort of control over such things. . . ."
"Why weren't we told?!"
"I only know because I made Tatsumi tell me. The deaths have been relatively few; Konoe-kachou didn't think it important. War casualities don't need to be investigated by these offices. But this information, that they can perceive us even when we would prefer to remain hidden . . . this is troubling. . . ."
"And our case is unresolved; Tatsumi sent us back because these robots - Cybertrons? - were disorienting Hisoka so badly he could hardly see."
"Bon? Is he okay?"
"He says he'll be fine, though I'll feel better about that when he actually is."
"Oh good. That poor boy gets into more trouble. . . ."
"Yes. It's a good thing he has me around to look after him."
Watari only smiled as he refilled their teacups, a silent invitation to stay longer. Oddly enough, the lab felt peaceful, restful. Until Tatsumi returned, it wasn't like Tsuzuki had anything pressing to do. If Watari didn't mind his company. . . . Tsuzuki picked up his teacup with a smile.
It had been such a good day, too. A solid night of sleep, no Decepticon activity all day . . . Optimus Prime hadn't even had his usual argument with his brother, Ultra Magnus. And then Hot Shot walked into his office, REV trailing behind with a steaming carafe and a tray of snacks. So much for having a good day, he thought to himself sourly.
"This is going to be bad news, isn't it?"
"Now why would you think that?" REV asked with forced cheerfulness.
"Because bad news always comes on Fridays," he replied dryly. "Because you rarely both come to report something, particularly not when your schedule indicates routine patrol. Because I've learned not to trust messengers bearing gifts. But most of all, because I was having a good day."
"Such a cynical worldview. . . ."
"Okay, then tell me I'm wrong. Please."
"I only wish I could," Hot Shot sighed as he sank into one of the chairs across from him. REV set his tray down, helped himself to a mug, and then settled in the other chair.
"All right, what happened? My brother?"
"Scourge did try to kill Koji again, but apparently Magnus had been following him. Scourge isn't really the problem, however. . . ."
"So this isn't just bad news, it's really bad news?"
"Sorry I'm late!" Crosswise apologized as he hurried into the office. "Research took a little longer than expected."
"Research?"
"What do you know of the shinigami?" Hot Shot asked pragmatically.
"The who?" Optimus responded with a hidden frown; he had the distinct feeling that his language buffer should have translated that last word for him.
"That's what I thought," the black Spychanger commander chuckled. "That's why I asked Crosswise to join us, after he did a little research, of course."
"Then please enlighten us, Crosswise."
"Certainly sir. The shinigami are agents of the afterlife, charged with investigating anomalies in the death rate and conducting lost souls to Juuohcho. There are eighteen shinigami who oversee the ten districts of Japan via the Shokan Division, with additional Shokan bureaus for each of the other nations."
"This is fascinating I'm sure, Crosswise, but what does it have to do with us?"
"A pair of shinigami were dispatched to investigate why Koji isn't dead . . . and to take him back to Meifu," Hot Shot reported quietly, his tone almost masking his unease. Silence fell over the room and for the first time in years, Optimus Prime felt at a loss for words.
"There must be some mistake," Crosswise said in disbelief. "Why would they want Koji? He's just a kid!"
"A kid with a dangerous lifestyle. To be honest, sir, he's been lucky to live this long."
"That may be, but I'm not willing to just accept this."
"Sir, I spoke with one of the shinigami. There really isn't anything we can do to stop them. Tatsumi-san had Scourge completely immobilized."
"Ultra Magnus did break free," REV added, "but we have no way of knowing if he could do it again."
"Hot Shot, if you think I'm going to just sit here and do nothing. . . ."
"With respect, sir, I don't see where there's anything we can do. I have no reason to doubt that Tatsumi-san could have killed Scourge had your brother not intervened."
"He did what?!"
"This entire conversation may be academic," REV sighed. "I came back because Magnus was watching the house, but the shinigami . . . for all we know, they could have killed Koji by now."
"No. Doctor Onishi would have contacted us if anything had happened."
"That's not really my point, sir. . . ."
"REV's right; the shinigami are agents empowered with magic and abilities beyond those of normal humans. In a very real sense, they are the Hand of Death, sir, and they will not be long denied by anyone or anything. The more we fight them, the more destructive they will become to achieve their goal. And if this pair has any shikigami to aid them. . . . Sir, this is one battle we can't win."
"Dammit, Crosswise, that's not acceptable!"
"Sir . . . we don't have a choice."
"When I get my hands on that human. . . !"
Scourge had been ranting since he came back to the base, though Mega-Octane had yet to figure out exactly what had happened. Neither had he been particularly eager to ask; his commander and friend had a deserved reputation for his destructive rage. However, Scourge's ire had at least cooled somewhat - Mega-Octane no longer felt like the mere question would get him gutted, so perhaps it was a good time to ask. Carefully.
"Koji? Or some other human germ?"
"No, not the brat. What did that Autodolt call him? Tatsumi. I will make him pay for making me look weak in front of the mercenary!" Scourge vowed, punching his fist into the palm of his other hand. Mega-Octane hid a frown; what could a solitary human do? Even the Autobots' human pet, Koji, had only ever been little more than an annoyance, a burr in the system that they would eventually remove. Since it sounded very much like Scourge had once again failed to actually kill the charmed brat. . . .
"Then the teen still lives. . . ?"
"Not for long. And then I'll deal with that arrogant fleshling. That . . . shinigami."
Mega-Octane flinched at the disgust and wrath Scourge poured into the last word. It wasn't a word he recognized, and that made him even more uneasy. Fortunately, he didn't have to leave his friend to research the foreign term. What he found, however, did not reassure him. » shinigami (n)(Jap) - literally, "god of death." Shinigami are believed to conduct lost souls to the afterlife. Legendary masters of fuda magic and the shikigami.
» shikigami (n)(Jap) - literally, "celestial gods." Shikigami are legendary animal spirits, reputed to serve and obey the shinigami and capable of great destruction.
Is this for real? This sounds like human legend and fairtale. But where would he hear of such things? From those Autobots? From that human, Tatsumi? Just what the pit has he gotten into this time?
"Bah! Enough of this! First I'm killing that boy, then I'm finding that human and destroying him!"
"Scourge. . . . Scourge. . . !"
But the black mech ignored him, storming out of the base, intent on his objective. Unable to do anything to make his friend stop, Mega-Octane gave up and resigned himself to following. He only hoped they weren't getting into something more than they could handle.
"I don't understand. If his name is on the kiseki, how has he managed to evade death so long? It's not like he's using magic to extend his life or anything like that."
"Watari thinks it's the Cybertrons, the giant robots. Which makes sense. If he's being targeted. . . . Tatsumi said they really don't want the kid to die. I can't really blame them. To die so young. . . ."
"It's doubtful he's just going to give up and die, not at his age. Any brilliant ideas on how to bring him back?"
"Fuda," Tsuzuki murmured, the light fading from his eyes. Hisoka immediately regretted his tone - taking the life of an innocent always made Tsuzuki feel incredibly guilty. It was their job to resolve anomalies in the kiseki and bring back those who had evaded death. Tsuzuki knew that; he had been a shinigami for over seventy-five years. Still, each death hurt as though it was the first.
"I had a feeling you two would be back."
Hisoka double checked, but he was still supposedly undetectable by normal mortals. At least he had thought to strengthen his shields before they had returned to Chijou. Still, even the muted emotions coming from the blue and white car carrier felt strange.
"Hai, Ultra Magnus-san. It is our job."
"Of course."
They both waited for the vehicle to become his true robot self, to challenge them in some way, but nothing happened. Hisoka wondered just what sort of game these Cybertrons were playing now.
"They're all asleep right now. Probably your best chance to take him without complications. People die in their sleep all the time. . . ."
"Wha-what?" Hisoka stuttered. "Aren't you going to try to stop us?"
"Why?"
"What game are you Cybertrons playing now?!" Tsuzuki demanded, covering his surprise and confusion with anger. Hisoka shivered at the empathic assault as the vehicle before them suddenly flew apart and rearranged itself to become a giant robot. He remembered this one now: the divine warrior lit from within by righteous wrath. The power of it stole his breath away, chilling and yet burning to the bone at the same time.
"We are called Autobots, and there is no game," the robot rumbled, his entire presence taking on a darker tone; rage barely contained battered against Hisoka's shields but he forced them to stay up, forced himself to hear out the robot. "As I told your supervisor, war means death. Sometimes innocents get in the way. I'm a general - I know the price of war. Moreover, I am ignoring my brother's tacit wishes to give you this chance to do your job unhindered. And still you insist on insulting me? I'm running out of patience with you . . . shinigami."
The sneer in the robot warrior's voice made Hisoka's hackles bristle, his shields gaining strength from his own anger. From the strip of ofuda in Tsuzuki's hand, his partner wasn't particularly impressed either. The massive cannon that suddenly appeared, braced against the robot's right shoulder, did not improve matters.
"Don't think I won't defend myself. Primus, you two must be thick. Just do your job and get out of here."
"Tsuzuki-san! Hisoka-san! Wait! Tsuzuki-san!!"
"What the . . . a floating chicken in a yukata?"
"Gushoshin!"
"Tsuzuki-san! Is the teen still alive?"
"What? Gushoshin, what are you doing here?"
"Tsuzuki-san, this is very important! Is he still alive?"
"Yes, but--"
"Oh good! When Tatsumi-san said you were here to finish the job. . . ."
"Gushoshin, what's going on?"
"You can't kill him, Tsuzuki-san."
"What? Why not? //Not that I'd mind, but. . . .//"
"I don't know."
". . . ."
"Gushoshin, is this boy's name on the kiseki or not?"
"It is, Hisoka-san . . . but Tsuzuki-san can't kill him."
"Not to be overly pragmatic," Ultra Magnus interrupted, suddenly interjecting himself into the conversation as he plucked Gushoshin out of the air, "but if your people want this kid's soul . . . he's not going to sleep forever. Especially not with you squawking outside his window. Make up your mind and let these two kids do their job!"
"I am not a kid!" Hisoka spat back.
"I was leading battles while your species was still huddling in caves," Magnus snarled in response.
"Onishi-kun is on the kiseki," Gushoshin explained, even though it wasn't entirely clear if Ultra Magnus was still listening. "But Tsuzuki-san musn't kill him. At least, we're pretty sure he can't. But we think Hisoka-san should be able to do the job for him . . . maybe. . . ."
"Wha-what?" Hisoka sputtered. "Why?"
"Because it's a trap! It has been from the very beginning. If Tsuzuki-san kills the boy, the curse we found will activate! It could be the end of everything!"
"Then it's a good thing no one's killing anyone. Right, Magnus?"
//"Who is this guy?"
"Why couldn't someone tell us about this curse sooner?"//
"I warned you," the larger robot grumbled, releasing Gushoshin. "You should have listened to me, shinigami. And you . . . you shouldn't have come here, brother."
"You know how I feel. . . ."
"You always were an idealist."
"What is it with you Cybertrons . . . Autobots . . . whatever! Just who do you think you are, anyway? Telling us what we can and cannot do. We're shinigami! We'll do as we please!"
"Hisoka-san!"
The larger robot, Ultra Magnus, actually laughed at his words, but the emotions coming from him were not mocking. He was amused, there was no denying that, but there was also a vague sense of respect and . . . admiration? The stream of dark emotion from the towering robot cut off suddenly, replaced with respect for someone willing to stand up for themselves even when the opponent could literally squash them without thinking.
"Magnus. . . ."
"What, angry because they say things you do not like? Or because you know you're powerless to stop them? Go on, boy, do your job."
"But the curse," Gushoshin murmured. "Shouldn't we investigate?"
"A curse keyed to Tsuzuki can only mean one thing," Hisoka murmured in response, turning to his partner with worried eyes. They had known the bastard wasn't dead, but after years of silence, he knew they had both been hoping he had given up on them.
"Muraki."
Also, //line(s) of text// indicates whispering by someone not the narrator.
[Note that this has been heavily edited since original posting.]
Warnings: Some angst eventually, giant alien robots making a mess of things, undercover shounen-ai, and Magnus the Perpetually Pissy.
Disclaimer: Yami no Matsuei belongs to Matsushita Yoko and RiD belongs to Hasbro/Takara. I have no claim to anything except the plot.
Chapter 1: Shinigami
There are, in the realms of the supernatural, many agencies of power and all manner of creatures. Among them are the descendants of darkness, the powers of the underworld. It is said that Enma, Lord of Death, has many agents to assist in the handling of the technical aspects of the afterlife, seeing to it's proper management through the offices of Juuocho. Of those so charged, perhaps the most important are the shinigami of Enmacho's Shokan division, those who have been charged with conducting lost souls into the next life and investigating any anomalies in the smooth functioning of the kiseki, the List of the Dead.
The shinigami of the Kyuushuu district, the veteran mage Tsuzuki Asato and his young empath partner Kurosaki Hisoka, have been proclaimed as the foremost of the agency. They have investigated numerous strange occurances and survived more traps and twisted plots than is, perhaps, strictly fair. Often they have crossed paths with Muraki Kazutaka, a brilliant doctor whose search for power over life and death has driven him quite mad. Muraki cursed and murdered Hisoka years ago, an act directly responsible for Hisoka choosing to become shinigami. Now the mad doctor's quest has lead him to an obsession with Tsuzuki and the power the experienced shinigami possesses. Wary of openly challenging the considerable power to Tatsumi Seiichirou, kagetsukai and a close friend of Tsuzuki's, Muraki himself moves through shadows and silence, researching new avenues of capturing Tsuzuki without attracting the unwanted attention of the shadow master who has sworn to exact harshest revenge. For with the power of Tsuzuki's magic and his shikigami, Muraki would indeed become a master of life and death.
This contest for power may have continued on largely unnoticed by the secretive robot guardians of Earth if not for a chance discovery by the good doctor. While seeking more information on the Autobots charged with protecting Earth and their alien technology, Muraki happened to cross paths with the Decepticon commander, Scourge. From this accidental meeting came an uneasy alliance in the quest for knowledge and power.
Now, six months later, the first signs of impatience are beginning to show. . . .
"Hey Koji! Bet I can beat you home!"
"You're on!"
Three unseen entities stood beside the road, watching the two boys racing towards them. If not for the obvious youth of the third, they might look like businessmen. There was something about the other two, however, that would have made one think twice of bothering them. As though all three were shrouded in secrets as dark as the trenchcoats they wore. Sapphire, amethyst, and emerald eyes tracked the boys' progress until the youngest broke the silence.
"Tatsumi-san . . . are you certain?" Hisoka murmured, vivid green eyes shaded with doubt as he watched. "He doesn't even look sick. . . ."
"Looks can be deceiving," Tsuzuki replied, a faint frown marring his usually playful expression.
"There can be no mistake; his name is on the kiseki. He should have died six months ago but some power has interferred. I assume the two of you are capable of handling this assignment. . . ."
The kagetsukai shinigami only paused momentarily before disappearing into the shadows. Tsuzuki sighed as he finger-combed his black hair back from his face.
"I can't believe Tatsumi let this case get backlogged six months. How are we supposed to investigate this? The case is cold before we've even had a chance to start!"
"Calm down before you give me a headache. We'll think of something."
"Like what? Trying to kill him and seeing what happens? Actually. . . ."
"Tsuzuki! Wait. . . !"
But it was already too late; the dark-haired shinigami was already running after the two bicycles.
"Baka," Hisoka muttered to himself for the millionth time as he ran to catch up with his partner. Grabbing the mage's arm, he dragged Tsuzuki to a halt. HE was supposed to be the senior partner, the one with decades of experience . . . and he was acting like an idiot. As usual.
"Shimatta, Tsuzuki, think! You can't just unleash magic here. This is an investigation, not a chance to show off . . . remember?"
"All right, all right . . . so what do we do? The case is cold."
"You could start by actually reading the case file," the younger shinigami muttered, waving the file under his partner's nose. "You read, I'll watch. He's home now, so he won't be going anywhere for awhile."
"Ah, 'soka, you're so smart!"
"Just read," he grumbled moodily. Aside from the afternoon traffic, the street was empty, not that anyone could see them. Unless they were actively trying to be seen, only those with a profound need to seek the shinigami or those whom they had been sent to bring back could see them in their current, spiritual forms. So he was understandably startled when a voice addressed them.
"Is there something you gentlemen need?"
//"Uh, 'soka, did someone just talk to us?"
"Baka, of course not."//
"Because if there's no reason for you two to be here, I'd suggest moving on before someone calls the police."
Hisoka frowned in confusion; he wasn't familiar with automobiles, but the yellow sportscar idling before them looked out of place on the narrow street. Although, on second thought, the red eagle pictogram emblazoned on the hood would likely make it look out of place on any street. The design struck him as a rather ridiculous thing to have painted on one's car, particularly such an expensive one.
"Go on, kid, go home."
Amythest eyes narrowed in suspicion as Tsuzuki frowned at the yellow car. The windows were so heavily tinted there was no way to see the driver. A driver who could apparently see them, even though it should have been impossible. There was something strange about his voice as well, but Hisoka couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.
He was still trying to figure it out when the car unfolded into a giant robot.
"Now, I know you two aren't deaf. . . ."
Both shinigami stared up at the robot in disbelief, but it was Tsuzuki who recovered his voice first.
"A soulless construct of man can see shinigami?? That's impossible!"
"Now, see, where I come from, that's just rude. . . ."
"You are a robot," Hisoka offered, trying to gain some sort of grasp on reality. Angels, demons, vampires, enraged shikigami . . . he'd handled more strange things in his afterlife than he could easily count, and yet a transforming robot was sending his mind reeling. A situation that was not helped when he realized he was sensing concern from someone other than Tsuzuki.
"A Cybertronian, actually. Are you okay, kid?"
"I, um, I'll be fine. . . . Tsuzuki . . . I think we need to go back to Meifu. . . ."
". . . and wring Tatsumi's neck? I've got a better idea. . . ."
Tsuzuki called a dove to his hand, whispering to it briefly before sending it on it's way. Hisoka sat down on the curb, feeling strangely dizzy. He had never felt this disoriented with so few people around. Staying in Chijou wasn't his idea of a solution, but he would have to trust his partner's judgement. Even if his partner was an idiot.
REV stepped away from the two strange humans and waited. He allowed himself a thin smile when Hot Shot turned onto the street, transforming to join him outside the Onishi home. He had already told Doctor Onishi and Koji to remain inside; he didn't expect trouble, but he wanted to be ready, should trouble present itself.
"Assessment?"
"They claim to be shinigami. I don't know that I believe that, but whoever they are, they've been watching Koji all afternoon. And their EM spectra are off. Way off. They seemed pretty surprised that I could see them, too. 'Course, it's not like seeing a car transform right before your eyes wouldn't throw anyone for a loop the first time he saw it happen, ya know what I mean?"
Hot Shot merely nodded, studying their unexpected charges. The two humans looked ill at ease, the youth more so than his older partner. He had looked up when Hot Shot turned onto the street, but his head was back down on his knees now. The Autobots had encountered a lot of humans in their time on Earth, but even allowing for variation, these two had particularly uniform, cold spectra. And there was something else, something REV couldn't quite quantify. Something that had prompted him to run two sensor diagnostics already, not certain he could really believe the humans were even there.
"What is your interest in Koji?" Hot Shot asked calmly.
"What business is it of yours?" the older human demanded, strange purple eyes blazing in his outrage. REV couldn't recall ever seeing that color before. At least, not in a human's eyes.
"I believe I asked first," Hot Shot replied evenly.
"Tsuzuki, please. . . ."
Two words from his partner was enough to make the older man pause and subside in his anger. The youth looked up at Hot Shot and REV with pained eyes, though REV couldn't make sense of the silent message he sensed the child was trying to send him.
"As experienced as you both are, I should think a simple matter of retrieval could be handled without calling me. And without such language, Tsuzuki," a voice said dryly from the shadows.
"Oh yeah? Well . . . well . . . well, maybe if these constructs weren't breaking all the rules and if this wasn't a six-month-old case and . . . wait, retrieval? You said investigation!"
"I said assignment," the voice said coldly, it's owner stepping out of the shadows. REV blinked, running yet another diagnostic on his scanners; this human had simply . . . appeared in the shadow of a tree. He had not been there a minute ago. He did, however, possess the same depressed spectra as the other two humans.
"I am not a taxi service!!"
"Tsuzuki. . . ."
"That is debatable, but hardly relevant. That this fails to be a glamourous case is of no concern. If you are incapable of doing your job properly, Tsuzuki, then perhaps it is time you retired."
"Tatsumi-san. . . ."
"Retired! Hah! You yourself have made sure I'll be working for free for the rest of eternity!!"
"Tsuzuki. . . ."
"Hardly. I am not at fault for your tendancy to overcharge the department. Nor am I responsible for the damage you have done to the Shokan division. . . ."
"Tatsumi-san. . . ."
"Ai! That's not my fault! I was being possessed, remember? Demonic general intent on destruction and conquest mean anything to you? Okay, so I was stupid to let myself get into that situation, but it still wasn't my fault. Pah, you'd blame me for everything, wouldn't you, Seiichirou? I guess some things never change, ne?"
"Tsuzuki!"
"I see your ego has not decreased. . . ."
"Tatsumi-san, please!"
"Excuse me?!?!?"
"Perhaps if we interrupted for you kid?" REV drawled. The youth frowned up at him in annoyance, then turned back to his companions. The third human actually flinched minutely at the interruption, then cold professionalism slid back into place as he turned slightly to gaze up at REV and Hot Shot with impressive calm.
"They can hear you," the youth said lamely.
"So I see. . . ."
"I take it you are a person of some authority over these two?" Hot Shot asked calmly.
"In theory, though they sometimes argue the point," he replied, turning a dark look on Tsuzuki momentarily.
"Then perhaps you can explain who you are and what your interests are in the boy, Koji."
"And perhaps some names?" REV added. "Just so I can stop calling him 'kid'. . . ."
"Who we are is not --"
"Important? I beg to differ. We will not simply stand aside and let you kill him."
"I doubt very much that you would be able to stop us. . . ."
"Er, Tatsumi, I'm fairly sure they're the reason we're here," the human, Tsuzuki, interrupted. "If they can see us. . . ."
"Who are you," the slender newcomer demanded in icy tones, blue eyes burning with frozen ire, "that you can see shinigami and interfere in the demands of the kiseki?"
"Ever get that feeling like you're being ignored?" REV asked his partner, grinning unrepentantly. He could tell Hot Shot was not impressed with their supernatural visitors, not that he blamed him; for being charged with helping people make the transition from life to death, they had terrible manners.
"Tatsumi Seiichirou, Kurosaki Hisoka, and I'm Tsuzuki Asato. Apparently, this boy, Koji, was supposed to die six months ago, but something prevented it. You guys?"
"Six months ago? 'Shot?"
"That would have been Wedge's doing, I believe. Decepticon attack during a school outing, though we're still not sure why they tried to kill him specifically."
"Yeah, it's not like he has any special powers," REV mused, blinking at a tiny but insistent flashing indicator light. Signatures were approaching, but he set aside trying to figure out who - Hot Shot could worry about it. He was more concerned with these shinigami and what they wanted with Koji.
"Even without special powers he's annoying! You should thank us for ridding the world of his presence!"
"Forget it Scourge!" Hot Shot growled, shifting position to place himself between the raging Decepticon and the shinigami. As if shinigami needed protecting.
"Who's going to stop me, Autobot? You? Don't make me laugh."
"Then why don't you try taking me on, Scourge."
"Gladly, Mercenary! Sword of Fury!"
"Arm can--" but Ultra Magnus cut himself off abruptly as the very shadows came alive, entangling both Cybertronians' legs in thick chains of darkness. REV was actually surprised at what could only be the intervention of the shinigami.
"That will be quite enough. Had I known your kind was involved in this. . . ."
"Do not tell me you knew about these . . . things. . . ."
"Enough, Tsuzuki-san. Take Kurosaki-kun back to Meifu. As for you two. . . ."
The authoritative shinigami trailed off with a dark glower. It was only at his words that REV noticed Hisoka's increasing level of distress. Guilt nipped at him for not noticing sooner and then the youth and his strange partner were gone.
"As for the rest of you," Tatsumi grumbled, "your conflict has sent all of Meifu into an uproar. Kill each other if you must, but leave humanity out of it."
"I will do as I please," Scourge growled. "And you will not stop me, puny human."
"You test my patience at your own peril. Perhaps we will discover if your kind truly does possess a soul. . . ."
"Why you --!"
The shadows around his legs swelled and rose up like a living wall, wrapping around Scourge and holding him immobile, his arms trapped at his sides. REV could tell that Hot Shot was worried about the situation; he could feel his own disquiet rising as well. He had heard of the shinigami in passing before, but only as masters of fuda magic. This . . . this was something else entirely.
"You test him at your own folly, shinigami," Ultra Magnus rumbled darkly. "Know, too, that no war comes without collateral damage. If your kind cannot adapt to that. . . ."
The green glow of matrix energy surged down from Magnus's chest, shattering the delicate shadow weave that held him. REV tried to fight off an amused smirk at Tatsumi's fleeting look of shock, but from Hot Shot's expression he could tell that it wasn't working. The black 'bot's masked look of censure only made it that much harder for him to hold in a snicker and REV knew that they were going to have words later.
"He is your mortal enemy and yet you would defend him against me?"
"Funny how that happens. . . ."
"I don't need your protection, Mercenary!"
"And I'm not giving it, Decepticon. If anyone's killing you, by rights, it should be me.
"Besides," he drawled a moment later, "if I let him kill you, he might come after me next and where would be the fun in that?"
Somehow, Scourge's snort managed to sound both derisive and mocking. Tatsumi's own noise of disdain sounded no better.
"If you are quite done," Hot Shot said mildly in an attempt to head off any further shows of power, "perhaps you could see Scourge off, Magnus, while Tatsumi-san and I go for a drive. . . ."
REV watched his partner and commander transform to vehicle mode, as if dealing with Scourge could be so simple as merely suggesting a course of action. It rarely was, but Ultra Magnus had proven himself the stronger of the two yet again, so perhaps this time it would be.
"I have no intension of doing any such thing."
"I suggest you do, Tatsumi-san," REV said quietly. "Unless you wish to continue having these confrontations. . . ."
"Very well," the slender shinigami muttered, his eyes narrowing briefly in annoyance. REV was just going to ask him about the shadow wall when the ethereal restraints faded away.
"This isn't over, Mercenary, you hear me? This is not over. . . ."
"It never is," Magnus murmured as he stood, sentinel-like, watching the black tanker truck drive away.
"He reminds me of Muraki-san; you should not have defended him."
"Perhaps," Ultra Magnus conceded with a slight bow, "but it is done now. Have a nice ride."
With a brief nod to REV, the ungovernable matrix-bearer turned, transformed, and drove away.
Hot Shot took care to settle his passenger before pulling away from the Onishi home. He didn't feel completely comfortable with the apparent shadow mage, but if the shinigami were going to insist that Koji should be dead, he was obligated to at least try talking them out of it.
"Thank you for agreeing to speak with me."
"Considering I had little choice in the matter. . . ."
He ignored the implied barb, silently asking T-AI to activate the spacebridge. There was no particular reason to leave Japan - he could drive there as well as anywhere else - but he suspected they might have an easier time in the arid steppes of Mongolia. If nothing else, should things degenerate further, there would be no one else at risk.
"Where are you taking me?"
"Does it matter?"
"Must everything be a contest to you? Or is this merely a reflection of your kind's inability to respect others?"
"Respect among us is not given on command; it must be earned. Thus far I have seen no reason to offer you my respect, Tatsumi-san, only reasons to be wary of your shadow magic. You talk so highly of respect, yet you haven't even asked for my name. It's Hot Shot, by the way, and if it makes any difference to you at all, I'm a special operations unit commander. I thought a drive through the desert would be good for us both, Tatsumi-san. If nothing else, fewer innocent bystanders."
His passenger fumed in silence as they passed out of the spacebridge and onto the arid steppes. A dust cloud rose up behind him as he simply drove cross-country. Hot Shot was beginning to worry over how he was to start their conversation when Tatsumi sighed.
"If you intend to ask me to spare his life, do not bother; I do not have such power."
"Really. Then you lied - you do not command the shinigami."
"I never said I did," he corrected coolly. "I am Konoe-kachou's secretary and so, in that capacity, have some authority over Tsuzuki-san and Kurosaki-kun. But even so, the Shokan Division is bound by the directives of the kiseki; we are agents, not arbiters. Of all the shinigami, only Tsuzuki-san has ever prevailed upon Hakushaku-sama to extend a mortal's life . . . and I can only imagine what he owes for such considerations."
"It would seem we ourselves have some power to prevent his death."
"Only because his young soul should have no need of our aid in the crossing and so we were not directly involved. Now. . . ."
"You must know that we cannot allow this."
"And you must know that there is nothing you can do to stop us."
"He is only a boy. . . ."
"As was Kurosaki-kun. As were countless others before. As will be untold others after he is forgotten. His life is no more meaningful simply because you know him."
"It is to us."
"As mine was to my family, long ago. It changes nothing."
Hot Shot wanted to argue with the cold shinigami . . . but found that he couldn't. Koji was important to the Autobots as the son of Doctor Onishi and as a friend, but truthfully, his life meant little in the grander scheme of things. But the thought of just letting Koji die still rankled.
"He is your friend and so you do not wish him to die. But even your kind must live your time and die, though that time seems nearly forever to the humans around you. His time has passed and you have even been gifted an extra six months; there is nothing more you can do but to accept it."
"It's not fair."
"Life is rarely fair," Tatsumi murmured, and in the space between beats, the shinigami disappeared into the shadows within Hot Shot's own cabin.
It was raining in Meifu. Again.
"Why is it always raining when I bring you back here like this, Hisoka, hmm? Some spell you haven't told me about?"
"Not funny, Tsuzuki," his partner murmured, leaning against him heavily. The elder mage smoothed his ruffled hair, focusing on thinking warm, soothing thoughts. Hisoka's private sanctuary in Meifu, away from all others, was well shielded against outside thoughts, but Tsuzuki knew that, despite his own shields, his emotions were still coursing through his partner. The curse of Hisoka's gift and the power of physical contact.
"Baka. You don't have to worry about me so much. . . ."
"Of course I do; you almost collapsed. As it is, you can't even walk on your own right now."
Unable to argue the point, Hisoka sulked instead. Tsuzuki chuckled softly, hugging his sullen partner briefly before opening the door to Hisoka's Meifu apartment. It was unusual for any shinigami to have an apartment in Meifu - even Watari had an apartment in Tokyo - but the empath firmly claimed that he was not yet adept enough at shielding himself to be able to tolerate living in such a crowded city. Although, after so many years, Tsuzuki wondered if it wasn't more a case that his partner didn't wish to gain that level of mastery. He wasn't sure that he blamed him. Besides, the apartment in Meifu had proven convienent on days when the elder shinigami hadn't felt up to making the transition to Chijou.
"Feeling better?"
"What did I just tell you about worrying?"
"Wah! It's just the two of us, Hisoka; you don't have to act so cold. . . ."
"I. . . ."
"Well, if you're feeling better, we should go back and find out if Tatsumi dealt with the kid himself or not."
"You go, see what Tatsumi-san says. I'll be fine by the time you get back."
"Take a nap then" he suggested, ruffling Hisoka's hair. "You look like you could use it."
"Tsuzuki!"
He laughed as he ducked away from Hisoka's clumsy and half-hearted swat, hurrying to let himself out of the cloistered apartment. It was still raining, but not nearly as much as it had been. A gentle shower this time that felt not unlike a lover's caress against his skin. He was torn between hurrying towards shelter and lingering in the gentle fall of water. As a result, he was well and truly soaked by the time he reached Juuohcho. And yet, he couldn't make himself mind.
"Raining again I see."
"Hai. Is Tatsumi here?"
"No, he hasn't come back yet. Here, wait a second," Watari said, slipping back into his lab momentarily before throwing a towel at Tsuzuki. "Can't have you dripping everywhere, ne? Where's your partner?"
"Resting," he mumbled through the towel. While he wasn't terribly surprised to hear that Tatsumi wasn't back yet, it was a bit inconvienent. It meant the former shinigami could very well be clearing up the case himself. Then again, if he had, shouldn't he have been back?
"Come, have some tea and tell me what happened? Seiichirou was furious at your, how shall we say . . . summons?"
"I wasn't too happy either," he grumbled as he pulled the towel away from his face, following Watari into his lab.
"Hmm, no, I thought not," the blond shinigami murmured as he puttered about his lab, preparing the tea. Tsuzuki gave his hair another swipe with the towel before droping it on the back of the lone chair in the cluttered lab.
"Do you know when he'll be back?"
"Tatsumi? Who knows. There should be some snacks around here somewhere."
"Sweet ones, I hope!"
"Of course!" Watari laughed without turning away from his preparations. Tsuzuki eyed the lab curiously - who knew what strange potions had been secretly added to any snacks casually laying about, waiting for the unwary. Then again, the other shinigami had to eat occasionally, too. And the rice puffs in a grey bowl looked innocuous enough. They also tasted like fish eyes and pork rinds.
"Gah, what kind of snacks are these?"
"Aa, Tsuzuki!" Watari cried as he turned around. "Those are owl snacks!"
"Well they taste terrible!"
"003 likes them. Now sit and tell me what happened."
"Hai, hai, but it's not really that interesting. I don't mind backlogged cases so much, but it's been six months. And then there were these giant robots who could see us even though we should have been undetectable to mortals."
"Hai, the Cybertrons."
"What? You knew too??"
"Of course. The international bureaus have been complaining about them for months. As if we had any sort of control over such things. . . ."
"Why weren't we told?!"
"I only know because I made Tatsumi tell me. The deaths have been relatively few; Konoe-kachou didn't think it important. War casualities don't need to be investigated by these offices. But this information, that they can perceive us even when we would prefer to remain hidden . . . this is troubling. . . ."
"And our case is unresolved; Tatsumi sent us back because these robots - Cybertrons? - were disorienting Hisoka so badly he could hardly see."
"Bon? Is he okay?"
"He says he'll be fine, though I'll feel better about that when he actually is."
"Oh good. That poor boy gets into more trouble. . . ."
"Yes. It's a good thing he has me around to look after him."
Watari only smiled as he refilled their teacups, a silent invitation to stay longer. Oddly enough, the lab felt peaceful, restful. Until Tatsumi returned, it wasn't like Tsuzuki had anything pressing to do. If Watari didn't mind his company. . . . Tsuzuki picked up his teacup with a smile.
It had been such a good day, too. A solid night of sleep, no Decepticon activity all day . . . Optimus Prime hadn't even had his usual argument with his brother, Ultra Magnus. And then Hot Shot walked into his office, REV trailing behind with a steaming carafe and a tray of snacks. So much for having a good day, he thought to himself sourly.
"This is going to be bad news, isn't it?"
"Now why would you think that?" REV asked with forced cheerfulness.
"Because bad news always comes on Fridays," he replied dryly. "Because you rarely both come to report something, particularly not when your schedule indicates routine patrol. Because I've learned not to trust messengers bearing gifts. But most of all, because I was having a good day."
"Such a cynical worldview. . . ."
"Okay, then tell me I'm wrong. Please."
"I only wish I could," Hot Shot sighed as he sank into one of the chairs across from him. REV set his tray down, helped himself to a mug, and then settled in the other chair.
"All right, what happened? My brother?"
"Scourge did try to kill Koji again, but apparently Magnus had been following him. Scourge isn't really the problem, however. . . ."
"So this isn't just bad news, it's really bad news?"
"Sorry I'm late!" Crosswise apologized as he hurried into the office. "Research took a little longer than expected."
"Research?"
"What do you know of the shinigami?" Hot Shot asked pragmatically.
"The who?" Optimus responded with a hidden frown; he had the distinct feeling that his language buffer should have translated that last word for him.
"That's what I thought," the black Spychanger commander chuckled. "That's why I asked Crosswise to join us, after he did a little research, of course."
"Then please enlighten us, Crosswise."
"Certainly sir. The shinigami are agents of the afterlife, charged with investigating anomalies in the death rate and conducting lost souls to Juuohcho. There are eighteen shinigami who oversee the ten districts of Japan via the Shokan Division, with additional Shokan bureaus for each of the other nations."
"This is fascinating I'm sure, Crosswise, but what does it have to do with us?"
"A pair of shinigami were dispatched to investigate why Koji isn't dead . . . and to take him back to Meifu," Hot Shot reported quietly, his tone almost masking his unease. Silence fell over the room and for the first time in years, Optimus Prime felt at a loss for words.
"There must be some mistake," Crosswise said in disbelief. "Why would they want Koji? He's just a kid!"
"A kid with a dangerous lifestyle. To be honest, sir, he's been lucky to live this long."
"That may be, but I'm not willing to just accept this."
"Sir, I spoke with one of the shinigami. There really isn't anything we can do to stop them. Tatsumi-san had Scourge completely immobilized."
"Ultra Magnus did break free," REV added, "but we have no way of knowing if he could do it again."
"Hot Shot, if you think I'm going to just sit here and do nothing. . . ."
"With respect, sir, I don't see where there's anything we can do. I have no reason to doubt that Tatsumi-san could have killed Scourge had your brother not intervened."
"He did what?!"
"This entire conversation may be academic," REV sighed. "I came back because Magnus was watching the house, but the shinigami . . . for all we know, they could have killed Koji by now."
"No. Doctor Onishi would have contacted us if anything had happened."
"That's not really my point, sir. . . ."
"REV's right; the shinigami are agents empowered with magic and abilities beyond those of normal humans. In a very real sense, they are the Hand of Death, sir, and they will not be long denied by anyone or anything. The more we fight them, the more destructive they will become to achieve their goal. And if this pair has any shikigami to aid them. . . . Sir, this is one battle we can't win."
"Dammit, Crosswise, that's not acceptable!"
"Sir . . . we don't have a choice."
"When I get my hands on that human. . . !"
Scourge had been ranting since he came back to the base, though Mega-Octane had yet to figure out exactly what had happened. Neither had he been particularly eager to ask; his commander and friend had a deserved reputation for his destructive rage. However, Scourge's ire had at least cooled somewhat - Mega-Octane no longer felt like the mere question would get him gutted, so perhaps it was a good time to ask. Carefully.
"Koji? Or some other human germ?"
"No, not the brat. What did that Autodolt call him? Tatsumi. I will make him pay for making me look weak in front of the mercenary!" Scourge vowed, punching his fist into the palm of his other hand. Mega-Octane hid a frown; what could a solitary human do? Even the Autobots' human pet, Koji, had only ever been little more than an annoyance, a burr in the system that they would eventually remove. Since it sounded very much like Scourge had once again failed to actually kill the charmed brat. . . .
"Then the teen still lives. . . ?"
"Not for long. And then I'll deal with that arrogant fleshling. That . . . shinigami."
Mega-Octane flinched at the disgust and wrath Scourge poured into the last word. It wasn't a word he recognized, and that made him even more uneasy. Fortunately, he didn't have to leave his friend to research the foreign term. What he found, however, did not reassure him. » shinigami (n)(Jap) - literally, "god of death." Shinigami are believed to conduct lost souls to the afterlife. Legendary masters of fuda magic and the shikigami.
» shikigami (n)(Jap) - literally, "celestial gods." Shikigami are legendary animal spirits, reputed to serve and obey the shinigami and capable of great destruction.
Is this for real? This sounds like human legend and fairtale. But where would he hear of such things? From those Autobots? From that human, Tatsumi? Just what the pit has he gotten into this time?
"Bah! Enough of this! First I'm killing that boy, then I'm finding that human and destroying him!"
"Scourge. . . . Scourge. . . !"
But the black mech ignored him, storming out of the base, intent on his objective. Unable to do anything to make his friend stop, Mega-Octane gave up and resigned himself to following. He only hoped they weren't getting into something more than they could handle.
"I don't understand. If his name is on the kiseki, how has he managed to evade death so long? It's not like he's using magic to extend his life or anything like that."
"Watari thinks it's the Cybertrons, the giant robots. Which makes sense. If he's being targeted. . . . Tatsumi said they really don't want the kid to die. I can't really blame them. To die so young. . . ."
"It's doubtful he's just going to give up and die, not at his age. Any brilliant ideas on how to bring him back?"
"Fuda," Tsuzuki murmured, the light fading from his eyes. Hisoka immediately regretted his tone - taking the life of an innocent always made Tsuzuki feel incredibly guilty. It was their job to resolve anomalies in the kiseki and bring back those who had evaded death. Tsuzuki knew that; he had been a shinigami for over seventy-five years. Still, each death hurt as though it was the first.
"I had a feeling you two would be back."
Hisoka double checked, but he was still supposedly undetectable by normal mortals. At least he had thought to strengthen his shields before they had returned to Chijou. Still, even the muted emotions coming from the blue and white car carrier felt strange.
"Hai, Ultra Magnus-san. It is our job."
"Of course."
They both waited for the vehicle to become his true robot self, to challenge them in some way, but nothing happened. Hisoka wondered just what sort of game these Cybertrons were playing now.
"They're all asleep right now. Probably your best chance to take him without complications. People die in their sleep all the time. . . ."
"Wha-what?" Hisoka stuttered. "Aren't you going to try to stop us?"
"Why?"
"What game are you Cybertrons playing now?!" Tsuzuki demanded, covering his surprise and confusion with anger. Hisoka shivered at the empathic assault as the vehicle before them suddenly flew apart and rearranged itself to become a giant robot. He remembered this one now: the divine warrior lit from within by righteous wrath. The power of it stole his breath away, chilling and yet burning to the bone at the same time.
"We are called Autobots, and there is no game," the robot rumbled, his entire presence taking on a darker tone; rage barely contained battered against Hisoka's shields but he forced them to stay up, forced himself to hear out the robot. "As I told your supervisor, war means death. Sometimes innocents get in the way. I'm a general - I know the price of war. Moreover, I am ignoring my brother's tacit wishes to give you this chance to do your job unhindered. And still you insist on insulting me? I'm running out of patience with you . . . shinigami."
The sneer in the robot warrior's voice made Hisoka's hackles bristle, his shields gaining strength from his own anger. From the strip of ofuda in Tsuzuki's hand, his partner wasn't particularly impressed either. The massive cannon that suddenly appeared, braced against the robot's right shoulder, did not improve matters.
"Don't think I won't defend myself. Primus, you two must be thick. Just do your job and get out of here."
"Tsuzuki-san! Hisoka-san! Wait! Tsuzuki-san!!"
"What the . . . a floating chicken in a yukata?"
"Gushoshin!"
"Tsuzuki-san! Is the teen still alive?"
"What? Gushoshin, what are you doing here?"
"Tsuzuki-san, this is very important! Is he still alive?"
"Yes, but--"
"Oh good! When Tatsumi-san said you were here to finish the job. . . ."
"Gushoshin, what's going on?"
"You can't kill him, Tsuzuki-san."
"What? Why not? //Not that I'd mind, but. . . .//"
"I don't know."
". . . ."
"Gushoshin, is this boy's name on the kiseki or not?"
"It is, Hisoka-san . . . but Tsuzuki-san can't kill him."
"Not to be overly pragmatic," Ultra Magnus interrupted, suddenly interjecting himself into the conversation as he plucked Gushoshin out of the air, "but if your people want this kid's soul . . . he's not going to sleep forever. Especially not with you squawking outside his window. Make up your mind and let these two kids do their job!"
"I am not a kid!" Hisoka spat back.
"I was leading battles while your species was still huddling in caves," Magnus snarled in response.
"Onishi-kun is on the kiseki," Gushoshin explained, even though it wasn't entirely clear if Ultra Magnus was still listening. "But Tsuzuki-san musn't kill him. At least, we're pretty sure he can't. But we think Hisoka-san should be able to do the job for him . . . maybe. . . ."
"Wha-what?" Hisoka sputtered. "Why?"
"Because it's a trap! It has been from the very beginning. If Tsuzuki-san kills the boy, the curse we found will activate! It could be the end of everything!"
"Then it's a good thing no one's killing anyone. Right, Magnus?"
//"Who is this guy?"
"Why couldn't someone tell us about this curse sooner?"//
"I warned you," the larger robot grumbled, releasing Gushoshin. "You should have listened to me, shinigami. And you . . . you shouldn't have come here, brother."
"You know how I feel. . . ."
"You always were an idealist."
"What is it with you Cybertrons . . . Autobots . . . whatever! Just who do you think you are, anyway? Telling us what we can and cannot do. We're shinigami! We'll do as we please!"
"Hisoka-san!"
The larger robot, Ultra Magnus, actually laughed at his words, but the emotions coming from him were not mocking. He was amused, there was no denying that, but there was also a vague sense of respect and . . . admiration? The stream of dark emotion from the towering robot cut off suddenly, replaced with respect for someone willing to stand up for themselves even when the opponent could literally squash them without thinking.
"Magnus. . . ."
"What, angry because they say things you do not like? Or because you know you're powerless to stop them? Go on, boy, do your job."
"But the curse," Gushoshin murmured. "Shouldn't we investigate?"
"A curse keyed to Tsuzuki can only mean one thing," Hisoka murmured in response, turning to his partner with worried eyes. They had known the bastard wasn't dead, but after years of silence, he knew they had both been hoping he had given up on them.
"Muraki."