Author's Note: Day J-6. Intended to be read immediately after III, for the sake of symbology.
Warnings: Spoilers for "Lost in Jade" and Kyoto Arc. Tsu/Touda, Rikugou/Kouchin, hints of Tat/Wat
Disclaimer: Yami no Matsuei is the property of Matsushita Yoko - I'm just borrowing a few things. The plot is all mine though.


Black Dove
IV. Doves

Rikugou dashed his hand through the fountain's pool in annoyance, sending a spray of water towards his returning companion. It was nearly noon of the second day and still the stellar oracle remained clouded. It was, in a word, maddening. Without the oracle's guidance, there was nothing he could do to aid the effort to find Hisoka and time was running out.
"Would it then be safe to assume that your oracle is still clouded, Rikugou?" SohRyu murmured, hand raised as the water droplets froze in midair at his silent command.
"Yes, SohRyu, it's still clouded. I don't get it! I should be able to see something!"
"Then it would appear that the time has come for your second plan," the other shikigami said calmly, releasing his control of the water to allow it to splash harmlessly to the ground. Rikugou couldn't help but smile; it was so like SohRyu not to want his robes dampened, even by a few stray drops.
"Hai, hai. I'll return to GenSouKai, talk to Kijin and Kouchin. I just . . . was hoping not to have to do this. Do you know how long it's been since I was summoned to Chijou?"
"Not off hand, no. . . ."
"Heian era. The Heian era, SohRyu! I barely manage here in Meifu. What am I going to do among the humans? And Kouchin? I doubt very much she's been to Chijou any more recently than I have. . . ."
"You are both intelligent, adaptable people, Rikugou. If my son is unable to assist you, then I have faith you will both be able to adjust to the realities of the modern world."
Sighing and waving his hands at SohRyu, Rikugou was momentarily tempted to kick sakura petals at the man, but the urge passed swiftly. He was only trying to help, really; it wasn't his fault that the oracle was being so uncooperative.
"And what about you?"
"Tsuzuki should stay in GenSouKai as much as possible, on that point I believe we are agreed, yes? He would not feel comfortable doing that if he thought he might miss something important. I will remain so that he need not carry that fear."
"So generous of you, SohRyu," he said, smirking slightly. The guardian of the east twitched slightly, the only real sign of the shikigami's displeasure with Rikugou's tone. A final unrepentant smile and then he returned to Tenkuu.
The midday sun sparkled off the sakura-dappled stones of the walk leading to the main entrance of the palace he called home as one of the twelve. Hearing laughter in the forecourt, he detoured to investigate and smiled when he found Byakko in his tiger form, romping around with a laughing Tenkou. When she caught sight of him, she giggled and bounced over to him, hugging him as if he had been gone for years instead of only two days.
"Isn't Daddy with you?"
"No, Tenkou, he's still in Meifu. But he misses you and he thinks about you all the time."
"Oh, well, that's okay then. But he'll be home again soon, right? Before Tsuzuki-niisan leaves? I think niisan is the only reason Suzaku and Touda haven't declared all-out war on each other," the girl confided with a worried look.
"Hai, as soon as Kurosaki-kun is found. But . . . Suzaku's been trying to kill Touda for months. Why do you think it's suddenly worse?" he asked, crouching down to Tenkou's level. They had briefly tried to keep the feuding under wraps for Tenkou's sake, but Suzaku's inability to control her temper around Touda had made that impossible.
"Aniki won't tell me," she pouted. "He just says to stay away from them. Aniki and Byakko and Kouchin and Taimou and Tsuzuki-niisan and even Tenkuu are conspiring against me."
"Now why would anyone do that, Byakko?" he asked as the tiger shikigami joined them, tail swaying guiltily.
"Eh-heh, well . . . you know how neechan really worries about Asato-nii, right?"
"Right. . . ."
"And, you know, she really doesn't like Touda, ne?"
"Right," Rikugou confirmed, not sure he liked where this conversation was leading.
"Well, Asato-nii's been spending, um, a lot of time with him, see. . . . He says he ordered her not to pick fights with Touda anymore, but, well, you know how Suzaku is about orders she doesn't like. . . ."
"Sou desu ne . . . her temper is going to get her in trouble one of these days," he sighed as he rose to his feet. "Where is your aniki, Tenkou?"
"Somewhere," she replied with a shrug. "Play with me more, Byakko!"
"Aren't you tired yet?" Byakko mock-whined as he loped after the giggling girl. Rikugou watched them retreat for a moment before entering Tenkuu, pausing briefly to brush a few stray petals from his robes. Have the sakura here no better sense than those of Meifu? Ah, but then it is spring again, isn't it? So easy to forget. . . .
"Tenkuu, where's --?"
"Kijin is in the Eastern Palace, beside the great reflecting pool."
Of course Tenkuu would know who I sought, he thought with mild amusement. He wasted no time finding the young thunder god, unsurprised at the tea set that waited beside Kijin. Naturally the palace would have alerted the youth to his impending arrival. Between the gentle whispering breeze and the naturally soothing atmosphere of the garden, Rikugou was only too happy to linger and enjoy Kijin's tea.
"Is it true, sempai? Is Kurosaki-san truly lost?"
"Yes, and I fear my plan to find him has been a rather dismal failure. But perhaps your methods will succeed where my oracle has been clouded?"
"We can but hope and see," Kijin replied placidly. But even after an entire afternoon of diligent searching, they had learned only slightly more than they had known before. Cards, stones, scrying . . . always the answers were clouded, tainted by something that did not want to be seen. It perplexed Kijin as much as it had him, though at least they had managed a few small victories. Small comfort though it was, they could tell Tsuzuki with confidence that Muraki no longer held power over Hisoka. It was a truth that presented more questions than answers, but perhaps it would be some consolation. And combined with the confirmation that Hisoka had sent the dove from somewhere in Kyoto. . . .
"Never before have I seen the lines of force so muddled. And for what reason? I do not understand it, sempai."
"Hai. It's almost as if . . . as if. . . ."
"As if?"
"Oh nothing, nothing. Tenkuu, please have Kouchin meet me . . . wherever Tsuzuki-sensei is right now."
"The Northern rose garden."
"Honto ni? Well then, the Northern rose garden."
"Why so surprised, sempai? Niisan has always loved roses. . . ."
"Mm, so he has," Rikugou mused, smiling as he left. It was true that Tsuzuki had always had a certain fondness for the rose gardens of the Southern and Eastern Palaces. But in the nearly three-quarters of a century since first swearing allegiance to him, Rikugou had never known him to spend any great amount time in the Northern Palace at all, let alone the rose guarden. And then he remembered Byakko's words. Was that the reason? Had servant and master retreated to Genbu's palace to escape the firebird of the south?
"Rikugou-kun! Good, good, you've returned. Now shoo those two fools out of my garden! Che, you never should have allowed me to agree to giving him quarters in my palace! What were you thinking, not looking out for your master?! How irresponsible of you!"
"I was thinking," he replied smoothly, "that Asato-nii had charmed you as smoothly as he'd charmed the others. Now out of the way, old man! I have to meet with Kouchin!"
He spotted Touda first, a black-clad anomaly in the midst of the multi-colored garden. He was lounging on one of the marble benches, leaning against a striking purple arbor wound with delicate white climbing roses. Rikugou stopped and stared, surprised at the sight; he had never seen Touda so relaxed. And then he spotted the reason for that ease: a bundled Tsuzuki nestled against the snake god's chest.
"Ne, Rikugou, they are good for each other, don't you think?" Kouchin whispered from behind him, fingertips brushing against his shoulder fleetingly. "This is the closest I've ever seen him to being happy and niisan . . . he's worried about Kurosaki-kun, of course, but it doesn't eat at him as it has been this past week."
"And Suzaku?"
"Aa . . . heard about that, ne? Anou . . . they spend most of their time together, so. . . ."
"Then we must think of some way of keeping her contained while he summons us to Chijou. . . ."
"Summons us? But . . . why should niisan do that?"
"Come. Though it disturb their peace, it is easier to tell it only once."
"As if you haven't been a disturbance from the moment you set foot in this guardian," Touda called out to them, not even bothering to glance at them. Rikugou sighed but couldn't make himself feel especially surprised; for one such as Touda, intimate awareness of all that surrounded him was a vital survival tactic, one that could not simply be turned off just because he was on safe ground. Particularly since the rebellious shikigami didn't consider Tenkuu's grounds to truly be a safe haven at all.
As he and Kouchin approached the pair, Tsuzuki pulled himself into a sitting position, but still remained leaning against Touda. Violet eyes appeared dim, as if he had been napping. From the blanket around his shoulders, perhaps that was exactly what he had been doing.
"Rikugou and Kouchin," the shinigami mumbled blurrily. "But no SohRyu, no Hisoka. And it's . . . mid-afternoon of the second day. You promised, Rikugou."
"That I did, sensei. And as promised, we have a lead; Hisoka sent the bird from somewhere in Kyoto. And he is not with Muraki."
"Kyoto . . . that's Watari's area! He and I can go get Hisoka!"
"It is, yes, but Watari-san cannot retrace the dove's steps, which will be necessary for this case. Kouchin, however, can. Together, we can track down your partner and bring him back safely."
"You two?" Touda murmured in disbelief. "You wouldn't last an hour without giving yourselves away. Might as well send SohRyu to fetch the boy back!"
"What does it matter? It might even be beneficial for our true natures to be known. . . ."
"It matters," Touda muttered, fingers twining through Tsuzuki's possessively. If Rikugou hadn't known better, he would have thought the shikigami was nervous. But the thought of a nervous Touda was beyond laughable.
"Touda. . . ."
"It matters. If they see shikigami, especially two of the twelve, then all of this will have been for nothing."
"Touda, what are you talking about? If you know who's holding Kurosa--"
"Does it matter the how or the why?" he snapped sharply, an angry glare clearly visible in spite of the visor he wore. "But it's only logic, Rikugou. Whoever's holding him, if they see you coming, they'll move. And then what will you do?"
"He's got a point," Tsuzuki sighed. "Your human forms are too noticeable. I'll have to bring you to Meifu first, to ensure you will not be noticed so easily. You as well, Touda; I don't trust her not to try something. . . ."
"She cannot defeat me."
"All the same, I'd rather not tempt her into trying. Especially since she'll feel it when I start summoning," Tsuzuki murmured. Sitting upright, he unwrapped the blanket from his shoulders and twisted around to kiss Touda. For the first time in decades, Rikugou felt a blush creeping into his cheeks at such a public act of tenderness.
"Kawaii, ne Rikugou?" Kouchin murmured, seemingly emboldened by their master's display as her own arm wrapped around his waist.
"Not the word I'd use for it," he whispered in response.
"I will summon you each soon," Tsuzuki murmured in parting. Rikugou could feel the hum of power slowly building, the sure sign that one of the twelve would soon be summoned. If he wished to speak in the relative privacy of the garden, he would have to do so quickly. It took time to reset one's mind before summoning a shikigami, but Tsuzuki had always been especially swift. Particularly when highly motivated.
"Ne, Touda . . . you and sensei have bonded rather quickly. . . ."
Anger flashed across Touda's visor and black spectral fire danced at his fingertips as he surged to his feet.
"Matte, matte! Not like that!" he cried hurriedly. "We approve, Kouchin and I! You're good for each other."
"Then why bring it up?" the snake god growled, still not placated.
"To tell you that, well, whatever any of the others say . . . you have our support. And if there's anything you need, anything we can do to help you. . . ."
Kouchin was about to add her own thoughts when the power around them spiked and the magic of Tsuzuki's summoning enfolded Touda, whisking him away to Meifu. A playful glint shone in Kouchin's eyes, but whatever mischief she was thinking remained unvoiced as another whirlwind of summoning magic pulled her away. He could hear Suzaku's angry yells and just barely caught a glimpse of the enraged shikigami before the magic summoned him to Meifu as well.
"Suzaku's livid," he reported with a shake of his head.
"I'm not surprised," Tsuzuki sighed, turning to lean against Touda momentarily. He had drawn them to the sakura orchard again and the air was alive with delicate petals sent aloft by the winds of their summoning. It was marvelously beautiful and yet terribly sad at the same time.
"Aa, now I see why SohRyu-sama wanted me to meet you. Welcome back, Tsuzuki."
"Watari," Tsuzuki murmured and with effort the shinigami separated himself from Touda to smile tiredly at the blond warden of the sixth block.
"Oya, catch you napping, Tsuzuki? Well don't you worry. Find some place to finish that nap while I take care of Rikugou and the lady. Aiming for completely inconspicous, right?"
"Hai. Think you and Wakaba-chan can manage that without me?"
"Oy! I haven't been dead that long! Don't worry, we'll handle this. You just finish your nap. These two can find you when we're done, right?"
"Should be able to, yes," Tsuzuki replied with a yawn. "And . . . try not to take too long?"
"Well . . . we'll see. No promises."
"Time is on our side, sensei," Touda murmured. "Let him take as long as he needs. Especially with Kouchin."
"Hey!"
Touda flashed a predatory smile before steering Tsuzuki away from Juuohcho. From what Rikugou had seen in the last two days, the snake god was right. In fact, he himself was relatively lucky - a few borrowed items from Watari and he would be able to blend in easily enough. Kouchin, on the other hand, was going to need considerably more work and in a division dominated by men, finding her someone to loan her clothes could prove somewhat problematic.
"Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! I'll call Saya and Yuma immediately!" Wakaba cried, not even waiting for an introduction before darting off to make her call.
"All right, just what is wrong with the way I look?" Kouchin demanded archly.
"Ah, well, nothing really," Watari temporized. "It's just . . . well, actually, I'm not sure that's ever really been in style, but then I'm hardly a fashion expert. Besides, the point is to draw as little attention to yourselves as possible, right? It shouln't be too hard, once we find the right clothes. And I promise, we'll work around the whole hair length issue. I've already been lectured once, thanks."
It was early evening by the time Watari, Saya, Yuma, Wakaba, Tsuzuki and Touda were all satified that Rikugou and Kouchin would not attract undue attention just by walking the streets of Kyoto. Kouchin's irritation with the need to change at all had swiftly given way to bemusement as Saya and Yuma both rambled in obvious envy of her hair. Which was fortunate, as Rikugou had not been looking forward to a prolonged mission with an annoyed partner.
Rikugou had to admit, he was impressed. Each of Kouchin's geometric flower tatoos had been carefully masked with a combination of foundation, careful fuda, and sensible clothes. Gone was the ribboned crossbreed of ancient and pseudo modern clothing, replaced with a long dark plum skirt and matching jacket, a soft cream shirt, and modest, chunky-heeled brown boots. Her long black hair had been gingerly unbound and then replaited into a single long braid. The transformative power of such simple changes was amazing and had it not been for the ring she still wore, he might have doubted this was in fact his Kouchin.
"It's . . . amazing," he murmured.
"Why, Rikugou, you've hardly changed at all!" Kouchin laughed. And it was true. All he had needed were a freshly-dyed pair of black jeans, a grey long-sleeved t-shirt with navy blue striping down the sleeves, a black jacket for the trip to Chijou, and hiking boots, all borrowed from Watari. As long as his hair was, they had opted for a simple tail rather than his normal complex plait. It would be a little unusual, but there was no helping it.
"There are a few more things we need to cover before we can set you loose upon an unsuspecting Kyoto," Watari said with a grin. "Tsuzuki, why don't you go ahead to the commissary downstairs and I'll go fetch out our sulking Tatsumi."
"The commissary? But why not one of the meeting rooms? Or the break room, even!"
"Because it's dinner time, of course, and if we use the office for this any more, he really won't come out. You know how he is."
"Hai, hai," Tsuzuki replied, giggling for the first time Rikugou had seen since this entire thing had begun. Latching on to Touda's hand possessively, Tsuzuki began dragging the bewildered snake god out of Watari's lab, Rikugou and Kouchin trailing behind in vast amusement. Despite Touda's efforts, he couldn't get the shinigami to release his hand until they had actually reached the basement of Juuohcho, by which time it was far too late to do anything but what their master wished: enter the commissary.
Everyone looked up as their unusual party entered the room, Tsuzuki leading them all to one of the larger tables away from the scattered other patrons of the commissary. While there was over a dozen people there, not including the commissary's staff, even combined, their spiritual energy was far less than any of the shinigami he had met. From the awed looks they were casting at Tsuzuki, they knew it. And they knew who he was as well.
"Sensei, who are those people?" Touda asked with a tone of contempt.
"Hmm? Oh, other Juuocho employees. Court officials, clerks, maintenance, couriers, visitors from field offices, infirmary staff. There's only eighteen shinigami, you know; not everyone can be like us."
"Why are they staring at us then?" Kouchin whispered.
"Because Shokan employees don't come down here very often," Tsuzuki murmured in response. "I've come down a couple of times, when the break room upstairs is out of sweets. Besides, Touda tends to stand out a bit."
Tsuzuki grinned up at the shikigami seated next to him, as if to negate any possible hurt from his words, but it was obvious that Touda didn't care what anyone else thought of him. Fortunately they didn't have to worry about any more troubling conversation as Watari and Tatsumi arrived, the latter looking annoyed at the way the former was all but latched onto his arm.
"This is ridiculous behavior, Watari-san."
"Oh stop grouching and sit down. Even you need to eat sometime. And there's no reason not to help them out while you do it. More efficient, yes?"
"Would it be too much to hope that they had briefed you both on modern Kyoto?" Tatsumi asked with a vaguely defeated-sounding sigh. Rikugou chuckled as he nodded his assent. It had been a rather crash-coure style of education, but he was confident both he and Kouchin knew enough to manage for the amount of time needed.
"They only possible trouble would be money. We don't exactly have any human currency," Kouchin murmured.
"I've already booked you a hotel room," Tatsumi explained, pushing a medium-sized manila envelop across the table. "I've also arranged a small amount of cash and an expense account, though it is hoped that you can achieve this mission swiftly enough not to have need of either."
"And I've gathered a list of safehouses - places that will be happy to help you in any way they can. In addition, these two will know how to send me a message, should it become necessary to contact us for any reason," Watari offered, handing Rikugou a short list of what looked like shrines.
"Is all this really necessary?" Tsuzuki asked with a worried frown. "How long could it take to find Hisoka?"
"Ah, well, we're getting a bit of a late start," Rikugou confessed uneasily. "I don't know precisely how long it will take to find him, really. And this is all hinging on the hope that he hasn't been moved since he sent that dove."
"And . . . and if he has?" the eldest shinigami asked, his lower lip actually quivering as he asked.
"Then they'll have to plan a new course of action from there," Touda answered for them. "If he's been moved, which we don't know that he has."
"Yes . . . yes of course," Tsuzuki murmured, more to reassure himself than anything else.
"I'm sure we'll find him swiftly enough, sensei," Rikugou murmured soothingly. "After all, Kijin said he was in Kyoto. Even if he's not where he was before, he can't have gone too far."
Tsuzuki visibly perked up at that; such was the young shikigami's gift that what Kijin said was invariably the truth. And though Rikugou already knew they would be in Kyoto for several days thanks to the young thunder emperor's divinations, there was no reason to tell Tsuzuki that. It would only worry the man further. As much as he was anxious to return Kurosaki-kun to the shinigami, Rikugou also wouldn't begrudge his master a few more days of relative peace with Touda.