A/N (yeth, she speaketh again... coughs)
Anyway... here's chapter #4 and whoever thought it couldn't get worse... you have never read a Macx LaraBee cooperation story before! g This chappie is short, but it packs an impact, which is why I cut it off where it is. There's a ton of information in here and I hope it gets across the way we planned it to.
Have fun (she sayeth with an evil smile)
The night passed without any mentionable changes or incidents. Rikugo sat vigil over Touda, working in shifts with Kochin, while Sohryu spent the time in deep contemplation outside the palace, sitting at the lake that was nothing but an inky spot in the middle of nowhere at the moment. Moonlight, broken by clouds passing over the sickle, barely reflected in the hidden place. Usually the lake gave him the peace of mind he needed to think things through, but not this time.
Sohryu knew this situation was deadly serious, for Touda and for their master. He couldn't imagine losing the young man who had bested him so long ago. He couldn't imagine not feeling his presence in GensouKai, not touching him, not seeing him smile. Tsuzuki meant so much to so many. Sohryu doubted the shinigami was even aware of his importance. If he was, he probably didn't acknowledge it to himself out loud.
It was in the morning hours when he returned that one of his servants hurried toward the God, clutching a scroll. Sohryu didn't have to ask where it came from. It bore the seal of their Emperor. So he accepted the scroll and the servant left.
Walking into his chambers, the scroll in hand, Sohryu discovered he had someone waiting for him. Genbu, Protector of the North, and Suzaku, the Protector of the South, and like him one of Tsuzuki's shikigami. Genbu gazed serenely at him from under bushy eyebrows.
"I see the Emperor has called," Genbu remarked, walking after Tsuzuki as the dragon strode toward his desk.
"Yes. Is there something I can do for you?"
Genbu smiled. "No. We just wanted to see if you needed help from us. With Byakko spending most of his time with Touda, things are a bit disorderly, I believe."
Sohryu snorted, breaking the imperial seal. "I can manage, thank you."
Suzaku was just about to say something, but she stopped when Sohryu stared at the scroll, eyes widening.
"Sohryu?"
The dragon sat down heavily, eyes distant, face a mask. Suzaku looked at her fellow God, then at Genbu, who was gazing at the dragon with the same quizzical expression.
"Sohryu?" she asked again.
Their leader appeared pale, shocked, as if whatever he had just heard behind these closed doors had shook up his world, maybe even worse.
"What's wrong?" Genbu wanted to know.
"This is much worse than it looks," Sohryu answered softly. "Much. I need to call a council of the twelve." He smiled wryly for a moment. "Well, eleven."
That alone told Suzaku how serious it was.
"I'll inform the others," Genbu just said and walked off, faster than anyone would have believed the small man was capable off.
° ° °
It couldn't be called a true, classical council meeting, due to the fact that it wasn't held in the council chamber and that four members weren't able to be present in person. Sitting on the hastily delivered chairs in the large yard of Tenkuu, the Divine Commanders looked at their leader as Sohryu prepared to inform them of something that would change everything.
Tenkuu would relay his words to the quarantined shikigami inside the building, in turn telling Sohryu if either of the three had something to say.
Sohryu looked at the assembled Divine Commanders.
"I called you here because of recent information concerning our latest crisis. There is more to this than the danger Touda and with him Tsuzuki are in. We all are in danger, but not just the twelve of us. I'm talking about the whole of GensouKai- and more."
Murmurs could be heard.
"You know we are all connected. All life in GensouKai is connected to this realm. We live and breathe together, and death hurts us all to a degree. Touda's illness has an effect on the twelve of us, as well as Tsuzuki, who shares a bond with him. Should Touda die, Tsuzuki will probably not survive the backlash."
More murmurs rose. They all knew that, they all feared it. Deep within them was the need to protect their master and currently there was nothing they could do.
"But Tsuzuki's death would have an even greater effect than simply freeing us from a master we love. We grew through him, our powers developed. All of us can feel it. The four Gods who protect GensouKai reached a power level that we never even considered possible. Our power is reflected in the stability of this realm. Our power made it possible to balance our home within the digital world, to overcome the difficult times with the worm holes, and to continue as strongly as before."
Sohryu looked at them all, noted the first uneasy looks and growing realization.
"Should Tsuzuki die, the power he has deep inside him, the power that sustains us and through us our home, will disappear. Instability will be the result. GensouKai would separate completely from Meifu, close all Gates, destroy them, and become adrift. We would be lost."
"No..." Suzaku whispered, aghast. "It can't be!"
"But it is. Enma-Daiou apparently knew what Tsuzuki's existence as a shinigami could be, what it could create. His step to make our master one of the angels of death had been planned. It was around the time the first problems in GensouKai appeared, when we first considered moving our world. Shortly after we four Gods became his shikigami, we moved GensouKai into the digital realm. Ever since then, we grew. With each Divine Commander joining us as servants of our master, we became stronger. The last step and the completion of this process was the connection between Touda and Tsuzuki, sealing a pact no one knew about- except Enma-Daiou and the Emperor."
Sohryu inhaled deeply, noting the silent horror and amazement in the faces of the others.
"It's a network that stands and falls with our master. Tsuzuki is the life blood and back bone of GensouKai, and with it even of Meifu and the world of the living. He is our source of power, our strength, our weakness."
The silence was deafening.
"What will we do now?" Tenkuu rumbled, the deep voice echoing within her walls of the yard.
"We can't do anything at the moment. I wanted you to know what we are facing."
"If we can't find a cure for Touda, he will die, taking Tsuzuki with him, and as an aftereffect GensouKai will become unstable," Rikugo's words relayed by Tenkuu.
"Yes, exactly. With GensouKai adrift, Meifu loses us as its allies. The instability will spread. Enma-Daiou's realm is the buffer and catalyst for Hell and Heaven as well, not to mention the world of the living. Should Meifu fall in chaos because we lose our shinigami partners, the angels of death have a much harder time operating and working their cases, and Hell might gain a temporary advantage, which Heaven needs to compensate for. It's all a precarious balance and Tsuzuki is its central point, its pivotal point. We can only hope that there is a way to heal Touda," Sohryu explained levelly.
There was nothing else they could do but trust in Meifu to find a solution because their own healing capabilities were reaching their limit.
If GensouKai went down, so would Meifu. And with it the world of the living. And in the end, maybe even Heaven and Hell. They were all connected, they all lived off the other.
Sohryu closed his eyes, feeling the weight of his responsibility more than ever.
tbc...