Author: J.J.
Warning: It's BASED ON THE MANGA... it's unbetaed, it contains some OOC, some use of Japanese words (the Dictionary is at the bottom), a bit of sappiness, some spoilers...
Notes: This work is based on the manga even if it makes perfect sense even if you haven't read it. After all this story is placed before the series start so it shouldn't be a problem.
About the characters... Tsuzuki and Touda are a bit different from the original because this fic is placed back in their past. I'm supposing they and their relationship changed with time.
Warning over notes: This fic is filled with notes. You will find them at the bottom. Each time you see a number between brackets it means there's a note connected to the word/sentence that preceded it. Many of them explain references to other series, to YnM manga only or YnM anime only facts for who didn't get to read the manga or see the anime, explain apparently illogical things or warn you there's an explanation for illogical facts but that you'll get it later. However I suggest you to read the notes AFTER you finished the fic unless the word/sentence connected to the note is really troublesome for you to understand. Anyway the fic should be still understandable without the notes. Notes are merely extra explanations for who wants to know more or search for spoilers.
Disclaimer:
"Yami no Matsuei" belong to Matsushita Yoko. I'm merely using her characters because I love them... especially Touda, Tsuzuki and Hisoka...
Ehy, do I own something here? Oh yes, I own the plot and a sensible heart which would surely break if you give me harsh reviews... so please be honest but nice ok?
Thanks: To Candy-chan who encouraged me to write this! Thank you a lot!
Summary: 1936. GenSoKai. A city had been burned. Completely. Touda is suspected, Tsuzuki is trying to fix things while Kotaro and Kojiro are there to complicate the mess.
"Forse è stato un bene, forse, non lo so.
Certo mi è costato allontanarci un po'.
Mi da fastidio sai quest'ansia che mi va fin dentro le ossa
E adesso aspetto un gesto tuo aspetto una tua mossa.
Richiamami,
Non puoi nasconderti così.
Ritorna qui.
Vorrei che tu capissi che non posso farlo io
Sarebbe come dire che lo sbaglio è stato mio.
Lasciare tutto io per te non ero pronto ancora davvero
Mi hai chiesto tu la verità e sono stato sincero.
Richiamami, richiamami,
Io non potevo dirti sì.
Capiscimi
Se ti perdo cosa perdo
Questo lo so già,
L'ho previsto nel mio gioco della verità.
Ma è un rischio che io devo correre,
E' una prova a cui ti voglio mettere.
Se ti perdo cosa perdo
Certo che lo so.
Sulle labbra che mi mordo
Dubbi io non ho.
("Maybe it was a good thing, maybe, I don't know.
Surely it was hard to divide us for a while.
It bothers me, you know, this anxiety that goes deep into my bones
And now I'm waiting for your act, I'm waiting for your move.
Call me back,
You can't hide yourself like that.
Return here.
I'd like for you to understand that I can't do this
It would be like saying I was the one wrong.
I really wasn't ready yet to leave everything for you
You asked me the truth and I've been sincere.
Call me back, call me back,
I couldn't say yes.
Understand me
If I lose you, what I lose
I already know this,
I foresaw it in my truth's game.
But it's a risk I must run,
It's an exam I want you to undergo.
If I lose you, what I lose
Of course I know this.
On the lips I'm biting
I've no doubts.")
(Eros Ramazzotti - "Il gioco della verità")
Tenku-kyuu wasn't more silent than usual, in fact it was as noisy as usual and yet it seemed way too quiet to each of Tsuzuki's Shikigami.
They hadn't meant to argue with Tsuzuki, they only wanted to protect him from a dangerous, renegade Shikigami who had already caused more deaths than one could count in the past war and had surely abused of Tsuzuki's kind and trusting soul but Tsuzuki had took their words the wrong way and had stormed out saying things he couldn't possibly meant and now his eleven remaining Shiki were left to ponder over his words and the more they thought at them the less they liked what they implied.
Tsuzuki had said that if they didn't believe his judgement over Touda he couldn't summon them again, couldn't keep them chained to him because it wouldn't be fair toward them.
Tsuzuki had said that if SoRyu wanted to arrest Touda he should arrest him first, because he was responsible for Touda's action.
Then he had stormed out to search for Touda as if Touda had been in danger when instead Touda was the danger. Yet Tsuzuki had stormed out, leaving them there to ponder and to worry.
"SoRyu... what do you think to do now?" Suzaku asked, her voice dripping with frustration. A day had gone from when Tsuzuki had left and she couldn't help but worry. There was no one else she cared for as she cared for Tsuzuki. She couldn't bear the thought of him being in danger, it was driving her insane.
"Working?" SoRyu suggested sarcastically. He too was worried but he wasn't the type to show it and so he tried to keep himself busy with work. Lot of it. Way more than usual. Everything to distract himself from the thought of Tsuzuki.(1)
"So you're not going to do something about Tsuzuki?" Suzaku insisted. She was a Fire Shikigami. Fire Shikigami weren't famous for their patience.
"There's nothing to do about Tsuzuki," SoRyu replied in a calm tone. "He will wander around for a while, he will get lost if he isn't already, he will realize he's hungry, then he will summon one of us to get him out of troubles and once he will be back here he will understand I was right and he was wrong and we'll restart hunting for Touda," SoRyu summarized. Tsuzuki had no sense of direction. He was perpetually hungry. It was already a small miracle he had lasted so long without summoning them. Really, there was nothing to worry about. So why couldn't he believe it?
"You mean we've to wait?" Suzaku asked outraged. Fire Shikigami were also famous for not wasting their time waiting. Especially when their beloved master was concerned. When Tsuzuki was concerned Suzaku would show up even before Tsuzuki would manage to finish the spell required to summon her if Tsuzuki needed so.
"Exactly," SoRyu answered calmly. "Unless you're planning to suggest me to go against our master's order which is something I won't ever consider." SoRyu would never, never disobey to a direct order. Question it surely but disobey... was out of question. Suzaku instead... well... Suzaku had considered it. Not in those terms of course. She didn't mean to disobey. She just didn't believe Tsuzuki had really meant what he said.
"I think you're undervaluing Tsuzuki, SoRyu," Taimo pointed out. "He's more stubborn and resourceful than that. After all he's our master." The faceless Shikigami was silent most of the time but she had a sharp sense of observation and what she decided to say was always logical. She had considered Tsuzuki's opinion about Touda, about his innocence in the matter. Problem was it was simply impossible that someone else had done it. Totally illogical.(2)
"GenSoKai is wide," SoRyu remembered her. "Touda isn't stupid, I'll concede him that, and Tsuzuki has no sense of direction nor a clue to know where that renegade Shikigami could be," SoRyu insisted. His soldiers had immediately started searching for Touda as soon as he had left and had came up with nothing. After the argument with Tsuzuki he had been forced to call them back but he was sure that, if they couldn't find him, Tsuzuki couldn't either. After all, master or not, he was merely an ordinary Shinigami. How could he compete with an army of Shikigami?
"You'll better make a back up plan, SoRyu. The oracle said Tsuzuki had already found Touda," Rikugo announced. As much as he had fun proving SoRyu's wrong (he and SoRyu had never gotten along well)(3) he didn't like that development either. Touda wasn't someone people could trust in. The Shikigami was a Jyazoku and, as all the members of his race, he was cold and uncaring and barely capable to establish emotional ties with another being. What happened during the war had fully proved it. In Rikugo's mind Touda had pledged his loyalty to Tsuzuki only because it had been the only way for him to get out of his prison. He didn't blame Touda for his choice, he was sure everyone would have done EVERYTHING to get out of that hole, but now that Tsuzuki couldn't protect Touda anymore what would stop the Jyazoku from killing the Shinigami?
Suzaku gasped at Rikugo's words, paling, unable to voice her thoughts. Tsuzuki, Tsuzuki, Tsuzuki...
"How?" SoRyu asked, standing immediately. The world seemed to wave around him. Tsuzuki had found Touda? Was he well? Had the Jyazoku done something to him? Rikugo shrugged.
"That I don't know but he's with him right now. You shouldn't have allowed Tsuzuki to leave alone. You could have pretended to agree with him and then arrest Touda while Tsuzuki wasn't looking and... AH!" he exclaimed when a wand hit him on his head painfully, forcing him to interrupt his sentence.
"Young man, you don't plot behind your master's back, I though I taught you better than that!" Genbu stated, waving his wand toward him threatening. Genbu had been Rikugo's Sensei. The old Shikigami seemed out of it most of the time but in truth his mind was still sharp.
"Ojiisan, you..." Rikugo started to say in a warning tone. He didn't fear Genbu and he didn't care about following rules. He was a practical person. What worked was what needed to be done. Who cared if it went against rules?
"It was obvious that Tsuzuki would have tracked down Touda," Genbu said carelessly. They had all been mastered by him and yet those children still could not see the full power of their master, they still believe he needed to be babied and coddled as a weak child. Fools. Tsuzuki, despite his childish behaviour, could act more mature than each of them when he wanted to, was good at judging people and had power enough to defeat them all and yet he was still such a kind, loving soul. Genbu loved him for that too.(4) "However I don't see why you're worrying so much about this," he continued. "Touda would never attack Tsuzuki," he stated.
"How do you know that that snake won't try to hurt Tsuzuki? He has no moral or heart!" Suzaku screamed. Tsuzuki was her most precious person. She couldn't bear to think him hurt. She would gladly get rid of whatever or whoever could represent a danger to him without a second thought and Touda was in the top of her list.
"Tsuzuki is the only person Touda likes. You should have noticed by now," Genbu reported as the others looked at him in disbelief. He shook his head disappointed in them. They were fools. They really hadn't noticed it, hadn't noticed the growing bond that was forming between the two.
"As much as I'm willing to admit that Touda might like Tsuzuki I don't know if this will keep Tsuzuki safe from Touda after what Touda did," Taimo stated. She had noticed Touda's behaviour had changed remarkably from when Tsuzuki had become his master but still... Still logic told her that no one else but Touda might have burned those cities. In GenSoKai only he had that type of power. "Tsuzuki had told him to not attack people or places and yet he did anyway. It's a direct disobedience of his master's order," she observed knowing that, when a Shikigami disobeyed to a direct order, his next action often was to attack his master.
"But Tsuzuki said he was sure Touda didn't do it... What if he's right?" Byakko asked quietly, speaking up for the first time. He had nothing against Touda even if he too couldn't think at someone else who would burn those cities. However he loved Tsuzuki dearly. If Touda was guilty Tsuzuki would be sad. He didn't want that.
"Impossible," SoRyu said, dismissing the option harshly. There just weren't other options. Well... there was another option but he didn't want to consider it, besides it was a possibility to remote to happen.
"Don't rush things, So-chan," Daiin chided and SoRyu frowned at the annoying familiarity that the pot Shikigami always used to talk with him. "What does the oracle said about it, Rikugo?" he asked then. Rikugo frowned. The response of the oracle had been totally irresolute.
"Nothing," he admitted reluctantly.
"Does this mean Touda could be innocent?" Byakko wondered.
"Don't be silly, Byakko! Who else had the power to do that mess?" Suzaku asked, glaring fiercely at him. Byakko felt tempted to hide from that glare. Suzaku-neesan could be scary.
"Well..." he attempted but he didn't dare to finish his sentence.
"What it means is exactly what I said. The oracle didn't answer to the question," Rikugo clarified before things degenerated. Suzaku tended to get aggressive when people didn't agree with her. It was a trait many Fire Shikigami had in common. Touda had been just the same before being trapped and that was what was worrying him.
"We're losing sight of the main problem. What if Tsuzuki remains true to what he said and never summons us again?" Taimo insisted. Her first duty was her loyalty to her master. There was nothing worst for a Shikigami that being useless to his master and if Tsuzuki were to never summon them again...
"Tsuzuki-chan might not call us again? Niisama, this means Tsuzuki-chan doesn't like us anymore?" Tenko asked turning to look at her brother. She hadn't understood much of the discussion that had went on between the grown up, except that they had made Tsuzuki-chan mad. She liked Tsuzuki-chan. She didn't want him to be mad at her or at the others. Kijin turned his gaze on his father in a silent request for help. He really didn't know what to say. He would never discuss his father's actions but... but...
"Tsuzuki won't do something so stupid," SoRyu told to his daughter in what he hoped was a reassuring tone. "It's... unprecedented! No master would willingly give up the power of his Shikigami!" he ended up exclaiming more heatedly than he would have liked. He was starting to get very worried too.
Tsuzuki's Shikigami looked at each other not knowing what else to do. The matter was starting to get out of proportions. Now not only a good part of their territory had been burned but they were about to lose their beloved master's favour too. They had to do something. The problem was what?
JJ's Notes:
1. SoRyu is in charge to control GenSoKai. He always has lot of work to do and lot of responsibilities to deal with.
2. I don't know which sex Taimo is. I'm supposing she's a female but I might be wrong. Also in the manga she talks rarely but when she does so she always says something intelligent.
3. In the manga Rikugo seems to enjoy to criticize SoRyu.
4. Genbu is the oldest among Tsuzuki's Shiki and that's why he considers them children.
JJ's Extra Notes:
As usual I made up some stuffs about Shikigami and their behaviour. The manga is just unhelpful like that.
Since I wanted 'JiGoku no Kuro no Honoo' be a fic about Tsuzuki and Touda's relationship mainly this piece who deal with Tsuzuki's other Shikigami felt out of place. However I liked it because it shows their own point of view. They're acting the way they're acting because they believe they're protecting Tsuzuki like that. They don't want to hurt Touda because they're bad, they just believe him guilty.
Dictionary:
-chan: Name ending used to express affection and/or familiarity or to talk with a child
ChiJou: Land of the Living
Enma: "Demon of Darkness". Ruler of the Land of Dead
Enma-Cho: "Office Enma". In the 5th district of JuOhCho. It's ruled by Enma himself and controls only Tokyo's territory. It hosts the Shokan-ka
GenSoKai: "Illusory world". It's where Shikigami reside and it's a mirror copy of ChiJou located in JuOhCho network
JiGoku no Kuro no Honoo: Black Fire of Hell
JuOhCho: "Ten Kings Office". Meifu's bureaucratic organization ruled by Enma. It's in charge of judging the deceased in Japan
Jyazoku: "Snake Race" or "Member of the Snake Race"
Meifu: Land of the Dead
Neesan: "Sister" or "Older Girl"
Niisama: "Brother" or "Older Boy"
Ojiisan: "Grandfather" or "Old Man"
Shiki: Short for 'Shikigami'
Shikigami: "Ceremonial God". Summoned creatures with two forms (usually one is animal looking while the other is human looking) that live in GenSoKai
Shinigami: "God of Death", "Death God". Nickname for the Shokan-ka workers
Shokan-Ka: "Summoning Division". Division in Enma-Cho that deals with summoning the dead to appear at court. It enters in action only when the souls of the dead don't go spontaneously to Meifu
Tenku-kyuu: "Sky Palace". Tenku's title
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