No Reason – Chapter two
Disclaimer: Yami no Matsuei belongs to Yoko Matsushita and that's it.
Picaro: Hi! After a long talk 'bout possible pairings (don't ask ^^;), flying vehicles (really don't ask) and the chopsticks of death (you don't wanna know, believe me! ^^;;) Ryuke and I decided to write the next chapter of this story. Much, much thanks to those who have reviewed the first chapter! *huggles* ^_^ Arigatou minna!!
+ ~ + ~ + ~ +
Ever had a bad dream? A really bad one, I mean. Currently I was suffering from one such dream. It was one of those dreams in which you know that you are dreaming, yet can't do anything against it. Yes, one of _those_.
Right now I was strolling through the corridors of Tenku, after awaking rather rudely of aforesaid nightmare once again. Damn! That thing kept repeating itself for several nights now. One can't say that I'm afraid of high places, really not, since I am a shinigami and able to fly now and even as a human I had never really a chance to develop such a sickness. So why that dream? It was always the same, with me clinging on the sharp edge of a high (think HUGE) cliff and that person trying to shove me down. Actually no problem for a shinigami, really, but in that dream I can't fly! So I hang on, clinging desperately to the crumbly edge while that person is trying his best to get me down. Alright, that also wouldn't be such a big problem I guess, if that person hadn't looked so eerily similar to Kijin. The same blue-colored eyes, hair, even the Chinese-styled robes. The age is also more or less fitting. (Normally I have better things to do than to look at the boy. For example hold on.) Problem is, that in my dream, I know the boy. We're speaking with each other as if we're friends, but when he calls me by my name, it isn't mine. At the exact moment I realize that, I always lose my grip and fall down. One minute I know that I'm going to die any second now and the next I wake up. Nice dream! Really. At least I don't have the one with Muraki and my death anymore, but still, it's starting to unnerve me!
Another little problem with that dream is that I'm always wide-awake after it, a thing which not only gets on my nerves, but seemingly also on my appearance. Or in other words, I currently look like an owl after a forest fire, as Byakko so nicely put it. Figures that I'm currently not in the best of my modes.
So I keep wandering aimlessly through the deserted palace nightly, not really knowing what to do. Though Tsuzuki probably wouldn't mind, I don't want to disturb him or any of the others, so I try to keep as quiet as possible. Kami-sama, I'm booo~red! With my recent luck I'd probably run into SohRyu when ghosting through the nightly Tenku. So nothing with a calming night's walk. What else? Library…Yeah, a library would be good now. Nice, quiet, and with enough good books to last a lifetime. Spontaneously, I decide to search for one.
+ ~ + ~ + ~ +
Who'd have thought that a palace that was actually a shikigami would have such a big library? I was buried in a really old edition of Dante's ´The Divine Comedy', when I heard somebody else entering the room. Ready to go for a dive if necessary, but not really willing to, I lowered the book. After a few minutes had passed in silence, I continued reading, seeing that nothing was going to happen. "What are you reading there, Hisoka?" I nearly dropped my book in shock. I hadn't sensed anybody.
Quickly gazing around, I could still see nobody. A ghost? Idiot, there are no such things as ghosts! At least not in Gensoukai, I think. Who else then?
Kurika -? Ouch!
Something had poked me in my foot! Looking down, I notice that it had come from a cane. And leaning on the cane is nobody but Genbu! Immediately I feel a slight blush rise onto my face. Damn blush reflex! But I really hadn't reckoned it was the old shiki. Actually, I had nearly forgotten all about him.
So there he stood, the old, senile-seeming shikigami that was imposed with the protection of the east. Hard to believe that he's a god like SohRyu or Suzaku. …Or Kurikara. No! I won't think about that now. That was over for now and probably the next few decades. Or centuries. Slowly I start doubting that I will ever be strong enough for RyuOh. But I'm letting my mind wander again.
Genbu doesn't seem to be perturbed by my short lack of presence. The old man is studying the title of the book right now, not seeming to wonder about my late presence at all. Wait! My book! When did he get it?! Looks like the old man wasn't as senile as everybody thinks of him. Genbu grinned at me. "The Divine Comedy, huh? That's a good book, though a bit heavy to read maybe."
I snatch my book back, knowing that a furious red is covering my face by now. Tricked by an old man! Damn blush! Genbu merely laughs slightly. "I certainly had my problems with some of the words. Those classic writers…" He chuckles again. "I take it that you don't. Or why else would I find you with such a heavy lecture in the middle of the library in the middle of the night?" Tucking my book away, I answer. "Of course not!"
Oops, that came out a bit harsher than intended to. Genbu just stares at me with eyes wise with age. "Are they that bad?"
"Huh?"
"Your nightmares?"
I stare wide-eyed at him. How does he know-? A small, friendly smile appears on his face. "It's obvious, you know. You look like you haven't had a proper sleep for more than a night and people tend to be moody with lack of sleep." I can merely nod at that statement. Was it really that obvious? Tsuzuki would make a giant fuss again. On the other side, my partner tends to be the most obvious person I've ever met in my life and the time after. Genbu took a seat opposing mine, so that he was now looking directly in my face again. "Want to speak?"
Once again, I blink surprised. "About what?" The old shiki shrugged his shoulders. "This and that. What's troubling you that much, that it even haunts you in your dreams." He shrugs his shoulders again, while making himself more comfortable in his seat. "Or about what happened at your test, if you prefer that topic. Or, of course, we could also discuss how to steal one of Suzaku's slips without getting burned crisp by her." He grins at me.
…
"I think, I'd rather speak about my test."
+ ~ + ~ + ~ +
"…and so, we returned to Tenku." Genbu nodded slowly, looking thoughtful. "I see." The old shiki had turned out to be a quite good listener, to my surprise, giving off some quiet comments when needed without getting pushy, and not interrupting me too much. So it was no surprise that I practically spilled out all of my thoughts and worries to him at the same time I retold my story of Kurikara's test.
Genbu's cane hit the floor in a disconnected rhythm. Turning expecting eyes on him, I asked after a long silence. "So?" The white-haired shiki didn't react. In the meantime, I was getting fidgety. I'm confused and don't know what to think of all of this and there's finally somebody who might be able to tell me what's going on. No way I'd let him go! Still no reaction. "Hey! Genbu-san!"
"Huh?!" Genbu jumped. "Oh, sorry Hisoka-kun. I got lost in my thoughts." I stare at him. What does he know that I don't know? Clearing his throat, Genbu stand up from his seat. "So… You said that he was as confused as you when he bit you?"
"Not exactly when he did it. After that. Before he had that strange look in his eyes... Somewhat eerie."
"Uh-huh." Genbu nodded again, as if I'd just confirmed something he was already suspecting. What? I decide to sound the old shiki out. He definitely knows something!
"Genbu-san?" "Hm?" "What are you thinking about?" He flinches. I knew it. The old guy's hiding something from me. Wagging his hands, Genbu grins feebly. "Nothing." I raise an eyebrow. He sweatdrops. "It's nothing, really. Just some old man thinking old-fashioned thoughts." A second eyebrow joins the first one. "Really. It isn't important at all." Turning around, he switches the topic. "By the way, do you know exactly what type of shikigami Kurikara is?"
I nod slowly. "A fire-dragon type, I think. And he's the god of dragons and forging. Why?"
Genbu just gives me a secretive smile, before he ushers me out of the room and back to bed, claiming that both of us will need our sleep. Damn! As if I would be able to sleep after that. But the shiki is persistent and so I finally give in. Taking the book with me, I return to my room. Looks like it'll be a long night again.
+ ~ + ~ + ~ +
Looking after the departing shinigami, Genbu shook his head, laughing silently. So he didn't even know what he'd gotten himself into? Quite amusing. Chuckling slightly, he started heading for his own room. Well, probably it was better that the two were both inexperienced in this. Made it more fair.
I really wonder who will be the first to notice?
Somewhere else in the Gensoukai; Kurikara woke with a start from a bad dream involving Sakura trees and a white-haired man in a doctor's outfit. Shaking his head, he shuddered and walked outside, unable to get the image of the blood-red moon out of his mind. He hadn't been able to fight back… it was just as bad as staring into the eyes of Kijin and knowing he was going to die. He turned around, sensing a presence of another being. "Who's there?"
Genbu appeared from behind a tree, a small grin on his face. "I see you're not the only one having problems sleeping. So, what's wrong?"
Kurikara glared back at him and replied with a dry comment. "You wouldn't happen to know any white-haired psychopaths, would you? (*cough* Farfie *cough*)" Personally, RyuOh didn't like the idea of a stranger killing him off in a dream for absolutely no reason.
Genbu looked calmly at him. "A white-haired psychopath? Sorry can't help you there. So what exactly is bothering you?" The dragon eyed the other shikigami, knowing there was probably some ulterior motive besides just listening.
"Nothing you need to know." He walked away, still conscious of Genbu's presence.
The Guardian of the East watched as the figure disappeared into the darkness. Yes, it would be interesting to see what happened… "I wonder if I should tell Tsuzuki… no, not now…"
+ ~ + ~ + ~ +
TBC...
What's Genbu up to? Which pairing are to come? (There will be some.) Why did Kurikara bite Hisoka? Aftereffects? Stay tuned for the next chapter of No Reason!! As for that long: Please review! Pretty, pretty please, ne? ^.^