Chapter.4: Paper flowers
~~~Two years ago ~~~
A breeze blew the girl's violet locks, her crimson eyes, unusual even for a craft user, narrowed and closed slightly as dust gusted up along the bike path. She glanced around for her partner's sturdy form. He'd said he'd come.
She kicked a pebble, scuffing her black boots. Her hip-length trench wrapped tightly around her, she shivered. Her hands sought the object in her wide pocket, an ID badge. The name encased in laminated plastic read Senna Kano, her name.
Ichigo had given it to her the night before. Her fingers tingled, picking up the foreign emotions, words flashed through her mind. Partner, craft user and mother…Senna opened her eyes. That last feeling, what was it? Mother? His mother? Pity, regret and a mixture of something else…like loathing, intense and undeniable.
She reached into her pocket again, drawing out a pair of gloves; a tiny metal band had been sewn into the cuff, her mom's handiwork. The tiny invisible symbols radiated a concealing power something to oppose her craft. Senna slipped them on and then ran her fingers over the ID again. Nothing. Not even the faintest trace of anyone else's feelings.
Inner feelings, she thought with a faint smile.
He would need time to get used to her even though she wanted nothing more than to know everything about him. A bright color danced on the air currents, she stretched her hand out and caught it between two fingers. A flower. A folded paper blossom, but where had it come from? She glanced backward, seeing nothing. An idea occurred to her and she smiled happily. Hanataro. She'd take it to him. After all didn't part of his name mean flower?
She left, walking away before a voice carried, whispering: "paper flowers…"
~~~SCG office present day~~~
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Rukia bent over as a stack of files crashed to the floor from her going by. Hanataro glanced over at her, ear buds blasting the latest from An Café, his expression bemused. They were the only ones in the office. Kurosaki having left with Renji an hour before and Momo staying home due to the injuries she'd received from their last case. Rangiku, by the sales catalogue found in the drawer of her desk wouldn't be making an appearance until many hours after the department stores closed.
No one knew exactly where Chief Hitsugaya was.
Rukia began scooping up the fallen paperwork, her eyes landed on a crushed wad of brightly colored paper. She plucked it up and scrutinized it closely, "a paper flower?" she wondered aloud. Hanataro heard and barely disguised a blush before snatching it from her hand. "Just a piece of old evidence. Ishida must've forgotten it when filing away all the other items."
"Do you get many? Or you know…keep them around?" she asked curiously. He lowered the tangle of wires from his neck, slipping the ear buds out; a shadow crossed his face as he refolded the tiny orange flower back into its original shape. "Not many. Like from the last case, the diary of that girl got sorted into one of the filing cabinets below stairs. This one," he held up the remolded flower, "was from a case at Yotsuga Lake. Ms. Senna found it one day after passing through there…she used to visit the Church and came across this…later, the Police discovered a body not five feet away from the area where she had been. Other people turned up—"
"Yamada, quit frightening the new recruit," a dry, bored-sounding voice called from the office door. Hanataro jumped and quickly shuffled papers on his desk trying to appear busy. "Good afternoon, Chief," Rukia greeted the annoyed white-haired man walking in. In his arms the usual untidy binders were clutched. "Ah, Rukia. Just the hunter I wanted to see. Kurosaki said to memorize these but I'll bet you're wondering about the tale, Yamada," here he shot the other cowering male a glare, "was regaling to you."
She blinked, cocking her head at him, "yeah. How did you know?"
"Lucky guess," Hitsugaya shrugged.
Her eye twitched; it seemed everybody here said that. A lucky guess…yeah right! Hanataro remained studiously quiet, his short fingers tapping at the keys diligently. Hitsugaya approached, setting the stack he was carrying on the nearest desk, his turquoise green eyes for a moment lost their suspicious distrust, softening at the edges. "Yotsuga Lake Park," he muttered, reaching for the paper flower.
Rukia nodded, gauging his reaction, "could I…?"
"Go check it out? Sure. But I doubt Kurosaki would want you going alone-" Hitsugaya paused as a look of disbelief crossed her face. "What I mean is," he amended quickly, "would you mind terribly if I went with you? I'd never hear the end of it from Matsumoto if something happened while I let you go out alone…though that woman should be here right now…"
She giggled; poor Rangiku was going to get an earful later.
"I don't mind."
~~~***~~~
"Were you a hunter?" she asked, her eyes sliding over to Hitsugaya while he drove to the Park. He braked smoothly before answering, "I was. A long time ago." From the note in his tone she knew better than to ask more curious though she was. He tapped the center mirror and smiled sadly at his reflection, "if I were to ask you if you had the desire to question me further about this, what would your answer be?"
"No," she looked straight ahead.
"Then you'd be lying," he said simply.
Her violet eyes widened, "Ansuz," she murmured, "the spoken word. You see into people's hearts and know when they're lying."
Hitsugaya nodded somberly, "I did. Well not exactly to that extent. You're thinking of an Empath. They can read emotions and disturbances in set patterns. I only got good enough to be the lead hunter's partner. Neliel Tu Oderschvank was her name. Ms. Nel to me. She replaced Ms. Masaki twenty years ago and led the team for fifteen after that. Kurosaki took over for her five years back and she retired to Okinawa to run a small tourist inn."
Rukia knitted her hands together, "I see. But—"
"I can't be a hunter anymore," Hitsugaya interrupted her abruptly, his fingers suddenly taut on the knobbly circular steering wheel cover, "my powers lessened. It happens, you know, being out in the field, the duress your body goes through drawing on the elements of the craft. After everything, you begin to weaken…mine I retain a thread of because I remember how it felt when I was sure the suspect we were questioning was lying."
"Was there many craft users in the team back then?"
"All of them. Only up until recent years have we had laymen like Yamada even working in Raven's 13. Seeds are what we get now…though I'm sure if they ever feel the need to, they'll explain more. Matsumoto for example you know is a Clairvoyant. Senna Kano, Kurosaki's former partner was an S class Empath…you're an A class right?"
Seeing her startled look, he chuckled, "Kurosaki told me. And he got his info directly from Mr. Aizen whom I believe knew the person who referred you-?"
"Father Byakuya Kuchiki. He adopted me as a young girl and raised me…he gave me my name. I—I—owe him a lot. But yes it was he whom submitted the formal request to the SCG Administrator for my placement here," she said respectfully. Hitsugaya coasted the black Audi to a neat stop on the gently sloping hill of the parking lot. Trees grew in profusion around the glassy surface of the lake visible between breaks in the greenery.
"Huh. Most of the previous hunters were like that. A close family member referred them. You're lucky, you know," he said as they got off the car, each closing their doors simultaneously. "How so?" she asked going around the side to join him. "Captain Kuchiki is famous in Solomon HQ, both for his exploits and his role as Craft Master. Not many people have that kind of influence."
"Oh. I didn't know."
~~~*~~~
"Ugh! My feet are killing me!" Renji groaned as he affected a limp and hobbled over to his favorite station. Hanataro hid a grin when Kurosaki, resplendent in black pants, a black shirt and outer vest snapped out his usual reply, "quit complaining. At least the case fell through…" his cool brown eyes passed over the mostly empty office, not seeing a familiar raven-haired girl.
"Where is…Kuchiki?" he asked slowly. Rangiku whom had arrived without shopping bags in tow, looked up from the desk blotter and Salary sheet, her gray eyes blinking. "Um…Hana said that Rukia and the Chief had headed out to Yotsuga Lake. Something about checking the old crime scene-?" Hanataro nodded, swiveling around in his chair, "Ms. Rukia found that piece of evidence Ms. Senna had found from that case and since no one else was here…Chief Hitsugaya offered to go with her."
Renji whistled, "fancy that. The Chief and Rukia…you know I always thought him a smooth worker. But this—"
Kurosaki's expression tightened, he spun on his heel suddenly, "let's go, Abarai. Matsumoto, you stay here." The blond hunter saluted him smartly, "ay, ay Captain." Renji started up to follow, grabbing his thigh holster from the desktop as he passed by it. "What's gotten into him?" the red head was heard muttering as he was forced to jog after Kurosaki's back.
~~~*~~~
"It was here and…here," Hitsugaya pointed to a particularly empty stretch of a grassy path off the main area. Few people paid attention to them as they'd walked up the gravel-strewn walkways, Rukia's skirt billowing as a soothing breeze blew in from the lake's rippling surface. She knelt down, one knee up to pat the short bristly blades of grass.
"Such a peaceful place," she murmured, looking up to find Hitsugaya's eyes on her. "Yeah," he said unnecessarily, "Senna thought so too. The first murder happened two years ago but several more victims were found later in the surrounding area. Each one in the same condition…it didn't seem as though there was anything connecting them. Not age, status…just the way they all died. Hacked up into pieces," he clarified seeing her puzzled look then she shuddered.
"How horrible…whether it was a witch or just some psychopath…to die in such a way," her gaze dropped down to the ground again, "makes me sad."
Hitsugaya held his hand out to her, "hey. Don't be. After all that's why we're here—to see if we can find anything out to help crack the case." Rukia placed her small hand in his and got to her feet, "I suppose so." She still looked a little doubtful but he tugged her further down the path. As they went through the tree-lined walkway, she glanced to the side; a solitary figure standing across the way at the lakeside seemed to be dropping something colorful into the water.
Rukia pulled away from Hitsugaya, "I—I want to go check on something…I'll meet you back here later." He shrugged, "okay. Guess I'll just go on up by myself…see ya." She waited until he had walked away before she crossed over to the lakeshore. Tiny pebbles skittered beneath her boots heralding her approach, a girl in her mid-twenties looked up.
Gray storm clouds reflected on the water alongside floating paper Lotuses. Rukia glanced at them fascinated by the tiny folds and intricate petals, "do you make these? They're quite lovely," she said smilingly. The girl cradled four more flowers in her stained hands, "why yes. Up at the Church, the Priest uses them on the Altar. He says that to leave them on the water guides the lost souls to their rest." She brushed back a strand of long dark brown hair, "but I just like to see them floating. Don't you think they're so pretty?"
Rukia glanced back at the water and laughed gently, "Yeah they are. By the way I'm Rukia."
"Tsukiko."
"Moon child; what a lovely name!"
"You think so? Yours is pretty too," Tsukiko looked away shyly, "would you like a flower? I have more…the orange are quite lovely. But I think purple would be better…it'll match your eyes!"
~~~*~~~
Nothing. Just as he expected. Hitsugaya paced around the small clearing kicking up dust with his loafers. He checked his wristwatch again, finding it to be 3:34 already. Just where was Rukia? She had said she would be gone only a little while but that had been an hour ago. Despite himself, Hitsugaya began to worry.
He wound back up the path, every once in a while stopping to call her name. He didn't feel odd about this since the Park had emptied out and only his voice carrying on the wind was heard. He glanced around, catching something out of the corner of his eye. A mist, spiraling upward on the lake, patches of white began forming at the edges. The air grazing his cheek suddenly dropped in degrees, freezing the leaf tips, a craft! And not just any Craft…but Rukia's!
He put on a burst of speed, running as fast as his legs could carry him. From a smaller clearing up ahead the ice seemed to be concentrated more. Whooshing sounds cut the silence of the woods; Hitsugaya threw himself behind the nearest tree and viewed the scene before him with horror. A young woman stood at one end, her long straight hair lifting in the force of her craft, a semicircle outlined in silver was beneath her hiking boots. A square U upside down in the exact center identified the Craft as Uruz…the rune of irresistible force.
Rukia was huddling behind another tree, her field of ice blocking the majority of the opposing power. Scattered blossoms being rent apart at her feet drew Hitsugaya's attention. "Paper flowers," he whispered; the witch slowly turned her head cocked at an odd angle to him. "Did you…crush the flowers too?"
He drew a shaky breath inward before a massive pressure blasted him backward, warmth trickled down his cheek, he patted his fingertips against his face coming away red with blood. "Hitsugaya!" Rukia screamed, an ice wall blossomed upward, shielding him from the witch's sight. From behind the foggy flat surface, shapes moved, the petite raven-haired hunter first forward then shuddering backward as she was repulsed violently by the force.
Her back thudded heavily against the ice she had created, the air currents whistled with the slicing movements controlled by the witch. Black fabric fluttered to the ground as she was being mercilessly hacked at. Hitsugaya back-crawled, his hand searching for the cell phone hooked in his belt. Footsteps, two pairs came up from the path, he half-turned, relief breaking out over his features, "Kurosaki! Thank Gods…Rukia…"
Kurosaki was smoothly withdrawing his gun from its holster. Renji breathing hard flinched when hearing the snapping of the branches and blood spattering the ice, "Oh my…she's—"
"No time," snapped the orange-haired hunter, shielding his face as the ice erupted backward. Hitsugaya buried his face in his hands when the ice crystals had stopped tinkling he looked up. Rukia was on her feet in front of them, various cuts dotted her arms as evinced by the trickling blood running down her shredded sleeves; the witch's power had been temporary halted by ice diamonds freezing the energy in mid-air. At Kurosaki's nod, Renji braced his gun and fired through the frozen field.
Rukia watched a little sadly perhaps as Tsukiko fell to the ground, her power broken. Her gaze swung almost accusingly to Kurosaki, as he stood impassive beside her; almost daring him to chastise her on her use of her craft…
~~~*~~~
As the Factory men loaded the inert witch into the back of a Suv, Kurosaki walked over to Rukia, his tone a little softer than usual when he addressed her, "good work today. I wouldn't have thought a witch's craft could save anyone but now I see I was mistaken." His brown eyes passed over the superficial cuts on her arms and the tiny slice on her forehead; briefly he raised his hand and brushed it tenderly. "Get these looked at," he ordered, something flickering in the chocolate brown…warmth maybe?
Just as soon as she'd noted it, it was gone and he'd stalked away to speak with Hitsugaya. Rukia felt her heart speed up a little and her fingers dug into her coat pocket withdrawing a round purple compact, a message lit up on its square screen: It is here. The seeds of the old ones have been planted in this land too. She hit send.
~~~To be continued~~~
A/N: Hmm, which chapter should be next? Renji and the Voodoo or Momo and the witch's coven-? You decide! Anyway special thanks to IT Rio for pointing out the part about the Garroting—like I said, terrible way to die…and um well please review!
Note: S-class is the highest level a craft user can attain while an A-class is lower. Seeds are people with strains of the craft in their blood but are unawakened to it.