Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basuke

Thanks for reading! Welcome to Chapter 7, I hope you like it :)

A/N: I mention "magatama" here – Wikipedia tells me they are jewels/beads that came to have religious significance within Shinto, but more on this in another chapter when it's more relevant. (ooo, don't you like my vague foreshadowing? =^^=)

I've Been Here the Whole Time

Chapter 7

Having learned his lesson from his rather embarrassing encounter with the Messenger, Kuroko knew he had to consider how best to take precautions. He'd grown lax and ignored instituting basic defensive measures for himself, the Kiseki no Sedai, or even Nigou. With Susanoo's caution still ringing in his ear, he began giving serious thought as to how Mayuzumi might approach him and realized he was far more at risk than he'd anticipated. Kuroko had spent little time evaluating his own vulnerability in that regard; everything that he had set in place had been to further his agenda with the prodigies and he'd forgotten anything else. He couldn't afford to remain so careless.

He didn't have to worry too greatly about Nigou. The younger shadow spirit had no self-imposed restrictions on his powers; even as nascent as they were he had sufficient command of his magic to evade most attacks. It was only a matter of teaching him how to monitor his surroundings and they worked on strengthening his overall command of shadow techniques. The little shadow improved rapidly and even met with other shadows while Kuroko was away during the day to continue training – he didn't want to be a burden.

As for himself, Kuroko knew the Messenger would still be in the picture at least some of the time simply for spite if nothing else. He was reassured as to Susanoo's motives, and he didn't think he had any other enemies that would be specifically targeting him at this time. He was self-aware and realistic enough to know that he wasn't universally liked; he'd been alive too long for that to be possible. However, as with most of the beings in either mortal or kami realms, the animosities anyone harbored were usually more simmering feuds than anything else.

It wasn't until he turned his attention back to the humans that he felt uneasy. If Mayuzumi were to attack him, they were the best route to truly harm him. Even though they had not seen each other since Mayuzumi's betrayal, Kuroko knew the other shadow would recognize the situation as quite similar to the one he'd taken advantage of himself. The only real difference was that rather than the humans having asked for his help, he'd intervened without their knowledge.

While Kuroko could certainly monitor them with a small enchantment they wouldn't even notice, he wasn't sure he wanted to. It would give him access to far too much of their private lives and he couldn't help but think it might inadvertently give him an unfair advantage in his attempt to sway them away from their potential character changes. Finally, after much internal debate, he reached a compromise. He did attach a monitoring charm to each of the prodigies, but he set the connection to reach his staff in the kami realm. After reviewing the plans, Kuroko also attached one to Momoi; she was too close to Aomine to be ignored. If there was an emergency, there would be only a slight delay before they could contact him – otherwise, he would be protected from unduly influencing them with knowledge he shouldn't have.

Although the monitoring spell alleviated some of his worry, Kuroko did not delude himself that it would solve all of his problems. Kuroko hadn't spared much thought for Mayuzumi since learning he'd been imprisoned and that now seemed to be a regrettable lack of foresight. He hadn't been surprised to learn the other had trained with various masters once released – it was a route many shadow spirits took to increase their powers and status – and Mayuzumi had always been consumed with improving his own rank. It did however give him pause when he realized he had no knowledge of who Mayuzumi had served. To rectify this, he'd dispatched a message to one of his colleagues to compile a dossier on the other shadow and he hoped it would be ready quickly.

In the meantime, he relaxed his rule to stay distanced from the Kiseki no Sedai and allowed himself to be drawn into more of their day to day activities. It was a risk, since it meant all the potential targets were together more frequently, but it was a safeguard as well. Kuroko was gaining a greater comfort with their energy and personalities; he wanted to ensure he'd recognize if they were tampered with in some way. He also didn't think Mayuzumi would go for a direct attack, unless he had truly changed from their last meeting, the younger shadow was much more inclined for something devious from the sidelines.

It kept both Kuroko and Nigou on edge, trying to stay vigilant and anticipate how they might thwart whatever was coming their way. There were definite disadvantages to being in the human realm with the restrictions Kuroko had designed. Kuroko didn't truly appreciate that until he received the report he'd commissioned.

His subordinates had been extremely thorough, as he would expect. There was a detailed chronicle of Mayuzumi's movements upon his release and snatches of gossip and rumor about him had been painstakingly collected for his review.

It seemed the human-turned-shadow had not wanted to waste time – among others, he'd briefly contracted with Hachiman. Having served with the war kami himself, Kuroko knew Mayuzumi would have emerged from that service with proficiency in several aggressive magic techniques. That was not what surprised him. Kuroko was instead unable to move away from the portion of the file that indicated Mayuzumi had spent over a century working for the baku clan. While the dream eating spirits were respected among the supernatural hierarchy, this placement – by far from his first – showed Mayuzumi had wanted to learn something in particular from them. Kuroko mentally reviewed what he knew of the spirits; they were more neutral than anything else. They were spirits human children called out to when woken by a nightmare to eat the bad dream and allow them to return to sleep. But they sometimes, though rarely, ate more by taking someone's hopes and dreams as well. Such victims led empty, listless lives, unable to do more than go through the motions – they were universally pitied.

As Kuroko took in Mayuzumi's history altogether, he knew that his nemesis had worked very hard in the centuries since he'd been released and his path seemed clearly marked for vengeance. Kuroko couldn't quite tell what the plan was yet, he had only pieces of a broader picture. But he did know that it was very likely that Mayuzumi was near his own strength now, something that had changed from the last time they'd met.

The next few days passed in a relatively routine fashion, the basketball team was working together and Kuroko could see that at this stage the prodigies merely enjoyed the potential they'd found with each other. It wouldn't be until Thursday that he encountered the next shock; for all that the day had started innocuously enough. Kuroko had sent Nigou to learn more about Mayuzumi's time among the baku clan, so his apartment should have been empty when he returned at the end of the day. It was not.

He sensed the unknown energy well before he got there, the visitor was making no effort to hide their presence so Kuroko accepted this figure either meant him no harm, or was powerful enough that it didn't care if Kuroko knew ahead of time. He debated not returning, but the patient watchfulness that he could feel from the being made him aware it would merely be delaying the inevitable. So he centered himself as best he could, readying himself for conflict as he made his way to his own door. He didn't bother trying to mask his own presence; he knew he was outclassed in this contest.

When he entered and saw Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto waiting in his apartment, you could have knocked him over with a feather. The moon god had long black hair and wore pale garments etched with symbols that predated even Kuroko's long-standing existence. He was tall and slender but there seemed to be a strength to him that spoke of the risk of challenging him – he was the more subtle of the celestial lights when compared to his sister, the sun goddess Amaterasu, but the cutting chill of the moon was nothing to scoff at. He was still and quiet, waiting patiently for Kuroko to remember his manners most likely which he soon managed to do – offering a deep bow and words of welcome.

Kuroko had never seen him in person before and when the kami spoke his voice was a clear but distant chime that actually made Kuroko afraid. While he sensed no malice from the god, he sensed no particular favor either and it was the ambiguity that left him tensed in worry despite what he actually said.

"Be calm. I am not your enemy, Kuroko. I'm here as a favor to someone else." His presence was difficult to pin down, he seemed simultaneously gentle and cruel – it wasn't quite neutral, merely a capacity for the extremity of either and it disoriented even Kuroko.

Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto was in no hurry to continue though, his silvery eyes merely staring at Kuroko as if taking his measure. When he spoke next, it wasn't the reason for his visit, but something else.

"Did you know I used to hold first dominion over shadow spirits, Kuroko? It was something Amaterasu and I would fight over – before Susanoo tricked us both out of them of course. That was eons ago though and the lines have long since blurred so that your kind is found among all the kami now, but it used to be different. You probably don't know this, but because of that prior claim, I could see you when you were banished. All the shadows are paired to light in some form, even if you were created from the wilder elements that Susanoo turned to when he took the power for himself. I wasn't going to interfere. It was Hachiman's right to expel you if he chose. But then you survived. And I was curious." His hand moved, slowly and as if he had all the time in the world, as Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto brought forth a viewing orb and with an absent flick of his hand, sent it to hover in the air between them.

Kuroko's eyes automatically went to it and he was somehow unsurprised to see it held a captured image of himself, from centuries ago when he'd been little more than a whisper of energy after his banishment. He didn't have clear memories of most of that time, but he knew who it was as surely as if it had been a mirror of his current form. He met the moon god's eyes curiously; this didn't really tell him much beyond that the other had known who he was.

Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto smiled in acknowledgement. "You wish to know the point? How impatient you youngsters are these days..." Kuroko flinched at hearing himself referred to that way, but he couldn't deny the moon god was far older than he was. But Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto continued soon enough. "I mentioned I am here as a favor. Your case created a surprisingly contentious divide. Many felt Hachiman was too rash, that you had proven yourself valuable enough before your spectacular failure to warrant mercy. Others, myself included, felt it wasn't our concern – you'd entrusted your contract to him after all. But one among the former is someone that now wishes to make a trade."

The moon kami paused and briefly smiled but there was just a hint of aggression to the gesture. "I offer you the first part free of obligation. It is knowledge you may do with what you like. Your current plan will fail, Kuroko. I am not the only one that has read it as such. You cannot change the fate designed for them through their time together at this school. You already know what will happen when that failure comes to pass from your foolish binding of destiny between yourself and those humans. However, there is a way to…tweak…your original spell that will allow you more time, and perhaps an advantage. It won't be pleasant for you, but it's your choice of course."

Kuroko understood this was going to be a risk – if he wanted to know more he would have to agree before having the full terms of the trade. But it was something he had already worried over and the temptation to extend his limit wasn't easy to turn down. But he didn't agree immediately; he wasn't so impetuous as that.

"What do you get in return for brokering this trade if it happens?" His tone was still respectful, but he couldn't hide the caution either. The moon god was an extremely powerful kami, for him to be playing the role of intermediary like this meant he wanted something very badly. If the other would answer, it might give him a better idea of his potential ally.

The laugh Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto gave was nearly musical with its mirth. When he stopped, a more genuine smile graced his lips. "You have learned some restraint from your past, I see. Good. Your would-be-benefactor doesn't want you to know their name yet so I won't disclose it. I can tell you my reward easily enough, although I doubt it will mean much to you. I'm looking for a very particular magatama that was used during a ceremony in my honor several hundred years ago. It was stolen from the shrine shortly afterward and never recovered. I want it back. Your patron has it and will give it to me once I convey your response."

It did not escape Kuroko's notice that this was an exceptionally redacted answer. It told him only that the unknown third party was someone with access to difficult to locate items, but that was a very broad starting point. He was also certain the significance of the jewel was greater than a simple ceremonial accessory, but Kuroko had no right to pry. It did however, indicate there was someone quite powerful waiting in the wings if they had the ability to refuse the moon god's desire for this item, or at least delay it according to this trade.

"Can you tell me what they want from me in exchange for the second part?" Kuroko asked this hesitantly, he wasn't entirely sure he even wanted to know.

There was a thoughtful pause as the kami seemed to be thinking over his reply. "It is not so great of an initial sacrifice, really, it is more a risk to your overall goal." The orb flared and the vision of a tall young male with red hair and split eyebrows was shown. "His name is Kagami Taiga. He's another one of your master's special talents, but he's also the descendant of your patron's lineage. The favor is to add his destiny to your care as well as your other prodigies. He lives in America at the moment but he will return to Japan in a few years, he'll come back for what they call high school. That's why the spell will extend your time limit. His ancestor is concerned that his talent might go astray but is...unable to interfere for various reasons. Word of your special project has spread and this seemed tailor made to solve their problem since their line has dwindled. Despite being unable to be more directly involved, they wish to protect this young man if possible. The downside is that this bargain expires once I leave – you must make your choice now."

Kuroko stared at the image in the orb. He of course knew there were prodigies outside of Japan, blessed by the deities of their own lands, or those like Kagami that were Japanese but simply didn't reside there. Kuroko most likely had a file on Kagami somewhere in his office, tagged to activate if he returned to Japan. As he carefully weighed the possibilities in his mind, he was aware this was not so simple. It was true he would benefit from an increased time limit, but he didn't know anything about Kagami and it made it all the more risky to have another fate tied to his own. It was also extremely suspicious that this other entity couldn't interfere, that suggested a few possibilities but none were particularly helpful. Either this was an old lineage indeed that had been bound away from their human descendants, meaning they'd been considered too powerful a force and a group of other kami had cooperated to do this, or it was a kami that was known for denouncing any blending of their two worlds and was afraid of being outed as a hypocrite. Or perhaps Kagami's ancestor wasn't one of the kami per se, he could be descended from another type of spirit that was afraid Kuroko wouldn't treat him the same as the other prodigies – this type of prejudice was not uncommon, for all that Kuroko himself never subscribed to such thinking.

He realized that part of his temptation was a shadow's subservience to a kami – especially one as ancient and powerful as Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto. But the offer spoke to his own lingering fear that he could not ultimately change the fate of the Kiseki no Sedai, particularly with the complication of Mayuzumi hovering over his head as well. He didn't have to give up on them for now, he could continue trying to redirect them away from arrogance and selfishness, but if he didn't succeed for their middle school destiny – certainly reaching into high school was desirable. But six souls to guide...it was true it was only one more...but he had to have a perfect record for it to work.

The smile on Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto's face told Kuroko the kami already knew he would agree and it left a bitter taste in his mouth – his human half reacting to the circumstances at hand. He nodded, and it was enough. Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto's eyes lit with a triumph that seemed disproportionate but he quickly subdued it with a nod of his own.

"You will agree to it." His voice was neutral but Kuroko didn't have to hear the eagerness to know it was there.

"I will accept the bargain, yes."

The kami nodded again. "I'll be on my way with the news then, I am sure events will proceed with even more intrigue from this point. I don't know that we will see each other again. Do your best, I would be displeased to learn of your failure." With no further warning, he vanished, and Kuroko could feel an energy vacuum as his powerful presence exited.

Kuroko felt dizzy and weak, he was too used to his own master – a relative youngster among the kami himself – to have been prepared for handling this visit. Even when he was with Susanoo, he'd had his full strength and the protection of years of experience with his particular aura. Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto was a different creature altogether and it made him wary of who his partner might turn out to be – had he been too rash? He had no choice now, he could feel the tentative binding of a promise already forming within him – it wasn't the same strength as a full contract of course, but it obligated him to fulfill his half or risk severe consequences.

He sat down, needing to think. Nigou was already away, but he could slip to the shadow realm himself for a moment to see what information about Kagami Taiga was available – it might not come to it, but he had no interest in being disadvantaged any further than he already was. He would go...if he could just rest a moment...

Although he didn't know it, Kuroko passed out then. He would wake hours later, alone and feeling cold for reasons he couldn't quite place. Nigou had not returned. But there was a phantom bangle around his wrist – it showed a pact had been formed and he knew without investigating that he'd been bound while he slept – it seemed Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto had wasted no time conveying his acceptance to the other spirit. It didn't exist in the physical realm, but other spirits could see it and know what it was. It left him feeling wary and haunted, for all that he had agreed to this. It was no comfort to know there would be a matching one on his new ally; he was the one at risk in this after all. He was too tired to think about it any further, whatever the spell was that was coursing through him was taking almost every lest vestige of energy he had as it settled into his being. Kuroko could tell it was reforming something inside of him, a signal of a truly awesome degree of power from someone he had no name for yet. He closed his eyes again and did the only thing he could: he slept again.