Preface: We are traveling into more of the AU-verse. Please enjoy your flight. Also, please refrain from squeals of 'Kyouya and Muraki: OTP'.
The PLOT Appears!
The Imaginary World was a place that existed on the Internet, data flowing endlessly around it. It used to be a dimension like Meifu, the dimension of Enma and his cohorts, except that the Imaginary World had buffered Meifu from the real world. Some time ago, human innovation and the development of science overtook superstition and the dimension collapsed. Luckily, the mythical creatures of the Imaginary World, the Shikigami, had copied their data and replicated their environment in an electronic environment, saving themselves from imminent destruction. These Shikigami when contracted were useful allies to the agents of the Summons Section.
The mismatch-eyed girl was breathless and had a frantic air about her as Tatsumi gave her the utmost attention, though calm. "What has the Blue Dragon decreed about the matter?"
"They've done as much as they can but entire portions of their realm are disappearing and the wormholes are worsening!"
"I will speak with Chief Konoe, Miss Kannuki. If you would please excuse me Ootori."
Not knowing much of the Shikigami's world beyond its origins and key Shinigami who could call forth or harbor Shikigami, Kyouya listened to their conversation jotting down important details and nodded. "Thank you for the tea."
Tatsumi left in haste with the girl trailing along, but before her partner could leave as well the teen had stepped in his way folder still open. "Excuse me. I'm afraid I haven't caught your name since we met previously under duress." It was a lie, but an easy one to start a conversation.
The peculiarly marked man quirked a grin at the use of 'duress'. He glanced at the folder, reminded of an officer taking statements at a crime scene. He was more amused than irritated by it. "Hajime Terazuma. You're the Ootori kid right? It's nice to meet ya."
"I'd like to make a query if it wouldn't trouble you."
Terazuma held an unlit cigarette in between his fingers. "Don't got to be so polite with me."
"It's of a rather personal nature." Kyouya's eyes flicked towards the markings on his face, pointy ears, and the slitted golden eyes. He knew a parasitic Shikigami caused it, but such generalizations without true understanding would not easily satisfy his curiosity.
"Ah, that." His voice became gruff but apathetic. "If you're looking for a summons, don't get a Parasitic type or they'll take over your life. They don't listen to orders and can cause body deformations if the contract don't take."
Kyouya spoke as he wrote furiously. "Thanks for the warning, but as a shadow user I'm not compatible with Shikigami and am banned entry into the Imaginary World."
"Huh. I'll keep that in mind. Just thought that it was stupid getting a summons when Shade Magic is damn strong enough as it is. You know it even resists Touda's hellfire? The stuff that can kill us on contact?"
"I was not aware of that, no."
"Nothing can beat Shade Magic, except for the lack of shadows. I can't imagine something like that happening a lot." He lit up his cigarette despite being indoors and smoked. "Hell I'd bet that you could kick that damn Tsuzuki's ass if you wanted to."
"You seem to have a low opinion of him." The man was pouring out interesting information. Kyouya wondered how long his interest would last as he confirmed their rivalry. Hearsay had given Kyouya the epic story of Terazuma and Tsuzuki's contempt towards each other, but to witness their rivalry or to record their opinions of the other was important for predicting reactions in lieu of any future string-pulling. Rivalries were among some of the most unpredictable of relationships. His own 'rival' Kuze, Captain of the American Football Club, had an entirely one-sided enmity from a comment he had made in elementary school.
"Are you one of those Tsuzuki-camp freaks?" There was a vein popping out on his forehead as his teeth clamped down on the cigarette in his mouth. Whether it was Terazuma or Tsuzuki who were more pliable because of their distaste for each other, it would be determined with observed behavior over time.
Kyouya chuckled. "He does have many irritating qualities about him, doesn't he?"
"Heh." He took a long drag from the cigarette. "I think I like you Ootori, and it's a plus that you ain't girly like that Kurosaki-brat." Terazuma grinned down at the teen obviously without any intended euphemism in his speech.
"He's only aggravating near sweets." An even voice determined behind Terazuma.
The poor man looked like he would spontaneously break out into hives if said person stood any closer to him though they already had a plenty of space between them. Either Kurosaki was hiding some unknown power or had some dirt on Terazuma. "H-hi Kurosaki."
Stepping some to his right, Kyouya smiled at the strawberry blond. "Hello, Kurosaki." He received a nod as a reply.
"I had sensed that something was worrying Wakaba and came to check it out."
The pointy-eared man huffed at him, taking another heavy breath from his cigarette and removing it from his mouth. "Those damn wormholes have gotten worse. Apparently whole chunks of territory have gone missing. I heard it's even gotten those unflappable Tenguu gate-keepers worried since their home, Mount Kurama, disappeared and with it hundreds of their kind."
There was an uncomfortable pause as Kurosaki shifted his feet. "Has it? I'll let Tsuzuki know about it immediately." His tone remained the same but there was a different air about him in posture and the way he walked. Observing the minutia was Kyouya's strong point, and he was very sure to include it in his notes.
"You do that." Easily holding the cigarette between his lips, he lightly saluted Kyouya then pocketed his hands. "I gotta check on what our Bureau intends to do. See ya, Ootori."
"Pleasure meeting you, Mr. Terazuma." After that cursory farewell, Kyouya looked in the opposite direction that Kurosaki had left curious. Apparently the Imaginary World's political climate was far more complex and important to the Summons Section than he had assumed. It would take some research to corroborate that it was not simply because of Tsuzuki's hold on twelve of the highest level of Shikigami.
In the meantime, he would complete the paperwork Tatsumi had handed to him to finalize. It would seem he would be assigned a section and given a partner. Absently, he filled out Muraki's name in the optional field of first choice.
--
As Sohryuu, the Blue Dragon, stormed around and ultimately found that he was powerless as one of the four cardinal guardians to stop the inevitable collapse of what became their second home, a small golden peacock perched on the edge of the main garden's water fountain. The garden was filled with an assortment of refugee Shikigami as all that remained of their realm was quickly shrinking around the palace Shikigami, Tenkuu. Day by day the forests and rivers disappeared. They could see the horizon of emptiness closing in on them from beyond Tenkuu's walls.
Only the tall form, wrapped in tight black leather with a metal band around his head holding a tinted visor in place, noticed the peculiar creature that seemed to be waiting with infinite patience, but then Touda wasn't worried like his fellow Shikigami over the apparent apocalypse occurring to their Imaginary World.
If he perished, the only person he was concerned with was his Master Tsuzuki, but he knew just as well that Tsuzuki could manage alone if the need occurred. Touda had been contracted with him for nearly three score, but not because the man needed his hellish power. He eyed the peacock as it suddenly spread its illustrious tail out like an ornate fan and stood up straight, chest puffed out.
"Citizens of the Imaginary World." The peacock gorbled suddenly. "Please do not panic. I have begun transferring your data to a more secure location as the Internet is no longer such and the wormholes grow fiercely worse. Bring me to the Blue Dragon and I, Kin-U, will explain the rest." The refugees froze at the sound of that name. Many of them fled, while others bowed rooted to the spot. "Th-the Golden Emperor has returned!"
Touda landed lightly next to the 'Gold Bird', offering an arm. The peacock hopped once onto it and landed on his shoulder letting its gossamer golden tail relax, which almost touched the ground as he stood up. "You're the Dancing Serpent, aren't you?"
He said nothing heading towards the control room as refugees followed closely behind. Whatever this dainty bird was, it could not be the Golden Emperor who had betrayed him to the dark dungeons deep within Tenkuu. He had been told that he had mistaken Tsuzuki for that faceless entity, for that Golden Emperor that nobody could concretely observe, when Kurikara RyuOh had broken his power restraint. With the visor shattered, he had been told, that he had acted outraged and lashed out at his Master confusing him with his previous one. From that fiasco, he knew that the visor was far more multi-functional than a simple interface to the Imaginary World's mainframe and a power restraint. The damnable thing blocked memory, too. He never agreed to shackle his mind when he entered the contract with his Master to free himself from Tenkuu's dungeons, and didn't think his Master knew of its hidden function. The great Sohryuu was never forthcoming of things Tsuzuki would react negatively to.
What mattered in the time being, was that Kin-U's power did not match his Master's. It was perhaps the most telling evidence of why the bird could not be the Golden Emperor. In order to be his Master, a being had to be exceptionally strong, and the golden peacock didn't fit the bill. However, he would not easily make a decision based on one fact alone, and so he would observe and do nothing more because he never did anything more than what his Master bid of him.
As he passed into Tenkuu's inner sanctum where the many generals of the Imaginary World had gather, the stragglers behind him were permitted no farther. Kneeling and feeling the bird hop daintily and elegantly off of his shoulder, he expected that his Master was on his way in this time of crisis with the Priestesses of the Four Gates and his brat of a partner.
Touda's inner smile of amusement had nothing to do with the reactions of the fools in power towards the Gold Bird's statement. Only balance would keep their world together in a harmony that Chaos could not destroy.
--
"Ootori." A voice whispered in an alto pitch, too high to truly be sultry.
"Good afternoon Muraki." Nonplussed by the otherwise close proximity of the strange-colored boy, Kyouya greeted him with a smile taking the distraction as a moment to relax his eyes from reading and his hand from writing.
Pale lips flattened into an annoyed line. "You don't frighten easily."
"Is there something you needed?" The teen allowed a small frown of irritation on his lips at the paper Kazutaka held up.
"You're my new partner."
"Were you expecting anything different?" If he had been disturbed from his work for only that, he was going to loathe working with him.
"No, I thought you might like to know that we've received a new case about a cursed object we need to destroy and a girl's soul we are to retrieve."
"Tell me more." Closing the book, Kyouya gave him his full attention.
"Have you heard of chain diaries?"
When Kyouya only tilted his head in curiosity at the term, the boy continued. "Often the past-time of elementary or middle schoolchildren, usually among girls, they pass around a notebook writing things down anonymously. Dreams or aspirations and sometimes their thoughts on a particular student within the school are what they consider proper material. Apparently, a girl, Hina Kamishiro, brought the cursed book from Germany back to Japan to use in this fashion. Her soul hasn't arrived though her name has been written in the Death Record."
It was the girl that Shirou Takaouji had stumbled into the Host Club for. Her father's job as an ambassador had her frequently in Germany to visit him. If the date on his stock options had been correct Takaouji's abrupt entrance had happened a little over half year ago. Kyouya's seniors would be nearing their graduation soon in the couple of months left of school. "I see."
"We may have to take the girl's body off of life support as well if it's in a vegetative state." The silver-hared boy waved negligently. "Sometimes the soul separates from the body but medicine keeps it alive even without the important kernel of life within it."
"So we have to kill the body before we can bring the soul in? Why not simply let the soul return to the body?"
"It's standard procedure, really. Like I said, her name is already on the Death Record. She's 'dead' and we are afforded the Summons to assist with her transition. You're not going to sabotage the job like Tsuzuki does on a regular basis, are you?" His smile had a thin veil of predator within it. "I'm sure you've heard that I'm not sympathetic towards bleeding heart personalities." He was alluding to his hand in the events that had led up to the 'fated Kyoto disaster' that was whispered about even in the lowly Processing Section, but Kyouya could prod no one to explain beyond the tightlipped outcome of 'how Tsuzuki and Hisoka became partnered'. He had ascertained that it had happened a few years ago though he wouldn't know the exact details, unless Muraki were to enlighten him to the grisly circumstances.
"Is there a handbook I can reference?" Kyouya did not hesitate in the slightest, knowing the two people who had created the worst partnership in the history of Meifu.
A very worn book was placed on the table. "Here you can have mine. Takamine certainly doesn't need it anymore."
Closing and pushing the informational texts of the Imaginary World aside, he took the great tome and opened it. Flipping through it, he frowned before closing it and sliding it back to Kazutaka. "Where's the real copy?"
The boy smiled ear to ear. "In order to read it you have to dispel the magic I placed on it."
Kyouya glanced at the book. "I could just as easily borrow the handbook from another Shinigami."
Pushing his glasses further up his nose, Muraki continued smiling. "But then you would lose the valuable lesson being learned here. What good are you to me if you cannot even defend yourself when your shadows fail you?"
"A valid point."
"Now, I would have recommended Tsuzuki to train you in the basic techniques… but you know well that he's departed for the Imaginary World." The smile curled sinisterly on his lips. "So I have taken this task into my own hands. You should be grateful."
"And what of our case?" Kyouya did not show signs of being bothered by this task his partner posed. In fact, he seemed quite amused.
Kazutaka scowled since his scaring tactics had failed as he turned away crossing his arms. "The information we've gotten says that it may contain a plethora of souls that need to be freed. As for its current location, it was last seen in the Elementary section of Ouran Private Academy."
A sickening crunch sounded as the teen snapped his mechanical pencil in half. The shadows flared off the walls agitated by their master's deliberately covered shock. He had assumed foolishly that the girl had recently arrived from Germany and gotten sucked in the moment she began writing, not that she brought it to school to share with others. Muraki had said chain diaries were an 'anonymous' public affair. He mused cynically over how many familiar souls had been trapped before the Ministry acted. His shadows quieted when he gritted his teeth and laid the bits of his pencil on the table. He evened his breathing and cleared his mind.
"Ah, yes. You went to school there. I suppose that means you won't be actively participating with the other students. However, feel free to assist me in Spirit Form. Your knowledge of the prestigious pupils would be greatly beneficial to our work."
Imagining how easy the diary could be passed from the Elementary section on up to the High School section, Kyouya was disturbed at how effortless it would have been for the Host Club to pick it up had they not been dissolved after his death.
"How wonderful! A notebook full of hopes and unrequited loves to be passed throughout the school!! Let us continue this commoner tradition to the fullest!"
"But milord, don't you have your own unrequited love to spell out in it?"
"Haruhi is my daughter you unscrupulous twins!!"
"Like I said, over and over again. You aren't my father."
"Haruhiiiiiiiiii…"
"Ootori?" Faint concern colored Muraki's tone at Kyouya's slip into a ridiculous excursion into an imagined scenario. It was foolish to miss those he could not meet again and knowing the truth did nothing to sway the small ache nestled in his chest.
As he willed his shadows into calmness, Kyouya slipped his hand over the cover of the hand-me-down book. "I won't play this game with you if you endanger my colleagues."
"I give you no guarantee that I would aid you if one of them were to be drawn in by the curse." It was a firm but careful agreement that Muraki would not stand in his way.
"I would not ask you to help if that situation arises."
"How reckless. Keep in mind that quite a bit of money will be deducted from your paycheck for failing to send the souls on," Kazutaka smirked, "but you would already know that if you could dispel the barrier I've placed on the book."
Pleased with the deliberate change in subject, the teen smiled, adjusting his glasses. "I appreciate the hint." With a flourish of his hand over the book, he murmured the words to deactivate a barrier, and it crumbled shattering the illusion of an old book. Audacious black script flowed over the front cover of the small gray book, entitling it The Beginner Shinigami's Handbook of the Judgment Bureau: the rules and regulations specific to this bureau and addendum policies decreed by Lord Enma's sovereignty. The title lent to the notion of the bloated ego that the average beginner probably had.
"Congratulations. If you can dispel that I suppose you could also set in place a barrier."
He stifled a sigh, but his shadows barely twitched. "You could have asked me, instead of wasting our time."
"And what fun would that be, Kyouya?"
He did sigh lightly this time. His partner was using his first name in such an offhanded, personal way. Recognizing the attempt to stoke his anger, Kyouya was unimpressed at such childishness. He had been desensitized from such acts by a close friendship of three years. He stood up, handbook and folder underhand and leaving the shattered pencil. "I know Ouran Private Academy intimately, so it would be best if I teleport us there if we are to start this case."
Giving up that jab from Kyouya's non-reaction, Muraki waved a hand dismissively. "Very well. Let's go."
His partner touched his arm, and immediately Kyouya thought of the hallway outside of Elementary section's Music Room. They were suddenly there, where children were currently chatting away. Predictably, one dejected brown-haired blue-eyed boy sat staring listlessly out of the window.
"Shirou Takaouji is the boy you must befriend. He had a crush on our target less than a year ago."
"Hm. I suppose he's the one brooding on the window sill."
"You are correct."
"First order of business is to arrange for a transfer, and then order a uniform. Here's my cell." Muraki grinned as he handed the outdated thing over.
Kyouya looked at it briefly, and then looked down at him. "What is your alias?"
"It would be best if I am foreign-born because of my coloring. I do know a great deal of English, so from either the US or UK would do nicely."
"You are aware they have different accents and figurative language?"
"Of course. I'm better suited as a Briton because of my refined nature."
"Your personality is too flamboyant and loose."
"Fine. I'm an American named, Kyle Smith, whose family is in possession of the largest production firm of sophisticated medical technology. Do I have your approval, Ootori?"
Ignoring the sarcasm, the black-haired teen looked down at his diminutive size. "How much money do we have allocated to this case?"
"40, 000 yen."
"I suppose we could get a rental uniform for that much…"
"No. We aren't squandering that on a rental. The allotted money is mainly for food and a hotel room."
Kyouya adjusted his glasses unable to keep the grin from his face. "It's going to cost money to keep up the façade. We don't need to use that money, since I can provide that."
"Your terms?"
"Oh I expect you to pay me back a small amount per paycheck received, plus interest."
"You're out of your mind."
The teen smiled as the bell rang to announce that club activities were over. "I suppose I'll release her soul and, after she wakes from her coma, we'll both receive small paychecks in comparison to a job well-done."
"How much money is needed for the charade?"
"No less than 300, 000 yen."
"I leave this case for dead then. I have more to lose than to gain." Muraki shrugged his shoulders.
"Since the money is non-negotiable then perhaps we should negotiate our terms of contract?" It would benefit them both, so Kyouya knew that his partner couldn't say no.
He laughed in pleasure. "Do you want me to play an obedient submissive?"
"Hardly. I find your pathetic come-ons entertaining in the sense that it demonstrates how far you've fallen since your death, Muraki. To see one such as yourself degrade over time through such undignified tactics speaks of how wrong people were to mourn your death."
Anger flared from Kazutaka's expression and his voice was flat, suddenly cold and devoid of the playful charm it had just seconds ago. "What are your terms."
If his terms were agreed to, Kyouya would finally gain a win in the game of stalemates they had played since he had asked him to remove the seal. "We are not on first-name basis; we are business partners. We will approach this case under my direction because I am most familiar with the students and their multitude of connections with one another. In order to gain trust within Ouran Academy and not be treated as an outsider, one would have to make the best use of these connections and exploit them undetected."
They stared at each other, willing the other to bend.
"Very well."
Kyouya's smirk of triumph erupted suddenly on his face as Kazutaka continued. "A man with an eye on his own interests is a man after my heart, Mr. Ootori." A wry smile twisted cruelly in reply on Muraki's face as he splayed his hands out. "I am at your mercy for now."
It was exactly where Kyouya wanted him, though he knew once the case was over his partner's pride would only double his attempt at dominating their relationship.
Kyouya loved challenges, but he found Muraki thrived on them.
To crack his shell wide open would be more than enough of a challenge for the middle-aged boy to delight in.
TBC.