Chapter 6: Traces
(Thanks so much to Northern Wind, Finalay, Bleached-whale, Nitinha56, Stremi da la Saeta, Reader, anon, Liv2luv, MaLingLiu, Daiishaa, Cptn. Suz and Love Psycho for your kind reviews. I will have another update for you soon! Thanks. Love, Spunky)
"Rikichi," Byakuya said, looking up at the youth where he waited beside Miki, "I have enough to begin with. You are excused to meet with your friends. You may follow up with me about our investigation of Tadao's disappearance when you return."
"Yes, Kuchiki taichou," Rikichi said, bowing and leading his friend away.
Byakuya looked down at the disturbed grass and bushes in the clearing, then glanced up as Renji flash stepped into view.
"That was inordinately fast," the noble commented, looking back down at the ground in front of him and studying the reiatsu signatures carefully, "He didn't give you any trouble?"
"Erm…actually, Taichou…"
"No," said Byakuya, "Realize that if you give me any answer other than 'no,' I will not be able to show my face in the next taichou's meeting. Now, you were saying?"
"Taichou, the kid disappeared before I even turned around."
"Then go and find him," Byakuya said, off-handedly, turning back to his observations, "I am surprised that you didn't think of that on your own."
"I did," Renji said, "The last thing the kid said was that he wanted to come along and help. So, I figured that if I found you and Rikichi, I would find him."
"I see. Well, I am here and Shihoin Kisho is not. Rikichi left with his friend to attend the birthday celebration at the orphanage in town. The woman who runs the orphanage is Noa. Her husband, Michio, is the town healer. If the Shihoin prince was so interested in following us, but is not here, it stands to reason that he may have followed Rikichi and his friend into town. But if you, perhaps extend your senses, you might be able to sense his direction. You did get an impression of his reiatsu when we met him at the Shihoin estate, ne?"
Renji blushed.
"Taichou, you know that I suck at reiatsu sensing. And this is kinda important, in that you and I are likely to both be assigned to some really lousy missions if we screw this up…"
Byakuya let out an annoyed breath and closed his eyes, extending his senses around him.
"He is making a rather careless attempt to conceal himself somewhere in town, so perhaps he followed Rikichi. Go and collect him and take him back to Rukongai 31."
"Y-yes Taichou," Renji said, flash stepping away.
Byakuya turned back to the area he had been searching and extended his senses. A drop of blood that had fallen on a bush in front of him, caught his careful eye. He moved forward and inspected it closely. He was momentarily distracted as a mental image of his late cousin invaded his mind, but pushed it away and continued to scan the area.
"Whoever cleaned up this area knew exactly what to do…but…why be so exact? Who was this peasant man that someone would go to such trouble, not only to take him, but to conceal the abduction so carefully? Odd…Rikichi said that he looked out for the children…"
He shook his head in frustration and continued examining the area.
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Tetsuya gave a soft sob of relief as the last of the bindings fell away and his hands were freed. He turned and loosed the bindings on his ankles, then slid off of the torture table and onto his unsteady feet. His head swam as he righted himself, but he took slow, calming breaths and started towards the door. He knew where it was, even in the dark, having spotted it when Orochi had been there and had lit the room with a kido light.
I wish I had that light now…
But even in the darkness, he was desperate enough that he knew he would find an escape. Still, time was ticking by, and he knew he had to escape before Orochi returned.
I have to get back to him. If he finds out where we were going, then he will know. It is only one short step from there to Byakuya's child!
His mind froze as Orochi's footsteps sounded in the cellblock outside the secret room. Unable to find a suitable weapon, he positioned himself behind the door, waiting as Orochi opened it, then kicking it hard into his cousin and sending him crashing into a table full of implements of torment, which struck the wall with him and then fell to the floor all around him.
Tetsuya was out the door and into the outer cellblock in an instant. He thanked his stars that Orochi had been so sure of himself that he hadn't thought to merely lock them both in. He ran out of the cellblock as Orochi burst into it and fired a kido blast at him, striking the wall next to him as he slammed and locked the gate at the end of the corridor. It barely seemed to slow him as he blew the barred gate off its hinges.
"You won't get away!" Orochi howled, "You have no powers and no one to help you!"
Arashi…
He was chilled at the silence in his mind, and wondered what Orochi had done to the stallion. He emerged from the old prison and turned for the nearest cover, a copse of trees that ran along the edge of the property and led back in the direction of Kuchiki Manor. He sensed Orochi following and headed deeper into the trees, finding a thick cluster of brush and taking cover within it.
This is where him sealing away my powers will work against him. It will make me harder to sense…
He watched as Orochi passed by and continued on in the direction of the manor. Tetsuya waited until he was sure that Orochi was far enough away, then turned back towards Itamigiri and used its position to angle himself in the direction of the Rukongai.
Arashi…
He felt the brushing of the stallion's mind against his and saw a sudden mental image of a small gully near the prison. He turned back again, heading towards the gully, reaching it as a soft rain began to fall.
"Arashi?" he called softly.
A weak neigh reached his ears, sounding from a position partway down the steep drop into the gully. He saw an area that looked disturbed, and a set of hoofprints near the edge.
"Arashi!" he cried softly, moving forward and stopping carefully at the edge.
He looked down and spotted the black stallion standing on a small ledge below him. Looking around, he found what looked like a fairly safe path down. He slid down a short drop and began to make his way downward, speaking quietly to the restless stallion as he went. As he moved closer, he could see the dried mud and blood on Arashi's sides, legs and face. He limped forward as Tetsuya dropped onto the ledge, and nuzzled the blue-eyed shinigami's face gently.
"There now, I'm here," Tetsuya said reassuringly, "We'll be all right now. But could you do me the favor of releasing me from the seal on my powers?"
A soft glow rose around the stallion, and he touched his extended nose to Tetsuya's wrists. A look of relief passed over the noble's features as the seal gave way and the reiatsu began to flow within his body again.
"Thank you, Arashi," he said gratefully, patting the horse on the neck, "Now, let's see about getting ourselves out of here!"
He caught his breath sharply as the stallion made a sound of warning and set himself between Tetsuya and Orochi, who now stood at the top of the incline, looking down at them.
"Stop!" Orochi called out in warning, "The ledge you are on is…"
He broke off and dove aside as Arashi reared and loosed a hail of ice blades from his nose and mouth that struck the ground where he had been. The hillside shook ominously.
"No, damn you!" yelled Orochi, "I need him!"
The ledge underneath Tetsuya and Arashi gave way suddenly, sending the two tumbling out of control down the steep drop, over the lower edge and crashing down into the fast moving river below. Orochi rolled to his feet and flash stepped away as a large section of the hillside gave way and tumbled down into the water below him. He watched with dark, enraged eyes as the river swept the debris away, but saw no sign of the shinigami or his horse.
"Unfortunate," he muttered, "but I learned enough that I likely don't need you anymore. The hollows I sent to the Rukongai will take care of that ratty boy you were with, and with any luck, you are dead…or will be in a few minutes. I'm glad to be rid of you. You are better off dead, half blood!"
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"Are you all right, Rikichi?" asked Miki, placing a hand on the other youth's arm.
Rikichi looked around the nicely decorated room, his eye touching on each of the other boys gathered for the celebration.
"Yes," he said absently, "I'm all right. I just…I feel bad for doing this while Tadao is missing. It feels wrong to celebrate while the person who was responsible for all of us being here is in some kind of trouble."
"I know how you feel," Miki said, looking around at the other youths in the room, "I think all of us are worried about him. We owe Tadao so much, and now he needs us, but there's no way to know where he might have been taken. We…"
He broke off as the reiatsu rose around them, and they heard the screech of a hollow somewhere nearby. Noa appeared in the doorway.
Come with me into the cellar, quickly!" she exclaimed, "Those of you who are older, help the younger children!"
"Go on, Miki," Rikichi said to his friend as he drew his zanpakutou, "I can handle this."
"No way!" the dark haired boy next to him said resolutely, "I may not have become a shinigami like you, but I can fight hollows!"
The two youths ran out the front doors of the orphanage, taking positions in the street, in front of the two advancing hollows. Rikcihi studied them carefully for a moment.
"These guys are pretty strong," he warned Miki, "Stay behind me."
He raised Hiwashi, pointing the tip into the sky.
"Fly, Hiwashi!" he cried.
Light flared around Rikichi's extended blade and a large golden eagle launched from the tip and flew into the face of the first hollow, screeching and tearing at it with claws and beak. Blue kido blasts erupted from Miki's hands and pounded the second hollow. The hollow being assaulted by Rikichi's eagle howled and tried to tear the bird away with its clawed hands, while the second hollow blocked Miki's kido fire and began gathering power to launch a cero. Rikichi saw the hollow was about to strike and flash stepped away, dragging Miki with him. They reappeared a short distance away and attacked again.
"Oh no!" gasped Rikichi, as the second hollow turned away from them, "It's going to hit the orphanage!"
He tried to move between the hollow and the building, but was stopped as a cero fired by the first hollow struck the ground in front of him, throwing him off his feet and away from his friend. The first hollow bore down on Miki, while the second closed in on the orphanage.
"Miki!" cried Rikichi, rolling to his feet.
The hollow glared down at Miki.
"You are the one…" it growled, loosing another cero.
As the red light flared and headed towards Miki, Rikichi flash stepped to his friend and raised a kido shield, then dragged Miki to the ground and held him down. The two youths heard a catlike scream, then the attacking hollow howled again and reared back, tearing at something holding onto its throat and clawing at its chest. The hollow gave a last, dying scream and dissolved into spirit particles, and the beast that had attacked it landed lightly on the ground. Rikichi stared in surprise.
"K-kisho?"
"Come on!" growled the leopard, "We have to stop the other one!"
The three flash stepped towards the orphanage, Rikichi and Miki shielding the building as Kisho placed himself in the path of the cero and raised a heavy shield. The light from the cero glowed all around the youths, but just as it reached them, they heard the rough screech of Renji's skeletal snake. The snake curled protectively around the orphanage, and a shield of pink petal blades rose up in between the youths and the remaining hollow. A second volley of petal blades turned the attacking hollow to ash.
Byakuya and Renji flash stepped to where the three boys stood, gathering themselves. Rikichi helped Miki to his feet and the two stood, brushing the dust off their clothes as Kisho shifted to shinigami form and joined them.
"Are you two all right?" he asked.
"Yes, I think so," said Rikichi, "Thanks for jumping in like that! I didn't realize those two were going to be such trouble."
"You are damned lucky none of you were hurt!" Renji snapped, flash stepping to the boys and recalling Zabimaru.
Byakuya turned to Kisho, frowning.
"I gave you explicit instructions to go with Abarai fukutaichou to your meeting point. You should not have come here."
"Eh, sorry Kuchiki taichou," Kisho said, a little too contritely, "I don't know what possessed me."
"I think I do," Byakuya said dryly, "Now, go with Renji. He will take you back to Rukongai 31."
"Sorry, but I can't do that," said Kisho, brushing a handful of stray hairs out of his golden eyes.
"What did you say?" asked Byakuya, his reiatsu flaring.
"I witnessed the attack on the orphanage," said Kisho, "I am sure you will want to question everyone who was involved, ne?"
"Inside, then," Byakuya said, his frown deepening and his reiatsu sparking warningly, "We've attracted enough attention."
"Are you boys all right?" Noa called, peeking out the doorway of the orphanage, "Quickly, come inside and let Michio have a look at you!"
"I'm fine," Rikichi assured her, but I think Miki was hurt when I knocked him down."
"No," said the other youth, shaking his head, "I am fine, really. It's just a scratch."
"It seems that this was an isolated incident," observed Byakuya, "I do not sense additional hollows in the area."
Rikichi blinked and scratched his head, thinking.
"What is it, kid?" asked Renji, "You hurt?"
"N-no," Rikichi said, thinking back through the battle, "But…"
The first hollow bore down on Miki, while the second closed in on the orphanage.
"Miki!" cried Rikichi, rolling to his feet.
The hollow glared down at Miki.
"You are the one…" it growled, loosing another cero.
As the red light flared and headed towards Miki, Rikichi flash stepped to his friend and raised a kido shield, then dragged Miki to the ground and held him down.
"Rikichi?" Miki said, tilting his head questioningly.
"Is there something bothering you about the hollow attack?" asked Byakuya.
"Yes," said the youth, swallowing hard, "One of the hollows said something to Miki."
"Do you remember what it was?" Byakuya asked.
"H-he looked at Miki…and he said, 'You're the one,' then he attacked."
Renji's eyes narrowed.
"All of a sudden, this doesn't seem quite so isolated, ne Taichou?" said Renji.
"No," replied Byakuya, turning a curious eye on Miki, "Do you have any idea what that hollow meant? Have you seen it before?"
"No," said Miki, shaking his head.
"I think it interesting," Byakuya went on, "that you were also involved when your friend, Tadao, was abducted."
"Y-you think I was involved?" exclaimed the youth, "I'm telling you the truth! I didn't know that hollow, and I didn't have anything to do with Tadao getting taken."
"It might not mean you were involved," said Renji, "but somebody obviously sent those hollows after you. We're just trying to find out who."
"And until we know more, we will need to take you back to our division, for your protection. Rikichi can watch over you until we clear this matter up. You can stay in the sixth division barracks, if you have no objection."
"Well…no, I guess not," Miki said, wide-eyed.
"Come then," Byakuya said, turning, "We must return to the Seireitei immediately."
The youths exchanged glances, then fell in together behind Byakuya and Renji. They flash stepped away together as the clouds over them darkened and a light rain began to fall.
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Byakuya walked slowly home, pulling his hooded cloak close around him to ward off the rain. His mind continued to run through the details of the abduction of the man called Tadao, and the hollow attack on the orphanage that might or might not have been related.
It is frustrating that, even as carefully as we questioned them, Rikichi and Miki could add little more to what we already know.
He walked on, hardly noticing as passers-by spoke greetings to him and he closed in on the manor.
The only good thing to come out of this is that, us being the first responders, Soutaichou has to let up and actually let us handle something of importance. It is a small victory…and short-lived if we do not make headway on this situation soon.
He nodded briefly to the guards who greeted him at the gates of Kuchiki Manor. As he passed through the courtyard and entered the gardens, he was suddenly distracted by a low, quivering neigh, and the sight of a ragged looking horse bearing a slumped rider. Byakuya's eyes went wide and his breath left him as the horse lifted his head and fixed a weary blue eye on him.
"Arashi…" he whispered, the shock of what he was seeing, freezing him momentarily.
He flash stepped forward as the horse's legs gave way and the tall stallion collapsed onto the grass. He took hold of the rider as the horse landed, and he pulled him carefully out of the way, then knelt on the wet grass, staring down into the guileless face of his thought-to-be-dead, cousin.
"Tetsuya…" he whispered, his body numb with shock, "Watashi no itoko…you are alive!"
He shouted for the house healers then pulled Tetsuya's senseless form close.
"You are alive…" he whispered into his cousin's ear, "I have you now. You'll be safe here. I won't let you be hurt again, Tetsuya!"