Chapter Eleven: A Lot of Shock
A sudden bold and unexpected question doth many times surprise a man and lay him open.
-Francis Bacon
Byakuya had finished explaining the events of the recent attack by the one Kagome kept calling Kikyo. Watching Sestran pace slowly across one of the open areas of the room, following his occasional glances toward the hallway where Kagome was likely still trying to get her kimono in presentable order.
"I'll have to work on how quickly I'm able to unravel those knots." He thought to himself vaguely, smiling slowly when Sestran sent him a more observant look. "Yes, we were doing exactly what you are thinking about."
He didn't have to say it aloud for the sly expression to tell it to the Prince clearly, he was perfectly fine with the Prince understanding that Kagome was his. He wouldn't overstep by outright saying it unless the Prince overstepped, but it was best to not allow him to think otherwise even for a moment.
"Would you like to sit down highness?" He offered politely, expecting the negative shake of the Prince's head.
"No." Sestran had a vague frown on his face, though he stopped pacing and was looking out the window. "I am uncertain as to who exactly is organizing these attacks or the truth of what they told Kagome. My mother rarely mentioned such things to me, though I doubt she would have been aware at the time when she still lived here."
"It is reasonable to believe that they will have other priestess' or even priest's in their small army. Though I am not willing to completely take the story that was given as fact, likely there are some aspects of truth in it."
Sestran was still staring out the window, though his expression had grown steadily more sour as Byakuya's statement had come to it's end. He seemed torn, still staring at the same spot he'd been without seeing it.
"What of Kagome highness?" Byakuya's main concern at the moment was his fiance, he knew that it was dangerous for her to stay here but also figured the reach of this new enemy might still be able to find her. "She likely isn't safer in any one place than any other."
"Return to earth with her." Sestran answered, his voice a bit soft. "While this is happening I will be unable to work with her on magic, though I expect you to do your best to continue her lessons. We will need to contact the other cities within the council and see if such troubles are extending into their territories as well."
"It has been years sense a common correspondence." Byakuya seemed vaguely surprised. "Do you believe they will offer you some form of answer?"
"If there is a problem they will." Sestran nodded. "They will tell us they can deal with their own issues, otherwise they will return with an offer of aid and apology for our trouble."
Kagome meanwhile was settled near the door of the powder room she'd been using to realign her garments. Frowning as she listened to the two men discussing her. "They don't know...that's why the Prince wants me to go back to the mortal world. Less of a danger of blowing up like Kikyo was talking about. Will I ever be okay? The fate that Kikyo spoke of, could I survive it even if it were to occur.
The simple idea of being forced to endure the things that were mentioned, of being plucked and forced away from everyone she loved and cared about, it was enough to bring moisture to her eyes. She'd always known there was danger in the various things she did with Inuyasha, and even in staying in soul society, but for all the time she'd spent in the underworld, she hadn't actually much considered death. In particular her own, she wasn't even eighteen years old...
"I'm not certain Earth is the safest place for her...at least not within the city where she is from. While it is the one most greatly tied to our own, it is likely going to be watched or even targeted by the enemy if they are truly seeking her death. It would do her no good if she feared constantly for the safety of her family and friends." Byakuya mentioned calmly, watching the Prince as he returned to pacing.
"She must return to Earth, for as long as we remain unaware of what could possibly happen with her I don't want her here." The Prince answered with certainty. "What alternative would you suggest Captain?"
"We could travel together as one of the emissaries carrying the letters to the neighboring society's." Byakuya answered with a small shrug. "The Kuchiki family still retains residences in any of the other cities, if we could not find a suitable inn then we would have places to stay."
"How long has it been sense any of the noble families even traveled the void?" Sestran commented aloud, it didn't seem that much of a question. "Your grandfather was the last was he not?"
Byakuya nodded, no reason to speak to that one.
"You have never transversed the void then..." Sestran paused to look at Byakuya, it was much harder to pick out emotions through a door but Kagome sensed some vague skepticism. "We cannot even be certain how Kagome would hold up there."
"We need not transverse it." Byakuya answered with a small shrug. "We can travel there though the real world and return to the spiritual. If they ask about the break of protocol we can say we were concerned as to this new threat catching one of the letter holders."
"It is pushing it, we'll need to send everyone in such a manner...but it would make it harder for them to interfere in the real world than the void." Sestran replied, sounding less skeptical. "Where will you go?"
"The Shirei court would be the first they would consider. I would prefer the Sepul court to the southern lands. Those are the ones I have read the most of and seem the less traditional of the many." He replied.
"They're not even asking me again." Kagome thought with a sigh, but she had a hard time stepping in, it was so official and she wasn't completely certain she'd gotten the knot right on her kimono. It's sorta difficult to tie a knot thats behind you, more or less make it look good. She didn't recognize almost any of the terms they were using while they bantered either. It was never fun to look like the idiot trying to catch up to the rest of the genius's. Staying put wasn't so bad. "They'd probably keep doing it even if I was out there and I'd just have to feel stupid. At least they wanna keep me safe I suppose."
"They do seem one of the more liberal ones, though vagrant hollows will be more of an issue there." Sestran replied, finally nodding. "It'll be done. You'll leave tonight with the rest of the messengers. In the meantime, speak with your sister and your lieutenant, I have a special assignment in mind for them."
Byakuya let a eyebrow raise but the Prince was looking down the hall where Kagome had never reappeared, finally shrugging to himself and leaving again without answering the unspoken query. Kagome didn't emerge til she heard Byakuya tell her the Prince had left, he smiled just a bit when she asked him to help her re-tie the knot in the kimono. "Never enough time in the world."
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Renji and Rukia both had slightly agape mouths, blinking slowly at the Prince's request. Well, demand would have been a better way to put it, they were still staring after his back as he walked away. Renji was the first one to actually get a word in before he vanished and left them completely dumbfounded.
"Highness, I don't mean to question." He commented with as much pride as he could muster. "How on earth do you plan to have us do that? My tattoo's and my hair...and then, Rukia would have to grow at least a foot in height..."
That got the red haired soul reaper a death glare from his shorter friend.
"You need not be perfect." Sestran replied without turning around. "You will be spending the majority of your time alone in the personal quarters of Captain Kuchiki and his fiance. I only expect you to wear basic aspects of disguise and to outright avoid being seen outside of the family cabin out there. Do you understand?"
"Not at all." Renji thought but finally managed. "Yes, highness."
"No" Rukia thought at the same time, but bowed and repeated Renji's statement.
"Um..." Renji rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, not looking at Rukia. Pretending to be Byakuya was already bad enough, he could already picture his Captain kicking him out of the squad or demoting him to latrine cleaner. It wasn't any better that Rukia was playing the part of his 'fiance'. "Talk about hell on earth, she's gonna murder me..."
"We must." It was all she said, she was always dutiful when the name of her house was involved, adopted or otherwise she would do her best to honor the Kuchiki name. "But I worry for my brother...where will he be that there must be a fake like this?"
"I think they could have picked someone else." Renji complained finally once the level of energy lowered enough he figured the Prince was well out of hearing distance. "The Captain will be fine though, always is. I'm more worried about me..."
"After that short comment you should be!"
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Kagome couldn't help but stare.
It was often making her have to be pulled out of running into someone or tripping or otherwise causing a small ruckus as they made their way through the crowded Tokyo airport, but she couldn't help it.
The sight of Byakuya in jeans (though he had a lovely shirt on) was just more than her already busy brain was having a easy time comprehending. Not to mention he'd taken out the kensaiken he constantly wore otherwise, leaving his hair half in his face in a manner that was messy but still unfairly alluring. Like he'd gone from the perfect noble honorable knight captain sort to the more roguish never average model sort.
The reasoning was well enough, they needed to look comfortable, blend in, seem like any other tourists heading over to Australia soon.
But it was Byakuya wearing blue jeans. The world was out of order.
"Could you attempt to be a little more conspicuous?" He finally leaned over and whispered to her. "People are watching your repeated failures to walk in a straight line."
"I highly doubt it's me they are watching." She answered with a glance around. "You did notice it's mostly women...you are the one that needs to be more conspicuous."
"Is my disguise not fitting?" Byakuya seemed vaguely insulted but was keeping up a mostly business mode attitude while they were in public. Tugging Kagome out of the way of another approaching cart taking people through the terminals.
"Um, that's not why they are staring." Kagome giggled at the eyebrow raise she got in return, it was sorta amusing that while he was so narcissistic at times he had no real idea how drop dead gorgeous he was. "I guess if it was a year ago, I'd be staring with my tongue out like all the rest."
"I will take that as a compliment." He commented, tugging her shoulder, this time toward the number where they were suppose to wait for their plane, they still had twenty minutes before it would board but that was better than trying to rush at the last minute.
"Man, I wish that they allowed you to put more luggage beneath the plane." Kagome complained, putting down her heavy carry on and rubbing at her shoulder uncomfortably. "Such cheapskates these airlines."
"You could have put it beneath the plane." Byakuya pointed out. "We are flying first class, you do realize that money isn't much of an issue?"
"It's the principle!" Kagome answered grumpily. "Just cause you can pay it doesn't mean you should have to! Man, you walk too fast too, I'm thirsty just from all the rushing and pulling."
"They're selling waters there." Byakuya gestured at one of the many shops littered throughout the place, people doing their best to make money anyway possible. "Don't complain they're too expensive."
Kagome paused after having opened her mouth, shutting it again as Byakuya walked off toward the vendor. Shaking her head and muttering to herself mockingly. "Don't gotta be so mean about it!"
She watched him move over, smiling a little after the thoughts despite herself, she knew he was being nice, much more than he might have been months ago. Though her moment of warm fuzzy feelings came crashing to a shocked halt when a woman walked up and copped a feel on his behind and whispered something in his ear.
End Chapter
So, a trip! I'm developing my own outer areas of how soul society - and other 'society's' of their world work. As a single city for all the dead on the world (even if it's super large) is really silly to me. So there will be more on that in chapters soon to be (I hope). Keep reading!
-Aura
To my reviewers:
Sugar0o - I like to write Ishida. I'm pondering doing a Ishida/Kagome fic someday if I ever finish this monster. She has a hard time concentrating on Inuyasha, he hasn't been a part of her life in a while. She forgets about him. Which bothers her, but thats sort of a fact of life when it comes to ex's.
Neo-crystal - Yes the show made me go 'ooh look at that!' I hope this weeks will be equally as interesting!
AzalynAngel - Yeah, I wanted to resolve it without either side dying. I like them both a lot...though I'm okay with the end result I might go back and try to add some meat way later whenever I actually finish this huge fiction.