22: Past the Threshold

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed."

-Albert Einstein

"I'm surprised you finally got a day off work. Though I guess we've all been busy." The bald soul reaper commented, holding his bottle of saki. Ikkaku sitting next to the fifth in command of the battle squad; the narcissistic Yumichika, the endowed Matsumoto, and the overworked Renji taking up the rest of the card table. They weren't playing anything but they'd set up a table to drink and relax for a while in a bit of free time with all that was going on.

"Busy hiding." Renji replied with a frown. "And I guess my break won't last. Even if the girl is here Captain Kuchiki is expected to be spending his time as a personal bodyguard and trainer. I don't think he's too happy about it."

"Is he ever happy about anything?" Matsumoto asked skeptically. "I think having a girl near him might be good for him…a roll in the hay would lighten him up."

"I doubt he'll be rolling in the hay with anyone." Renji sighed, glancing around like he was worried his captain might bust up the little party at any time.

"What about this priestess?" Yumichika spoke up for the first time, brushing some of his hair out of the way before sipping from his own glass of the rice wine. "Everyone is talking about her but almost no one has seen her. They transferred her right to his secured estate."

"I only saw her for a moment." Renji answered. "She seems very human. When I walked in to report to Captain Kuchiki she waved and smiled at me like we'd known each other for ages. She was pretty average really and I didn't feel any spiritual pressure from her at all. All the stuff I read about the priests of old they were suppose to have immeasurable energy."

"Well if she's not trained maybe you just couldn't feel it?" Ikkaku commented with a shrug. "It doesn't really matter to me, it's not like she'll do anything for the 11th squad. I'm surprised the higher ups are so worried about it, we've been doing just fine without one for ages."

"I heard the royals ave been givin the direct orders themshelves." Mastumoto drunkenly broke in, half leaning on the table as she mumbled. "Dere are rumorsh dey have taken a personal intereshst in her continued shhtudy."

"She must be quite beautiful if that's the case." Yumichika commented, seeming to ponder. "But I don't know, there have always been rumors surrounding the royalty…it's not as if most of the imperial guard actually have ever seen them. Have any of you?"

Everyone shook their heads negatively at that question.

"Oh, did you hear about Captain Kurotsuchi?!" Mastumoto remembered another of the pieces of gossip and peeped right up, changing the subject.

The group continued to drink and trade rumors and other information they'd heard about the courts as of late…

ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo

It was an absolutely lovely day.

Kagome had found it much too pleasant of a day to just linger inside to practice her meditation.

It was as if a painter had reached down and touched his brush to this place, gifting it with an array of colors. The autumn in soul society at the Kuchiki estate was too much for her to ignore, she'd taken to walking in a well-pruned garden, pathways of wood set above areas of the garden that were covered with a small lake and stream. Occasionally the scales of clear fish could be seen from above, but many of them seemed to be in hiding. It was a pleasant temperature but likely the water was much colder than the air during this time of year.

The trees offered a vibrant canopy, those that weren't filled with leaves of various shades had either pastel petals or were baring fruit she didn't recognize. Autumn blooming flowers were blooming all over and were smothering the ground in some places.

Kagome was enjoying the breathtaking garden as she looked around, eyes trying to take in every possible detail as she walked, clicking with each step.

After her arrival here they had replaced her modern clothes with an older styled kimono, insisting that a woman of her station shouldn't be wearing commoner garments. She let it go, she'd never really enjoyed wearing a kimono or walking in zori sandals (sandals traditionally worn with a kimono) but she was used to it. Her grandpa had made her wear a lot of both for various events at the shrine growing up, so she could - though it had been a while. Her steps were much smaller than she was used to.

She couldn't complain too much though, the kimono she'd been given was one of the most beautiful she'd ever seen. It was a beautiful royal blue with white and silver cranes painted in mid-flight along the shoulders and near her feet. Otherwise it had much lighter matching silver-white ivy that curled in no set pattern sparingly along the rest of the smooth silk of the fabric.

Kagome found herself resisting the urge to fiddle with it just because it felt so nice, but she didn't want to wrinkle it after all the care that had been taken in helping her put it on. She paused at one of the more open areas above the water and let the light wind wash over her face and make her hair sway backward gently. There was a bench here and she had to admit the peaceful atmosphere wasn't something she was in a hurry to leave, sitting carefully so as to wrinkle her new kimono as little as possible. Closing her eyes as she faced the wind, letting herself relax and enjoy the scents and feel of the mid-autumn day.

"This wouldn't be a bad place to practice." She thought idly. "I know he wanted me to stay inside but it seems like it would be easier here. I can just tell him that later."

It was a good excuse for her to stay and enjoy the day while getting her work done, trying to clear her mind as she'd been instructed. Somehow the pleasant feel of the wind of her cheeks made it easier to focus and push other distractions from her mind. It wasn't long before she'd entered a meditative state without even realizing it, time flying past her while she thought of nothing and bothered with nothing.

She likely would have been there well into the evening if one of the workers hadn't been making noise in some of the bushes nearby and distracted her. She blinked a little as she refocused, a grin creasing her lips the moment she realized she'd succeeded, it made her instantly as giddy as a school girl. (and given she was one that was very giddy) She giggled aloud happily and headed as fast as her kimono would allow to search for Byakuya, she needed to share her achievement with her teacher.

Though the grounds seemed more like a palace for an emperor than a nobleman, making her wonder just how important his station was as she searched. Though she also hadn't been here more than a day and she hadn't learned her way around at all. She was very lost and about to accept finding anyone to ask for directions through the various hallways and buildings by the time she heard Byakuya's voice, he sounded angry, as if he were arguing with someone.

"…refuse. That is an unacceptable order. Find an alternative." Was all she heard before a door opened further ahead and the soul reaper she'd been seeking stepped into the hallway where she was. She waved and was smiling still, acting as if she hadn't heard anything seemed to be the best course, and she was still to excited about her own achievement to be nosy just then. "Byakuya."

A man in the usual uniform of the squads started to follow Byakuya from the room, mouth open to reply but paused and closed his mouth when he noted Kagome. Shaking his head and disappearing back into the room where Byakuya had exited from.

He considered her, walking her way and as soon as he was in acceptable speaking distance started to chide her. "I thought I told you to stay in your room until I returned."

"I needed to get out…it's too nice a day to stay all stuffed up. Your gardens here are just so pretty I couldn't help but wander around for a while." Kagome replied, though she was still smiling. "Besides, I finally managed to meditate for a while!"

She seemed so honestly delighted as she watched him, as if searching for childlike approval of her success. "This girl really is too innocent for her own good."

"That is good, but you shouldn't wander in the future without at least some kind of guard. I'll make sure some are available when I'm needed elsewhere." Byakuya compromised, doubting she'd stop wandering even if he yelled at her after her present history. "Though I shouldn't be busy for some time, I've gotten most of my schedule free because of my duties in teaching you. If you have succeeded in meditating we should return to the building separated for your training. I would like you to start reading some of the texts on the basics of spiritual magic."

"More reading?" She rolled her eyes and laughed. "Have you even been outside at all today? Don't you ever just get out and enjoy yourself? It's gorgeous."

"I take walks on occasion." He replied. "This isn't a vacation Kagome. I thought you were serious about wanting to learn about and control your abilities?"

"I am. I just think you need to relax a little more." She smiled still, she was too delighted at her progress to let his cool attitude get to her. "You are much too serious for your own good. And um…I'm sorta lost. I don't know how to get back to the building where I'll be training."

"Let's add hopeless to her character description." Byakuya noted as she admitted to being lost.

"It's this way." He commented, breezing past her to show her the way back to where she would be spending her time in study.

Kagome did her best to follow quickly but frowned after a while, sighing. "Please slow down, I can't keep up wearing this. It's been ages sense I've walked around in clothes like this."

He didn't completely stop or even turn to let her know if he'd heard her but he did decelerate considerably enough to indicate he was accommodating her. It allowed her to catch up, leaving her to ponder his back as she followed, many of the hallways here wouldn't let people walk next to each other comfortably.

She considered the kensaiken in his hair as they moved, curious of just what they meant but also busy thinking about actually being able to control her powers - it was an exciting thought. She had spent so long not being able to do anything and now she might be able to help so many people more actively.

One of the black butterflies was fluttering toward Byakuya and it distracted her again, making her smile a bit at it. Blinking a little when Byakuya paused to reach up and catch it- it was such a bizarre scene she came close to forgetting to stop as well and nearly ran into him before she did remember and backed up. He was staring at the flying insect for a while before it flew off again, he turned around then…considering Kagome.

"I need to go and attend to something else." He announced to her. "Can I trust you to stay within your training building and continue to practice your meditation or should I get you an escort? That door there will lead you into the main room of the training area reserved for you."

He gestured as he mentioned the passage.

"I'll stay put this time." She promised with a light smile. "Go and do what you need to do."

She wandered past him this time after the comment, wanting to work more on the meditation as he'd told her it would make it easier for her to learn the magic's. He glanced after her as she slipped away, then moved directly back along the path they had taken from the main building of the estate. It seemed he still had an argument to win.

End Chapter

A bit of a shorter chapter, but I wanted to leave it off there. I already know what my next chapter will be but I have to get the time to type it up. I'll take guesses as to where I plan to take next step though.

-Aura

P.S. Histu is usually pretty rude to folks in the anime and what I've read of the manga so I figured I'd have Kagome get a few hits in for it. Alternative Angel - Yeah I suppose so…but Kagome was always pretty good at that in Inuyasha too. Ayjeh - that's it! And he does look like that guy! Nasuki - who is Pyon? Crow Rat - your reviews are the awesome. And I'm trying to get to more romance but I am a slow mover when it comes to romance so I can't just have folks just in.