A/N: Konnichiwa, minna! Thanks so much for the reviews and faves and follows this week. Your love keeps us writing. Enjoy! Ja ne!
"C'mon, Foxy, come an' get me!" Conquest taunted, darting away with a grin.
The silver-haired kitsune growled with almost annoyance and took off after the blue-haired menace. "Git back here, ya over-grown kitty cat!"
Grimmjow stuck his tongue out in a very similar motion to that of his mate. Using his long flexible black and white tail as a lure, the panther sped across and around the courtyard on all fours, not quite Flitting but still faster than the Jester could keep up, much to his irritation. After a very short while, too short for his liking, Gin had to stop running, out of breath and rubbing his side.
Beltane was too close to summer for the thick-coated vulpine under the best of conditions, and being half-way through his pregnancy did not aid him, especially in the game Conquest was currently trying to play. His ears and tails drooped, his tongue hung out of his mouth and he rubbed a hand over the curve of his belly, now large enough that he couldn't wear most of his yukata or hakama anymore. So, on top of being weighed down by three kits that added their own body heat, the only way he could cover himself was with his natural thick, double-coated pelt of fur that was specifically designed for cold weather. Needless to say, the poor kitsune was well over-warm.
It was precisely for that reason that the panther inadvertently dashed away too far and didn't notice his game-partner missing right away. Which gave the large figure in the shadows on the lee side of the East building the opportunity to whisper, in its native tongue, all the horrible things it would do to the kits once they were born. Of course, the kitsune couldn't understand this, but in his swimming vision the same burning eyes that had tormented his nightmares since the encounter at the bookstore appeared to have multiplied by at least three, giving the appearance of a six-eyed beast prowling in the darkness. Needless to say it terrified him.
Gin took several steps away from the sight, but the combination of his condition, the heat and the aura with which the vaguely baboon-shaped beast flooded the area, created the perfect recipe for a fainting spell. The Jester never even felt the stones of the courtyard when his knees gave out and he collapsed into a heap of silver fur.
The next thing he was aware of were cool hands brushing his bangs out of his face, and water being dribbled onto his lips. He licked them unconsciously and caught the tail end of a conversation that had obviously been going on for a while.
"…don't care what you thought, you lost sight of him and look what happened!" The speaker was obviously smaller than their target, because the sound of sucking teeth was further away than the words. "Are you listening to me? Grimmjow!" Ah, Ulquiorra then.
Gin expected to hear some scathing remark from the blue-haired panther, but when none came he cracked an eye just far enough to see that Conquest was leaning against the wall, staring out into space, arms crossed over his chest, and his tail flicking in irritation. Death was attempting to get him to feel something about having almost left the Jester in the heat to die. That in itself was irony, considering how apathetic Death was always assumed to be. It just went to show that human interpretations of the Court were just as wrong about the bat as they had been about the panther when they'd incorrectly called him Pestilence, instead of Conquest.
Ulquiorra called the First's name two more times before the blue-haired feline finally glared at him. "Fine! I get it ok. C'n I go now?" He was surly.
"Yeah, when you explain to me why I was standing here calling your name and you didn't even so much as look up." Being ignored was the biggest of the bat's pet-peeves.
For a second it appeared like it was going to happen again, but eventually the panther just rolled his eyes. "I jus' didn' feel like answerin' ya."
Even to Gin's still foggy brain that sounded like a lie, but he couldn't put his finger on exactly why that was important at the moment, and concentrating on it was impossible because right then the rest noticed he was awake. Immediately he was surrounded by his nakama, all talking at once. Then silence reigned and the door, to what he determined to be the library from the way the others hovered over him, flew open with a bang.
"What happened this time!?" Renji roared, stalking over to him with a pronounced limp and several gashes along the bicep on his blind side.
The kitsune smiled a bit, sitting up slowly so he could cradle the head of crimson hair that was suddenly in lap, purring and nuzzling his baby bump. "Mah, I jus' over did it out in th' sunshine, Aiko."
"That thing was back wasn't it?" War growled. "I c'n smell it on ya." The crimson orb of his blind eye turned up to glare meaningfully at the rest of the court. "What part of he can't be left alone, is nobody understandin'? Do I hafta bring Ichigo inta this? I thought we was all agreed 'bout it. I don't care if all the thing does is watch him. I can't stand th' idea of that whatever-it-is havin' the opportunity ta hurt him."
"Don't bug King wit' it. It was an accident. Blue didn't mean ta leave him behind. We're just not used ta…um…" The albino mage seemed to realize how dangerous the rest of his sentence was becoming.
Ulquiorra save his mate, "Indeed, Ichigo has enough on his plate between his lessons and working with the caretakers on that project of his in the chapel that's connected to the kitchen." He stepped forward, "I take full responsibility for Grimmjow's," The panther didn't even flinch at the cold tone Death used, "negligence this afternoon. Shiro and I were attempting to re-animate the coffeepot without using so much caffeine. It was tricky and required all of our attention. Gin-san, please forgive us for not coming to you sooner."
"Oh it's not all that bad…" The kitsune tried to make light of the situation, only to received his mate's full-on stare. "Yer here now, so what's it matter?"
"Koi, I can't keep runnin' back an' forth 'tween here an' th' Amazon. In th' time it takes me ta get here an' back my whole plan can be destroyed. I wanna be here wit' ya but I gotta catch up on stuff now if I wanna have time wit' you an' the kits later." War's words were accompanied by another nuzzle to his belly, and a small, enticing purr.
"Maybe Death and Shiro can make up for their part in today's fiasco by helping to pinpoint exactly what kind of beast we're looking for. "Aizen entered the conversation for the first time. He had been the one dripping cool water on Gin's lips just as the fox had returned to consciousness.
"That's a good point, Aiko. If we're holed up here in the library that thing can't get to me, and I'll feel like I'm actually doing something instead of just sitting around in our room with a couple of priests." Gin smiled reassuringly and Renji grunted.
"Fine." He didn't want to leave his mate again, but there was no helping it. So, the redhead cuddled him closer for a moment or two. "Be good, Koi." He kissed the fox and Flitted away, presumably back to the Amazon.
"I am going to attend to Ichigo." The implication in the butterfly's words was that he was going to try and get a peek at the big project the King refused to allow the rest of the Court to see.
When he and his brother had returned from visiting their father, the orangette had holed himself up with a bevy of priests, architects and designers inside the old chapel. They saw him every so often as he needed to leave the building to eat and sleep, but otherwise the King was unavailable until further notice. Not even Conquest knew what was happening, and he slept with him.
So, the Horsemen's patience about the project was becoming thinner and thinner, which meant any and every excuse to attempt to get into the converted chapel had been used and now they barely even bothered trying to hide their true motives anymore. Everyone around the room nodded, but the butterfly paused on his way out the door.
"Grimmjow, why don't you come with me?" The panther gave no response, which made the brunette frown, and call out again, "Grimmjow? Come with me." Again there was no response. Placing a hand on Conquest's shoulder, Famine shook it lightly, "Grimmjow!"
"What?" The blue-haired male blinked, frowning.
"Come with me." Aizen did not like repeating himself, and his own brows drew closer together, though more in concern than irritation. Could the First be losing himself?
The blunette grumbled, "Fine." And preceded the butterfly out of the library, leaving Gin with the two palest members of the Court.
The bat and the albino exchanged a worried glance that Gin caught, but neither of them said anything out loud for fear that if they gave name to the issue, it would become worse. Magic was sarcastic that way.
"So what d'ya think it could be, Qio?" The kitsune broke the silence, "And why's it watchin' me?"
Death pursed his lips and turned to the book he'd obviously been reading before yelling at Grimmjow. "According to Merlin's studies of shadow-walkers, it could be anything from a dying boggle to a troll. I can only assume that because all it does is watch it is unable to actually enter the Court."
"Wait…" Shiro interrupted, "But it's here in th' Shrine, hangin' 'round on th' edges, how is that not enterin' th' Court?"
Ulquiorra looked up at his mate as though his next sentence was obvious, "Shii-koi, it's called a 'court' yard for a reason."
The Mage's eyes went wide in understanding and the Jester giggled at the single syllable reply. "Oh."
"But why's it watchin' me," Gin repeated himself with more emphasis on the declaration of himself, "I'm not anythin' special really…not like you two."
His ears drooped at the last part. He looked up a bit surprised when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Death smiled down at him, a small expression but obvious by the light in his emerald eyes.
"You are the Jester, Gin. You are just an important as the rest of us. Without you, the King could get himself all wrapped up in the little details. Things are bound to be difficult while we all adjust to being part of the Court again after being absent for so long."
"Yeah," Shiro snorted from across the room, where he was looking at a different book. "Ya should see him when he's tryin' ta remember where he put his crystals."
The bat flushed, "It is not as though I have had access to my personal chambers in the last thousand or so years, Shii-koi."
The kitsune giggled, missing the wink the albino gave his mate.
Over the next several hours, the pale duo orbited around the fox, as he was unduly informed that he was to remain where he was on the couch without lifting a finger. If he needed anything it would be brought for him. When he complained at one point the answer he received in duplicate was, "An' risk windin' up on War's bad side cuz somethin' happened to ya?! Are ya crazy?"
So, for the rest of the day, whenever one of the two found an interesting bit of reference material they brought it over to where the fox was beginning to have himself a nest of books and papers. They must have cross-referenced every shadow-walker with every red-eyed demon and every empath with anything that could warp perceptions. By the time the sun was setting and they needed to use the lights, Gin was frustrated, Shiro was exhausted, and Ulquiorra's eyebrow was twitching unconsciously.
"Is there anythin' else ya c'n think of, Foxy?" The Mage had an arm flung over his face, as he slumped against the side of the couch on the floor. His lap was covered in notes and sketches, and a giant tome of mental manipulators was open between his knees.
The kitsune yawned, peering over the arm to look at the book. "Well…it's like my biggest fears come ta life when it's there." He rubbed a hand down his side, all the staying in one place was making him uncomfortable. "Like…I'm living my nightmares."
"That's it!" Death exclaimed from the table closest to them, and making the other two jump.
"Fer th' love o'…" Shiro glared, "What's it?"
The bat's tail curled around to stroke the side of the Mage's face, even as the ebony haired smaller male didn't turn from what he was reading. "Nightmares. It's what we've been over-looking. It's…where is it…ah! Here…'The nue," he recited, "A dream-weaver, said to have the body of a tiger, the head of a baboon and the tail of a snake. They thrive especially well in Japan and Eastern China, enjoying the warm spring and mild winters, though they can be found across the globe in other cultures as…meh, the rest isn't that important, but it's a dream-weaver. That's why we couldn't find it among the other shadow-walkers." At that point he looked up to see equal confusion and concern on both of his companions' faces. "Not to worry, it can't harm you in your dreams, or rather it won't. Dreams are something precious to the nue. Because it is pestering you while you're awake, it can only mean that it is acting on orders, and has been bound to someone against its will. Since it only seems to show up when you are alone, we'll have simply have to make sure it doesn't have the opportunity until the kits are born and you have the ability to confront it. Ne?"
Shiro and Gin exchanged a look. "Uh…does he get like this often?" The fox asked.
"Ev'ry time he fig'res som'thin' out." The Mage nodded.
"Ah." The Jester nodded, deliberately letting his mouth curl into a smile.
The bat glared, but there wasn't any heat behind the expression. "Glad to see you are at least in good humor, Gin-san." He dead-panned.
The silver-haired man wailed in mock tears that had the albino holding his ribs laughing, "Mah! Shiro-kun…Qio-kun's bein' so formal!"
"Well, aren't ya all havin' a good time." The rumble from the doorway brought everyone's attention.
It was late enough that none of the three had noticed the lanterns outside being lit, so the tiger was framed in flame where he stood watching them. It flickered in his eyes, and for a moment neither the bat nor the Mage quite knew whether War was entertained by their antics, or irritated. Gin, on the other hand immediately shifted away from the other two, pouncing his mate with wild abandon.
"Yer home!" As though he hadn't just seen the vibrant redhead a few hours ago, but that was the way of canines.
"Yeah, and I'm gonna be home fer a bit. The idjits I was helpin' took off without me this afternoon an' got themselves killed. So, the conflict's over fer now. It won't stay that way cuz they were rebellin' against th' gov'rnment but fer now at least I c'n be here, with you." The Second nuzzled his mate, a hand running down to palm their growing kits.
Gin purred, burying his nose in his favorite place below Renji's ear. It was warm, and fuzzy, and smelled like home, so it had his tails going a mile a minute until the tiger jumped back staring at him with a mixture of concern and excitement on his face. The fox looked down to where the large, heavily scarred hand was still resting against his bump, and after a moment smiled broadly.
"Oh~! Yeah," He giggled, "They started doin' that t'day."
Shiro was on his feet in an instant, "Ya mean they were kickin' an' ya didn't tell us!"
Renji didn't think his lover's smile could get more devious, but it did as the vulpine turned his head towards the albino. "Mah…a fox's gotta have his secrets, ne?"
"Let it go, Shii-koi. You won't win." Ulquiorra wrapped his mate in his wings at that point with another of his small smiles, and the Mage rested his weight against the bat with a defeated huff.
Then the Jester was pulling his other half out of the library, intent on enjoying the time they had together to the fullest for as long as he was capable of doing so…and being a kitsune…the others figured they wouldn't see much of War while he was on vacation this time.
As such, none of the Court noticed the growling nue outside the common building, watching from the shadows again. Her last order had been to follow War and try to exploit any weakness he could find. With the Horseman away from Japan most of the time, Saru had thought he'd have to go jumping all over the world with the tiger, but with the development of the kitsune as the Second's mate, he didn't have to. He could upset the pair, and the rest of the Court he'd discovered, just by playing with the energies around the expectant fox. He was sure the warlock would have been pleased with his results, or at least that was what he told himself every time he let the snake speak to him. He no longer knew where she was in the world, thanks to the King's Punishment, but he wasn't going to take any chances. He'd learned the hard way many decades ago not to cross her. He could still see the way the kitsune woman braced had herself when she realized that she wouldn't be able to avoid being hit if she wanted to save her cub. The memory made him shudder, and he stepped through the Veil to watch the Horsemen's dreams.