Title: The Danger of Caring
Author: Andro
Rating: R
Couples: Tsuzuki/Hisoka, Tatsumi/Watari
Summary: Watari and Tatsumi are stuck taking care of a human child while Tsuzuki and Hisoka track down a dangerous killer trying to feed off the souls of people-and the little girl is next. When feelings between the gods of death arise, and a child's life is in danger, will it all end in disaster?
Disclaimer: I do not own Yami No Matsuei, but Kazuki and the other original characters are mine. I don't really know why you would want to use them yourself, but just ask if you can use them and I'll probably say yes. I'm only bitchy if you don't ask before hand and claim them as your own basically. =)
Author Notes: I don't know if you've read Ash before this, but if you did, please understand that this will be much, much better. Ash was just a sort of experiment to see what kind of feed back I would get. That was rushed and in no way planned. This will be longer, and more structured. Not too long, probably a little less or more than 10,000 words, but just a nicely sized fic.(Unless you guys want more...) Not to mention Ash was just a sort of spoofy humorous piece of fluff. This will contain angst, violence, humour and romance, with probably a dash of lime. ^.~ As my best friend likes to say-"You gotta make them suffer and then you give them a happy ending. That's the best kind of fic."
As much as I love Muraki, no, I don't believe that he will be showing up in this fic. Believe me, everyone is going to have their hands full just dealing with the bad guy of this particular piece. =) Disturbed bugger this one is. Ahem, yes, well, there are two original characters, but one is just there to freak everyone out and the other is a(hopefully) cute little kid. In any case, on with the fic.
"...Speech.." //--.Thought...\\ ---flashback--- - Emphasis -
*~*~*~
It was cold in the house. There was no life. There were people in the house, but they weren't her family. Mommy and Daddy were gone.
"Poor children..and the oldest is only seventeen.."
The whispers all seemed the same. Soft, muted and there seemed to be hundreds of them.
Trying not to cry, the little girl hugged the purple rabbit to her chest, thin body trembling as she sought to hide herself deeper into the shadows of her corner, away from the crowd of people in black. She didn't recognize -anyone- in the room, they were all strangers. Desperately, her blue eyes sought out someone that she trusted in the sea of pale faced beings, but instead found Sogetsu.
He fit well with the rest. Her step-brother had always lacked color, and against the grim background it seemed he had no skin tone at all. Just a ghostly white. He stood with his hands clamped tightly beyond his back, face strangely expressionless and gray eyes showing hidden pain. All that noticed this only felt more protective over the obviously troubled young man, but Kizuki Mizuro felt her skin crawl with something unpleasant whenever she tried to find comfort in her pseudo sibling, in a way, the only family she had left.
The thought brought on a stricken look on her face and she pressed the worn plush toy close to her. Mommy had gone first. They said it had been too much stress, dealing with a class of unruly seven and eight year olds, and a home life with two kids and a husband. That was the reason her mother had suddenly suffered a deadly car accident in the middle of nowhere with no one around and no sign of intoxication. Just driving back from work after staying an extra couple hours in order to help put up the decorations for Halloween next week. It had been Friday, and the Mizuro family should have gone on a boating trip on the shores of Kyoto the next day, but instead they found themselves being summoned by the police to identify a body.
Her short, teeth bitten nails dug into the soft belly of the toy.
Daddy had died from a heart attack the next month. Taking care of children and dealing with the death of his second wife had gotten to him as well apparently. That had been five days ago. Now he that he was finally laid down next to his dead wife in the commentary, in plots they had not meant to fill for another good thirty years, Kizuki was left alone.
What -would- happen to her? Most likely who ever was in charge would bundle her off with the nearest living relative. Separate her from Sogetsu as well, though the feeling brought neither sadness nor relief to the first grader. Only dread. She would never be rid of Sogetsu. Ever. He would always be there. Somehow, a long forgotten instinct wailed danger from inside of her whenever her step-brother was close. It was a feeling that knew when to run, when a predator was on a path of destruction.
Daring to slowly edge out from beneath her hiding spot, Kizuki walked over to a low table across the room, feeling dozens of eyes following her movements with pity, but she paid them no attention, gaze focused on the picture on the mantle. It had been taken a little over a year ago at a chain store photo place and a fake garden background stood behind the smiling family. Katsu Mizuro had been a tall man with soft brown eyes who had begun to show his age in the sprinkling of silver shot through dark brown hair. He had a kind smile, and a protective arm wrapped around his wife, Sakura, and with the other resting a fatherly hand on his son Sogetsu's shoulder. A stray lock of soft black hair fell over the young man's eye and he was smiling, however faint the expression was. A younger Kizuki was dressed nicely in a sky blue dress with frills that fell around her knees, but she paid no attention to them, only beamed brightly at the camera, her mother's arms wrapped around her shoulders. It was an image of a perfect, handsome family. She stared at it, eyes blank. For some reason, she couldn't cry. There was a wall between her and her tears. Kizuki felt the pain of knowing that she would never see her family again, but the tears would not come.
Angrily she turned away, still clutching Tomoki the violet rabbit to her chest, and escaped into her room, out of view, and for the moment, out of danger.
*~*~*~
Watari was late. Or rather, he was bordering on being late to the meeting.
He glanced nervously at the ticking clock hanging on the wall as his steps quickened down the hallway, devoid of other people because they were all ready in the appointed room. A resigned look crossed his features. It wasn't his fault that he'd forgotten about it, still-at least 003 had possessed the present mind to remind him with a series of sharp nips at his ear.
Disgruntled, he gave a dark look at the fluttering owl flying next to him, rubbing the abused ear lightly.
"Did you have to get my attention -that- way?" The scientist demanded, a hint of exasperation threading through his usually cheerful voice. A sharp peep answered a definite "Yes!" leaving him to roll his eyes. He wasn't really angry, just slightly annoyed. His ear -really- hurt!
Or, maybe not, considering with his healing capacities it was completely back to normal, but still, it was the principle of the matter that he had to uphold.
Forcing himself to stop before he kept on walking past the room, Watari opened the door and stepped inside, noting with a cringe that even Tsuzuki was there on time for once. //Ah, well. What can I say? It's not like I do this every day.\\ Watari comforted himself, not meeting Tatsumi's flashing blue eyes at first until he cheered up and flashed the shinigami inside a dazzling grin. "Did I miss anything?"
"As a matter of fac-" The secretary began in a lecturing tone, before another voice broke in.
"No! You didn't miss anything Watari-kun!"
"Aa, thanks Tsuzuki-kun." Sliding into an available seat, 003 fluttered distracted around for a bit longer before settling on his shoulder and ruffling her feathers. He set his elbows on the table, letting his chin drop on the back of his hands.
"So what's up? Why isn't kacho here?"
Indeed, the only ones inside the room were Tatsumi, Hisoka, Tsuzuki and Watari-and 003. The lack of a chief was more than slightly suspicious. Hey, maybe Tatsumi had done him in so he could take over the department... Almost embarrassed, Tatsumi cleared his throat.
"Konoe-sama ate some of the out of season crab I bought last week, and has fallen ill, he will not be joining us for a few days.(1)"
The other three exchanged looks, a tinge of green rising in their faces. They hadn't trusted the foul smelling meat, they had actually refused to come near ten feet of it, if Kanoe had eaten it, no -wonder- he was sick.
"I -knew- it!" Tsuzuki announced triumphantly. "Didn't I tell you it was going to end up killing someone?"
Hisoka raised his eyes to the ceiling, silently asking for more patience in dealing with his partner.
"Kacho hasn't -died-. Idiot."
"Waaai! You don't have to call me an idiot!" Turning pathetically sad eyes on the youngest shinigami, Tsuzuki sniffled for an added effect, violet eyes full of shimmering tears.
Feeling another grin start to twist the corners of his lips up, Watari muffled a chuckle and turned away from the too adorable couple, tilting his head to the side in Tatsumi's direction.
"So-like I said, what's up?"
The brunette secretary waited for another few seconds until the oldest shinigami calmed down enough to only give a quiet sniffle once in a while before beginning.
"Within the past month, Sakura and Katsu Mizuro have died in Tokyo. Their deaths seem innocent enough, save for the fact that their souls have not been judged, because no one can -find- them. They have disagreed completely, we cannot even find traces of them. The man died five days ago supposedly because of a heart attack, but the higher levels apparently think something else was going on." Efficiently, he dropped a folder on the table and opened it, picked up a picture and showed it to his somber audience.
"This is Sogetsu Mizuro, the couple's seventeen year old son. He studies at Sarasuga High school and is the Valedictorian of his senior class." Tsuzuki leaned forward, studying the frozen image with interest.
"He's pretty."
Watari refrained from pointing out that the youth in the photo looked almost like a darker version of Minase Hijiri, a boy who bore a striking resemblance to Kurosaki Hisoka himself. The shinigami in question looked disturbed, but it was he who spoke next.
"They only had one child?"
Setting down the paper, Tatsumi flickered through a few pages before picking up another photo and holding it high.
"No, they had a younger daughter, her name is Kizuki, she's a first grader at the Arashi Elementary." The image showed a little girl with bright blue eyes holding a dirty soccer ball in her arms.
"They're actually step siblings, Sakura and Katsu had previous marriages before, but we've ruled out the possibility that it's something from that direction. Katsu's wife was killed in a car accident about eight years ago, and I manage to get out the boss that she's been reincarnated into a new body for years and is fine in her current position, and Sakura's first husband is now a fake fortune teller. Nothing to worry about."
Taking both photos, Watari set them on the table to compare the two with a critical eye.
"If you hadn't mentioned that they weren't blood related, I would have bet money they were." He commented off handedly, passing them to Hisoka. Tatsumi nodded silently in acknowledgment, then turned to Tsuzuki and Hisoka.
"I believe that Sogetsu and Kizuki Mizuro may be in danger, I would like you depart today, as soon as you can to start scouring around. At least to get yourselves aquatinted with the house and the surrounding area. Both of them will be staying at their house for a few days before a legal guardian is chosen and they are taken away." Tatsumi did not need to mention the last bit that was in his mind, for he knew that it was on the other's minds as well.
That is, if they're not dead by then.
*~*~*~
People were leaving.
She could hear the sound of car doors opening and shutting. Engines starting, and then they would pull out the drive way and leave, to go home and be happy with their lives.
Kizuki shivered.
They were leaving her alone.
As much as she had despised the looks, she didn't want to be alone. Not with him.
Another round of violent shaking started, and the little girl clutched Tomoki to her chest. She imagined hearing footsteps coming up the staircase, slow and planned. Heading towards her door. Perfectly timed, the hand confidently reaching out and grasping the cool metal of her bedroom door and twisting.
In real life, the door swung open and Kizuki squealed fright, then brushed past the figure without bothering to see who it was and fled in terror.
In reality, it had only been a distant cousin coming up to check on her, but Kizuki didn't dare stick around long enough to find out who it was.
*~*~*~
Flying on the wings of fear drove her to run long and hard, until finally she collapsed on a park bench, feeling the darkness of the night beginning to reach out for her. She closed her azure eyes tightly, clutching at the toy. Perhaps the dark would give her release. Let her join mommy and daddy. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad...
She lay, unmoving for a long while, her tiny heart beating with unnatural rapid pumps, her lungs ached for new air.
Time passed.
A hand touched her shoulder, and Kizuki yelped, lashing out with her fists and feet in a panicked frenzy. Her hits felt upon a solid, large form and she tried harder, not noticing until she was tired of fighting that a voice was telling her hurriedly to calm down. Defeated, she slumped in the man's arms and finally looked up wearily when a hand rubbed the back of her head lightly.
For a moment, she thought of daddy when she looked at the gentle face, but the image was brief and all too fleeting, leaving her in reality with a stranger who had the oddest violet eyes she had ever seen. Suspiciously, she stared at him. "Who are you?" "My name is Tsuzuki. If I put you down, will you promise not to run?" Kizuki nodded in acceptance, too tired to argue. If he wanted to hurt her, he could chase her with no problem.
Looking worried, Tsuzuki set down the girl on the bench again, glancing over his shoulder at his partner, Hisoka, who had staid behind and was now looking at the girl carefully. It was without a doubt Kizuki Mizuro from the picture, though she was different now. Her skin was pallid, deep dark bags outlined her eyes and her hair was greasy, as if no one had bothered to really pay any attention to her for a while. From having had to hold the child while she was fighting, Tsuzuki knew that she was also dangerously thin, her slumped figure easily less than seventy five pounds.
A far cry from the beaming girl in the picture.
Tsuzuki knelt down on one knee to give her a sense of equality between them. "I'm sorry that I scared you, I just wanted to see if you were all right." He said gently, reaching into his pocket and offering her a handkerchief for the tears that had slipped from her ears silently. A peace offering of sorts.
Cobalt eyes blinked at him in surprise, before they darkened and the tears began to fall quicker. Worried, Tsuzuki began to wonder what he'd done wrong when the little girl threw her arms around his neck and let out the frustration, sorrow and anger she'd been holding back for a while.
From a few steps behind him, Hisoka wrapped his arms around himself to ward on the chill of the night and looked at the two quietly, feeling sad for the little girl. Another victim of fate. A cold wind drew stronger, and he thought about what had brought him-them-there.
Less than two hours after the meeting with Tatsumi at four, Tsuzuki and Hisoka had left the world of the dead to find out about as much as they could about their new case. Their first job of course was to check up on how the Mizuro siblings were fairing. They had not expected them to be in a middle of a wake, but at least it would guarantee them some base level of safety while they were around people. Next, they had visited the graves of Katsu and Sakura Mizuro. Nothing. Not even a wisp of soul energy from them. Retracing their steps back to the house had brought on the nasty shock that only Sogetsu was left inside with a handful of others, Kizuki was no where to be found.
With the help of one of Tsuzuki's bird shikigami however, they found her a little over half an hour later at Ueno park, her life force stretched thin with stress, obviously quite frightened from the struggle she put up with the older shinigami.
Turning away abruptly from the scene in front of him, Hisoka gazed off into the North, in the direction the Mizuro house was. Kizuki was not the only one they were supposed to protect, just the more helpless one. He was starting to get worried about the other one, Sogetsu. Not even about a possible soul stealing murderer, but of the boy himself. An orphan with a little sister and an uncertain future was not to be counted completely mentally stable.
Glancing back at his partner, Hisoka deducted that this would last a while longer and decided to go on ahead with out him. He would just be gone for a couple of minutes, not too long hopefully. Just check that Sogetsu was alive and well, then come back to figure out what they were going to do with Kizuki.
With the plan in mind, he began jogging towards the house.
*~*~*~
The first thing he noticed was the lack of cars. Obviously, everyone had left. His brow furrowed. Even Sogetsu? Did he even own a car? A bit more precautions now, and vaguely wishing that he had Tsuzuki or one of the others with him, Hisoka approached the dark building and knocked on the door, only to find that it slowly swung open. His senses were screaming at him to not go in, but he ignored them, walking into the house.
Hisoka's breath caught in his throat in a choking way. A jail. That was what the house felt like. A jail that contained pure, enormous amount of hate and malicious feelings. Cruelty and anger, held back with pure, icy walls of power, perfect arrangement, yet perverted and grotesque in it's perversion of horror.
Clutching at his throat, the empath backed out with broken, wild steps, the back of his mind noting that everything had been destroyed. Mirrors were smashed into thousands of glittering pieces on the floor, with broken frames barely hanging on to the walls. The table had been broken in the middle, as if with a great ax, and the chairs were strewn in pieces over the rooms.
Finally, the shinigami fell on his back, staring with a dazed, horrified expression on his face at the gaping entrance of the structure, trying to draw him in.
He closed his emerald eyes tightly and scuttered back with his hands, trying to put as much distance between himself and that place as possible. Before, he had not felt -anything- like that in the seemingly peaceful home. He gasped for breath, slight tremors shaking his frame. Of course he hadn't felt the first or second time that they had passed by, someone had held all those feelings in perfect control with those disturbing walls that kept things as malignant and strong as those emotions completely controlled, while still letting them play havoc with Hisoka's sharp senses. Though whoever had cast the walls must have lost their temper from the state the rooms were in. Then they must have panicked, and flown. But who had it been? Who had been left when Hisoka had last checked the house? Only Sogetsu and three other people. A baby, an old woman, and someone that felt like a distant cousin of Kizuki. Worry for someone had come from the cousin, the need to feed and sleep from the baby, and the woman had been lost in memories of her better days when she was young.
Hisoka swallowed. That only left Sogetsu. Now that he thought about it, he had felt nothing in particular from the young man. He had assumed that Sogetsu was an intensely private person, and with what had been going on, he had tried to keep all his grief and sadness within him. Another reason the young shinigami had been worried about the other teen. Now he wasn't so sure.
So what if it was Sogetsu? He apparently wasn't in the house anymore, which meant that they had possibly let the culprit escape from their grasp before they had even realized there was a culprit amongst them.
Frustrated, Hisoka let out a string of curses and slammed his fist into the ground.
*~*~*~
Tsuzuki listened with dread as his partner described what he had felt and his suspicions. He had been slightly angry to discover that Hisoka had walked off without him, but the gravity of the situation was turning out to be even more dangerous than he had anticipated. He glanced down at the sleeping girl on his lap and pondered.
"He lost it when he realized she was gone...?" He questioned softly, mostly to himself.
Even Hisoka looked unsure, biting his lower lip.
"I can't tell you anything. He fooled me not once, but twice, I can't even tell if he's really human, or something else or if he can even do magic." He confessed, hating himself for it. The one thing that he capable of doing, and it turned out useless.
Tsuzuki flashed him a cheerful smile.
"Don't worry, if it is Sogetsu, than this guy is way better than any of us thought. Tomorrow we'll look for more clues, but for now, I think we might have to take Kizuki back with us to the JuOhCho, it's getting really late."
Hisoka nodded, albeit slightly reluctant, then snorted.
"-You're- explaining this to Tatsumi."
*~*~*~
1.Think about it, it must have been really bad to lay the guy down for days. XD; I mean, he ~is~ a shinigami.
Extra Author note: Sorry for all the drama and bunch of OC spotlight, but later on you get a lot more shinigami POV(esp. Tatsumi/Watari. =) *waves ship banner*) and more comedy. Well, and other stuff, but you get the point. =) I hope you liked it, honestly, review and tell me what you want to see the next part, because if nobody wants it, then it's really not worth putting it up, ne? (I'm not conning for reviews, the point of getting many reviews isn't to be popular, its an honest way of telling the author you like the story and would like more of it.)
And see? This will be longer, I think with the first chapter, this is longer than the other YnM fic all ready. =) And in my honest opinion, much better.
Andro
Author: Andro
Rating: R
Couples: Tsuzuki/Hisoka, Tatsumi/Watari
Summary: Watari and Tatsumi are stuck taking care of a human child while Tsuzuki and Hisoka track down a dangerous killer trying to feed off the souls of people-and the little girl is next. When feelings between the gods of death arise, and a child's life is in danger, will it all end in disaster?
Disclaimer: I do not own Yami No Matsuei, but Kazuki and the other original characters are mine. I don't really know why you would want to use them yourself, but just ask if you can use them and I'll probably say yes. I'm only bitchy if you don't ask before hand and claim them as your own basically. =)
Author Notes: I don't know if you've read Ash before this, but if you did, please understand that this will be much, much better. Ash was just a sort of experiment to see what kind of feed back I would get. That was rushed and in no way planned. This will be longer, and more structured. Not too long, probably a little less or more than 10,000 words, but just a nicely sized fic.(Unless you guys want more...) Not to mention Ash was just a sort of spoofy humorous piece of fluff. This will contain angst, violence, humour and romance, with probably a dash of lime. ^.~ As my best friend likes to say-"You gotta make them suffer and then you give them a happy ending. That's the best kind of fic."
As much as I love Muraki, no, I don't believe that he will be showing up in this fic. Believe me, everyone is going to have their hands full just dealing with the bad guy of this particular piece. =) Disturbed bugger this one is. Ahem, yes, well, there are two original characters, but one is just there to freak everyone out and the other is a(hopefully) cute little kid. In any case, on with the fic.
"...Speech.." //--.Thought...\\ ---flashback--- - Emphasis -
*~*~*~
It was cold in the house. There was no life. There were people in the house, but they weren't her family. Mommy and Daddy were gone.
"Poor children..and the oldest is only seventeen.."
The whispers all seemed the same. Soft, muted and there seemed to be hundreds of them.
Trying not to cry, the little girl hugged the purple rabbit to her chest, thin body trembling as she sought to hide herself deeper into the shadows of her corner, away from the crowd of people in black. She didn't recognize -anyone- in the room, they were all strangers. Desperately, her blue eyes sought out someone that she trusted in the sea of pale faced beings, but instead found Sogetsu.
He fit well with the rest. Her step-brother had always lacked color, and against the grim background it seemed he had no skin tone at all. Just a ghostly white. He stood with his hands clamped tightly beyond his back, face strangely expressionless and gray eyes showing hidden pain. All that noticed this only felt more protective over the obviously troubled young man, but Kizuki Mizuro felt her skin crawl with something unpleasant whenever she tried to find comfort in her pseudo sibling, in a way, the only family she had left.
The thought brought on a stricken look on her face and she pressed the worn plush toy close to her. Mommy had gone first. They said it had been too much stress, dealing with a class of unruly seven and eight year olds, and a home life with two kids and a husband. That was the reason her mother had suddenly suffered a deadly car accident in the middle of nowhere with no one around and no sign of intoxication. Just driving back from work after staying an extra couple hours in order to help put up the decorations for Halloween next week. It had been Friday, and the Mizuro family should have gone on a boating trip on the shores of Kyoto the next day, but instead they found themselves being summoned by the police to identify a body.
Her short, teeth bitten nails dug into the soft belly of the toy.
Daddy had died from a heart attack the next month. Taking care of children and dealing with the death of his second wife had gotten to him as well apparently. That had been five days ago. Now he that he was finally laid down next to his dead wife in the commentary, in plots they had not meant to fill for another good thirty years, Kizuki was left alone.
What -would- happen to her? Most likely who ever was in charge would bundle her off with the nearest living relative. Separate her from Sogetsu as well, though the feeling brought neither sadness nor relief to the first grader. Only dread. She would never be rid of Sogetsu. Ever. He would always be there. Somehow, a long forgotten instinct wailed danger from inside of her whenever her step-brother was close. It was a feeling that knew when to run, when a predator was on a path of destruction.
Daring to slowly edge out from beneath her hiding spot, Kizuki walked over to a low table across the room, feeling dozens of eyes following her movements with pity, but she paid them no attention, gaze focused on the picture on the mantle. It had been taken a little over a year ago at a chain store photo place and a fake garden background stood behind the smiling family. Katsu Mizuro had been a tall man with soft brown eyes who had begun to show his age in the sprinkling of silver shot through dark brown hair. He had a kind smile, and a protective arm wrapped around his wife, Sakura, and with the other resting a fatherly hand on his son Sogetsu's shoulder. A stray lock of soft black hair fell over the young man's eye and he was smiling, however faint the expression was. A younger Kizuki was dressed nicely in a sky blue dress with frills that fell around her knees, but she paid no attention to them, only beamed brightly at the camera, her mother's arms wrapped around her shoulders. It was an image of a perfect, handsome family. She stared at it, eyes blank. For some reason, she couldn't cry. There was a wall between her and her tears. Kizuki felt the pain of knowing that she would never see her family again, but the tears would not come.
Angrily she turned away, still clutching Tomoki the violet rabbit to her chest, and escaped into her room, out of view, and for the moment, out of danger.
*~*~*~
Watari was late. Or rather, he was bordering on being late to the meeting.
He glanced nervously at the ticking clock hanging on the wall as his steps quickened down the hallway, devoid of other people because they were all ready in the appointed room. A resigned look crossed his features. It wasn't his fault that he'd forgotten about it, still-at least 003 had possessed the present mind to remind him with a series of sharp nips at his ear.
Disgruntled, he gave a dark look at the fluttering owl flying next to him, rubbing the abused ear lightly.
"Did you have to get my attention -that- way?" The scientist demanded, a hint of exasperation threading through his usually cheerful voice. A sharp peep answered a definite "Yes!" leaving him to roll his eyes. He wasn't really angry, just slightly annoyed. His ear -really- hurt!
Or, maybe not, considering with his healing capacities it was completely back to normal, but still, it was the principle of the matter that he had to uphold.
Forcing himself to stop before he kept on walking past the room, Watari opened the door and stepped inside, noting with a cringe that even Tsuzuki was there on time for once. //Ah, well. What can I say? It's not like I do this every day.\\ Watari comforted himself, not meeting Tatsumi's flashing blue eyes at first until he cheered up and flashed the shinigami inside a dazzling grin. "Did I miss anything?"
"As a matter of fac-" The secretary began in a lecturing tone, before another voice broke in.
"No! You didn't miss anything Watari-kun!"
"Aa, thanks Tsuzuki-kun." Sliding into an available seat, 003 fluttered distracted around for a bit longer before settling on his shoulder and ruffling her feathers. He set his elbows on the table, letting his chin drop on the back of his hands.
"So what's up? Why isn't kacho here?"
Indeed, the only ones inside the room were Tatsumi, Hisoka, Tsuzuki and Watari-and 003. The lack of a chief was more than slightly suspicious. Hey, maybe Tatsumi had done him in so he could take over the department... Almost embarrassed, Tatsumi cleared his throat.
"Konoe-sama ate some of the out of season crab I bought last week, and has fallen ill, he will not be joining us for a few days.(1)"
The other three exchanged looks, a tinge of green rising in their faces. They hadn't trusted the foul smelling meat, they had actually refused to come near ten feet of it, if Kanoe had eaten it, no -wonder- he was sick.
"I -knew- it!" Tsuzuki announced triumphantly. "Didn't I tell you it was going to end up killing someone?"
Hisoka raised his eyes to the ceiling, silently asking for more patience in dealing with his partner.
"Kacho hasn't -died-. Idiot."
"Waaai! You don't have to call me an idiot!" Turning pathetically sad eyes on the youngest shinigami, Tsuzuki sniffled for an added effect, violet eyes full of shimmering tears.
Feeling another grin start to twist the corners of his lips up, Watari muffled a chuckle and turned away from the too adorable couple, tilting his head to the side in Tatsumi's direction.
"So-like I said, what's up?"
The brunette secretary waited for another few seconds until the oldest shinigami calmed down enough to only give a quiet sniffle once in a while before beginning.
"Within the past month, Sakura and Katsu Mizuro have died in Tokyo. Their deaths seem innocent enough, save for the fact that their souls have not been judged, because no one can -find- them. They have disagreed completely, we cannot even find traces of them. The man died five days ago supposedly because of a heart attack, but the higher levels apparently think something else was going on." Efficiently, he dropped a folder on the table and opened it, picked up a picture and showed it to his somber audience.
"This is Sogetsu Mizuro, the couple's seventeen year old son. He studies at Sarasuga High school and is the Valedictorian of his senior class." Tsuzuki leaned forward, studying the frozen image with interest.
"He's pretty."
Watari refrained from pointing out that the youth in the photo looked almost like a darker version of Minase Hijiri, a boy who bore a striking resemblance to Kurosaki Hisoka himself. The shinigami in question looked disturbed, but it was he who spoke next.
"They only had one child?"
Setting down the paper, Tatsumi flickered through a few pages before picking up another photo and holding it high.
"No, they had a younger daughter, her name is Kizuki, she's a first grader at the Arashi Elementary." The image showed a little girl with bright blue eyes holding a dirty soccer ball in her arms.
"They're actually step siblings, Sakura and Katsu had previous marriages before, but we've ruled out the possibility that it's something from that direction. Katsu's wife was killed in a car accident about eight years ago, and I manage to get out the boss that she's been reincarnated into a new body for years and is fine in her current position, and Sakura's first husband is now a fake fortune teller. Nothing to worry about."
Taking both photos, Watari set them on the table to compare the two with a critical eye.
"If you hadn't mentioned that they weren't blood related, I would have bet money they were." He commented off handedly, passing them to Hisoka. Tatsumi nodded silently in acknowledgment, then turned to Tsuzuki and Hisoka.
"I believe that Sogetsu and Kizuki Mizuro may be in danger, I would like you depart today, as soon as you can to start scouring around. At least to get yourselves aquatinted with the house and the surrounding area. Both of them will be staying at their house for a few days before a legal guardian is chosen and they are taken away." Tatsumi did not need to mention the last bit that was in his mind, for he knew that it was on the other's minds as well.
That is, if they're not dead by then.
*~*~*~
People were leaving.
She could hear the sound of car doors opening and shutting. Engines starting, and then they would pull out the drive way and leave, to go home and be happy with their lives.
Kizuki shivered.
They were leaving her alone.
As much as she had despised the looks, she didn't want to be alone. Not with him.
Another round of violent shaking started, and the little girl clutched Tomoki to her chest. She imagined hearing footsteps coming up the staircase, slow and planned. Heading towards her door. Perfectly timed, the hand confidently reaching out and grasping the cool metal of her bedroom door and twisting.
In real life, the door swung open and Kizuki squealed fright, then brushed past the figure without bothering to see who it was and fled in terror.
In reality, it had only been a distant cousin coming up to check on her, but Kizuki didn't dare stick around long enough to find out who it was.
*~*~*~
Flying on the wings of fear drove her to run long and hard, until finally she collapsed on a park bench, feeling the darkness of the night beginning to reach out for her. She closed her azure eyes tightly, clutching at the toy. Perhaps the dark would give her release. Let her join mommy and daddy. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad...
She lay, unmoving for a long while, her tiny heart beating with unnatural rapid pumps, her lungs ached for new air.
Time passed.
A hand touched her shoulder, and Kizuki yelped, lashing out with her fists and feet in a panicked frenzy. Her hits felt upon a solid, large form and she tried harder, not noticing until she was tired of fighting that a voice was telling her hurriedly to calm down. Defeated, she slumped in the man's arms and finally looked up wearily when a hand rubbed the back of her head lightly.
For a moment, she thought of daddy when she looked at the gentle face, but the image was brief and all too fleeting, leaving her in reality with a stranger who had the oddest violet eyes she had ever seen. Suspiciously, she stared at him. "Who are you?" "My name is Tsuzuki. If I put you down, will you promise not to run?" Kizuki nodded in acceptance, too tired to argue. If he wanted to hurt her, he could chase her with no problem.
Looking worried, Tsuzuki set down the girl on the bench again, glancing over his shoulder at his partner, Hisoka, who had staid behind and was now looking at the girl carefully. It was without a doubt Kizuki Mizuro from the picture, though she was different now. Her skin was pallid, deep dark bags outlined her eyes and her hair was greasy, as if no one had bothered to really pay any attention to her for a while. From having had to hold the child while she was fighting, Tsuzuki knew that she was also dangerously thin, her slumped figure easily less than seventy five pounds.
A far cry from the beaming girl in the picture.
Tsuzuki knelt down on one knee to give her a sense of equality between them. "I'm sorry that I scared you, I just wanted to see if you were all right." He said gently, reaching into his pocket and offering her a handkerchief for the tears that had slipped from her ears silently. A peace offering of sorts.
Cobalt eyes blinked at him in surprise, before they darkened and the tears began to fall quicker. Worried, Tsuzuki began to wonder what he'd done wrong when the little girl threw her arms around his neck and let out the frustration, sorrow and anger she'd been holding back for a while.
From a few steps behind him, Hisoka wrapped his arms around himself to ward on the chill of the night and looked at the two quietly, feeling sad for the little girl. Another victim of fate. A cold wind drew stronger, and he thought about what had brought him-them-there.
Less than two hours after the meeting with Tatsumi at four, Tsuzuki and Hisoka had left the world of the dead to find out about as much as they could about their new case. Their first job of course was to check up on how the Mizuro siblings were fairing. They had not expected them to be in a middle of a wake, but at least it would guarantee them some base level of safety while they were around people. Next, they had visited the graves of Katsu and Sakura Mizuro. Nothing. Not even a wisp of soul energy from them. Retracing their steps back to the house had brought on the nasty shock that only Sogetsu was left inside with a handful of others, Kizuki was no where to be found.
With the help of one of Tsuzuki's bird shikigami however, they found her a little over half an hour later at Ueno park, her life force stretched thin with stress, obviously quite frightened from the struggle she put up with the older shinigami.
Turning away abruptly from the scene in front of him, Hisoka gazed off into the North, in the direction the Mizuro house was. Kizuki was not the only one they were supposed to protect, just the more helpless one. He was starting to get worried about the other one, Sogetsu. Not even about a possible soul stealing murderer, but of the boy himself. An orphan with a little sister and an uncertain future was not to be counted completely mentally stable.
Glancing back at his partner, Hisoka deducted that this would last a while longer and decided to go on ahead with out him. He would just be gone for a couple of minutes, not too long hopefully. Just check that Sogetsu was alive and well, then come back to figure out what they were going to do with Kizuki.
With the plan in mind, he began jogging towards the house.
*~*~*~
The first thing he noticed was the lack of cars. Obviously, everyone had left. His brow furrowed. Even Sogetsu? Did he even own a car? A bit more precautions now, and vaguely wishing that he had Tsuzuki or one of the others with him, Hisoka approached the dark building and knocked on the door, only to find that it slowly swung open. His senses were screaming at him to not go in, but he ignored them, walking into the house.
Hisoka's breath caught in his throat in a choking way. A jail. That was what the house felt like. A jail that contained pure, enormous amount of hate and malicious feelings. Cruelty and anger, held back with pure, icy walls of power, perfect arrangement, yet perverted and grotesque in it's perversion of horror.
Clutching at his throat, the empath backed out with broken, wild steps, the back of his mind noting that everything had been destroyed. Mirrors were smashed into thousands of glittering pieces on the floor, with broken frames barely hanging on to the walls. The table had been broken in the middle, as if with a great ax, and the chairs were strewn in pieces over the rooms.
Finally, the shinigami fell on his back, staring with a dazed, horrified expression on his face at the gaping entrance of the structure, trying to draw him in.
He closed his emerald eyes tightly and scuttered back with his hands, trying to put as much distance between himself and that place as possible. Before, he had not felt -anything- like that in the seemingly peaceful home. He gasped for breath, slight tremors shaking his frame. Of course he hadn't felt the first or second time that they had passed by, someone had held all those feelings in perfect control with those disturbing walls that kept things as malignant and strong as those emotions completely controlled, while still letting them play havoc with Hisoka's sharp senses. Though whoever had cast the walls must have lost their temper from the state the rooms were in. Then they must have panicked, and flown. But who had it been? Who had been left when Hisoka had last checked the house? Only Sogetsu and three other people. A baby, an old woman, and someone that felt like a distant cousin of Kizuki. Worry for someone had come from the cousin, the need to feed and sleep from the baby, and the woman had been lost in memories of her better days when she was young.
Hisoka swallowed. That only left Sogetsu. Now that he thought about it, he had felt nothing in particular from the young man. He had assumed that Sogetsu was an intensely private person, and with what had been going on, he had tried to keep all his grief and sadness within him. Another reason the young shinigami had been worried about the other teen. Now he wasn't so sure.
So what if it was Sogetsu? He apparently wasn't in the house anymore, which meant that they had possibly let the culprit escape from their grasp before they had even realized there was a culprit amongst them.
Frustrated, Hisoka let out a string of curses and slammed his fist into the ground.
*~*~*~
Tsuzuki listened with dread as his partner described what he had felt and his suspicions. He had been slightly angry to discover that Hisoka had walked off without him, but the gravity of the situation was turning out to be even more dangerous than he had anticipated. He glanced down at the sleeping girl on his lap and pondered.
"He lost it when he realized she was gone...?" He questioned softly, mostly to himself.
Even Hisoka looked unsure, biting his lower lip.
"I can't tell you anything. He fooled me not once, but twice, I can't even tell if he's really human, or something else or if he can even do magic." He confessed, hating himself for it. The one thing that he capable of doing, and it turned out useless.
Tsuzuki flashed him a cheerful smile.
"Don't worry, if it is Sogetsu, than this guy is way better than any of us thought. Tomorrow we'll look for more clues, but for now, I think we might have to take Kizuki back with us to the JuOhCho, it's getting really late."
Hisoka nodded, albeit slightly reluctant, then snorted.
"-You're- explaining this to Tatsumi."
*~*~*~
1.Think about it, it must have been really bad to lay the guy down for days. XD; I mean, he ~is~ a shinigami.
Extra Author note: Sorry for all the drama and bunch of OC spotlight, but later on you get a lot more shinigami POV(esp. Tatsumi/Watari. =) *waves ship banner*) and more comedy. Well, and other stuff, but you get the point. =) I hope you liked it, honestly, review and tell me what you want to see the next part, because if nobody wants it, then it's really not worth putting it up, ne? (I'm not conning for reviews, the point of getting many reviews isn't to be popular, its an honest way of telling the author you like the story and would like more of it.)
And see? This will be longer, I think with the first chapter, this is longer than the other YnM fic all ready. =) And in my honest opinion, much better.
Andro