PERSEPHONE
Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the lord my soul to
keep
Should I die before I wake
2
“RUUUUKAAAAAAAA!!!”
Tsuzuki sat bolt upright, panting. Long fingers knotted absently, painfully in
the sheets draped around him. He looked
around the room wildly, listening to his heart pound doubletime in his chest.
The scent of incense and flowers still hung heavy in
the dark room, but the yurei had seemingly fled. He drew his knees to his chest and hugged them miserably.
(Hisoka…)
(Tatsumi…)
(Everyone……)
Tsuzuki squeezed his eyes shut against the impending
tears, reaching for the comfort of his friends’ faces. (I won’t let you down… I’ll find a way to get
out of…)
The thought stonewalled suddenly.
(… my father’s house.)
~~~~~
Tatsumi had only seen Enma DaiOh’s messengers once
before, passing in the halls of EnmaCho’s palace. They were more impressions of things, rather than something tangible.
Dark things that rustled and whispered in the base of your skull.
Quite frankly, they scared the hell out of him.
“Tatsumi-san, Konoe-dono has been put on a brief leave.”
It said from across the room, although it’s voice soothed next to Tatsumi’s
ear. “Lord Enma expects you to perform
more than adequately in his absence.”
Terazuma had wisely kept Hisoka clear of the room,
and the other Shinigami watched from what they all hoped was a safe distance.
Tatsumi took an inordinately long time in responding, smoothing his
lapels and pushing his glasses up on his nose, the lenses winking in the overhead
lights. “Where’s Tsuzuki Asato?”
The messenger made a surprising sound of irritation.
“You as well as anyone, Tatsumi-san, should be aware of Tsuzuki-san’s…
record. Lord Enma decided that the JuuOhChou would
be better served if Tsuzuki-san was not in such a position any longer. He has served as a Shinigami far too long for
a human soul. He’s a danger to himself
and to the others around him.” It
gathered it’s feathery shadows around itself.
The room was full of gelatinous silence until Tatsumi
calmly set down his briefcase. “Of
course, you will have a replacement for him, for the Second Area.
Shinigami travel in pairs, and Kurosaki shouldn’t have to deal with
his duties alone.”
“Of course.” It
was hard to tell, but the messenger seemed relieved, as though it were expecting
to have to answer more uncomfortable questions.
“Fine, then. We
have work to catch up on, then, Honored Messenger. If you’ll excuse us?” Tatsumi’s voice was flat and cold, something
lost on the creature, but not on the others in the room.
It left in a slither of oily darkness, but it was a
full thirty seconds after that that the Shinigami let out a collective breath
of relief.
“Could that thing really be *that* stupid?” Watari sniped, perching on the edge of a desk
as Terazuma blandly went to release Hisoka from the storage closet.
“DAMNIT!” The boy flung what looked suspiciously like
a gag at the shapechanger after Terazuma took the handcuffs off him. “WHAT
WAS THAT FOR??”
“Tatsumi told me to keep you and that thing apart.”
He shrugged.
Tatsumi’s shoulders sagged slightly, the only indicator
of relief he would show. “They don’t
have to be smart, Watari.. just intimidating. This is all just part of the motions we have
to go through.” He smoothed his uncreased
lapels again, and turned to where Hisoka was raving at Terazuma.
“Hisoka. Watari.
I need you to come with me. Wakaba,
Terazuma..do you think you and the others can manage without us?
We need to keep things running smoothly for right now.”
“Sure, sure..” The shapechanger took a long drag on
his cigarette as his diminutive partner nodded. “Hey, Tatsumi, make sure that dumbass doesn’t get hurt, ok?” He added, noncommittally.
Tatsumi only nodded as he gathered up his briefcase
and companions and left the Shoukanka with a disturbing sense of finality.
~~~
“Where are we going?” Hisoka asked when they were in the corridor, not liking the disturbing
feelings that Tatsumi was trying so hard to keep him from sensing.
“We need to go somewhere where we can review information
without being disturbed. There’s only
one place in Meifu where even the gods can’t trespass.”
He answered, giving Hisoka a tight but apologetic little smile.
“The Count?” Watari
looked incredulous, then shrugged. “Why not? The way today’s going, how can *he* make it any worse?”
Hisoka jammed his hands in his pockets as they walked.
“Tatsumi… do you know what happened… to Tsuzuki?”
He hated the pleading note in his voice.
“What that thing said… they couldn’t just do that.. could they?”
****
In the depths of Touda’s black flames, as he fought
to shield them, Tatsumi had heard Hisoka’s desperate words to Tsuzuki before
the world came crashing down around them.
“You are my most precious thing…the one who is most important to me… I’ll follow you anywhere.. even the next world.”
Tatsumi knew then he’d always protect them both.
****
The Castle of Candles was a part of Meifu, but separate
as well, the shimmering white-pink of cherry blossoms casting a fanciful haze
around the ornate, western-style mansion.
The register of the dead was kept here, and the Castle’s
great hall was filled with the light and heat of millions of candles, each
flame a human life waiting to wink out.
The master of this place was looked upon by the Shinigami
with a odd mixture of awe and distaste. The Count was eccentric to the point of being downright strange,
appearing only as a bobbing mask accompanied by two expressively gesturing
white gloves.
Whether the Count had an actual body was the topic
of more than one debate, and even a long standing office pool.
Be to her, Persephone,
All the things I might not
be;
Take her head upon your knee.
She that was so proud and wild,
Flippant, arrogant and free,
She that had no need of me,
Is a little lonely child
Lost in Hell, Persephone,
Take her head upon your knee;
Say to her, My dear, my dear,
It is not so dreadful here.