Chapter 12: Smile of Truth

[madimpossibledreamer]

Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Bleach (I Hope Tomorrow's a Better Day)
Chapter Summary: Shunsui receives some worrying news.
Word Count: 785
Rating: Gen

 

         Jyuushirou turns with a welcoming smile to the approach of a familiar reiatsu before he reads that reiatsu.  His smile quickly turns to a worried frown, but he takes a quick sip of his tea in any case.  None of the others, except perhaps Ise-san, would have read that his old friend, laid-back and occasionally infuriatingly incapable of taking things seriously, was actually disturbed by something.  His unrest is accompanied by something like swirling cherry petals, but as usual Shunsui is hiding that behind a layer of his usual feeling.  The only clue anyone else would have is that he’s slightly less in control of his reiatsu, so the spiritual pressure might be a little heavier at the moment.  A complicated and hard person to read by design.  You never do change, do you, Shunsui? he muses to himself, getting up and pouring another cup of tea just as the whirlwind that is his friend bursts into the room.
         “Would you like some tea?  I’ve found it can be calming,” he offers, holding out the tea, and that breaks through the swirling, restless feeling long enough for his old friend to laugh unexpectedly.
         “Mah, I’d prefer sake, but I’ll take your tea anytime, Jyuu-chan,” the Captain responds, relaxing a little and collecting his thoughts.  “I’m sure you’ve felt it, but I’ve been given a shock, and I don’t think you’d like this little tidbit of information any more than I do.”
         Ukitake steels himself with determination.  “Anything that concerns you—well, nearly anything—” he amends with the ghost of a smile as he glances in the direction of his friend, “—concerns me as well.”
         Usually, Kyouraku would have taken that as an invitation for one of his little melodramatic displays.  The fact that he does not take advantage of the opportunity is deeply troubling.  Shunsui merely stares moodily into his cup.  “I was called in by the Central 46 today, and Zero Squad was there,” he states eventually.
         Ukitake starts.  “You’re—all right?” he asks quickly, checking his friend over once more.
         Shunsui’s chuckle, this time, is dark and humorless.  “I’m fine.  Probably.  It was only one of them, and nobody died.  Yet, anyway.  Nimaiya-san had some news about…an old friend, though.”
         Jyuushirou knows he shouldn’t, but he feels an inkling of hope.  Maybe this is news about the traitors?
         “Nothing about Sou-chan; don’t get your hopes up.”
         It does, at least, make him smile, since no one else would go around calling Aizen Sou-chan, after everything (but then, few others would dare to call Yamamoto Yama-jii either).  Despite what some Shinigami think, Kyouraku’s irreverence has no correlation with his respect.
         “It’s Shiba Maemi.  Someone used her Zanpuktou,” Shunsui states blandly.  The straightforward way he says it almost makes it more shocking.  There’s also a shake to the voice, something almost akin to despair.  It’s not out of place.  In fact, it explains everything.
         He sets down the cup with suddenly shaky hands.  “How?” he manages.
         The look of worry in his friend’s eyes is slightly annoying even as it’s only to be expected.  He shakes his head slightly, and the sudden increase in tension (aside from that caused by this news, Jyuushirou reflects) melts away again.
         “Don’t know.  Apparently, they stopped worrying about her when the her Zanpuktou dropped off the map.  Guess they thought she’d died in the Living World after her exile.  When she popped back on the map, especially after Ichigo and Sou-chan…” Shunsui shrugs carelessly, but he doesn’t have to complete the sentence.  With her powers, Maemi-chan could easily be used against them depending on which side she chose.  And if Zero Squad was involved, it meant that they believed she could be a threat to the Soul King.  In the end, though…
         “Why tell us?” Ukitake muses.  They would have handled matters on their own—certainly they weren’t incapable of such a task.
         “The two of us, as her schoolmates, are to travel to her location and ascertain her loyalties.”  If she was an asset, she could be used.  If not, they’d have to kill her.  She wasn’t considered threat enough to involve a Zero Squad member fighting in the Living World, but was thought to be enough of one to send two Taichou when war was a coming certainty.
         “After we stood by during her exile, I’m not sure that previous acquaintanceship would win us any favors,” Jyuushirou points out dryly, but nods.  “I wonder if tea or candy have changed much since I was last in the Living World…” he muses.
         The pink-clad Captain lets out an actual guffaw.  “Don’t change, Jyuu-chan.”
         “I don’t plan to,” he assures his friend with a smile, and stands.