Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ Upon the Earth ❯ Kimi wa boku ni niteiru ( Chapter 1 )

Upon the Earth; Chapter One

 

It was near mid-afternoon by the time Oshitari found what he was looking for. The clearing was some distance away from the main ruins, hidden from plain sight by gnarled oaks, and to untrained eyes it looked nigh untouched.

 

But the marks were there - hints of a skirmish and, to those who were sensitive to it, the heady taint of magic flooded the senses. The surroundings were slathered with the excesses of raw magic, and so many of the scars bore Hiyoshi's distinct signature that if Oshitari hadn't known the scout's dedication to efficiency, he might have suspected it were intentional.

 

For all he knew, maybe it was.

 

The touch of another mind nudged at his senses, and he slammed his mental walls up more firmly before recognizing it. Atobe.

 

"Your report."

"So impatient, captain."

 

"You know very well I have no time to waste. Your report." A touch of exasperation in the tone. Oshitari sighed to himself, the motion not completely lost through the mental link, and began.

 

"Hiyoshi was here. Three days ago, at least - there are signs of him everywhere, but they're already fading away. There was a fight, opponent unknown. No blood, just magic. Hiyoshi is either still alive or very well buried."

 

There was a pause before Atobe's mental voice came again, loud and clear. "Any sign of his motives?"

 

"No."

"Very well. Return to Hyoutei for now. I'll send Shishido out later."

 

"What? Worried I'll disappear too?" It was jokingly said, but something deeper down betrayed the echoes of his travel-lust. This had been the longest he'd stayed in any one place since he'd left home.

 

"Yuushi?" Mukahi's voice drifted into his mind, a deeper, stronger link. The redhead sounded sleepy, and Oshitari remembered that it was still early morning in Hyoutei.

 

"Return to Hyoutei. Your bondmate's calling for you." There was some amusement in Atobe's words at that, before the captain's shields slammed up and closed the connection.

 

As soon as Atobe's mental presence was clearly gone, Mukahi spoke up. "I'm tying you down, aren't I?" The redhead didn't bother mincing words, all the sleepiness gone from his voice. There may have been insecurities lurking, but Mukahi had always preferred blunt truth.

 

"It takes two to make the links that connect us, Gakuto." Which was, really, just fancy words for saying that it was his own choice if he was tying himself down. And it was.

 

There was a pause on Mukahi's side. "Oi, Yuushi?"

 

"Yes?"

"About the matter on Hiyoshi, you might want to speak to Taki on it."

"I might, hm?"

"Yeah. Just hurry up and come back first. I have work you need to do."

 

Oshitari grinned at that statement. "Yes, Gakuto. At your service, Gakuto." And with that, he started on the motions of porting.

 

 

What Oshitari found when he returned to Hyoutei again was utter chaos.

 

"Ohtori. Get Shishido for me, will you?" he called out. Silver-hair dipped in acquiescence before disappearing into the shuffle of the hallway. Good kid, that one, and just recently promoted from messenger boy. Oshitari liked the guy; Ohtori got things done. Granted, few who got into the higher echelons of Hyoutei didn't, but Ohtori was trustworthy.

 

It didn't take a genius to figure out something big had happened. From the currents of conversation that traveled the corridors, all Oshitari could make out was that someone had invaded someone. No wonder Atobe had seemed so tense when they'd talked.

 

"Reporting, sir." Shishido appeared from the sea of people, cocking his head toward Oshitari in mock deference. Oshitari ignored the gesture, indicating the scout to move to a quieter spot.

 

"So, what has happened?"

"Higa invaded Rokkaku."

"And what have you been assigned to do?"

"Information."

 

"So you won't mind taking over the Hiyoshi investigation," and there was something in Oshitari's voice that brooked no argument.

 

Shishido scowled. "No, but I won't like it, either."

 

"I wasn't expecting you to." Oshitari pushed a thick file into Shishido's hand. "Speak to Taki tomorrow; see what information you can get out of him," and before Shishido could protest Oshitari was already walking away.

 

Belatedly, Shishido spat out an 'Aw, hell' and went to go find someone to spar with.

 

No doubt, the gods were laughing.