4/8

She led the way into the Moon Tower, one hand hovering over the handle of her Zanpakutō. There was a brief entrance hall which had a few statues on each side of ancient lords of the city before it quickly opened up into the citadel's cavernous central chamber. A wide circular room with a soaring ceiling and a smooth marble floor, it appeared at first glance to be astonishingly well preserved. At the far end of this greeting chamber were a pair of raised chairs where the lord of the city and his wife would've received guests in bygone glory days. Great tapestries and banners hung from the walls, each one displaying some variant of the city's sigil as well as prominent scenes from Menar Issilaya's history. Numerous doors and open corridors dotted the sides of the chamber, leading towards staircases both ascending the tower and plunging into its depths. The pale light that had been emanating from the outer walls of the Moon Tower also permeated the inside of the citadel, bathing the chamber in an unnerving icy-blue glow.

Shisui whistled as he looked up at the distant ceiling. "Man… the Andunayans really built 'em big back in the day."

"Unbelievable…" Visaelya murmured, her unease seemingly overtaken for the moment by sheer awe.

Yoruichi found it hard to blame her there, but she needed to make sure that her subordinates maintained their focus. They were in the heart of hostile territory now, and they needed to find the source of the energy corrupting Menar Issilaya and the Shadow Pass quickly.

"All right, listen up everyone," she said once she was sure the central chamber was secured, "We're going to sweep this building from top to bottom, and we're going to do it fast. I don't want us here a second longer than we have to be."

"No argument there, Lady Yoruichi," said Soi-Fon.

Kisuke nodded. "What's the game plan?"

Yoruichi's brow furrowed for a moment as her gaze shifted towards the floor. She wasn't admiring the tiles or anything so mundane; she was focusing on the sinister power that she felt lurking beneath the Moon Tower.

I know you think you own this place, she silently taunted her mysterious adversary, but I'm afraid your creepy little kingdom here's about to come crashing down.

"We'll divide our forces," she said, "According to the accounts of this place that I've read, there should be an archive a few levels up from here. Kisuke, I want you to check it out and see if you can find any clues as to what happened here. Rija, Mindiwo, go with him and watch his back."

Her Fifteenth Seat nodded. "Understood, Captain."

"Yes, Captain," said the Ninth Seat

Kisuke smirked. "Reading books in the spooky tower? Sounds fun."

"Don't get too caught up in the material," Yoruichi cautioned him, "Just skim through and see if anything sticks out. A city like this should've had its own scribes and historians. Look for any accounts that might be close to the time period when the city went silent."

"Got it,'" said Kisuke before nodding at his assigned companion, "Let's go."

"Right behind you," Rija replied while Mindiwo simply nodded, his hand hovering over the handle of his Zanpakutō.

Yoruichi turned to her Tenth Seat as her Third, Ninth and Fifteenth left. "Shisui, take Visaelya and Aika with you to the top of the tower."

"What are we looking for?" asked Shisui.

"Potential enemy reinforcements, for starters," Yoruichi answered, "The source of the power corrupting this land might be beneath our feet, but we can't discount the upper levels. There should be an observation room at the apex of the citadel. Make a sweep of the chamber and then survey the lands surrounding the city as far as you can see from that vantage point. Make sure to take the Lower and Middle City into account; just because we didn't run into opposition during our first run through doesn't mean it's guaranteed to be empty. There could be enemies that were waiting for us to pass through so they could then mass and strike us from behind once we were inside the Moon Tower."

Shisui raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that why you posted those other Soul Reapers in the watchtowers as we made our way up here? Sounds a bit redundant, Captain."

"I know, but you'll have a commanding view that none of them can match," Yoruichi countered, "You'll also be able to see if the enemy's marshalling reinforcements in the lands immediately outside the city as well. If you see anything you think might be hostile, get back down here at once, you got that?"

Shisui nodded. "Yes, Captain."

Yoruichi's eyes narrowed momentarily as another thought struck her. "Also, while you're up there, check for artifacts. One account of the Moon Tower mentioned an 'eye' of some sort that supposedly aided the city's defenders in watching out for threats. It could've just been referring to an individual stationed in the citadel's observation room, but the wording of the text made it sound like there might be more to it than that. If you see anything out of the ordinary up there, report back at once."

"You got it," said Shisui before turning to his assigned subordinates, "You two ready?"

Aika nodded nervously. "Yes."

Visaelya nodded as well, although with her the gesture carried greater confidence. "Of course."

I hope they'll be all right, thought Yoruichi as the three of them set off, Shisui should be more than capable of keeping an eye on the two of them, and at this point Visaelya can hold her own in a fight. I know they've been working with Aika during the journey to improve her skills, even if they've been trying to avoid drawing attention to those extra training sessions. Whether or not those sessions pay off may be decided sooner than any of them might like.

She'd have to place her trust in her Tenth Seat's abilities. With the assignment that she'd saved for herself, Yoruichi knew that she couldn't afford to be distracted.

"Soi-Fon, Itachi," she said, "The two of you are with me. We're going into the lower levels to find the source of the corruption here."

Itachi nodded, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "Understood."

Soi-Fon nodded as well, although she did give a brief glance towards Itachi. "Yes, Lady Yoruichi."

Yoruichi had to resist the urge to smile. Soi-Fon might not be willing to admit it, but it was clear she was worried about Itachi. The young man had grown on her since he'd joined Squad Two, and Yoruichi was relieved to see it; it meant that Soi-Fon would be keeping an eye out for him, which meant that Yoruichi would have to devote less focus to that and could concentrate more on leading the way and confronting whatever threat was lurking beneath them.

Before her group could depart, though, there was still one matter for Yoruichi to attend to. "Katya."

A tall woman with a lithe frame stepped forward. Sixth Seat of Squad Two, Katya Sokolova was certainly a head-turner. Her dark brown hair was currently tied up in a pony-tail as was her custom whenever she was in the field, but Yoruichi had seen her off the clock and knew that when allowed to flow free it fell almost to her waist. Her dark green eyes looked almost eerie as they reflected the pale light flowing through the Moon Tower, while her pale skin was almost as light as snow in the citadel's icy radiance. Rather than the standard Soul Reaper robes, she wore the backless version Yoruichi favored, and like Yoruichi her Zanpakutō was a shorter blade in its sealed form. The weapon was worn at her back, with its dark blue hilt wrapping contrasted by a gleaming silver circular guard. A calm and confident woman, she was one of Yoruichi's more versatile officers and a valuable fighter to have along for a mission like this.

"Yes, Captain?" she said.

"You and the rest of the group will remain here," Yoruichi replied, "I'll be counting on you to keep our line of retreat open."

Katya nodded. "Understood."

Yoruichi then turned back to Itachi and Soi-Fon. "All right, you two. Let's get moving."

….

It didn't take long for Kisuke and his group to find the archives of the Moon Tower. Sure, there'd been plenty of stairs, but those had really just been to get around the huge hollow space that the entrance chamber carved out of the citadel. One they were past that, they'd discovered the archives on the next actually livable 'floor' of the structure. Posting Mindiwo near the entrance to keep their escape route clear while having Rija accompany him, Kisuke surveyed the room as he tried to figure out where to start. He'd seen bigger libraries in his time, but the archives of the Moon Tower were still impressive in their own right. Row upon row of shelves with dusty old books and scrolls dominated the room, with only a few small spaces with chairs and tables set aside for reading.

"The Captain wants us to find clues about the city's fall here?" Rija asked incredulously as she looked around, "She might as well be asking us to find a needle in a haystack."

"Not quite," Kisuke countered as he skimmed over the shelves, "There are ways to narrow things down."

Rija raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"You let me worry about that," Kisuke answered, "For now, focus on watching my back. You never know what could be lurking in a place like this."

Rija nodded, her eyes narrowing. "You're right about that."

Any library worthy of the title would have some form of organizational system, and that was what Kisuke was looking for. It didn't take him long to find it, either; there were little brass plates bolted to the sides of the shelves, each one engraved with the script of the old kingdom. Kisuke's long hours of private research into the spells of the old kingdom had necessitated learning both generic and High Andunayan so he could properly translate the material, and that was serving him well now.

Sure enough, the archives had a very conventional order to them. The arts, mathematics, ancient myths, history; everything was clearly labeled if one could read the script of the old kingdom. The trick for Kisuke now was now narrowing things down to the specific written records of Menar Issilaya itself. Perhaps counterintuitively, the history section itself wasn't fertile ground for such material; Kisuke soon found that the books and scrolls there were focused more on broad affairs like battles and the history of the old kingdom as a whole rather than contemporary day-to-day life in the city. He needed to find material that was much narrower in scope, likely featuring more administrative content.

"No luck?" asked Rija as Kisuke pulled away from the shelf he'd been examining.

Kisuke shook his head. "This is just the general library. If Menar Issilaya operated under similar lines as other Andunayan cities, then the chief librarian would've also been charged with maintaining records pertaining to day-to-day functions. He or she would've had assigned scribes to take notes for the ruler's meetings, keep accounts of the city's supplies, manage major transactions, and other such matters. The material here isn't that specialized, and this isn't the sort of space where they'd keep what we're looking for."

Rija's brow furrowed in thought. "So, what's our next move? Head back downstairs and start from square one? Seems a bit too early to throw our hands up in defeat."

"We haven't failed yet," Kisuke replied as he looked around, "There should be an office or private records room of some kind up here. Whoever maintained the archives likely would've kept and organized administrative documents there. Let's fan out and sweep this area. Make note of any side rooms you find. We'll meet back here when we're done."

Rija nodded. "Got it."

It was just a few moments later that Rija's voice echoed through the library. "Kisuke! Over here!"

Kisuke hadn't even finished his sweep yet, but he wasted no time in heading Rija's way. She was at the back of the archives standing next a wooden door flanked by two stone torch holders. Any fires that had once burned there were long gone, but with the sinister light permeating the tower flames were hardly necessary. The door itself was off-kilter, hanging by a single hinge and offering a teasing glance at the room beyond, but no more than a sliver of it.

"As good a place as any to start, right?" said the Fifteenth Seat.

Kisuke nodded, one hand hovering over the hilt of his Zanpakutō while the other reached for the door. "Yeah. Get ready."

Rija's eyes narrowed as her hand likewise drifted towards her sword. "Right. After you."

Taking a deep breath, Kisuke pushed the door open a second later. He was braced for the worst, but there were no hostiles lurking in the room. What confronted him was a surprising spacious chamber. Nearly every wall was lined with shelves packed with scrolls and books, while at the back end was a rather messy desk…

…not helped in the least by the fact that there was a skeleton with a sword through its head sitting behind it.

That wasn't the only bit of human remains in the room. Taking in the chamber at a glance, the Third Seat counted around a dozen or so complete or partial skeletons scattered about. Some of them still clutched notched and broken weapons in their long-dead hands, and all displayed signs of having met a very violent end.

"What the hell?" hissed Rija as she and Kisuke stepped inside.

Kisuke knelt next to one of the skeletons for a closer examination. The bones were remarkably well preserved...

…just like the rest of the Upper City.

No, not quite, he mused, The plants in the courtyard appeared perfectly preserved, but these remains have been reduced to naught but bone and a few bits of armor. Whatever power's at work here apparently doesn't save flesh from the ravages of time. Still, these bones are in amazing shape. The only real damage appears to be from whatever killed these poor saps in the first place.

"This just got a whole lot more interesting," Kisuke muttered.

"No kidding," Rija deadpanned, "Why didn't we see any remains before now? Why here and not the halls or the entrance chamber?"

"We've yet to explore the entirety of the Moon Tower," Kisuke reminded her, "It's possible that there are plenty more rooms like this one where the remains of the former inhabitants still lie where they fell millennia ago. Also, the ones closer to the ground might've had a chance to evacuate while other residents got trapped on the upper floors."

Rija nodded. "Plausible, I suppose. Still, it's damn creepy."

"No argument there," Kisuke replied as his gaze focused on the skeleton sitting at the desk.

He stepped forward, studying the figure in greater detail. Based on the bone structure Kisuke felt confident in surmising that the individual had been male, but there wasn't much else on him that hinted as to his identity. The figure was slumped over, with the sword having been plunged through the back of his head and into the desk below. Had the man actually been killed this way, or had his body been positioned like this after the deed was done?

Kisuke shifted his focus from the skeleton itself to the desk it'd been so crudely impaled against. Faded pages and scrolls were scattered about, many with entire sections blotted out by what Kisuke recognized as long-dried blood. Kneeling next to the skeleton, he realized that it was hunched over a book… almost like it was sheltering it.

Did he seriously shield a book with his dying breath?

Cautiously shifting the skeleton, he slowly slid the tome out from beneath its deceased guardian. The cover was stained with a mix of blood and ink blots, and there was no discernible title to the text. There were also slashes around the edges, but the core of the book appeared to be more or less intact.

"Time for some light reading?" asked Rija as she watched Kisuke with a curious light in her eyes.

"You could say that," Kisuke answered as he blew dust off of the tome, "Watch the room for me, all right?"

Rija nodded. "Got it."

Leaning against the desk, Kisuke flipped the book open and began skimming through the first few pages. His eyes swiftly narrowed as he realized what he'd found.

Jackpot.

It was a journal belonging to the chief archivist himself, and Kisuke suspected that was the identity of the skeleton slumped over the desk. The text was crisp and well-organized, and it didn't take long for the Third Seat to find his bearings. It was clear that he'd found the latest in what was likely a long line of journals kept by the archivist… and judging from the circumstances he'd found it in, it was almost certainly the man's last bit of writing.

Going back to the beginning, Kisuke double-checked the date on the first page. It corresponded with roughly a year or so before Menar Issilaya had gone silent. If any text in the entire library had what Kisuke was looking for, it would be this journal.

Or so he hoped. The first several pages didn't appear to be all that promising. They followed a familiar pattern; noting guests received by the lord and lady of the city, any large caravans or major influxes of travelers, briefly describing the occasional festival or theatrical event, recounting general news received regarding the broader Soul Society, and even notating the weather of that particular day. It was well-written, but the material itself wasn't all that unusual.

Flipping through page after page, Kisuke was starting to have doubts by the time he hit the halfway point. Years of dedicated research had taught him to have patience with the writers of the past, but this was a field mission; he didn't have time for idle reading. He had vital information to seek out, and the text thus far had proven utterly trivial. The Third Seat was close to tossing the book aside in frustration when a particular passage caught his eye. It wasn't completely legible; the blood that had spilled on the cover of the book had also seeped through and marred many of the pages, but there was still enough readable text that Kisuke could tell he'd hit upon a lead.

"…received word from the emissary of the Drakken Clan… two days from now. The chamber has… thanks to the casters. It will be ready for what it is meant to hold, or so I hope. What it wrought before… suffering beyond imagining. The seal must be strong, and it must hold, or all will be lost. In two days… and our great test shall begin. Spell casters, soldiers, masons… building up to this moment. The people… in the dark. Perhaps it's better that way."

Skimming ahead to the entry two days later, Kisuke's eyes bore into the page like those of a hawk seeking prey. The knowledge he sought was definitely here, and he wouldn't let blotches of blood or the ravages of time hide it from him.

"It finally arrived. Escorted… unease. No, that hardly does it justice. Fear… man and beast alike. How it made it all this way… miracle the guards kept their sanity. I looked on from a distance… never felt such terror. Caught a glimpse… face of evil itself. It was immediately brought to the chamber… interred. Sealing was successful, but… struggle. The barrier was reinforced… chained the sarcophagus. The watch was doubled… will need to be ever vigilant now. Madness and horror now lie beneath our esteemed Moon Tower… dark secret beneath the light of Luna."

The next few entries were a return to the usual, but to Kisuke their tone felt forced. It was as if the writer was trying to make himself forget what he had seen… and judging by the next passage, he had failed miserably.

"Awake or asleep… cannot escape it. Ever present in the mind's eye, and even the most beautiful moonlit nights cannot provide comfort. Every day… make sure the guards are sharp at their post. That the casters mind the barrier… seal remains secure. That knowledge gives me little relief. That face… lord of death and ruin. To see just one was bad enough, but to know that there are more… pity whoever was charged with sealing them. The crown… not harmed by any craft we here possess. No one had sufficient power… Do they all have one, or… different means of sustaining their unlife? We should've studied it more carefully, but sealing it was imperative. Now… in check. Its destruction is beyond us. Containment at all costs…"

One word above all others stuck out in that passage to Kisuke; 'unlife'. He'd read it before, but where? What had the context been? He wracked his mind even as he continued to study the text, now proceeding with greater caution.

The tone of the journal soon shifted. The writer was clearly obsessed with what had been brought in, but to Kisuke's growing frustration the man refused to outright name it in the text. Its true identity was continuously danced around with only vague hints offered, as if the author had feared that putting its name to a page could somehow unleash it.

Resorting to skimming again, he went ahead several entries. The date for the one where he began reading in earnest again was about a month before contact had been lost with Menar Issilaya.

"There was a Hollow attack tonight. Hasn't… in quite a while. The garrison repelled… minimal losses. The beasts usually aren't so foolish… make a direct strike. Attacked… at the point of heaviest defense; the Moon Tower itself. Are they drawn by what lies beneath? Their attacks… in a frenzy. They may sense it… seek it, and yet fear it. I checked the seal again… cast again to be sure."

The next three weeks-worth of entries followed the same pattern; almost nightly Hollow attacks, and all of them focusing on the Moon Tower. Their behavior was odd, though. Hollows might act animalistic, but Kisuke knew from experience that plenty of them had the capacity for cunning. Yet the accounts of the attacks all made reference to the creatures acting in an apparently panicked frenzy. It was as if they dreaded what had been brought to the Moon Tower, yet at the same time they were inexorably drawn to it.

Yet some of the rumors said that Hollows avoid Menar Issilaya nowadays, Kisuke recalled, which is quite the contrast to what I'm reading here. Were the rumors just wrong, or is there more to it than that? We haven't seen any Hollows in the Shadow Pass yet or near the city itself, but it's not like we've been here very long.

He continued to read, and it soon became apparent that the relentless Hollow attacks had achieved something. Was it the result the beasts had hoped for? Kisuke couldn't say.

"Menos Grande… hit the Moon Tower. No damage to the citadel itself, but… seal was disturbed. The guards… whispers coming from the chamber. It has been stirred… testing the barrier. I went down to the chamber… chains on the sarcophagus moved. A chill has gripped the Moon Tower. I fear we are standing on the brink. The seal must be reinforced, if that is still possible. It must be. If it is not…"

Things were clearly coming to a head. The script on the page was losing the elegance it'd possessed before, and in several spots looked as if it had been written by a badly shaking hand. Blotches of spilled ink

"It cannot stay here. That last attack… Moon Tower can no longer anchor the barrier. The citadel still stands, but the power flowing through it has been disrupted. A new tomb must be prepared, and quickly. Word… the Drakken Clan. Should respond faster than the Seireitei. Our hope now lies in the east. They must… with haste. Whispers… in the dark. The guards speak of fell power lingering in the air down there. The chains… cracked. It is regaining its former strength. We are running out of time."

Kisuke leaned forward slightly, sensing he was close to the moment of truth. The next few entries gave testament to the archivist's ever-growing sense of dread. There was palpable urgency verging on outright panic, and the script became even sloppier as he progressed. Kisuke imagined the author trying to put his thoughts to paper in what was likely a state of all-consuming terror; it was a miracle the writing was legible at all.

And then, at long last…

…he found it.

"Calamity. The sarcophagus… chains shattered. It broke through the barrier… will have its vengeance. The garrison… completely outmatched. Its strength is so much greater than I had feared even in my darkest dreams. I saw it in the entrance chamber… lord of the city was slain. We were cut off… retreat up the citadel. That face… unholy hatred. Whatever humanity it once had is long gone. Abomination… the entire city is now its prey."

"What is it, damn it?" Kisuke hissed under his breath as he kept reading.

The script was incredibly bad now, as if the writer had been barely able to keep himself together. More ink blotches dotted the pages, but Kisuke could still discern part of the final entry.

"We cannot get out. We had… but we're not that lucky. The Moon Tower… has made its prison its home now. The screams… won't be long now. To whoever may find this record… if you are weak. If you are strong… three anchors. The crown, the ring, and the amulet… through great power. Only hope of victory. If you are victorious… the others. There are… out there. Those fallen lords… Servants of Midnight. Find their prisons… too late. A scratching at the door… sword being drawn. We cannot get out…"

"It comes..."

….

Visaelya was grateful that Shisui had taken point, because at the moment she certainly didn't trust herself with that kind of responsibility. It was taking all of her effort simply to maintain her composure as she and Aika followed the Tenth Seat in ascending the Moon Tower.

The Andunayan barrow was an idyllic paradise compared to this, she thought, I understand now why even my clan's dragons will not dare approach this place. A curse lies upon this city, although the true nature of it still eludes us.

Visaelya had never considered herself to be the superstitious sort, but there was simply no other word she could think of that properly described the atmosphere inside the Moon Tower. Every theory she came up with for what had happened here was crazier than the last, and she wanted nothing more than to finish the mission and get the hell out ASAP. Even having Shisui with her did little to ease her apprehension, and that wasn't helped by the fact that the Tenth Seat seemed a bit on edge as well.

"We've got to be close, right?" asked Aika nervously.

Shisui nodded. "We should be. Stay sharp; we've got no idea what's waiting for us."

What they'd seen so far hadn't been promising. Although they'd stuck primarily to the stairs, Visaelya had caught glimpses of corridors leading off towards other parts of the Moon Tower. The deathly-pale blue light emanating from the walls and floors of the citadel made for a positively nerve-wracking experience, and that wasn't helped by the occasional skeletons that the group had spotted during their ascent. They hadn't stopped too long to study them, but even cursory examinations were enough for them to spot the tell-tale signs of weapon damage to the bones of the deceased.

They didn't die peacefully, that's for sure, she grimly mused, but why are bones only showing up here rather than the rest of the city? Is it because whatever power that now grip's Menar Issilaya is stronger here than in the other sections?

It didn't make any sense. The energy that permeated this place was the very same power that had corrupted the Shadow Pass, yet it seemed to have preserved the area at the heart of the infestation rather than cause it to decay like the rest of the city had. Visaelya would be the first to admit that the energy had properties she didn't understand, and it was possible that one of those was responsible for this twisted sort of preservation. Why preserve the Upper City while the rest of Menar Issilaya and the Shadow Pass wallowed in corruption and decay?

She pushed the riddle from her mind; it wasn't one for her to solve at the moment. Her task was to investigate the observation room at the top of the Moon Tower with Shisui and Aika, and that required her full concentration. As much as Menar Issilaya itself unnerved her, what made matters even worse was that they were now operating in a very enclosed environment. Combat would be tight, messy and brutal, and while Visaelya believed she could handle herself she was still worried about Aika. The Twentieth Seat had made a bit of progress during their numerous sparring matches over the course of the journey, but Visaelya knew she needed more time to bolster her swordsmanship.

For now, Visaelya made a conscious effort to keep Aika at the rear of the formation. If there was a fight, it'd be better if the young woman could act in the manner that she was most comfortable with by being in a support position. There wasn't exactly much room for spell casting in the corridors and staircases of the Moon Tower, but it was still better than nothing. Of course, if they were attacked from the rear, then Aika would have to either draw her sword or rely on her skills in Hakuda.

I certainly hope it won't come to that, she thought, but in a place like this it's impossible to rule anything out.

She'd known that joining Squad Two meant that she would have missions that were very much outside of what would be considered the norm for other divisions, but Visaelya had never counted on one like this. It certainly fit Squad Two's profile since the primary focus was scouting and threat assessment, but the nature of the environment in which they were conducting those activities was something else entirely. Investigating a power that gave even dragons pause was more than a little intimidating, to put it mildly.

"We're just about there," said Shisui, "Be ready."

Visaelya nodded. "Of course."

"Speak for yourself," she heard Aika mutter under her breath.

After what had felt like a torturously long climb, they finally reached the top of the stairs. At the end of the staircase there was an entrance consisting of a single wooden door flanked by two marble statues. The figures were both male and armored, but Visaelya didn't know enough about Menar Issilaya's history to be able to identify them, if they were even meant to represent people of note in the first place. Their upraised hands had likely functioned as torch holders back in the day, but they grasped naught but air now. Of course, torchlight was unnecessary given the eerie illumination provided by the energy flowing through every surface of the Moon Tower.

Shisui leaned forward slightly to examine the door. Following his lead, Visaelya saw a series of deep gouges in the wooden paneling. They'd clearly been left by blades, and the door itself appeared to be quite shaky on its hinges. Unfortunately, the cuts into the wood didn't go all the way through, meaning there was only one way to find out just what was behind it.

After a moment, the Tenth Seat glanced over his shoulder and nodded at the two young women. "All right, then. Let's do this."

Keeping his right hand on the handle of his sword, he slowly pushed the door open with his left. Visaelya tensed up while Aika watched the rear; who knew what awaited them up here?

She saw his eyes narrow as he spotted something inside. "Well, now… that's interesting."

"What is?" asked Visaelya, hoping she didn't sound as nervous as she felt.

"See for yourself," Shisui replied, "Don't worry, the room's clear… well, clear of anything hostile, anyway."

The way he said that didn't exactly fill Visaelya with confidence. Still, she and Aika followed Shisui as he entered the room; they weren't about to shirk their duty now.

Aika gasped as the three of them surveyed the room. "Oh my…"

Visaelya couldn't even manage that much. Her eyes widened as she took in the chamber. A broad circular room with wide windows spaced out evenly in order to provide near-complete visibility over Menar Issilaya, the observation chamber had surely been majestic and awe-inspiring in its heyday. Bathed in the deathly-pale light of the sinister energy coursing through the Moon Tower, though, it was hard to really enjoy the scenery…

…especially since there had to be about two dozen skeletons scattered about the chamber.

Broken spears and notched swords were embedded in ribs and skulls, making for a macabre scene. Apart from the damage caused by the weapons, though, the bones were perfectly preserved. Scraps of cloth and bits of armor could be found clinging to the remains, and damaged weapons lay on the floor next to them. Had these all be soldiers charged with defending the Moon Tower, or merely civilians who'd armed themselves for a desperate last stand after having been forced to retreat all the way to the top of the citadel? It was impossible to say for sure.

However, as strange as it might've seemed, the remains of the city's long-dead residents were actually of secondary importance. All three Soul Reapers found their gazes drawn to a black pedestal in the center of the room. It came up to about Visaelya's chest and was rather plain in and of itself, but that wasn't why she and her friends were looking at it.

Sitting atop the pedestal was pyramidal crystal. About the size of a child's play ball, it was a very dark shade of green with what looked like swirls of black mixed in. As the three of them approached, though, Visaelya realized that wasn't quite the case. The black swirls weren't some static pattern; they actually moved within the crystal, writhing about like a tempest. There were brief flickers of light coming from within, some merely reflections of the icy-blue energy that dominated the Moon Tower, while others were occasional hues of red or orange. There was power emanating from the crystal, but it was of a very different nature than that which permeated the citadel. It was foreboding to be sure, but not sick or twisted. It was ancient, and there was a certain darkness to it, yet it didn't feel corrupt or evil.

Visaelya's already-fair complexion grew even paler in shock as her mind flashed back to the lessons of her private tutors. Images of ancient books and scrolls passed through her mind, with particular focus on a set of pictures and sketches one of her teachers had shown her.

"No way…" she murmured as she realized what she was looking at, "It's really…"

Aika tapped her on the shoulder. "Visaelya? Are you okay?"

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Shisui chimed in as he looked back and forth between her and the crystal, "What's up?

Visaelya tried to regain her composure, but she was only partially successful; the full ramifications of what she was looking at were still sinking in. "Down in the entrance chamber, the Captain… she spoke of an 'eye' that accounts of this place made reference to, right?"

Shisui nodded, raising an eyebrow. "She did, yeah. Why?"

Visaelya pointed at the crystal. "I think we just found it."

Aika tilted her head in a quizzical manner. "What? That thing? It doesn't look like any kind of eye I've ever seen."

Shisui peered at her intently. "You know something, don't you?"

"My family teachers mentioned artifacts like this during my lessons," she replied, "but I thought they were lost ages ago… especially those. What we're looking at… it's a Nalatarin."

"A what?" asked Aika.

Shisui shook his head. "I'm lost. Care to help out those of us who didn't get that fancy noble private education?"

"Of course," Visaelya answered, hastily attempting to organize lessons from her childhood into as quick and effective an explanation as she could muster, "The name roughly translates into 'Far-Sight Gem'. Nalatarin is the singular form, with Nalatarini being the plural. Forged by the powerful spellcasters and craftsmen of the old kingdom working in concert, a Nalatarin's capable of showing the user lands and images far beyond what the naked human eye can comprehend from a single position."

Shisui's eyes widened. "Wait a second… you mean it's like one of those crystal balls you hear about in fairy tales?"

Aika's jaw dropped. "Seriously?"

Visaelya sighed. "I suppose that's the simplest way to put it, but I'm afraid it's a rather crude comparison. A Nalatarin's far more than a device concocted for mere fables told to children. It's bound by certain limitations, such as the fact that it cannot see objects underground, but what it can accomplish is nothing short of extraordinary."

"Mind giving us the rundown?" asked Shisui, "What's this thing capable of?"

"It's not called a 'Far-Sight Gem' for nothing," Visaelya answered, "There are no documented limits on its range; in theory, it can see from here all the way to the opposite end of the Soul Society. However, there are key requirements for properly utilizing it. Each side of the pyramid corresponds with one of the four cardinal directions. The Nalatarin must be properly aligned with those directions, otherwise any visions will be marred. In order to look south, for example, one must actually stand on the opposite side of the artifact; looking down from the north, if you will. The same principle applies when it comes to viewing the east or the west."

"That's a bit limiting, though," Aika pointed out, "What if someone wants to look in a direction that isn't purely one of the four cardinal directions? Say, slightly southeast, for example?"

Visaelya's brow furrowed as she tried to remember the finer points of her old lessons. "If I recall correctly, that was dependent on the user establishing the necessary link with the Nalatarin. Once the stone accepted the wielder as a legitimate one, the user could mentally direct it to focus on more specific directions. One still had to be standing on the proper side to set up a baseline first, though."

Shisui scratched his chin in thought. "What qualified someone as a legitimate user? How could the stone recognize someone as such, for that matter?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Visaelya admitted, "I think some sort of ceremony was conducted in which a watchman was officially designated. The Nalatarin would've been at the heart of the proceedings, and supposedly by bearing direct witness it would imprint the designated user's features inside itself. From that point onward, whenever that official watchman wished to, they could use the stone."

"And if the user was illegitimate?" Aika asked nervously.

Visaelya tried and failed to suppress a shudder as she recalled her tutor's words. "Supposedly, they were rendered catatonic. Whether this state was temporary or permanent, I cannot say."

Shisui gave the stone an apprehensive look. "In other words, none of us are going to be using this thing today."

"That would be for the best," said Visaelya, "Theoretically, someone with sufficient power and strength of will could bend a Far-Sight Gem to their will, but that was rather vaguely defined. If I had to guess, I'd say such an individual would have to be on par with a Captain at the very least. Even then, though, I'm not sure how long they could sustain a brute-force connection before backlash from the Nalatarin overwhelmed them."

"We're looking at it right now," Aika mentioned, "How come none of us have been rendered catatonic?"

"None of us are actually trying to use it at the moment," Visaelya answered, "A Nalatarin is capable of recognizing the distinction between someone studying the gem itself versus someone actually seeking to wield it. We would have to actively focus our wills on the stone for it to perceive us as attempting to use it."

Shisui folded his arms as he regarded the artifact with cautious curiosity. "Is its power only usable in the Soul Society, or could it be used in one of the Realms of the Living too?"

Visaelya shook her head. "I honestly don't know. The only references to the Nalatarini that I read simply spoke of their properties and history within the context of the Soul Society. There were no records of them being taken to any of the Realms of the Living and used there, although that's certainly not to say that it never happened. We just lack the proper historical evidence to prove it one way or the other."

A shiver went down her spine as she recalled another part of her lessons. "There was another property to these things… well, supposedly, anyway. I don't know if there's any truth to it."

"What do you mean?" asked Aika.

Visaelya looked back and forth between the Twentieth and Tenth Seat. "This is going to sound crazy, but… supposedly a sufficiently powerful and skilled user could see more than just far off places with a Nalatarin… they could see into the past as well."

Shisui's jaw looked like it was about to hit the floor. "This thing can look back in time?"

"That's a tale told about the Nalatarini, at least," said Visaelya, "Honestly, though, it sounds too far-fetched to be true. It's likely a legend that got started after they were lost."

"It'd be cool if it was true," said Aika, "Also a little scary."

Visaelya nodded. "Indeed."

Shisui took a few steps closer, studying the pedestal holding the stone. "I'm not seeing any sort of locking mechanism or traps. It really just sits there?"

Visaelya shrugged. "The lords of the city must've been content with the guards assigned to protect it. In the event of siege, preventing the stone from falling into enemy hands would be of paramount importance. It's possible that whatever caused Menar Issilaya to fall happened so quickly that they were unable to secure the Nalatarin."

"Why's it still here, though?" asked Aika, "I mean, it's just sitting unguarded like this. Wouldn't whoever or whatever that's taken this city be interested in this thing? What's to stop us from just grabbing it?"

Those were all very good questions, and Visaelya didn't have adequate answers for them. A Nalatarin was a prize beyond measure; any hostile force that had seized Menar Issilaya would've made taking possession of it an extremely high priority, regardless of whether or not they possessed the power needed to use it. There had been no signs of guards as Squad Two had made its way through the city, and that remained the case once they had entered and begun exploring the Moon Tower. At this point, Visaelya was comfortable in assuming that the city had fallen due to some form of hostile action rather than any kind of natural catastrophe or freak accident. Whoever had taken over the city had access to incredible treasures, with the Nalatarin being at the top of the list.

So why was it still in the observation room? As far as Visaelya could tell, this was where it had belonged when the city was properly inhabited. Why did it remain here, and why was it completely unguarded? Did whatever force that had seized the city and purged it of its inhabitants lack the means to use it? Had they not recognized the stone's true nature? Could the three of them simply seize the Nalatarin, or were their hidden defenses that had escaped Shisui's keen gaze?

She saw Shisui's eyes narrow. "I don't like it. Everything about this setup smells wrong. I wonder…"

His voice trailed off, and Visaelya was curious as to what path his thoughts were travelling down. "Shisui?"

There was a moment of silence before he replied. "We can't leave this thing here. It's too powerful an artifact. Even if it's been here over a thousand years without being disturbed, there's always the chance that someone with the strength to use it could make their way through the city and claim it."

"But can we really just… grab it?" asked Aika, eying the stone and the pedestal it rested upon with trepidation.

Shisui turned to Visaelya. "What would it take to destroy one of these things? Do you think any of us would be able to do it?"

Visaelya's was aghast at what he was suggesting. "Destroy it? With all due respect, have you lost your mind? When the old kingdom collapsed, the Nalatarini were all believed to have been lost in the chaos. To actually find one intact is a discovery of unparalleled importance!"

Shisui gave her a hard look. "From everything you've told me thus far, this thing is an incredibly powerful sensory tool. To see across the Soul Society from a single vantage point could give a foe an incredible advantage. I know you said that bit about being able to look into the past is probably just a fable, but if there's even the slightest chance of that being true as well then it amplifies the threat by orders of magnitude. I definitely want to try to take this thing back to the Seireitei, but if it turns out that we're incapable of doing so then we need to consider alternatives to make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. It's simple asset denial."

"What about the Captain?" Visaelya protested, "Since she's from a Great Noble House she's well-read on the history of the old kingdom; she would know about the Nalatarini. She would understand the value of finding one and would want us to make all possible efforts to bring it back with us!"

"We should at least run it by her," Aika chimed in.

"I intend to," said Shisui, "but we also need to be prepared to act on our own initiative. She said she was going into the depths of this place, remember? What if an enemy reveals itself up here while she's down there? We have to consider all possible scenarios."

Visaelya sighed. "I know, and you're not wrong, but… can we at least try to move it first before we resort to drastic measures? I mean, it's not very large, and it doesn't look that heavy."

Shisui nodded. "Sure, but first I want you two to get back. Both of you go out into the hall and stand guard; if you see anything coming our way, tell me immediately. I'm going to examine this thing a little more just to make sure we're not missing any potential traps."

Visaelya raised an eyebrow. Having a rearguard made sense, but only one person was really required for such a duty. Why have both her and Aika take on the task?

He must have his reasons, she told herself, and besides, he's your commanding officer. He just gave you a direct order; it's not your place to question him.

She nodded. "Understood. Let's go, Aika."

"Right," said the Twentieth Seat as she fell in behind her.

….

Shisui hated having to lie to his subordinates, especially after having a chance for fresh bonding with them over the course of the journey out to the Shadow Pass. Then again, he hadn't technically told a lie; he was going to examine the Nalatarin a little more, and having Aika and Visaelya mind the entrance to the observation room was relatively sound. The issue, of course, was that he didn't want them in the same room as him while he went about his work. After all, for a real good look at what he might be dealing with here, he needed to call upon the power of his bloodline.

As soon as the two young women were out of the room, the Sharingan flared to life in his eyes. Having observed the exterior of the Moon Tower with it before, he figured he had an idea as to what he might see now, but being inside the citadel and surrounded by its fell energy made for a very different experience. He could perceive the corrupting power around him much more clearly now, so thick that it was almost stifling. It oozed and seeped from every brick and tile, swirling around his feet like a whirlpool.

The corruption appeared to have its limits, though; there was a clear difference between the power that tainted the citadel versus that of the Nalatarin. The Far-Sight Gem was blazing like a beacon, emitting steady pulses of energy that kept the pollution at bay. Its energy was considerable, and Shisui struggled to get an accurate read on it.

I think this is just the surface, he mused as he studied the stone, and one might only be able to perceive its true power through using it…

He didn't plan on that, though; he had no intention of rendering himself catatonic in the middle of such a dangerous environment. As he continued to probe the Nalatarin with his Sharingan, though, he noticed the energy emanating from the artifact begin to stir and shift. There was a fresh flicker of crimson light within the gem, and Shisui realized that just as he was appraising the Nalatarin, it was now studying him. Slim tendrils of power weaved through the air about him, with a few brushing up against him with the lightest touch.

Was the artifact curious about him? Did it even have the capacity for an emotion such as curiosity? Visaelya had said that a Far-Sight Gem could detect if someone was a legitimate user, which certainly implied that the device had a degree of intelligence, but Shisui was beginning to suspect that there was more to it than that.

Was this thing actually...

…alive?

….

All those times I gazed at those paintings of the Moon Tower, thought Yoruichi as she led Soi-Fon and Itachi into the citadel's depths, I never considered the dark underbelly it might have…

Well, 'dark' might be the wrong word for. The eerie light that emanated from the rest of the Moon Tower was present in the underground parts of it as well, such that there was no need for her group to rely on Kidō spells for illumination. That was very much a good thing, for Yoruichi wanted to make sure that her subordinates were completely focused on the task at hand and did not have to devote any attention, no matter how slight, to maintaining a little ball of light over their heads.

What they'd found thus far did not bode well for what might lie ahead. It hadn't taken long for the trio to stumble upon their first skeleton. The remains had clearly belonged to a guard, with the armor the poor sap had once worn being cleaved right down the middle by what must've been a very powerful strike. More skeletons had been discovered in short order, and it was quite clear that these soldiers had not met peaceful ends.

Determining who or what had struck the killing blows, though, was another thing entirely. So far, the chambers Yoruichi and her companions had searched had been rather mundane; storerooms, armories, and other such spaces. The Moon Tower had a small jail, but it was more of a set of temporary holding cells before any offenders apprehended in the citadel itself were transferred to the city's main prison. Yoruichi and her subordinates had already come across those cells, and there were no signs of a breakout. In fact, there were a few remains actually inside the cells; whatever had slaughtered the Moon Tower's inhabitants had not discriminated between guards, civilians or criminals.

They'd covered quite a bit of ground already, but they weren't done yet. Yoruichi sensed that they were drawing ever close to the source of Menar Issilaya's corruption. There had to be a limit to just how much was beneath the Moon Tower, and she had a feeling that they would find what they were looking for sooner rather than later.

She glanced at Itachi to see how he was doing. His abilities had developed to the point that he could surely sense just as clearly as Yoruichi and Soi-Fon that they were getting closer to the heart of the terrifying power that had taken root here, yet whatever reservations he might privately have he appeared perfectly calm. He regarded the eerie chambers and hallways and morbid scenes they passed through with the eyes of a seasoned warrior, taking in as much as he could at a glance and keeping a sharp lookout for the first signs of a possible ambush. One hand was constantly hovering over the handle of his Zanpakutō, ready to draw it at a moment's notice.

It's hard to remember that he's still a recent Academy graduate, she mused, I think the last time I had a new recruit that handled themselves this well in the field so soon after leaving the Academy was Shisui. Now that I know both of their pasts, I suppose that makes a lot more sense. The two of them saw more than their share of horrors long before they came to the Soul Society…

Descending another flight of stairs, the three of them came upon a rather unusual sight. It was a straight corridor, which in and of itself wasn't exactly odd, but the walls of this hallway weren't the plain stone-brick facades that they'd seen before. There were murals engraved upon the walls of both sides of the corridor… or rather, the remnants of murals. Chunks were missing in many places, and there were scores of slashes and gouges up and down walls.

"What's the meaning of this?" asked Soi-Fon as the trio cautiously proceeded forward, studying the murals while also keeping an eye out for possible traps.

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "These aren't random damages. They're deliberate defacements."

Yoruichi nodded as she paused before one particular section. "I think you're right."