Chương 22: His past

Yuno walks into the Palace and goes straight to Tachibana's office. He called once saying he would be gone for a while only to go M.I.A for 3 months, there was no communication what so ever during that time and pissed doesn't come close to how angry she is with him.

Tachibana watches Tori chewing at his wrist bands, "It hurts." Tori runs to Tachibana holding out his hand. Tachibana smiles and picks him up taking them off.

Yuno had texted him asking how to take them off but never got a reply to top it all off Kim was on the trip with him wherever he was.

"Hitori, I bet you're happy your dad is back." Ackerman ruffles his hair and Tori turns to Tachibana tilting his head to the side.

"I doubt he remembers me 3 months is a long time." The door opens and Kim walks in with an averaged height male with spikey hair and bright green eyes.

"Hello everyone, I'm Mike Connor pleasure to meet you all."

Tachibana kisses Yuno on the forehead and she looks at him crossing her arms.

"Ewe!" Tori comments pushing Tachibana's face to the side.

Tachibana still can't get over how grown up he is and missing his first birthday was not on his list.

A snow wolf walks into the room and Tori wiggles out of Tachibana's arms running after it.

Tachibana turns to Yuno, "He never got bored of it, did he?"

"Nope, they're inseparable. You going to tell me where you've been?" He gives her a knowing look and she shakes her head, "Of course not."

Yuno politely introduces herself to Connor and leaves going to her room she actually just arrived. She's waiting for Kai and Mitsuko to come back. In April Kai will be starting his second year at Roman high.

She and Setsuno on the other hand enrolled into college on the second semester so they will have a lot of Extra modules to make up for the first year modules they missed, it also pushed back their estimated graduation time.

They planned a vacation to relax before school begins again and they have to deal with all the chaos of assignments and tests.

"Hey Setsuno, have you decided where we'll go for the break? Tachibana is back I'm thinking dumping Bobo on him is good enough revenge."

"Speaking of Tori, where is he?" Setsuno asks looking around.

"Where's the dog? Where ever it is that's where you'll find him."

"You don't look happy about the boss's return and here we were expecting you to be over the moon and back." Setsuno tugs on Yuno's cheek pulling the sad expression off her face.

"He's secretive and makes decisions on his own, always ends up in the centre of all this crazy chaos and I hate that he's always right

"But what I hate more than that is how he always forgets that my family is my priority. I want nothing to do with someone who constantly puts them in danger." Yuno grabs a brochure with Texas written on it and starts looking for Tori.

Tachibana sits in front of Ackerman who is waiting on him to say something.

"3 months away and all you have to say to me is, 'well done for not running my companies into the ground' Are you serious? Ken you have to give us something here we were worried about you."

"I told Yuno I would be gone for a while." Tachibana sits behind his desk exhausted.

"You also said you'd explain yourself when you get back."

"That was before I was slapped with a gag order, okay." Tachibana stands up and looks out his tinted glass window.

After getting in the car he was taken to the Empress's Castle and had to wait for hours for her to come see him. She walked into the room with 2 other people in cloaks barely catching a glimpse of their faces.

"Ken Tachibana, I'm sure you're aware that my authority will not stand for long, you can quote a number of laws and articles that claim that what I did today is not within my power. I need you to fill in as .."

"Not happening." Tachibana states, the two men at the Empress's sides give him warning glares and he could not be bothered to care.

"Is that all you called me for?" Tachibana looks around for an exit he does not want to be anywhere near Princess Senitsu for as long as he lives, the Empress always gives him bad vibes.

Tachibana is suddenly pushed back and his back is slammed against the wall across the room.

The Empress sits at her throne crossing her legs and pulls him towards her telekinetically bringing him to his knees.

"If I gave you the impression you have a choice in the matter my apologies..."

Tachibana chuckles and her expression turns blank, she's never been interrupted while talking and Ken Tachibana had the balls to do it twice.

"If I gave you the impression I'm going to change my mind if you shake me around, my apologies, but I will not. I'm sure Sensen has told you why." Tachibana states.

The Empress groans, "Dragons and their annoying loyalty." She kicks him back and leaves the room for a minute.

Tachibana would leave but she's the Empress and currently in charge she can do anything she wants and get away with it. He's in no position to pull a disappearing act.

The Empress returns with a mirror in hand, "See this, it's the same mirror that they talk about in the Snow White fairytail. Mirror Mirror on the wall, I think her name is Yuno right?" The mirror shows Yuno and Sensen drinking coffee.

"You know, Tachibana once said that his main goal is for the Empress to hold all the power because she cares about everyone and she can actually protect everyone.

"I never really cared and I still don't, I just can't get over how things always seem to fall into place for him, it's so magical and unrealistic I hate it. I just want him to be wrong just once in his life"

Sensen gives Yuno a surprised look as she walks away to check on Tori who's babbling at Tensho.

Tachibana rolls his eyes it's not like she doesn't say that to his face. Yuno is direct and has always been dumb enough to risk her job by saying what's on her mind and even telling him off sometimes.

"Are we done here?" He asks annoyed.

The Empress glares at him but sighs, "No, you have to do a little something for me."

"KEN!"

Ackerman yells at him and he notices Yuno looking at him with a worried expression. He was just staring off into space nodding along to everything they said, "Are you okay?" Ackerman asks.

"I don't know." Tachibana leaves the room and Tori runs behind him clutching onto Tachibana's pants who turns and squats down in front of him, "Hitori, you're all grown up and here I was thinking you forgot about me."

He looks into Tori's electric blue eyes and picks him up walking to Yuno's room looking around the place it looks like she just arrived and barely unpacked.

"Tachibana?" He turns around and Yuno was about to say something but instead kept her mouth shut.

"It's best I keep you out of this Yuno."

She nods and stands in front of him, "Need anything to get your mind of it?" Yuno asks worried he just went through something traumatic.

"The thought of you gets my mind of it every time, did you know that your regenerative water can stay up to 10 days in a person's body?

"Honestly speaking I should be dead, but because of you I'm right here and still alive. I hate that I have to lie to you, but I need you to trust me. Keeping you out of this is what's best."

"I trust you."

Tori looks at Tachibana reminding him he owes Tori something, "I have a birthday to make up for, mind if I kidnap him?"

"Not at all have fun is all I have to say." Yuno waves him off with a blank expression on her face.

Ackerman stands next Yuno as Tachibana and Tori leave, "Are you sure about this?" Ackerman asks when they are sure Tachibana is gone.

Yuno nods as they walk into his office going through his computer, his files and everything.

"What exactly are we looking for Yuno?"

"Anything to tell us why he's been acting so strange, or to tell us where the hell he's been."

"This completely contradicts what you said about not getting involved."

"That was three months ago. I want to know who or what might be coming after us because shooting in the dark is only going to lead to Tachibana disappearing again and it might be for good next time. Not that I care."

"Let's ask the Mike guy."

"We first need to figure out if he's in on Tachibana's secret or what? We have an hour to get to Tachibana's house, think we have enough time to sweep in and out before his play date with Tori ends?"

"I don't know, let's just go and see I wouldn't be surprised if we find him there though."

They get in the car and Ackerman drives to Tachibana's house parking at his usual spot walking to the door.

"Stay behind me, this place is built like a dungeon one wrong move and you might trigger an alarm."

Yuno nods and watches Ackerman open the door she's never been at Tachibana's house and certainly did not expect it to be so homely with childhood photo's and family pictures up on the walls.

"Did he grow up here?"

"Yeah, but he rarely comes here." They look around the house from head to toe covering the ceiling, basement, the walls going as far as to check brick by brick.

The lights flicker and Yuno brushes it off she just texted Tachibana asking for a photo and he confirmed they are at the mall.

The mystery figure observes her every move. Yuno finally finds a hidden room similar to the one at his office. "Ackerman, I found something."

"Yeah, so did I and it looks like it hasn't eaten in days." Ackerman takes a step back very slowly walking towards Yuno who looks around the room and finds a list of names and people.

She sits at the computer and searches the first few names. Each of these people were gruesomely murdered by a serial killer.

Hikari Tachibana.

Everything in here belongs to him. She finds an image of a woman holding a baby at the back it has a name, Maria Mamoto, she chuckles.

"I see where he got the looks from." The door closes and Yuno looks up and quick walks to the door turning the door knob, but it won't budge.

She turns and looks around the room for a bottle of water. She can't find any so she pricks her finger and uses her blood forming a small liquid ball that is enough to bust the inner workings of a door knob open.

She invented this technique when she was in middle school and would sneak out of the house.

She opens the door bumping into Ackerman, "Thank goodness, I've been looking everywhere for you." Ackerman says ready to leave.

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