Tsukiro immediately opened the slip of paper and read the writing on it:
Tower of brick With a hole from the base To the crown. The thin man in gray goes up And the fat man in red Comes down.
Here you will find
that which is lost
~~Phoenix Riddler
Tsukiro scoffed. "Another riddle. Of course it wouldn't be that easy." This one he had to sit with a while. However, clever as he was, it only took about two minutes to figure it out.
Once he did, Tsukiro laughed. He fell back into the chair near the desk. He laughed until his ribs hurt. "'The fat man in red,'" he giggled. "Leave it to this person to give me a riddle about a human tradition."
Again, ignoring the "what is this person on?" looks being shot his way, he moved to the back window of the Rec. Hall. He looked towards the Squad twelve barracks. The answer was a chimney. In the human tradition of Christmas, children were told that Santa Claus (the "fat man in red") would come down their chimney and give them presents (whatever purpose that served, why didn't he just use the door?) And "the thin man in gray" would be smoke rising up the chimney from the burning wood in the fireplace.
Tsukiro, still smiling to himself, jumped out the window and towards the Squad Twelve barracks.
"I think our 8th Seat has gone mad."
"Aye. He's been acting strange today."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tsukiro raced to the Research and Developement laboratories. The R & D buildings had lots of chimneys (what for, he didn't know and probably didn't want to know). He only hoped that he would find Kotaishi in one of them. He couldn't think of any place else that would have chimneys. Maybe a bath house, but that didn't seem like a likely place to put his zanpakuto.
This Phoenix Riddler didn't seem to want to destroy Kotaishi, only toy with Tsukiro. Putting an ice zanpakuto in a bath house chimney didn't seem like a good idea... Then again, putting him in any chimney didn't seem like a good idea. He continued forward, picking up his pace.
He snuck around to the back and shunpo'ed up to the highest point of the R & D building. He jumped from chimney to chimney, gazing down the throats of each. No Kotaishi.
"It couldn't be that I was wrong. That riddle was way to easy."
"Heeeelp~!!!! Somebody~!!!"
Tsukiro's ears perked up. That sounded like...
"Help me~!!!!"
"Kotaishi!" he called. "Is that you?"
"Master?" came a choked squeak, then a cough and a sneeze. "Master Tsukiro, is that you?! I'm in here!!!"
Tsukiro followed Kotaishi's panicked voice over to a small brick chimney and looked down. It appeared...
That the leopard was stuck.
"Kotaishi... how did you...?"
Kotaishi (in his human form again) flushed bright red. "Never mind that! Get me out of here!!!"
Tsukiro fought hard and won to bite back a grin and his laughter. He reached down, bracing himself on the edge of the chimney with his stomach. Kotaishi reached up as far as he could and grabbed Tsukiro's hands. The leopard's master grunted and pulled with all his might, planting his feet on the chimney and pulling even harder. Kotaishi slipped then came loose, sailing out of the infernal brick tube and landing on Tsukiro, all covered in ash.
Kotaishi popped his head up, dazed. He looked down and gasped. "Master!" He scooped up Tsukiro into a great big hug, nearly crushing him. "Oh Master that was horrible! Don't you ever lose me like that again!"
"I didn't lose you! You were stolen!" Tsukiro struggled to get out of his zanpakuto's grip.
"Stolen?! You let me get stolen?!!!" Kotaishi dropped Tsukiro.
Tsukiro stood up and rubbed his back. "Never mind that now, where's your sword?"
He went back over to the chimney and looked down. There it was, hanging on a nail in the side of the chimney.
"How are we going to get it?" Kotaishi asked. Tsukiro looked at him. "Oh no! I'm not going back down there!"
Tsukiro sighed. "Oh fine. Hold my legs so I don't fall."
"Right. What if you get stuck too?"
"Just do it."
Kotaishi did as his master said and grabbed a hold of his legs. Tsukiro inched himself down the chimney and reached for the sword. However, just as he was about to grab it, Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi went to start a fire in the fireplace and just so happened to look up.
"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY CHIMNEY??!!! GET OUT OF THERE NOW OR I'LL SMOKE YOU OUT!!!"
Tsukiro hurriedly grabbed the sword. "Pull me up now!"
Kotaishi hefted his master up and they both took off at full speed, back to the Tenth Squad Barracks.
"If you ever let me get stolen again I'll disown you!"
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Forgive me for posting before you told me it was right. I am pressed for time.
