Chapter Two: The Battle at Karakura
The air was thick with Reiatsu and the sky glittered with stars. Here, far from the city, the only light was from a sliver of a moon, hanging on the edge of the horizon. Six Tenth Division shinigami faced nearly a dozen fighters on the outskirts of Karakura in the air above an abandoned cement factory, its now-dormant towers standing like eerie sentinels in the near-darkness.
These were no ordinary fighters; they wore hooded cloaks which obscured their faces and wielded zanpakutos in the manner of trained shinigami. They had literally appeared out of nowhere and, within minutes, it was clear to Hitsugaya Toushirou that only a released zanpakuto would suffice against them. He was thankful he had chosen five of the strongest Tenth Division shinigami for this mission.
"Hayashi, Taguchi," yelled Hitsugaya over his shoulder to his subordinates, "you're with Kurosaki. Yamazaki, Sasaki, you're with me." The shinigami took to the air over the abandoned cement plant, spreading out to meet their attackers about thirty feet above the towers.
"Souten ni zase, Hyorinmaru!" shouted Hitsugaya, releasing his zanpakuto and swinging his katana with its now crescent-shaped blade towards the closest of the attackers. The two nearest the attack flew back, narrowly missing a stream of ice particles. A third attacker, who stood behind the others, was not quick enough, and was instantly trapped in a wall of ice. There was a surge in Reiatsu from the trapped fighter, and the ice shattered.
In the distance, he heard Kurosaki Karin call, "Soar, Masumi!" as she held her zanpakuto above her head and released her weapon. Masumi's blade glowed orange and red like the colors of sunset and she swung it low, sending a burst of fiery energy from its tip at the two fighters nearest her. Hitsugaya smiled as he watched her move across the sky, dodging attacks and responding in kind, a study in grace and power.
"You would do well to direct your focus to your own opponents, Guardian," said Hyorinmaru. "There is danger here of which you do not yet know."
One of the attackers flew at Hitsugaya, zanpakuto parallel to the ground. The weapon emitted sparks and then fire as the shinigami moved. The attack was easily extinguished in a shower of ice. Histugaya swung his katana and released a broader stream of ice crystals, sharp as blades, in the direction of the shinigami. The fighter spun in mid-air and the crystals melted like rain on the ground below.
"They're strong," thought Hitsugaya, "but they are not fighting to their fullest potential. Perhaps this is the danger Hyorinmaru warned of."
In the distance, Hitsugaya saw the other Tenth Division shinigami, zanpakutos released, in similarly-matched contests with the remaining fighters. Even outnumbered as Hitsugaya's troops were, the clashes were more on the order of high level sparring matches than true battles. "Time to test the waters," thought Hitsugaya, surveying the scene.
"Daiguren Hyorinmaru!" Hitsugaya yelled, releasing his bankai. An enormous cloud enveloped him, coalescing around his body. Wings of ice grew from his back, and ice the shape of a dragon's head covered his hand and the hilt of his sword. Although he could not see their faces under their cloaks, several of the fighters nearest him back away quickly, turning their head towards each other in apparent surprise.
From her position, nearly a hundred yards away, Karin could feel Hitsugaya's bankai release as the air temperature dropped precipitously. "He's felt it, too," she thought, realizing the significance of his actions. "He wants to force their hand." Almost simultaneously, Karin felt a coldness come over her that had nothing to do with Hitsugaya's icy Reiatsu. A presence, something underneath the surface, neither a human nor a soul.
"There is something else here," she thought, exploring the presence. "Not a hollow. Something darker. More dangerous." She needed to let Hitsugaya and the others know.
"Soar, Masumi!" she yelled again, and a huge burst of what looked like fiery sunshine erupted from the end of her weapon and engulfed her two opponents, leaving untouched the surrounding Tenth Division shinigami who were engaged in their respective battles. The renegade fighters were temporarily stunned by the force of the attack, and, with a shunpo step, Karin was now yards away from where Hitsugaya stood. She turned to speak to him, but as she did, she saw him sway, as if hit by some invisible force. "It's not possible," she thought, as Hyorinmaru's wings shattered into tiny fragments of ice and the katana Hitsugaya held in his hand dissolved. He was falling, unconscious and unimpeded to the ground below.
"Toushirou!" shouted Karin, summoning all her strength and catching him as he fell. She expected him to be heavy, to force her to the ground as well, but he felt weightless in her arms, and she landed softly on the ground. Karin realized that she could no longer hear the sounds of battle; the enemy had withdrawn, as quickly as they had appeared in the darkness.
Karin lay Hitsugaya gently on the ground, and was quickly joined by the other four shinigami. She could not feel Hitsugaya's Reiatsu. "Please let him be alive," she thought desperately. She put her cheek to his mouth and felt his warm breath on her skin. "Thank God," she thought.
"What happened?" asked Sasaki Etsuko, the Seventh Seat, her voice filled with concern.
"I'm not sure," replied Karin, as she checked Hitsugaya for injuries. She could see none.
"Masumi," called Karin, summoning her zanpakuto spirit, "I need your help." She placed her hands on Hitsugaya's face, trying to sense any damage to his soul. She still could not feel his Reiatsu.
"It is not his soul that is injured, Karin," said Masumi, after a moment. "It is not something we can repair."
Karin pulled her hands away from his face. "He needs a healer," she said out loud, easily picking Hitsugaya up again and putting him over her shoulder. "Hayashi," she said to the tall shinigami on her right, "Contact the Soul Society and have them send more troops. Until then, I need you and the others to stay here in case they come back. See if you can figure out where they came from. Send word to Urahara if you discover anything." He nodded, and she was gone in a flash step.
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Karin sat on the floor of the clinic, leaning against the wall outside the examination room. The hallway, like the rest of the clinic, was dark. It was early morning, and she had been waiting for hours outside the clinic room.
When she had brought Hitsugaya in, Karin had half expected the usual stupid comment or feigned surprise at her early morning appearance at a home she had not seen for nearly two years. Instead, her father had said nothing, but had wordlessly taken Hitsugaya from her and laid him on the examination table. "Wait here," he had said, as he closed the door behind him. Now, as the first light of morning began to illuminate the sky, she had finally lost her patience. She couldn't stand it anymore, not feeling him, not knowing. Standing up, she reached for the handle of the door. As if on cue, the door opened and Isshin came out, again closing the door behind him.
"Impatient, aren't we?" he said, a knowing smile on his face.
"How is he?" she asked, ignoring the comment.
"He'll live," said Isshin, watching her closely.
"I want to see him," she said, reaching towards the door again.
"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Isshin.
"Tell you what, Dad?"
"About you two."
"How did you know?" she asked.
"I'm not as stupid as I act," he said, grinning broadly at her. "Besides, it's written all over your face." She said nothing. This was not the time to explain all the events of the last two years.
"His life isn't in danger," said Isshin, after a moment, "but his Reiryoku and his shinigami powers are gone."
Startled, Karin looked at her father, "Is that why I couldn't sense his Reiatsu before?" Isshin nodded.
"Will his powers return?" she asked.
"I'm not sure," replied Isshin, reaching for the door and opening it.
Hitsugaya lay in the bed, eyes open, trying to focus on his surroundings. His face was ashen, and he appeared exhausted, weak. Karin moved quickly over to him, touching his forehead with her hand. "Who are you?" he asked, looking at Isshin.
"Karin's father, Kurosaki Isshin."
"Karin told me you were a shinigami. Where is she?" he asked, his voice etched with concern.
"I'm right here," laughed Karin softly, looking down at him and touching his face with her hand. Hitsugaya looked past her, as if he hadn't heard her speak.
"Where is Karin?" demanded Hitsugaya, struggling to sit up now, his voice now commanding, insistent. Isshin walked over to the bed.
"She's fine, Hitsugaya-taicho," said Isshin. "You need to lie back down. You're still weak from the attack."
Karin looked at her father. "He doesn't see or hear me, does he?" she said, her eyes full of fear. Isshin didn't answer; he didn't need to. The look on his face said it all.