Rangiku stared curiously after the butterfly as it flew off to send its message to the others Captains as the Lieutenant had ordered.
"White hair or something close…well, that really narrows it down then. After all, if the recent Soul King has white hair, it makes sense his son would have something similar…" She turned to the testers standing around her with expectant gazes. "New discovery! I know this will sound weird, but we need all the male Soul Reapers in our squad who have white, gray, silver or blonde hair!"
"Are you sure, Matsumoto?" The Eleventh Seat asked.
"Yes I'm sure." The Lieutenant snapped. "My Captain has access to records of the past Soul Kings in a book he found not long ago, and our current Soul King has white hair."
"The Captain has white hair, why isn't he here?" The Eighth Seat crossed her arms.
"He's researching and will come by later." Rangiku pointed at the woman accusingly. "Now come on, we have a lot of guys to look through. Get moving!"
She paused, turning back towards the barracks with a questioning expression.
"Something wrong, Lieutenant?" One of the girls looked back to see her staring off.
"No, I just thought I sensed Captain Hitsugaya's Spiritual Pressure." She turned back to the others, her smile planted firmly on her face once more. "Now, let's examine some men!"
"That sounds weird, Lieutenant…"
As the butterfly spread its message around, several Captains sighed in relief, glad to lower the numbers of people who needed to be tested. However, one Captain found his stress levels rising.
Toshiro left the Court of Pure Souls and fled into the outskirts of the Rukongai, the book still tucked under his arm. He'd wanted to leave it, but he had grabbed it almost by instinct and now was holding tightly to it as he vanished into the forests where no one would find him, not quickly anyway.
He slumped against one of the trees until he was sitting against it, dropping the book at his side and putting his head into his hands. His nerves were frayed by a revelation he'd had in the office.
Cautiously, as though afraid it would bite him, he held his right hand out in front of him. He let his Spiritual Pressure rise slightly, the ice seeping into the ground around him and climbing up the tree he leaned against. A cold wind stirred up around him. This was all normal.
What wasn't normal was the translucent, icy colored brand on his hand shaped like a four pointed star.
He was the Soul Prince.
"I can't be…that's impossible." He scowled at the brand, as if his glare alone would remove it. "I'm…I'm not the Soul Prince!"
Reigning in his Spiritual Pressure, the ice faded, his brand vanishing with it. But the truth was already there. He couldn't escape his birthright. He'd already read what would happen if he refused the position and he definitely didn't want that kind of guilt over his head. He had to do it, to keep the Soul Society, no, the entire system of worlds, alive. But…at the same time, he couldn't handle that much pressure.
"Prince Hitsugaya." A soft voice called out.
"Don't call me that." Toshiro looked up at the girl standing before him.
Ruala now wore a black leather top that only covered her chest, a white fishnet over that, and a pair of black shorts with a tan and green-striped half-skirt, held up by a dark green belt. White boots touched her knees with black leggings going up mid-thigh. Her hands had dark brown gloves that went to her elbow. Over top was a white sleeveless haori with a hood on it, the symbol for the Royal Guard on her back.
"That is what you are." She said, still in a soft almost whispery voice, as she bowed to him. He growled.
"I'm not a prince." Toshiro stood sharply, turning to leave.
Instead he found an enormous panther in his path. It was at least a foot taller than normal panthers, with saber fangs and an unusual coloring.
"S-Sofia?"
The saber-panther grinned cheekily. Toshiro noticed the silver headdress was gone, revealing the black brand that was hidden underneath, the mark of the Royal Guard.
"She can't speak in that form." Ruala explained, stepping around the startled ice prince and next to the panther. Sofia purred as her master scratched her behind the ears.
The large cat shook her head then looked directly at Toshiro with bright violet eyes.
"It's time you came home." Ruala whispered. "Your father has been waiting."
"I don't want to be the prince, I told you!"
"It is your right by blood, you cannot refuse."
"I…I know that, but…"
"You learned the truth faster than we had first believed." Ruala said. "If you wish…you have time to say goodbye to the others."
"That's not what I'm concerned about." Toshiro sighed, leaning against the tree once more as he tried to put his thoughts in order. "For one thing, someone will need to replace me as the Squad Ten Captain."
"I'm sure there are several candidates." Ruala ruffled her cat's head fur, causing the cat to grumble, before standing full height. "Sofia will stay with you; she can take any form you wish. I will take my leave."
Toshiro said nothing, hardly taking notice of her absence. All he knew was that now he needed to tell the others somehow. They were surely still testing every male Soul Reaper with the hair color he had given them. That was what had originally made him suspect himself. When he started thinking about the teal color, he had looked in the mirror at his own teal eyes. He remembered how the lock had opened for him and the burning sensation in his hand, though he had thought it was Ruala at the time. With that in mind, he had confirmed it by revealing the star on his hand. It had been so obvious, all of it, but his mind refused to believe it. He thought of everything he could to deny what he was before he knew it himself.
Realizing the giant cat was still there, he turned to it. Sofia tilted her head.
"She said you could take any form." He stated.
Sofia winked and stood, body beginning to take on a golden glow. She began to shrink in size, and when the glow vanished, she was her tiny cat size once more.
"Any animal form, Prince Hitsugaya." She corrected, now able to speak.
"I said don't call me that."
"You told Ruala not to call you that, and she obliged. Since you've now told me I won't either. But out of respect, I must call you something prince related."
"But you won't." Teal eyes glared at the cat.
"Is that an order, young prince?" She smiled cheekily.
"As a Captain, not a Prince."
"I don't take orders from Captains."
Scowling, Toshiro turned away, picked up the black book, and started making his way out of the forest. Sofia followed at his heels at a fast trot, watching her surroundings with her bright violet eyes.
"They know about your cat form." The ice prince said after a while. "If they see you with me, especially with that mark, they'll get suspicious."
"You want me to change forms?" The cat moved a little faster so as to walk beside him.
"Yes, and hide the mark on your forehead."
"As you wish, young prince." The cat smiled cheekily once more before glowing again.
This time, when the glow dimmed, she was a paper white husky with light brown paws, ear tips and tail tip. Instead of her former silver headdress she covered the mark with a dark green bow, one that matched the ribbon tied around the base of her tail.
"I need a different name for you, too, since I told them yours." Toshiro sighed. "I'll just say I found you and you wouldn't leave me alone. Matsumoto can name you."
The husky snorted in amusement and continued to trot alongside him, acting like the happy-go-lucky dog she resembled.
"I assume you can Flash Step?" Toshiro asked as they reached the edge of the Rukongai. When Sofia gave him a dog smile and a mischievous glint, the ice Captain sighed.
Before he could leave, however, Sofia whipped her gaze back around to the forest, hackles raised and lips curled back in a snarl. Her growl caused Toshiro to go on alert as well, which is when he realized he'd left Hyorinmaru by his desk in his haste to leave.
"So this is the young prince." A sinister voice hissed in his ear. The voice made his body freeze as a shiver raced up his spine. "How adorable."
Sofia launched at something behind him, freeing him from whatever grip the voice had on him. He whipped around to face his enemy, only to catch a glimpse of red vanishing into shadow.
"This simple boy is to become the next king? I won't have it."
Toshiro held his hand up, prepared to use Kido as his last line of defense. Sofia kept her hackles raised and waited for the shadows to come around again. Together they waited for the next strike. As his Spiritual Pressure rose, the mark on Toshiro's hand became visible again.
"Well well, perhaps he is the son of the Soul King." The voice sneered, shadows seeping across the ground and towards the ice Captain, backing him and the dog with him into the forest. "The line truly has grown weak to force a mere boy onto the throne."
"Show yourself!" Toshiro shouted at the creeping shadows.
"…That book….Give that to me."
"Not a chance." Toshiro gripped the book tightly, this time heeding the warning in his mind that told him NOT to give up the book.
The shadows leaped at him, a figure beginning to form. It moved so quickly.
Toshiro Flash Stepped out of its path and held his hand out.
"Way of Destruction-" Something grabbed his arm and wrenched it behind his back, forcing an unwilling yelp from his lips.
"Until you learn how to use Destructive Spells silently, you're no match for me." The cold voice hissed in his ear, once more causing him to shiver and freeze, unable to escape that fear inducing hiss.
Sofia leaped at the offender, teeth flashing as she aimed for the figure's throat. Shadows shot from a second hand that reached in front of Toshiro's vision, launching the animorph into a tree. A whine escaped the dog's throat and Sofia could not stand, her foreleg at an odd angle.
"Now, boy. Hand over that book." Toshiro's entire body tensed as the breath of whoever held him prisoner brushed against his neck. He was not comfortable with this hidden enemy's close proximity.
"No."
"As stubborn as your father, you are." The voice chuckled. "Very well, I'll pry it from your dead hands."
Sharp points dug into his back. Toshiro yelped as a searing pain coursed through his limbs, the sharp points slowly digging deeper into his back. The more he struggled to escape the hold while still gripping the book, the deeper they dug and the more it hurt.
"Release him." A commanding voice roared.
His arm was released and the sharp points retreated. Toshiro fell to his knees, still holding the book, and turned to see who it was that had saved him.
A youthful woman with long black hair, a golden crescent clipped to the back, and a long flowing white robe over her haori and Soul Reaper uniform glared at a figure cloaked in shadow just behind him. She stood on tall wooden sandals, making her seem far taller than she actually was.
"The guardians come to save their little prince." The shadowed figure, a fair skinned, red-haired man with blood-red eyes smirked insanely at the woman.
"I cannot allow you to harm the Soul Prince." The woman snapped. "Your master surely awaits you. But I cannot let you leave."
She lifted a hand, which was covered by the long sleeve of her robe, and a light blue beam of light shot forth. She had used Byakurai without any words at all. The shadowy figure vanished into black smoke, leaving only a sinister chuckle in his wake.
A gentle hand touched his shoulder, spreading warmth through his body and allowing him to relax. Turning to see who it was Toshiro was surprised to see Ruala there, gifting him a small smile before helping him to stand.
"Are you alright, Prince?" The black haired woman asked, approaching them with a soft clip-clop of her wooden shoes.
"I'm…I'm fine." He replied in a small voice. "I was caught unarmed."
In answer, Ruala held out the sheathed blade of Hyorinmaru to him. He took it gratefully, strapping it to his back and relishing the familiar feel of the blade in its proper place.
"The other guard should be here soon." The black-haired woman said, turning to Ruala. "Stay with the prince, I must find where that shadow man went."
Ruala nodded to the woman who left quickly. Toshiro watched the spot where she had vanished; that was another Royal Guard, then. Only an hour after he'd realized he was the prince and he was already being protected by the famous guards of the king. Ruala must have called for them when she left.
"Who was that?" Toshiro asked, turning to Ruala. The girl had moved over to her beloved pet, still watching for signs of trouble, and was putting the whimpering dog's limb back in place from its awkward break.
"The woman was Senjumaru Shutara." Ruala replied. "The man who attacked you is known only as Gralio. His favorite hobby is to inflict pain."
"Noted." Toshiro scowled, attempting to reach back and rub the spot where the man had been stabbing him; with what, he still didn't know. "I'm guessing he was after me because I'm the prince."
There was no response at first, only a canine yelp as Sofia's leg was popped back into place. Ruala immediately set to work healing the injury.
"That is true. But he also wanted that book." Still healing the husky, Ruala turned to him. He noticed her amber eye was now bright white, leaving her with only a pupil in that eye. He kept his focus on her green eye. "It is the book of secrets."
Toshiro held the book in front of him. He was starting to hate it. Without it, he could have continued to live in blissful unawareness of his true identity. Without it, that man wouldn't have come after him the way he did.
Without it, Soul Society would slowly start to fall apart.
Why couldn't the Soul Prince have been someone else?
What happens after he figures it out. And the enemy is finally revealed! Well...sorta. They come in rather slowly, Toshiro has to get used to being a prince for a while first. The enemy can't get into the Soul king's Realm anyway...i'll explain where they are later, hehe. The original five Royal Guards might be somewhat out of character since they haven't really been in the new arc very long, so sorry if I mess anything up. If you want to know anything else (no spoilers though, hehe) just ask ^^ Enjoy!
Oh, and before anyone else asks: Karin is going to be in here, don't worry, but she won't come in until later. The romance in this story is gonna be played down a bit since the main point of this story was for Toshiro to realize he's the Soul Prince and work his way up to king as his father dies as well as protect the three realms from the enemy, which is still unknown at the moment. She will become a part of the story but the romance was my own touch to the idea I was given which is why it isn't one of the genres, it's not a major thing. She will be, but the romance won't.
