A figure entered the room where Hitsugaya meditated, noticing a tear running down the boy's face. As quietly as possible, she snuck her way over before sitting on the bed next to him, watching him instinctually tense by the revelation of her presence.

Teal eyes opened and turned upon her, widening as they realized it was Ruala.

"Shutara said you might like some company." She whispered.

"I'd rather be alone." Toshiro replied, gaze reverting to the floor. He let his eyes trace the intricate silver detail around the edge of the red carpet.

Ruala didn't reply, just sat with him in silence. In contrast, the tiny cat Sofia jumped up and pushed herself onto his lap, purring loudly and rubbing against his hand. Giving in, Toshiro scratched her behind the ears, her purring increasing in volume as she settled herself into his lap. She was as soft as he had thought she was and it made him feel warm inside.

"What is Sofia?" He asked, not liking the silence but wanting to avoid anything about himself.

"She is what I call a Rahvain." Ruala replied. "It's a word from my home that means Beast Spirit. Soul Reapers have a zanpaktou, I have Sofia."

"Sofia is your zanpaktou?" Toshiro seemed startled by this.

"Sort of." Ruala corrected. She motioned for the cat to come and she obliged, curling up in Ruala's lap instead. "She is my strength, my guide. Without her I would never have found my power."

"How did you become a Royal Guard?"

Ruala smiled softly.

"That comes later." She told him. "I came here to make sure you were alright."

Why did she have to turn the attention back to him?

"I'm fine." He snapped. "This will just take some…getting used to."

Sofia snorted and stood, sauntering over to the bedside table and leaping onto it. She then proceeded to lie down on top of the haori he had placed there.

"Hey!" Toshiro jumped to his feet and glared fiercely at the tiny cat.

"I'm not harming it." She replied calmly. "It's soft; I can't imagine why you would take it off."

"Because…I'm not a Captain anymore." His voice fell and his eyes turned downward. "I don't need it."

"Doesn't mean you should get rid of it." Sofia snorted. "Hm, what to do with it…perhaps we can fix it up a little."

"What do you mean?" Teal eyes glanced warily at the feline.

"Well, you're used to wearing it, but we can't keep it the way it is." She stood and walked off the haori and he was surprised to see it had hardly shifted under her tiny frame. "For one thing, this," She poked a paw at the Kanji number ten there, "is strictly for the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Since you're not a member, it can't stay that way, but I'm sure Senjumaru can do something clever with it. That way it's at least familiar to you, but it won't mean that you're a Captain anymore."

Toshiro didn't reply, just glanced at the haori and once more looked back on his life. The cat was right, he would feel more comfortable with something familiar, but now the memories attached to it were almost too painful for him.

"Do what you like." He sighed, giving up on deciding whether or not to keep his last memento of the Soul Society and his former position. The cat seemed to frown and she sat next to the haori with a worried expression.

"Hitsugaya…we know this must be hard." She meowed. "When we first came here, it took a lot of getting used to. It'll get better, we promise."

No answer. Concerned, Sofia left the robe where it was and leaped back over to Ruala, looking up at her master with a question in her violet eyes that the girl understood but Toshiro did not.

"Do you remember the pendant I gave that Lieutenant?" Ruala questioned, stroking the white cat's fur.

Toshiro nodded, wondering what she was getting at.

"It's a charm I made not that long ago. As long as that girl wears it, she will be kept safe, and it also allows her to speak to you in dreams." She noticed the boy's eyes widen at this and she fished out an identical pendant, handing it to him. "This is the other half. It's a very faint connection and you probably won't see her, but it will at least allow the both of you to make sure the other is safe."

"Th…Thank you." He said after some hesitation, clutching tightly to the necklace.

The young prince sat back on the bed, trying to sort his thoughts back out. The feelings that had sunk in while he was talking to Hyorinmaru were beginning to show through to his physical body and he could feel his eyes begin to sting. He shut them tight, hoping to the heavens he wouldn't cry, not with a member of the Royal Guard with him. He crossed his arms when he felt his hands begin to shake and tried with all his might to seem like he was simply deep in thought.

There was a humming sound and he opened his eyes, glancing at Ruala. She had her eyes closed, a tiny smile on her face, and was humming a soft lullaby seemingly to herself. It distracted him from his thoughts as he tried to recognize the rhythm. He was unsuccessful.

"What song is that?" He asked, curious.

Ruala paused in her singing and glanced at him. She then smiled and turned her gaze to outside through the window as the sky turned a dark orange with the fading light.

"A song my mother once sang to me." She said in a soft tone. "My people were different from others. Even though we know of Soul Reapers, we still believed there were gods guiding us, helping us stay strong."

Toshiro frowned at that. If there were gods, then why the Hell did they never do anything?

"…I don't know if you can hear me…or if you're even there." Ruala sang softly, catching his attention again. "I don't know if you would listen to a poor girl's prayer."

Sofia leapt down and shifted into the form of a songbird, whistling a small song and fluttering around the room.

"Yes I know I'm just an outcast, I shouldn't speak to you." Ruala's face fell and Toshiro was a lot more interested in the song now. "Still I see your face and wonder, were you once an outcast too?"

She stood and walked over to the window, her expression hidden from the entranced prince.

"Gods, help the outcasts hungry from birth. Show them the mercy they don't find on Earth. Gods, help my people, we look to you still. Gods, help the outcasts, or nobody will."

Having been an outcast himself in the Rukongai, Toshiro felt a connection to the song as he listened on.

"I ask for nothing, I can get by. But I know so many less lucky than I. Please help my people, the poor and downtrod. For I thought we all were children of gods. Gods, help the outcasts, children of gods…"

The songbird form of Sofia landed gently on the girl's shoulder as she finished her song.

"So you're just like me?" Toshiro said aloud.

Ruala at first remained silent, keeping her gaze towards the outside while her pet brushed her feathered head against her master's neck.

"I was…" She answered. "But there is always someone willing to help you, no matter how much you think there's not. Someone that takes you from the world of outcasts and makes you feel like you belong."

Toshiro's thoughts turned to his grandmother and Momo, the only two people in the Rukongai who didn't fear him, who actually cared about him. Rangiku, who could care less how young he was as her Captain and always there to support him. He thought of Karin as well, how even when her friends were afraid of him she stuck herself out and attempted to be friends, even though he made it obvious he didn't want to be. Then again, that was probably just the Kurosaki gene of stubbornness.

"And what if you belong with the outcasts?"

"Then you're not an outcast anymore." Ruala smiled and turned around to face him. "You have a group who accepts you; therefore you are no longer outcasts."

He had never thought of it that way before. Vaguely he wondered how Ruala got over being an outcast, and who it was that had been there for her. But he knew she wouldn't say anything by the hint of sadness in her expression and kept silent. Teal eyes watched as she returned to sit by his side where she began to hum the song once more.

"Don't lock up your feelings." Sofia whispered, in her cat form once more. "It's useless around Ruala, she can see right through them."

"W-what?"

"That's one of her talents. No matter how hard you try, she always knows what it is you truly feel. That's why she won't leave even though you're trying to make it look like you want to be alone."

"But I do want to be alone." Toshiro scowled.

"You're lying to yourself, then." Sofia shook her head sadly, curling up into her master's lap as Ruala continued to hum. "She'll get you to see the truth, you just watch."

Stubborn, Toshiro looked away, unwilling to submit to the cat's words. Besides, even if the Royal Guard left, he had Hyorinmaru. It wouldn't be that bad to be alone for a while. Then again…the fear began to creep back into his thoughts. He had limited time to become king or the fabric of space that held together this realm, the Soul Society and the World of the Living together would snap. He'd be a failure. He had one chance. The pressure of his birthright was beginning to weigh on him. No more boy from the Rukongai, no more youngest Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. He had to be prince, and soon king. He tried to build himself back up, to face the challenge.

He couldn't.

His hands shook in his lap no matter how hard he fought to still them and it was becoming impossible to fight back tears. Then, a gentle hand rested on his, spreading warmth throughout his body and calming the fear. Teal eyes turned, shocked, towards Ruala.

"Do not be afraid." She soothed. "Your father will help you however he can, as will the guards. You will not be thrust onto the throne without knowing how to do anything."

"But what if I can't?" Toshiro argued, cursing himself for how pathetic his voice sounded. "Being Captain…that was stressful enough, but KING? I don't even know where to begin, I can't…I…"

"You must try, Toshiro."

Slightly caught off guard by one of his soon-to-be guards calling him by his first name, Toshiro said nothing in reply.

"I can't see the future, but I know you will become a great Soul King." Ruala smiled gently. "But you must learn to trust others. That is one of many flaws you have, it is also your weakness."

The young prince turned away, translucent tears forming at the corners of his eyes.

"Your father trusted me with finding you for a reason, and that is because he trusts me to take care of you, his only son. The Soul King knows he can trust me with anything…now it's your turn to trust me."

"I barely know you…And I don't know my father…"

"Then you decide on your own. Will you trust me?" Ruala held firm as Toshiro turned back to her, an ice cold barrier hiding as many emotions as possible from her searching gaze.

The longer he stared, though, trying to gauge how much he could trust her without giving anything away, the faster that barrier melted. Her left eye was hidden by blonde hair and he could only look into the depths of her forest green eye. Something about her gaze broke the gate of his emotions and the tears finally fell down his face. Smiling softly, she pulled the young prince into an embrace and brushed a hand through his hair to calm him down. Unable to stem the flood of pain and fear that had been brought out, Toshiro gave up and hugged the guardian tightly, sobbing into her shoulder.

It took some time but eventually Hitsugaya calmed down and fell asleep, head resting in the blonde's lap as she continued to rub his back gently.

The door creaked open and a large woman with bright purple hair in a bun with black swirls on her cheeks and black lipstick stepped inside. She wasn't wearing her robe with the Royal Guard symbol on the back and so was just in the standard Soul Reaper uniform.

"Oh, is the prince asleep?" She asked.

"Yes, Miss Hikifune." Ruala replied softly. "I helped a little; I had to get rid of the Fear."

"Curse that man and his evil Fear." Kirio Hikifune marched over to stand in front of Ruala and looked down at the sleeping prince, noticing the tears in the back of his uniform where Gralio's claws had dug into his back. "Poor boy. Hardly knows what he is and already Dethmaiyn sends his worst after him."

"He sent Gralio because he's efficient." Ruala sighed. "Before Shutara arrived, he managed to inject a lot of Fear in Hitsugaya."

"Now, Ruala, you know you have to call him by his title."

The blonde blinked, confused by the reprimand.

"But he told me not too." She replied.

"Yes, but he's still the prince, which means we have to address him properly even if he doesn't like it. He'll get used to it after a while."

"I want him to trust me, Hikifune. Just like he is now."

The purple haired woman looked down at Toshiro, her gaze softening. When she had seen him arriving from a distance he had looked so nervous and withdrawn, a cold and calculating glare on his face most of the trip. Now, however, he was relaxed and looked, dare she say, quite adorable.

"Did you manage to eradicate the Fear?" Kirio turned back to the petite woman.

"Most of it." Ruala said sadly. "There's some I can't reach, he won't let me in that far yet."

"If you let it simmer it will eventually burn him from the inside out."

"I'm not like Gralio, I won't force my way in." Ruala snapped, startling Kirio. It was one of the few times the girl had raised her voice. "I want him to let me in on his own. It's much easier to destroy Fear that way."

"Oh alright, but you keep a careful eye on him. The Soul King trusts you to take care of his boy."

"I would never betray that trust."

"I know you won't." Kirio smiled, ruffling the girl's hair before leaving.

Once the cook was gone, Ruala gently picked up the white haired child and set him properly into bed before pulling the cover over him. He shifted slightly to be comfortable in his new position but did not wake.

"Your father can't wait to meet you." She whispered, before leaving, taking the haori with her. Sofia remained on the woman's orders, curling up by Toshiro's head and falling asleep.


I know, the song was kinda cheesy. It's the song Esmerelda sings in The Hunchback of Notre Dame with slight differences. And considering how much pressure Shiro's under right now, I would think his reaction would be correct, right? After all, he is still young, no matter how much he denies he's a kid, he is one. Enjoy! Or, I guess not, considering how depressing this one seems to be.