Chapter Fourteen: Awakening
Darkness glided through the mountain, creeping into cracks and down passages, pausing from time to time to seek a vessel – a place to settle. It was near now, and Darkness was strong enough to show itself at last. It had waited long enough…
Karin had lost track of how long she had been locked in the cell – hours, certainly, days, perhaps. She was growing weaker, she knew, but her spirits were buoyed with the knowledge that Hitsugaya still trusted her.
"Karin," said Masumi, after she had eaten the small piece of bread the shinigami had left her. "I cannot shield you from the stone for much longer."
She felt dizzy again, and the room felt warmer than it had before, and beads of sweat began to form on her face. It was becoming harder to breathe, and she lay down on the stone floor, seeking the coolness of the stones.
"There is something else here, Karin," said Masumi, from far away. "It seeks to tear me away from you."
Karin sighed and closed her eyes.
"…don't fall asleep…"
"It's okay Masumi," she thought, with a yawn. "I'll just sleep for a little while..."
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Darkness opened its eyes and looked at its now human hands. "Filthy place," it said, stretching its arms and standing up. It had been nearly a millennia since it had inhabited flesh and blood – far too long. This body was weak, making it easier for Darkness to commandeer, and it breathed in deeply, infusing the flesh with its own strength, pushing the other inhabitants down to a place where they could not protest.
Darkness looked around. There was no doorway here, no exit but iron bars set into the rock. Two hands gripped the bars and pushed, hard. There was the sound of straining metal and then a loud popping noise, as the bars were released from the rocks that held them in place.
Jumping up to the room above, Darkness looked around. The dragon was here, somewhere, wandering about the mountain. "Where are you, Hyorinmaru?" asked Darkness. From far away, the dragon snorted and flapped its wings.
"You are going to play hard to get then, are you, Hyorinmaru?" Darkness laughed and smiled. "So be it." Darkness knew the way to reach the dragon…it knew the dragon's weakness.
It was not far to the door, which opened with a slight push, despite its lock. Darkness slipped out into the corridor, taking care not to be seen. This was not a simple feat, given the number of people that patrolled the rough-hewn hallways.
"Damn shinigami," it thought, hiding again in the shadows. It turned down a small passageway towards the living quarters. "He is here," thought Darkness, as it followed the winding tunnel down to the lower levels of the caves.
Darkness traced its fingers on the cold stone, feeling for the scent of the one man it sought over all others. "He has hidden you well," said Darkness, under its breath, closing its human eyes and reaching into the space where the dragon dwelled to find its prey. And then it felt him, nearby, his reiatsu barely a flicker. Darkness laughed, and walked onwards.
"Who are you?" asked a guard posted at the end of the corridor. Darkness smiled and, in an instant, the guard dropped to the ground without a sound, without a word.
He was near, now, and Darkness drank in the thick taste of his reiatsu, swirling it around in its mouth, savoring the sweetness of it. Darkness reached its hand out and grasped the door handle, pushing the door open and stepping inside the room.
He was asleep on the bed, his face peaceful. Darkness knelt down beside the bed and ran its fingers through his silver hair. Then, very gently, Darkness traced the outline of his lips and his chin with its fingertips. It could smell the dragon within him and about him. Darkness licked its lips, hungry for the spirit that would complete it, the yin to its yang.
"I know you're here, Hyorinmaru," thought Darkness, willing the dragon to show itself. But the dragon merely flicked its tail in annoyance.
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The dragon stood this time on solid ground, just feet away from the Guardian.
"Back so soon?" asked the Guardian, surprised.
"Time is short," replied the dragon, testily.
"What has happened?"
The dragon cocked its head to the side, as if listening for something. Finally, it looked back at the Guardian and said, "The darkness has grown stronger. It no longer sleeps."
"Karin," said the Guardian, with trepidation. "You said she would be the first to die."
"The time to choose is now, Guardian," replied the dragon, ignoring the question. "You must find the others, seek their assistance."
"The others? What others?" asked the Guardian.
"Shinigami. They are near. They will know you."
"But what of Karin?" he asked again. "I can't just leave her to rot in that cell."
"It is already too late, Guardian. Darkness has awakened."
"I don't understand. Why is it too late? Is Karin alive?"
But the dragon had already taken to the sky, its enormous wings of ice beating as fast as his heart.
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Someone was in the room, he could feel it. He calmly ran his hand down under the sheets and wrapped his fingers around his katana. Then, in a heartbeat, he was on his feet, his blade pointed at the intruder, ready to strike.
"Karin?!" he said, his heart racing. She smiled at him. "I don't understand, how did you…?"
"Shhhhh," she said, putting her finger to his lips. He stared at her. She ran her finger over the slight bow of his mouth, a sensual gesture that nearly took his breath away. For a moment he stood, transfixed at her touch. Her fingers were soft against his skin, and he responded, almost involuntarily, by reaching out for her and pulling her towards him. Then, at the moment when her lips touched his, she withdrew, and he breathed in deeply, trying to regain his composure.
"We need to get out of here, Toushirou," she said, her brown eyes fixed on his turquoise ones. "They'll be looking for me."
"The dragon, it told me that the darkness had awakened," he said, in a whisper. "I thought you…"
"The dragon spoke to you about Darkness?" she asked. "What did it say?"
"Only that I had a choice to make, to keep the darkness from destroying all of us," he replied.
"Interesting," she said, walking back over to the door and opening it to look outside. The corridor was empty. "What else did it tell you about this…Darkness?"
"Only that it was very ancient, that the Sealing Stone had awoken it from its sleep, and that I must seek the help of the shinigami," replied Hitsugaya, sheathing his zanpakuto and stringing it over his shoulder.
"Shinigami. I wonder…" she said, thoughtfully, her voice trailing off. "I see you have reclaimed your zanpakuto"
"Yes. But I still do not know its name," responded Hitsugaya, frustration evident in his voice.
She looked out the door again and signaled him to follow her into the hallway.
"Where are we going?" he asked, as they walked out of the corridor and headed deeper into the complex.
"To pay a visit to an old friend," she replied, as they reached a set of stone steps, hewn out of the rock.
Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. There was so much he did not understand, and he trusted Karin.
"How did you escape from the cell?" he asked, as they walked quickly down the steps.
"The bars were easy enough to pry open," she said. "The guards were weak, easy to overpower. But they will know soon that I have escaped, and they will be on alert to look for me. Undoubtedly, they will guess that you are with me."
"How will you retrieve your weapon?" he asked, noticing that she carried none.
"Masumi will come when called," she said simply. "It is part of my zanpakuto's special abilities."
They reached the bottom of the stairs and walked down another corridor. By this time, Hitsugaya was becoming concerned about the lack of guards, or anyone, for that matter, in the hallways.
"Karin," he said, "where is everyone?"
"They are expecting us," she replied. "There is no need for guards, they know we are coming."
And with that, she reached out and ran her hand over the surface of the wall. The wall appeared to vanish, revealing a large room, comfortably furnished with benches, settees and tables.
"Welcome," said a man with long dark hair, tied back in a ponytail. "I've been expecting you both."
"Who are you?" demanded Hitsugaya, his instincts screaming at him that something was wrong.
"I apologize, Hitsugaya-taicho," said the man, bowing low. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Yamashita Kazumi. I have been looking forward to meeting you." From behind Kazumi, a woman entered the room, dressed in a red shihakushou.
"I'm glad to see you found Kazumi-sama," said Nobuko, bowing to Hitsugaya and looking over to Karin. "I am, however, surprised to see you, Kurosaki."
"Now, now," said Kazumi, smiling. "If Hitsugaya-taicho wishes to cling to his past, we must be understanding, Nobuko. Besides, I have the impression that Kurosaki-chan may have…shall we say…changed her perspective on things?"
Hitsugaya frowned and looked over at Karin, who looked nonplussed.
"Where is the dragon, Kazumi?" asked Karin, her face cold, expressionless.
"Here, of course," he replied with a smile. "But you knew that already, didn't you."
Karin's eyes narrowed slightly. "You know what I want, Kazumi," she said.
"I do not control the dragon, you know that. It answers to no one but the Guardian. Perhaps you should ask him," said Kazumi, clearly amused.
Hitsugaya felt a slight chill run down his spine. "Something is wrong," he thought, his hand instinctively touching the wrappings of his zanpakuto.
"Where is the Stone?" asked Karin, her impatience apparent.
"The Sealing Stone?" replied Kazumi, still smiling. "I cannot tell you that."
Karin walked over to Kazumi so that she stood inches away from him. Then, to Hitsugaya's astonishment, she reached out her hand and gently caressed his face with her hand, a hint of a smile on her face. Kazumi put his hand on her wrist, looking her directly in the eyes, utterly unfazed.
"I want the Stone, Kazumi," she whispered in his ear, like a lover.
"Karin," said Hitsugaya, clearly unnerved. "What is going on?"
"Nothing to worry about, Taicho," she replied, her eyes still fixed on Kazumi's. "Just a little…unfinished business that I must take care of. Something for which I have waited a long time."
"What is she up to?" he thought. He remembered the dragons words, 'It is already too late, Guardian. Darkness has awakened.'
"Kazumi-sama, would you like me to escort this shinigami back to her cell?" said Nabuko, who had been watching the interaction between Karin and Kazumi with increasing anger.
"She is jealous," purred Karin in Kazumi's ear. "She does not understand, does she?"
"No," replied Kazumi. "Do not touch her, Nobuko. I do not wish to see you harmed."
"She could not harm me," laughed Nobuko.
Karin laughed. "How naïve you are, Nobuko-chan."
"I don't know what this is all about," said Hitsugaya, coolly, "but I will do nothing to assist you unless you release Kurosaki. Then we can talk."
"I'm afraid things have changed, Hitsugaya-taicho, although you do not seem to realize it," answered Kazumi. "I cannot let her go, nor do I think she wishes to leave."
The dragon's voice echoed in Hitsugaya's mind, "You have been shown the only paths open to you, and yet you chose to take neither."
Karin let go of Kazumi's face and turned back to Hitsugaya. "He is right, of course, Guardian," she said, smiling. "Things have changed." She walked over to him and ran her hands over his chest, pulling his face to hers and kissing him gently on the lips.
He put his hands on hers and pried them off his face, the cold realization dawning. "You are not Karin," he said, his face now like stone. "What have you done to her?"
"But I am Karin, Toushirou," she replied. "And much more. I know all that she knows, I share all her memories…" -she looked at him knowingly - "…I own her body and her powers."
Before Hitsugaya could respond, Karin held her hand out and said, "Come, Masumi." There was sound like a low hum, and Hitsugaya watched as Karin's zanpakuto materialized in her hand. "You see, Toushirou," she said, smiling, "I am Karin, but I am much stronger."
And, with the wave of her hand, the room was plunged into utter blackness.
"Do not move, Nobuko," commanded Kazumi. "And you, Hitsugaya-taicho, I would recommend that you do nothing, either."
Hitsugaya felt the room grow uncomfortably warm.
"You must leave here, Guardian," whispered the dragon in Hitsugaya's ear. "You must find the others. Only they can help you now."
Hitsugaya drew his katana from over his shoulder. "What do I do?" he asked the dragon silently.
"I will show you," replied the dragon.
Hitsugaya felt the sword vibrate in his hands and, much to his surprise, the blade began to glow whitish-blue, illuminating the room. In the eerie glow, he could see the faces of Nobuko and Kazumi, looking around for Karin, who appeared to have vanished. Then, as he turned, he saw what looked like the shadow of a person, standing in the place where Karin had stood - darkness in the shape of a woman. It turned to him, and he could see the glint of a sword in its hand.
"Hitsugaya-taicho," said Darkness, "how clever of you. But I cannot have you leaving just now, not before I have had a chance to speak with the dragon."
Fire erupted around them all, engulfing them in flames.
"You must find the others, seek their assistance."
Instinctively, Hitsugaya swung the blade around and pointed it at the exit. Ice flew from its tip and there was a sizzling sound as ice met fire and melted on contact. He ran for the place where the steam rose, a break in the flames.
Darkness laughed. "I will see you later, Guardian," she thought, aiming her katana at the door.
Hitsugaya dove, headlong, through the door as rocks rained down upon him. Rolling as he hit the floor, he jumped onto his feet and began to run.
"Show me where they are," he commanded the dragon.
Immediately, he felt two souls, hidden as his soul had been. He could not sense much about them, only that they were here, in the cave. Instinctively, he followed what he knew now was Reiatsu, up the stairs and into the more populated parts of the complex. He wasn't sure if Kazumi had gotten word to others of Karin's escape, and he didn't know if the guards were looking for him, so he walked carefully about the corridors, staying in the shadows as much as possible.
"Karin," he thought, fighting the growing fear in his belly. He knew nothing about the spirit that now inhabited her body, but the fact that her memories and her powers were still intact gave him hope that she was not truly lost to him.
Several guards approached from one of the common areas, and Hitsugaya ducked behind a pillar. He realized, much to his relief, that the dragon must still be hiding his Reiatsu from Kazumi's men, since they walked right by him without so much as a glance. After they passed, he walked quickly down the empty tunnel, still following the still faint traces of Reiatsu from the shinigami.
He turned the sharp corner at the end of the tunnel and stopped cold, staring at the point of a particularly large katana. He raised his sword and sent a shower of ice flying at the two shinigami at close range. There was a flash of bluish-white light, and the ice vanished completely. He turned to run, but found himself face to face with a tiny dark-haired woman, weapon drawn, a look of surprise in her violet eyes. She had moved so quickly, he had not even noticed that she no longer stood with her companion in front of him.
"Hitsugaya-taicho!" she said. "We're friends."
Hitsugaya lowered his blade a few inches, unsure of what to do. And then, again by instinct, he breathed in deeply. He could feel them - the same two Reiatsus the dragon had shown him before.
"You are the shinigami the dragon spoke of?" he asked her.
She shot her companion a surprised look.
"We're friends, Toushirou," said the orange-haired man who now stood behind him. "I am Kurosaki Ichigo and this is Kuchiki Rukia."