Here you go! The second half of the Diamond Dust Rebellion! One thing that stuck with me from the movie was how Matsumoto offers to bear the consequences of Toushirou's supposed betrayal. Someone, I think it might have been Yamamoto (haven't seen the movie in a while and thus can't remember exactly) mocks her for it. I saw it as a powerful scene, even with her being just his lieutenant, in this verse, with her being his mother...
I loved using this movie because it allowed me to flesh out Toushirou and Matsumoto as characters, as well as give you more on the 'old Karin', that's all very important for the progression of the story. Also, we're still setting the foundations for what I promise you will be a very different Hueco Mundo Arc! Things might be mostly the same as first, but trust me, changes are happening, and they will keep piling up until we reach the point of no return! (Some might say we reached that from the very first line of this fic, but anyway!).
On with the chapter!
Chapter 24. Unbreakable Friendship
In Karakura, Chad and Uryuu used their long distance attacks to bring down as many hollows as possible, with Tatsuki and Keeva doing the same using their own hands-on approach. The last one having arrived shortly after Ichigo and Rukia's departure and wordlessly joining the fray; she was proving to be stronger than Tatsuki when she still fought in her body, even if Keeva couldn't use her limbs like blades, she was still fast and strong enough to take average hollows down in a single strike.
Orihime for her part was hurriedly talking to her Rikka, preparing something she hoped would give them an advantage. They all knew the battle wouldn't end until they destroyed the two arrancars, since they were the ones continuously opening gargantas to allow hollows into Karakura; also, if the battle went on for much longer, who knew what kind of effect all that reiatsu would cause on Karakura… The town was already the Juureichi, could that situation be worsened somehow? They had no idea, but weren't about to find out either.
"Very well, we're ready." Orihime declared once all arrangements had been made with her Rikka. "Time to show everyone how much we've grown."
"Orihime beware!" Tatsuki yelled.
The orange-red haired girl turned in time to see a huge fireball one of the arrancars had thrown her way, it was the same attack that had given Chad serious burns until she'd rejected them.
"Get out of the way Orihime!" Uryuu yelled, half-panicked.
The Quincy tried to get rid of all the hollows surrounding him to go and help Orihime, but there were just too many, and while he could fire up to 1200 arrows per second, he couldn't fire them all around him at the same time.
"I will be alright guys." Orihime assured them as she focused. "Here we go. Hinagiku, Baigon, Lily, Tsubaki! Shiten Koushun! I reject!"
The huge fireball hit Orihime's shield, but instead of blowing up, or breaking through the shield, it seemed to be absorbed by it. At first, the Nakama didn't quite understand what made that Shiten Koushun any different from Orihime's usual Santen Kesshun, until they noticed the fourth Rikka in the center of the shield; it was what had absorbed the power of the fireball. It shone with that power, before abruptly firing it back, straight at its creator.
The red-haired arrancar seemed so absolutely shocked by the twist she didn't get out of the way in time and the attack hit her fully. It wasn't enough to kill her, obviously but it certainly gave the others the opening they needed to do it.
It was only a matter of seconds before Chad and Tatsuki managed to come at that arrancar at the same time, destroying her, while Uryuu did the same with the blue-haired one.
"That was awesome Orihime!" Keeva said with delight.
"It's my newest technique." Orihime announced. "I actually haven't fully perfected it yet."
"I didn't know you could do that." Uryuu admitted. "It was an amazing attack."
"I've been talking to my Rikka." Orihime explained. "I want to be useful in the war, but if I get so totally drained every time I use a Nibankyuu attack in the World of the Living, like what happened with that shield at the school…I just might end up being a nuisance…and then they told me about this, 'double techniques', what I get mixing what usually would be two different shields. This is the first time I've used one of these…"
"First of all, you're not a nuisance Orihime." Tatsuki stated strongly. "You could never be. That detail aside, I'm very proud of you!"
"I'm with Tatsuki on this one." Keeva pointed out. "I may not have been with all of you for long, but your powers are simply amazing!"
"Still." Uryuu commented. "It is good that you've discovered other techniques with your Shun Shun Rikka. It's good, not for us, not for what you could do in battle, but because it makes you happy. That's all we want Orihime."
Orihime nodded, a bright smile on her face. She'd found new power in her, new techniques, new ways to be useful…yes, that definitely made her happy.
xXx
Matsumoto shunpoed as fast as she could through Seireitei, in the direction of Soukyoku Hill. It had been nerve-wracking, to wait inside the locked barracks of her division for something to happen. In particular after she'd noticed his reiatsu returning to Seireitei; she'd never been very powerful, or a pro at reiatsu-sensing, but there was no way she could not notice his: her captain's, her son's!
That was maybe what had made things all the worst since the whole mess with the Ouin, the mysterious attacker and Toushirou's disappearance had begun: the fact that her son was in the middle of everything, and there was nothing she could do, not as his subordinate, and certainly not as his mother. When she'd realized how far Yamamoto was willing to take things she'd offered herself to be the one who paid for the crimes, even if it had meant her death she wouldn't have cared, she would have willingly given her life for her child's; only to be told that she wasn't good enough to be held accountable.
The worst part, worse even than not being able to help physically, was that she didn't even know anything that could help. Toushirou was her son, yet she didn't know anything about who his friends at the Academy might have been, other than Karin, what may have happened to him, or who Kusaka might be. She knew nothing at all.
Renji couldn't have known the kind of pain it caused her, when she opened the package Ichigo and Rukia had sent her, only to find Toushirou's haori inside. What did that mean? Was he giving up his position? Was he turning traitor? Rangiku absolutely refused to believe that last part. Her captain, her son was not a traitor! Though he had certainly inherited Gin's penchant for going on his own to settle things he considered personal, leaving her to worry sick over them. Those two really needed to learn to let her in!
She could have chuckled, if just to herself, once she caught up with her thoughts, knowing that just a few months before Toushirou would have furiously refused to have any likeness to Ichimaru Gin, father or not. Still, she believed that after knowing the truth about him, after everything Karin had told them…things had changed. And yet…before she could even begin to smile, the strawberry blonde's lieutenant's eyes caught sight of a dark-red stain right in the middle of the haori: dried blood.
"He's hurt…" She gasped, beginning to panic right away.
"It's alright." Renji told her soothingly. "The Nakama found him right away, and Yuzu treated his wound with no problem."
"It seems I now owe Yuzu-chan my…captain's life twice over." Rangiku whispered, more to herself than to the others.
"Ichigo said Hitsugaya-taichou slept at his house that night." Renji informed her. "The twins looked after him. However, he was gone the next morning, before anyone else woke…except Karin-san, she's gone with him."
"Karin…" Rangiku couldn't help it, she smiled then. "Then he's safe."
She would trust that girl with her life, and even with the life of her son, she knew that even though she hadn't said it out-loud, she truly loved Toushirou.
"Wait." Something suddenly occurred to the ice-blue-eyed lieutenant. "You said the Nakama helped him. Won't they get in trouble for that?"
Renji shrugged. Thus far no one but him, and Rangiku, knew what the Nakama had done to help Toushirou, or that one of them had gone with the missing captain to wherever it was he was going. Renji was sure it wouldn't be pretty when the truth was discovered, and yet, he actually feared more Ichigo's response if anyone tried anything against his sister, than whatever the Gotei may come up with.
Rangiku had spent many hours pacing, so many she eventually stopped counting them. When night came, she laid down in her futon, but her sleep was uneasy and restless. Only made worse when she heard yells from beyond the walls of her barracks, something had happened, something serious, and she had no idea what it was.
The whole situation, ever since Toushirou had left amidst the chaos of the attack on the Royal Convoy, was proving to be trying on Rangiku's nerves. It was worse than when Gin would disappear every so often, even when he became a traitor and followed Aizen to Hueco Mundo, because even though she loved Gin with all her heart, she'd long ago learnt to survive without him; Toushirou on the other hand…he was a part of her…her son…
It was a couple of hours since the loud racquet she'd heard beyond the walls of her division when, unexpectedly, she saw a shadow creeping into the barracks unnoticed. She was about to call the attention of one of the Onmitsukidou keeping guard over the place when she suddenly saw the moonlight reflected on bright red hair.
"Renji!" She barely managed to hold back her yell.
For all answer, the lieutenant of the sixth division slipped inside her room, closing the shouji doors behind him, and making sure the windows were blocked.
"Renji, what are you doing here?" Rangiku asked in a low voice. "You aren't supposed to come in here. We're in lockdown. You could get in trouble."
"I thought you might like an update of what's happened." Renji said calmly.
"Does anyone know you're here?" Rangiku asked softly, while she was dying to know what had happened, she was still worried about her friend.
"You, obviously, and possibly my captain." Renji answered thoughtfully.
"Possibly?" Rangiku was confused by that.
"Well, he made sure I knew everything that happened a few hours ago, though it wasn't really necessary." Renji elaborated. "It's not like we're the ones in charge or anything. Or like I'm important enough to 'need' to know what's going on. Then he said that if I still had 'that errand' to run I better be quick about it, and make sure no Onmitsukidou saw me, they're all running on such a short fuse they might think I'm up to something…"
"Your…Kuchiki-taichou said that?!" Rangiku couldn't believe it.
At first she was going to ask what errand Renji had to run, until suddenly she realized 'she' was the errand, or at least, letting her know the situation.
"I really, really hope you won't get in trouble." Rangiku said in a low voice.
"If I do my captain will just bail me out…I think." Renji chose not to ponder on that for too long. "In any case, Sui-Feng-taichou is far too focused on other things to worry about crazy shinigami slipping past her guards to see you."
"What exactly is going on Renji?" Rangiku finally answered the most important question.
"A lot is going on, Rangiku-san." Renji answered, turning very serious. "You have no idea the kind of mess that's taking place outside these barracks."
"Tell me." Rangiku instructed solemnly.
Renji did a double-take, he'd never seen Rangiku so serious; he'd always known her as the almost-perpetually-drunk, happy-go-lucky, lazy, sexy and quasi-exhibitionist lieutenant of the 10th division. More than once he'd even wondered how Toushirou, and whoever had been captain before him (he couldn't remember) put up with her. In that moment, seeing her so serious, so worried, he began to understand…
"Kyouraku-taichou is at the 4th, he was just attacked, badly…by Hyourinmaru." Renji dropped the first bomb hesitantly, not sure how Rangiku would take it.
"Hyou…" Rangiku shook her head. "That's impossible, Toushirou would never attack Kyouraku-taichou, or anyone else from the Gotei for that matter!"
"Yeah, well…" Renji shrugged, he had noticed her calling her captain by his given name, but filed that away for later study. "That's not all. Nanao-fukutaichou said her captain had gone out to get some air, right after they found out something about that name Ichigo mentioned to us. Kusaka is, or rather was, Kusaka Soujirou. Going by the registries, he was a classmate of Hitsugaya-taichou's, though he doesn't appear in the final list of graduates, and in another registry he's enlisted as deceased, though it doesn't say how he died exactly."
"Kusaka Soujirou…" Rangiku repeated softly.
The lieutenant tried, and failed, in remembering who that might have been. She hadn't actually been in contact with Toushirou during his brief time at the Academy, just helping to guide him there and then going to pick him up after her captain of that time informed her he was the new recruit. She really had no idea who Kusaka might be…though, if it had been a classmate, that meant Karin most likely did know, and it explained why she'd gone with Toushirou…
"That's not all." Renji informed her seriously.
"What else?" Rangiku asked, worrying even more.
"Hisagi, Kira and Skye-san just returned." Renji explained. "They had been sent, along with a dozen shinigami from each of their divisions, to track down Hitsugaya-taichou and arrest him. They found him in a rundown temple, just beyond the limits of Karakura. They tried to take him in, and he resisted. I don't actually know the details of what happened, only that they weren't expecting him to fight back, or for Karin-san to be there. They were all defeated, most of them before either Hitsugaya-taichou or Karin-san called on their shikai; then the two were gone in the confusion."
"Anyone was hurt?" Rangiku asked, though still smiling in satisfaction at the escape her son and Karin had managed, it made her feel proud.
"Nothing serious." Renji answered. "Anyway, the worse came when Ichigo found them, shortly afterwards."
"Ichigo found Toushirou and Karin?" Rangiku asked, confused.
"No, he found Kira, Hisagi and Skye-san." Renji answered. "I have no idea what he said exactly, but the bottom line is this: all shinigami except Rukia and the Kurosakis have been recalled to Soul Society, and no one is to intrude on Karakura or its vicinity, all of which is considered Nakama territory, again without their permission."
Rangiku was wide eyed in surprise. She really wanted to know what had happened there.
"I have no idea what Ichigo did, or said." Renji added. "I wasn't there when things were recounted, but one thing I know for sure: it had to be serious, and big, for Yamamoto-soutaichou to have given that order…"
It most definitely had, and Rangiku knew it as well. She was about to ask what else was knew, when suddenly she realized something:
"You said Hisagi, Kira and Skye just returned, right?" Rangiku inquired.
Renji nodded.
"And the attack on Kyouraku-san couldn't have been that long ago, not more than two hours in any case, I heard the commotion it caused." Rangiku went on.
Renji nodded again, not understanding just yet where Rangiku was heading.
"If Hisagi, Kira and Skye came back after talking to Ichigo, and that was after fighting Toushirou and Karin, that means their fight happened at least an hour ago, probably more." Rangiku went on, pondering on things.
Suddenly, Renji realized where she was going, and his eyes widened.
"How could Toushirou be here, in Soul Society, attack Kyouraku-taichou, and then, less than an hour later, be in Karakura to fight Hisagi, Kira, Skye-san and their subordinates?" Rangiku inquired. "It just doesn't add up. No matter how much power one has, you just cannot make a trip between worlds that fast. Besides, if Toushirou had been in Seireitei, wouldn't someone have detected his presence?"
She didn't know if the Onmitsukidou could have, Toushirou was a genius after all; and in any case, they hadn't detected the one who had in fact attacked Kyouraku…who she was beginning to suspect might be that Kusaka Soujirou…who somehow was wielding a second Hyourinmaru? It was too confusing. In any case, Rangiku knew for a fact that she would have known if her son had been in Seireitei, she would have known…
"Anyway, that's all for now." Renji informed her, getting up. "I'll try to keep you informed if I can. If not, trust that Hitsugaya-taichou will solve this. Regardless of what others may think, I don't believe he's a traitor. If he's doing things this way, it's because he believes it's for the best. Maybe because of the involvement of this Kusaka…even if I have no idea how that can even be possible…"
"I know." Rangiku nodded confidently, she knew her son was not a traitor, he could never be.
"And he has Karin-san." Renji added. "And I'm sure the rest of the Nakama will help him too if it becomes necessary."
Rangiku nodded again, she knew that was true, and while it helped her feel better, it didn't stop her from worrying, nothing could, Toushirou was her son, worrying about him was one of the many unofficial duties a mother always had…
By the time she pulled herself out of her pondering, Renji was gone.
The ice-blue-eyed and strawberry-blonde lieutenant hadn't gotten a single straight hour of sleep that night. Even after Renji had told her everything he knew, and she knew her son was safe, at least for the time being, she couldn't stop worrying; she wouldn't, not until she could see Toushirou again, see him and know for a fact he was alright.
Which was why, the moment she was allowed out of her division, she was on the move, shunpoing as fast as she could, faster than anyone had ever seen her move before.
She was on her room, sitting stoically on her toes, trying to convince herself that her Toushirou was alright, when suddenly she gasped, she could sense the weight of a huge reiatsu weighing on her, so big that for a handful of seconds she couldn't breathe. Then it was gone, and even as she took huge gulps of air, it hit her, the reiatsu left behind where the one to leave her gasping had first come from:
"Toushirou!" she half-screamed.
A second later, her subordinates were screaming outside. In an instant she was on her feet and rushed out of her room, to the veranda that went all around the main building of the barracks. At least a dozen of her subordinates were there, watching in the distance, Soukyoku Hill, and the strange yellow-golden lighting that seemed to be originating from there; it took Rangiku a couple of seconds to realize that her son's reiatsu was also coming from there.
"Matsumoto-fukutaichou!" Several of her subordinates called.
"What is happening on Soukyoku Hill now?" Several others asked.
Omaeda was yelling something to all of them, something about how they couldn't leave…no one was paying any attention, all totally focused on Soukyoku Hill.
"Rangiku-san!" Renji's voice somehow managed to call her attention, he was standing on top of the 10th barracks walls, having foregone the gate.
"Abarai, like I told you yesterday, you have no authorization to be here." Omaeda said to the redhead in a scathing tone.
"Actually, I do." Renji replied with obvious satisfaction. "I've been sent to get Matsumoto-fukutaichou, on orders from Yamamoto-soutaichou. She's to come with me."
That made everyone in the 10th Division very nervous, was Rangiku going to be punished for what was going on? Was the division going to be disbanded?
"Kyouraku-taichou has awakened." Renji said, locking eyes with Rangiku. "We now have all the pieces of the puzzle."
Rangiku's smile was soft, dazzling, more so than any of her usual, seductive or childish smiles could have been; and those who noticed it couldn't help but marvel. It was as if they were seeing her for the first time, as they realized there was more to her than the flirty half-ditzy extremely-well-endowed woman.
"T…Hitsugaya-taichou is at Soukyoku Hill." Rangiku barely managed to remember to address her captain correctly.
Quickly, and totally ignoring Omaeda and his own subordinates, Rangiku shunpoed to Renji's side, ignoring the gate as well.
"I know." Renji told her. "That's where we're going. It's time to put an end to this madness." Then he added in a tone so low only Rangiku heard. "Before Karin-san displays the same kind of temper Ichigo is already becoming famous for and vaporizes something…or someone."
Rangiku couldn't help it, she chuckled.
In that very instant, they both sensed Toushirou's reiatsu spiking. And then other reiatsu doing the same. A battle had begun.
Rangiku didn't need anything else to be said, she was off, shunpoing as fast as she could in the direction of Soukyoku Hill.
Her move was so sudden it took Renji a few minutes and some effort to catch up with her, and even as he did he could only look at her amazed. The way Rangiku was pushing herself, the look of concentration in her eyes, he'd never seen her like that before, it was almost…if Renji didn't know better he would think she was hurrying after someone she loved rather than just her commanding officer…right…
Rangiku didn't stop until she reached the foot of Soukyoku Hill, where a few people seemed to be waiting for them, it took her a few seconds to realize just who they were:
"Yamamoto-soutaichou." She barely managed to remember to bow in respect, as wound up as she was with everything going on. "Ise-fukutaichou, Kyouraku-taichou, it's good to see you in the path to recovery though, shouldn't you be resting still."
"He just refuses to follow instructions." Nanao said in a mix of anger and worry. "Even when they're for his own good.
"Oh, Nanao-chan! I promise I'll be alright!" Kyouraku said dramatically. "You need not worry about me anymore! All I nned to recover is your love…"
"Taichou!" Nanao cried out in evident consternation as her face flushed red.
Kyouraku couldn't help it, he chuckled slightly.
Renji tried his best to keep his own amusement at bay, even after such a bad wound, Kyouraku kept acting exactly the same way, it seemed that nothing at all could cure him of his attitude. How Nanao survived with him, he had no idea.
"It's good to see you too, Rangiku-san." Kyouraku added with a tired smile. "Now I think we should get on our way. Before an innocent man is punished for a crime he never committed, or our young guardian-friend burns something in an attempt to protect him…" he shook his head. "And I'm sure you must be eager to set the record straight in regards to your…" his voice broke slightly as he coughed. "Captain, right, Rangiku-san?"
For a moment Rangiku could only blink, wondering if the pause in that very point had been accidental or intentional. In the end, she decided it didn't matter, in that moment only one thing mattered: finding her son, and letting everyone know he was innocent.
Beside Kyouraku Yamamoto simply nodded, leading the way up Soukyoku Hill. Renji and Nanao both helping Kyouraku while Rangiku closed the march.
xXx
The tension at the top of Soukyoku Hill was about to reach a breaking point. Ichigo was already synced with Zangetsu and ready to call on Bankai the moment anyone moved; Karin too was on the edge of bankai; Rukia held her zanpakutou in one hand, the other hand ready to begin firing kidou; while Yuzu already had her first kidou on her lips. They knew it was insane, particularly with how many potential opponents stood on the other side of the crack created by Ichigo and Karin, but they just weren't about to let their nakama down…
Then, right when it seemed like everything, and everyone would snap, a strong, authoritative voice gave an order that seemed to almost freeze time.
"Halt!"
In an instant shinigami stepped aside to open a path for the newcomers, all but the captains and lieutenants dropping to their knees in respect.
Rukia very nearly did the same, but Ichigo's hand on her arm stopped her, subtly reminding her of the authority she held as a Nakama.
The joy in several of those present, at seeing Kyouraku Shunsui up and about was obvious, particularly Ukitake Juushirou's, being his best friend.
There was also some confusion in regards to Rangiku's presence, but no one dared say anything, guessing that if she was walking with the Captain-Commander, then something must have drastically changed.
"So you are alive, Kusaka Soujirou." Yamamoto said, more a declaration than a question.
"I thought you were killed, right?" Kusaka half-quoted what he imagined the old captain would be saying next.
"And apparently someone else knew about those forbidden events." Yamamoto added, turning to look at Karin.
The raven-haired Nakama just shrugged, uncaring of Yamamoto's hard stare; she wasn't about to apologize for being there when Toushirou needed her, not even for finding out about things supposed to be secret in order to help. And it's not like they could punish her for it, either, technically speaking, that 'crime' hadn't been committed by her, but by someone who'd died twenty five years before; and even if they could accuse her of it, her nobility would protect her from most punishments. While most of the time she hated being a noble princess, every once in a while it turned out to be quite convenient…
As Karin reflected on that Yamamoto explained his theory on what had happened with Kusaka, reincarnating and growing up in Hueco Mundo…most of which Karin and Toushirou had worked out already, though at least Karin still didn't care much about it.
"Yes, I came back." Kusaka said with a calculative expression. "Thanks to the Ouin I got my life back. And now I will wield the Ouin to become the King of Soul Society!"
Karin couldn't help but roll her eyes deciding it was official, Kusaka had snapped.
"The King of Soul Society, you say?" Yamamoto inquired, though he didn't really wait for an answer. "How arrogant."
"You're the arrogant ones." Kusaka retorted hotly as he raised the glowing Ouin high up. "Learn your place!"
"Karin, now!" Toushirou yelled unexpectedly.
To everyone's shock, Karin's zanpakutou vanished at the same time she spun around and went into shunpo, one second she was upon Kusaka, and by the next she was back to her original position, though this time facing the opposite direction, the Ouin secure in her hands.
There was a loud metallic clash, and everyone turned back to Kusaka, where they realized that the moment Karin had shunpoed away with the Royal Artifact, Toushirou had leapt against Kusaka himself.
Suddenly no one understood what was happening at all.
"T…Taichou!" Rangiku cried out, rushing to the fighting duo.
"Stay back M…Matsumoto!" Toushirou yelled at the same time he broke the deadlock with Kusaka and prepared for another clash. "This is my fight."
"It's alright, Rangiku-san." Karin said softly from her place, a few feet away from her. "Toushirou-kun knows what he's doing."
"And that makes one among us all." Ichigo quipped.
It took a second, but then Rukia kicked him on the shin; she was finally beginning to relax, realizing she wouldn't have to fight the Gotei after all. Ichigo ignored the stab of pain and just chuckled, it was good to see things were getting underway, even if, like he'd said, none of them except Toushirou and probably Karin had the slightest idea of what was really going on, what had been happening since the beginning of the mess.
"What's the meaning of this, Hitsugaya?" Kusaka demanded.
"I never had any intention of joining you." Toushirou answered impassively. "Neither did Karin, for that matter."
Kusaka looked at him and then at Karin blankly, as if trying to understand something that was just beyond his comprehension.
"Didn't he betray the Gotei 13?" Kurotsuchi asked, puzzled.
"Idiots." Karin hissed, quiet audibly to everyone in the hill.
"Then why did you attack us?" Sui-Feng directed her question to both of them.
"Like I told my brother, this was our business." Karin answered simply.
"Are you going to strike me down?" Kusaka asked Toushirou directly. "Kill me again?"
"Stop that stupidity!" Karin snapped, this time at Kusaka. "Toushirou-kun wasn't the one who killed you, neither was it his fault that you were killed."
"I'm just trying to atone for my crimes." Toushirou said at the same time.
In an instant, any anger that might have been in Karin left her, and her expression instead reflected a deep sadness. She realized in that moment that Toushirou hadn't gotten over it yet, she just hoped what they were doing, what he was doing, would help him move on, otherwise he would suffer forever.
"And what's your crime?!" Kusaka cried out in turn. "Do you think that you can atone by killing me?!" he turned to Karin. "You've taken the Ouin from my hand, destroyed my plan, and now you'll have him kill me?!"
Karin didn't answer, just turned her eyes away. While she'd never loved Kusaka, he'd still been a dear friend, the second and last one she'd made in the Shino Academy, and one of just a handful of sincere friends she remembered having in her life as Nagaken Karin. One of the few that didn't treat her different just for the family she was born into. And yet…and yet the man, the almost-monster that stood in that moment in front of her…he wasn't the Kusaka Soujirou she remembered, he wasn't her dear friend, or Toushirou's…just a corrupted remnant of him. While it was true that Kusaka shouldn't have died, it was also true he shouldn't be there in that moment, maybe if they purified him he would return to the cycle of reincarnation and finally have peace…maybe then all three of them would be able to have peace…
Then, as Toushirou made a dash at Kusaka and their duel began yet again, Karin could only stand there, loosely holding the again-dormant Ouin, remembering the past, how different the relationship between the three of them used to be:
It was the beginning of the Winter term for the Advanced Class in the Shinigami Academy and Karin, decked in her white and red uniform, could hear the rumors going on around her about 'another so-called prodigy' joining the class. The first so-called prodigy being herself.
Of course, in her case no one dared question her about how she'd managed to go through the first four years of the Shinigami Academy in just one year, fifth year in a few months, and finally get to sixth year, where she would be graduating that following Spring. And the reason no one dared question her was her name: Nagaken Karin, she was the younger sister of the Head of the Noble Nagaken Clan, the First of the Four Great Families. Still, that no one dared approach her didn't mean she didn't know what they all thought and whispered behind her back. At first no one could believe that a noble princess wanted to be a shinigami, then it had become worse, because they'd begun saying that she was doing it only to pass time, like it was a caprice or something and eventually she would quit. They didn't know her! They had no right to stick their noses into her business!
Finally class began, and the teacher announced the new student:
"This is Hitsugaya Toushirou, our youngest prodigy, please make him feel welcome."
Karin looked at him carefully, he was young, just like her he looked like he would be eleven or so in human-years; though both she and he had obviously lived several times that. His hair was pure-white, like newly-fallen snow, and his eyes were such a shade of turquoise-blue, like nothing Karin remembered seeing before. There was also an air of power around him, something that went beyond pure reiatsu, something she'd only sensed in experienced shinigami like her Nii-sama, or Byakuya-san, or Kotori-sensei…
Most of the class tried, in their own ways, to do as the professor had asked, and make the new student feel welcome; however, Karin soon realized he didn't seem to like anything. His eyes were narrowed, and he kept looking around him, as if searching for a way to get away from the hoarding masses. By the time free period rolled around Karin noticed that things had gotten so bad, the new kid would bolt at the slightest provocation.
"I can't believe I'm doing this…" Karin muttered to herself before taking her asauchi in hand and approaching the white-haired boy.
When other students noticed her approach all conversation ceased. It took a couple of seconds, but eventually the new student turned to look at her, obviously wondering what was going o.
"Hey Hitsugaya." She called calmly. "Wanna spar?"
He recognized her offer for what it really was, and immediately took his own asauchi and followed her away from their classmates.
As soon as they got into the nearest empty training room Hitsugaya let out a sigh.
"Thanks for that." He said to Karin. "Though, I'm curious, why did you do it?"
"Honestly?" Karin asked, and yet went on immediately. "I know what it is to feel like you're being talked at instead of to."
"You're the other prodigy." Hitsugaya realized right then.
He, of course had been told he wasn't the only prodigy in the Academy at the time, though the other one hadn't gone through the courses as fast as he had.
"If you don't mind, my name is Nagaken Karin." She introduced herself.
She waited for a few seconds, for him to react the same way everyone else did. He didn't, it seemed like he didn't react at all, instead he just kept watching her.
"What?" She asked, beginning to feel strange under his stare.
"So in your case it's not just because you're a prodigy." He said, finally.
"Yes." Karin shrugged slightly. "Guess it's my own fault, for wanting to go through the Academy rather than just hiring some private tutors and presenting the exam to get into the Gotei 13." She shook her head. "Maybe Byakuya-san had the right idea when he decided to pull Rukia-san out of this mess."
"Byakuya-san?" Hitsugaya's eyes widened as he suddenly realized who that had to be. "Kuchiki Byakuya? The 6th Division Captain?"
Karin nodded, eyes narrowed, wondering if the boy was going to let noble titles affect his perceptions after all. Byakuya wasn't a bad person, not at all, but he wasn't as great as some rumors tended to make him either.
"I've heard his zanpakutou is quite powerful." Hitsugaya added right then, then considered it and added. "I've also heard the same about Nagaken-taichou…"
"Yeah, yeah…" Karin said dismissively. "I swear my zanpakutou is going to be far more amazing than either of theirs!"
Hitsugaya couldn't help it, he chuckled.
"So, seeing as we don't really have anything better to do." Karin commented as she twirled her asauchi in hand. "Wanna spar?"
"I thought that was just an excuse." Hitsugaya actually smiled a bit at her.
Karin just shrugged.
"Sure." Hitsugaya got on a stance, before unexpectedly saying. "And by the way, I'm sure my zanpakutou will be better than yours."
It might have been a strange way to begin a friendship, but it worked for them. They became each other's partner, confidant, best-friend…theirs was a friendship that lasted twenty years, till the day she died; and when she returned they fell back into it so easily, it was almost like she was never gone.
And yet, it hadn't always been just the two of them, for a while there had been a third member to their group:
Karin and Toushirou were sitting across each other in a table near the corner of the Spiritual Library, working on some homework. They were at ease with each other, and since Toushirou began hanging out with Karin no one bothered him, so everything was fine for him. Karin decided it was one of the very few times her nobility was good for something.
What they weren't expecting was for someone to approach them right then.
"Hello, you must be Hitsugaya Toushirou." A boy who looked a few years older than them, with ashen-black hair and garnet eyes said. "And you must be Nagaken Karin."
Hitsugaya nodded, not quite sure what the other boy pretended.
"We are." Karin said with narrowed eyes. "The question here is: who are you?"
"My name's Kusaka Soujirou." He introduced himself with an easy smile. "I'm actually your classmate, just got moved from the Basic Class to the Advanced One."
The other two nodded, they'd known that to happen, even if never that late in the school year, especially since they were in the last year already.
"Anyway, I was wondering if you would mind if I joined you." He deposited several books he had been holding on the table, next to Toushirou's. "To be honest, I'm not very good at Soul Society's History or Kidou Theory and would be grateful for some help, I can help with Spiritual Law if you wish."
"I'm quite good at it." Karin began, then decided to give him a chance. "Though I guess you can help me help Hitsugaya, he just seems to be helpless at it!"
"Nagaken!" Hitsugaya called out offended.
Kusaka didn't seem to be able to help it, he laughed.
And so the duo became a trio. They were sure their friendship would be like that of legend, that it would last forever, or at least for as long as they existed in those incarnations in Soul Society. Of course, at that point all three were still very young, young and naïve.
Kusaka was always talking about his dreams of being a shinigami, about the honor and glory he hoped to bring to the Gotei 13 as well as attain for himself; Karin soon realized that what had begun as an escape from being a noble princess had turned into something she truly enjoyed, she couldn't help but look forward to being an official shinigami, she hoped to one day surpass her Nii-sama; Toushirou didn't seem to have any particular ambitions for himself, he'd only gone to the Academy to learn to control his power, but he too seemed to like the prospect of working with the two who had become his best friends.
Their friendship was so strong, it seemed to be able to survive anything. Even after Kusaka confessed to Karin that he was in love with her and she told him that she just didn't feel the same. There was some awkwardness for a while, but still, their friendship never broke.
Then, as Winter began to fade into Spring, a special session was prepared for the shinigami hopefuls to get the chance to find their zanpakutou. All three friends were thrilled, continually saying each of them would have the best zanpakutou, none of them could have ever imagined the tragedy that would befall them…
Karin had been one of the first to go through the test/ceremony to gain her zanpakutou, meeting Tenreikou for the first time. It had been an amazing experience for her, and the raven-haired girl couldn't wait to return to the Nagaken estate and tell her brother she had a zanpakutou, and not only that, her zanpakutou's spirit was a phoenix! She was quite sure that beat her Nii-sama's old-man-looking Engetsu, and most likely Byakuya's Senbonzakura too… though Karin didn't actually know what Byakuya's zanpakutou-spirit looked like, most said it was a female, but Karin just wasn't sure.
The only reason the girl was still at the Academy was because she was waiting for Hitsugaya and Kusaka, it was their turn, and she really wanted to know what their zanpakutou were like. Maybe they could even begin to plan some team strategies, after all that's what they were, what they'd been for years, since first meeting: a team.
It took a while, but eventually Karin could sense Hitsugaya's reiatsu again, she was so thrilled, because she could sense the change in it, the marker that he'd gained a zanpakutou, that for a few seconds she didn't notice that she still couldn't sense Kusaka.
Then Hitsugaya was standing a few feet away from her, holding his new zanpakutou so tightly in both hands his knuckles were white, his face was totally drained of color, and it looked like he would be sick at any moment.
"Hitsugaya-kun?" Karin asked, suddenly fearing that something was very, very wrong.
Hitsugaya raised his head at her voice, his eyes were empty, and that scared Karin like she'd never been scared before; in that moment she knew for a fact something was wrong.
"Kusaka…-kun…?" She asked, almost fearfully.
For all answer Hitsugaya tightened his hold on his zanpakutou even more and closed his eyes tightly, holding back tears. Karin covered her mouth with her hands, all the joy and pride from scant minutes before totally forgotten. She still didn't know what had happened, it would take many hours with both of them locked in her private quarters and a lot of smuggled sake to get it out of Hitsugaya, and then even more sake to try and forget everything she'd just learnt. After all it was all over she would try her best to never think about it again, yet she would never be able to fully forget it either. And yet, knowing or not, it didn't change the end result: Kusaka Soujirou was gone, and for the two that remained, nothing was ever the same again.
Of course, when Karin had thought that, she never imagined the possibility of Kusaka ever coming back, and especially not as a corrupted spirit.
"Karin?" Ichigo, Rukia and Rangiku called her at the same time.
The raven-aired soon became aware they'd been calling her for a while, but she'd just be so lost in her memories, and in the battle going on before.
"What is going on, really?" Ichigo asked in a low voice.
Yuzu said nothing, just watching her twin in silence, instinctively knowing that whatever it was that was going on was very, very hard on her, and on Toushirou too.
"Kusaka Soujirou…" Karin whispered, her voice filled with grief. "He was once Toushirou's and mine best-friend. Actually, Toushirou-kun and I met him a week after we met and became friends ourselves. He was the first and only person to ever approach us, not because he was hoping to gain something, or because he considered us freaks: me being a noble-princess and both of us prodigies, and there was also the fact that we looked so young, the youngest-looking in all the Academy. Still, Kusaka-kun approached us, and he became our friend. Soon all three of us were inseparable. We were…nakama…"
Ichigo drew in a sharp breath, if there was something he understood it was that term, with how important it was for him, and his own nakama.
"Then the time came for us to graduate." Karin went on blankly, holding back her emotions. "A session was arranged for all of us to find our zanpakutou. I was one of the first, and I gained Tenreikou. Ichigo, you don't know this, but even though zanpakutou are part of our own souls, at least here in Soul Society, shinigami hopefuls still have to go through a spiritual trial to gain them. Toushirou-kun and Kusaka-kun were some of the last. At first I didn't actually notice they were taking too long, I was just thrilled to have Tenreikou, wanted to share my happiness with them…" she shook her head. "Then I saw Toushirou-kun, his eyes were so empty…I knew something was wrong. What happened…it's complicated…"
"And forbidden." Yamamoto added. "Even you should have never known about it."
"I'm not going to apologize for doing what was necessary to help someone dear to me." Karin retorted strongly, before going back to the story. "In any case, it's not my story to tell. Suffice to say that Kusaka-kun died and Toushirou-kun blamed himself, even though it wasn't his fault at all." She sighed. "After that attack on the Royal Convoy happened, the wound Toushirou-kun had was made by Kusaka-kun's sword, and it allowed Toushirou-kun to know who was behind the attack. When we helped him, I too realized the truth. That's why we left, Kusaka-kun was playing a game, a dangerous game indeed, but he was our business. He came back for us, or at least for Toushirou-kun, so we had to be the ones to sort it out."
"If Kusaka-kun is your friend, shouldn't you want to help him?" Rangiku asked, still a bit confused about everything.
"Kusaka-kun was our friend, a very dear friend." Karin agreed. "But that one fighting Toushirou-kun isn't the real Kusaka-kun, just a corrupted form of him. The real Kusaka Soujirou would have never done such a travesty as trying to use a Royal Artifact to destroy Soul Society, he was such a loyal follower of Seireitei, of the Laws…he would have never done that. In any case, what happened all those years ago was terrible, but this time…this time they fight for themselves. That's what matters."
There were some people who still didn't really understand, them or the significance what was going on had for them, but at least they knew it was important that Toushirou finished that battle himself, so they didn't interfere, instead they just watched, watched and waited to see the resolution of a conflict decades in the making.
"So, from the very start you…" Kusaka, who had half heard Karin's summarized and censured recount of things couldn't quite believe it.
"That's right." Toushirou nodded, noticing that Kusaka had finally seen the truth.
"I see. I misunderstood you." Kusaka said tiredly. "You have even more loyalty for this place than I ever did…or maybe your loyalty is to her."
"If you were the real Kusaka you would understand it." Toushirou answered simply.
He and Karin weren't being idiots, they knew it was Kusaka Soujirou's soul there, and yet, his heart wasn't, his heart had been corrupted by the tragedy and brutality of his death as well as the dark reiatsu of Hueco Mundo; so, in a way, it was Kusaka, and at the same time it wasn't. Maybe once it was all over, the real Kusaka would finally be free, as would them all.
It happened in an instant, Toushirou and Kusaka had yet again moved to strike each other when with a sharp clang Kusaka's zanpakutou broke, falling into pieces at Toushirou's feet, at the same time the white-haired shinigami's own blade pierced the corrupted version of his best male friend through the chest.
"Karin!" Toushirou called sharply.
"Here, take this." Karin threw the Ouin at Ichigo before shunpoing to her two friends.
It looked like Ichigo was going to say something, particularly about the fact that Karin had just thrown a bloody Royal Artifact at him without any warning or care! But Rukia placed a hand softly on his arm, before directing a sorrowful look at the three friends kneeling together. Ichigo just grumbled lowly before relaxing again.
Meanwhile, Toushirou was holding Kusaka's dying body in a fierce grip, keeping him upright, while Karin knelt beside Toushirou, and right in front of him.
"Kusaka…" Both Karin and Toushirou whispered softly.
It was obvious the two prodigies were deeply pained by what was happening, they were losing their best friend all over again…though at least this time they had the chance to say goodbye.
"I'm sorry I hurt you…both of you…" Kusaka whispered brokenly. "I never meant to."
"It's alright, Kusaka-kun, we know." Karin assured him, caressing his face briefly.
Kusaka closed his eyes briefly, enjoying her touch.
"Nagaken-hime…" He whispered softly.
"The name is Karin…Soujirou-kun…" Karin whispered, on the verge of tears by then.
"Karin-hime…" Soujirou said, a small smile on his face, before turning to his other friend. "I'm glad this time we got to finish our fight, Toushirou…"
"Soujirou…" He nodded, trying to keep his own tears back.
Toushirou had known that was what Kusaka wanted all along, didn't meant he had to like it. He didn't want to let go, even though he knew there was nothing he could do to really keep his friend with him, just like he hadn't been able to with Karin.
"Hey…" Soujirou muttered suddenly. "maybe one day I'll come back, like Karin-hime did. Then we'll all be together again, right?"
"Right." Karin nodded, trying to convince herself it was possible. "We'll always be best friends, Soujirou-kun." She pushed herself slightly and kissed his brow.
"Yes, always best friends." Toushirou agreed, trying, and failing to hold tighter onto him.
"Always…" Soujirou echoed. "I wish…"
And then he was gone, nothing more than reishi particles in the air.
Anyone wanna take a guess as to what's coming next? I cannot help but wonder how predictable some of my ideas for the future might be. I promise if you guess and it's something important I'll give you a special mention when the moment comes.
I hope you're still enjoying this fic. If anyone's interested in doing any fanarts, remixes, podfics, translations, etc... do so! I'd love that, just please don't forget to credit me, and let me know so I may go take a look! (And so I can give mention of your work in the ANs so everyone can go admire your work too!).
See ya next week!