I'm back! Nothing much happens here, sorry. In my head, this fic is mostly Fairy Tail based with some Bleach showing up (...and driving the plot, but not the point) so I left out the Fairy Tail exposition, but added some Bleach exposition. In addition to that, here's some terminology for you;
Reiryoku- spiritual energy stored within the body
Reiatsy- pressure that a person's Reiryoku exerts
I won't often do things from the shinigami's perspective, but here it was kinda necessary. I hope you enjoy!
He had no idea whether to be fascinated or skeptical
"You have one minute to explain before I start attacking."
Toshiro Hitsugaya, Captain of the Tenth Division of the Gotei 13, was so not amused. He had just finished the paperwork for the day (damn his lieutenant) and was getting ready to turn in before someone came running to him with more reports only to get a strange tingly feeling flash through his body, like someone had run their reiatsu covered hands over him. Now he was here. Not that he knew where here was.
The curvy blonde in front of him wavered at his growl but quickly recovered her senses. "My name is Lucy, and I'm a Celestial Spirit Mage." Toshiro's sword wavered, confusion flooding him. She's a what?!
Vaguely, Toshiro felt Hyorinmaru shift inside his inner world and come to attention. Do not attack the girl.
"Why?"
Can you not sense the connection?
He took a moment to understand what his zanpakuto meant. There, just on the edges of his senses, an underlying connection of reiryoku between him and this Lucy. It was very similar to what he felt when Hyorinmaru manifested.
His sword dropped down immediately.
"And what, exactly, is a 'Celestial Spirit Mage'?"
The blonde looked vaguely confused, "You mean you don't know?"
Toshiro felt one of his brows twitch and he fought the urge to raise his sword again. He would not lower himself to Kenpachi's standards. He remained better than that barbaric beast as he always would. "Would I have asked if I did?"
Lucy's face softened, her form relaxing. "I'm sorry, I'm just a little surprised. It means my magic allows me to summon Spirits from the Celestial Spirit World to help me." There was so much wrong in that sentence that Toshiro had absolutely no idea where to start.
He took a moment to absorb his surroundings, trying to understand where he stood. At first, he'd assumed that he had landed somewhere in the Soul Society considering the girl seemed to see him just fine. However, upon actually paying attention, Toshiro quickly found this wasn't the truth.
They stood behind a large, colorful building in what appeared to be a sparring ring, several more characters, ranging from someone with bright green hair to a small old man, standing off to the side. The sheer amount of reishi in the air drew his attention.
It saturated the place, dancing with the wind and floating about as if it was the most natural thing in the world, despite the fact that it was Hueco Mundo level high. It stayed extremely concentrated in the people before him. Upon looking closer at the girl, Toshiro realized that she was very, very, much still alive. And that what he'd first considered reishi was a little off. Too… light? It felt similar to reishi, and Toshiro thought he'd have no problem absorbing it, but it wasn't quite right.
"Where am I?" Toshiro asked slowly, still confused beyond belief.
"In Magnolia. On Earthland." That… worried him. Toshiro knew humans called the world of the living 'Earth'. Not Earthland.
Which, of course, meant Toshiro could not be in the Soul Society, in the world of the living, or in Hueco Mundo. He was so screwed.
"I am… unfamiliar with this world," he finally admitted. Deep in his mind, 'Maru let out a chuckled at his master's discomfort.
"Lucy," the old man on the sidelines called, "I think it's safe to bring down the enchantments, ne?" The girl nodded and, when the green haired one swiped a rapier across the ground, Toshiro felt a small ripple of displaced reiatsu. So, they can control their powers.
Yes. Do not underestimate them.
Toshiro nearly snorted but managed to refrain.
"Hello, my boy." The little old man grinned up at him brightly, apparently not noticing Toshiro's displeasure at the moniker. "I am Makarov Dreyar, the guild master of Fairy Tail."
"First," Toshiro began, attempting to not snap when surrounded by unfamiliar, and potentially hostile, faces. "Do not call me boy. Second, I am Toshiro Hitsugaya, Shinigami and Captain of the Tenth Division of the Gotei 13." Makarov blinked but then smiled and continued to introduce the others.
"Nice to meet you, Captain Hitsugaya. This is my grandson, Laxus, and his team; Freed, Evergreen and Bickslow." They each nodded in turn, though Toshiro did not miss that they never took their eyes off of him. Curiosity or wariness?
"What do you mean, 'shinigami'?" The green haired one- Freed- asked. Curiosity, then.
"I mean I am a Soul Reaper of the Soul Society." He turned to Lucy, who had remained quiet through the introductions. "You have no idea what, or who, I am. Do you?"
She blushed lightly, shaking her head. "I found a Celestial Key, and I summoned it." Her blush quickly turned to a frown, as she looked down at her hand. "The key shattered, though. Turned into this, as far as I can tell." She showed them the back of her hand, where a large black '10' was tattooed, snowflakes in a vaguely serpentine form sprinkled around it.
Toshiro reached forward and ran his fingers over the marking, ignoring the way Lucy jumped. A flash of power flickered over his hand and he pulled away. "That, whatever it may be, is what is linking my soul to your own."
Owlish blinks went around before Lucy asked, "Soul?"
Toshiro kept a blank face, trying not to roll his eyes. Rangiku was rubbing off on him, which clearly meant that he needed to go to sleep. As soon as this newest madness was taken care of. Please, not another Kurosaki. "Can you not feel the connection of reiryoku linking us?"
Her face blanked for a moment before giving a soft gasp. "That is… so strange." She shook her head, clearing her eyes. "That doesn't usually happen with Celestial Spirits I summon." Toshiro, still so very, very confused, wondered what he'd have to do to get a full explanation.
Relaxing may be a good place to start.
"Sometimes I wish you weren't so talkative."
I speak as much as is needed.
"Perhaps," Makarov said, "We should sit for this conversation. My office is available." Toshiro wanted an explanation more than he wanted to be wary of unfamiliar places, so he agreed. After making their way upstairs and into a small cluttered office with two desks full of paperwork, somehow without being spotted by the numerous other bodies Toshiro felt, he finally got an explanation.
And he had absolutely no idea whether to be fascinated or skeptical. Because, as strange as the life of a shinigami is, Toshiro Hitsugaya has never had to deal with this.
"Magic," he repeated, wanting to be sure of it. "You all, have magic."
"Yes."
"And you," he pointed to Lucy, "Found a magic key that, when used, summoned me." She nodded.
"All the information we could get about the Key was that it's an 'Obsidian Key' and that they are really rare. Which is probably why none of us have ever heard of them."
"Do you understand this?"
Yes.
That was comforting, at least. Then, what Lucy had said caught up. "Did you say 'they'? As in, more than one?!"
She nodded, not seemingly bothered by this. Not seeming to realize that Toshiro was so very glad that he'd learned how to stay calm in the face of emergencies so long ago. "Yes. I can only assume that there are other Obsidian Keys out there." Meaning, other Shinigami could be summoned. But which ones? All of them? If Toshiro had a Key, then it could safely be assumed Captain Class Shinigami would have their own.
Toshiro paled dramatically, his skin going ghost white. "General Commander Yamamoto is not going to be pleased about this."
Freed cleared his throat. Toshiro had nearly forgotten that there were others in the room. "General Commander?"
"How much can I tell them? The living aren't supposed to know about Shinigami."
We do not have much choice. If shinigami can just be summoned at will in this world, then we already have a breach. The fact that none seem to exist in this world, as they would have come for you by now, indicates you may not actually be breaking any laws.
"Well, this is going to be long." Toshiro took a deep breath, forced away the small voice telling him that this could be a horrible dream and he would soon wake up, ordered his thoughts before launching into a tirade.
"In the, universe I suppose you'd call it, that I am from, there are three worlds. The world of the living called Earth, Hueco Mundo, and the Soul Society. The Soul Society is where the dead go when they pass on. Those with high reiryoku, what you seem to call magical power, have the opportunity to become Shinigami after going through intense training.
"Shinigami are charged with three main goals; maintaining the balance of spirits in all worlds, protecting and serving the Soul Society, and killing Hollows.
"A Hollow is, essentially, a soul that has been corrupted until all that remains is the base instincts and emotions of a monster- hatred, sadism, and above all, hunger. They feed off of other souls and each other.
"Within the Soul Society is the Seratei, which is the main military force. It is broken into 13 divisions, known as the Gotei 13. Each division has a specialty and certain duties and within these divisions are ranks determined by power. The Captain, the highest rank and the one with jurisdiction, their 2nd seat and lieutenant, seats 3-20, and the other, unseated shinigami. The Captain of the first division is also the General Commander and the leader of all shinigami." Toshiro paused, contemplating adding an overview of zanpakuto or the Central 46 before deciding against it. Not until he had to.
"And you're a captain?" Laxus asked, clearly disbelieving.
Toshiro glared, ice beginning to coat the floor before he reined in his own reiatsu. "Souls do not age as the living do. I have lived over half a dozen of your lifetimes." He stopped again before adding begrudgingly, "I am, however, the youngest of the current Captains and something of a prodigy." Laxus's eyebrows went from doubtful to impressed in the span of a few seconds and Toshiro wondered how he could convey such emotions through nothing but facial hair.
Lucy cleared her throat delicately, drawing attention back to her. "I'm sorry. Celestial Spirits, actual Celestial Spirits, usually don't mind being dragged away from their lives in their world. I hadn't meant to interrupt whatever duties you have." Toshiro felt his own eyebrow twitch up in surprise. He could detect no ill will or deceit from the girl. Worse, he found himself wanting to comfort her. With no reason for her to feel guilty for what was essentially an accident, she shouldn't suffer.
Toshiro squashed the sentiment. Whatever was going on was clearly messing with him. There'd never been a better time to keep a clear head and proceed logically, not get all emotional and soft.
"How should we proceed? I mean, besides reporting to Yamamoto."
I am sure he will send us back here. It would make strategic sense.
"So, don't alienate them."
Correct.
"I do not fault you for doing something you had no knowledge of," he began slowly, "But as this is something that could well affect the entirety of the Soul Society, you understand that I require clearance from the General Commander before I can continue."
Nods went around the room before Makarov asked, "How long will you need?" Toshiro considered it for a moment before looking to Lucy.
"Can you summon me again in 24 hours?" Lucy nodded quickly before standing up. She stuck out her hand, the one with the tattoo that linked them together.
"Yes. Thank you, Captain Hitsugaya. I'll see you then." After trading shakes, Lucy stepped back and closed his gate. Another tingle of power traced over him before he disappeared.
When Toshiro blinked open his eyes, back in his quarters in the Soul Society, he wasted no time. He sent an emergency Hell Butterfly to General Commander Yamamoto, before quickly heading across the hall to where Rangiku had her quarters.
When she didn't immediately answer his first set of intense knocks, he stepped into the room, glad to find that she was fully clothed and alone. He guessed she'd been taking a nap from where she began sitting up on her couch.
"Captain?" she murmured, blinking blearily.
"I've just called an emergency Captain Meeting. I don't expect the lieutenants to get called in but be prepared for it in any case." At the words 'emergency Captain Meeting' all grogginess had disappeared.
"Is it Aizen?" Toshiro froze, wondering how he hadn't considered the repercussions of the traitor. If Aizen had a Key…
"No," he finally said. He turned on his heels, stalking out of the Tenth Division compound with quiet urgency towards the Meeting Hall.
Toshiro arrived just as Zaraki did, and Toshiro was pleasantly surprised to find the rest of the Captains already there.
"Oi," Zaraki barked. "This better be good."
After receiving silent permission from Captain Yamamoto, Toshiro stepped forward and said shortly, "A few hours ago, I was summoned into an alternate dimension by a wizard."
…
"What?!"
"Are you sure you weren't dreaming?"
"We have never gained proof of there being any worlds beyond the main three."
"Silence!" The air hung heavy after Yamamoto's command, and he looked at Toshiro before saying shortly, "Explain."
Taking another deep breath to calm himself, he told them everything he had learned. From the summoning itself to the way the air filled with ethernano to all the different types of magic that were mentioned in his hearing. And most of all, he explained about the Gate Keys.
"Lucy believes that there are other Obsidian Keys that could summon Shinigami. I am unsure how many of these Keys there may be, or which of the Shinigami could be summoned." Another bout of complete silence engulfed them.
Kurotsuchi cackled shortly, "Oh, my. How interesting! I do so wonder what allows them this… magic." He went largely ignored, besides a few disgusted glances.
"She can summon slaves from other worlds," Soi-Fon clarified.
Toshiro shrugged, before reporting "When I asked the same thing, she was particularly vehement in her denial. She said that, while many Celestial Spirit users do use their Spirits as such, she considered all Spirits her friends and partners, not her tools."
"Do you believe her?" Kuchiki asked.
Toshiro paused, considering. Lucy seemed like a very bubbly girl, altogether happy and innocent. That didn't mean she couldn't lie, but…
"I do not believe she was lying."
They all looked to Yamamoto to see what he thought of all this. The General Commander gave a deep sigh, "I didn't think this would happen."
"Wait," Zaraki called out, "You knew this was a possibility?"
"There is an ancient legend, that says many strong level shinigami's reiryoku leaks into other worlds, giving them a link to it. It has never been confirmed. Certainly not in this way." They all took a moment to absorb that, startling only when Yamamoto faced Toshiro again.
"What connection did you feel to this girl, Captain Hitsugaya?"
He reflected on the question for the moment, speaking slowly when he'd collected his thoughts. "It was similar to the feeling of my zanpakuto, but more… protective I suppose would fit. There was an undeniable connection and-" he stopped, coming to a sudden realization. Never, never would he just walk into potentially hostile territory. To go into an office belonging to someone he didn't know… wanting to comfort the girl. He hadn't even questioned why Maru, who was basically his subconscious, said they'd be coming back, because obviously they would be, what with Lucy there. She might need his help and-
And this very thought line sounded so very unlike him. He looked straight at Yamamoto, completely serious with his words. "I think… I'd help her with anything, without even realizing what I was doing."
"Are you suggesting," Kyoraku began with slowly dawning horror, "That if our… Keys or whatever get in the hands of different mages, we could be forced against each other without consent? Or do any number of things after we're summoned with no chance of rebellion?"
There was another heavy silence before Toshiro nodded slowly.
Several hours of none-stop arguing passed before a consensus was finally reached.
"It is better to have us all under the same mage to limit chances of us getting set against each other."
"Can we trust this woman to do right by us? Assuming that you must reach Captain level to have one of these Keys, that is a lot of power to hand a single girl we know nothing about."
"We will simply have to have faith."
"I don't know about the rest of you, but I like to have something besides faith to go on."
"Then gain her trust." Everyone stopped, staring at Soi-Fon.
"If we do not wish for her to turn on us, then get her to trust and cherish you as she claims to do for these other Spirits."
"Agreed." They all turned to Yamamoto. "Captain Hitsugaya, when you are summoned again, you will ask for this Lucy to find any and all other Keys that may be linked in any way to our worlds. You have permission to disclose what you deem necessary for the sake of your mission. We cannot allow ourselves to fall under the control of those who may command us for evil. All Captains are to inform their lieutenants to lead their Divisions should the Captain disappear unexpectedly. Dismissed."
"That was…" Evergreen fell silent not certain if there was an adjective that could even describe what they just learned.
"Nuts? Unbelievable? Mind-boggling? Ball twistingly inconceivable? Oh, I know. How about-"
"Enough Bix," Laxus commanded shortly, knowing this could go on.
"'Ball twistingly inconceivable'?" Freed asked.
"What, those are words."
"Not words that would usually go together."
"Enough," Laxus interrupted again. As was usual per their debates, Freed fell silent with an apologetic nod while Bickslow stuck his tongue out.
"Lucy," Makarov added, "What are you thinking?"
She chewed on her bottom lip, hands fiddling with her Key ring.
"What happens if another wizard gets those Keys?" Lucy's eyes lifted, full of worry and concern. "Master… what happens if a wizard like Angel gets those Keys? Or someone with an agenda like Tartarus had?" Laxus barely managed to keep from shuddering. Tartarus was an experience that none of them wanted to ever repeat, especially not if they had access to an entire military full of Shinigami.
"For now," Makarov gave a deep sigh, "We will just have to hope that does not happen and let this Toshiro Hitsugaya come to us with what his people would like us to do." They all nodded their heads, slowly rising from their seats. "Why don't you all return here when it's time to summon Captain Hitsugaya again?"
With murmured agreements, they all said their goodbyes and left their own ways. Lucy quickly found that the meetings had taken far longer than she had wished and now had only a few hours to have dinner, shower, and sleep.
The next day, Lucy took the morning to ask Grandpa Crux a little more, considering there was no one else around. Lucy understood that Grandpa Crux was under strict rules on what he could and could not say, and she even understood that the rules were even harsher for non-Celestial Spirit mages, but she still found it tedious. Not that she would ever complain.
Sadly, she received no new information besides that Bone Keys came from the same world as Obsidian Keys. Disparaging, but not surprising.
By the time she returned to the guild for the meeting, she found the Thunder God Tribe already with Makarov in the master's office.
"I'm sorry if I'm late."
"No need," the Master reassured, "Laxus and I were going over some paperwork and the others just came in." They all exchanged greetings before Lucy checked the time, found it to be almost exactly 24 hours since Captain Hitsugaya had left, and stood to summon him.
"Do you know how to summon him without a Key?" Freed tilted his head, taking in her calm stance a few feet away from anything.
"I got an idea, we'll see if it works." With a smile and a wink, Lucy stuck out her arm, focusing on the tattooed '10'. She brought forth her magic, focusing it in a single area just like Capricorn had taught her. Lucy felt light prickles on the back of her hand, right where she had sensed that thing connecting her in such a strange new way to Hitsugaya. An extension that hovered out of reach, waiting for her. It only needed a little tug to past the bridge, to reach her so she could be whole. "Open, Gate of the Tenth Division Captain, Toshiro Hitsugaya!" Another drop-in power from her, though this time Lucy had been expecting it. It felt similar to holding the Gates of two Zodiacs open at once and she was a little surprised that a single summoning could take so much energy. Of course, the strangest thing about it was that, when he finally came through the Gate, Lucy could detect no more strain on her magic. No constant pull keeping him here like with her other Spirits. She could live with a single huge drop in magic at once if they didn't keep pulling on her. Then again, she had yet to join Toshiro in battle.
When the flash of red light had dissolved (why red and not black?), Hitsugaya was standing in its place.
"Was that 24 hours for you?" He asked after giving a short nod of greeting.
"Uh, yes?"
He hummed, "So there's a time difference. Interesting."
"There is?" Freed looked far too excited by such a prospect.
"Yes. It has been roughly two days for me since I left."
"Double the time, then." Freed pulled a notebook out, jotting out the information.
"Hello, Toshiro, I hope that wasn't a problem." Toshiro didn't return the bright smile sent his way, replying with;
"I prefer Captain Hitsugaya and no, it was not a problem. I've already received my orders from the General Commander, if you'd care to hear it?" A tad put out by the rebuff from his name, Lucy took a moment to collect herself before giving another bright smile and agreeing. When everyone settled, Toshiro began abruptly.
"The General Commander has asked that I pass on this message. 'While this has never happened before, and we never expected it to, we now face ourselves with further dilemmas and problems. The short of things is this; we absolutely cannot allow for ourselves to fall into the hands of those who could command us for evil. It is for this reason that we ask of you a great favor: find all of the Keys from our world and claim them for your own.'" Toshiro paused, letting his words sink in for a moment before continuing, "We believe that anyone that has reached Captain Class power will have a Key, meaning there are at least 13 Obsidian Keys, possibly closer to 20 or more."
"20?" Laxus interrupted, "I thought there are only thirteen divisions?"
"There are several shinigami that, while they have Captain Class power levels, they do not actually hold the title for one reason or another." He took a moment to contemplate things before saying shortly, "For several reasons that have no bearing on our request, we also only have ten acting Captains at the moment."
He went on before they could question him further. "This will be a difficult task, and I will help anyway I can should you choose to take it on. To be perfectly blunt, however, I'm not entirely sure what your other options are."
"What do you mean?"
"As far as I can tell, my soul is connected to yours. As close to melded as one can get when two souls are in different bodies. I don't think it's possible to break the connection without either of us dying."
Laxus and Makarov exchanged worried glances but couldn't manage to question Toshiro further before Lucy was already shaking her head and speaking.
"It doesn't matter, I'll help you." Her bubbly exterior vanished in a flash, replaced with a cold, hard look. "I don't like it when Spirits are enslaved, and you guys aren't in a much different situation than my Celestial Spirits."
Toshiro softened a little, his shoulders relaxing. He hadn't realized how worried he was about this, until now. Silently, he cursed to himself about what was no doubt the effect of being soul bound to this mage. "Thank you."
"The only issue," Lucy said quietly, "Is that I have no idea where to even begin looking."
"Where did you find my Key?"
"We found it," Laxus put in, "In an ice cave guarded by a nest of wyverns."
Toshiro blinked a few times before saying slowly, "Wyverns wouldn't happen to be dragon-like creatures?"
"Two legs instead of four, smaller and they don't have elements, but otherwise very similar." Toshiro nodded at Freed while humming lightly.
"So, my Key was found in a place reflective of Hyorinmaru, then. Well, that's going to make this difficult." He brought a hand up, rubbing the bridge of his nose forcefully.
"Reflective of who now?"
"Hyorinmaru is my zanpakuto." At the blank looks he received, Toshiro went on, "Right, this will be complicated and I'm not going to repeat myself so listen up.
"A zanpakuto is the name of the sword that all shinigami carry. However, they are not normal swords. In short, zanpakuto are representatives of a shinigami's inner spirit and reiryoku-spirit energy-at the purest level. The stronger the shinigami's reiryoku, the stronger the zanpakuto. Each of these zanpakuto have a name, and upon learning their name and opening a dialogue up with them, shinigami are able to unlock a second level called shikai. Using a shikai allows a shinigami to double or triple their average power level and each shikai is unique to the zanpakuto. There is, however, a second level of release called the bankai.
"The bankai is the ultimate release for a zanpakuto and it is generally accepted that by releasing a bankai, a shinigami becomes as much as ten times stronger. These take a ridiculous amount of power to maintain and control, however, and take years to learn. Achieving bankai is always the best way to tell if someone has Captain Class power levels because attaining bankai is one of the requirements for the Captain Test."
"That's fascinating," Freed breathed, scribbling notes down. "What powers does your zanpakuto have?"
"Hyorinmaru is an ice dragon. My shikai allows me some control of the temperature, the ability to summon and control an ice dragon. My bankai allows me to form ice wings and fly." There was complete silence for another moment before Bickslow added;
"Little man, you are one serious badass."
"Don't call me 'little man'." Leaving Bickslow silenced by a frigid glare, Toshiro turned back to Lucy. "The only issue is that not all zanpakuto have exact elements or representatives, so I have few clues as to where you'd find them. Not to mention I don't know all the captains' powers."
"Well, let's start with ideas you do have. While I search for those, you can consider where to find the rest of your comrades' Keys."
Toshiro paused, running things over in his head. "General Commander Yamamoto's zanpakuto has command over fire, so I'd suggest searching volcanoes or something of the such. Captain of Division 12, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, is something of a mad scientist and is head of our Research and Development department. His zanpakuto also has some nasty poison abilities, so look in some place with very advanced technology or possibly natural toxin deposits." He paused before adding, "If you find his Key, be careful. He has rather… liberal views on what's okay to do in the name of research." Makarov frowned at the implication, but Toshiro was already moving on.
"Captain of the Sixth Division, Byakuya Kuchiki's sword appears as cherry blossoms to the untrained eye when in reality it simply becomes so fine that the light reflects off of the edges of the small daggers it turns into.
"The last one that comes to mind right now is Kenpachi Zaraki, Captain of the Eleventh Division." Toshiro swept his eyes over them all before saying slowly, "Captain Zaraki is… different than other Captains. He gained his title by using an archaic and barbaric rule and as such never had need to take the Captain's Test. He is extremely powerful, but he is also blood thirsty and has no control over his immense reiatsu, he does not even know his zanpakuto's name." Toshiro shook his head, forcing away the sneer that wanted to appear. "Search for his Key in an area that's been devastated by war or in a community known for its warriors."
"You Captains are quite the collection of characters," Evergreen pointed out.
"You have no idea. Just be glad we are operating under the assumption that not all the lieutenants have Keys as well."
"Why not? Is the power difference between first and second so large?"
Toshiro nodded to Laxus, "Yes. Officially speaking, Renji Abarai, Lieutenant of the Sixth Division, is the only lieutenant to achieve bankai, so it is highly likely that he has his own Key, though I have no idea where you'd find such a thing. It turns into a giant snake that can separate its parts at will and shoots energy blasts. Take from that what you will."
"Unofficially, though?" Lucy asked ignoring that mental image. Toshiro gave a deep sigh.
"Unofficially? Rangiku, my own lieutenant, has been training to unlock her bankai, and though she has not achieved it yet, she is close. I expect other lieutenants to be doing the same, though I can't say for certain who has enough power that you would find a Key for them. I also believe that the third seat of the Eleventh Division, Ikkaku Madarame, is strong enough to have achieved bankai, though that is unconfirmed."
"So that's what you meant when you said it could be as many as twenty Keys. You just don't know."
"Correct. Then there is, of course, him." At Lucy's raised brows, he continued, "Ichigo Kurosaki is a Substitute Shinigami who has achieved his bankai."
"Substitute?"
"It means he is a living person with the powers of a shinigami. We aren't sure why exactly he has his powers, or how in the world he has such high-power levels, but he has beaten two Captains and is considered a friend of the Soul Society, despite how we found out about him. His bankai focuses on speed and manipulating his sheer amount of power."
"And how," Laxus asked, despite knowing that it wasn't really important, "Did you find out about him?"
"He invaded the Soul Society with the help of two ex-Captains and several humans with high reiatsu levels in the hope of stopping the execution of a Soul Reaper that he'd befriended."
"That," Bickslow said after a beat, "Is really fucked up."
"That isn't even half of it, but the rest doesn't matter." Toshiro rubbed the bridge of his nose before looking to Lucy. "I'll see if I can put together some theories on locations for the rest of the Obsidian Keys."
"Thank you."
"No. You are doing us a favor, so thank you. Call for me, should you need to. Even if it is just to train or for information. My mission now is to help you find and collect all the Keys we possibly can." He stood, ready to head home. He paused though, seeming to consider something. "One final word of advice though. If you find a Key with the numbers 3, 5, or 9, do not trust them."
"Why?"
"Because those are the three Captains that have betrayed the Soul Society and are now trying to wage a war against us."
"Wait," Laxus raised a hand, the other running through his hair. "You guys are in the middle of a civil war?"
"A bit understated, but yes. Which is why we cannot allow someone we do not know to gain our Keys. We have enough trouble going on as is."
"Don't worry," Lucy said calmly. "I'll find all your Keys."
"Good luck. You'll need it." With a flash of light and a wash of power, Toshiro was gone, leaving the mages in the office.
"Right, I guess I should start looking into potential locations for these Keys." Lucy stood and brushed off the blue mini skirt she wore today. "Thank you, for the Key and your help," she flashed a bright smile at the S-Class team, "It means a lot."
"Lucy, my dear, I'm afraid there are some other matters for us to discuss."
"Oh? What is it, Master?" She re-took her seat, facing Makarov.
"I'm officially declaring anything to do with these Obsidian Keys S-Class level."
"But Mast-" Lucy froze at his raised hand.
"I will not stop you from hunting these down. To be franc,"
"But I thought your name was Makarov," Bickslow broke in, only to be glared into silence by Freed and Evergreen.
"I worry that such powerful beings could become enslaved to a Dark Guild. However, it was an extremely dangerous quest that led to Captain Hitsugaya's Key and I dare not assume that the others will be much easier. You will not leave to hunt these Keys down without an S-Class team with you."
Lucy bit her lip to stop the complaints she wanted to make. She could, in theory, just wait for Team Natsu to start taking jobs together again. She knew that Erza was S-Class and Natsu and Gray were both extremely powerful S-Class candidates. Master wouldn't be able to deny their capabilities, even if they were destructive. The issue turned into simply getting the team together again. Natsu and Gray were constantly moving, always on missions either with each other or on their own. Erza often got called in for a multitude of S-Class jobs, and this next one wouldn't be finished for a few months. They were her friends and comrades, but they also had their own lives and she couldn't expect them to be ready to head off into extremely dangerous missions right after they got back from quests. She would rather just do this on her own, though she knew the master was right and that she wasn't strong enough by herself.
"Yes, Master. I'll be sure to wait until Erza returns before leaving." Makarov frowned, his bushy brows furrowed.
"I don't recall you taking many requests lately. Are you making rent?"
She smiled brightly with a light laugh. "Yeah, don't worry. I took a few easy solo jobs last month and paid my next few months of rent in advance. I'm set until the Fantasia Parade." She stood again, heading out the door. "Thank you for your help Master. And thank you as well, Laxus, Freed, Bickslow, Evergreen. Feel free to come over for tea anytime."
After she slipped out the door with a near silent click, the Thunder God Tribe was left alone with the guild master.
"Damn, is Cosplayer always so chill when she's tasked with hunting down legendary Keys that are all well above your average S-Class mission level?"
"I do not think this is a habitual state of affairs she finds herself in, Bickslow."
"You know Freed, I'd love it if you'd shit out that Thesaurus you swallowed." "Swallowed! Swallowed!"
"And we'd all love it if you would silence those vulgar dolls," Evergreen drawled, "But we aren't forcing you to change your ways."
"Are you guys done yet?" Laxus snapped, rubbing his temples. "Seriously, you're all ten times worse than you usually are. What's up?" Evergreen pursed her lips and looked away, her fan fluttering in her face while Freed shifted uneasily in his seat. It was Bickslow that broke the quiet.
"Well, we're bored."
"Bored?" Laxus echoed along with Bickslow's dolls.
"Perhaps restless is a more apt term," Freed added quietly.
"Before the guild broke up," there was an expectant beat of silence while Bickslow waited in vain for Master Makarov to finally tell someone why he'd disbanded the guild for the past year. Bickslow went on unsurprised at the lack of information, "We were always moving, taking quests left and right that would take us all over Fiore. Heck, they took us all over the continent. Since then though, the only big mission we've taken was the one against those wyverns."
Laxus frowned at his team, running things over in his head. They had been taking less missions than they used to. But re-starting the guild had brought in a new influx of quests and whole mountains worth of paperwork. Laxus didn't know the real reason Makarov had disbanded the guild for a year, but he had to help get it back on its feet.
"Guys-"
"We know," Evergreen interrupted, "That you have to help Gramps get the guild back in functioning order. We don't blame you. We just wish…" she trailed off, beseeching her teammates silently for help.
"We just want to take a few more quests, that's all. Get moving again."
"You know you don't have to wait for me, Bix. You're all perfec-."
"We are not going on a mission without you," Ever snarled vehemently. "We had to after the Fantasia disaster and we won't do it again. We're a team Laxus. I don't know if that means anything to you, but it does to us."
The sparks dancing off his skin calmed and disappeared as Laxus eyed his team. "Don't even try going there. You know my exact opinions on that statement." Evergreen smiled apologetically, her fan coming back up to hide her face.
"Aye, Laxus."
"You all are adorable," Makarov broke in, beaming. "And I agree Laxus has been spending far too much time cooped up in this dusty old office."
"Jiji-"
"Nonsense Laxus. I am perfectly capable of running this place for a few years yet. Besides, I think we've just found the perfect mission for you all." It took a moment to connect the Master's words with his meaning.
"Wait, do you mean…" Freed made a vague gesture at the door, tilting his head when he received a nod.
"Lucy requires an S-Class team to escort her on her hunt for these Keys, and you all require a few difficult missions to expend your energy on."
"You seem to be forgetting," Ever said, "That she already has an S-Class team of her own."
"A team that is broken up over several quests at the moment," Makarov added.
"Oho, a month or two traveling with Cosplayer? That's sure to be interesting. Maybe I can get a rematch." "Rematch! Rematch!"
Evergreen sniffed disdainfully. "As if it's a rematch you're looking for."
Tongue lolling, Bickslow grinned. "Can 'ya blame me if I don't complain when I'm told to help out such a… lovely lady."
"Must you be a perv?" She glared.
"Must you be such a bore?"
"Must you both be so childish?" Freed added.
"Jesus fuck," Laxus snarled. "Fine, if it'll get you all to shut up and stop sniping at each other, we'll help Blondie out." Freed nodded his agreement while Ever murmured her consent.
If possible, Bickslow's smile got wider.
