Back again, guys! Wow, some of you are really eager for me to update, aren't you? That's great! To be honest, I didn't think it would be this popular. Well, it's not really really popular, just popular. Still! Right, then. On with the show!
Chapter 12
It's My Turn! Earn Your Wings!
"So so what?! I'm still a rock star! I got my rock moves! And I don't neeeed yooouuu!" Steph and Ren sang loudly as they danced in front of the television in the sixth form common room. The television itself was showcasing the music video to Pink's So What, but all eyes of twenty or more sixth formers were on the two girls as they showcased their amateurish singing and dancing, matching their moves perfectly in sync. Tom, Toshiro and Ichigo, however, were a little further away in the kitchen area. Tom watched the girls while sitting behind one small wooden table along with Toshiro, who looked a mixture of bored and confused, and Ichigo leaned on the side of a nearby vending machine with his arms folded. Toshiro was watching Steph and Ren's performance, but at the same time, he was considering what happened with White Raven. Two of them underestimated Ren, and the other one? Even though he was taking the whole thing seriously, Toshiro couldn't help but be suspicious that he was holding back. Plus, there was that mysterious girl who used the black smoke on Ren to no effect. What was that ability? And more importantly, why didn't it work on Ren?
"I don't get it." Toshiro said out loud.
"Get what?" Tom asked, over hearing Toshiro's statement.
"Um...er..." Toshiro stammered, unable to believe that he just said that out loud. "I don't get Ren!" He answered, partially telling the truth. After all, Ren was more complicated than a Rubik's cube. "She killed twenty Feathers, defeated two members of White Raven, and pushed another into a corner, yet here she is now, acting like nothing ever happened. Where does she get her energy?"
"Not sure." Tom admitted. "I guess she was born energetic. And, she isn't the type to get stressed. She just lets things take their natural course."
"Is that so?" Toshiro said, not paying proper attention. Then, it hit him. Tom knew just as much about Ren as Steph did, and yet he never asked him. If anything, Tom probably knew Ren longer than Steph. Of course! "Say..."
"Hm?" Tom turned to Tom, looking away from the dance show. "What is it?"
"I was thinking...That is, I was wondering if..."
"Yes?"
"How long have you known Ren?"
"Oh. Um...I'm not sure. I was with her since primary school, but I can't really say I was friends with her back then. But, I guess, I've known her a long time."
"So, do you know anything about Ren that you wouldn't mind telling me?"
"Well..." Tom started.
"Hey, we were dancing to that!"
"Uuuu! Alright, who changed it to Jeremy Kyle?" After the protests of the girls, the other spectators muttered to one another in agreement. But, it soon turned to silence as the one who held the remote cleared their throat. It was Nathan, and he tossed the remote in one hand like a coin, smirking. He walked forwards to Ren and Steph, and the crowd moved aside to let him through as though he were Moses parting the Red Sea. Neither Steph nor Ren looked intimidated, however, even when he was within touching distance.
"Say, mind going over to your carrot top friend, toots?" Nathan asked Steph, a flirting tone in his voice. "I need to speak with Ren here."
"Don't you "toots" me. I'm not going anywhere."
"It's fine, Steph. Go." Steph hesitated, but complied and walked briskly over to Toshiro and the others, standing beside Ichigo, who was supressing the urge to punch Nathan in the face after being called "carrot top". Toshiro didn't take his eyes away from Nathan and Ren, remembering the premonitions and dreading what would happen if they came true.
"What do you want?" Ren asked. "We were in the middle of something."
"I heard on the grape vine that you've climbed up the ladder since I last saw you."
"Eh?" Ren blinked, confused. "What grape vine? What ladder?"
"He means that he heard from people something about you." Steph explained.
"And the ladder means that you've risen in rank, or gained a reputation." Tom also explained.
"Oh." Ren said simply, leaving Toshiro baffled at how little common sense Ren seemed to have.
"Exactly. I didn't believe them, of course. I wanted to find out for myself."
"Them?"
"Yep. You know, the usual people. The mentally disabled kids. The year sevens." Nathan said the different groups of people as though he were reading a list.
"..." Ren narrowed her eyes at Nathan, who still smirked at her.
"See, while my pals and I were playing with them, they kept saying your name and how you would make me pay." Hearing this, Ren couldn't help but feel secretly proud that the kids from the disabilities department and the year sevens had that much faith in her.
"That's my kids." Ren muttered to herself, smiling to herself.
"Oh?" Nathan raised an eyebrow.
"You heard me." Ren glared up at Nathan. "And you'll be wise not to mess with them!"
"..." Nathan frowned a little, clicking the television off with the remote, and then throwing said remote onto a nearby blue chair. Then, he threw back his head and burst out laughing. The crowd said nothing, yet Toshiro reacted by standing up out of his chair, ready to interfere.
"It's my fight, and I want to fight it alone."
"..." Toshiro hesitated, remembering what Ren said earlier today. He stayed in the kitchen area, but he remained standing, preparing to take action if things got violent. No matter what, he wanted to respect Ren's wish, even if he was reluctant to do so.
"Is that a threat, Ren?" Nathan asked, scratching his head while grinning. "Last time I checked, you wouldn't even say boo to a goose!"
"Times have changed, Nathan. I'm different from before. I'll say it again. If you mess with those kids, then you mess with me, you dig? Why, I could get you on detention if I wanted to." Nathan burst out laughing again.
"Good one, Ren. Don't try pulling a fast one on me. It's impossible for you to give me detention." Ren closed her eyes with a smile.
"It's not hard at all." Ren opened her eyes again, but kept the smile. "Especially considering that I'm the prefect of the disabilities department and I am responsible for every student who visits."
"Wha..." Nathan stammered, stunned. Then, he noticed the black gown on her blazer. So that's what that thing was. This school has changed too much since he last came. "But...The year sevens..."
"They visit during the first year, as the head of the department is their moral support and the prefect is to serve as a buddy and an agony aunt of sorts to them. Year seven is a tough year after all. So, if I hear that you've harmed a hair on their little heads, then I will harm a lot more than the hair on your head. And yes. That was a threat." Ren glared at Nathan, who no longer wore his smirk. "Those children believe in me, and I have no intention of turning my back on them." A silence came over the room. Nathan was stunned by this news. Then, he smiled. But, it wasn't a happy smile or a kind smile. It was rather threatening and intimidating, in fact.
"They believe in you, huh? Much like you believed in your friends?"
"Eh?" Ren said, a little confused.
"And you won't turn your back on them? How ironic, considering what happened before."
"..." Ren's' eyes gradually grew a little wider. Toshiro saw the change in her expression, and immediately knew that Nathan was about to dig up something in Ren's mind. Something that she didn't' want to remember.
"You're afraid, aren't you? Afraid of what might happen in the future. Are you sure they are as loyal as you say?" Ren said nothing, her mind spinning. "Are you sure you won't be betrayed and left alone?" Nathan's smile turned into a smirk. "Again?"
"!" Ren gasped, seeing only painful memories before her eyes. Toshiro immediately moved to Nathan and Ren, deciding that enough was enough.
"Leave her alone!" Toshiro demanded, standing in front of Ren, who barely even noticed he was there.
"Oh, look. It's her little brother." Nathan said matter-of-factly.
"I am not her little brother. Nonetheless, I won't stand by and let you hurt Ren."
"But I'm not doing anything." Nathan brought his hands up to his shoulders, pretending to be confused. Toshiro said nothing, and merely glared at him. "Well, whatever. But, I must warn you, that girl is not worth protecting. She's just a weak, cowardly cry-baby. Always has been. And she always will be."
"She's not a coward. And she's certainly not weak." Toshiro said firmly. Nathan paused, frowning. "But, even if she was how you described her, that only gives me more reasons to protect her."
"Tch. Your choice." Nathan turned around and walked away. The crowd, once again, parted to let him through.
"That guy is nasty work." Ichigo muttered.
"Tell me about it." Tom sighed. "But, I must say, he's done a lot more to Ren than he has to anybody else."
"..." Ren looked down at the ground, her hair hiding her eyes. After a pause, she briskly walked to the exit of the common room, picking up her bag as she moved.
"Wha- Ren, where are you going? Ren!" Toshiro asked, having to run through the door before it closed so that he could catch up with her. Ichigo watched him move, a confused expression on his face. But then, he noticed the sad looks on Tom and Steph's faces as they exchanged glances that seemed to speak a thousand words to them, but to Ichigo, it meant nothing. Clearly, they knew more about Ren than either he or Toshiro did.
...
"Ren!" Toshiro looked to his right, and saw that Ren was almost halfway down the corridor, and didn't even react to the sound of his voice. "Ren, wait!" Toshiro ran to where Ren was, yet she didn't stop walking. When he finally reached her, he grabbed her shoulder, stopping her. She started to look over her shoulder at Toshiro. "Ren, why are you acting so-" Toshiro stopped talking, interrupting himself as soon as Ren looked over her shoulder to face him. In that one movement, Toshiro saw an almost sad expression on her face, and along with it, he saw something glistening out of Ren's eyes. Tears. He blinked, and they were gone. Ren was normal now.
"Shiro? What is it?" Ren asked. Toshiro hesitated before answering.
"I...Nothing." Toshiro said, letting go of Ren's shoulder and looking away. "Nothing."
"Okay. Break time is nearly over. You should get your bag. Fifth period is about to start."
"Yeah." With that, Ren turned back around and walked away, leaving Toshiro alone with his thoughts. Those tears that he saw seemed to haunt him. Were they real? Or were they a trick of the light? He didn't know. And what did Nathan mean in his words? Why did Ren look so troubled? And, in that short conversation he and Ren had just now, Ren wasn't smiling. Her voice didn't even carry her upbeat attitude anymore. Doubtless, she'll be her usual self in less than ten minutes, but even so, the fact remained that Ren was, for a brief moment, sad; an emotion that she seemed to never express. And that could only mean one thing. If Toshiro didn't do something, then those visions were going to come true. But, what would he do? He wanted to help Ren, but if he did, then he would be going against what Ren wanted. No matter. He has to do what he has to do if it means protecting Ren from Nathan. As long as he was around, Toshiro wasn't going to let Nathan make Ren shed a single tear.
...
An hour and a half later
Toshiro was right. Ren was back to her normal, cheery self. Bu, he couldn't help but feel something was different. Even as she chatted to Steph as they queued together to get lunch with Toshiro and Ichigo trailing behind, even as she cracked a few jokes, Toshiro wasn't convinced that she was completely happy yet. She seemed less...cheerful.
"Toshiro?" Ichigo said, noticing the glazed look in his eyes that showed he was thinking. But, the second Toshiro heard his name, he left the train of thought. "What's wrong? Is it White Raven?" Toshiro shook his head.
"No. I was just...thinking."
"..." Ichigo was silent. He just called Toshiro by his name, and he didn't even correct him like usual. Something was definitely bothering him.
"Hey, Shiro. Aren't you getting something to eat?" Ren asked, noticing how Toshiro had nothing in his hands compared to Ren's plate of spaghetti and can of Coke that sat on her tray.
"Not hungry." Toshiro muttered.
"Ah, but if you aren't hungry, then you aren't healthy. At least grab a banana or something." With a sigh, Toshiro complied and grabbed the first thing he saw; a pack of egg mayonnaise sandwiches.
"Happy?"
"Yup!" Ren said, smiling cheerfully. Toshiro suppressed a scowl after seeing that smile. It just seemed so fake to him, no matter how convincing she looked. Then out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nathan, munching on an apple while standing near the counter that Ren and Steph were just approaching. Immediately, the vision he had of Ren injured and surrounded by food came to his mind.
"AH!"
CRASH!
"!" Toshiro snapped back to reality, expecting Ren to be on the ground. Instead, it was a young girl no older than twelve years old with her shoulder length brown hair kept back with hair clips, much to his relief. Toshiro saw the long pleated grey skirt, and immediately recognised her as a year seven. But, despite this scene, the many students sat at tables paid no attention to what was happening, but the ones still queuing did.
"Watch where you're going, twerp." Nathan said with a smirk, and the girl immediately went teary-eyed.
"Oh, no!" Ren gasped. She left her tray with Steph and immediately went to the girl's side. "Are you okay?"
"Ren?" The girl looked up at Ren's face, and even though she was still teary-eyed, she smiled. "Ren! That person. He tripped me. And...And..." The girl looked at her lunch. Or at least, what was left of it. Remnants of chips, battered cod and ketchup covered the floor, along with some pieces of broken plate
"Well, that's no problem. You can buy some more!" Ren said happily. The girl shook her head. "Oh. Don't you have any money on your student card?" The girl shook her head again. "Ah." Ren thought for a moment. She then tapped her fist on her palm, beaming. She stood up, went back to her tray, handed her student card to the woman behind the counter, and upon getting her card back, walked over to the girl with her tray in her hands. She put the tray down on a nearby table and helped the girl stand up. "Here. You can have mine."
"Really?" Ren nodded. "But...what about your lunch?"
"It's fine." Ren insisted happily. She looked over at Nathan and shot him a glare. "I've lost my appetite, anyway." Nathan merely smirked at her and walked out the cafeteria doors. Ren looked back at the girl, smiling again. "I insist. None of my friends are going to go hungry."
"Thank you so much, Ren! I wish I could repay you!" The girl said, beaming.
"Oh, no, no, no. There's no need." Ren got out her handkerchief and wiped away some ketchup that got on the girl's face. "Just your happiness is enough for me."
"Thank you, Ren! Really!" The girl gave Ren a quick hug, before picking up the tray and heading off, a new smile on her face. Toshiro had seen the whole thing, and was amazed at what Ren had done.
"See that?" Steph said, noticing the expression on Toshiro's face. "That's the kind of person Ren is. She is the kindest most generous person I know, and she never asks for anything in return. It's just like I said. Selfless to the very end." Steph winked mischievously at Toshiro before turning to the lady behind the checkout to get her card back, and went over to Ren, a white package containing fish and chips in her hands. They linked arms and went out the cafeteria together.
"Say, mind if I steal some chips, Steph?"
"Sure."
"We'll wait for you, Shiro, 'kay?" Ren said, pausing just before she exited the cafeteria.
"Yeah." Toshiro automatically answered, giving the lady his student card as he continued to contemplate.
...
"Uuuu, I'm not having a good day today, am I?" Ren sighed, grabbing a chip from Steph's lunch as they waited outside the corridor for Ichigo and Toshiro.
"Well, you did do a few good deeds..."
"But Nathan being there just makes them obsolete." Ren looked away. "And then there's..." Ren trailed off, not wanting to bring up what Nathan said. Steph placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and she looked back at Steph.
"That was in the past, Ren. You have friends who won't leave you behind now."
"Yeah, I know, I know. But, when Nathan brought it up, I just...well, you know."
"Yeah." Steph offered Ren another chip, but she waved her hand to indicate no, letting Steph eat away at her lunch.
"That aside, is it just me, or is Shiro acting a little...odd?"
"Odd how?"
"Well, he's spacing out a lot, and he's looks like he's really thinking about something."
"So, suspicious odd?"
"Naaaah!" Ren said airily. "I'm sure I'm just imagining it."
"Imagining what?" Toshiro asked, suddenly by Ren's side.
"Nya!" Ren did a double take, staggering back from Toshiro, as did Steph.
"Stop exaggerating."
"Sorry, Shiro, but you startled me. Don't creep up on me like that."
"He's always like that, Ren." Ichigo said.
"I figured." Steph muttered. Suddenly, a growling sound was heard, followed by a silence.
"Ren...Was that your stomach?" Toshiro asked.
"Um...no...It was...uh...Ichigo." Ren pointed at Ichigo, a very unconvincing look on her face.
"What? No!"
"Yes." Ren insisted. Silence.
"You're hungry, aren't you, Ren?" Toshiro asked, folding his arms.
"Yes, I am."
"You're terrible at lying."
"I know." Ren hung her head.
"Toshiro! Do you have to be so blunt? It's not Ren's fault she can't lie."
"Yeah! Lots of people can't lie. Besides, honesty is my middle name. Well, not literally, but you know what I mean!"
"I get it, I get it." Toshiro said dismissively, not wanting to hear the girls argue with him anymore then he had to. He shoved the pack of sandwiches he brought towards Ren, literally forcing her to take them. "Take this."
"Wha...But, what about you?"
"I told you, I'm not hungry." Toshiro said, looking away with his hands in his pockets. Ren looked at the packet of sandwiches in her hands. She ripped it open, took a sandwich out and held it out to Toshiro.
"This way, we're both happy." Ren smiled happily. "Thank you, Shiro."
"..." Toshiro took the sandwich, suddenly reassured. For that smile seemed genuinely happy. Not like the last one he saw. Maybe those tears he saw were a trick of the light. If so, then maybe those other visions that came true were just a coincidence. Maybe...he was worried over nothing.
"Aaaa..." Ren prepared to eat her sandwich, but someone bumped into her, and she dropped it, where it was promptly stepped on by another person walking behind him. "Oi! I was gonna eat that!"
"I know." The two people stopped in the middle of the hallway, which was a little less narrow than the hall Ren and the others were in. They both turned around to face her, smirking. "That's why we did it."
"You..." Ren said, recognising them.
"You know them?" Ichigo asked.
"Yup. Wish I didn't, though."
"Ah! My friends!" Nathan exclaimed, suddenly appearing behind Ren, which made her jump. Nathan outstretched his arms, smiling. "So glad you're here." Just as he walked past Ren to join his friends, he took the sandwich right out of Toshiro's hand, but he didn't protest or say a word of complaint, even when Nathan fist bumped his friends. Nathan finally noticed the squashed egg mayonnaise and bread on the floor. "Oh, it looks like somebody is going to go hungry."
"Joke's on you. I have a pack of Oreo's in my pocket."
"This guy keeps popping up everywhere." Ichigo said, marvelling how Nathan seemed to coincidentally be everywhere Ren was.
"It's been two years since he came here. Of course he would." Steph responded. "He's always eager to put salt on old wounds."
"Sorry 'bout that, Ren."
"No you're not." Ren said simply. "I can tell when people like you lie."
"Yet, ironically, you can't tell a lie for toffee, eh, kiddo?" Nathan said playfully.
"I'm a year older than you." Ren said, irritated at his patronising comment.
She's older than him? Ichigo and Toshiro thought, baffled.
"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but, you see, my boys and I have some plans." Almost at that very moment, more teenage boys, the same age as Ren or Nathan, appeared behind Nathan, making the gang at least seven members, not including Nathan.
"Look, here, Nathan." Ren started, striding forward towards Nathan. "If you go anywhere near the disabled department, or even so much as LOOK at it, then you'll be eating knuckle sandwich for lunch tomorrow!" Ren stood just inches from Nathan, who still smiled a little, but Ren glared up at him. "You got that?"
I've seen this before! Toshiro thought, wide eyed. He remembered the vision he had of Ren confronting Nathan and a group of teenagers. It looked exactly the same as the scene before him. Now, there was no room for doubt. Those other experiences were no coincidences. He really did see into the future!
"Fine, fine." Nathan said, raising his hands up in surrender. "Let's go, guys. Her Majesty has given her orders." With that, Nathan and the others turned around and left.
"Uuuu!" Ren growled to herself as soon as Nathan and his gang were out of earshot. "I'm screwed now."
"You should've just kept your mouth shut." Ichigo said.
"Now, now, Ichigo. Ren is as Ren does. Even if it means being on the receiving end of Nathan's wrath."
"Well, it's not really his wrath." Ren reasoned, turning around to face her friends. "I'm just at a higher risk of being his whipping boy...Girl...Whatever. Hn?" Ren looked over to Toshiro, who, oddly enough, was frozen in shock, his eyes shining and his face pale. "Shiro? What's wrong? You're as white as a ghost."
"Wha-" Toshiro snapped himself back to the real world, meeting the eyes of Ichigo, Steph and Ren.
"Are you alright, Toshiro?" Ichigo asked.
"It's nothing." Toshiro said, closing his eyes. When he opened them, he was once again wearing his trademark frown. "I'm fine. And it's Captain Hitsugaya to you, Ichigo."
I'm not convinced. Ren thought, suspicious. But he says he's fine, so he must be. Right?
...
"Damn...Damn...Damn...Damn..." Etheline muttered over and over again, pacing left and right with her fists clenched, looking as if the slightest remark would set her off. Caleb, though, was lounging on the ground with his hands behind his head. They were still in the city except they were in a clearing surrounded by trees in the park, yet the other members who wore the hooded cloaks were nowhere to be seen.
"Calm down, Etheline." He said calmly.
"How can I be calm?" Etheline snapped, stopping her pacing. "That woman is even stronger now! Oooo, I hate her! I hate her so much!"
"Yes, Etheline." Caleb said with a smile. "We know you do." Etheline smirked.
"But, we have a trump card. Right?" Etheline looked over her shoulder at a cloaked figure. The same one from the recent confrontation.
"Yes." She responded. "However, this might be difficult. My spell did not work on her, when it has been effective immediately with other people I have used it on."
"So, what are you going to do about it?" Etheline demanded.
"I shall try my strongest spell. If that does not work, then I have another backup."
In that case, the girl is as good as done. Caleb thought, frowning up at the sky. It was a shame. He was growing quite fond of Ren. Meanwhile, a shadow was watching them. It was another member of White Raven with their hood up.
"Well, I'll go and prepare things." Etheline walked out of the clearing, now much calmer than before. Caleb, meanwhile, remained where he was. This was when the person stepped out of the clearing. Caleb opened one eye before opening both and smiling.
"Hey, what are you doing here, cutie?" Caleb asked playfully.
"U-Um…" The figure started, fiddling with her hands. It was the girl who had a quiet voice. "Caleb… I need to…mmm…I need to talk to you…"
"'Bout what?" Caleb asked, sitting up.
"Well…um…" She stayed quiet after saying this. There was a silence, but to Caleb, he understood.
"Our suspicions were correct." He said. The girl nodded. Caleb stood up and threw off his cloak. Underneath it all, he wore a long, light brown trench coat, a white t-shirt, beige trousers and black boots. He eased a finger around the collar of his shirt. "Ah, it feels good getting that thing off. I hate things around my neck." He looked back at the girl, who reached her hands up to the hood. "You'd better keep yours on. I don't want anything to happen to you if this goes wrong." She lowered her hands. "Remember, we have to lay low. It's alright if I get caught, but you can run away. That's something I can't do."
"Right." The girl nodded under her cloak. Caleb placed an arm around her shoulders.
"Let's go."
...
The next day, 10:15
"Bleugh!" Ren sighed, lying on her stomach across three blue chairs of the common room, one arm dangling down to the ground and a very bored expression on her face. Steph, meanwhile, was sat next to her, reading a scientific text book.
"Ren, instead of lying there, you could do some studying." She said, turning a page in her book.
"I did that in my last double free already. Uuuu, I hate week two Fridays! Only one double lesson, and the other three doubles are all free! I may as well not come into school!"
"But you came anyway, didn't you?"
"Yeah, 'cos I don't wanna pretend I'm sick just because I'm feeling lazy today." Ren stood up with a sigh, rummaged inside her bag with one arm, and pulled out a pink Nintendo 3DS. "If you need me, I'll be on Rainbow Road." Ren then proceeded to walk out of the common room, the theme music of Mario Kart following her. Steph was left alone, and had a content silence around her in the empty common room as she read. It was because of this silence that, a few minutes later, she heard footsteps.
"Did you forget something, Ren?" Steph asked, looking up. She saw, in the distance, a figure walking through the grounds. They didn't look around or make a sound except for the noise their shoes made as they touched the ground. Steph couldn't see their face due to their back being turned, but she saw that they wore a brown cloak. A brown cloak that looked strangely familiar. Steph rubbed her eyes with one hand, and the figure was gone.
"I must be seeing things." Steph muttered to herself before going back to her book, murmuring "Now, where was I?" under her breath.
...
Meanwhile, Ren wasn't the only one who was bored. Toshiro was lounging on his back on the roof of the school, staring at the sky filled with cold clouds. It turned out that the Amber was working. His powers were partially restored, enough for him to jump higher than he could as a human. Now, he felt a little more like a Soul Reaper. He felt as though he could use less than half of his Kido spells without needing contact with Ren, although some of the stronger ones would still need the incantation. Still, he felt as though he could actually be useful in the fight ahead. Which reminded him...what exactly is White Raven planning?
The two members who almost killed me yesterday mentioned something about Ryuki and Zena coming together and how it would ruin their plans. Toshiro thought. But, what plans are they? How are Ryuki and Zena connected? And...How are Ren and I related to his? Why do I look like Ryuki? Are the premonitions his ability? Why am I even having them in the first place?
"..." Toshiro shielded his eyes as the sun unexpectedly shone through the clouds. Then he felt his back burn again before everything turned white. But, then he saw something else. Something that looked nothing like the sky. It looked like a park, and a sudden explosion of dust, followed by the appearance of a creature that looked just like the tripod Toshiro and Ren defeated just days ago, only it was much bigger, and the head had not just tentacles underneath it, but several gun-like weapons were attached to some of the tentacles. Then he saw darkness, with a few bubbles appearing occasionally, meaning that this was underwater, and he saw a figure floating in this darkness, almost lifeless. As soon as the image disappeared, Toshiro sat up with a jolt, realising two things. One, he just had another vision. Two, he knew who that person in the dark water was.
"Ren!"
...
"Now, where was I?" Steph muttered, but before she could go back to her chapter, Toshiro burst through the door. "AH!" Steph gave a start. "Toshiro? What's wrong?" She asked, seeing the look on his face that was on the verge of panic.
"Have you seen Ren?" He asked urgently.
"Yeah. She left about ten minutes ago."
"Is she at the park?"
"The park? Why would she go there?"
"Just tell me!"
"Alright, alright. I don't know. Maybe."
"Not good." Toshiro muttered, and just like that, he was gone. In that instant, Tom appeared by the doorway Toshiro was at moments ago.
"Um...did I miss something?" Tom asked. Steph simply stood up, tossing her text book aside. "Steph?"
"Tom, let's go get Ichigo. We're going for a little walk in the park."
...
"Come on...Come on...Mama needs a gold trophy." Ren muttered, furiously playing on her handheld games console while she walked. Then she heard the familiar whistle that she had just won. "YES!" Ren jumped up in the air. "I did it! I beat Rainbow Road! Nya ha ha!" Ren skipped forward gleefully, but stopped for a moment. She looked at her surroundings. She was in a large stretch of green, with a concrete footpath under her feet, and several feet away, there was a lake. She was at the park down the road from school. "How did I get here?" Ren pocketed her games console in her blazer after switching it off. "Whoops. I really shouldn't play while walking. Guess I'd better head back." Just as Ren turned around to walk away, she felt a shiver down her spine. Something was here. Something evil. And, it felt like...
"A Feather." Ren muttered under her breath. "It feels like more than one." Ren turned back around, looking left and right. Nothing. "And there's nobody here again. I must be right. But why here? Why now? It doesn't make sense."
"Ren!"
"Eh?" Ren looked over her shoulder, only to see Toshiro running towards her. "Shiro? I was just about to call you. What are you doing here?" Toshiro stopped running when he reached Ren, and promptly planted his hands on his knees to catch his breath. Being in a Gigai was nothing like being in his Soul Reaper form, where he could run much further and faster than this without getting worn out.
"Ren…Are…you…alright?"
"'Course. Why wouldn't I be?" Ren answered, her blank look on her face. Toshiro sighed from relief, sitting up after getting his breath back.
"That's good."
"Anyway, why are you here in such a rush?"
"I-" Toshiro stopped himself just before he mentioned the premonitions. He didn't want to worry Ren or make himself come across as overprotective. "I had a bad feeling."
"So, you sensed the Feathers, too?"
"What Feathers?" Toshiro said without thinking. Almost as if on cue, several explosions occurred at once on the ground, and out of the dust rose several Feathers, all of them blood thirsty and drooling at the mouth.
"Those ones."
"Oh, right. Them." Toshiro muttered, trying to look as if he knew they were there all along.
"Don't worry, Shiro." Ren reassured, clapping her hands together, making the Lightning Shackles appear instantly. "I've got this." A lightning bolt appeared in Ren's left hand, and as soon as she clutched it, it glowed and transformed into a weapon. A katana with a black scabbard decorated with yellow lightning-like stripes. The hilt was also like a traditional katana, and was yellow and black, with a black, square guard, and each corner had a small, yellow teardrop shape.
"A sword?" Toshiro stared at the weapon, wide eyed.
"Yeah. I guess each Shackle has their own weapon, like the Wind Shackles have the fan." Ren grabbed the hilt, and drew it from the scabbard. The katana was of the average length, and was definitely not as long as Hyorinmaru, which somehow made sense to Toshiro. "This won't take long." Ren tossed the scabbard high up in the air, and charged towards the Feather so quickly, she was just a blur. In a heartbeat, ten of the Feathers already had fatal injuries to their heads, turning them into ashes before they even began to fall to the ground.
Incredible! Toshiro thought, amazed at how fast Ren destroyed the Feathers, and how she was making swift work of the rest. She was so much faster than before. Almost like lightning, at the risk of sounding cliché. Plus, she only just got the sword, and yet she could already wield it as though she had it her whole life. How does she do it?
"…" Toshiro flinched. His back was burning again. It was stronger than yesterday. He looked behind him at the source. It looked pretty normal to him, but knowing what was going on with White Raven, everything was far from normal.
"Last one." Ren stopped moving, stopping just before another Feather, which was almost identical to the Feather Ryuki defeated a few days ago, except the tail had an arrow shaped tip, and there were no spikes on the leg. The Feather snarled at Ren, but she didn't move. "Wait for it…" She said slowly, smiling. Suddenly, a lightning bolt crashed down from the ground, making a loud, booming noise ring out through the park. The Feather literally exploded into ashes, leaving only the scabbard of her sword sticking out of the ground like a just-planted tree. Ren walked up to it, and pulled it out of the ground, shaking off the dirt from the other end. Just before she sheathed her katana, she realised there was something on it. It was like blood, but it was grey, and when Ren touched it, it turned solid and flaky on contact. Ren couldn't help but think that it looked a little familiar. She shrugged, flicking off the blood with one fluid motion of her sword, sheathing it again. She disappeared in a flash, and reappeared beside Toshiro, making him jump.
"All done. And now, time to get some pretty trinkets" While she spoke, Ren outstretched her hand, and the Feather cores shot into her hand. She dropped them into her drawstring bag. "Thirty, huh?" She said as though it wasn't a big deal. "We're gonna need a bigger bag."
"Ren, that was amazing! Where did you learn to do that?" Toshiro almost exclaimed, still in awe at Ren's abilities.
"Funny story that, 'cos…what the…" Ren stopped talking when black smoke surrounded her head. "Hey, get outta here, you!" Ren fanned it away with her hand, and it disappeared. "Anyway, it's funny because I just guessed it would happen and, well, it did."
"What?" Toshiro raised an eyebrow, confused.
"It's weird, because I only just got the Shackles, yet it feels like I've had them my entire life." Ren looked away. "I don't understand it either, but I ain't complainin'. That's just the way it is, I s'pose. Hey, go away! Scram!" Ren angrily fanned away at more black smoke that appeared out of nowhere. "Urgh! That's so annoying!"
"Well, the Feathers are gone, so I guess we should-"
"Oops. Missed one." Ren suddenly interrupted, spotting a Feather just a few metres away. It had a light grey body, with grey markings on its lower legs, and three claws on each of its four legs. The eye mask had curled ends pointing up at the sky, and the tail had several whip-like ends on it. "Guess this one is a late arrival. I'll just have to-Argh! Bog off already!" Ren practically screamed as the black cloud appeared around her head again. "It's that stuff from yesterday! Talk about persistent! Get lost! I'm busy! I…Uuuu…" Ren trailed off, ceasing her fanning.
"Ren? Are you alright?" Toshiro asked, noticing the change in behaviour
"Feel…dizzy…Unh…" Ren's arms dropped down to her side, letting go of her sword, and she collapsed onto the ground, unconscious. Her Lightning Shackles disappeared, yet her katana clattered by her side, remaining solid as solid can be.
"Ren!" Toshiro gasped, dropping down onto his knees and trying to shake Ren awake. "Ren!" No response. She was out cold. Suddenly, the light around them seemed to dim out. Toshiro looked up, and his eyes widened. There, just inches away from him, was the Feather. It was so close, in fact, that Toshiro could smell its foul breath, and the sheer closeness of this beast made Toshiro break into a cold sweat. He wanted to back away, but fear and unwillingness to leave Ren kept him where he was. His eyes shifted towards the katana on the ground. He grabbed it and did the first thing he thought of.
"Go away!" He yelled, hitting it across the face with the hilt, and only realising after he said it how childish he sounded. It grazed the Feather's face, and it staggered back, recoiling from the attack. Toshiro took this opportunity to stand up and move in front of Ren. He had no time to be afraid! He had to protect Ren! The Feather recovered, and lashed its tail at Toshiro. Quickly, he got down to Ren, lifted her upper body off the ground and held her close, bracing himself for the attack. All Toshiro heard was the sound of whips cracking and he felt each one of them hit his back. Meanwhile, while this was happening, a hooded figure watched the scene in the shadows.
"It worked." She said. "My spell had effect. Now, I have to see if it did what I want. If not, then I have to use the other method."
"…" Toshiro flinched as soon as the Feather stopped attacking him. His back felt as though it was on fire after enduring those whips. And the fact that the burning from before was still there didn't help much. But, the important thing was that Ren was unharmed. Ignoring the pain on his back, Toshiro gently laid her back on the ground, standing up with the sword at hand.
"Stay there, Ren." He said, hoping she could somehow hear him. He grabbed the hilt and drew the sword, dropping the scabbard by Ren. He turned around to face the Feather, determination in his eyes. "You've helped me. Now, it's my turn."
Its looks like its main method of attack is those whips on its tail. Toshiro thought, analysing the Feather. They're not deadly, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't avoid them. If the Feather is anything like a Hollow, it will go after me with its claws, too. Plus, this sword is strong, but I'm not sure I can do much with it. I can't use Lightning Shackles. No matter. Toshiro clenched the hilt with both hands, ready to fight. I'll just have to try.
Five minutes later
"Remind me, why are we running?" Tom asked Steph, who was running ahead of Ichigo and Tom.
"I don't think you told us that."
"Because Toshiro appeared asking where Ren was, and whether she was at the park. He looked really frantic, too. I just put two and two together, and here we are."
"Wait!" Ichigo yelled, skidding to a stop. Tom and Steph also stopped. "Listen."
"What?"
"Do you hear that?"
"If I could, I wouldn't be saying "what?" would I?" Steph grumbled.
"I hear it." Tom said quietly. To him, it sounded like two bits of metal were clashing at once. But, to Ichigo, he knew that sound all too well. It sounded like two swords. It sounded like a fight.
"This way!" Ichigo walked through some bushes, and he saw it. A Feather with a whip-like tail standing no less than a few feet away and there was another person with a sword fighting it. But, from the looks of things, it looked as though he was being backed into a corner. The Feather kept lashing out at him with its clawed front feet, and each time, the person blocked with the sword. "That's…That's Toshiro!"
"Toshiro? Then where's-"
"Ren!" Tom yelled interrupting Steph. He ran towards Ren, who was lying on the ground. "Ren, wake up! Ren!"
"What happened here?" Steph asked nobody.
"One of us has to help Toshiro!"
"No." Ichigo said. "We stay here."
"But-"
"Think about it! What can you do to help? You'll only get in his way. Let's just leave things to Toshiro. Have faith. He is a captain after all."
"…" Tom and Steph looked at one another momentarily, but they looked back at Ichigo and nodded, showing they were all in agreement.
"Alright. We'll stay with Ren until this is over."
"Gya!" Toshiro was knocked to the ground for what felt like the hundredth time. The burning on his back was gone, leaving only the stinging from the cuts there. But, that didn't change the fact that this Feather was a lot stronger than he anticipated. What was he going to do? Then, he realised that he hadn't tried kido yet.
"Hado thirty three: Sokatsui!" Toshiro yelled, pointing his palm at the Feather. An explosion of blue fire shot out and hit the Feather head on, encasing its head and its tail.
"Yes!" Steph clenched a fist triumphantly. Ichigo, however, wasn't so sure.
"Did that get it?" Toshiro wondered out loud, sitting up off the ground. Suddenly, through the smoke, the whip came at him, but they seemed different from before. He managed to dodge them by jumping back, but one of them hit his right upper arm, and instead of the feeling of a gash appearing, Toshiro felt the pain of burning. His hand went to the spot where he was hit, and he saw smoke rising up from it. Fire. Toshiro turned to the Feather, which now had a huge burn mark on the top part of its head. However, the whips on its tail were now alight at the tips with blue fire. His kido had damaged it, but it had also made the Feather stronger! He just made the situation from bad to worse! The Feather lashed out at Toshiro again. Toshio brought the sword up, and the whips wrapped around the blade, but the Feather slammed him down onto the ground, denting it a little. Toshiro pulled the katana out of the grip of the whips, and the Feather's tail moved back behind it, the fire on the tips showing no signs of fading. Toshiro just couldn't understand how Ren could deal with these things so easily!
But, he knew one thing. The second the Feather attacks him with its tail, it is left wide open. If he could take advantage of that, then maybe he'll stand a chance. He sat up on the ground and stood up on his feet, holding the katana out in front of him. It was definitely a lot shorter than Hyorinmaru. The kind of length that he wasn't used to fighting with, which was probably why he kept getting knocked back by the Feather. But this time, he had a plan. With a roar, the Feather lashed its tail out to Toshiro.
"There!" Toshiro put every ounce of his strength into this attack, and sliced the tip of the Feathers tail off with the sword. It twitched on the ground like a fish out of water, and the Feather roared in pain. "Yes. It worked." Toshiro clenched the sword, waiting for the next opening. The Feather pounced straight towards him, claws outstretched and mouth wide open. "Now!" Toshiro jumped towards the Feather, sword at the ready, and it stabbed straight through the monsters forehead like butter.
"Did he get it?" Steph asked, shielding her eyes. The Feather glowed and, with one final roar, exploded into ashes, along with the still twitching tail. Toshiro landed on the ground a bit messier than he anticipated, falling straight onto his knees and some of the ash fell around him like snow. The silver Feather core dropped down in front of Toshiro, and he promptly picked it up. He looked towards Ren, and did not expect to see Ichigo and the others already there. "What the…Ichigo!" Toshiro stood up and ran towards the group, flicking the grey blood off the sword as he went, the odd colour barely sticking to the back of his mind. "Why are you here?"
"We followed Steph here after she saw you at the common room." Tom answered.
"We thought you might need some help, but I guess not." Steph said as soon as Toshiro arrived.
"Ren took care of the Feathers. I only killed the last one." Toshiro said, getting down on one knee to pick up the scabbard. But, he stopped himself when he heard a groan. "Ren?" Toshiro's eyes shifted to Ren, whose hand twitched. "Ren!" Ren sat up off the ground, rubbing her eyes.
"Are you okay?" Steph asked.
"…" The shadow watching them was silent, waiting to see what Ren would say.
"Yup!" Ren said happily. "Never better! Dunno what happened there, though. That black smoke is weird with a capital W. Wait a sec, Shiro, why are you holding my sword? Where did that Feather go? Hang on…You didn't kill it yourself, did you? Did you get hurt?"
"Hey, hey, what's with the questions? I'm the one who's supposed to be worried about you." Toshiro said.
"S'What I do." Ren said. "Well, you look okay. What about…" Ren crawled behind Toshiro, and upon seeing his wrecked back, gasped "Oh my god! What happened here?"
"The Feather attacked me."
"Yeah! I figured!"
She's still the same? The shadow thought, shocked. How can she resist my most powerful spell? Nobody has ever not fallen prey to it! Her light is too strong! But, I will succeed in my mission. No light can exist without darkness. The shadow disappeared after that, but Toshiro and the others didn't notice.
"It's not a big deal."
"Not a big deal? Of course it's a big deal! God knows how deep these are. Now, tell me, does this hurt?"
"Ow!"
"Okay, let's try that again without the attitude."
"Ren, I'm fine."
"No, you are not. Ah! Your arm's burnt and all! And it had just healed up, too!"
"Will you stop worrying about me? I've had much worse than this in the past."
"Ah, but you were a Soul Reaper back then, weren't you? You said yourself. Now that you're in that gigai thingy, you're a human."
"Well, yeah, but-"
"Aha! I just put a huge hole in your logic!"
"…" Ichigo glanced around at his surroundings. The Feathers were gone, Ren and Toshiro were sort of okay, and so everything should be fine. Then, why was he getting a bad feeling? Was there another Feather here? And, why wasn't anyone noticing it?
"Oh! Maybe I should try healing you!"
"That's a stupid idea. You can regenerate, not heal."
"You know, I've been using a lot of stupid ideas recently. Maybe I should keep a tally!"
"What's that got to do with anything?"
"A lot more than you think, Shiro."
"You know what, I don't even care!" Toshiro exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air.
"…" Ren suddenly stood up and ran off towards the lake that wasn't too far away. She just sensed another Feather over there. Ichigo saw this, and was immediately relieved that he wasn't imagining it. He had never been good at sensing Hollows and other spiritual beings.
"What now? Ren, get back here!" Toshiro stood up and followed Ren, ignoring the pain on his back. Steph and Tom were about to follow, but Ichigo blocked their way with his arms. With one exchange of looks, they understood, and stayed where they were.
"Hmmm. That's odd." Ren said out loud, staring into the water, but only her reflection looked back. "I could have sworn it was around here."
"Ren, what's got into you?" Toshiro asked.
"Didn't you sense the Feather?"
"Um…no." Toshiro admitted. He let that little argument get to him and distract him. How come she had this knack for being right? "Where is it?" He asked, attentive and ready to fight. After all, he still had the sword in his hand.
"I think it's down there." Ren said, pointing at the water.
"What? Don't be ridiculous."
"I've seen a lot of ridiculous things, Shiro. I'm sure you have, too."
"…" Toshiro looked away. She was right. Again. The fact that the visions he'd been having were coming true, and the fact that they were right next to a lake, had set Toshiro to full protective mode. Who knows? This could be the lake in his earlier vision. The water that Ren drowns in.
"So, you gonna go check it out?"
"Why me?"
"Duh! I can't hold my breath for more than ten seconds. I told you this before. Geez, you must have a memory like a sieve." Ren said playfully, tapping Toshiro's head with her fist. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the water ripple. "Hm?" Ren looked down, and saw that the ground was cracking. "Oh. I guess it's not in the lake." Ren said matter-of-factly.
"It's below us!" Toshiro realised. The ground below their feet cracked, until they were surrounded by large circle of cracks, and they were right in the middle of it.
"Nya! Not good, not good!" Ren yelled, feeling the ground gradually rise up into a mound.
"Ren!" Toshiro instinctively jumped towards Ren, grabbing a hold of her and moving away from the cracks, just as something exploded from the ground they were stood on moment ago. Toshiro and Ren landed heavily on the ground, and they both covered their heads from the dirt, grass and mud showering on them. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Ren answered. She sat up, and went wide eyed at what she saw.
"!" Ichigo saw the Feather before them, and was utterly speechless.
"Ho, Nellie." Tom muttered, while Steph's mouth was hanging open. In the middle of the park was a giant Feather similar to the tripod-like Feather Ren and Toshiro defeated days ago. However, this one looked very different. The head was larger, there were more tentacles under the base of its head, and some of the tentacles had weapons that looked like guns on the tips.
"Holy crap! Is that…Is that a Feather?"
"It's massive!"
"Are those guns?" Ren stood up, and squinted her eyes at the tentacles, and the Feather fired a green laser at Ren, making a dent in the ground behind her, but nobody noticed how it had passed right through her. Ren responded to the miniature explosion with a yelp. "It's got guns!" Ren narrowed her eyes, annoyed. "I know I said this before, but I think H.G. Wells is gonna sue somebody. I mean, if he were alive."
"Ren, I am going to explain everything wrong with your referencing later, but right now, we need to take care of this." Toshiro said briskly, standing up and getting to Ren's side.
"Oh. Um, right. Let's go!" Ren threw her blazer onto the ground and clapped her hands once. Nothing happened. "Ari?" Ren blinked. She looked at her hands. She clapped them again. Nothing.
"Ren, stop goofing around!"
"I'm not! It's the Shackles that are goofing around! Oh wait, I have others." Ren crossed her arms in front of her. Nothing happened again. "They're not coming out."
"They're what?"
"The Shackles. They're not appearing." Ren waved her right wrist in front of Toshiro's eyes. "See?"
"I see it. I just don't believe it." Toshiro said slowly, unable to believe what was happening.
"Why aren't they appearing?" Ren exclaimed. "I don't get it! Why is this-Nya!" Ren was cut short when a tentacle shot out to Ren, pinning her arms to her side.
"Ren!" Toshiro made a grab for Ren, but she went out of reach, being held high up in the air, right next to the Feather's huge head. Even from that far away, Toshiro could still hear Ren yelling at the Feather, refusing to go down without a fight, even if her feet couldn't reach the tentacle she was wrapped around in. Determined to set Ren free, Toshiro gripped Ren's sword in his hands and charged straight at one of the three legs. "Let her go!" Toshiro yelled, slashing at the leg. It barely even made a scratch. The Feather tilted its head down at Toshiro. It got down to ground level with him, and Toshiro could only walk back from it, intimidated by the sheer size of it. The Feather aimed a tentacle at Toshiro, and he braced himself just in time for it to fire a pulse at the ground, blowing up that ground with a huge explosion of soil and grass that sent Toshiro flying. He skidded along the ground, making a path of mud in his wake and making the stinging pain on his back even worse.
"Toshiro!"
"Are you alright?" Steph and Ichigo immediately went to Toshiro as soon as he landed near them. Toshiro painfully sat up.
"I'm fine." Toshiro muttered with one eye open, but both eyes were soon wide as soon as he looked at the cloud of dust clearing away. The Feather wasn't there anymore. Instead, it looked as though it was getting lower and lower into the ground, taking Ren with it. But, that was impossible, unless it was going in…
"The lake!" Toshiro gasped. Immediately, the visions he had that same day came to his mind. The explosion? Check. The Feather? Check. That only left one vision. Ren floating in the water, lifeless.
"I can't hold my breath for very long!"
"Duh! I can't hold my breath for more than ten seconds."
"Ren!" Toshiro immediately climbed back onto his feet and made a run for it towards the lake. Despite the evidence of the other visions being real, he was going to prevent this one from coming true. He had to! If he didn't, Ren was going to drown! He ignored the pain on his back. He ignored Ichigo and the others yelling at him to come back. He ignored every instinct telling him not to be so reckless. He only had one thing on his mind; save Ren! By the time he was remotely near the lake, the Feather head had already sunk under, along with Ren. He didn't have long. Stuffing the sword under his belt, Toshiro jumped off the edge of the lake and dove in, barely even making a splash.
He was now underwater, the only sound being the bubbles around him while he swam downwards in the lake. The cold water soothed the pain on his back and washed off the fresh mud, but that was the least of his concerns. It was too dark in the lake. And a lot deeper than he anticipated. Toshiro stopped diving under and just floated there, looking left and right.
Where is she? Toshiro thought. Giving up on the Feather being that high up, he dove down and carried on swimming deeper and deeper into the lake. Toshiro knew that the deeper he got, the less chance he had of making it out alive himself. But, he was determined to find her.
Ren…All this time, you've been protecting me. The Feathers. White Raven. Nathan. This time… Toshiro stopped again, looking left and right. He clenched his teeth, out of frustration and determination. I will definitely protect you!
"!" Toshiro covered his mouth with his hand, and he felt precious air bubbles leave to the surface, which seemed miles away. Toshiro didn't have much time left. He looked down, and there he saw it. A faint shadow of a person. Ren! He immediately dove down towards the shape, dreading what he would find. And he was right to. When he got there, he saw Ren, her eyes closed and her body unmoving. The same image in his vision. Toshiro placed a hand on her face. She felt warm. She was still alive. But she won't be for long if they stayed down here. And neither would he. He saw the tentacle wrapped around her waist. He drew the sword and in one clean slice, set her free. Toshiro sheathed the sword again, wrapped one of her arms around his shoulder, and just as he began swimming back up, he saw several snake-like shapes block his way. Tentacles. He tried the other way, but they were there, too. He was surrounded by a circle of tentacles. Toshiro growled a little. He didn't have time for this!
"Hado number four: Byakurai!" Toshiro yelled, shooting lightning from his fingertip and destroying two tentacles. But, in doing so, Toshiro remembered two things. First, the tentacles multiplied when destroyed. Second, he had just wasted more air. And a lot of it. His vision was starting to go black. He could feel his lungs and muscles burning. He knew that this was the end.
No! Toshiro thought. The tentacles' heads sharpened into spearheads, ready to strike. He held Ren close to his body, closing his eyes tightly. It can't end like this! I made a promise! I can finally fight to protect Ren! No matter what… Toshiro noticed in the cold temperature of the water that his back was burning again, but he didn't know why, and his body felt so numb right now, he barely even felt it. No matter what… Little did Toshiro know his back had two small glowing shapes, gradually glowing brighter and brighter.
I will not let Ren die!
…
"He's been in there a long time. Is Toshiro okay?" Steph asked, beside herself with worry over Toshiro and Ren.
"Ren can't hold her breath for that long. Shouldn't we help him?"
"No." I chigo said firmly. "We wait. If he doesn't come up soon, then I'll go."
"Fine." Tom agreed, reluctantly. He looked back at the lake, waiting for something, anything, to come up, even if it was the Feather. That's when he saw a glowing spot in the middle of the lake. He dismissed it as the sun, then he realised that it wasn't even that high up in the sky. What was that?
"Do you see that?" Tom asked Steph and Ichigo. "That light?"
"I see it." Steph said, finally seeing it. "That's not the sun, is it? No, it's still morning."
"What is it, Ichigo?" Tom asked thinking he'd know.
"I don't know." The glowing rapidly spread to the edges of the lake, until something burst out of the water so quickly, it brought almost all of the water with it, along with several machine-like tentacles from the Feather. The water and the tentacles splashed back into the lake, and the shape stopped several feet above the lake, shrouded by water and shadows. The shape was dripping with water, and looked human, yet it was holding someone else close to them, almost afraid to let go. Then, the figure unfurled a pair of wings that looked whiter than the purest snow, spreading them out wide for all to see. All twelve feet of them. The shadows cleared, and the water stopped dripping, finally revealing the winged being.
"It's Toshiro!" Tom yelled, recognising him.
"What? Toshiro?" Ichigo gasped. He looked at the figure. Tom was right. It was Toshiro. He was floating in the air, clinging tightly to Ren's body and his eyes were still shut. In fact, he hadn't even noticed he was out of the water. That is, until Toshiro felt the wind brush past his face and he realised he could breathe again. Toshiro opened one eye, and then opened the other. How did he get all the way up here? Then he felt an odd feeling on his back. Like something else was there. He glanced behind him, and did a double take. Wings! There was a pair of white, feathered wings on his back! Suddenly, a coughing sound brought him back to Ren. She was near consciousness, and was coughing up water. Toshiro instinctively used the wing to lower himself down onto the ground away from the lake. He set Ren down on the ground, keeping her upper body up while she coughed. Ichigo and the others immediately went to their side and they arrived just as Ren's coughing ceased. She blinked a couple of times, and looked around at her friends.
"I'm alright." She said in a raspy voice. She coughed a couple more times before smiling.
"Are you sure?"
"Eh?" Ren looked at Toshiro, and found herself hesitant to answer. That look on his face. It was different to the stern face she had got used to. It was softer. Kinder. Full of concern for her. If she didn't know any better, she would say that this was Ryuki. But, her instincts told her that this was her Toshiro. "Yes. I'm sure. A little wet, but I'm fine. He, I'm glad my blazer didn't get wet. My console is in there." Ren let out a small gasp when Toshiro pulled her closer to him with one arm. He closed his eyes, their heads touching. "Shiro?"
"I'm so glad." Toshiro whispered. "When I saw you in the water like that…" As Toshiro opened his eyes again, Ren saw how they shone with a new emotion. "I thought the worst."
"Nn. Sorry I worried you." Toshiro tapped her on her head with his fist.
"Stop apologising." He said a little sternly, but still with a gentleness in his voice.
"Sorry." Toshiro sighed, but that didn't stop the corners of his mouth from twitching into a smile.
"Um, I hate to interrupt, but…" Steph trailed off, pointing ahead of her. Everyone turned to look. The Feather had risen out of the water again, the water falling back into the lake like small waterfalls.
"Crud." Ren grumbled, clapping her hands. Nothing happened. "Damn. I forgot. What do we do?" Ren felt Toshiro let go of her and stand up. "Shiro."
"Stand back." Toshiro said firmly. That was when Ren noticed the wings on his back.
"You've got wings?!" Ren exclaimed.
So now she notices. Ichigo thought, sweat dropping.
"Yeah. I can't explain it either. But, I think it will help. You three are to stay with Ren until she can use her Shackles again."
"Right." Ichigo nodded.
"But, Shiro. You can't fight that thing on your own." Ren protested, sitting up on her knees.
"Don't worry, Ren." Toshiro said without turning around. "I'll protect you."
"…" With that, Ren said nothing more. The determination in his voice said it all. Toshiro walked a few steps forward, stopping only when he was far enough from Ren and the others. The Feather looked down at him. Toshiro looked back. He pulled the sword out from his belt, and grabbed the hilt, drawing it from the sheath. Toshiro threw the sheath on the ground and held the sword up, ready to fight. The Feather, however, turned its guns at Ren.
"Hey!" The Feather paused, looking down at the small boy with huge wings and a sword. "You stay away from them!" Toshiro glared at the Feather with a fierceness in his eyes that would be enough to intimidate anybody. "I am your opponent."
Ta da! Wow, what a long chapter! Note to self: do not get carried away. Whoops! Well, here I am in Norway, and like I said, I am till updating my story without any problems. I mean you can read this okay, right? Ha ha! So, next chapter, Toshiro gets into his first fight with new wings. Will he be victorious? Stay tuned for the next chapter!