The demons were not seen for several days after that. There wasn't really an explanation for it other than Erol must have been dealt with by his master. The only reason they'd been attacked at all was by the rogue's orders, and now that he was gone, perhaps even killed for insubordination, not a single demon was seen.
No one celebrated.
If anything, the lack of fighting put them all on edge. Another army could break in. Ruala did not sleep for some time as she doubled the strength in her barriers to prevent another such disaster. The dragons were asked to patrol save Myndræl, as he was the dragon of the Soul King and not of a Soul Reaper, though he still pitched in to help while he was still there.
Though he would not be there for much longer. Toshiro had stayed as long as he was allowed, and with this recent attack he had things he needed to see to. What Firiat had said still bugged him, and he was still frustrated with Senjumaru for trying to keep him holed up in the palace. What he had in mind would keep her satisfied for a while, but he was still determined to be in this war and not just watching it.
"Do you know when you'll be coming back?" Karin questioned him as he explained to her he would be leaving later that day.
"I'm afraid not," He replied with a heavy sigh. The two of them were atop the Squad Ten barracks, able to watch the dragons fly by and around the Seireitei.
"Well…" Though she looked disappointed, she quickly covered it up with curiosity. "You said you're going to try to convince more of the dragons, right? That'll be really helpful."
"I hope so," He nodded to her. "I'm also going to be speaking with some of the commanders to see if it's possible for the other branches to spare any troops. We may have held up today but there's no telling about next time. It also might help with the dragons, as they'll hopefully find partners and be more inclined to interact with spirits and humans."
"Other branches, huh?" Excitement crossed the teen's face. "I wonder what the other Soul Societies are like. They'll have completely different set ups and styles of fighting. Maybe they'll teach me some…"
"Slow down there," The young king chuckled at her enthusiasm. "There's no guarantee they'll help. The different branches are meant to be kept separate for a reason. Except for the branch in North America, specifically the United States, the branches have kept to that solitude and rarely interfere in one another's affairs."
"But this is something that could affect everyone," Karin pointed out. Toshiro nodded, already having pointed this out to the commanders before. "So…if they don't want the demons coming after them, it would be in their best interest to help."
"One would think. However, they'll argue that we have enough power on our own. I've been rather interactive in this war, as have my guards, and now the dragons are making their appearance as well. They probably aren't concerned."
"But if we lose and Kamai gets you, the entire world could fall apart." Her tone was bitter, mostly at the thought of losing, and not just the war but her boyfriend as well.
"True," He also grimaced at the thought. Sometimes even he forgot that his very life was tied to the fate of the world. His death meant the destruction of the balance of spirits, and the end of the world. Hence why Senjumaru was completely against letting him on the front lines. Kamai might be careful and keep him alive, but there could always be another like Erol who just wanted him dead no matter the consequences behind it.
"Ugh, I hate politics," Karin groaned, running a hand through her ponytail. "Getting off of that topic, then," She turned to him and he waited patiently, "I promise you I'll have Bankai next I see you."
"I look forward to seeing it," He smiled. "For a Kurosaki, I'm sure two years is a long wait for Bankai."
"Damn right!" She laughed. "I finished those trials in seven weeks for crying out loud!"
"I did three and a half," He teased.
"Oi, you have a prodigy advantage!" She punched him lightly on the arm.
"Prodigy advantage?" He ignored the punch and gave her an incredulous look. "Is that even a thing?"
"Well…it is now! You're a genius and have way more experience than me."
"You still did rather well for a human," He argued. "You kept up with your insanely overpowered brother, for one thing, and actually went a little faster than he did. I was under a lot of pressure to finish quickly so I put myself at risk pushing so hard."
She shrugged, though inwardly she glowed at his praise.
"The point is I apparently suck at getting Bankai."
"Your brother technically cheated," Toshiro pointed out. "Kisuke had a doll made to force him to learn Bankai in three days."
"Yeah, I know, and he won't let me use it," She snorted.
"Probably because Homuratei can't be conquered the same way as Zangetsu. Really the only part Kisuke helped with was materializing Zangetsu, and you materialized your zanpaktou spirit rather quickly compared to most Soul Reapers. Zangetsu was a zanpaktou that had to be controlled through a method only Ichigo could manage through brute force. Yours clearly takes something else."
"But I don't know what that is," She sighed, tiredly and leaned into him.
"Homuratei won't give you any hints?" He raised an eyebrow at her.
"Well…" She lapsed into silence, recalling what her Wyvern spirit had once said to her during their training. "She just gave me this riddle. Apparently dragons and Wyverns like riddles."
"No argument there," Toshiro chuckled, remembering the riddles Hyorinmaru used to give him. "What's this riddle?"
Letting out a moody breath, Karin attempted to recall the words given to her by her mischievous zanpaktou.
"It went something like…'The power of fire leaves black in its wake, a tool of chaos for destruction's sake'. That part was pretty east to get; basically my Bankai is going to be something really devastating." She paused to hear his thoughts but he simply gave a hum of agreement and waited for her to continue. "Okay, the next part was 'Black fades away and turns to white, but only with love for the blooms within sight.' That one is a little more confusing. I guess the 'black fades to white' part could be when things turn to ash after getting burned, and the blooms could mean what grows up after everything's burned down, but I have no idea what that has to do with me."
Toshiro still said nothing, running the words through his head.
'You know you're not supposed to help her. Homuratei would be unhappy,' Hyorinmaru warned.
'I know, but I can at least offer my opinion. Ichigo got all sorts of help getting his powers, and in these times it wouldn't hurt for Karin to have a little assistance.'
The dragon gave a rumble of agreement, understanding where he was going with this. After all, Homuratei had been persistent lately with the training. She might even welcome the outside help instead of scorning it as he'd first thought.
"I think you're taking her words too literally," Toshiro finally spoke up. Curious, Karin sat up and turned to fully face him, listening intently. "The first part seems to be a warning; she's letting you know that your power can hurt everyone around you and even yourself. As for the second part I believe she's showing you the better side; that if you use your powers instead for those you love and not just yourself, then the flames normally seen as a tool of destruction will become a shield. In that sense you're really not that different from your brother."
"How did you get all that?" Karin scrunched up her nose in confusion.
"Where she says 'only with love for the blooms within sight'. She's not talking about what grows after the fire dies away, she's talking about the people around you. The 'blooms' are the people you care about and only by wanting to protect them will you be able to control the fire. Otherwise they will be burned, leaving 'black in its wake.'"
"Oh…" Once he'd clarified it, his interpretation made far more sense than her own. "So…how do I prove all that to Homuratei when I'm fighting her?"
"That's not something I can really help you with," He told her with a frown. "I'm sure it will take some time to figure out, but at least now you can move a little further ahead."
"True." She leaned on him once more. "Thanks, by the way. You're a big help."
"I do what I can." A strong and icy arm wrapped around her shoulder, warmed up instantly by her own heated power.
They spent another half hour like that, occasionally speaking back and forth about this and that, whatever crossed their minds. Neither wanted the inevitable separation to come, but both knew it was necessary. Hitsugaya had a job, a very important one, and she needed to help the Soul Society. Karin felt she should be used to the separation by now, but every time he left it hurt. She knew it hurt him, too, and tried to stay strong, tried to hold out until his next visit. Ichigo did his best to help her through it, as did her other Soul Reaper friends, but it could only sate her longing for so long.
"Try to come back soon, okay?" She said to him quietly; it was almost time for him to go. She could sense Ruala coming near.
"You know I can't make promises, but I will try," He responded as quiet, touching his lips to her forehead.
Considering this was their last few minutes together for possibly months, Karin forfeited their little game and made him give her a proper kiss goodbye. She wouldn't settle for less.
He moved back first, one hand moving to her wrist where the silver bracelet he'd given her two years ago rested, the carved dragon seeming to shimmer in the light. At its center the ice crystal gave off a glow of dazzling colors, the one who made it close enough to give it life.
"You're not keeping this on in battle," He said, moving his finger over the bright metal with a somewhat saddened expression. "It's meant to protect you."
"But who's going to protect you?" She frowned back. "You're king now, Toshiro; you can't let the Fear build up again."
He looked at her for a minute or two, taking her words in and debating over them. She had a point; another episode like two years ago where the Fear had nearly consumed him and the balance would shift back and forth rapidly, creating a possible apocalypse for the World of the Living.
"Fine," His hand moved to cover over the crystal, the brand on the back of his right hand glowing a little brighter.
"What are you doing?" Karin looked warily at where his hand rested, unsure what enchantment he was placing on it.
He didn't answer at first, his eyes closed as he focused on the Kido bind, undoing the original one and replacing it with a variation. He still wanted to protect her, but if she wouldn't wear it when Fear was involved than what was the point of giving her a protective charm?
"There, now you won't take it off," He moved his hand away from the bracelet and instead held her hand.
"And why's that?" She questioned, adding a little sass to it to play around. He raised a single brow at the tone but didn't say anything, just smirked and moved on.
"It won't absorb the Fear and give it to me anymore, it will only protect you from their magic."
"Does THAT go to you?"
"No, it won't. Think of it as a Kido barrier that forms over you from the bracelet; though it has to stay on to do so. It won't protect you from any high energy spells, though, so don't rush in expecting to be immune."
"Well of course not, I'd never expect that," She rolled her eyes before kissing him on the cheek. "At least I don't have to worry about you getting hurt now."
"I would have been fine anyway, Karin, but your stubbornness makes it hard to protect you in return."
Grinning foxily, the Substitute pretended his words were praise. He gave a sigh in return as if exhausted by her actions before bringing her back into his arms for one last embrace.
"I'll be back as soon as I can," He promised quietly.
"It's never soon enough…"
"I know…"
Gray eyes lit up with an idea.
"What if I went with you?" She asked and his eyes widened in surprise. "Just this once, I mean…It's the summer anyway and maybe I could help, you know, like a spokesperson for this branch."
"The problem with that is you're not a true Soul Reaper," He replied though it was clear he was thinking about it.
"Which means I could also plead in case for the humans in the World of the Living. Ichigo can go, too, since he's gonna be a Royal Guard now; let him get acquainted with the people there."
"I agree with letting Ichigo get to know the commanders but he's not the best politician, and you're still a human by their terms and not well acquainted with how we run – and neither is Ichigo for that matter. Remember, they're rather frustrated with me already for fraternizing with you."
"Oh boohoo," She snorted. "This 'human' happens to be the younger sister to the guy who almost single-handedly saved the Japanese branch."
"But you're not THE person who almost single-handedly saved this branch. They don't look at relations the way humans do. I noticed that in my last week before becoming king; they expected much of me because I was becoming their next king, not necessarily because I was the son of one. They saw me simply as the next pick and didn't respect me immediately just because my father was well-respected."
"Is it because most spirits end up not finding their family when they come here?" Karin frowned.
"That's a big part of it. Since no one is really blood related most of the time in the spirit world, one has to prove their worthy of their 'family' name, not expect to be worthy just because they're in it. You may be Ichigo's sister, but that doesn't mean you're at all like him, in their eyes. As far as they know, you're like any other human."
"But I'm not."
"Oh I know you're not," He chuckled slightly, standing as he did so. "While I like the idea, I don't think it will be as successful as you hope it to be." Still gripping her hand he pulled her to her feet as well. "I'm sorry."
"That's okay," She shrugged. "It was worth a try."
With one last apologetic smile he turned away, spotting Ruala further away with her back to them, looking at the sky to give them their privacy while still reminding him it was time to leave. Reluctantly he left Karin's side and met up with the silent guardian, heading off to the outside of the Seireitei to find the Tenchuren.
"I will stay here to keep up the barrier," Ruala said quietly. "Lady Shutara will return with you and Myndræl."
"Very well." He nodded to show he understood. "Will you keep an eye on the Kurosakis? They never did give me an affirmative answer about regaining their status as Royal blood, only Ichigo agreed, and only on his place as guardian."
"I will watch over them."
"Thank you."
They parted ways, Toshiro continuing on his path while Ruala vanished with Flash Step to watch over the Seireitei.
The 'peaceful' lull after the fight would end soon. He could feel it.
The war was beginning.
Terribly sorry for the wait, but here it is! Enjoy!
Beta'd by Writer of Craziness