"Welcome back!" Sylfie greeted her nephew eagerly as he made his way through the halls, waving at him with a big smile.
"Sylfie, I need a favor from you," He replied, getting right to the point. She frowned at first but could tell by his tone that now was not the time for silliness. "Is there a way you could talk to the families of the commanders, the ones for other countries? I need to see if they'd be willing to assist me with something."
"Something as in…?" She pressed for more.
"A few days ago a rogue warrior of Dethmaiyn's attacked and brought a rather sizable army with him. If he was just a rogue I dread to think what the true force is like and I regret to say one branch won't be able to hold it off. I'm asking to see if the other branches would be willing to step in and help stop this army. Once the Japanese branch goes down, Dethmaiyn will continue to attack the others one by one until everything is gone or until I give in and hand over my place."
"True," She nodded. "I'll see what I can do about the families. Any specific regions in mind?"
"Those closest to us if possible and perhaps America's as well, considering they love to help." His aunt gave a snort and rolled her eyes; she knew all about America's want to be in everybody's business. "Hopefully a good number of them will agree, we'll need a lot of help."
"Very well. So how did it go with the Kurosakis?"
Though the shift was sudden he'd learned by now how to keep up with Sylfie's quick subject changes, though if he wasn't paying attention she'd still catch him off guard. Thankfully he was completely attentive at the moment.
"Ichigo agreed rather quickly to becoming a Royal Guard but his family isn't quite decided on regaining their Royal Family status, which means he'll be staying in the Soul Society anyway."
"But you expected that," She smirked.
"I did," He nodded. "Ruala's still there now to make sure her barrier stays strong and she'll be watching over them for when they make a decision."
She nodded once more before smiling and walking away to begin her new mission. Once the green-haired woman was out of sight, Toshiro set off back outside; he had dragons to talk to.
Myndræl met him upon the balcony, already set to fly.
"With Tælaf and Ahvain already partnered up, more of the dragons will want to go," Myndræl purred. "How will you send them there?"
"Ahvain is a Wind-Gravity type, meaning she can teleport to places she's been," Toshiro responded while mounting. "She already agreed to help teleport anyone else who wants to go, one at a time."
"Maybe another Gravity type will be willing to help." Sapphire wings spread wide and the dragon walked over to the edge.
"With any luck I'll convince the Keeper of Gravity to assist. I have the Keeper of Light, Ice and Darkness already on my side. At least…I think I have the Keeper of Light on my side."
"Lord Hopryn is very careful about which side he picks, but with his brother Lord Firzara on our side he might be leaning towards it as well."
They left the conversation at that for now as they took off for Dragon Isle in search of more possible partner candidates. Due to the number of drakes still flying around the nest it was safe to say most of the beings were still there, waiting to hear how Tælaf and Ahvain fared in their quest for a partner.
'What about the Greenleaf twins?' Myndræl spoke telepathically as the wind roared past them, too loud for verbal conversation. 'Lady Ralæn wanted to help fight.'
'I never told her she couldn't; it's her mother keeping her back,' Toshiro replied, glancing at the mansion woven of trees as they passed over the Kingdom of Magika. 'The Royal Families aren't supposed to be participating.'
'By the end of your meeting with the commanders they might as well. The entire world is in jeopardy right now.'
'You have a point, but it won't be that easy. Most of them don't even have fighting experience. The Greenleaf Family was always odd in that sense, though some of the Families I've met are pretty strange in my opinion.'
'Only because they're of a different culture that you're not used to,' Hyorinmaru pointed out.
'The Japanese culture is strange to me,' Myndræl added. 'For one, the dragons worshipped in Japan look different from most of us. Only Wind or Lightning type dragons have such long, thin bodies and sometimes no wings. Sometimes the Water dragons, too, but mostly the Wind and Lightning.'
'I suppose I'm the oddity then.'
'You won't hear anyone complaining, though, that's for sure,' Myndræl chuckled.
Smiling a little as the two dragons continued on about the different types and styles of each element and how weird some are in comparison, Toshiro just remained silent, instead thinking of what to say to the dragons and, later, the commanders. The better he could convince them the more chance he had at increasing their forces against the demons. And the more forces they had the more chance there was of victory for them. He just had to hope they could convince enough people.
The two Ice dragons got quiet as they reached the Nest, Myndræl tucking in his wings and diving downwards once past the mountainous border, flaring them out again near the ground to land softly on the stone that rose up near the large pond. At his arrival, many dragons turned their way, some walking over to hear their news, curious. One dragon, a Fire-type by the looks of him, came the closest with the posture of wanting to ask a question. Fortunately he kept enough manners to wait until their Dragon King had dismounted and turned to them before opening his mouth.
"How did Ahvain and Tælaf fare?" He asked in a gruff voice. He was thin for a Fire type dragon, suggesting a second element, with electric blue stripes patterning his sides as well as a row of light green stripes down his back, large wings a light yellow like the flash of lightning, giving away his second element. There were short, thick black spikes down his spine and gray horns just behind his head with frills the same color as his wings running between them. He looked up at them with bright blue his, swishing his long tail that ended in a bright blue spade as he waited.
"They both have met their partners," Toshiro answered the dragon.
"Have they?" The dragon grinned excitedly, showing off long saber fangs as he did so. "So perhaps it's not as impossible as we first thought to find our partners."
"A good number of you seem to be bonded with those in the Japanese branch, yes." Toshiro sat on the edge of the rock, the dragon tall enough to look him in the eye as he did so despite being on lower ground. "Hopefully when I talk to the commanders of the other branches those areas will be open for you all to search and attempt to find your partners. As lucky as you would be, I doubt all of you have partners in my former home."
"I would think not, though it would be a great place to start," The red dragon chuckled. "I am Noxis, by the way, a Fire-Lightning type. I suppose my type was easy to guess, though." He spread his wings to emphasize his point, the crimson skin over the bony parts of the appendages contrasting with the bright yellow of the wing membrane.
"Yes, it was." Teal eyes looked up as more dragons approached, coming closer. "I suppose I should let everyone know about their success."
Nodding, Noxis understood that as his cue to back up into the crowd again while Toshiro stood to be seen and better heard. Myndræl, with his taller frame and louder voice, would probably be better suited for giving the news to the island since so many weren't bothering to approach. So, he let the sapphire dragon speak for him.
"The dragon Tælaf and Ahvain have found their partners in the Soul Society!" His voice carried over the rumblings and grunts of the other dragons, silencing them and catching the attention of those who originally were not listening or didn't care. "There is hope for a great many of you to meet the same fate!"
"Found partners, you say?" The voice came from behind them, the Dragon Keeper of Water. Her aqua colored head was only a little above the water, sea-green eyes alight with interest and fascination. "Well then, I suppose you were right all along, Dragon King."
"Yet not all of us will be so lucky," One of her Water dragons argued, sitting on the edge of the pond. "What of the other places?"
"I will be speaking to the commanders tonight in the hopes of gaining more allies for this war." Toshiro answered now that he had everyone's attention. "During that time I will gladly negotiate letting some of you travel to those branches in the hopes of finding partners." He turned back to the masses. "Ahvain and Tælaf went with me on a hunch that their partners were waiting for them on the other side. They were right. I believe if you follow that instinct you all will meet your human selves, just as they have."
"Finding one's partner always did seem to have a hidden instinct behind it," A Flora dragon mused. "From the stories, anyway. We've all ignored it in our generation."
"Then perhaps it is time you young ones start searching," Lilianna spoke up, her violet figure clear to see as she stood among the greens and browns of various dragons, mostly Earth-types.
Murmurs went among the drakes as they wondered if they should start heading out. So many had been lucky enough to find their partners just by following their instinct, an instinct they long had suppressed in their hatred for what the humans had done.
"What's past is in the past, now." Toshiro's voice carried through their uncertain whispers. "Isn't it time the dragons rose back up from their exile?"
That got them interested. They definitely wanted out of exile as their numbers were thinning every year. The chances of mates always seemed to increase with partners due to how easily humans seemed to find their mates, which would mean more dragonlings and a rise in their population again. Not to mention spreading out among the Soul Societies would give them more room for their territorial needs, as there simply wasn't enough room in one realm for the few of them there were.
"I'll go!" A dragon called and Toshiro recognized Noxis. "I wanted to go with Ahvain and Tælaf, but I was still unsure. Now I'm pretty confident my partner is there."
Toshiro allowed a small smile to cross his face. Finally they were coming out of the wilds to return to their ancestral path. He'd read about the dragon's history and it was a truly amazing thing, tales of Dragon Riders who kept peace in the land. He wished for that same peace among dragons and humans, though he'd start with the spirits already used to the strange, instead of trying to push their presence on the easily frightened humans. Hopefully this way he could avoid another war between their species and dragon kind could return to the world gradually.
"As a Keeper with the benefit of dragon kind in mind I support the idea of finding partners." The Keeper of Wind spoke as she twirled through the air with her lean, cloud gray body, feathers around her head and down her spine of a sky blue color and eyes bright orange like the sunset. As the controller of wind she needed no wings and simply spun through the wind currents like the Eastern Dragon of stories. "After all, we're rather small in population now. A few elements are in danger of going extinct."
Her gaze looked over on the Keeper of Time, a black dragon tiger-striped with gray, golden eyes alight with untold wisdom. He was the only Keeper who could pass on memories to the next Keeper, making them wiser and wiser each time. It was said Lilianna might have been the next Keeper of Time, but her Lunar element negated that possibility. One had to be pure of that element, after all. With the dragons lessening in number, it was becoming harder and harder to do such a thing. Time was one of those elements, a rare element already, and becoming rarer as time went on, no pun intended.
"I think all the Keepers believe as such." Hopryn nodded his head in agreement, a few of his Light dragons around him giving out a purr as their own form of agreement.
If anything could convince the dragons to join rank it would be the ones who ruled over them, the Dragon Keepers. Especially for a subject like this where they really could care less if they wanted considering it didn't involve them. Their support spoke volumes and it was starting to convince the younger ones.
The older ones, though…
"This is nonsense!" An older Flora dragon snorted. "I will never trust a human be they living or dead! All they know is destruction!"
"And yet you're still here." Toshiro argued. The dragon silenced, fuming. "I ask that you all at least consider my offer. Those already sure of your answer, I'll await it atop the palace after my meeting with the commanders." He turned away and moved to sit atop Myndræl's back. "May Swift guide you well."
Several dragons returned the goodbye and then Myndræl took leave, heading back to the enormous floating palace.
Myndræl stayed atop the palace to await any dragons that make up their mind to head to the Soul Society while Toshiro ventured in, hoping Sylfie would succeed in convincing the commanders, and their Families, to meeting with him. He was sure she could, but it could take some time. So, while he waited, he returned to the smaller duties he had yet to finish. As expected the paperwork had piled up after his week-long absence, but Sylfie's place allowed her to do some of it, lessening the load on him for which he was grateful, and he'd had far worse as the Squad Ten Captain. He had expected more paperwork than this, really, but was surprised at how little he seemed to get even with long absences. Maybe it was just his experience as a Captain, having to do his and Rangiku's.
What took time out of his day was dealing with the Families and keeping up with what was going on outside his realm. He had yet to give up his search for where the entrance to Kamai's hiding place lay. Having exhausted every effort of tying it to Japan, either living world or dead, he now turned to the other countries. Some places had already been checked by his Royal Guards, but still they had turned up empty-handed. He kept himself from being disappointed. After all, they'd been searching for this entrance many, many years before him, when he was born and Dethmaiyn struck out, and even then had never found it.
"Where are you, you bastard?" Toshiro muttered under his breath as he looked through the reports. So far the demons seemed to be keeping to the Japanese branch due to his constant visits there. While that put pressure on his friends it kept them from attacking elsewhere and forcing him to split his forces. They couldn't afford that now.
Sighing, Toshiro glanced at his right hand, the mark of the Soul King shining dully on his hand. Now that he was king it never faded, but if he kept his power in check he could at least make it less noticeable. He just wished there was a way to hide it for when he left his realm, but alas, no sorcery or clothing could hide the icy blue glow, to his dislike.
'What if the commanders refuse to head to their branches and convince them to fight?' Hyorinmaru questioned, wanting to make sure his master had all the bases covered. 'What if the other branches refuse to fight?'
"I'm sure there will be plenty of arguing and lots of convincing will be needed but if they end up not wanting to take part there's not much I can do." Hitsugaya answered, looking away from his birthmark and instead picking up an old book he hadn't looked at in a while; the book with the scratched out prophecy. "There are plenty of reasons for them NOT to fight and I wouldn't blame them for minding their own business despite being requested by the Royal Families to help. There's not much in it for them and lessening their own numbers may affect how well they can fight off Hollows in their areas. I'm not going to endanger entire branches just to protect one."
'Though the logic to join is that, if the Japanese branch falls, they will be next.'
"Yes, that's true, but if they're already having difficulties we can't overwork them. Then there would be no point in getting their help, for we'd lose those left and the thousands of souls who live there. Their help would be greatly appreciated but I can understand if they don't want to risk valuable soldiers trying to save another country."
'Well, if anything, the American branch will give you whatever you need.'
Toshiro smirked slightly.
"I'm sure they will." He passed into a thoughtful expression. "I wonder what it's like there. I've read that their zanpaktous don't always remain sealed as a sword, but almost anything, depending on who they are. They're also a little more advanced in their Heaven, as they like to call it, than Japan's Soul Society."
'Not to mention nosy.'
A small laugh escaped the young king. It was easy to laugh with just Hyorinmaru, though now that circle also included Myndræl and Karin…and by extension Dyrilæn.
"Nosy as they are, they'd be of great help." Toshiro flipped open the book to where the prophecy was, glancing at where the edges left of the ripped out pages rested, almost mocking him. He looked back at the lines he'd managed to clear up with Ruala's Time element.
The hand of royals is the key,
The power of spirits is the sight,
Wisdom prefers the color teal to see,
The pride of rulers is marked by white.
The dragons choose a King of Frost,
Demons crawl with power of Fear,
Twin drakes reveal a world once lost,
Light does fade as death is near.
Unfortunately, that's all there was at the moment. Four lines were still completely unreadable, blackened to the point that nothing could return the page to what it once was except Ruala finding the lines through her unpredictable Time element.
There was a knock and he looked up, spotting the tall woman with boy-cut brown hair; Ryder Evereed, commander of the North American branches. He held back a grin; the Evereed family once came from the American branch and still practiced a lot of the same traditions, hence why Ryder wore an American military uniform as her commander uniform. If he could count on anyone to increase the forces against the demons it was Ryder and her Family.
"Yes?" He questioned, acting like he wasn't thinking all this.
"Lady Greenleaf happened to catch me on my way here and said you wanted to meet me, as well as the other commanders," Ryder explained.
"She's correct." Toshiro shut the book in his hands and lay it upon his desk before standing and walking over to the door. "I'll give you a summary and then explain the rest when the others get here."
"Understood." She followed behind him as he walked, as she was trained to do.
First step towards victory taken. Hitsugaya could only hope it was enough.
Sorry for the delay. I know this stuff is boring, but hey, war has tons of politics involved. But most of it will be here in the beginning, so once the action starts picking up, it'll be exciting ^^ Enjoy!
Beta'd by Writer of Craziness