"Soul King! Soul King!"
At the tiny voice calling for him, Toshiro turned away from his conversation with one of the commanders to see who it was. A small child was running towards him, looking rather excited to see him.
"Ah, young Noah." The commander with him, Balthazar of the Northern European branches, spoke kindly with a slight chuckled as the small brunette joined them.
The name was vaguely familiar to Toshiro, as was the child himself. Then, he remembered. One of the kids that Sylfie had him babysit for a short time many years ago. Noah had grown an inch or two and looked a little older, but he remembered the boy now, how he had sat off to the side shyly because it was his first time there.
"I haven't seen you in a while." Toshiro managed a small smile of his own as he knelt down before the small European.
"You've been busy…" Noah replied quietly, clearly still a little on the shy side as he toed the wooden floor beneath him.
"Yes, I have. What brings you here?"
"My family came with Lady Greenleaf to speak to our commander." He turned up to Balthazar but refused to meet the large man's blood red eyes. "Mom wanted to put in her word about, um, something to do with all the demon fights."
"I'll make sure to hear her out." Balthazar promised, offering the child a small bow. Noah beamed, feeling a little better talking to the two powerful figures. "In fact, how about we go back to her together, hm? I'm sure our king has his hands full with the other commanders so we'll leave him alone for a bit."
Curious, Noah turned to look at Hitsugaya as if to ask if that was true. The young king nodded and stood once more. Pouting, as he'd wanted to talk to the man he had met as a prince, the young boy took Balthazar's offered hand instead and headed back down the wintery hallways to where his family waited.
'You're halfway decent with kids.' Hyorinmaru chuckled and the smile Toshiro had put on vanished into a scowl. 'It's a wonder you remembered him at all.'
'You think so little of me, Hyorinmaru…' Toshiro grumbled back, heading the opposite way of the other two to find his aunt. After completing her task the green-haired woman had asked to speak with him, but he'd gotten caught up in a conversation with Balthazar about the Hollow issues in that region. It seemed they wouldn't have any help from those branches.
He found the woman humming to herself as she walked slowly around the main hall, a cavernous room of dark wood accented with silver and white, continuing the wintery theme throughout. Large windows on one side gave a perfect view of the outside and providing plenty of light, though there were silver candelabra along the walls for when it got dark and chandeliers above with hanging crystals that looked like ice, sparkling in thousands of colors and adding a warm touch to the otherwise chilly toned room.
"Thank you for your help, Sylfie," He said first and she looked over at him with a smile.
"Oh, not at all." She waved off his thanks and stepped over to him with that elven grace she inherited from her celtic line. "I suppose you're still in a hurry, though, so I'll get right to the point. How successful do you think we'll be in this war?"
He wasn't too surprised by the question, considering his aunt was known to ask strange questions, but had a hard time finding an answer. No, he didn't expect this war to be easy and without losses on their side, which is why he was trying so hard to procure reinforcements. However, he was fairly certain that, if enough of the branches joined the fight, they'd at least bring the casualties to a minimum. Then there was the problem of finding Kamai's hiding place. As long as the Dark Master remained hidden, this war could go on for centuries, just like with his father before him.
"No war comes without grief." He answered to sum up those thoughts.
Sylfie nodded in understanding; as a woman of many words she had long ago learned how to interpret those of fewer to keep a conversation going.
"My daughters want to participate." She continued. "Normally I'd feel just fine about it, but with these demons I'm unsure. Like any mother I worry about their safe return."
"I can understand." Toshiro nodded. "But the choice is ultimately up to them, you know."
"Yes…" She sighed sadly. It was one of the few times Hitsugaya had seen her brought out of her happy persona. "As much as I try I know they're not my little girls anymore. And then there's you." She noticed him raise a single brow at her words. "Come now, nephew, you're family to me as well. I worry just as much for your safety as my three daughters, and not because you're a king, but because you're my sister's son."
She hugged him briefly, a smile coming back to her face. Though brief, he could feel the tension in her muscles and the nervous shake in her arms. She really was worried about him.
"I'll be fine, Sylfie," Toshiro said softly in an attempt to soothe her. "If it really becomes that serious I'll back out, I promise."
"You better keep it," She said sternly, hands on his shoulders in a firm grip. "I've done my best to take care of you in my sister's place, I'm sure she'd look down on me if anything happened to you."
"I'm honored to have an aunt like you." The young king gave her an honest smile. He meant every word, as Sylfie had been there for him these past years no matter the circumstances.
Flattered, Sylfie gave him another hug before releasing him and heading back into the halls. Her business was purely family related and, worry somewhat calmed, she was headed back to her daughters to have a similar conversation.
'Is there no way to find this shadows world of Dethmaiyn's?' Hyorinmaru rumbled. Their first step to victory was to find the demon's hideout.
"If there is I haven't found it yet." Toshiro sighed. "Nothing in the library gave any hint of a completely cut off area where demons can hide."
"Then you haven't looked hard enough."
The deep and rather sinister voice gave Toshiro a start, his gaze turning rapidly to the figure resting in shadows at the hall's entryway. It was hard to see the figure as he hid in the darkness, but his height was staggering and his silhouette showed a very in-human like figure.
"Pardon me, I've only just arrived." The figure spoke again. "I have yet to make myself more…presentable."
"I did not expect your presence here, King of Hell." Toshiro still felt tense, but that was normal when in the presence of the millennia old being in charge of the worst sinners and darkest realms.
"I made no attempt to warn you of my arrival, but I do have urgent news, Soul King." The voice was losing its bone-shaking deep tone, lightening up to a more human voice that was still a deep baritone, but definitely less intimidating. "News of the very issue you just spoke of."
"You have information about Dethmaiyn's whereabouts?" Intrigued, Hitsugaya stepped a little closer to the tall figure so their conversation wouldn't be quite as loud.
"Not his exact whereabouts, no." Finally stepping out of the shadows, Satan could be seen in the figure of a tall, dark-skinned man with pitch black hair down to his shoulders, eyes a deep gold that could see everything. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled, the King of Hell could easily be considered Toshiro's complete opposite. But despite these intimidating features, Toshiro was well acquainted with Satan by now to not feel the need to cower under that amber gaze. In fact, despite his job, Satan was no crueler than a snarky old grandfather.
"Have the demons slipped up, then?" Toshiro pressed for more information.
"Yes, they have." The King of Hell grinned, his fangs sort of diluting the kindness behind it. "I've been watching them for some time now, both in my realm and the Living World, and I have finally managed to make a rough estimate of where they disappear to. They are very careful, usually hiding themselves in shadows before they return home."
"So it's a separate realm?" Hitsugaya frowned. A hidden realm they could only enter with the power of a demon; this would not be easy.
"Not so." Satan shook his head. "It is a section of the Precipice World that I and a Soul King many centuries ago sealed off due to the dark power that seemed to permeate from it. It was taken over by an evil spirit and by sealing it we trapped the beast inside."
"Any clue about this evil spirit?"
"It never showed itself." Satan sighed sadly. "But I can never forget that horrible laugh. High-pitched, like a woman gone crazy."
"Then Dethmaiyn must have tamed this creature somehow." Toshiro mused, wondering how dangerous this new threat was.
"And not only that, but the true entrance to this section of the Precipice is still sealed. The demons are using some kind of backdoor to enter it."
"Do you remember where the entrance is?"
"Unfortunately part of the seal was to erase our memories of the location, in case anyone attempted to force one of us to open it." Satan gave the young king a sympathetic glance. "I cannot help you there. However, I believe you can find it."
Toshiro looked at him curiously.
"How so?"
"The Soul King I sealed off the entrance with was also known as the Heavenly Guardian." A mysterious grin crossed the demon's face as Toshiro's eyes widened. "You are his reincarnation, young Soul King. You are capable of breaking the seal."
"But…finding it," Toshiro was still unsure about his status as the next Heavenly Guardian, bearer of two dragons, "I have no idea where to start."
"Because you have already overlooked it." Satan lifted a hand and, with a flick of his wrist, brought a familiar book to his hands. The book with the unfinished prophecy. "Did you know there are two endings to the prophecy within these pages? It entirely depends on you."
The book was handed off, Toshiro taking it uncertainly. What was the King of Hell planning, being cryptic like this? Was he saying all this just to confuse him? He opened it to the familiar page with the prophecy.
As if pulled by magic he settled on two specific lines of the text.
"'Twin drakes reveal a world once lost, Light does fade as death is near'." His eyes went wide. "My dragons will find it?"
"Your dragons will open it." Satan corrected. "As for finding it, what could the Light and Death be in the next part? This part I actually am not sure of, but I believe you will know it."
Frowning, Toshiro ran it through his head. What could fit those two words well? Were they objects? People? If people, who were they and were they connected? Death…who could possibly symbolize death? Soul Reapers? But then, which one? Satan stood patiently as his counterpart attempted to solve this little mystery.
Once again as if led by magic, the thought snapped into focus.
"Ruala." He breathed, surprised. "I remember…one of my opponents in the Five Trials mentioned a twin sister…a twin with control over Death. The evil spirit…it's her twin sister. Ruala is the light, her sister is the death."
"They are opposites in power." Satan mused, only slightly surprised by this revelation. He'd had suspicions but couldn't be sure, as he didn't think Ruala was that old. Toshiro couldn't quite believe that either, now that he knew. "Fear flees from Hope, and Hope dissolves under Fear. The way to find this entrance is to use the powers of the sisters. Ruala will know when she's nearing her twin's prison."
"You said you had a rough idea where it might be." Toshiro forced his excitement down; they were so close now. Finally they could get somewhere in this two year standstill.
"I do." Satan began to walk past. "I will show you on a map. Do you have one of the World of the Living?"
"Of course, I have to keep track of the sections each branch controls and whether or not anyone is overstepping their bounds."
Giving a light chuckle, the towering figure went silent as they walked. Toshiro took this chance to figure out how the King of Hell could know so much, could lead him on like this. More importantly, why? The King of Hell had no ties to the other realms, no need to help. The demons were no threat to him.
"Why are you helping me?" Toshiro questioned aloud as it continued to press forward in his mind.
"Are we not allies, Soul King?" Satan seemed somewhat surprised by this question, but as a being born with the beginning of the Earth, there was no telling his true intentions.
"Dethmaiyn's goal is to take my powers and become the Soul King, meaning there's no threat to you in any way if he succeeds."
"That is true, yes. As long as he doesn't intend to kill you my realm is free of danger. However, as old as I am, I still have a tendency to be a bit childish." Here the king chuckled again. "When the demons came to our world I could control them, and now the Dark Master has wrenched away that control. I'm a rather competitive ruler at times and I feel cheated with having once loyal subjects taken from me."
"What did you have the demons do, before Dethmaiyn showed up?"
"They had free reign of the Sinners. Is it not the punishment of all Sinners to suffer? The demons did a marvelous job of it."
Toshiro decided he didn't like this topic and moved on to a different question.
"So you just want to get revenge on Dethmaiyn for stealing your servants?"
"Something of that nature, yes." Satan shrugged. "I know many find my words cryptic and confusing, such as yourself, but I'm rather simple at heart."
"The plan is to destroy the demons, you know." Toshiro spoke cautiously, wondering if Satan already knew this.
"They have gotten rather overpopulated, haven't they?" The nonchalant reply was not expected, making Toshiro wonder what was really on the Hell King's mind. "There are more of them than souls in my Hell. It gets rather competitive down there and I do despise the headaches it gives me. In the end, I think I'm better off without those dull creatures."
"Yet you still want to have a go at Dethmaiyn."
"No one can steal from a king and get away with it." Satan smirked slightly. "If your damsel was whisked away, would you not also hunt down the thief?"
Hitsugaya didn't answer that one. He was, after all, interfering in the affairs of the Soul Society for the purpose of protecting his friends. Seeing the white-haired being's silence, Satan chuckled once more.
"We may seem different as night and day, Soul King, but in the end our desires our similar: To protect what is ours, whether it is simply pride or one we deeply care about. Dethmaiyn is threatening that sphere of safety and so what was once a neutral alliance between two kings is now a cooperative effort to remove a tyrant from this world."
"I understand." They stepped into one of the rooms where several maps were pinned to the walls, several written on in various places with blank maps rolled up in tubes in the corners in case something changed enough to warrant a new paper. "Feel free to mark the area you believe to be the entrance's location on any of these maps."
The King of Hell quietly looked around at the various maps. Some were of the various afterlife realms, two or three of the Living World, and one that seemed to map out parts of the Precipice World, though the last was simply a sketch due to that realm's ever changing nature. He stepped over to a map of the Living Word that was relatively clean of markings and words and scanned over the lands drawn upon it, pinpointing the location of where the demons were disappearing.
After a moment of searching he brought a black pen to hand and drew a circle around the correct location, ink blood red and making Toshiro vaguely wonder if it was indeed blood. Then, he stepped aside and let the young king move forward to look. Teal eyes narrowed suspiciously before turning to the towering figure next to him.
"Are you absolutely sure?" He questioned, not wanting to believe what he was seeing.
"I waited several weeks of careful observation to make absolutely sure that I was absolutely sure." Satan smirked a bit; oh how he loved being cryptic. "The location is still a rather large area of search; it could take several more weeks of careful combing to pinpoint the exact point of entry."
"While that's true…it unnerves me to think…"
He checked the blood red circle once more to make sure he was seeing things right. But, his eyes were not playing tricks, and no amount of denial or attempts to blink it away made the circle move. The crimson circle seemed to burn into the paper, drawing any eyes to it for it to be looked at with certainty, with no doubt it could be anywhere else.
Sighing heavily, Toshiro gave in and accepted the Hell King's observation. While he didn't have to like it, a clue was a clue and he was prepared to take full advantage of it while he could.
"Does the entrance move?" Toshiro asked instead.
"Not this one, no, especially with it sealed." Satan shook his head.
"Good…I don't want to spend another century trying to find it again if it does."
Pivoting sharply, Toshiro left the room and headed off to find the commanders he hoped were still in the palace. There would be a slight change of plans; he needed answers now about getting the other branches to join.
Still inside, Satan glanced one last time at his mark. Oh he wished it was somewhere else, too, but evidence was evidence, and Dethmaiyn had been getting on his nerves for some time now. If anyone could stop the ever growing Dark Master, it was the reincarnation of the Heavenly Guardian.
Deciding he'd lingered long enough in the room, the King of Hell walked back out after the Soul King, knowing the boy would be summoning his Royal Guards soon and one of them he particularly wanted to meet, leaving nothing behind but the glaring crimson circle, singling out a large piece of the Japanese continent.
A piece of land with Karakura Town right at its center.
I'm so sorry for taking so long, some trouble getting the doc to my Beta and catching up with school. So sorry. T^T But, here's some interaction with the Hell King! I figured since the Soul Kings are more of a presence of light, their opposite, the King of Hell, should seem very dark to blend into the shadows. But he's really a nice guy, he just has fun teasing the 'young ones' and all that. Enjoy!
Edit: Got it beta'd! Beta'd by Writer of Craziness