It was still impossible to tell how much time he had spent within his consciousness, no way of knowing if anyone outside his mental world was still alive or if Kamai was waiting for him to wake just to chain him again. He could defeat these shadows only to find himself back in the Dark Master's grasp.
Every battle with the shadows left Toshiro tired and aching, as if struck with an awful sickness. The physical strain affected his ability to mentally resist the onslaught of negative emotions, leaving him vulnerable and exhausted.
But slowly it was getting easier. He no longer bothered with trying to react to the nightmares. Ordinarily he would have just put up a tougher wall of ice over his heart, but his conversation with Karin still weighed on his mind. Closing off his heart would indeed protect him from Kamai's powers, but at what cost? He couldn't just ignore the fact that he was quick to react emotionally to poor situations. He had tried being ice cold for years as a Captain only for everything to explode within him against Aizen and nearly cost him his life and the lives of his friends. That nightmare was a favorite for the shadows to assault his thoughts with.
The method he'd taken up was definitely painful and exhausting, but it helped him overcome his fears without completely erasing who he was. Because life was painful and exhausting. It was never going to get easier. Acting on his rage was definitely going to only bring him more trouble, but he reacted that way because he kept trying to smother everything else he was feeling.
So, he tried meditation. It felt strange to meditate when he was already within his Inner World, however, it was starting to get him somewhere. Every time the shadows latched onto him and brought him into a new nightmare he took a step back, reminded himself it was just illusions even if the feelings behind them were real. That was what made it so painful to endure, to accept how much these memories hurt him and made him who he was. He would continue to endure, though, as he noticed the nightmares lessen in intensity, the shadows fading and less aggressive. They weren't whispering in his ear anymore, just hovering around him in a pitiful attempt to remain menacing.
He was roused from his meditation by the sound of bells. The sound was familiar… he often heard such light, twinkling tones when he went to visit Sylfie's home. They enjoyed any form of musical mediums and bells made up the wind chimes at their windows.
Opening his eyes, he saw a single tendril of light struggling through the shadows. It could very easily be another trick but he reached out for it regardless, not about to let paranoia keep him away from discovering something.
Unlike the lying "memories" the parasite had tried to trick him with in the first part of his time here, the light felt warm against his arm as it twisted around it. The sound of bells followed, bringing with it a slight breeze that felt welcoming to his tired mental body.
"Who are you?" He asked the light, knowing this was not part of the parasite at all.
Another chime of bells and the warmth turned to a light chill, the light tracing a rune for cold over his palm. When that rune faded, it traced a different one. He already had an assumption as to who this memory belonged to based on the fact it used runes, but seeing the symbol for mother traced into his palm confirmed it.
"Can you not show an image of yourself anymore?" A frown crossed his face. He knew Karin and Miyuki had gotten to see the spirit before her magic faded and was somewhat disappointed he would not get a chance to do the same.
The memory seemed to notice this and wound a little tighter around his arm in comfort. Another tendril of light reached out from behind the shadows and joined it, this one easier to recognize since he had been around the living person before.
"I'm glad you two can finally be reunited." A thin smile came to his face as he watched the two tendrils of his parents' memories curl around his arm. His eyes began to sting and a tear escaped down his cheek, but he didn't try to wipe it away. "I wish I could have known you both when I was younger…"
Something reached over him, startling him a bit until he recognized Seraphina. The ice form of the familiar gave a little purr before arching her neck to nose at the lights around his arm. He had almost forgotten the strange familiar was still with him.
'They still wish to lend you their strength.' Seraphina spoke quietly to him, one of her wings settling onto his back in an attempt at a hug. 'We all do.'
"But I thought if you did that you would never return to the cycle." Toshiro was quick to frown and fully prepared to refuse the offer. He could not take the opportunity of rebirth away from his family, no matter what the circumstances might be. It was the decision he had given to his father and his mind had not changed on it.
'With our help, you can master your final attack.' The familiar twisted around so she was lying next to her master, wings tucked in and resting her head on his lap. 'You will be at your full power.'
Toshiro remembered his last attempt at fighting Kamai. Sure he had already been worn out by fighting the Demon Lords, but there was no denying Kamai still very much overpowered him. His hydra attack was not enough to take out the Dark Master, he knew it still needed work.
"I understand I don't have time to train that ability, but I can't just steal away my parents' souls. I promised I would find a way where I wouldn't have to." Toshiro turned back to Seraphina with pain in his eyes. This was not a choice he wanted to make.
'It is their wish. Their final apology for not being there for you.'
"They don't have to erase themselves to do that."
'If you so choose, after the battle is over, you can remake their souls and regain the power lost naturally. But there is no time for that now.'
"Remaking them doesn't return them." Toshiro continued to argue and the familiar gave a huff and lifted her head to meet his gaze.
'Our memories will live on through you, young king. As long as you remember them, they will never truly be gone. They may never get to be reborn, but they will not be forgotten, and that is enough for them. Will you deny them the chance to protect their son?'
There was a rush of air around them and another figure brushed through the shadows to curl up around him. Hyorinmaru must have sensed his partner's mental struggle and came to help.
"I agree with Seraphina, and I did try to explain this to you before." The dragon's voice rumbled through the water. "Trying to do things on our own has only gotten you hurt, it's time you accept the power of those whose bonds with you are strong, and nothing is stronger than the bonds of loving parents."
'White and black cross paths in pain, Bonds unbroken bring the dragons' roar,
White rises up as dark powers wane, Peace holds out for souls once more.'
Toshiro looked to Seraphina in confusion at her rhyme, wondering what she meant.
'It is the final part of the prophecy, the one where you are the victor. Just as Hyorinmaru mentioned, it is your bonds with those around you that will save you. In the Dark Master's version, you refuse those bonds and give in to hatred after all the suffering he puts you through. You might be trying to save them by going it alone, but that is what will hurt you.'
"You could have just told me that earlier…" He frowned at her.
'You would not have understood it yet. But now that you've faced the darkness so many times, you are starting to, so now perhaps it will make more sense. And maybe you will accept your parents' final wish.'
His gaze turned to the lights still wrapped warmly around his arm, waiting patiently for his decision. If he took their power for his own, the war might finally end, but it would mean the lives of his parents would end as well. He barely even got to know them and they were ready to give up eternity for him.
"They will always be with you."
'We will be at your side to fight Kamai. You are not alone. This is not the end you think it is, and you are not weak for accepting their sacrifice.'
Toshiro didn't reply, just watched the two lights twisting around his arm. His indecision and the pain in his heart was causing the darkness to start up its sneering whispers again, saying exactly the opposite of what his two guardians were telling him.
"Is this really what you want?" He directed the question to the memories of his parents. "I was so sure this wasn't the answer, that this would be what cripples me… but you're really not leaving me any choice, are you?"
There was a chime of bells from one and a soft sparkle of light from the other before they both curled around his hand and concentrated into a single ball of light just above his palm. They were ready. He lifted his other hand so as to better hold the sphere, pulling it closer.
"You've both given me so much… and yet I didn't even know you existed three years ago. There's so much I've wanted to say, so many things I wanted to learn about, but I never got the chance." His head bowed as he felt his eyes sting with tears. "All I can say now is… thank you… for everything."
He thought he could feel two pairs of arms settle around him in a warm embrace, an echo of a mother's kiss touching his head, before he heard Seraphina let out a Phoenix call and light flooded his world. The parasite of darkness writhed in anger, unable to approach again. Hyorinmaru ignored the light and curled his body around his master, letting out a calming rumble as they both felt a wave of power wash over them. The light of a former Soul King and a powerful witch settled into their bodies, combined with the great power of an Elementalist and her familiar. Toshiro had never felt so much strength flowing through him.
But with it came a heavy feeling of sorrow. He understood now that this had to be done, something his father must have known from the start, but it didn't stop the sadness that latched onto his heart at knowing these souls would never get to live again. His hands rested over his chest, still holding onto the feeling of their final embrace.
"I will never forget you." He promised.
"I understand this was not the decision you wanted to make, and for a while I hoped you wouldn't have to, but you are stronger than this pain. You did not steal their souls, they blessed you with them, two very different things. Take their wishes and rise with them rather than fret over their sacrifice. That is how we win."
"You're right." Toshiro stood and put a hand to his dragon's muzzle. "I only focused on the fact I was taking a soul from the cycle, but I didn't do it for myself. They did it for me, for everyone. I won't let them down."
The shadows were still present but he did not look at them in disdain, his gaze passive.
"You will always be here in some form or another." He stated calmly. "But I have somewhere else I need to be."
The darkness twisted weakly in response but proposed no threat. Just like the Fear that once infected him when Theda existed, these shadows would forever be at the back of his mind. He just wouldn't let them hold him back anymore, not when he had to fulfill the last will of his family to end this horrible war and stop the suffering.
His Inner World began to fade away as he was finally able to push towards consciousness. Before he was even able to feel his physical body again he could sense everything going on in his realm. His friends were badly injured and a suffocating darkness was spreading through the air like a plague, running unchecked since the barrier had fallen. Well, he couldn't have that.
'You're not welcome here.'
He could feel his Spirit Energy resonate through the air, targeting the darkness and suffocating it before it could get any closer to the Soul Reapers. It focused on the source, the Dark Master himself, and he immediately singled out the demonic figure.
'You are still banished from this place!'
The realm shuddered at the command and began to turn hostile towards the banished soul, restraining his power and pushing him out. It was only then Toshiro snapped awake, startling Orihime still in the room watching over him as he sat up quickly.
"You're awake!" Her surprise quickly turned to excitement. "Thank goodness, everyone was starting to worry you might not get up."
"I would have eventually, but I'm glad it's sooner rather than later." He felt a bit stiff as he hurried to get off the bed, but that wasn't about to stop him.
"Careful, you've been out for more than a week." Orihime hurried to his side to help him. "Are you going out into that fight?"
"I have to."
He could tell she didn't want him to, but her face set into an expression of determination and she nodded.
"I'll go with you."
Toshiro noticed a familiar necklace around her neck, the same one he used to have Karin wear when she couldn't handle the realm's heavy pressure yet. That explained why Ichigo's other human friends weren't up here as well, they only had one of those necklaces and they needed Orihime's power the most.
"If that breaks you'll be in trouble, so it's best you keep out of danger." He explained to her.
"But-"
"I'm not telling you to stay here, just telling you to be careful." He clarified before hurrying out of the room.
Grateful she wasn't being told to stay behind, Orihime hurried to follow.
Just outside, the pervading darkness was starting to vanish under the cold pressure, Kamai himself scowling as a hidden force was trying to shove him back out of the realm, growing stronger by the second. His opponents had become emboldened and approached with every intention of trying to finish him off.
"It would seem your king has realized he can banish souls from his realm." Kamai snapped, keeping up a defense but knowing he would soon be kicked out. "Our fight will have to wait, dear warriors, because soon I will no longer be able to exist here. If I do not leave on my own, I will be forcibly transported back to the World of the Living where I entered."
"Going to go hide back in your castle all alone?" Yoruichi goaded, smirking under his glare despite the sharp chill that went up her spine from his power.
"There will be no more hiding."
Kamai turned his head slightly to look behind him, seeing a break in the flames where his rival now stood. As a Captain, standing so close to the raging flames of Ryujin Jakka would have worn him out quickly, but now Toshiro stood tall as if the fire didn't exist.
"I had no plans to." Kamai narrowed his eyes at the Soul King. "This was to be the final day, however this day might end. Your soldiers have taken everything from me and it would be disgraceful to let it end in just banishment."
Toshiro looked towards the Kido barriers protecting the injured, spotting the grieving faces and horrid injuries. He found Karin amongst them sitting next to her sister and couldn't help a brief smile of relief to see her on her feet, injured but definitely alive. His dragon stood by hers and looked overjoyed to see his partner back up again, his wing being tended to by Shimmer. Their hopeful glances gave him courage.
"I could say the same to you." Toshiro's tone was bitter as he glared back at Kamai, smile gone for the man that had ruined everything. The hateful look seemed to bring a smile to the skeletal demonic face, only suggested by a look in his glowing eyes.
"If you want to fight me where no one else can get in the way, I have a place in mind." Kamai suggested, the other Soul Reapers bristling as the Dark Master let shadows stretch from beneath him towards Toshiro, ready to engulf them both.
"Don't even think about it, Lord Hitsugaya." Senjumaru scowled.
He glanced at her briefly and she went silent. There was something in his gaze… something different yet familiar. She and the others stayed put as darkness enveloped the two figures and took them both from the realm.
I know this fighting has gone on for a long time so I think I'm going to do just one big long chapter for this next one and then start wrapping it up. Most final battles are shorter than the fights leading up to it anyway.