At the end of the day, Toshiro found himself with Cloud and Tifa in the Northeast part of Karakura Town. It was a rather quiet affair with the occasional Hollow passing by.
"They seem attracted to your Spiritual Pressure, Strife." Toshiro remarked. "It seems you'll need to be taught how to hide it so you don't constantly attract them."
"How long will that take?" Cloud stabbed his sword into the ground, leaving it in Shikai due to how often the Hollows were coming.
"That depends." Toshiro shrugged. "I'm sure you could master it in a day or so. All of you seem to learn almost as fast as Kurosaki, if not as fast as he did."
His Soul Pager beeped and the Ice Captain quickly flipped it open to check it.
"Hm…" The Gaians heard him and glanced curiously at each other. They also saw him narrow his eyes at the phone.
"What is it?" Cloud dared ask.
"Matsumoto's report. I told her to keep me updated on Kadaj's condition. Apparently he spaces out every now and then and he confessed he kept hearing Sephiroth's voice…I would think with the two of them being in separate realms the Nightmare couldn't influence him, but perhaps I was wrong." He began to type a quick reply. "I'll have her keep a closer eye on him for now. If anything comes up I'm giving her permission to incapacitate him."
"You don't think Sephiroth is still trying to get his powers, do you?" Tifa looked concerned, both for the Remnant and the fate of the realms.
"I would think he'd have his hands full with Kadaj's Inner Hollow." Toshiro replied, sending the message through and pocketing his phone. "Perhaps he wants the ECB so he can use that Hollow's powers without risk of destroying his soul."
He stood from his perch.
"Come on, everyone's heading back to Urahara's place. There's a compound lining the training area that prevents Spiritual Pressure from leaking out so Hollows won't follow us there."
Both Gaians nodded and followed the white haired child back towards the shop. It had been a long day of fighting Hollows and learning how to use their zanpaktous. Rukia had been very helpful to them while Ichigo looked put out about not fighting unless absolutely necessary, for which his sister was there to keep him seated. She was allowed to help since she also needed to train, but Ichigo had firm orders not to interfere. As for Kisuke, the eccentric shop keeper just continued to give them riddles and hidden threats, to which they found annoying. They were glad when Toshiro arrived to switch.
Once everyone was down in the training area, Kisuke told them to begin talking to their zanpaktous.
"The best way to learn how to use your zanpaktou's powers is from the zanpaktou themselves." Kisuke grinned behind his fan as the Gaians listened to him. While he spoke, Toshiro motioned for Vincent to step away with him and the two of them separated from the crowd. "So, you need to all speak with your zanpaktous and get to know them like you would a friend, and then maybe they'll teach you something."
With some sighs or mutters, the Gaians followed Karin's example of setting their blade on their lap to meditate as she joined them, wanting to find her zanpaktou's name finally. Meanwhile, Toshiro turned to Vincent, the two of them several yards from the group in order to have privacy though still in sight of one another.
"So why does Chaos want the Protomateria removed?" Toshiro began immediately.
"It bothers him, chains him down." Vincent replied. "It does that so he can't focus, preventing him from taking control. It also makes him irritable."
"Understandable. But is there any promise he won't attempt to control you as he did before when it was removed?"
'That depends, Ice Captain.' Chaos replied, using the Weapon link between himself and Hyorinmaru to speak.
"Depends on what?"
'I just want it gone because it's annoying. I attempted to take control before because Valentine was unstable, it would have happened anyway. Plus, I wanted a go at Hyorinmaru.'
At this the ice dragon snorted, un-amused, and Chaos growled.
'What with me being a zanpaktou now, though, it's unlikely he'll be as unstable.'
"And your disagreement with Hyorinmaru?" Vincent crossed his arms.
'I'd be willing to help you adjust to being a zanpaktou, having been one for almost a century now.' Hyorinmaru spoke up.
"Our new ability to travel to the Inner Worlds of others could be useful in this way." Toshiro added on. "Hyorinmaru could directly train you how to use your power the way a zanpaktou would, and by extension teach Vincent. It's not normally how we would train a new Soul Reaper but under these rather unique circumstances it should do."
'Well, considering most of Vincent's Inner World is the Nibelheim mansion you might have trouble fitting, dragon.' Chaos aimed at Hyorinmaru.
'I do have my human form, Chaos.' The ice dragon sighed in reply. 'And I recall the mansion having a large clearing behind it suited for fighting.'
They got no reply and Vincent heaved a sigh.
"I'm sure we'll manage something. Is it possible to remove the Protomateria?"
"The way it was removed last time, if I remember right, was having a Tsviet rip it from your chest." Toshiro replied.
"I'd like to avoid that route, if possible."
Hitsugaya smirked as the gunman scowled at the memory.
"I could do the same but in a far less painful way. The question is if you're truly willing to remove it."
"If that's what it takes to master Chaos's power, or in this world Gurthatsa's power, then I'm willing." Vincent nodded to the Captain. Toshiro admired his daring and they both sensed Chaos's respect go up a little.
"Very well then, I'll be right back." Toshiro walked away and back towards Kisuke.
The two Soul Reapers conversed for a moment, no doubt over what was just discussed, before the shop keeper pulled a strange glove out of his coat and handed it to the Ice Captain. The Gaians not meditating watched Toshiro curiously as he held onto the red glove and walked casually back over to Vincent. They had no idea what was going on and wanted to see what was happening. Kisuke prevented that by happily threatening to force them into their Inner World. They quickly went back to meditating, unsure if he would follow through on that or not.
Once he had returned, Toshiro slipped the red glove onto his right hand; a white skull on the back surrounded by blue flames could be seen.
"Using this I can pull the Protomateria out without damaging your soul, and I checked that idea with Urahara just to make sure." Toshiro explained, lifting the now gloved hand. "It might feel a little strange, though, so be patient with me."
'Oh I'll make sure you find it as quickly as possible.' Chaos cut in and Vincent could feel the demon shift, no doubt towards the source of his annoyance.
Toshiro nodded and looked to the gunman to make sure he had permission to give it a go. When Vincent nodded his consent, Toshiro thrust the gloved hand into the man's chest. It went right through, as they'd hoped, and caused only a slight discomfort. The minute Toshiro had his hands around the large Protomateria he pulled back, leaving Vincent hole free this time around, and the large materia rested firmly in his hand. The light twirling inside the clear sphere began to dim as the Spirit Energy in the air began to snuff it out, no longer protected by Vincent's power.
"Success." Hitsugaya said. "I can see why Chaos dislikes it…Hyorinmaru's feeling rather muffled by its presence as well."
"By the looks of it, though, it won't be working long." Vincent said, pointing out the fading power.
"It's lasted long for a materia, though. I suppose that proves its power. It'll work again once it's back on Gaia, the one I sent to Kurotsuchi last year did. It needs the presence of the Lifestream to fuel it, so here it just shuts down for a while."
"Makes sense." Vincent shrugged.
A black cat, Yoruichi if Vincent remembered right, jumped onto Toshiro's shoulder and looked at the sphere curiously. Toshiro had moved it to his other hand to take the glove off before holding it in his right once more, the glove having been pocketed.
"So that's the Protomateria." She mused aloud, Vincent still unaware of her true gender. "Strange power."
"It was made specifically to keep Chaos in control." Hitsugaya explained to her, seemingly undisturbed by her sudden appearance.
"And you removed it?"
"It was one of Chaos's terms in order for Vincent to use his power more effectively. While a zanpaktou he has no power to control Vincent with, not until he's a full-fledged zanpaktou anyway."
"Alright then, I'll take that off your hands and store it with the other Gaians' things." Yoruichi reached her head down and rolled the sphere onto her back easily, managing to balance quite efficiently between her shoulder blades.
"Are you sure you can carry it?" Vincent watched her leap down to the ground, the materia wobbling a bit before she steadied it.
"Oh, I'm fine." The cat grinned. "A little awkward, but I can manage. If not I'll force Kisuke to carry it. What with you two being Weapon hosts I'm assuming this thing is bothersome to hold onto, even if it is losing power."
"A bit." Toshiro shrugged. "Don't worry, Valentine, Shihon is more than capable of carrying it. Now that Chaos no longer needs to worry about the Protomateria you should join the others."
'How about we try that idea of yours where Hyorinmaru comes in here?' Chaos suggested, barely hiding his interest in the idea.
"Are you sure?" Toshiro turned back, having been about to walk away. "I only tried it once for a brief amount of time with Kadaj and his zanpaktou, and that was to help them. There's no telling what happens if we fight someone in their Inner World."
'You two are both Weapon hosts and we're both Weapons. It shouldn't be any different than if you summoned us and fought in real life. We'll all be exhausted with no permanent damage.'
'He has a point.' Hyorinmaru spoke up. 'I wouldn't suggest this kind of training for anyone else, but with the two of us being Weapons it shouldn't be a problem. And I won't have my power cut back in his Inner World the way I did with Kadaj.'
'How do you know that?' Toshiro replied mentally by instinct, though it was obvious Vincent could hear it too.
'It's basically a duel. My power will be somewhat restricted to match his but the minute he rises in power, I will as well to challenge him.'
'It's a Weapon thing.' Chaos sighed, starting to sound bored with the conversation.
Toshiro shared a glance with Vincent. They were both a little nervous about the idea, but their zanpaktous seemed confident and it was worth a shot.
"Shihon." Toshiro called out to the black cat, which hadn't gotten very far. She looked back. "Let Urahara know I'm trying a different way of training Vincent than the normal way, we'll be further back in case our Spiritual Pressure flares."
"Oh?" Yoruichi looked interested.
"Our Weapon partners are going to battle inside my inner World." Vincent explained. "They both think it's safe, so we're going to try it."
If she had eyebrows as a cat, Yoruichi would have raised one curiously.
"If they're so sure, then. Alright, I'll let Kisuke know. Don't go giving each other brain damage." She sauntered off again.
"Funny, Shihon." Toshiro sighed. "Might as well give it a try."
Sorry for the long wait. I'm kinda stuck on this one. Don't worry, i'm working on it. I should really learn not to write several stories at once. I have ideas for this but it's getting to that point that's hard, and usually I make something up along the way that changes that idea. It will be done, though, promise. I'm trying my best! Enjoy!