The blade in his hand reverberated in anticipation of a glorious battle. With the sound of a roar echoing in his ears, he pointed his blade towards the sky and shouted, "Bankai! Diaguren Hyourinmaru!"
Magnificent wings of ice sprouted from the Captain's back as an icy tail whipped into place. The legendary serpentine dragon roared as it emerged from the tip of its master's blade.
"So we meet again... demon," was the only thing the young Captain said before he launched into the air with a flap of his wings.
Las Noches was approaching quickly as both master and blade prepared themselves for their foe. Old memories of their last battle stirred in the back of his mind. The red crystal eyes of his dragon glinted with the same memories. This time, they are surely ready for it...
1 Year Ago...
It was a bright winter's day. The sky was once again clear of all the dark clouds after weeks of constant snow. An explosion of icy wind blasted through a cave opening, causing trees to sway with the force. The cave was not too far from the Squad Ten barracks, so it was understandable when every Shinigami in the immediate area stood in silence.
They knew it was Captain Hitsugaya, training to fully master his Bankai. Today however, training was different. They all felt a significant drop in his powerful spirit energy. All of the squad ten members got a tinge of worry. In all his training the last two years, never did they feel his spirit energy drop this low before.
"Shouldn't someone go check up on our Captain?" The question escaped from a new female recruit, still fresh from the Academy.
"Don't worry about our Captain," a delicate female voice reassured her from the side.
"Lieutenant Matsumoto!" The lower ranking members quickly bowed in greeting. The blonde simply nodded and walked past them to stare in the direction of the cave.
"Like I said, don't worry about our Captain. He may be the youngest Captain in Soul Society history, but... I strongly believe he will soon be the greatest Captain that will ever be," she turned to the recruits. Her eyes shown with so much warmth and faith, it was almost tangible. The rest of the squad's worries vanished instantly.
"Now, we should follow our Captain's example. Back to training," she ordered and watched them leave to their respective training groups. Once their backs were turned, her grey blue eyes turned sad as she looked towards the direction of the cave. "Why do you keep doing this to yourself?" She whispered in question. A flash of her best friend lifeless on a slab came to mind. She wasn't fast or strong enough to save Gin but yet in the end, he was willing to die for her. "Please don't you leave, too," she sighed and left to find her drinking partners.
Captain Hitsugaya plunged his blade into the ground of his cave as he fought to steady his breathing. Both hands white knuckled over the hilt. Legs grew numb and gave way as he sank lower to his knees. Ice wings limp at his sides.
Are you alright, master? A majestic head lowered to look at his master eye to eye. Only the Captain's heavy gasps broke the silence. Why did you exert so much today? Hyourinmaru watched faint white veins crack Hitsugaya's wings.
"I-I'm fine, Hyourinmaru," he stuttered between breaths and stood with great effort, ignoring the second question. Hitsugaya's legs gave way again. The great dragon dove forward and caught him on his snout. Hitsugaya gasped in surprise. After Aizen, I should be able to handle this, the captain thought but finally gave in and just leaned on his dragon. For an instant, his eyes grew distant.
What's on your mind, master? Hyourinmaru almost purred to cover the concern in his voice.
Hitsugaya's eyes blinked back to reality. A shattering crack of ice disturbed the sudden awkward silence. Hitsugaya turned his head to see his tail shatter onto the cave floor.
Please tell me, Hyourinmaru kept his voice calm, darting his gaze to the final petal of the remaining flower. Almost completely gone.
"I was wondering... if I will ever master yo- our Bankai," Hitsugaya sighed as he changed his wording and placed a shaky hand on top of the beast's head.
Of that I am certain, master, Hyourinmaru let out a low purr-like growl at the captain's touch. Hyoutinmaru's crimson eyes brightened with a hint of mischief when he continued, but I will not make it easy, Hyourinmaru gave a throaty chuckle.
"I don't expect you to," Hitsugaya smiled through his fatigue.
You know we Zanpakuto don't like reveal too much but, Hyourinmaru tilted his head towards the disappearing petal. When we do reach that point of our bankai, we won't need those any longer.
"Now that is something to look forward to," the Captain looked up at the remaining fragments. Relief washed over him at the revelation.
Master... You should rest now, Hyourinmaru pulled back slowly as the Captain stood wearily on his own. We both went through enough today, the icy beast spread his own cracked wings to emphasize. Hitsugaya only nodded and released the hold on his Bankai. The great serpentine dragon before him disappeared and the remaining ice on his body evaporated.
"Thank you, my friend," Hitsugaya shakily walked to the entrance where he left his belongings. His eyes roamed the white silk of his haori. A sense of guilt reminded him why he was working so hard. He quickly pushed it aside and slipped his arm through it soundlessly, then tightened the thin chain that held Hyourinmaru to his back. A satisfied roar echoed through the Captain's head when the blade was sheathed into place.
Hitsugaya burried his arms into his shihakusho sleeves, taking in a lungful of icy air. His shoulders relaxed as he stepped outside. The day certainly is bright, he thought shading his eyes. He went through all the training mentally, remembering how something changed with Hyourinmaru but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He was halfway back to the barracks, deep in thought when he heard it...
Cries for help echoed through the Rukongai. Hundreds of souls scattered in different directions. Warily, Hitsugaya flash stepped towards the fleeing souls to find the cause. Turquoise eyes roamed the area as he flashed over roofs. Smoke obscured most of the district from view but an ominous presence permeated in the distance.
An elderly man caught Hitsugaya by the sleeve of his shihakusho when he landed to catch his breath, "Are you a Captain? Please! You have to help us!" His tone so distressed, it shook his whole body.
"What is it?" Hitsugaya held the man upright. His own limbs started trembling from fatigue but was quickly ignored.
"I don't know what it is. All I know is that it's monstrous... and has house-sized wings!" The man trembled with fear. "Please Captain. Help us!"
"Where?"
The man pointed in a direction that made Hitsugaya's heart sank through his feet. "Junrinan," the man answered. Hyourinmaru's ear-splitting roar vibrated the blade within its sheath.
"No," with a flash, the Captain disappeared. His legs burned in protest but it was soon forgotten as new determination flooded his limbs. "For so many souls to run, I have to give it everything I have."
Master! Please be reasonable! You have already used too much of your spirit energy. Don't be foolish! Hyourinmaru's voice rang with despair. Wait for reinforcements!
"If what that man said is true, we cannot wait!" The Captain ignored the blade's pleas and commanded, "Give me everything you have Hyourinmaru!"
A few moments of silence came and gone before a low voice answered, Very well, Master.
Renewing waves of energy filled the Captain's limbs as he pressed forward. Navigating through the labyrinth of streets and souls, he made way towards one destination. He skid to a halt at the side of an immense crater. A vast ditch dragged for several meters that led through a half crushed house. Hitsugaya's body grew numb when he recognised the broken walls, "No! Grandma!" He smashed through the shattered remaims of the door and porch. Eyes searching. Spirit sensing.
"To-shiro?" A faint voice called from under nearby debris.
"Grandma," Hitsugaya strained and lifted the fallen beams from her chest. "Are you alright?" he asked softly as he knelt at her side, gently helping her sit up. Careful not to jostle her too much if her injuries might be worse.
"I- I think so," she coughed. Her breath coming in short gasps.
"What happened here?" he watched her carefully. Her face was far too pale for his liking. Bruises formed quickly on her wrinkled skin. Cuts trickling small streams of red from her neck and arms. Greying hair caked thick with blood at her right temple.
"I don't know, dear," she shook her head, wincing at the action.
Hitsugaya iced his hand and held it to head where the blood was the worst. She hissed at the touch but stilled after a few moments. Relief washed over her aged features. "I remember... hearing something," she paused, taking a moment to catch her breath. "It almost sound like..." she gasped at her own revelation.
"Like what?" He pulled back. Worry quickly gripping his limbs, already fearing her answer.
"It sounded like your Hyourinmaru," her usual gentle features turned to outright terror.
"That can't be," Turquoise eyes grew wide. They both knew what that could possibly mean.
"You must go now," she took his free hand in hers when she saw him hesitate to leave her side. Trying to reassure him, she gave a small smile. "I will be alright now. Go do what you do best. Save us."
He quickly formed a small block of ice that he gently placed against her bleeding temple. Her frail hands held it in place when he stood, reluctant to leave her. Walking through what remained of the ruined house, he looked back at her. She smiled warmly at him.
"I will be back soon," he vanished.
"Please be careful, Toshiro," she whispered after him and watched a small dust cloud settled in the absence of the young Captain.
Hundreds of screaming souls still fled the area. Sharp eyes searched for the whereabouts of the creature. Thick smoke breached the trees not too far from where the trail of destruction ended. "We must be close n-" A screeching roar echoed through the district. Colossal wings nearly blocked out the sun as the creature took to the air. Blackened claws glistened with blood. Decaying flesh and ripped wings painted horrors on the clear sky.
Hyourinmaru roared at the sight of their foe. A dragon? Here? How? It was monstrous. Four twisted horns rose from its head like a crown. Its teeth bared and face gnarled as if it has seen a thousand battles. Protruding broken bones over nearly every inch of its spine only adding to the horrible sight.
"I guess we will find out, won't we," Hitsugaya unsheathed his blade. "Reign over the frosted Heavens, Hyourinmaru!" Dark clouds gathered overhead and the temperature droped considetably. The Captain slashed his blade through the air multiple times as serpentines formed with each swing.
The dark dragon roared again with an otherworldly screech. Eyes burning bright red when it spotted the attack. Ears rang and his head felt as if it was about to explode at the sound. Most of the ice dragons veered off course, disorientated by the sound, smashing and freezing anything in their path. The Captain shook the dazing sound out of his head.
Please, Master! Hyourinmaru's voice begged again, heavy with concern.
Hitsugaya shook his head clear and gripped the hilt tighter in an attempt to cut off his companion's continued pleas. "We cannot stop. We have its attention now," Hyourinmaru kept silent as the young Captain watched the dragon hover over them. The massive shadow loomed darkly over its new targets. With a swift beat of its wings, it dove head first into a set of houses right behind the Captain. Planks and tiles shattered into clouds of dust. Screams echoed through the district as a mouthful of souls were slung into the air. Blackened teeth opened to the gaping maw, ready to devour its meal when it was suddenly whiplashed to the side. A single silver chain locking its jaws shut. Red eyes followed the chains to home in on its captor. It's escaping meal forgotten...
A low growl rumbled through the land when red eyes dared the Captain to take another meal. Tattered wings spread and the earth quaked when claws dug into the ground. Wind surged around the beast and sucked Hitsugaya closer with each wing beat. The chains fell free and blackened teeth opened, ready to devour him.
MASTER! A ground trembling roar flew overhead.
"NO!" Hitsugaya protested when one of two remaining serpentines took his place. Hyourinmaru roared in agony. The Captain's chest tightened suddenly. "Hyourinmaru? Wh-what's happening?" The Captain's breath came up shorter as he watched the serpentine crack within the jaws of the black beast. Confusion struck him as he saw the blue body crack but not freeze any bit of the beast's face as expected. Instead, blue slowly turned red. The remaining serpentine fell and writhed on the ground as if it was burning from the inside out. Hitsugaya ignored his own pain slowly spreading in his chest and ran to its aide when a pained filled roar echoed through the district. Turquoise eyes snapped back to the black beast's jaws. Blue almost completely gone.
G-get away! The serpentine on the ground flapped his wings with great effort as it shot straight up, almost knocking back his master. It hovered there a few moments before plunging straight into a nose dive. Just before it hit the ground it turned and rammed itself into the black beast's head encasing it in ice partway. The beast's top right horn snapped off from impact. It bounced from force until it embedded itself within a shattered tree. The black dragon roared in anger at the loss of its horn and dropped the serpentine from its jaws. Claws dug at the ice encasing the side of its head and neck.
The Captain, almost completely drained from his remaining spirit energy, sagged to his knees. He could only watch as the red serpentine shattered at the beast's feet. Lifeless.
Whispers... Soft singing touched the back of the Captain's mind. A song, unfamiliar to him. A song asking him, coaxing him to immerse himself within its song. It was tempting... Tempting like a bed for the weary man, drawing him closer.
Panicked eyes shook free from its bewitching song and roamed the motionless red body. It almost looked like it was glowing. Small clouds of red electricity floated and plumed around the terror filled face of the red Hyourinmaru. Slowly, wisps of fear and hate radiated from it in equal measure.
"What did it do to you?" Hitsugaya felt Hyourinmaru grow slightly faint. His own eyes heavy and threatening to slip shut.
I-it injected me with some form of... Hyourinmaru struggled to find the right word. His voice sounded strained, ...dark magic?
"Like forbidden kido?"
No,Hyourinmaru paused to think but came up with nothing to compare it to. Whatever it is, it's not good. For either of us. Get ready master.
Hitsugaya nodded and stood again. He heard the strain in his blade's voice. It was never this hard before but he knew it was his fault. If only he had not pushed himself so far earlier, he would have been more prepared now. If only he knew. Turquoise eyes watched the last of the ice fall from the beast's neck.
Turquoise locked with red, the whispers of the red song pushed back. Steel rose in defiance of black jaws. Beast and prey dared each other silently.
The alarms sounded within the Seireitei. The ground trembled at the sound. Claws dug deep as it shot forward. Roars and a howling scream rang through the sky. Then all was silent...
Moments of black passed by. Sharp pain ripped through his sleep constantly. He groaned and tried to lift a heavy hand to feel what happened. Final remnants of energy left him completely defenceless.
A faintly familiar feeling approached. There were no malicious intent but, he was simply just too tired to care about everything. "Captain!" An echo of a female voice wisped by his ear. The light around her head was blinding. It was like a golden halo untouched by the blackness flooding his vision.
Hitsugaya felt himself floating high. He tried to make sense of it all when his head rolled to the side. Half lidded eyes looked back to his battleground and only saw a faint green speck vanish with a flash when unconsciousness finally claimed him fully.
xXx
A poorly lit cavern was suddenly filled with green. The veil tore with a shearing rip as the dark dragon fell from the rift. The fade green light revealing a haphazard wound stretching from its gnarled snout, over its head to halfway down its neck. Decaying blood and muck splashed onto the ground unceremoniously. Red eyes searched around the dark cavern as the rift closed behind it with a loud pop. Low, painful rumbles echoed off the walls.
"Now what have you done?" A towering male figure strode forward, its tone casual. It stood in front of the beast, watching, waiting for an answer. When none came, clawed fingers dug apprehensively into the wound with one swift swing. The dragon winced at the action but did not protest. "Ah. I see," he pulled back, only to drag the blood soaked fingers across gnarled lips of his own. Intrigue filled dark brown eyes when he dipped low to rip something from the beast's maw.
Shredded white silk trimmed with green was covered with fresh blood. "This smell... It almost smells like the Fade!" The figure exclaimed. "Tell me... Have you done it?"
The dragon almost purred as a wicked grin spread across his face.
"Well done, my pet," the figure walked towards an edge overlooking a deep trench. Red light emanated brightly beneath him. "The plan is on the verge of fruition and then no one will stop us. Stop me," The figure chuckled darkly.
The dragon lifted his still bleeding head. Red eyes searched for some relief from his master.
"Now for your reward," the figure raised his arms. Just below the edge, red crystals shattered loudly as it broke off like glass. The figure swung his arms towards the dragon in wide arches. The crystals followed silently and embedded itself within the dragon's neck. The dragon roared in agony as the crystals dug deeper to form jagged armour on both sides of its neck. The beast's head fell forward to catch its breath. The figure crouched in front of its snout.
"Excellent. Your conversion is almost complete. Be grateful you are the only true servant of the impending god," the figured touched the wound on the dragon's snout. Red energy poured from his hands to close the wound over its head. "Do not fail me," Red eyes became clear, heeding the threat.
The figure stood as he walked deeper into the cavern, "The last of the puppets are on their way. Desperate and greedy. It is only a matter of time before they too, will submit to my will," A low growl sounded in agreement when brown eyes flashed red in the darkness.