Something tapped on her desk and the blonde looked up.
"Ah, hello Captain." Rangiku greeted.
The new Squad Ten Captain, Kadin Thane, quirked an eyebrow at her. She looked like her usual hangover self only more…sad. She'd been like that for the past few weeks and he wasn't sure how to help her. He was NOT about to let her go drink more, though, that was for sure.
Today marked the third week since Toshiro Hitsugaya had been taken into the Soul King's realm as the Soul Prince. Two weeks since Kadin had been appointed Captain of Squad Ten. He had showed surprising leadership skills in his test as well as Captain-class power, plus he'd been stationed in Squad Ten before as its fifth seat when Toshiro was first Captain before being transferred to Squad Five's third seat position, so he knew the Lieutenant just as well as the other two Captain candidates, both of which turned down the offer.
"Matsumoto, you really need to do some work." Kadin said to her, though not too harshly.
"Of course, sorry. I'll get right to it." Drowsily she reached for the top of her stack and tried to get started, but Kadin could tell she wouldn't get very far with both a hangover and depression. There had to be something he could do to remedy this; she managed to work through Gin's death. Perhaps it was different this time because he wasn't dead but could be at any moment. He wondered if they'd even bother to let them know he'd died.
Sighing, Kadin returned to his own desk and leaned back in it, closing his eyes to ponder how to fix his Lieutenant's depression. He'd noticed the woman spend a lot more time with Momo Hinamori, who supposedly had a way of speaking to Toshiro through the pendant one of the Royal Guards had given her. But she'd seemed stressed herself lately, saying she couldn't hear him at the moment, though she knew he wasn't dead. She'd been told the gem would break if the person wearing the other one died.
"Ya know," Rangiku's voice brought him out of his thoughts and he looked at her, "when you sit like that and the light shines on your hair, you look like a grown-up version of him."
Kadin's ice-blue eyes blinked in confusion. His hair was a little messy and long and he was wearing a sleeveless haori just like Hitsugaya had.
"Sorry, I don't mean to do that." Kadin frowned, leaning forward out of the light so his hair looked darker silver once more and starting on his paperwork.
"What are you sorry for?"
"Because…" He sighed. "Because I know how much you miss him and I'm not really helping you get over it. I can dye my hair again."
"No! You don't have to do that!" Rangiku waved her hands quickly in objection. "Though…I am curious as to why you dyed it silver."
"Uh…I actually forgot." Kadin grinned sheepishly. "It was a long time ago and my hair doesn't grow very fast so it's still in there."
"Not a single clue why you'd pick silver?" Rangiku smirked.
"Well at least I don't have to deal with blonde jokes. And it's such a light blonde anyway, I probably just thought why the heck not?"
"You're strange, Captain." Rangiku giggled.
"I've heard that plenty of times. Now do your paperwork."
She gave him a pouting face but obliged, looking a little happier than before. Kadin grinned a little as well; he should have known she'd go for small talk.
Meanwhile, Squad Thirteen Lieutenant, Rukia Kuchiki, was heading off to the World of the Living with an unnamed zanpaktou at her back. She was delivering it to Kisuke, who was then giving it to Karin. The girl had progressed a lot and the shop keeper supposed she was ready to start training for her zanpaktou. Rukia had volunteered for the trip to check up on the Kurosakis.
She stepped out of the Senkaimon and into the World of the Living right at Kisuke's shop. Karin was supposed to already be downstairs training with Yoruichi. But noticing that Yoruichi was the one to greet her, Rukia wondered what Karin was currently doing.
"Ah, there you are." Yoruichi stepped forward from the shop. "Karin's doing some meditation right now. Kisuke's about to try and separate her from her body. With how much Spirit Energy she has now, she should pop out as a Soul Reaper."
"I see." Rukia nodded, pulling the blank sword from behind her. "Here, this will be hers."
"If she's as good as her brother she'll have this sword filled with her zanpaktou spirit in no time." The Flash Goddess smirked and took the sword. "Ichigo's around the park, just fought off a few Hollows."
"Thank you." Rukia bowed her head before Flash Stepping away in that direction.
The purple haired woman then returned to the underground training area beneath the shop, walking over to Karin yet remaining quiet. Kisuke was waiting for the right moment, cane at the ready, to push Karin out of her body. It was a tricky thing, as Karin had about as much control over her Spiritual Pressure as her brother, they were just glad she didn't have as much.
Finally, at just the right moment, Kisuke struck her forehead and out her soul came, her real body slumping a bit as the life left it. She stumbled onto her rear before glaring at the shop keeper.
"Try to be at least a little gentler next time?" She scowled.
It had worked. She wore Soul Reaper garb and her power rose a bit as it was released from its human prison. They had given her a small bracelet that worked as a Spirit Energy absorber once she got to the point where her human body couldn't handle the strain, much like how Ichigo's badge prevented his body from ripping apart whenever he stepped back into it.
"Rukia made it with your zanpaktou." Yoruichi announced her presence, handing the blank sword over. "Remember, keep that on you at all times and your zanpaktou spirit will soon transfer to it and talk to you."
"I can kind of already hear her." Karin shrugged and Kisuke grinned. "She'll probably form the sword pretty quick."
"Most definitely." Kisuke hid behind his fan once more. "Should we practice zanjutsu now that you have a sword?"
"You bet!"
Two figures stood in the air a little ways away from the Urahara shop. They vanished and reappeared in an abandoned building not far away, not making a sound as they walked inside. Rats, sensing their killing intent, scurried away from the female figures quickly.
"So the girl sent her cat to one of the people in that dingy old shop back there?" One of them asked, her voice sounding whiny as her boredom kicked in. She wore a blood red cloak with the hood covering her face, as did the other one.
"One of the people in this town, anyway, but I don't know which one." The other answered calmly.
"Then who the Hell am I supposed to kill?"
"None of them yet. The cat was obviously trying to find someone who's close to the prince and the master wants them captured. He wants to use them to lure the prince in."
"What about his sister?" The whining figure put her hand out and created a fireball in it, twirling it around to pass the time. "Can't we just use her?"
"If you mean his 'sister' from the Rukongai, the master already has plans for her."
"And his real sister?"
"Master has her already; she's in the palm of our hands."
"So I can't kill anyone?" The fire girl groaned. "Man, I hate this job already!"
"You can't kill…but you can play." The calmer figure grinned. "Once you know which person it is, take them."
Fire Girl smiled with malice, already imagining what to do once she had her victim.
"Oh this will be so much fun!"
Much further away, in the park, Rukia found Ichigo and they caught up on everything that had happened so far over the last three weeks.
"No word yet?" Ichigo questioned, leaning up against a wall.
"Ichigo, he's not going to send word, he's probably busy learning how to be a prince." Rukia sighed as she sat on the bench next to where the Substitute was leaning.
"They've gotta let him do something."
"I doubt it, Ichigo. Remember, his life was being threatened; they'll be watching him closely to make sure he's safe. If he dies the worlds will fall."
"Is that what these enemies of his want? To destroy everything?"
Rukia pondered that.
"One of the Royal Guards said someone wanted Hitsugaya gone so as to take the throne. They must have a way of transferring the power over to their master before they kill him."
"Well, good thing that guy's stubborn." Ichigo shrugged.
"I know you never really respected his role as Captain, you don't for any of them, but considering he'll be ruling over the three realms one day I suggest you show some respect."
"Prince or not he's still a brat."
"Ichigo!"
"What, he is?!"
The black haired girl laughed. Eventually she left for the Soul Society once more while Ichigo went to check up on his sister. All the while a shadow hovered in the shadows, watching…waiting.
Waiting for the revelation of the prince's one weakness.
Man, i'm on a roll with this story ^^ It's all ya'lls reviews, they give me the boost to keep on going! So, who wants a double update? I'm more than willing to post a second chapter today. I love being ten chapters ahead, it means I can give ya'll more to read XD Enjoy!