"So you have to leave soon, huh?" Karin asked, kicking a stone ahead of her.
"Yes." Toshiro replied. "I've only just started to get used to this new position. There's still a lot I need to learn."
She nodded absentmindedly, a slight depression sinking into her heart that she didn't know the origin of. She moved onto a different topic.
"So you've obviously grown, yet you're still smaller than me." She teased.
"By, what, two inches?" He glared icily. "And I'm still growing."
"Why the sudden growth spurt, anyway?"
"Most of my power was locked away. When I found it again in my training I started to grow. My body is still adjusting to how much Spirit Energy I have, so I'm going to grow more."
"Man, I need to find more of my Spirit Energy; I want to get into the five foot range."
"Something we actually have in common." He smirked slightly.
"Who the Hell have you been hanging out with? You're more of a smart ass then you usually are!" She laughed.
"Let's just say my teacher is strange and leave it at that."
They stopped at a familiar point, the top of a hill with a short railing. The sun was nearly gone and the sky was dark.
"Huh, I didn't know you were going this way." Karin said, moving over to the railing and sitting atop it.
"I was following you." He said, preferring to stand next to her.
"Oh, well, uh…guess I just followed my feet." She shifted nervously again.
They grew quiet then as they turned to the sky, simply basking in the silent night in peace. At one point, Karin turned to look up at her white haired companion. His gaze was focused on the stars, not noticing her stare, the same expressionless face he always had present once more. But, as she looked closer, she noticed he was smiling ever so slightly, something in his eyes she couldn't quite put a name too. She grinned and returned her own gaze to the sky.
She was glad he'd come back, so very glad. When he'd revealed himself earlier she'd wanted to jump him and embrace him tightly, but she'd controlled herself, making it look like anger. After Sofia's visit she knew he was busy, and that he would probably never come see her again, because she was just some human friend, someone he could easily drop if he had to.
Yet, he came back, and on her birthday, no less. He'd remembered, like he had every year, and even being an all-powerful king-to-be wouldn't stop him from coming to her on her birthday. That made her heart swell with joy.
Of course, it just deflated again when she remembered he'd be leaving soon, probably for a very long time. She sighed.
"Something wrong?" She jumped at his voice, startled out of her thoughts.
"Yeah, fine, just thinking." She replied quickly.
He gave her a curious glance before moving to sit next to her on the railing.
"Before I forget." He held his hand out to her, something in it.
She looked at the object curiously. It was a thin silver bracelet, nothing particularly fancy about it save for a shining crystal at its center that looked like carved ice, a dragon curling around it.
"Wow." Karin took the bracelet gently, as if worried she would break the crystal. It seemed like a frail ice shard.
"My coming here has probably put you in danger." He spoke gravely. "Sofia told you about how I'm being targeted. This should keep you safe from them if they ever came after you."
"I can handle myself." Karin sat up straighter. "I'm a Substitute Soul Reaper now, I have my own zanpaktou, and I'm very close to Shikai I might add."
"These people aren't Hollows, Karin." Toshiro warned. "They're demons, powerful fighters. When one came after me before I left I was paralyzed by his voice alone, some kind of spell they have to stun the weak. And by weak I mean anyone Captain rank and under."
"That powerful?" Karin's eyes widened.
He nodded, expression downcast.
"My Spirit Energy has increased greatly and I'm still not sure I can fight with the elites one on one."
"So…I wear this, and they can't hurt me?"
"It will protect you from their magic." He watched her slip the bracelet on, the crystal flashing brighter before becoming clear. "It will also alert anyone nearby capable of helping you that you're in danger." She opened her mouth to argue, "Only when one of these demons comes, not when you're fighting Hollows. I'm sure you can handle those yourself."
"Damn right." She smirked before she slumped a bit. "Thanks, Toshiro."
Before he could reply, she wrapped him in a tight hug and his eyes widened. Why did his heart seem to skip a beat? He'd been hugged many times today. By Rangiku, Momo, Granny, and even Yuzu. So why did Karin's hug make him feel strange?
'I question your status as prodigy.' Hyorinmaru snorted at his master in amusement.
'What are you talking about?' Toshiro demanded, wondering what to do. Was he supposed to hug her back? He never really did. He had for Granny…but that was his grandmother, of course he'd hug her.
'Some other time. Now hug her back, silly Master.'
'Watch yourself, dragon.'
Cautiously, Toshiro put his arms around Karin, returning the embrace. This felt so strange to him, a strange feeling he couldn't put a name to.
Karin pulled away, hiding her face from him, and he stared down at the ground, not really sure what to do now. Should he say something? He opened his mouth to do so when he sensed it, a dark energy. He shot to his feet.
"Something wrong?" He heard Karin ask. He held a hand out to quiet her, focused on a cloaked figure at the base of the hill.
"Oh, I've been spotted." A giggly voice snickered and the cloaked figure approached them. "Hey princey, how ya doin?"
"Who are you?" Toshiro demanded.
"Tsk tsk, you haven't introduced yourself." She reached up to the hood of her scarlet cloak. "Such bad manners."
The hood was flipped off, revealing the face of a very young woman, no older than eighteen, with large eyes of sapphire blue and pitch black hair in long ponytails that she had to pull from out of her cloak.
"You obviously know who I am." He argued.
"True." She winked at him and he scowled, Karin behind him reaching for the badge she'd earlier pocketed. "Alright, I'll humor you. Firiat Tavain, Demon Leader of Magiks."
"One of Dethmaiyn's people." Toshiro growled.
"Bingo!" Firiat giggled. "One of five elite leaders, I am! We're called the Solar Five Sisters and we're the most powerful of all beings. Give up now, prince boy, and I'll kill you quickly."
Toshiro found himself in a bind. Karin was right behind him, meaning he couldn't release his power here, but he needed it to fight against an elite demon. Perhaps if he focused it onto her he wouldn't need too much, as that would put his comrade in danger.
"By that look you aren't going to give up." Firiat pouted. "And I even got Luetha to lure away that nosy guard so I could kill you. Oh, there's a human."
"You seriously just noticed me?" Karin scowled.
"Nah, I just didn't think you were important." Firiat shrugged and the girl fumed, Toshiro putting an arm up to keep her back. Karin took notice to how his skin felt colder than usual; was that his increased power seeping through? "Ah…maybe I'm wrong."
Hitsugaya didn't like the look on the woman's face, how she seemed to be staring hungrily at Karin the way a cat would stare down a mouse, a wicked grin on her face.
Something white flashed by and Toshiro recognized Sofia's coloring in the form of a wolf, fangs aiming for a surprised Firiat's throat. Snarling, Firiat lifted a hand and lit it aflame.
Not staying to watch anymore, Toshiro grabbed onto Karin and ran back to the Kurosaki household. The familiar was giving them a chance to escape, they might as well take it.
'I never should have come.' He growled to himself. 'I knew this would happen but I came anyway!'
'Get her home and then find Nakryin. The bracelet will protect her and so will the Soul Reapers.'
'Even all of them can't handle one of Dethmaiyn's elites. But if they're after me they should leave them alone.'
Once they'd reached the Kurosaki clinic, Toshiro let her go and turned to find Ruala.
"Wait!" Karin grabbed onto his arm, wincing at how cold he seemed to feel. "Let's get the others, they can help!"
"This isn't something they can fight." Toshiro countered. "I told you, they're too strong. Stay here and I'll draw them away; I'm not allowed to fight here."
"Why?"
"Because I'll destroy everything within a mile radius. Get inside, quick!"
"I'm not letting you fight on your own!"
"Karin, go!" His forceful tone startled her and he pulled his arm away, vanishing in a flash of light.
She stood there for a moment before her face contorted in fury and she dashed inside to alert the others. She'd be damned if he did this alone, prince or not.
Too many OC's? Probably... But hey, I have to make up the bad guys here, plus the Soul King's Realm is still very much unknown so i'm gonna need to make up characters there. And it is a family genre, I thought it would make sense to add a little to Shiro's family tree, which means new characters. Oh well, the Solar Five I've actually had for a long time, and since the bad guy leader is also their boss in their story, I decided i'd make them his top elites, the best of the best. Prepare for chaos. Enjoy!