Once more they stood atop the palace roof, Karin holding onto a fidgety Shimmer and Dyrilæn sulking beside her.
"Can't I go with her?" The crimson dragon pouted in Ruala's direction. The guardian frowned but shook her head.
"Hey, I'll be back." Karin used her free arm to hug the dragon's muzzle. "Once I'm strong enough I'll be right back, promise."
She turned to the other being standing up there with them. Toshiro had his normal passive expression, though his mouth did hold a slight frown. Though she knew she'd probably start something, Karin raced over and hugged him tight with her one free arm, Shimmer chirping in confusion at the gesture. The girl felt Toshiro tense up beneath her for a moment before he settled down and returned her embrace.
"Thanks for showing me the dragons." She smirked up at him before stepping away and towards Ruala. "Are you sure I can take Shimmer with me?"
"Shimmer is still small." Ruala replied quietly, much quieter than when she spoke to Toshiro. Said prince had warned Karin that she would be. "She can hide easily. Dyrilæn can't."
The crimson dragon snorted and Myndræl stepped over to offer some comfort.
Taking a deep breath, Karin nodded to show she was ready and Ruala offered her hand. The girl took it and then they were gone in a flash. The two dragons watched as Toshiro quickly went back inside.
"He's upset." Myndræl lowered his head.
"I don't blame him." Dyrilæn laid down on the rocky roof and gave an upset huff.
"But he likes her, I can feel it." The blue dragon turned to her.
"I haven't bonded with her enough to know if she feels the same, but by that goodbye she gave him I have a hunch she does."
"Oh, if only there was something we could do. I don't like to see him upset."
The dragoness nodded in agreement.
Sofia, having remained behind, listened to this conversation in interest before slinking inside to find the white haired prince.
She found him in his room at his desk, the once clear space now home to several books and paper stacks of his research, things he wanted to know how to do while he searched for the path to his next mark. His prodigy mind was really helping him to learn what he needed to quickly.
But he wasn't working now. He had his head rested on his arms, which lay upon the table. Sensing the cat's presence, he let out a heavy sigh.
"Is this what it feels like to let go of the person you care about?"
She leaped onto the desk.
"I wouldn't know." The feline said, laying her body up against his arm as comfort. "But I can tell you love her very much. I'm sure it hurts to let someone like that leave."
He grunted in response.
"I have a feeling you'll see her again, though. After all, she is training to help you in this fight; you'll be seeing her along with the others when the time comes."
His arm shifted as he held up his hand, the black gem pendant resting within it. Just before she'd left she'd given it back to him, telling him she wouldn't need it next time. Sighing, he set the pendant aside and stood, distracting himself from Karin by heading out to look for the book Satan had mentioned to him all those days ago. Sofia watched him go with interest. He was showing definite signs of one of the attributes; Tranquility. Despite his attachment to her he knew his place was here and hers was there, and so remained neutral. If he kept this up he'd have two marks in no time, bringing him ever closer to the rank of king. She leaped off the table and followed him to the library.
In the World of the Living, Ruala left Karin in front of her home before quickly returning to the Soul King's Realm. Nervous dragonling in tow, Karin stepped into the door of her home and looked for any signs of life. She spotted Yuzu in the kitchen, pacing, and Ichigo in the chair trying to calm her down. As the honey-blonde turned to start the other way, she spotted Karin at the door and her eyes lit up.
"Karin!" She shouted happily, darting over while Ichigo stood in his seat behind her. "Eek!"
Having spotted the dragon, Yuzu paused in her run and stared wondrously at the shimmering creature. Ichigo let his jaw drop, dumbstruck by the presence of the dragon. Footsteps were heard as Rukia came from downstairs before she, too, stopped.
"Yeah, I made some new friends in Toshiro's home." Karin laughed nervously. "She's a dragon alright, but she's just a baby, and she's like a spirit so normal people can't see her."
Shimmer hummed nervously and climbed back around Karin's neck, burying her head in Karin's Soul Reaper uniform.
"Hey, come on Shimmer." Karin tried to coax her out. The others had approached now, still awestruck. "Hey Yuzu, come here. I think you'll like her."
"Oh, um, okay." Cautiously, the timid twin came forward, reaching a hand out to the dragon. "Hey there, little one."
Shimmer peeked her head out curiously at the soft voice.
"It's okay." Yuzu put on her trademark smile and Shimmer's tiny ears perked up, green eyes wide. "Awe, how cute."
"One of the other dragons says she's going to be a healer dragon when she gets bigger." Karin got the dragon off her shoulders and stepped closer to Yuzu. "She says dragons like Shimmer prefer partners like you."
"Me?" Yuzu looked startled by this. She reached a hand out to Shimmer and the dragon flapped her wings happily, purring as she put her head up to the gentle hand. Yuzu giggled. "But, I don't know how to take care of a dragon."
"I got a few tips from the other dragons, I'll help you out." Karin smiled and let the white dragon crawl out of her arms and into Yuzu's.
"Careful, Yuzu." Ichigo warned.
"Oh, she won't hurt anybody." Yuzu laughed as the dragon licked her face, tail wagging like a dog. "Look how cute she is! It's almost like having a scaly puppy, Ichi!"
"Yeah, Ichigo, a big scaly puppy." Rukia smirked at her boyfriend.
"Well…" He floundered for something to say. "I guess if normal people can't see her, and Karin knows how to take care of her…I don't see a problem with it. She is just a baby." He scratched his head nervously.
Yuzu squealed in delight, Shimmer matching her tone with an excited squeak, and hugged her taller brother before racing to the living room and setting her new pet down to play with.
"Well, this will be interesting to explain to your dad." Rukia chuckled. "And Karin, you need to tell us what all happened. How is Hitsugaya?"
"He's fine." She shrugged, hiding the lump that appeared in her throat at the mention of him. She refused to admit how much her heart had raced when he'd returned her hug. "He's still in training and all that, but he told me how Ruala came here to help train everyone."
Ichigo groaned and she blinked, confused.
"That woman is way too hard to understand. When she speaks it's in riddles, and I think Yoruichi found someone faster than her."
Interested, Karin had them all sit down in the kitchen, Yuzu staying in the living room with her new friend, and they explained everything.
Turning back to the Soul King's Realm, Toshiro sighed in slight frustration as he returned yet another book to the shelf he'd taken it from, the contents not what he was looking for.
"Did you find it?" He called upwards.
A bird came to hover above him. Sofia shook her head sadly.
"Are you sure it would be here?"
She flew further down and returned to cat form, alighting on his shoulder.
"The King of Hell seemed to think so." She replied. "But this library contains books dating back to when books were first written, protected from aging by the unique power of the room. There are thousands of books here, young prince."
"How are they organized?" He turned from the white cat back to the shelves. "Date put here? Alphabetical?"
"Probably the former, as it would be too much of a hassle to keep moving books around to stay alphabetical. The books closest to the doors are the newer ones."
"Alright, so now the question is when was the book I'm looking for put here?"
To that the cat could not answer, not having been around quite THAT long. She told him this and an idea seemed to form in his head.
"Do you remember what books were placed here during your time here?" He questioned. She lifted a paw and titled it side to side, meaning 'sort of'. "When did you first come here? If the book is that old I'll at least know which area I don't have to look through."
"My master and I started actually working in the palace about six hundred and thirty-five years ago when your mother married your father. Your mother liked to take my master around with her to help her get used to people. I don't remember any book on people with two dragons being put here while we were here, because I'm sure my master would have noticed it."
"That saves me a lot of trouble." Toshiro moved further back and once more continued his search, the search lessened somewhat with over seven hundred books of the three to four thousand there out of the equation. He still had a long way to go, though.
"I have a question, young prince." Sofia scanned a shelf out of his reach as she said this.
He looked up at her for a brief moment before returning to his search.
"What is it?"
"If your friends truly can't power up enough to fight off the demons, will you still let them try?"
Toshiro paused in his search, closing his eyes as he thought about it. The white cat waited eagerly for an answer, as this question could help further him along to his next mark if he answered right.
"I know them all well enough that no matter what I say, they'll try to help anyway." He smirked a bit as he thought about Ichigo's habit of jumping in first, asking questions later. "I suppose I could always force them to sit it out, but then I would just be making it easier for Dethmaiyn to hurt them. The least I can do is give them a fighting chance, as all warriors should have."
"Wise words." Sofia smiled. "Your friends are lucky to have you."
"Of course, if they are idiotic enough to go in without a plan, I suppose I'll have to step in and help." He smirked up at the cat and she laughed.
Satisfied, Sofia returned to searching the top shelves while Toshiro scanned the bottom ones. Ruala joined them later to assist, just as interested in the story as Toshiro was. They searched until night fell, remembering where they'd stopped and retiring for the night. As Toshiro lay in bed he wondered what he could do to aid his friends in gaining power.
Well...they hugged. Close enough. And Shiro got depressed about it, so he's fully accepted his feelings, just doesn't want to say anything about it. Well, Yuzu got a dragonling and Shiro's on his way to finding the secret behind why he's special. Enjoy!