Teal eyes watched her take a deep breath, looking up the mountain's path towards the summit.
"Are you going?" He questioned with a smirk; she'd been steeling herself to go up for at least an hour now.
"Shut up!" She snapped back. "It's just…I finally made it. I'm taking a moment to relish my victory."
"Homuratei would appreciate being let in on it I'm sure."
She frowned, chewing on that thought, before finally making her way up the path.
After another three weeks of grueling torture she'd finally learned how to control her Spiritual Pressure as well as any Captain, possibly even better. Her energy creature was, obviously, a wyvern of flames. Ichigo wasn't far behind, his being the same creepy Hollow mask that had appeared during his fight with Kenpachi, but he had to wait until tomorrow to take his final trial since Karin had finished first, though Ruala wouldn't tell him why. That was an answer even Toshiro didn't know as he had done them alone.
"Be careful, this last one is challenging." Toshiro called out as she walked.
She simply lifted a hand to wave in acknowledgement before Flash Stepping away to the top.
Once she was gone, Toshiro went to his dragon and returned to the palace, heading to his father's chamber. He'd go back later that night to see how she did but for now he would spend the time with the other person he trusted most.
At the top of the mountain, Karin happily snatched her zanpaktou from Sofia's eagle talons. Seven weeks away and the blade almost felt alien to her, though that feeling was quickly replaced by Homuratei's welcoming roar.
"Now we kick some ass!" She grinned, unsheathing the familiar weapon.
"Slow down there." Sofia chuckled, in her cat form once more. "Your final opponent will be a bit different from your boyfriend's." She smirked as Karin went pink. "This last trial is supposed to be a mystery, but the Ice Prince couldn't seem to stay quiet. He probably knew my master wouldn't be your opponent, though, so no harm done."
"So who is my opponent?" Karin asked.
"You listening? I said 'mystery', right?"
Karin stuck her tongue out at the feline and walked inside the cave entrance, not before spotting Zangetsu leaning against the wall.
"Ichi will be here tomorrow, Zangetsu. Just wait one more day." She said to the sword.
It gave off a small pulse of light blue energy and she grinned. Zangetsu always had been more interactive with outside beings. She stepped into the cave entrance, for sure this time.
She found herself standing on a large blackened platform with fire at its edges, the very same platform that had been Toshiro's first trial. But Karin had Blazefang as her teacher for the fourth trial, meaning her opponent would be a different being.
"Okay, fire vs. fire." Karin mused, stepping out a bit.
She felt her zanpaktou heat up and held the blade out before her, watching it glow white hot, though not burning her.
"Homuratei?"
The Wyvern did not answer.
"Hey, Homuratei!"
A roar echoed around her and she went immediately into a battle stance. Flames exploded upwards from the ground in front of her, shaping into a familiar ghost of flames.
"But…I didn't manifest you." Karin's eyes went wide as the flame covered figure of her zanpaktou stood before her. "I can't yet. That's for Bankai!"
"It is." The flame beast purred. "But we're not training for Bankai. I get to choose when you leave, and that's when you've proven to me your new power. I didn't get to train with you so I want to see what we can do as much as you do."
"So…I'm fighting you?"
"Obviously." The wyvern shifted. "I think it's time I did away with this flame cloak. You are ready to see my real form."
Karin gaped a bit at that, watching the crimson flames shoot upward into the sky and leaving behind a tall, fierce looking creature. She was definitely a wyvern, body well-muscled and forelegs actually wings with black talons. Her skin was dark red, stripes across her body dulling from white hot to black as she stopped creating flames over her. The wings were black on top but the same dark red underneath. At the end of her long tail was a sharp barb, flames still alight at the ends, same for her curled black horns.
"Wyverns are different than dragons." Homuratei grinned, showing off her fangs, looking down at her master with burning red eyes. "We're built for full on power while they have speed. We're shorter but bigger boned, leading to shorter flying periods while they can fly for days, but we can last longer in a fight. And then there's what Lilianna told you." She let her body burn for a moment, her stripes red with small flames. "We are strictly Fire type creatures."
"But you can use Wind." Karin argued.
"Simply an effect of our wings." Homuratei flapped hers, creating a sharp gust of wind that flew too close to Karin for her comfort. "We breathe and flap and so create storms. But our actual strength comes from our fire."
"Okay." Karin understood now. "So…what am I supposed to do?"
Homuratei crouched down low, rear leg muscles tensing up.
"Your power has gotten at least four times stronger than when you started." The wyvern said, lowering her head and making Karin nervous. "Prove to me again that you can control me, Fire Princess."
The girl lifted her zanpaktou just as the beast charged forward, jaws wide.
Back at the mansion, Ichigo paced relentlessly.
"Stop that or you'll pace a hole in my floor." Sylfie grumbled, taking a sip from her coffee. Tea didn't give her enough energy, or so she said.
The young man grumbled but took a seat beside Rukia, the petite Lieutenant putting a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.
"She'll be fine, Ichigo." Renji assured. "She's as stubborn as you are."
Brown eyes glared at him fiercely.
"Calm down, Ichigo, she'll be back before you know it." Rangiku huffed, tired of the Reaper's sullen mood. "And then it's your turn."
"Which reminds me." Ichigo turned to look at Ruala, the petite blonde tensing up as she noticed his glare. "Why can't I do it right now?"
"The summit cave can only do one portal at a time." She explained. "With Lady Karin inside, it won't be able to make one suited to your needs."
He grumbled, glad to get an explanation but now thinking once more about his sister and how she fared. The suspense was getting to him. Sighing, Rukia stood and dragged him further into the house, for what purpose they weren't really sure.
"If Ichigo is so uptight about Karin dating my nephew I can only imagine how uptight Sir Byakuya is." Sylfie snickered, putting the title in front of Byakuya's name only because he was a noble, one she hadn't managed to bring into the friend zone yet.
Rangiku laughed loudly at that while Renji gave a nervous cough. They weren't the ones that had to deal with Byakuya when he heard any news about Rukia going to see Ichigo, so to him it wasn't funny.
After finishing her coffee, Sylfie started playing small parts of songs on the violin, just something to pass the time. Ruala would occasionally hum along and the two Reapers would listen quietly to the melodies. After a while Ichigo and Rukia returned, the former rubbing his jaw. Seems like the petite Lieutenant had a good talk with him, and it must have worked as the orange-haired man no longer grumbled or paced, though he still had a pout.
In an entirely different situation, Toshiro sat outside the doors leading to his father's room. His condition had gotten worse and he knew Satoru didn't want him to see himself in such a state. But despite wanting to respect his father's wishes, Toshiro couldn't help but feel a weight on his heart. The time of death was fast approaching, and he dreaded it.
He heard footsteps and looked up, spotting Kirio.
"Hikifune…" He said aloud, a little out of it.
Giving him a sad smile, the plump woman sat down next to him.
"You seem troubled, Prince." She spoke softly, knowing his emotions were on a hair trigger.
He looked back at the floor, chin resting on his arms, and did not reply.
"You mustn't let yourself fall, Toshiro." She said a little more seriously, causing him to snap his head up as she used his first name. He knew her well enough to know she only did that when she was being serious. "Your father wants you to be happy, so visit him with a smile, no matter what. He feels at peace when those around him are happy."
"How can I be happy when he's dying?" Toshiro snapped.
The woman sighed, wondering how to work around the high strung prince. He was getting frustrated too easily, putting up the walls around himself once more.
"How about you bring Lady Karin with you next time you visit?" She suggested and his anger faded, replaced with surprise and curiosity. "I'm sure you father would like that, to see the two of you together." The boy went a bit pink and turned away, scratching at the floor to distract himself.
"She'll be leaving." He murmured. "Once she and her brother finish the trials, I know she'll be leaving. And then…he'll die…and I'll be alone…"
Kirio frowned, barely catching on as he whispered 'again' at the very end. So this is what the problem was. After finally getting used to opening up to others and getting close to people, he was losing them again, causing the ice to build back up. If they weren't careful he'd be the stoic Ice Prince he had been when he'd first arrived. That couldn't be allowed to happen; he'd lose too easily to Kamai that way.
Carefully she put an arm around his shoulder, feeling him stiffen at the touch.
"Think, child." She said. "You won't be alone. You have your dragon partner, your zanpaktou. We are here to protect you, to help you where we can. Lady Greenleaf loves you very much and has done her best to help you; she sees her sister in you."
He frowned, still not looking at her, still rigid under her side hug.
"And though Karin may leave, she will always be around. Just trust in her."
Apparently something she said struck a chord in him and he closed his eyes, trying to stop the tears from falling. Though what Kirio said was true, he could only think about what he would lose. It was a terrible habit of his. His inner dragon growled at him as it continued but was ignored.
His head lifted as he sensed a flare of fiery Spiritual Pressure, faint from the distance he was at but still powerful considering that distance.
"She finished." He said aloud, both relieved and saddened. One step closer to her leaving, one step closer to her safety.
"Go then. And invite her to see your father." Kirio pulled him up after standing herself and pushed him towards the stairs. He didn't resist.
The young prince left and headed upwards, meeting Myndræl at the top. Taking notice of his partner's saddened expression the ice dragon gave a soft purr, putting his head down next to him. Toshiro managed a small grateful smile to that but his sadness did not leave.
In silence they rode together towards the floating kingdom, Toshiro gripping tightly to the blue scales. Myndræl wouldn't leave him, he knew that. Ever since they'd met outside the Greenleaf Family home they'd always been together. So why didn't that make him feel better?
"Toshiro." Myndræl said as they landed, said prince dismounting. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
The white-haired boy sighed and put a hand to the ice dragon's side, the scales cool under his touch.
"I wish there was." He replied.
Frowning, Myndræl pushed his muzzle up against the small figure and gave a low, calming rumble, to hopefully help in some way or another. The prince gave the drake a quick hug before heading off towards the mansion, feeling a little better.
Once inside he was met with the sight of Karin having her arm wrapped in a bandage. She looked really tired and had other parts bandaged. Clearly the trial had been Hell for her. Her brother was the one bandaging her.
"Oh, hey." Karin greeted, barely taking notice to his worried expression. "I look like shit, don't I?"
She gave a weak laugh that Toshiro definitely did not find funny, stepping over to her.
"Hold still." Ichigo grumbled when she tried to move her arm.
"Then hurry up." She snapped back.
Still silent, Toshiro sat next to her, looking like he really wanted to hold her, though they couldn't decide if it was because she was hurt or because he was.
"Are you alright, Prince Hitsugaya?" Rukia dared, wondering why the white haired prince seemed to be in such an off mood.
"It's hard to tell." He replied quietly, keeping his gaze on Karin. So even he didn't know.
"If you're worried about me I'm fine." Karin shrugged. "My opponent was Homuratei and she did not go easy on me. It's hard to fight a Wyvern."
"You fought your zanpaktou?" He looked surprised by this.
"Yeah, she was testing me again." Her eyes lit up. "She says I'm probably two or three times stronger than the average Captain. That's good, right?"
He let a small smile grace his features but the sadness was still evident in his gaze. Something was really bothering him and Karin wasn't about to let it slide by. She had more of an idea of what it was, though, as he had told her things he wouldn't tell others.
"How's your dad?" She asked softly. Having just finished bandaging, Ichigo stiffened and turned to the prince. Is that why he was depressed?
What little barrier he had put up to try and hide his sadness quickly fell and he turned away from them.
"Hitsugaya?" Rangiku stepped closer to her former Captain, worried.
"Sorry." He said, his voice a little shaky. "I'm not myself right now…just…give me a minute."
An oppressing silence filled the room as no one spoke, concern on their faces as they watched Toshiro sit silently with his face turned away, his hands fisted into his hair. The stress was clearly getting to him, more so than they had ever seen before, even Rangiku.
Said Lieutenant sat at Toshiro's other side and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. He glanced up at her. Whatever passed between them was left unsaid as Toshiro sighed and laid his head down on the table atop his arms, Rangiku rubbing her hand in soothing circles across his back. Karin watched with interest as he relaxed more. The blonde saw her watching and winked. This was one of the reasons Toshiro trusted Rangiku despite her work ethics; she knew how to work through depressing situations.
After a while he sat back up.
"To answer your question, Karin." He spoke. "He's…not doing well. I don't think he has much longer."
"I'm sorry…" The teen shifted uncomfortably, feeling bad for asking such a question.
Ruala stood from her position in the corner then, unseen and forgotten before then, and walked over to Karin. She leaned down and whispered into the girl's ear.
"Do not leave him alone tonight." She said before walking away and leaving the Reapers with the prince.
Confused, Karin looked past it and, along with Renji and Ichigo, attempted to try and lighten the mood. Toshiro went along with it gladly, wanting to think of anything but the upcoming demise of his father.
Night was falling and Sylfie popped in to force Ichigo to bed, wanting him to have a full night's rest before heading to his final trial, and ushered the other Reapers off to their rooms while offering Toshiro one in the mansion for the night. With the palace only holding the foreboding of death at the moment, he accepted.
"Hey Toshiro." Karin called out once she was alone with him in the halls. He turned back to her, curious. "Could I, um, stay with you tonight?"
His eyes widened a bit at the statement and she scratched her head nervously, knowing her question sounded strange. But Ruala knew things no one else did, and her advice to keep the young prince company would not go ignored, not this time.
"…okay." He finally answered, if a little nervously. Though they were comfortable in each other's presence, only nervous when others came around, especially Ichigo, they had never spent a night together.
She followed him to his room and sat next to him on the bed.
"Why the sudden need to stay here?" He asked out of simple curiosity, smirking a bit as she shifted nervously.
"Well…since I was going to leave tomorrow when Ichi finished…" She saw his expression harden, "I wanted to spend my last night here with you."
He said nothing, making her wonder if she'd upset him by mentioning her soon to be absence. It probably wasn't the best way to explain her being there.
"Come on, I'll be back." She promised, putting her arms around him. His expression lit up a bit and she got a smile out of him. "Jeez, you're like a kid having to give up his toy for a few days."
"I am not." He grumbled. "And don't consider yourself a 'toy', you're more than that and you know it."
She blushed a bit at that but wasn't about to let him get the upper hand on her.
"It was a simile, stupid; I meant you're being possessive. You're pretty hooked on me, aren't ya?"
"Shut up."
Win. She'd twisted it back around to make him the nervous one. These kinds of conversations were fun, seeing who could stay on top and make the other one submit. It always shifted back and forth but tonight she had won. Not wanting to give him a chance to turn it back around she gave him a quick peck on the cheek before moving away and settling into the bed.
"You're almost cruel." He huffed, lying down next to her.
"I just like to mess with you."
"Clearly."
He put his arms around her. However, he was shaking a bit, making Karin frown. So he was still upset about her departure. But there was nothing either of them could do and they knew it. All they had left was the night and so they were going to make the most of it.
Just before she drifted off to sleep, she heard him whisper something.
"Please stay with me."
I love being many chapters ahead! I've actually finished this story! I'll get the rest of the chapters up one day at a time, just be patient! I might post something at the end to answer any and all questions you might have at the end as well as questions for you guys. Whatever works! Enjoy!