Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
Renji rode Winter Storm in the lead of the search party through the silent woods. The only sounds being the even beating of the hooves and steady breathing of the mighty beasts. During the ride, Captain Kuchiki noted the direction they were currently heading and estimated the distance on Rangiku's map.
'Captain Hitsugaya and Karin Kurosaki have been away for one whole night and nearly two days.' Captain Kuchiki remained deep in thought as the steady rhythm of the galloping horses allowed his mind to focus.
'Considering how long they have been gone it is very likely that they will not be found.' Byakuya frowned in deep thought as this forbidden image plagued his mind since the early morning. How likely was it they are still alive? The note that was given to Winter arrived just this morning so it was easily written in the middle of the night.
'So many things can happen during those few hours before dawn…' Byakuya paused allowing his mind to wander through the past day's events and the possible condition the two could be found. However, even through his musings a stray thought continued to plague him: how was Winter Storm sent back and why?
'It is no surprise that my questions only lead to more questions.' Byakuya did one small action that he almost has never done, he sighed in either exhaustion or frustration even he didn't know. He finally settled to following Renji with his fellow ten riders bringing up the flanks.
The party continued on in silence passing trees and bushes following no definite path until Winter Storm suddenly pulled up to a stop surprising Renji.
"What's going on?" Renji asked the horse. Winter paused breathing in deep breaths of the surrounding air all around their current position. Pointing his head toward the left and taking another deep breath, the dapple gray sighed and walked forward onto a roughly beaten path. The path was merely a line of trees and bushes that had been trampled to clear an area 20 feet in width and extending in both the left and the right direction.
"What kind of path is this?" One of the riders asked anyone in the group.
"I don't know, do you think we should turn back?" Another rider expressed his fear.
"We shall continue until Winter Storm has arrived at a destination." Captain Kuchiki silenced any other possible fears and doubts of the small group.
"Renji, let us continue." Byakuya ordered his lieutenant, as the red head gave the reins some slack allowing the horse to continue in the lead. The path led them further until they reached a lake where Winter came to an abrupt halt to take a small drink of water.
"I'm not sure if this horse knows where it's going." Renji stated causing the horse to raise his head and snort laying its ears to the back of his skull.
"Renji, be silent." Byakuya ordered eying the horse carefully and waiting for the animal to relax once again.
"Yes, Captain," Renji complied letting the reins loosen once again as the group waited for Winter Storm to continue on, if there was anywhere else they needed to go. Winter stood in silence flicking his ears in different directions to catch the sounds and any possible scents of the area. After a moment, Winter Storm neighed and began trotting around the lake approaching a clearing.
"Well, this looks promising." Byakuya stated leading his horse to stand beside the dapple gray as they paused at the edge of the clearing.
"Captain, look there," Renji pointed to the center where there appeared to be charred branches arranged into a pyramid indicating a fire had burned. "Someone built a fire in this area."
"Yes, I believe this is where Captain Hitsugaya and Karin Kurosaki were staying last night." Byakuya looked around the calm area taking note of the damp ground where foot prints could be distinguished from the dirt.
"Renji and I will enter the clearing, I want the rest of you to search the perimeter and report what you find." Captain Kuchiki ordered as the riders dispersed to carry out his orders.
"Come along Renji," Byakuya ordered coaxing his horse further into the clearing followed closely by Renji. Byakuya kept his eyes focused on the ground where he could make out small and large depressions in the soft earth and grass. Pulling his horse to a halt, Byakuya looked around the area noting the small, shallow foot prints as well as similar prints though these were slightly bigger. There were no doubts in his mind that these prints belonged to Toushiro and Karin. Allowing his eyes to wander the area, Byakuya froze staring at one area of the clearing where an abnormally large print sunk deep into the ground. The shape bore a close resemblance to that of an eagle however the size and width of the digits froze Captain Kuchiki's blood in horror as an image of the beast formed in his mind: dragon.
"This isn't good." Renji broke into his captain's thoughts as he, too, spotted the dragon print.
"Indeed not," Byakuya answered and paused allowing his eyes to wander further around the clearing. Urging his horse further on, Byakuya allowed his eyes to take in every patch of land taking note of the prints and the perceived condition of their makers. Upon closer inspection Byakuya could detect more dragon prints, at least 12, the majority being the same size however there was a separate set of dragon prints not like the first. The second set of prints pressed deeper with the digits distinctly larger than the first.
"Two dragons!" Renji slipped in a whispered shout.
"Silence, Renji!" Byakuya ordered so the other men would not be frightened. From all of the scouting parties, there had never been two dragons in the same place at the same time. This clue was surprising in itself, but there was something odd about this clearing.
"What's missing?" Byakuya spoke as Renji turned away from Byakuya to search another section of the clearing.
"What was that, Captain?" Renji asked back to him. Renji noted the human prints circling the area but there was something odd: the makers were not hurried.
"This doesn't make any sense," Renji mumbled to himself. There clearly were two dragons in this clearing, the prints from Karin and Toushiro were walking around the area, but there was no evidence of a struggle or sense of urgency from the prints.
"Something is missing from this scene." Byakuya spoke louder for Renji to hear.
"I don't see anything except they were walking and dragons were right on top of them." Renji attempted an answer to his captain, but even he wasn't satisfied.
Byakuya travelled further and focused on the smaller human foot prints – Karin Kurosaki. He followed the prints when they came out to the center where they vanished. Vanished! Pulling his horse in surprise, Byakuya studied the end of Karin's footprints with more scrutiny and was surprised to see two dragon prints directly alongside Karin's. Now it could be said that the dragon picked her up from the ground and carried her off. But that scenario did not fit this scene – first of all, the prints showed no urgency therefore no sense of danger, and second the prints moved in the "wrong" direction for her to be carried off.
"What is going on here?" Byakuya questioned in total confusion, which is a very rare state of mind for the noble. Karin's footprints clearly began alongside the dragon prints and they were walking toward the lake. The dragon prints followed the girl's prints exactly. So, they were walking together.
"Captain, look at this." Renji called from the far side of the clearing where there were some broken trees laying about the edges.
"It looks like there was a fight here," Byakuya noted pondering the scarred earth damaged by dragon claws leaving massive gashes in the land.
"But, who won?" Renji asked noting the evidence of fighting just stopped.
"It is difficult to say. It appears that one minute they are fighting, and the next they simply stop." Byakuya explained trying to make sense of the situation.
"Do you think the human was killed?" Renji dared to ask as he continued to study the prints.
"There is one crucial agent that is missing," Byakuya noted again trying to pinpoint that one agent that tickled the edges of his mind.
"Blood! There's no blood." Renji blurted out blinking at this sudden realization.
"You are correct. There is a fight and there is no blood resulting from that fight." Byakuya puzzled over this instance.
"The fight would not have stopped unless one of them was killed. There are no bones and except for this small spot, no other evidence of distress."
"But, dragons kill humans…don't they?" Renji asked his captain.
"They're supposed to," Byakuya answered unsure of what to make of this situation. He circled the clearing once again as the sun began drifting lower in the sky. Focusing on the human foot prints once again, Byakuya followed both pairs around until they both disappeared in the center of the clearing. Alongside each disappeared set of footprints were a set of dragon prints, and they disappeared as well. There was no evidence that any of the subjects, dragon or human, were killed, but the humans did leave with the dragons for some reason or another.
'Why did they leave with dragons? Dragons have always been dangerous. They have killed humans, yet these dragons did not kill Karin or Toushiro. What's going on here?' Byakuya pondered this situation as he stared down at the story of the prints one more time.
"Renji, we had better be heading back to Karakura." Byakuya declared as he turned his horse back to the entrance of the clearing. "Gather the men and we'll be leaving."
"Yes, Captain . . . but what will we tell Rangiku?" Renji called back pausing at the edge of the clearing.
"Leave that to me, Renji." Byakuya answered as he pulled up beside Renji preparing to leave the clearing. Silently, Byakuya pulled out Rangiku's map and record the position of the clearing.
'Rangiku's map does not reach this far into the forest. This is very interesting.' Byakuya replaced the map in the saddle bag and walked his horse from the clearing followed by Renji.
"Yes sir," Renji walked Winter Storm into the woods and pulled out a small horn from his robe. Bringing the instrument to his lips, Renji blew a strong note from the instrument calling the rest of the search party to gather. After several moments, the riders gathered around awaiting further instructions.
"We are now returning to Karakura, and we will continue the search in the morning." Byakuya ordered as he led the group back to Karakura as the sun began its slow descent to nightfall.
...
Karin was walking back toward the clearing with Hebi Zabimaru trailing behind her. The talk they had enlightened Hebi to the ways of the humans. All his life, all that he knew was the humans are trying to kill the dragons. Then, these two humans enter the valley with Zangetsu and Hyourinmaru where they simply hide their presence from the other dragons. A small part of Hebi wanted to resent the humans but he did not know what to think. He has seen the bodies of his fellow dragons felled by the hands of humans and that is all he had known of them. But now with this human girl, a child held in the grip of a dragon's tail without showing any fear or worry, and the human boy who is strong enough to trap his sister in a binding kido, surely is strong enough to kill a dragon yet he is carried on the back of a black dragon.
'These humans are strange in their comfort in the presence, and surely they are anomalies. These may be the only humans who feel comfortable with dragons. If it were not so, then so many of my kind would not be in hiding and they would not be dead.' Hebi was left with his morose thoughts as they recognized voices emanating from the clearing.
"So, Zangetsu," Gonryomaru looked over to the black dragon, "I guess that injured wing was only a lie to sneak the humans in?"
"No, Gonryomaru, my wing is indeed injured however I am still able to fly." Zangetsu answered opening his wing and showing the injured joint to the silver dragon. Gonryomaru drew his head closer to inspect the damaged portion of the black wing.
"Zangetsu, I would be careful with this wing." Gonryomaru spoke with concern as he continued looking over the joint. In the time since Karin shot him, his wing joint had begun to swell turning red and cracking as it started to ooze a clear liquid.
"Your wing could give out on you if too much pressure is applied." Gonryomaru's inspection peaked Zangetsu's interest as he inspected his wing for the first time since it's been injured.
"It will be fine, as long as I don't use my speed." Zangetsu answered taking a deep breath of his joint to tell if an infection had taken root in the injury. After a deep scent, Zangetsu was satisfied that the injury was not infected and he had no pain when he flexed the wing.
"It is not infected, and I have no pain. All will be well." Zangetsu reassured the other dragon.
"Still, perhaps it would be wise for you to stay and rest here."
"I am afraid that is out of the question, Gonryomaru." Hyourinmaru spoke up to the silver dragon. "The humans will need to be returned to their village. I have no doubts that the villagers have become curious as to their sudden disappearance."
"Hyourinmaru is correct, Gonryomaru, he will need my assistance on returning the humans to their village. Once the humans have been returned then I can rest with my fellow dragons. All will be well." Zangetsu tried to reassure his fellow dragon.
Toushiro remained standing beside the remains of the deceased gargoyle. Looking down at the rubble, he allowed his mind to wander over the events of the last few days.
'Gargoyles . . . it's hard to believe there are creates more fearsome than dragons, yet here are the remains. It was a gargoyle that attacked Ichigo and killed Kaien Shiba. There were only two people to survive that party: Rukia Kuchiki and Ichigo Kurosaki, even though the latter is in a coma and who knows when he will awaken. Then, Karin has destroyed three of these things: two in the clearing where I assume she met Zangetsu, and just now in the mountains.' Toushiro looked toward the mountains where she had disappeared with the little green dragon, Hebi Zabimaru. They had been gone for some time, and even though Toushiro was getting more comfortable around dragons, this particular dragon caused him to worry.
'According to Hyourinmaru, Hebi is one of the youngest dragons and one of the fiercest. But with his approval, he has assured me that Karin will not be harmed in anyway. Still', Toushiro looked up to two blue shadows scampering around the bend into the clearing with the other adults. Sogyo and Kotowari had come back, but where was Karin?
"You have returned rather quickly, little ones." Hyourinmaru commented to the babies who simply smiled up, showing their baby teeth in one of the cutest faces a baby can make.
"We were getting tired." Sogyo explained at Hyrouinmaru's feet his brother catching up to him.
"Yeah," Kotowari agreed with his brother his little head bobbing up and down.
"Where are Hebi and Karin?" Hyourinmaru asked sensing the worry from Toushiro.
"They're coming."
"Hebi wanted to speak with the human."
"We saw him talk with her." The little babies spoke in alternating orders.
"Where are they now?" Toushiro broke into the little group still resting his hand on the tip of Hyourinmaru's tail.
"They're coming. (Here they are.)" Kotowari spoke over his brother in a rare moment of differing statements. Kotowari pointed to Karin walking from the mountains and Hebi following her at a fair distance. Toushiro jogged up to her amusing the older dragons.
"How did it go?" Toushiro asked noting her bow draped across her back.
"It went good, I found my bow." Karin pointed to the weapon. Toushiro looked up to Hebi but the little green dragon just continued walking. He headed for the forest but he turned back to the group. Hebi looked up to Hyourinmaru and conversed with the snow dragon. Since Karin and Toushiro were not near any of the dragons, they didn't understand the guttural utterances of the two.
"The green dragon didn't bother you?" Toushiro asked eying him from the corner of his eye. Karin chose to omit the part where he had lifted her with his tail.
"He left me alone, and just watched me play with the baby dragons. We also had a little talk before we came back. That's why we were behind the twins." Karin explained. Toushiro was immediately relieved that nothing happened.
"What did you talk about?"
"Hebi was confused about our behavior toward the dragons. He was brought up to believe that humans would kill a dragon as soon as one is spotted."
"He's right," Toushiro broke into her explanation.
"Yes, and that's what confused him. We came in on Zangetsu's back. Obviously we're not afraid of them, and we want to help them. He's never known any humans to do that." Karin looked back to the green dragon that had finished speaking with Hyourinmaru and returned to the forest.
"He's right that we're the only humans to get close to the dragons."
"Except for that Ishida person from Hyourinmaru's memories," Karin pointed out.
"That's true, but that happened over 300 years ago . . . and, I don't think Ishida was a 'human'."
"What do you mean he wasn't human?" Karin asked. She clearly remembered that Ishida appeared to be human.
"I mean I think he was a wizard."
"They're still humans," Karin argued.
"Yes, but with powers and mastery of the magical arts." Toushiro looked up to the ice dragon walking toward the pair. "Some of the powers being dark arts," Toushiro whispered recalling the dragon, Maramasa, noting the red eyes of the gargoyles. Muramasa had clearly said dark magic had brought them back to life.
"Are the two of you ready to return to your village?" Hyourinmaru asked the two humans looking down to them.
"Yes, we're ready to go home." Karin eagerly stated. It had been two days since she had seen Karakura and she was beginning to get homesick.
"Let's go." Toushiro agreed looking over to Zangetsu and recalling the words of Gonryomaru. Toushiro quietly walked over to the black dragon while it reclined against a rock.
"Are you able to fly?" Toushiro looked up into the yellow eyes.
"Yes, I shall be fine, human." The gruff voice replied. Toushiro preferred holding a dragon's tail instead of it wrapping around his ankle.
"Hey Toushiro," Karin walked up to the new captain," Hyourinmaru wants you to ride on him for the trip back to Karakura."
"And, I presume you will go on Zangetsu?" Toushiro accurately guessed.
"Yes, that's the plan." Karin walked up and easily climbed onto Zangetsu's shoulder. Toushiro still had his reservations but these were put aside watching Karin sit upon the dragon's shoulder completely relaxed.
"Let's return you to your village, Toushiro." Hyourinmaru bent down to him and Toushiro jumped onto the dragon's shoulders. He was surprised for a moment with the chill of the dragon's fur. The only other time he had ridden the dragon was at night, so he guessed he could not tell the difference between the night and the dragon skin.
"Hold on," Hyourinmaru unfolded his large wings and leapt into the sky easily rising over the valley and waited for Zangetsu to follow. Zangetsu looked at his wing and was reassured of the health before he too leapt into the sky.
"ZANGETSU!" Karin screamed with the sudden upward movement. She just then remembered her small issue with flying and height.
"What's wrong, Karin?" Zangetsu requested hovering alongside Hyrouinmaru. Zangetsu turned his head and was not surprised that Karin was clinging to his neck just like before.
"You didn't give me any warning." Karin complained squeezing her eyes closed and clinging all the harder to the black dragon.
"If I remember correctly, the last time I warned you of our flight your response was: 'you don't have any hand holds'." Karin glared up at the smart mouthed dragon. He was just doing this to annoy her.
"That doesn't mean you don't give a girl some warning." Karin yelled up at them not even noticing they had not moved.
"It will be alright, Karin." Toushiro spoke over to her. She looked over to him and smiled that he was getting so comfortable with Hyourinmaru.
"Shall we continue?" Hyourinmaru suggested to the group. Hesitating, Karin gave a small nod and gripped tighter when Zangetsu followed Hyourinmaru in the direction of Karakura. Karin slowly opened her eyes focusing on Toushiro and Hyourinmaru in front of her, and not the solid ground several thousand feet below them.
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A/N: YEAH! I'm DONE WITH THIS CHAPTER! I am so sorry for the long wait. It has been a mix of writer's block, work and school. But, I'm BACK and I don't intend the next chapter to take so long to get out.
Disclaimer: This story is inspired by the Dreamworks' movie "How to Train Your Dragon." (The movie is finally out on DVD! ).