Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does.
Hyourinmaru streaked through the starry night. He must find a village with a doctor. Karin depended on it, and she depended on Hyourinmaru getting back to the cave. This would be difficult with the cave sealed: air could get in, but no scents to escape. So if Hyourinmaru lost his way, then Karin would die. Due to this issue, the most reliable way to locate a doctor and get back to the cave in time was to fly in a straight line then double back to the cave, where he would start again in a different direction. It would take time to go back and forth but at least he could find his way back as opposed to getting lost by flying all different directions.
Hyourinmaru turned back to fly toward the cave. He looked down at the mountains and pinpointed the cave once again before he flew off in a western direction. Hyourinmaru let his thoughts drift while he searched flying in the straight line pattern he decided.
He had only known the humans for two days, but in that short time he had come to care for them.
'In only two days, I have regarded these two humans as allies. I never dreamed that I would ally with the humans. Yet that day has come.'
Hyourinmaru traveled down in this direction for several more miles before he gave up and turned for the cave when a scent reached his nostrils.
'What's that?' Hyourinmaru paused in his flight concentrating on the faint smell. It smelled like. . .
'It smells like wood burning in a fire place.' He continued further following the scent as it became stronger until he reached a large reach of forest. In the center of the forest a plane broke out into the distance where a large city lay asleep in the night. Hyourinmaru flew higher into the sky where he could meld in with the moonlight and observe the city without being detected.
He could see large homes with chimneys that still had smoke escaping into the sky. Even at this height, he could smell the burning wood as clear as on land. Only a highly populated kingdom bears such a strong scent. This city must have a doctor living in the walls for the apparent size of population. Hyourinmaru prayed it did because the night was quickly escaping them, and with it Karin's chances of survival.
Hyourinmaru made a beeline for the mountain range. As the moon was drawing closer to the horizon, he found the cave and burst through the ice door.
Zangetsu was resting in the back of the cave looking over Toushiro and Karin. Toushiro was staring only at Karin as she lay sleeping. Hyourinmaru could feel worry pour from the young man as he sensed his friend slipping away. Toushiro looked up to Hyourinmaru when the dragon's tail brushed against his back.
"Toushiro, I've found a kingdom." Hyourinmaru proclaimed. These words brought hope back into his eyes as he shot up from his vigil and stared up at the ice dragon.
"Does it have a doctor?" Toushiro asked the dragon.
"I would suppose it does, however I am not sure. The only way to find out is to go there and ask." Hyourinmaru answered. Toushiro looked down to Karin as she lay as still as when Hyourinmaru had left. However, then her skin had been colored a faint red where now her skin was so pale it appeared gray.
"Come," Hyourinmaru bent down as Toushiro gently picked Karin from the floor and carried her to Hyourinmaru. Toushiro stepped on Hyourinmaru's paw so that they could be lifted onto his back. Toushiro settled Karin so that she was leaning on his shoulder. He gripped on tight to Hyourinmaru's mane with one hand and held tight to Karin with the other.
"We're going to find you a doctor Karin, so hold on." Toushiro whispered as Hyourinmaru walked out of the cave. Once outside, Hyourinmaru re-sealed the cave to make sure Zangetsu would be safe while he was away. Even if he was a dragon, a defenseless dragon was as good as a dead dragon.
"Hold on tight," Hyourinmaru warned before he jumped into the air and sped up to height and soar away to the kingdom. As Toushiro held onto Karin, he noticed she still was burning with a fever even in this stinging night air as well as riding an ice dragon.
'She's worse than before.' Toushiro thought squeezing Karin's shoulder with his right hand.
Karin felt a cool wind press against her forehead. It felt good to her flaming body; she was finally cooling off after hours of feeling like a lit stove. She slightly opened her eyes only to be met with more of the ice wind to sting, yet even this was a great relief to her fever.
"Toushiro?" Karin whispered to which he responded immediately.
"Karin," she looked up to him but she could not get his face to focus in her vision, neither could she focus on the rapid blur of star-filled sky overhead.
"We're going to take you to a doctor. You need to rest now."
"What?" Karin blinked up at him. She knew that she felt bad, but surely not so bad to need a doctor. Some medicinal tea from Dr. Unohana would be enough.
"You're very ill Karin." He looked down to her. Even though his face was still out of focus, she could clearly see the worry in his eyes.
"You were struck by a gargoyle's attack and it has made you very sick. We're going to take you to a doctor." Toushiro slowly explained as a new fear reached into his mind. What if the doctor doesn't know how to treat a gargoyle attack? A cold shiver coursed through Toushiro's body at this horrid fear.
"We're getting closer." Hyourinmaru proclaimed just as the sun began to peek into the sky.
'Maybe the sunrise is a sign that Karin will make it?' Toushiro thought blinking back to the sun.
"I can't get too close to the kingdom but I can let you off just inside the forest line. It will still be about a mile to the gate but I cannot risk getting any closer. If these people knew you came with a dragon, they just might turn you away." Hyourinmaru explained as he flew closer to the tree tops.
"Hyourinmaru," Toushiro began staring at his mane of white fur, "what if this kingdom doesn't have a doctor right now? What are we going to do?" Toushiro's voice reflected the slight tinge of fear that plagued his mind.
"I will stay near. If there is no doctor, then just whistle and I shall come and we shall look for another village." Hyourinmaru explained. "But, I will only be able to linger for no longer than an hour. I will need to return to Zangetsu as soon as I can. Due to his injury, he is helpless should anything attack." He heard Karin gasp that turned into a small cough.
"Okay," Toushiro nodded. Hyourinmaru ducked into the line of trees and carefully landed so the gates of the kingdom could be seen from in between the trunks.
"Toushiro, would you let me walk? It won't look good for me to be carried inside the kingdom." Karin mumbled and Toushiro had to smile. It was like Karin to never show any weakness, even when she was so ill.
"We'll see." Toushiro answered. Hyourinmaru raised his paw to Toushiro so that they could be lowered to the ground safely.
"For now, you need to hold onto my back." Toushiro explained as he allowed her to climb onto his back. He held up her legs as she crossed her arms around his neck.
"Okay, let me know when we get to the gates." Karin whispered before she fell back to sleep.
"I will, Karin." Toushiro looked back to Hyourinmaru.
"Thank you, Hyourinmaru. I'll call if there is no doctor here."
"That will be fine, just remember I will leave in one hour."
"I understand," with a nod of his head, Toushiro hurried from the forest to head for the gates. Just as Hyourinmaru had said, the gates were several hundred yards away. It would take a little bit of time, but at least he was closer to getting Karin a doctor.
The closer he walked toward the kingdom's doors, the larger they had become. From what he could see on Hyourinmaru, the gates appeared to be of average size. Now that he was closer the gates were clearly twenty if not thirty feet high. This kingdom had apparently seen enough battles to warrant such a heavy wall. Toushiro was grateful that the doors opened with ease as more of the inhabitants awakened with the sun.
Two boisterous men greeted him the very second his foot stepped into the gate.
"WELCOME TO RUKONGAI!" The two chorused. Toushiro wanted to tell them to be quiet but thankfully a baker just to the left of them beat him to it.
"So, what brings you to this great kingdom of ours in the middle of nowhere?" A large, muscular man cheered. He had mid length black hair with one of his eyebrows missing. Toushiro noted the man was wearing a scarf in this warm weather with a bandanna tied around his forehead to hold his hair back. He wore a light green shirt with brown shorts and simple sandals. His friend appeared to be his opposite in every way. His friend was much smaller and thinner with short dark green hair and wearing a short pink kimono with hearts decorating the material. However they were exact copies in their enthusiasm as, what was to be guessed unofficial, greeters.
"My friend is very sick and needs a doctor." Toushiro indicated Karin on his back. Each man immediately sobered before they approached. Indeed she seemed to have gotten worse: her fever was reaching new highs and her breathing seemed to be getting raspier, almost like she was finding it hard to breathe.
"Yeah, she doesn't look good one bit." The green haired man observed with a look over to his friend. His friend stood looking at her frowning in what appeared to be regret.
"We don't exactly have a doctor." The burly man stated. Toushiro grit his teeth in frustration and turned away before the other spoke up.
"Well, we have someone who knows medicine. But he's not what you'd call a doctor." The thinner man jumped at the burlier man's glare.
"Where can I find him?" Toushiro demanded to know stepping up to the dark haired man.
"Look, he knows medicine but he's a bit eccentric." The dark haired man replied.
"But, Ganju, he's the best chance this girl has got. The nearest doctor is on the other side of the mountain range." The thinner man pleaded with his friend.
"You do make a very good point. Alright I'll show you where he lives." Ganju motioned for Toushiro to follow as he started walking down the wide street.
"Is there something wrong with this doctor?" Toushiro asked quickening his pace to catch up with Ganju.
"There's nothing wrong with him but he's more of a witch doctor than an actual doctor. Nobody here knows if he's even attended any schooling whatsoever." Ganju replied.
"Then how could he know medicine if he hasn't had any training?" Toushiro asked suddenly unsure if taking Karin to this man was such a good idea or not.
"I know because I've seen what he can do. There was a girl brought here a few years ago. She was on her deathbed with some unknown type of disease and this man saved her. He nursed her back to health and she lives with him."
"Then why do you disprove of him?" Toushiro asked Ganju.
"It's the way he healed her that bothers us. To this day, nobody knows how he does it, so the majority expect he used some of the dark arts or wizardry either one is not approved of round here." Ganju stopped short in the middle of his explanation. He pointed a few yards up to a little cabin with a plank porch and a young girl stepping out to sweep.
"That's the girl he healed. This is the guy's house." Ganju stated but had no intention of moving.
"You go on from here. I do not go anywhere near that cabin unless I absolutely have to. I hope your friend gets the help she needs. Good-bye." Ganju suddenly turned back toward the gates leaving Toushiro at the edge of the property.
Toushiro proceeded toward the cabin while the girl continued to sweep the dirt off the wood. She glanced up to the yard and turned into the house. A man with blond hair wearing a green and white bucket hat walked onto the porch followed by the little girl. The man waved to him when Toushiro stopped at the steps of the cabin.
"Good morning to you. My name is Kisuke Urahara. To what do I owe this unexpected visit from an unknown young man?" The blond man asked taking a small fan from his sleeve.
"My friend is very sick and is in desperate need of a doctor." Toushiro explained. Kisuke stepped down from the porch and walked over to Toushiro. Kisuke looked over Karin and frowned at her condition. Her skin had grown paler and now there were beads of sweat dotting her forehead and arms.
"What happened to her?" Kisuke asked Toushiro. Toushiro paused before he answered.
"She was attacked by a dragon." Karin started at this statement as she awoke for a moment.
"Zangetsu . . ." she rasped in his ear.
"He's fine, but he's worried about you." Toushiro answered. He didn't see Kisuke squint before he touched the back of his hand to her forehead.
"Bring her inside." Kisuke demanded as he stepped away and briskly walked up the steps. Toushiro followed right on his heels. Once inside, he was met with a tall tan-skinned man with one very distinctive handlebar mustache.
"Tessai bring the girl to the back." Kisuke ordered walking further into the little cabin.
"If you please," the bass voice from the tall man surprised Toushiro as he gently held his arms out and allowed him to take Karin. He soon disappeared to the back where Kisuke had gone not moments before only to leave Toushiro standing just inside the door.
"Don't worry for your friend, Mister Kisuke knows what to do." The little girl Toushiro saw sweeping the porch whispered at his side before she disappeared down the hall.
"Ururu make the healing salve at a five times concentration." Kisuke ordered removing his hat to set it on a hat rack just inside the door to a simple operating room. The room was of average size with a waist high table covered in a white sheet with markings at the head and feet located in the center of the room. On the wall at the door, there were a layer of shelves with various needles, knives and bottles of liquid or paste. Kisuke picked a pear knife from a wide assortment and placed it into a pot of boiling water at a stove in the corner of the room across from the table.
Kisuke whispered a spell to form a ball of white light which he placed in a mirrored lantern hanging from the ceiling by an adjustable rope. Immediately the room was lit with a brilliantly clear glow allowing the occupants a perfect view of the table and surrounding walls. Tessai stepped into the room and placed Karin on the table. Ururu soon followed with a crucible of shimmering red liquid.
"Thank you, Ururu. Place it on the stove," she obeyed placing the crucible over a pot of boiling water.
"Now, please see that our guest is made comfortable." Kisuke requested and she proceeded to bow before leaving the room.
"Let's begin." Kisuke declared before whispering more words to make his hands glow green. Kisuke placed his green hands on Karin's chest and felt her raspy breathing. Her coughing confirmed the liquid flooding her lungs and the urgency of the treatment.
"The venom has reached her lungs. Find the location of the bite." Kisuke explained and placed a towel over Karin's chest so he could remove her shirt and continue the operation.
"Kisuke," Tessai exposed the dragon skin covering her upper right arm.
"As I suspected," Kisuke nodded his head for Tessai to remove the skin and continue working on her arm while he worked on clearing Karin's lungs.
Kisuke pulled the pear knife from the boiling water and gently slit two small holes just above her lungs on either side of her chest. He, then, dipped a flat glass spatula into the red liquid and gently placed a layer of liquid above and below the cuts. Pulling a long needle from another pot of simmering water at the back of the stove, he fit it to a syringe and slid a needle into each of the cuts. With another layer of red liquid to seal the needles under the cut, he replaced the spatula into the red liquid. Placing his hands on her chest, Kisuke whispered another spell allowing his hands to glow blue that spread down into Karin's lungs. Gently dragging his hands to the needles where a dark red started to be drawn into the syringe. Repeating this process, Kisuke watched the red liquid quickly turn to black as more collected into the clear tubes. As he repeated this process, Karin's coughing eased and her breathing evened out. Kisuke quickly removed the syringes and were replaced with two tubes. After the entire process, Kisuke had filled a total of four syringes with the black liquid that had been choking her. He carefully bandaged the small cuts on her chest and moved to her arm.
"That's much better, but it was quite a lot of poison that had reached her lungs." Tessai pointed out as he continued to wash Karin's right arm with a bowl of hot water.
"Yes, which only means there is easily four times the amount of venom still flowing in her blood. This is going to be a long morning, but at least she is out of immediate danger." Kisuke commented before he picked up another syringe from the simmering pot.
"She needs the antidote in her blood as soon as possible." Kisuke ordered as Tessai moved from her arm to retrieve a small blue tube from a small box underneath the floor and disappear from the room. Kisuke took her arm into his still glowing hands and inspected the wound. This is where the venom was introduced into her body. The wound had already sealed with a black and brown scab. Kisuke gently dipped the glass spatula into the red liquid once again and applied a layer over the scab. Then with his knife he cut a small hole to allow a few small droplets to escape. Quickly he retrieved another boiled syringe and needle to insert into the small cut. Kisuke ordered his hands to radiate the blue light as he dragged his hand from her shoulder to the cut and repeated the motions. Just as with her chest, a black liquid poured into the syringe with every pass of his hand. Also as with her chest, he filled four syringes of black liquid from the wound in her arm. He left a patch of red liquid before he bandaged her arm to close off the wound.
"That should be it for now." Kisuke laid aside the final syringe just as Tessai walked back into the brightly lit room. He held a crucible full of a dark blue powder in one hand and a small ceramic plate in his other hand.
"We need to get the antidote in her as soon as possible," Kisuke indicated the blue crucible. Tessai nodded his head then placed both items on a nearby table.
"Place a spot under her tongue, that will be the fastest way to get the medicine into her bloodstream." Kisuke ordered and watched Tessai mix a small teaspoon of blue antidote onto the plate to mix with water to make a paste. Tessai collected the paste onto a small tongue depressor and opened Karin's mouth to smear underneath her tongue before backing away to allow Kisuke to look her over once more. Kisuke passed his glowing hands from the top of her head down to her feet and felt the volume of venom had been greatly decreased.
"Will she need an injection of the antidote?" Tessai asked motioning toward the other syringes on top of the stove.
"That won't be necessary Tessai, we have done what needed to be done for now. We should leave her alone to rest." Kisuke exclaimed and reset her shirt over her chest then carefully removed the towel.
"Ururu you may come in now." Kisuke called the quiet little girl into the room. "Please watch over the patient and inform me once she awakens." Kisuke requested of the little girl while he walked out of the room adjusting his hat on his head.
"Yes sir, Mr. Kisuke." The little girl responded sitting down in a chair against the wall while the white ball of kido still hung from the lantern.
Kisuke smiled as he walked down the hall back to the living room where Toushiro sat on a couch trying to keep from falling asleep. Kisuke hid the piece of dragon skin in his shirt pocket before he approached.
"I'm glad to see you so relaxed, young man." Kisuke smiled down to the man amused at how he jumped from the couch and almost lost his balance in the process.
"Your friend is currently sleeping in the back room. She'll be fine after a little bit of rest. However we still need to continue the treatment. All I did today was to remove enough of the poison so that she is no longer in any danger. What happens next is a treatment of antidote several times a week and plenty of rest. You're more than welcome to stay here while she completes the treatment. Follow me," Kisuke motioned for Toushiro to follow. They walked down the hall to an empty guest room on the left hand side.
"You look to be about Jinta's size so there is an extra change of clothes in the room beside the bed. It would be best not to wear your current attire in Rukongai seeing as my fellow countrymen do not react kindly to those in the army of Sereitei. Especially those of a high rank, Captain . . ." Toushiro started at Kisuke's correct guess of his position and rank.
"Hitsugaya. My name is Captain Toushiro Hitsugaya, and the girl you just saved is Karin Kurosaki." Toushiro introduced himself.
"I see, well it is a pleasure to meet you Toushiro. Yuroichi must have been very impressed with your abilities seeing as you have reached such a high rank at such a young age. Here is the guest room. You're welcome to stay as long as you'd like. I'll have Tessai bring in some lunch and she'll take your current clothes to be washed once you've changed. You may sleep and rest for as long as you'd like. I'll come get you once your friend, Karin, wakes up." Kisuke explained as he opened the door for Toushiro.
"Thank you, Mr. Kisuke." Toushiro thanked him with a bow and entered the room. Kisuke shut the door to give him privacy and left to fetch Tessai. Toushiro looked around the room: there was a bed with a change of red shirt and black pants neatly folded. He walked over and quickly changed his clothes. Folding his haori into a neat square, Toushiro suddenly felt the lack of sleep in every bone of his body. With a giant yawn, Toushiro fell across the bed and was knocked out asleep. Tessai opened the door with a tray of food only to see Toushiro soundly sleeping across the bed. He put the food down at the fot of the door as he walked further into the room. He found a blanket to throw over the sleeping boy and took up his dirty clothes to be washed. He collected the food at the door and left the room as quietly as he had entered.
"Kisuke, he's already fallen asleep." Tessai explained to him.
"That's fine, I didn't expect him to stay awake for too long anyway." Kisuke answered pulling the dragon skin from his pocket to gaze at it pondering the source.
"I'll finish speaking to him when he wakes up." Kisuke answered while Tessai turned around taking the clothes and uneaten food with he.
"We will have much to talk about." Kisuke smiled under the shadow of his hat just before he turned away from the living room.
A/N: Okay here is the next chapter. You guys know I just HAD to bring Kisuke Urahara into this story. I hope I've been able to explain everything that I saw in my mind. Please let me know what you think. I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can.
A/N2: This story is inspired by "How To Train Your Dragon."