HI GUYS
Ok so this is kind of the revised/edited/new spin of my story once upon a lifetime which I kind of have been neglecting these past… years. Ehehe. I've always wanted to edit it and since I've been waiting for so long, the arc of Bleach and the storyline has developed even further then I could ever imagine, making OUAL clearly AU. Characters and storylines I wanted to use in that story is now slightly difficult as every espada is dead (with the exception of Grimmjow) and Aizen is imprisoned and there's even been a time-skip! Yikes.
So, this is a new version of this story. The pairings will be maaaainly HitsuKarin, but IchiRuki and UlquiHime will appear so don't your worry. I will also take it very slowly story wise, so it will take maybe two or three chapters before Karin and Hitsugaya meet again just so the plot can function according to plan.
I… think that's it?
D:
Enjoy.
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Through these days with nothing but darkness and conflict in view,
we walked, holding tightly onto our weakness that refused to give in.
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She shifted in her bed, emitting a sigh as she let her gaze linger on the petite clock positioned on the nightstand next to her bed. 02.54. Karin bit her lip slightly and closed her eyes, memorizing the time over and over again.
He's still not home yet.
Even though she was used to it now, her brother disappearing in the middle of the day, arriving home at the late of night, she knew that he would never stay out this late. He'd usually be home before dinner. Karin let a grim smile escape her lips, remembering their dinners together and how it always played out; Dad and Ichigo arguing, Yuzu letting out her serene laugh and Karin just trying to eat in peace. Not that that ever happened, of course.
She picked up the clock and let her fingers stroke the dusty glass, inhaling and exhaling to the beat of the minute-hand, ticking and letting time pass by whether Karin wanted it to or not. She knew that she had no reason to be worried, she knew that in her heart but something told her it was different this time. While her brother was known for his spirit and his care for his friends, he was also very strong and she knew he could fight off opponents well, she'd even seen him. As the years passed, her powers grew and now she had no trouble taking care of a few hollows time to time, but she did not find it as enjoyable as Ichigo did. He lit up when talking about his shinigami duties, about his friends and everything in between, while Karin just wanted it to be over with.
He would rather be fighting—sword in hand and friends in heart—to his death rather than lying in bed and await his fate. She could understand him, and sometimes even envy him for his peaceful manners and easy mind. Karin herself has never wielded a sword. She'd been in fights, yes, but never a real fight where your life is on the line. She had not decided yet if she wanted to. It was tiring just kicking a football at her enemies, and she did it without heart.
But she wanted power.
Everyone had it. Orihime, Chad, Rukia… even her fucking dad had it. Everyone excluding her. It's not fair… Karin let the clock fall down on the nightstand and she looked away, her eyes searching in the nightfall through the window for a flicker of orange, anything, that would make her feel safe and then fall to sleep without a second thought. But it never came, the orange hair never appeared and she couldn't even feel him in the area.
Sometimes she pondered if she would prefer to live in the normal world, where she would have the same low attention of ghosts and spirits and just evil things as her sister, and let the days go without worrying. Without the constant nagging in her head if he was alright, if her friends were alright and if her beloved sister was alright. Not knowing there was a constant threat and just live her life… would it be better?
I still don't know the answer.
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Karin grunted. The clock read 03.24 and she let out a deep exhale through her nose, trying to keep her composure but to no avail. She had been waiting for the creek of the door and his footsteps on the barren floor and hearing him breathing and enters his room and then shut the door as usual with a slam with no concern of his now sleeping family. But it never came. Karin opened her eyes slowly and realized that he was still not home, he was out there and maybe he was hurting and maybe he was alright but mainly Karin thought he was in danger. She looked out the window and saw the elegant snowflakes that danced in the sky, slowly falling towards the ground in nothing but a hurry in a graceful manner.
She escaped her comfy bed in a heartbeat and dressed appropriate and did what she did best.
She ran.
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"It's freezing!"
Karin couldn't help but exclaim the fact out loud to herself as if trying to convince her brain and at the same time scold it for putting on thin jeans and not the comfy sweatpants that had just been a few metres away from her bed. She sighed and continued to keep up her hurried pace, jogging through the empty streets of Karakura town with her breaths being the only sound she could hear, echoing off the walls of the alley. She hugged her leather jacket closer to her body in hope of emitting warmth and her onyx locks danced in the wind when she ran, reminding Karin that not only did she forget to tie it up in a ponytail, she also left her hair scrunchie on the night stand next to her bed. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and decided to increase the pace instead of letting the thoughts of annoyance rise like the plague in her mind. She rarely left her hair out with the exception of sleeping and showering as it would just get in her way (or rather, her face) when letting her locks rest on her shoulders. Karin did not even know why she had let it grow out so much as it had, and blamed her laziness for not calling her hairdresser in the last year.
She stopped in her tracks when she felt a presence.
Karin couldn't place it as it wasn't as familiar as the usual spirits she dealt with, but somehow she could feel it being more and more memorable. What she really caught her off guard was how strong the presence was. Like, deadly strong. Karin bit her lip and clenched her fist whilst trying to figure out her next move.
Her thoughts were interrupted by someone appearing behind her, the falling snowflakes increased in speed and tumbled around like in daze. Karin gulped.
It's the same aura. He found me so quickly. I'm dead.
She did not want to turn around and she really tried to stay calm but then again, Karin Kurosaki were many things, and while obnoxious, loud and daring was one of them, so was spontaneous.
She met his gaze and immediately froze. He was tall, maybe even taller than Ichigo, and he wore a scowl on his face and something told Karin that it was a trademark of his although she didn't know why she even cared. His electric blue hair stood out like fireworks in the middle of the night and his eyes were a shade of blue she'd never seen before, almost the same colour as his hair but still not quite. He wore a long onyx coat that were a tight fit, especially around his biceps that hugged the material like its life depended on it, and beneath he had a loose fit white shirt and black jeans (they looked like chinos but then again it was dark and she had trouble seeing clearly) topped off with the original black seed converse.
He looked good, in some wicked way. And he was old, at least old enough to be in his thirties but his face was free from any proof that he was as such, with a jawbone so sharp it would probably cut her skin on impact and his lips small and pale.
But it was his eyes that made her body shake with fear. There was something called "smile with your eyes" and it was exactly what this man did. His mouth did not move while meeting her gaze but his eyes lit up like the fourth of July and it scared her, because it was that sort of happiness that didn't come from kittens or laughter or love.
It's blood thirst, Karin realized as her heart dropped like a stone in her chest.
Before she had a chance to speak her mind, he let out a grim laugh as to interrupt. "Well, you're the last person I thought I would see out here." He eyed her with his hands in his pockets, the gaze lingering on her body her hair her eyes her everything and somehow Karin felt naked in front of his gaze although she was fully clothed. It was like he saw through her skin and into her very being, her soul and her mind. "What'cha doing here, Kurosaki?"
Whatever Karin had been thinking prior to his question it was gone as her mind blanked.
"You…" She blinked as she tried to form the words in her mouth, "You know me?"
He simply smirked at her as he started to walk, surprisingly away from her, towards the bench positioned a few metres away hands still in pocket and mouth still tugged upwards in a sadistic grin. "Not you, of course. But your annoying prick to brother."
Of course. Karin rolled her eyes. Ichigo knows every weirdo there is. Why am I not more surprised.
The man removed his hands from the pockets and Karin could see thanks to the dim moonlight that had emerged from behind the clouds that both his hands were covered in multiple scars and she tried not to wonder if maybe he fought with him once and if he did, why is the man still here and why isn't he dead, but Karin brushes away the thought when he yet again opens his mouth to speak.
"He really is, you know."
Karin raises her eyebrows in surprise and suspicion, letting her eyes follows his movement as he simply scoffs away the snow that up until now rested on the bench, falling silently to the ground and he sits down with a grunt, raising his arms and positioning them behind his head and entwined his fingers so his head rested on them. "He's what?"
"Annoying."
"Oh, that." Karin lets herself smile a bit. "Trust me, I know, I live with him."
The man with the blue hair looks at her and starts to laugh but this time it is more content, more happy and true than it was before. The killing intent is gone, she realizes and without her acknowledging it her feet start to move forward and too soon she finds herself on the bench as well, elbows bent on her thighs, resting her chin on the palms of her locked hands while deep in thought. She did not know this man, but she was hell-bent on finding out his identity. While yes, he may not be an ally, he may not also be an enemy; his guard was down and his presence felt more… calm. As calm as someone like him could feel.
She started to talk without looking at him. "Who are you?"
Karin heard the man snicker beside her and she wondered what it was that was so funny about her question. She felt him shift besides her, re-positioning himself on the cold bench and she could feel his eyes on her. He paused before answering. "I'm no one. No one of importance to you anyway."
Karin let out a shrug. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"What I just said. This is nothing you should concern yourself about kiddo."
She fumed, her glance darting to him and made a grimace. "Seriously? And why is that?"
The man just sighed, it was obvious that she was starting to get on his nerves, and shrugged his shoulders slightly while wearing a bored expression on his pale face. "You shouldn't get involved. You should not even be able to see me; I was quite shocked when I felt someone watching me." He finished with a grin and stretched out his legs on the ground.
"What do you mean? Are you a ghost?"
He shrugged. "No, but let's just say I'm not supposed to be here."
She squinted at him, her palms now resting on her thighs and clenched together into fists. "Are… you an enemy?" When the man continued to stay silent, Karin bit her lip and continued. "To Ichigo, I mean…"
The silenced continued on and Karin closed her eyes slowly, looking away slightly. If he was, shouldn't he have killed her on sight or something? It didn't make any sense to her, but then again, he would not know who she was if he didn't know Ichigo well to recognize his siblings through their reiatsu. The puzzle was far from finished and Karin didn't have any pieces left to play.
"I was."
Upon hearing him talk again, Karin blinked and turned to him, greeted by his grim expression he wore and his fingers nibbling on his cloak. He exhaled. "We nearly killed each other. But in the end, that bastard didn't kill me. He spared me."
Karin realized that the entire time he'd been talking she'd been holding her breath. She exhaled slowly through her nose as she tried to seep in the memory he'd just relived. "Um, ok… wow. That's…"
The man shrugged again and gave her a weak smile. "I owe him one. But don't tell him that."
Swallowing slowly, Karin just nodded to the mysterious man and turned away her gaze.
He cracked a tint in his neck and she heard the bench creak loudly when he positioned himself upright and stood, hovering over her with eyebrows slightly raised. "Your reiatsu is impressive, girl. For your age, at least." When he saw her eyes widen, he simply chuckled. "But it's obvious that you can't control it yet."
Karin opened her mouth slightly to answer but the man with no name started to walk away from her and the bench, and the snow continued to fall in silence. She flew up from the bench and raised a fist in the air, gritting her teeth. "Ey! What do you mean, not control it?" She could hear him snicker but his footsteps didn't slow down and he didn't stop he just continued forward without acknowledging her or her question. Karin fumed. "Seriously! Who are you?!"
She saw him stop and for a moment, a few seconds or what felt like a lifetime, he finally turned around with that smirk he proudly wore and positioned his hands in his pockets, casually shrugging his shoulders slightly. "You have high spiritual power for a human. But then again, you're a Kurosaki. I don't even try to act surprised anymore when it comes to your bloody family." He laughed when he saw her reaction. "If I were you, I would talk to your brother about it."
Karin gulped. "That's why I'm out here… I'm looking for him. He's—he's not home yet and…"
The mysterious man gave her a grim smile. "It's Kurosaki we're talking about. He's fine, I assure you. He wouldn't drop dead even if the gods wanted him to."
She smiled at his reassurance, agreeing in silence.
"It's late. You should go home, girl." With that said he simply turned around again and raised his right hand in the air and waved at her. "See ya around."
"Ah! Wait!"
Although he didn't stop walking something told her that he was waiting for her to speak because his pace decreased slightly. "I'm Karin. Who… are you?"
She heard him shrug before answering. "Grimmjow. Now go to sleep, girl."
The man—Grimmjow—increased his pace yet again and Karin simply stood in the dim moonlight and watched his back disappear into the darkness of the night.
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I'M ALIVE
Sort of.
(This will NOT be GrimmKarin, sorry fans. I'm thinking more of a GrimmKarin!friendship thing.)
Oh, and remember that I'm not English per se so if there are grammatical errors or minor spelling faults, ignore them. Thanks in advance!
Jerkez, signing off!
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