Soul Scattered and Reaped

A/N: I loved the filler. I know many people didn't but I found it fascinating. Anyway, the pairing is odd and if you only ship HitsuKarin or ChadKarin don't read. I wanted to go outside of the box for this one.

Chapter 1: The First Time Opening the Gate

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

Karin didn't say a word to Yuzu as she entered the house. She ignored her father attacking her brother. She ignored the smelly pushy at the bottom of the stairs. She just went into her room and closed the door.

Her day had been the usual. School was too boring and her friends were becoming dull. She didn't mean it in a mean way. It was just a fact. Even soccer practice was becoming boring and Don Kanoji's show wasn't giving her an outlet.

How often had she said that she couldn't see spirits? She couldn't feel them. They didn't exist. They were just imaginary beings. She knew about her brother. She knew about Ichigo and months ago she had told him that she knew. Still that didn't change anything.

She could sense the battle going on around her and she wasn't a part of it. She couldn't be. She hated that but she could live with it. She could live with not being part of the battle. But she couldn't live with this feeling.

She had noticed Ichigo's continuing detachment from them. It wasn't that he didn't care about their family. She knew he loved them. It was just that they didn't understand the world he was living in. They didn't understand him anymore and he was beginning not to understand them.

Ichigo had been the only person who understood her other than their mother. Yuzu was her total opposite and Karin had assigned herself the job of protecting Yuzu since they were small. Yuzu could step into Masaki's shoes but Karin wasn't like those two beautiful women in her family. She was tougher and made of stronger material and motherly instincts were not natural to her. She was more like her father and brother than she wanted to admit.

The tentative knock on the door. Karin could see Yuzu biting her lip.

"Karin-chan?"

"Go away Yuzu."

"Karin-chan, what's wrong?"

Karin didn't answer.

"Yuzu go downstairs and make dinner."

"Otousan?"

"I'll talk to Karin."

Ishin didn't wait outside the door or try to be polite.

"You know and I don't know whether that's good or bad. Ichigo and Rukia left to go after a hollow so why don't you and I come clean?"

Karin turned to look at him bewildered. "Since when—"

"Since the beginning just like you."

"Ichigo—"

"Doesn't know I know and I don't want you telling him. I already guess that you are feeling isolated. There's not much I can do about that. It won't always be this way Karin."

Karin didn't say anthing.

"One day you will find someone who will understand you just like Ichigo and Rukia understand each other. It will be deeper than the understanding between siblings."

Isshin pulled his silent daughter close. For more than the first time he wondered why he had allowed himself to have children. They were torn between two worlds, Soul Society and Earth. It was more evident in Karin than in the others. Ichigo's heart and soul belonged to the shinigami and Soul Society. Yuzu belonged to Karakura Town and earth. She would always feel the pull of Soul Society but she knew she did not belong there.

Karin didn't belong to one world but to both. She would forever be pulled from both directions.

For Karin the remainder of the day was spent trying not to think too hard about her situation. She helped at the clinic and helped Yuzu make dinner. She wanted to pretend to be happy but instead she stayed in silence. There was nothing to pretend about.

The dinner table was uncomfortable as Yuzu tried to make small talk.

"Ichi-nii are you and Rukia-chan going out again?"

"Yeah. We didn't finish our project for school."

The lie came out so well practiced but Karin still flinched. Yuzu merely nodded and smiled. The mock play of an ordinary family at dinner grated on Karin's nerves.

"Is Orihime going to be there? I need to return her notebook to her."

Karin saw the look pass between Ichigo and Rukia.

Rukia smiled at Yuzu. "I'm going to see Orihime-chan. Ichigo has do his part of the project alone so I'm doing my part with Orihime."

Karin didn't want to hear anymore. She pulled her plate up from the table and left. She didn't see the look exchanged between Rukia and Ichigo as she left. Yuzu moved to follow her up the stairs.

"Sit down," Isshin said. "Let Karin be alone. She has a lot to think about."

Karin sat in the room in the dark. Her thoughts brooding and her mind taking itself out of the picture. She allowed herself to feel something she hadn't done since her mother died. Tears silently streamed down her face. As long as she didn't make a noise she wasn't crying.

Karin found herself in a dusty area. The houses surrounding her where ancient built like the houses of the Edo period. She stared around her in shock.

People watched her in the shadows. She could sense them but she couldn't see them. She could hear their whispers and one word repeated ryoka.

"Where am I?"

"You're in Hanging Dog district."

She turned to see a young man behind her. His eyes were a pale blue and he had a hat on his head. His clothes were old fashioned and the blue coat on his shoulders was slightly tattered. Karin felt an aching in the back of her head and a tinge of recognition.

"How did you get here?"

"I don't know. Last I knew I was in my room in Karakura Town."

He grabbed her arm pulling her away from the houses. Karin swung her fist to connect with his head but he dodged.

"You're tough. But I'm not your enemy and this place isn't safe. Especially for someone who doesn't know where they are or how they got here."

"What do you mean? LET GO!"

She swung out him her legs connecting briefly with his shoulder. He winced slightly as he caught her leg as she was doing a spin kick.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said quietly.

Karin paused.

"Look you ended up here unexpectedly. Those people don't like outsiders especially not people who appeared in midair."

"I—I just appeared? How is that possible?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. Normally you would've been escorted in but….Do you remember how it happened?"

"'It?'"

"Your death."

"I'm not dead. I can't be."

Karin sat down next to him on the doorstep. Most of the children living at that house smiled at him and asked if he had brought them candy. He smiled back pulling out the package from his pocket giving it to them.

"Why do you bring them candy?"

"Like most people in this district they have no one to care for them. They live in little tribes taking care of each other. Most of those kids won't live very long."

"Why doesn't someone do something?"

He looked at her sadly. "Most people here only care about themselves."

It scared her. She could see plainly that he did what he could but…She couldn't imagine Yuzu in a place like this. Her sister would never survive. Even on the doorstep people were looking at her darkly. She could feel their intentions and those intentions were far from good. Once they saw him though they left her alone. It was as if they were afraid of him which Karin thought hilarious since he didn't look threatening. He—who was he?

"What's your name so I who know what to call you?"

"Shouldn't you give me your name first since you want to know mine."

She stamped her foot on the ground. "I didn't think it mattered."
He laughed as her face became redder as she stamped louder. "It matters. I don't think I can have you calling me by name and I have to call you call girl. What sense would that make?"

She frowned. "I'm Karin. Kurosaki Karin."

He smiled at her. "Cain."

Then she woke up and he faded from her vision.

To be continued…