And now, we move on, like hopping bunnies in primeval darkness, always moving forward, and never looking behind…there is time for reflection in the murmurs of those that stand by our shoulders, and time for reflection when we reach the end, in bright, translucent detail. I hope you enjoy this tale.

To reviewers concerned: Please. Keep reviewing. Let me know if I am doing well or worse. I would rather have a negative review than not have a review at all.

Disclaimer: I do not own BLEACH!, though the foppish man from the previous chapter is of my ownership. Also, the plot is mine, but that much is obvious. If this tale was mine, the pairing included would not be mere filler.

Chapter 2: Humility

July 31st, early morning…

There is much to be said of Isshin Kurosaki. The men decorated in coats of sterile pallor and armed with the smallest, most intrusive syringes, particularly lead by one Ryuken Ishida, would testify to such an ambiguous claim. The depth of that man is shrouding in a cavernous pit, to which there is seemingly no bottom. Like that pit, there are mysteries, hidden at that core, which vacuums up any would-be discoverer and intimidates any onlooker. But, where there is a core, there is also a periphery, and this is what everyone pays attention to…what stands out. Isshin Kurosaki is more-or-less defined by this periphery, symbolized in extreme extroversion and flamboyance that it is sustained surprise he isn't locked up in a rubber room, and even more a surprise that he manages his own clinic.

Of course, reality is compared to what people are first exposed to. This would explain in psychological detail why the Kurosaki patriarch's scions-his son and two daughters-pay little heed to his over-the-top clowning and accept it as merely a piece of his personality.

How easily we forget…that deception is as much a part of our genetic code as the amino acids which structure the double helical construct.

Isshin remains somewhat of a mystery to this day, even to his own kids, who, as they haven't matured fully yet, do not take the time to perceive, nor do they observe hard enough. Having a loving father is satiable enough for the Kurosaki children, especially with the absence of a mother.

But that is a tale for another time.

Isshin can be characterized by several criteria, listed here. This could easily be stated as the 'Everyman' view: What everyone knows, in both the self (Isshin) and the onlookers.

1. Isshin has more energy and less inhibitions that a 1970s swinger. Though this is not to say that he is unfaithful (he never was, and to this day still remains loyal to his wife), his abundant exuberance makes him stand out wherever he goes, be it in the home or abroad. Much like Guy-sensei from the popular Naruto manga, Isshin is a quintessential, embarrassing-to-his-kids parent, and certainly one which the neighbors would gossip about.

2. With consideration to his parenting, very few come close in his willingness, caring, concern, and ability. With the departure of Masaki Kurosaki, the matriarch of the family, it has fallen onto his burly shoulders to tend to his family. Perhaps that was fortunate, as he was very much one who interacted with his children, be it Karin Kurosaki's soccer games, Yuzu Kurosaki's intrigue in the popular Don Kanonji, or playful discipline of his boy Ichigo. His home is also his job, surviving as a clinic by day and a loving home at night. But also it should be noted that, in spite of the preemptive strikes upon his son (especially during the mornings) Isshin Kurosaki has only struck his daughters twice.

3. Despite his overall goofiness, Isshin is an above average clinician. Although he should be the one that psychologists interview, at times, his procedural skills at handling a taxonomy of injuries, minor or major, do suffice, even though they are not a full-blown hospital. Given this, with exceptions given to the most debilitating injuries and treatments on his own kids (Nervousness for a doctor operating on a loved one is fatalistically paramount), Isshin's clinic has proven capable of handling whatever comes to its door.

However, these criteria are merely the periphery. When the need arises, as it does on occasion, the Kurosaki patriarch can get serious very quickly.

Though he slept soundly, in addition to Yuzu, Ichigo, and Rukia (whom he did not know was there), the same could not be said for Karin Kurosaki, who woke around the first hour of the dismal, umbra-shaded morning. Karin, though unaware of the extent of her own 'abilities' (a gift and a curse at times), woke in a shudder, as an unnatural zephyr of righteous cold pervaded throughout her room, and sent her out of her slumber. Grumbling incoherently about her 'need to sleep due to a school night', she found the anonymous, chilling air to be quite offensive to her petite body. The realization that warmer covers would be required came to her rudimentary cognition in haste, and dressed in summer-shine pajamas, she hurried to the corridor, taking note to be silent with each foot fall.

Karin had the gift to see specters of any sort, be they daemons from an namable world or more sapien spirits without legs, but otherwise bearing human likeness. She was not alone, in that her elder brother Ichigo had this same gift, though how each handled those gifts were other concerns. Ichigo was a doer, in that he tried to be a contemporary balm to the aching spirits…the physical tool which the emotional specters lacked. Karin however expressed apathy towards the dead…not graves, mind you, but the noisy, attention-seeking ghost that filtered around her vision. Her philosophy had always been to ignore the ghosts. If you do not bother them, they will not bother you. If you feed them attention, you will give them a reason to continue their antics. For an 11-year old tomboy, with so much of her life ahead of her, spirits and their nagging concerns did not phase her. Besides…she could always hand that responsibility to Ichigo.

Unfortunately, the issue of ghosts was force-fed to her, whether or not she wanted to. The past couple of months had been stuffed with paranormal happenings that science by itself could not logically blast away, and thus one had to turn to realms outside of science for explanation. She had unwittingly been the target of masked monsters, each as different as the next, each controlled by the most basic of needs. What frightened her was the realization that only a few could see these monsters, bounding around as putrid predators, seeking to feast on as many souls as they could gorge themselves on. However, much of it was foggy. Karin could easily dismissed many of the past instances as hallucinations brought about by stress/ She did not recall the trucker that rammed into their home, despite the nagging compulsion inside her head that insisted there indeed was a trucker, and not some fish-eyed monster which dismantled their wall. She could not help but wonder what had happened to that peculiar child she saw on the 16th, or that monster she had observed intent on attacking her and Yuzu both. These could be dismissed as dreams, and so Karin let them be classified as dreams.

However, the case with the latter two incidents could not so easily be shoved aside as surreal symbolism. At the 'Spontaneous Trips' performance of Don Kanonji, Karin had sworn she could see three individuals fighting unseen by the masses. Kanonji could be viewed by the panoramic audience, but only Karin could see the grotesque leaper with the chalk-white mask or hear prior to that the blood-curdling (and for her sake, nauseating) screams of the ghost. What she also saw was a ghost or something…it had been blurry…but she could've sworn that it had been an orange-haired teen by the same build as her brother, Ichigo. The only difference being that this 'double' had been dressed in a black kimono and carried a ridiculously big sword.

The most recent case was one that still bothered her, and it only usurped her mentality more. When she had been playing football some days ago, she had crossed paths with one of Ichigo's friends; a bronze-skinned giant who she had recognized as an owner of a parakeet. Having not the time to trade names, they both, 'Big Guy' and 'Ichigo's little sister' fell under the attack of another one of those monsters. Amazingly, the 'big guy' had been able to blow away the monster, but by the time she came back with her daddy, the big guy had disappeared.

However, she heard about his return to school and all, but still…the whole episode left her with more questions than answers.

For right now, Karin did not let her mind wander to another pointless debate over these issues, or what it all had to do with her brother. Her hunt for a blanket and the desire for sleep commanded her otherwise.

She found what she was looking for downstairs, within the clinic. Grumbling about why a simple blanket would have to be placed so far from the bedrooms, she wrapped herself within its folds, and proceeded as quietly back up, as she could.

"Darn Papa Goat-face…can't put in a simple closet to put everything…"

The raven-haired girl yawned, drowsiness seeking to claim her right there, before other noise, from the other side of the front door, garnered her attention. She heard incoherent sounds, garbled by the impromptu rain outside, organized as if they were carvings of speech. Curiosity got the hold of her, banishing her sleepiness for the time being, and she lent an ear to listen and penetrate beyond the deluge of raindrops outside.

She heard a man speaking, quietly and softly. She pressed her ear to the door to listen better.

"-to surpass his limits and plummet back into his flesh with realization. I cannot deny loving this show. But…perhaps it would be gauche of me to let you die. Yes…that would be inexcu…sable."

Rats. I didn't get all of it. Karin remarked, but she could heard the guttural strains in the man's voice. She listened more so. A heavy, clothed object scraped across the asphalt outside, as if being dragged, accompanied by simple splashes in pattern, as if someone was walking.

What's going on out there?

She pulled back her head, aware without reason that someone was standing right in front of the door. She waited, her breath held fast, before…

Ding-Dong.

No response from Karin. She was too perturbed to make an immediate action, and conscious of the possibility that the doorbell would awaken 'Papa Goat-face'.

Ding-Dong.

Again Karin hesitated, choosing instead to listen. The cold voice spoke loudly as it could, showing a considerable strain that not even Karin could miss.

"I think…I will leave you here. There are doctors there I believe. You will be in flesh and bone now, so…you will be treated. The flesh is the cabin of the spirit, and within that spirit is a heart. Where…is…yours…? Bur…n,t…out…like…a…st..a..r? H…a…H..a…amus…zing…"

She heard three steps: Splash. Splash. Splash. And then goosh…as if a large object had slammed into the watery streets.

Then she opened the door, and observed finally the baroque reality before her.

Her voice caught hold, and it blasted at its peaks. "DADDY!! COME QUICK!! THERE'S A GUY OUT HERE! AND I DON'T THINK HE'S A BUM!!"

Again, it must be said that Isshin Kurosaki can get serious very quickly.

In one moment, she observed the outside flashflood that down poured before her. Three things of notice quickly garnered her midnight eyes, each in order of interest. The first thing, within proximity of her, lied just on the doormat, placed semi-properly, but shifted somewhat as if the person responsible for the 'gift' had challenging aesthetic senses. It was rectangular in appearance, simple on the whole, but bearing an exaggerated plastic coating, as if the gift-wrapper was overly and obsessively cordial in his technique.

The second thing that caught her sight was slightly more drastic: A kid laying inert and unconscious on the street, the rain indifferent to his comatose state. His dress was so unusual that Karin rubbed her eyes, erasing what vestiges of sleep might've remained, before confirming with added clarity the substance before her. Yeah, the kid was wearing a black kimono (now obviously drenched) with some white jacket covering the front. His hand clasped upon some sword feebly, the grip again signifying his unconscious. His head and the features of his face, however, struck her, for it was unique to her relatively short life. The boy, appearing about her age, had hair colored to be more fitting of a senior. White as the snows of Hokkaido, perhaps…and his face seemed creased, as if normally set in the position of a constant frown. She recognized this kid…the lonely ghost watching her home without derision

The third individual was what released her hold on her throat. Working in a clinic bore the unfortunate consequence of recognizing injuries at a glance. Hence, she could tell from the strangely, well-dressed man's position, lying sloppily in the middle of the street that something was terribly wrong. The fact that his face was dropped in a puddle sufficient enough to cover his mouth and nose did not bode well. It bode even worse that he wasn't moving.

"DADDY!! GET DOWN HERE!!"

By now she may have waken everyone, but preventing two deaths was worth one sleepless night.

Isshin bounded out of his room in a bathrobe with a ballerina's grace. His face bore that usual-I'm-so-happy-to-be-a-father look, and raced down to comfort his daughter.

Ichigo appeared next, an opposite look on his face in comparison to his father and half-dressed, his shirt questionably absent.

Yuzu appeared last, obviously concerned but still fatigued by the encroaching slumber, a pair of pajamas with ducklings decorating her wardrobe. One of her dolls, an ugly-looking ape, was carefully tucked under her arm.

"Karin-Chan! Did a nightmare scare you?! Come into Daddy's embrace, and-"

Ichigo silenced his father with an adroit dropkick, his concern expressed more in physical machinations rather than exaggerated verbosity. "Karin. What is-Oh. Crap." Ichigo responded first with his brotherly concern (for if he was a slave to anything, it was to his brotherly instincts), and then his eyes widened as he peered through the door, observing the unknown damage caused. His words hid his concern. "Uh,..dad?"

Isshin's response was a retaliatory yakuza kick to the back of his son's cranium.

"What is it my delinquent son?!"

"I reserve the need to call for a medic."

Ichigo pointed from his place under his father's sturdy frame, back out to the monsoon present. Isshin looked briefly, and then upon the feet of the Kurosaki patriarch was a furrowed brow, despite his inerasable smile.

Time to get serious.

"Ichigo. Clinic's open. Lets go!"

"Ok pops. Which one first?"

Isshin's eyebrow raised up. "What do you mean, which one? He's bleeding like a pig over there son! Grab his legs!"

Ichigo's eyebrows raised a millimeter, before resting back into status with realization. He looked to Karin, then back to the boy in the kimono, to Isshin, and then back to Karin. His darker-haired sister caught the glimpse of realization in his eye, and nodded in her direction.

Isshin, meanwhile, turned into a corporal with the observation of a patient in need. Despite the lack of umbrella, and the failure to perceive the other patient, the Kurosaki patriarch bounded into the merciless rain, reaching the middle of the street within three lunges.

"Son! Don't be afraid of a little blood, now! Need your help over here!" Isshin barked, his waving hands betraying the depth of his concern.

Ichigo did not move at first, but tried his hand at a little subtle acknowledgement. Aware that his other baby sister was watching, he rolled his head from the direction of Karin, to the boy outside the door, and then back to Karin. He repeated the action, before taking his feet, conscious of his father's hearty bellows and threats to ground him for inaction.

It was apparent then, what he was getting at, and it was only further clarified by Yuzu's statement. "Did he get r-run over? T-that man in the street?"

"Yuzu, can't you see Whitey over there?"

"Wh-Whitey? You mean his skin?"

"Oh, great…"

Ichigo slipped back into a silent guardian, as he bounded into the cold rain, his lack of protective clothing all but forgotten in obeisance towards his father. In moments later, with Isshin still bounding and Ichigo lagging behind, the father-son pair carried the sharp-dressed man into their home, Isshin at the head and Ichigo at the legs. The pair disappeared into the area reserved for the clinic, both knowing that this situation qualified as a bloomin' emergency.

"Yuzu! Please call an ambulance! Daddy might need some help with this one! And be sure to go to bed, you two! Its still a school night!"

"What about me?"

"You're a delinquent anyway."

"……"

Yuzu cut her emotional concerns for a moment, and retreated to the den to retrieve her phone, her ape-doll clutched hard under her arms. This left Karin alone, still observing what Ichigo had seen, and yet what struck her as darn confusing. Certainly, if her father could've seen him, wouldn't he had grabbed the white-haired kid? Albeit, she wondered why that kid was wearing that kimono, but reason eluded is place with the deceased. This of course reaffirmed the confusion, for she could now see the blood permeating from his body, filtering into the street and merging with the abandoned rainwater.

Decisions are often the point of impulsivity. The fallen boy in the weird kimono was mesmerizing to the raven-haired sibling. She recognized him from earlier that night, crouching on the roof and observing her house coldly. The realization of that small kid, no longer watching but unconscious of two, scratched at her insides. Desire to interrogate welled inside, for she did not appreciate being spied on, but his condition was apparent. A limbo of peace and yet bodily strife struck her, and she looked back at her family. Ichigo and her daddy still remained in the clinic, working on the mystery man. Yuzu remained in the den, dutifully dialing at the phone.

She moved at her own speed, wandering into the diving rain. She saw the plastic-wrap parcel still laying without notice of passersby, and quickly grabbed it, expecting it to belong to the boy. Before allowing her own body to be swallowed by the pelting rain, and further worsening the cold which scraped at her in the beginning, she nestled the parcel under her arm, feeling almost a glass-like hardness inside. Judging quickly the best way to carry the white-crowned boy, she carefully draped his arms over her shoulders, and hoisted his legs around her waist. Cautious to retain her hold on him, and keep him unconscious, she treaded with trepidation back into the house, just in time to hear the bellow of her father.

"Karin-chan! Close the door! Daddy doesn't want you to get a cold!"

"Yes Daddy!"

The door swung shut loudly, and she hurried up the stairs. Yuzu still speaking to the hospitial, relaying their address as best as an 11-year old could. Good for Karin…she was mindful of how weird she looked, hunched over and her arms faceting two holes…if one could not see the strange boy now piggy-backing on her small frame. Yuzu would not be busy for long, and Isshin's serious dialogue with her 'Ichi-nii' was loud enough to let her know how serious the other man's wounds were. Briefly she wondered if she would be of any use; That thought was banished just as quickly, for if Daddy saw her wetter condition, he would fret more over her than the man.

So, refreshing her grip, she ascended the stairs as best she could, the boy's body going deadweight on her back and the plastic-wrap parcel tucked in a tight crevasse between her lithe arms and the unknown boy's legs.

From the second-floor corridor she could still hear the loudness of her father, blasting out words that signified the need to operate. Among them, which Karin could only catch in pieces than sentences were "Scalpel", "Gloves", "Defibulator", and "Watch it, Ichigo!" These soon drowned out into mangled garble, as Karin tapped the bedroom door open, and lugged herself inside.

A few more steps to her bed, and she laid the boy across her sleeping mattress, the parcel quickly accompanying him. He was still unconscious, still wet, and still bleeding. This forced Karin to be creative in her approach, quickening her methods. She was struck once more that a ghost that is dead was bleeding as if wounded, his marks placed at his upper legs and gut, as if some knife had been stabbed at him. It did not make much sense to her, but helping at the clinic did give its advantages in first aid.

Conscious again of the blanket she had pilfered from downstairs, Karin wrapped the boy the best she could. It was good for her that his stabbings was so concentrated in one area (that of the gut and the torso), though she had no way of dealing with any internal injuries. She could only stop the bleeding the best she could, with what rudimentary knowledge she had.

She realized real quick that she would have to remove pieces of the boy's clothes, a fact that incurred an inappropriate blush. She vaguely wondered if Ichigo would be coming to help her, but that seemed unlikely. Trying to stifle her embarrassment and the spreading color on her face, Karin rushed out, returning with some gauze to mend the situation. She removed first the white jacket-like garment with the number ten emblazoned on it, before then tearing of the sleeve, where another stab wound had been placed.

Her primary embarrassment turned to a need to hurry, as she continued mending what she could. Gauze was liberally placed on the specter being, and when that was not enough, Karin would borrow rags. She enveloped the white-haired boy's middle with the blanket she had obtained, tightening it as much as her little body could do, and she dotted the various other areas-his arms, his cheek, and…embarrassingly, his upper legs-with what medical bandages she could acquire, drying his wet, humane form as best he could.

She breathed out in perhaps exasperation as she considered herself finished. The boy, who looked like her own age, thankfully slept through her whole mock first-aid. She could do no more without Ichi-nii's help.

"Not a bad job, if I say so myself."

"What's not a bad job?" A voice popped up behind her.

Oh crap! Yuzu had finally come back. Karin turned around, her body trying to hide the ghost that she could see but her fraternal twin could not. Yuzu clutched her ape-doll still, fasting it in an unnatural vice. Her face was one that needed reassurance, for despite not seeing the whole picture, it still obviously weighed on her.

"Uh…not a bad job…how Daddy handled it! Yeah! Daddy was all Captain Commando there for a moment."

Yuzu gave a disbelieving glance, but her features melted to accept this lie as truth. "The ambulance came. D-Daddy wanted to go to see what exactly happened to the man."

"Yeah…" Karin responded. She may be tough, but Yuzu was more prone to letting go of her emotions. Guarding her words would be advisable.

"I-I-Ichigo's supposed to stay with us, until-" Yuzu trailed off, obvious to Karin that perhaps she shouldn't have seen what she did. Karin sighed, and made as any elder sibling might do. She motioned over to her fair-haired sibling, and soothed her with an arm on the shoulder, leading her to bed. Hopefully, sleep would accommodate her being upset.

"C'mon Yuzu. Goat-chin wanted us in bed for tomorrow. And I'm beat anyway."

"Okay."

Karin was never the motherly type. That fell to Yuzu, hands-down. However, Karin was not made of iron, and did still love her family. Hence, she did not feel embarrassment in steering her little sister to her bed, nor did she feel it when she tucked her in.

Yuzu ventured into sleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, her grip on the ape-doll never waningi intensity. This left Karin back to her current predicament.

Where was she going to sleep?

The boy still laid wrapped in his gauze bonds. Perhaps Karin was fortunate. Yuzu didn't inquire as to why the blanket was folded the way it was, or why there was that parcel on the foot of the bed. Nevertheless, Karin did need to go to sleep.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me."

There seemed only a few trains of logic. The boy, even if he was a ghost, should not be moved. She needed to sleep, but she wasn't going to ask Yuzu, and had to much pride to sleep with Ichigo. That left as he only alternative to sleep in the same bed with the strange kid.

"Oh…man…" She responded in exasperation. If Ichigo found out about this…

Despite her distaste she did what she had to. Karin pulled the covers back to allow him underneath, before cradling herself in on the other side. Aware of what sort of reaction this would cause, Karin made sure to cover his head with her bedspread, and turned her own ambitions to slumber.

Perhaps that was a good thing. For she vaguely remembered, just before the jump to dreamland, that Ichigo stuck his head into the room, now the interim patriarch of the home. Seeing nothing upsetting or baffling, he silently closed the door, and went about to his own slumber.

--

Dawn trickled in from the clear window on the other side, the light acting in unison with a soft, care-free breathing which stirred him from his sleep. He felt surprisingly warm, warmer than he could ever recall feeling his long, remembered life. He also felt alien and disoriented. There was pain, there was that-be it the throbbing head or the numbed arm or the pulsating digs in his abdomen. That he could remember. What he could not figure out is why the floor which he laid on felt too soft and too dry to be the rain-soaked concrete which he had left consciousness.

His hands groped around, fondling sheets of a soft silk. His eyes did not open, for fear of impoliteness he may invite. Instead, his delicate hands navigated his immediate space, quickly tracing back to his own body. He was not dead, doomed to be reincarnated as a pure spirit without memories of Momo and Granny and Matsumoto. The fact he could remember his wounds told him that. No, he was in an alien location, but his nagging perception told him of another potential mess he may have landed himself in.

I'd better not be where I think I am…

His eyes tentatively opened, and he saw his body shielded by a massive cover. He immediately studied his body, aware of the man's attacks on him. Toshiro Hitsugaya was surprised to see all of his wounds covered, even around his…lower torso…However, he could not find Hyourinmaru on his person, and mentally supplied a call for the zanpakuto.

Hyourinmaru…

Inside his mind there was no response. The ice dragon, his companion and his arms for so long, either refused to deign an answer, or was silenced.

Hyourinmaru…

Again…there was only blistering silence inside his head. Outside he could hear the serenades of birds and unknown, soft breaths…but inside his blue-ice world…he was alone.

HYOURINMARU!!

The dragon did not answer.

Anger grated and boiled inside him. No wonder he could not find his zanpakuto…even if he had it, his dragon was MIA. Annoyances aside, and intent to solve such a mystery, he sat up, pushing back the cover.

He did not expect to be sharing a bed with someone, nor did he expect to be put in such a room at all.

The room was more fitting of a child, so physiologically he might've belonged, but with his irritations already making him cranky, he only gave partial attention to his surroundings. The pair of beds on opposite sides of the room appeared befitting of elementary students, each a twin of the other. Other standard commodities of humans were present, as he briefly scanned everything. Bureau drawers for the storage of clothing, a closet for specialized garments, dolls on the opposite side, a picture of some young woman, a poster of a man in small, white trousers, long green socks, and kicking some black-and-white sphere on the balls of his feet, and…

His teal eyes focused on the girl on the other side of the bed he was in.

Oh. The other twin.

Sleeping to his right was one Karin Kurosaki, who he remembered from his observations of the house. The one who could see hollows and pluses but hadn't the potential to be a danger or a concern to himself. The dwarf before Ichigo Kurosaki…who was his major concern…

Why couldn't Kuchiki-taicho do this? Hitsugaya found himself questioning again, frustrated at the turn of events. A parcel, which he remembered the dapper man from last night or whenever had in one of his hands, laid on the raven-haired girl's lamp-stand.

"Ugh…pointless…" Toshiro remarked. At this point, he'd much rather be doing his paperwork than wake up in a bed, shared with some gi-…

Wait a minute…didn't Matsumoto say that…Oh Kami-sama, please tell me I didn't-

The girl-Karin-stirred slightly, as his palm collided with his forehead.

There were too many questions revolving in his head, and it forced a headache to fortify itself with his clanging skull. He felt weak also, but why he did not know. The man he had the unfortunate task of slaughtering was obviously insane, but moving for Toshiro was a painful chore. He could not discern the logic, but there it was. His torso ached as he bent to remove himself from the bed, his Soul Reaper kimono securely wrapped in a blanket he had no memory of wrapping. He had no memory of the gauze or bandages on his various body parts. He remembered killing the annoying man-the 'seven-sealed' devil-as he called himself…but did Abarai reap his soul?

"Amusing, is your perplexity, that you can think to reap a vacant being. Ha. Ha."

What in Soul Society did that mean?

Toshiro grimaced, his scowl deepening as he looked for an escape route. Though the reprieve was appreciated, he did not want to wear out his welcome. Common sense told him that there was no way he could've shun-poed from the concrete sidewalk outside to this plain bed inside, and thus he had to have been carried.

Damn. I'm gonna need that gadget soon…

Erasing the families memories would be important, but secondary to the mainstream problem. He had to meet up with Urahara and Abarai…if he could. Of course, of paramount concern was his escape route, and he wondered how he was going to achieve that.

Again, he studied the room…a door to his right and a window to his left. The darker-haired twin-the one that was spiritually aware, but the lesser of his concern-continued to turn behind him, the space which he had settled vacated in haste. Toshiro distinctly noted to himself, how troublesome and arduous walking was…last night, before that fool showed up, he felt lighter than a feather. Now…it almost felt like he was swimming. Weakness that he had never felt before clamped onto his legs, his arms, and his body.

In front of his was the other girl, the twin that couldn't see spirits, who slumbered more soundly that her sister. Curious, he made an exchange of glances, first at the golden-haired twin, then to the darker-haired twin Karin, then back to the one the reports labeled Yuzu. Standing at the midpoint between their beds, he could see a pronounced difference, as if he was looking at the contrasts of night and day. What could be expected of a girl (at least, what he could remember from the various studies back in Soul Society) ornately hung on Yuzu's side. Dolls of all sorts of taxonomies and imaginings were stacked like soldiers in single file, staring out past where their master lay. The lamp was frilly, and the bed held pastels of brightest, gaudiest colorations: Hues of pink, yellow, and orange sought to blind Hitsugaya. On the other side, things were geared more for a masculine feel. This did not surprise the 10th company captain in the least, as he had already studied Karin during his observations. Girls typically had a feminine mold to them. This one could be mistook for a dude at a glance.

His mission came back to him, and he nodded in his thoughts.

Kuchiki is still here…I can feel her spiritual pressure. She might recognize me…ugh…this is going to be troublesome.

The choice was made. The window was his escape…for now.

He could come back later, when he had a more physical body to use.

Wincing with every other step, he ambled over to the window seal, and carefully jimmed it open (he lamented Hyourinmaru's unexplained absence as his fingers worked). A burst of breezy air and a torrent of shrill bird song greeted his face and ears, and he frowned at the amplified noise.

"Oh, Yuzu…give me five more minutes here…"

Oh damn. Toshiro chanced a glance. The girl who could see he was sitting up, and he hesitated, getting a better look at her now, with a closer gap separating them. Panic faded for a moment, as he watched her rubbed the vapors of sleep from her eyes, her sable hair in an askew mess from its place on the pillow. He found her pajamas to be appealing somewhat…

His hesitation cost him. Karin focused on him, standing with a leg out of the window, blinked, and shouted "What do you think you're doing?!"

The other twin stirred briefly from the outburst. Toshiro contemplated deigning a reply.

"You can't be any better! Get back in the bed!"

An eyebrow raised. Could she been the reason he was inside instead of on that sidewalk?

The raven-haired girl leaped out of her bed, and pointed at Toshiro with an authoritative glare. Her eyes were limpid, but full of a fire that did not belong in a child's eyes.

"Why're you snooping around my house?"

Toshiro humped in reply, unconcerned with giving her an answer when he had yet to achieve his own. He turned back to the window.

"Hey! Don't ignore me!"

A hand clamped on his shoulder, and he returned to meet her eyes with a icy glare.

"…Remove your hand."

"No!"

"If you keep shouting you're going to wake your sister."

"I want to know why you're snooping around my house."

"I've wasted enough time as it is. Leave me alone." Toshiro grabbed her hand, and forcibly cast it aside.

"Karin…what's going on? Who're you talking to?"

Time to fly. Toshiro perceived an opportunity, with Karin's attention now on her sister. He hadn't the patience after last night to deal with a kid's interrogation, and he still had his own questions to filter out. His power seemed detached…and it didn't make any sense…

He jumped to the roof, and lept away, expecting to fly through the air with the aid of shun-po

…Only to find in the next moment, to find his face smashing into the grass outside.

"Hey!" the nagging (to Toshiro, anyway) voice came from above. Karin stuck her head out to see him land on his head. Bruises were already beginning to form on his angled countenance.

"Are you okay?"

"Karin…my alarm hasn't gone off yet…"

"Never mind, Yuzu. Hey!" Karin peered at him like a hawk, watching him very much the same way he watched her household last night. "Why'd you do that?"

Toshiro didn't respond. He should've flown farther than that…what the heck happened?

"With every touch of my bare epidermis, I inject a little or a lot of positive energy-what you…you can call spiritual pressure-into whomever I touch. Friend or foe. You reached your glass ceiling sometime ago, little dragon. Now, you are overstraining. Like a super giant, crimson as my blood…your power is beyond your grasp. In a few seconds…since my hands are still on your face…that power will burn out, and you will have nothing.

"Let me bring you down to the rat's level.

"Let me bring you down to the surface."

Toshiro was so focused in thought, mulling over the word's of the insane man, that he failed to notice the incoming object-a shoe, of all things-spiraling down from Karin's hand. The shoe struck his face, pulling him outside of his thoughts.

"Hey! Are you crazy? What was that for?!"

"For ignoring me! And being ungrateful! I pull you out of the rain, and this is how you thank me? Geez!"

The indignation on her face was palpable, and Toshiro found himself at a loss for words. So this temperamental brat was the one who helped him…?

Toshiro rubbed his face, having to endure both the striking power of cut grass and a shoe. His mood was collapsing already, and he was not having a pleasant good time. Still…the answer was logical…

"Karin?" Yuzu's voice came from the window interior. "Who's outside? Is it Daddy?"

"No. Just a peeping tom of a ghost."

"I am not a peeping tom!!" Toshiro roared. Goodness, wasn't this kid 11 or something?!

Toshiro kept a handle on his anger, his hand covering his face briefly. His mood would not make any of this easier, but he still had some decency, and if what this girl was saying was true, then…he'd have to swallow his pride, for once.

"Hey."

"What?"

"……ugh…Thanks." Toshiro muttered under his breath.

Karin tilted her head, wondering what he was talking about. "What? Speak up!"

"I said thank you, you idiot!" Toshiro roared again. His face temporarily creased to anger, but softened when he studied the girl. "For…helping me…"

Karin, flushing somewhat, only nodded from the second-floor. Satisfied with her response, he turned away from the girl, and ventured in the general direction of the Urahara shop.

"Hey!" Karin called again. By now she had roused the entire block. "I didn't get your name!"

"That's because," Toshiro muttered under his breath, walking unseen by all save a few, "I didn't give it."

Karin made to call again, but Ichigo came in at that time, and shouted "Hey! Some of us are trying to sleep here!"

The mystery, for Karin, would have to wait. That parcel failed not in catching her midnight eyes.

--

Later that day…

Fury did not begin to suit Toshiro's mood as he left Urahara's shop, his face a crimson as burgundy wine as he stomped out of the shop. He did not care much for Urahara as a person-the 10th company captain found the cheerfulness of the hat-and-clogs shop owner to be a little chafing-but he knew that as an information broker, he was top-notch. Inventions were almost as much a part of the former 12th company captain as his apparatus for breathing, and so getting a gigai from the shop owner did not bother him.

Having to explain why irked Toshiro.

Urahara did explain a number of things to him, things which Toshiro did not notice at first. For one, as he pointed out…for some reason, his spiritual pressure was completely 'ka-put'. He retained the ability of being psychically aware, but still, he was vacant of all of his spiritual powers. Urahara had joked enigmatically as he brought this up, saying that 'my, we have an epidemic on our hands! Time to fix up a cure!', much to Hitsugaya's chagrin, but the lively shopkeeper was able to diagnose his problem fairly well. He had brought up this ridiculous diagrams to bolster his explanation, which only irritated the young captain even further.

"Basically, captain, what you have is similar to a muscle that's, say, gone through hypertrophy. Ya know, kinda like when you can only do 500 push-ups regularly (He produced a diagram of a bunny performing said action) but instead, you one day do 5000 push-ups. Overstraining is your case, as opposed to my…other…customer….Ha ha! Anyway, it isn't muscle-strength you've exhausted today, no sirree, but your spiritual pressure's dried up. If you overstrain your arm, for example, you lose the ability to bend it or work it as fast as before, see? But In your case, since you went more than double your spiritual pressure against a hollow…you kinda lost your powers. Can't call on them for a while. I've never seen this before, but I can look around."

"How long until my powers come back?" Hitsugaya had asked.

"Dunno. Like I said, I've never seen anything like this before. I'm sure the 12th division back in Soul Society would be interested to see this. Until they come back naturally, you'd best just lay low for a while. Find a hotel, or something. You can stay at-"

"No. I'm here on business."

"Then why doncha call up the Captains then?"

Urahara offered a cabalistic smile then, and Hitsugaya's tongue ran for cover. If any of the captains found out about this…he'd be the laughing stock of Soul Society. His pride was worth that much.

"No. I'll handle it myself. Besides, like you said, Kurotchuri would be on my case the moment news reached his ears. I don't feel like dealing with him anyway. He 's bugging me enough about some weapon he cooked up…"

After that, Toshiro parted ways, more than enduring in the face of Urahara's continued jabs at his expense. Retrieving the gigai, he had to formulate his own plan, and he did not like the premise.

He still had to complete his mission for Byakuga, and retrieve Rukia Kuchiki, but now without his powers…if the boy Ichigo offered resistance, he was as good as done. He had been observing the boy's efforts and his spiritual pressure. It did not make sense for a household with three gross spiritual pressures (Ichigo, Kuchiki, and Karin Kurosaki) to exist and not attract a hollow. A hollow would come-either Rukia had her reasons for remaining, or the boy may have something hidden.

He still wasn't sure yet. It felt surprisingly empty without Hyourinmaru's noble banter. He did not like it, and it made him feel small again.

Only Momo made him feel small.

"Ugh…damnit…"

The lost of his powers demanded one of two things-either he would have to take a side trip, and find a way to regain his powers quicker, or he would need more guile to handle the situation. Ichigo was strong as an ox, but dumber than a goldfish. Also, there existed the problem of Rukia herself. She would recognize him instantly as a captain, and inquire why he was here to begin with (Toshiro was surprised he had been able to evade her for so long). Of course, he did have…

His phone flipped out from his pocket, and he dialed the appropriate numbers. A couple of rings proceeded the answer.

"Hey."

"Abarai."

"Oh, hey captain! You went missing on me last night. Thought a hollow got ya."

"You idiot! There wasn't a hollow near where Kuchiki was!"

"You found Rukia?" A hint of concern was easily detectable in Renji's voice.

"Yeah. I need you to try to get her, and return to Soul Society. Something came up on my end."

"Really." Renji was not known for subtly. The sarcasm on his side was palpable.

"Yeah."

"All right. I'll keep watch. But if anyone touches Rukia I'm gonna-"

"One other thing. Take a look around the hospitals. Find a black-haired man with a black hat and a black suit. We may need to reap him."

"…Whatever you say. I'm on it."

Click.

"Hmm. If he wasn't so concerned about Kuchiki…"

Toshiro silenced himself to his thoughts, and found his feet leading away. The slowness of his walk chafed him, making him long for his shun-po abilities. He also found it a bit too warm for his liking.

He lost tack of time, which failed to bother him for once. He realized his location as his feet mechanically moved along, nearing what he recalled was named a 'vacant lot'. His eyes scanned over it, observing what appeared to be nets in strange geometric patterns, and he say upon the greens more kids. Teal eyes rolled in his head, and he simply turned around, walking without a destination.

"Kurosaki! Hurry up and kick it!" A male voice shouted behind him.

"Alright already!" A female, one that he recognized vaguely, responded. He heard the kick and the sound of an object hurdling through space, but he did not realize its pertinence until two things passed.

The first was a voice that responded, "Hey! Watch out kid!"

The second was the harshly-slugged object, a ball, smacking him on the back of the skull, and condemning him to unconsciousness for the second time in a day.

"Darn, Kurosaki. You knocked out another one."

--

End Chapter.