Chapter three
Karin sighed looking over to Toshiro who was leaning against the soccer goal looking bored. "I thought you said he liked soccer." Mai whined. Juggling the soccer ball between her feet and knees, Karin made her way to short Shinigami. "Are you in your gigai?" She asked out of the blue, focusing on the ball. "No." Toshiro replied simply. "Then why don't I sense any reiatsu from you?" Truthfully, his scar had bothered her since she saw him in the shop. That and she had no idea a Captain level Shinigami was there, not counting Kisuke and Tessai. Toshiro leaned his head back, looking at the suddenly cloudy sky. "Because I don't have any spiritual pressure any more." Toshiro walked away, hands in pockets. From sheer surprise, Karin lost control over the ball, letting it drop and roll away. "Toshiro, wait!" Karin called after him uselessly. The soccer ball slowed to a stop a few meters away. Karin jogged over to it and looked back to where Toshiro was still walking away. With all her might, Karin kicked it in his direction trusting in his skill to be able to kick it back or at least dodge it. Instead, it hit him on the back of the head and he continued walking unfazed. Karin just watched him leave. "Fine! Go then!" She growled and crossed her arms. "Cute boy sure is boring." Mai commented.
She noticed Karin was glaring at Toshiro. "Earth to Karin-Chan." Mai said, waving her hand near Karin's face. "I need to go get dinner. I'll see you tomorrow." Karin said absentmindedly, walking away. "But dinners not for another hour!" Mai said, unhappy with being left alone. She huffed. Ever since seeing this Toshiro guy, Karin had been acting strange. Mai figured there was something between the two, something that she didn't , his teal eyes were enchanting, but his cold attitude needed some work. Just the way he reacted when Mai called him cute boy, he seemed like he was going to say something but decided against it. Something was different about the boy, and Mai wanted to know what.
"Oh, hey Karin." Yuzu greeted, looking up from the recipe book she was reading. "Hey." Karin replied, going straight to her room. She sat on her bed, trying to absorb what Toshiro had said. Did it mean he was the same as Ichigo? That for once in his life was completely human? It seemed impossible for a shinigami captain just to lose his powers. Something big must of happened. "Hey, Karin, have you seen my school book?" Ichigo came in. "Oi, Karin? You okay?" He asked worriedly. "Uh, spirits are just annoying me again." She lied. Ever since Ichigo had lost his powers, Karin seemed to become stronger with lost souls frequently and it was really annoying since she didn't care about them like Ichigo would. Today though, she had only seen one and was quiet happy about that. That was just before seeing Toshiro.
"Oh, whatever." Ichigo said, pretending not to care about being a normal human now. There was a tense silence.
Karin and Ichigo turned when Yuzu called them to dinner. Karin took the chance to get away from her brother and the uneasy feel between the two. Even their dad Isshin was there for dinner and he happily filled the tension by news from work and horrible jokes he had come up with. When he stopped to eat some food, Karin spoke. "I'm worried about Toshiro." She confessed. "As in Captain Toshiro, the Shinigami?" Ichigo asked, secretly hoping it was another Toshiro though he knew it wasn't. "Yeah. I went to get groceries from Urahara and Toshiro was there." She said putting a clump of rice into her mouth as if she wasn't talking about a death god, but about a friend. "So? Shinigami always come to the human world." Isshin dismissed, annoyed that she destroyed all his efforts to cheer them up. "But when I was talking to him, he said he lost his powers." Time froze in the Kurosaki house. Other then Ichigo and Isshin, it was unheard of for a Shinigami to lose their powers, and both of them did so knowingly using the final Getsugatenshou. So why would Toshiro, an ice user and natural born Shinigami, become human?
"I'm going to go see Toshiro." Ichigo said, leaving his dinner. Karin stood up fast. "No! I don't think he'd like that! Ichi-Nee, remember how he's always angry with you? I doubt he would change his mind now." Karin said. Ichigo just stopped. Still facing the other way, Ichigo spoke. "Then why did you tell us without letting us help him?" Karin stayed silent. "Because I don't know what to do." She confessed. "I know he's hurting. He's my friend but I can't do anything. I just didn't know who to turn to." Her fists were shaking, hair covering eyes. "You can count on me." Ichigo said, hugging her closely. "Karin." Isshin said quietly. She was crying. She never cried.
"Urahara! Come out, I need to talk to you!" Ichigo called, knocking on the shops door. Ururu opened it shyly, bowing slightly. "I'm afraid he is not here." The girl said. "Then get Toshiro." Ururu hesitated. Ichigo hadn't been here since he lost his powers and he comes back to see Toshiro? How did he know the Captain was here? When she didn't move out the way, Ichigo barged pass her. "Ichi-Nee!" Karin exclaimed, apologizing to shocked Ururu. "Toshiro, where are you?" Ichigo demanded, walking past the shop part of the building. He opened the door to the guest room. In the middle of the room, someone was sitting down facing the other way. The persons hair was jet black, their clothes a simple kimono. "Where Toshiro?" Ichigo asked, pulling the persons shoulder to face him. "What do you want, Kurosaki?" Toshiro Hitsugaya said coldly, eyes no longer a bright teal but dull. "What happened to you?" Ichigo asked. "It's none of your business. Take Karin home. And don't come back." Toshiro ordered icily. He looked so different without his trade mark white hair. Karin frowned. "Toshiro." She said quietly, seeing his broken expression.
Ichigo punched him. "Get a grip, Toshiro!" Ichigo said angrily. "Theres no point siting her moping around like a child." Toshiro's eye narrowed. "I am no child." He said. Karin swore she felt the temperature drop. But she convinced herself she was used to his icy attitude since he still had no Spiritual Pressure emitting from him. "Well your acting like one! You lost your powers, whoop di doo, get over it! Just start your life over. Go to school, get a job, grow up as a human! There is no point dwelling on the past!" He was shaking Toshiro's shoulders. "Unlike you, I have no life outside the Soul Society. Just leave." Toshiro knocked his hands away, walking to the door. Karin felt useless, to both her friend and her brother. Toshiro started violently coughing, legs stumbling as his mind slowed, head pounding. Toshiro could feel the purple scar creep up to his chest. Even if he decided to live the rest of his days as a human, Toshiro wouldn't make though this. "Get Dad and Yuzu." Ichigo said to his sister, kneeling down to the dying boy.
Karin hated leaving Toshiro in such a state but she had no choice. Ururu bumped into her as she ran out and decided to go find Urahara or Tessai who were probably underground in the training area. Just as Kisuke came in, Toshiro lost consciousness, breathing shakily wearing a pained expression. Kisuke immediately began healing him, if only to take away the pain. He already knew Toshiro was going to die, he might as well limit his suffering.
Toshiro's body tensed, eyes slowly opening. He hated how every few hours he would wake up only to suffer. The normally proud Captain Hitsugaya wanted nothing more to die in his sleep if only to stop the constant pain. He sat up, leaning on his elbows for balance. He was no longer in Urahara's shop. This looked more like a human hospital. "Kurosaki Clinic." He said to himself, recognizing where he was. He noticed an IV in his arm and ripped it out in distaste. "Your not going to get better without help, Cute Boy." Mai said, skipping into the treatment room. "I'm not going to get better." He said coldly, going to stand up. "You know, Karin-Chan seems worried about you. Just what is she to you?" Mai asked fiddling with a golden star attached to a green cloth next to his bed. "I know her brother. Don't touch that." He said. Mai pouted, not putting down the star broach.
"I preferred you with white hair." Mai said suddenly, still carefree. "Sorry to disappoint." He harshly replied, snatching what used to connect to his sword sheath from her. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" He asked, not understanding how Karin could stand her. "Karin-Chan told me to watch over you while she rests." Mai shrugged, now messing around with her hair. "Why would Kurosaki ask for someone to watch over me? That is so childish." Toshiro huffed, sick of the human. "Speak for yourself! While you were sleeping, I heard you scream out for your grandma multiple times. And for someone called Hinamori." Mai said.
His eyes narrowed when she asked who Momo was. "No one. Just go away." He commanded. "Why are you acting like the boss of me? That's not nice of you, Cute Boy." She said childishly. "Don't call me 'boy' I'm not a kid. And I am the boss of you." Toshiro crossed his arms. Mai frowned. "We're both human. Your not the boss of me, we're equal." She said. Toshiro hesitated and swallowed his pride. "You right, we're both human. I apologies. How bout I meet you and Karin at your school in an hour? I wanted to check it out anyway." He said, if only to get her away. She nodded, grinning, and ran off.
Toshiro sighed. He rose his head slightly. "Is someone there?" He called, looking around. No response. He shrugged off the feeling, putting down the broach. In the corner of the room, Rangiku Matsumoto shed a silent tear.
I don't know why, but that ending just made me really sad T.T
Bunny