Karin walked through the Soul Society following her guide, Kuchiki Rukia, blindly through the busy streets of the Seireitei. The teenager gaped at the large groups of shinigami casually strolling around the town; there were more than she had even guessed existed. Suddenly, Karin felt a bit overwhelmed by the situation: new place, new people, and new life. She wasn't Kurosaki Karin, Karakura's soccer expert; she was Kurosaki Karin, shinigami.
The thought gave her a thrill, as well as a sense of loss. Her feelings were so confusing, on one hand, she loved the idea of starting over, but on the other, Karin missed the family she left behind. Of course, she couldn't have stayed even if she wanted to, but leaving just didn't feel right. Shaking the thoughts, she put the memories of her beloved family in a box and locked it in her heart, deciding to live in the present. With renewed enthusiasm, Karin looked around her, taking in the sight of the feudal Japan style houses and offices. Having lived in a modern society her whole life, with cars and towering buildings, Karin was fascinated by the lack of electricity.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Karin bumped into Rukia, who abruptly stopped. The woman's violet eyes twinkled when she pointed at the building branded with the number 13. "This is my division," she said, ushering the teenager inside. "My Captain has been waiting to meet you, Karin." She chuckled softly at the bemused expression on her friend's face. "I've told him about your situation and agreed to write a letter of recommendation to help you enter one of the squads," she explained, stopping outside a small lodging.
Karin nodded absentmindedly, her attention going to the ridiculous argument between a small, blonde haired woman and a tall, dark haired man. She tried to stifle the laughter with a hand pressed against her mouth, but their silly dispute about who loves the Captain more was just too funny that her hand dropped and she let out a loud laugh. The two did not seem to notice as they continued to bicker.
Rukia gently pulled the laughing Karin to the door and knocked. The two heard a faint "come in" and entered. Inside the room was a man, sitting on a blanket, smiling kindly at them. His sickly pallor was not unnoticed and Karin wondered if he was alright. Right when he was about to speak, the Captain suddenly started to cough uncontrollably. Karin found it painful to watch the man cough like that, but before she could do anything to help, he put a hand up to stop her. In less than a second, the blonde and black haired shinigami from earlier came rushing into the room with worried expressions. Rukia instantly stopped the protesting duo and sends them outside. 'Why would she do that? Shouldn't she be worried as well?' Karin wondered.
When the sickly man recovers, he smiles brightly to Karin despite his condition. "Don't worry about me," he said, folding the handkerchief and putting it away. "It isn't anything serious," he said, waving it off. She nodded, still not convinced, but not wanting to press the matter. "Well, I suppose you are Kurosaki Karin?"
"Uh, yeah," she replied, fumbling with her fingers, being uncharacteristically shy.
"It's nice to meet you then, Kurosaki- san."
"Thanks, you too," she mumbled, looking down to her lap. Why was she so nervous? Karin didn't understand. Was it the fact he was one of the best looking men she'd ever seen? Or perhaps it was just the fact he was so high in rank. She didn't know which, but it didn't change the fact that she was looking like an idiot. Annoyed with her own actions, Karin straightened her posture and stared at the white haired Captain with a smirk. "Call me Karin."
He chuckled at the sudden change in demeanour. 'Her expressions are exactly like Ichigo's,' he mused. "Now let's talk about that letter," he said, picking up a paper and brush. "What would you like me to say?"
"You're just going to give it to me, no questions asked?" the girl asked incredulously.
"I trust my lieutenant's judgment," he said, nodding to Rukia. "If she says you are skilled, I do not see any reason not to give this letter to you."
"Thanks."
"It's no problem at all, Karin- chan," he smiled.
When the two women exited the building, they were greeted by a red haired man with strange tattoos above his eyebrows. "Hey, Rukia!" he waved, running to her. When his eyes finally fell on Karin, he gave Rukia a confused look. "Who's she?"
"After all those times he freeloaded off of us, you'd think he'd recognize me," Karin said dryly. "But then again, you've never had enough brain cells to do anything other than breathe, have you?"
Though irritated, the red head didn't retort. Instead, he went back to looking at the girl for a few more minutes. It took a great deal of restraint for Karin not to laugh at the man who suddenly paled and sweat dropped. "Nice of you to remember me, Pineapple," she said, smirking.
"Shut up, kid. Does Ichigo know you're here?" he asked, suddenly very grave.
The girls both nodded. "He even gave me permission," Karin smirked. 'After I kicked his ass, of course,' she added to herself.
Renji gave her a sceptical look, but not wanting to be any more involved than he already was, just left with a quick goodbye to Rukia.
The next day, Rukia and Karin made an appointment to meet with Head Captain Yamamoto. The two waited patiently in front of his desk as he continued his paperwork. When he finally looked up, Karin felt a bit intimidated by his experienced gaze and strong reiatsu. "What business do you have with me?" he asked, putting down his brush.
"This is Kurosaki Karin," Rukia said, motioning to her companion. "She is a skilled shinigami and would like to join the 13 Court Guard Squads. Here is a recommendation letter from Captain Ukitake." She handed him the letter. "If you need to see her skills for yourself, Karin would be happy to demonstrate."
"There is no need, lieutenant Kuchiki. I have already been watching her progress in the World of the Living," he said knowingly, putting the letter to the side, not even bothering to read it. "I am very impressed by the power you possess and know that you will be a great asset to us."
"Thank you, sir," Karin said, respectfully bowing.
"There is an open position as the third seat of the 5th division. You will take the vacant third seat post until you are ready."
"What do you mean by ready?" Karin asked.
Yamamoto leaned back in his chair and stared at her. "Kurosaki Karin, you are much too powerful to stay a third seat forever," he said, "I believe you can be more than that. Do not disappoint me."
That night, Karin was drawn into her inner world.
Karin found herself standing in a dark setting. The only lights were the stars and the moon drifting steadily around her. She turned her attention to the woman sitting on a bright orb with a fan stretched out in front of her face. She was dressed in a black and red kimono and her long, raven hair was pulled back with a golden hair stick. Her zanpakuto was oddly the polar opposite of Karin in personality. Karin was loud and impolite while Yami o Bakuhatsu was quiet and mannerly. She was graceful and collected, but Karin was not. Karin had no confidence in anything other than her fighting skills but the zanpakuto was very self-assured and content with herself. Karin had no idea how she could be the reflection of her soul, sometimes wondering if there was some kind of mix up.
"Hello," Yami greeted.
"What am I doing here?" Karin asked, clearly irritated.
"You seek comfort and I wish to help."
"I don't want comfort," the shorter haired girl grumbled. She heard the other woman chuckle and crossed her arms. "What's so funny, Yami?"
"You always forget that I am you too, thus I know all of your pain and sorrows. I also know that you want to be comforted." Putting on a genuinely concerned face, Yami o Bakuhatsu moved off the moon and glided over to her master's side. "Tell me what's wrong," she cooed.
"I thought you already know what's wrong," Karin said dryly.
"I do, but you'll feel better if you tell me."
Karin sighed and sat on a nearby star, putting her head on the palms of her hands. "I keep thinking about Yuzu, and Ichigo, and dad."
"And why do they make you sad?"
"I'm sad because… I miss them- even goat chin." She looked dejectedly down to her lap. "I feel guilty too, I mean, Yuzu's always been pretty sensitive to death so she'll be crying for weeks. Ichigo's probably out with Urahara, trying to catch who killed me and why… and dad… he always tried his best to be a good dad- granted, he was stupid most of the time, but he tried. He's probably bawling right now. I guess I just feel like I put everyone in a bad place."
"It isn't your fault for dying."
"It is my fault I died. If I'd taken better care of my body I wouldn't have been killed!" she shouted, wiping away a few rogue tears. "Damn these tears," she cursed, trying to hide her face from the other woman.
"This person was likely targeting you."
"What? How do you know that?"
"You didn't sense, hear or see the killer, did you? You and I both know that it is very difficult to get past you. How could they have done that without some sort of planning? This person was definitely trying to harm you," Yami reasoned.
"Why would anyone want to do that? I'm not important enough to kill."
Yami shrugged, looking up at the girl. Her black eyes flickered with mischief in the moonlight as she smiled devilishly at Karin. "You're not very sad about coming here, are you?"
"Of course I'm sad! I had to leave behind my whole life," Karin answered.
"You are only sad because of your family. You aren't upset at all that you died." Karin considered this for a moment. Was Yami right? Was she happy to be dead or just accepting? "You're as dense as your brother," she sighed, shaking her head disappointedly.
"No I'm not!"
"Then tell me why it doesn't bother you that you've died." Yami o Bakuhatsu glanced smugly at the girl beside her, knowing the answer wouldn't come. "You were waiting to come and find that white haired boy you think of so often, haven't you?" she asked, phrasing the inquisition more as a statement than an actual question. Before the other could refute the ludicrous accusation, the background faded into the light of consciousness.
Hitsugaya Toshiro sat at his desk that afternoon, busily doing paperwork. He was glad his noisy lieutenant, Matsumoto Rankgiku, wasn't there to disturb his peace for there were important documents to sign. As he sipped some tea, his eyes fell on empty sake bottles lying in dark corners across the office. He scowled, reminding himself to yell at his blonde nuisance later.
When he looked up to the clock, Toshiro noticed it was almost time for lunch with Momo. The two friends always met each other for lunch if there was nothing important to take care of. Toshiro made his way toward the 5th Division, hoping to make it before she gave him another lecture on punctuality. He rolled his eyes just thinking about it.
The Captain moved through the halls of the headquarters to the main office. Ever since Aizen left, there hasn't been another shinigami to replace him, so Momo was obligated to take command and be his substitute until a new Captain was introduced. When he reached the door, he noticed that it was closed, which was odd since she always kept it open.
Deciding to come back at another time, Toshiro turned to the exit. Just as he took a step, the man heard muffled laughter and footsteps. He turned back, choosing not to be rude and greet Momo's guest. The door swung open in one quick motion, revealing a cute, mousy girl and a beautiful teenager with shoulder length black hair and a smile on her face. When Toshiro's teal eyes fell on a pair of familiar gray ones, he stopped breathing.
It was Kurosaki Karin.
She was in the Soul Society.
What the hell?
Hitsugaya struggled to keep his face impassive, looking directly ahead to a wall.
Ukitake Jushiro and Kyoraku Shunsui came into the 5st division headquarters talking about an upcoming social event they were throwing. The two were there to confirm plans with Momo for a gathering for all officers in the 13 Court Guard Squads.
"My Nanao is being mean to me again," Kyoraku pouted. "She's given me a mountain of paperwork the size of Byakuya's ego!" he complained, stretching out his arms for emphasis. In mid step, Kyoraku stopped, staring at a girl across the hallway. He pulled his confused friend along with him behind a corner.
"What's wrong, Shunsui?" Ukitake asked, concern filling his eyes.
"That woman… I think I've seen her before…"
The white haired Captain carefully slid his face out from behind the wall, looking for the woman Shunsui spoke of. All he could see was his good friend, Hitsugaya Toshiro and Hinamori Momo. He laughed softly at his friend. "That's just Hinamori Momo, come out from there and let's go speak to her."
"No, the other woman." He pointed to the dark haired girl behind Momo, staring at Toshiro.
"Oh, that's Kurosaki Karin, Kurosaki Ichigo's younger sister," Ukitake said, then gasped when he saw the girl in question smirk disrespectfully at Hitsugaya and punch him playfully on the chest. "I wonder what kind of relationship they have…" Jushiro thought aloud.
The brunette gave his friend a wicked grin and said, "Let's listen."
Jushiro nodded, too curious to be polite. The two suppressed their reiatsus and stayed quietly behind the corner to watch their conversation.
"Shiro, you know Karin?" Momo asked with incredulous eyes.
"It's Captain Hitsugaya, and yes, Hinamori, I do. We will have to cancel lunch today. Please leave so I can speak to Kurosaki in private," he ordered. Momo left the two to speak in the hallway and snuck back into her office. "What do you think you're doing here, Kurosaki?" Hitsugaya asked a bit too forcefully.
"Don't I feel welcomed," Karin said sarcastically. "I'm surprised, Toshiro. I thought you'd treat your subordinates better."
He scoffed, obviously oblivious to her outfit and zanpakuto. "You're not a shinigami. Now tell me what you're really doing here."
"I never pegged you for the denial type," she teased.
"I am not in denial, I am merely wondering what you're doing here," he stated coolly.
Karin laughed, pinching his cheek. "You haven't changed at all!"
"Shut up, Kurosaki! Now answer my question."
Karin pointed at her shihakusho and rolled her eyes. "I died, Toshiro. Have some sympathy," she said, giving her best fake- sad face.
"Wait. What happened?" he asked, concern filling his wide, teal eyes.
"Something stupid, I'll tell you another time," Karin said, avoiding the question. Her face fell almost unnoticeably, but being the keen observer he is, Hitsugaya noticed. But not wanting to push it, Hitsugaya decided to drop the subject. He instead, folded his arms over his front and glowered at her. "You haven't changed much yourself," he muttered.
She scratched the back of her head and beamed at him. "Yeah, I haven't, I guess. I… missed you, though, Toshiro," she admitted, forcing down a blush.
Seeing the bashful Karin made Toshiro's own heart race. He glanced at her while she stared at the wall and noticed how little she has changed in four years. The only real difference is her hair length. He remembered how short and boyish it had been when he first met her and looked lovingly at the face framed by dark bangs.
"Me too," he whispered, causing the girl to look at him. As he stared into her eyes, he realized how much he'd missed them. Those grey pools were the most beautiful sight to him. Snapping out of his daze, he forced out a cough and unfolded his arms. "Now what are you doing here?" he inquired.
"I'm the new third seat of the 5th division," she said proudly, playfully saluting the baffled Captain.
"What?" His eyes flicked to hers in utter shock. How did she become a shinigami so quickly? She couldn't have been here for very long, he thought. He thought for a few moments, not coming up with any possible explanations.
"You heard me. Now answer one of my questions," she demanded. "What happened?" she asked, "I thought you said you'd visit me."
"I've been… busy," Toshiro replied. It wasn't a complete lie. Of course he was busy! He's a Captain for crying out loud! But his once- in- a- blue- moon- visits were actually stopped abruptly by the Head Captain's insistence. For some reason, Yamamoto decided it was not safe for the white haired shinigami to wander the World of The Living as often as he did. He avoided her crestfallen gaze and added, "It's not like I had time to baby-sit you every day, Kurosaki."
Her crestfallen expression morphed into one of irritation. Baby-sit?! The word was repeated in her mind over and over again, infuriating her further each time. In a fit of anger, Karin tightened her hand into a fist and punched Toshiro right in the nose. The teal eyed Captain brought his hands up instinctively in a pointless attempt to stop the blood from flowing onto his clothes. She stalked off to who knows where, leaving three shocked Captains in her wake.
He was definitely going to regret saying that.
