"What are you all staring at?" Karin snapped as she awoke to find her dad and sister in her room staring at her. "And, Yuzu, what happened to your hair?"

"My hair? You should look in the mirror; yours is worse than mine." Yuzu said while covering her head in an attempt to flatten her brown hair. Karin slowly sat up and stretched. She tried to remember what she had been dreaming about but she couldn't recall. Whatever it was she had felt more at peace during that time than she had in a long while. She wanted nothing more to hop back in bed and return to that place in the wooded forest. Yes! That was it. She had been dreaming she was in a forest and there was some kind of animal there with her. Karin tried to focus on that feeling of security she felt there, but quickly lost her train of thought as she glanced at herself in the mirror. For a split second she swore her eyes were bright yellow, but when she blinked in surprise they were back to their usual brown color. Her normally short black hair was sticking straight up in the air as if someone worked in all of Ichigo's hair gel into it. She grimaced at her reflection. When had she gotten such dark circles under her eyes? She tried in vain to flatten her hair but it all just sprang back up. That's when she noticed her dad in the corner.

"What happened to you?" she asked as he tried to cover the growing lump on the back of his head.

"Ah, well, remember what we talked about earlier about Hitsugaya? I think it would be best to take you to Urahara's sooner rather than later." Isshin tried to explain as he put on a pair of rubber gloves. "Come to daddy, sweetie." he motioned with his hands while his voice cracked in fear of getting shocked again.

"Dad, seriously?" Karen asked while rolling her eyes. "If you want me to go over there fine, but I can walk." The moment she strode past, the light bulb inside the lamp on top of the desk hummed to life. She stopped for a moment to stare at it as she noticed the switch was in the off position. The closer she got to it the brighter it shone until it began buzzing loudly. Isshin quickly pulled his daughter away as the bulb inside exploded sending bits of glass all over the room.

"This is what I was talking about." Isshin whispered into his daughters ear. "You're not safe here. With this much spiritual pressure leaking out of you you're bound to attract a holl-" Isshin began to say but was stopped by the deafening roar of the creature a few blocks away. "Damn it. Umm, Kon!"

"Yes, sir!" The stuffed lion said springing to attention from his lying position on the bed.

"Bostov! You're alive!" Yuzu exclaimed, happily oblivious to their current situation.

"The name's Kon!" the stuffed lion exclaimed ready to give the girl who made him endure hours of torture playing dress up a piece of his mind.

"You're actually happy that pervy stuffed lions alive?" Karin asked as she watched her father stick his hand in the stuffed animals mouth and retrieve the green pill. "You're not going to actually put that in your mouth are you? Oh gross, you did." she said scrunching up her face. Instantly Isshins spirit body and gagia separated but instead of it falling onto the floor it stood up and saluted her fathers shinigami form.

"What do you need?" Kon asked inside of Isshins body as he stretched out his legs and arms.

"Woah, there's two of you dad!" Yuzu said excitedly.

"You can see me?" Isshins shinigami form asked.

"You're a little fuzzy, but yeah! What are you wearing? And where did you get that sword?" Yuzu said while eying him up and down.

"I'll tell you later, Yuzu, but for now go with Kon to Urahara's shop." he said gripping his zanpakuto Engetsu."

"The funny guy that owns the candy shop? Okay! Lead the way, Kon!" Yuzu said bending down and talking to the now empty stuffed lion. Kon face palmed in Isshins body as Karin rolled her eyes. The hollow roared again now closer.

"Hop on quick." Kon said bending down so Yuzu could climb onto his back. "Let's go." He said hopping out their bedroom window and sprinting with his modified legs as a loud "Wheee!" could be heard from Yuzu.

"You want me to follow them?" Karin asked.

"No, come with me. We need to use you to draw attention away from them."

"You're using me as bait? Gee thanks, dad." Karin said sarcastically but followed him none the less into the street.

"Just watch and see how your old man does it." Isshin said with a smirk as he unsheathed Engetsu. As the creature grew closer to them the air filled with the monsters spiritual pressure causing Karin to unintentionally shiver. Just what exactly was coming her way? She tried her best to pull herself together. After what she had gone through with her last hollow encounter, her desire to meet another one face to face was right up there with letting Urahara run experiments on her.

"Do not be afraid, child." A woman's voice said softly to Karin. She looked around everywhere but saw nothing the voice could have belonged to. Great, now she was hearing things she thought to herself as they walked out of the residential area as the air continued to fill with the thick presence until the hollow was now visible. The white masked creature roared exposing it's large fang like teeth as it towered over all the nearby buildings. It locked its demonic red eyes onto its prey as it made a beeline for the delicious smelling soul that belonged to Karin. Isshin gripped Engetsu and stood in front of the hollows path blocking Karin from it's sight.

"Move aside, soul reaper. You're in my way." It hissed as it attempted to smack Isshin out of the way. Instead it roared in pain as Engetsu made clean work out of slicing the creatures arm off.

"So this is how you do it. Pay attention." Isshin said. "You always want to aim for the head. Aim for the top and slice straight down." He said as he leapt into the air with ease grasping his sword in both hands as he raised it over his head and came crashing down on ...a tree? He looked around confused as he freed Engetsu from the wood. How did he end up in the park? Where did the hollow go? And Karin! Where was Karin?

Karin stood facing the hollow, now alone on the empty street. Her father had been right there and then...he wasn't. She didn't understand. Where had he gone? The hollow laughed in it's deep crackling voice as it surveyed the now defenseless girl with the tasty smelling soul. Sure he only had one arm now but the girl was a sitting duck, he didn't need a second arm for this prey and he couldn't wait to devour her like he had all the countless others. The lights power quickly surged in and out as it matched Karins heart rate. What was she going to do? She could run but she knew it would just find her by following her scent. Running was pointless; she'd have to fight, but how?

"Guide it into the power lines." the woman's voice said again. Huh? Who said that? Karin wondered until she barely managed to dodge the monsters arm by diving onto the ground as it made a grab for her. She quickly got to her feet and started running thankful for all the years spent playing soccer that had built up her endurance and reflexes. Think! Think! Karin looked up following the sound of the loud humming as she noticed the electrical lines surging with power while sparks periodically flew out. Could that kill it? "No, but it will weaken it." The mysterious voice answered as if reading her mind. It was worth a shot Karin thought and she promptly changed direction and made a beeline for the electrical wires. She stole a glance behind her and whimpered and tried to sprint faster as the creature closed in behind her.

"What do I do once I get there?" Karin asked out loud while feeling dumb for talking to herself.

"Let yourself get caught."

"What are you crazy? Am I crazy? That thing wants to eat me!" Karin yelled out as she stopped under the electrical wires with hands on her knees wheezing from exhaustion.

"Got you!" The hollow roared with glee as it snatched the girl in its arm as it stood up while touching the power lines.

"He's touching the lines! Why isn't anything happening?" she yelled in pain as the hollow began squeezing her.

"You need to get the both of yourselves wet. Your body will act as a circuit and produce a high enough voltage to kill it." The voice calmly explained.

"I don't exactly see any water around here!"

"Then make some." You've got be kidding Karin thought until the monster slowly began raising his hand to his mouth.

"Oh you are going to taste so good! What are you making that face for? Don't be scared it will be over soon." The monster laughed at Karin's facial expression who with eyes closed began pushing to force the contents of her bladder out onto her self and the creature since relaxing it out was out of the question.. "Ugh, the girl has sprung a leak haha."

"I'm sending you some power now, get ready." The voice said as Karin suddenly began to tingle all over as her body glowed a bright yellow.

"What?" Was the last thing the hollow said before thousands of volts of electricity immediately encompassed him until he simply disintegrated into thin air as Karin dropped onto the ground head first.

The young black haired 13 year old slowly opened her eyes and found herself lying on her back in a forest surrounded by thick green foliage. Big puffy clouds moved slowly by in the bright blue sky as a gentle wind shook the leaves in the trees. Slowly the girl sat up and looked around. Where was she? She felt oddly calm as she surveyed her surroundings; it was like she had been here before as her mind was racked by deja-vu. She stood up and noticed her school uniform was gone and replaced by some kind of white kimono. She wiggled her now bare toes in the ankle deep grass as it tickled the bottoms of her feet.

"You did well, child." The woman's voice praised. Karin followed the direction of the voice until she came to a small clearing in the trees. There, lying in the grass, was a beautiful red and white fox that watched her approaching with an almost grin like expression across it's face.

"Hello?" Karin asked cautiously as she looked around the small clearing. "Anyone there?"

"You finally found me." The voice said making Karin nearly jump as she realized it was coming from the fox. "You've been wondering in that forest every night for weeks. I've been calling out to you; I was starting to wonder if you'd ever hear my voice."

"Were you the one guiding me?" Karin asked as her curiosity was peaked. She slowly approached the large fox whose eyes seemed to draw her ever closer.

"Yes. It was I." The fox said as it stood up and stretched before trotting closer to the girl. "Do not be afraid; I won't hurt you."

"I'm not scared." Karin quickly blurted out as the wolf seemed to snicker.

"You have many fears, child. Fears that you need to overcome if you want my help."

"Who says I need help?" Karin shot back.

"Says the girl who cries for her mother and wets herself in her sleep." the fox teased causing Karins face to burn.

"Who or what are you?" Karin asked once she was able to collect herself after that blow to her pride.

"I'm a Kitsune, but i'm also your Zanpakuto. I am the spiritual manifestation of part of your soul and spiritual abilities." The fox explained rubbing up against Karin.

"You're my power?" Karin asked.

"Yes and no. I am part of you yes, but my power is my own. I am your partner who is willing to lend you my power. Would you like it?"

"Yes, please."

"Well too bad." the fox said in amusement as it laid down and licked it's paw while smiling at the confused expression in Karin's face. "It's like I said before, you have many fears in your heart that need to be overcome. You see your fear acts as a blockade that is keeping you apart from me. I cannot lend you my power to fight until you rid yourself of it."

"I'm not scared of anything! So what, the hollow made me a little nervous at first, but wouldn't anyone be?"

"With that attitude you'll never be able to fight. Hmm, no that's not it. It has nothing to do with the hollow. You see, you have a very deep fear inside of you. You may not even be aware of it."

"Then tell me! How can I overcome this fear if I don't even know what it is." The fox thought it over for a moment.

"I will give you three days. If you can overcome your fears by then I will lend you my powers. I will call you back here each night to see what you've learned. I wish you the best of luck. Good bye, child."

The first thing Karen realized was the pounding headache as bright lights shone up above her. She could vaguely hear people talking about her along with some shouting. She wanted to open her eyes but the pain prevented her from doing so. She could feel someone holding her right hand as she weakly squeezed their hand to let them know she was ok.

"Sōten Kisshun I reject! What? Let me try again. Soten Kisshun I reject! SOTEN KISSHUN I REJECT!...It's not working." Orihime admitted as she tried and tried to heal the unconscious Karin.

"It's alright, Orihime. Thanks for trying. I guess she will just have to heal the old fashion way." Isshin said as he looked down at his beat up daughter who laid out on one of the clinic beds. This was all his fault; if he hadn't been so cocky he would have noticed that hollow had some kind of teleportation abilities. The poor thing had been so scared she had even wet herself. When she wakes up he would have to ask her what happened to it. When he had finally made it back the hollow was no where to be seen and not a trace of its spiritual pressure could be felt. Judging by the injuries Karin had she had fallen from a high altitude and from the bruises along her waist she had been grabbed. Isshin put the pieces together to mean that she had been picked up but had managed to fight her way out of its grasp and had fallen to the ground where she had been knocked unconscious. Now that she couldn't be healed through...faster methods the poor thing was in for one hell of a recovery. Three broken ribs, one broken arm, a broken shoulder, and bruised pelvis. She wouldn't be getting out of bed for anything anytime soon which reminds him of certain...precautions that needed to be made. "Orihime, do you think you could help me out with something?" he asked as he dug through a supply closet.

"Of course, anything!" Orihime answered feeling bad she couldn't be of more use.

"I don't know when she'll wake up and even when she does she won't be getting up. Seeing as how i'm now down a nurse would you mind helping her into this?" Isshin asked handing her the white puffy diaper. "Seeing as how she's my daughter and all." he admitted turning red.

"It's okay I understand." Orihime said taking the supplies and drawing the curtain around the two of them.

"Argh." Karin moaned in pain as she began waking up at the sudden coldness caused by Orihime cleaning up her earlier "accident" with wet wipes. Her eyes slowly opened to find Orihime doing something but she couldn't tell what. All she knew was that she was cold.

"Hey, Karin, how are you feeling?" Orihime asked when she looked to find the young girl staring at her. "I'm almost done, then I'll cover you back up. Your dad said you can't get out of bed so he asked me to help diaper you. So no need to worry now if you gotta go, cause you can just, you know, go." Orihime rambled on in her happy state as she dusted the girl with plenty of baby powder. A diaper Karin thought as her face heated up red with embarrassment. Orihime was putting her in a diaper!? Karin realized to make matters worse she was naked as well. That's why she was so cold.

"Why?" Karin finally managed to ask.

"Because you're hurt silly. We can't expect you to just get out of bed every time you have to pee with all those broken bones."

"Why can't you just heal me?" Karin asked trying to cover herself with her good arm. Orihime looked at her sadly for a moment before she admitted it wouldn't work.

"Three days and I will lift the electric field I have over you blocking her abilities." Karin heard inside her head. So this was the foxes doing? Why? "So you can overcome your fears." She replied.

"All done!" Orihime said cheerfully as she finished taping the last of the tabs over Karins waist and covering her naked body with a sheet and blanket before pulling back the curtain to reveal her worried looking father.

"Hey, how ya doing?" Isshin asked still feeling guilty. Karin tried to shrug but yelped in pain at trying to move her broken shoulder. Isshin frowned as he pulled out a syringe and put it in her I.v. "I've given you something for the pain so you'll be asleep in no time. Yuzu will be here soon in case you need anything."

"I'll be fine." Karin tried to say to reassure everyone. The last thing she wanted was everyone fussing over her. " I'll be fine in three days." she said.

"What makes you say that?" Isshin asked.

"The nice fox lady said so." Karin said as the drugs took effect as she drifted back to sleep.