"Well..." Was all she could say as she looked down at her body. "This is awkward." Toushirou nodded dumbly, as she twisted around, trying to see all of her new form.

"What do you think?" She called out to him. He scowled.

"I think that I have the pleasure of telling your brother." Karin laughed. It was brighter now, as if there had been a small veil between them when he was dead and she was alive, and now that they were on the same level it was gone. She glowed in his eyes. Apparently spirit particles had a tendency to shine slightly in the sun, something he had never noticed before.

"Don't worry about Ichi-nii. He's mellowed out since he became captain, it's grounded him. And if he does fly off the handle, Rukia-chan will be there to protect you." Walking over she patted his hair in the way that she knew irritated him.

"So ... I guess I should take you over to your house, so you can talk to Yuzu and your dad, and then we'll head to Sereitei and I'll get you settled into the Academy."

"Yeah, sounds like a plan."

"Yup." They walked in silence, him because he was trying to adjust to the change his friend had undergone, and she because she was too preoccupied with the new her. Soon sirens blared past, and Karin stopped for a moment.

"Think they're on their way to get me?" She inquired curiously. Toushirou shrugged.

"Probably."

"Waste of their time, they should go save someone who's alive."

"Yeah." More silence. As spirits they moved faster than they had as a human accompanying a spirit, so within a few minutes they had arrived at the Kurosaki clinic. Karin strutted into the house, acting as if nothing had changed. Winding her way to the kitchen she saw Yuzu's back, as she stirred a pot on their stove. She had an open cookbook on the table behind her, and soon she turned around to check it. She froze, her eyes catching sight of Karin. Yuzu's eyes roved over her sister. She stared at Karin's new outfit, then looked past her to where a very meek looking Toushirou stood. Yuzu shifted her gaze back to Karin.

"I always knew knowing shinigamis would be the death of you." With that she turned back to her food. Karin shifted from foot to foot.

"So..." she hesitated. "Where's dad?" Yuzu kept stirring, eyes on her dinner.

"Urahara's."

"Think I can leave without saying good bye?"

"Don't be a bitch. Anyways, do you really want him showing up in Soul Society crying and running around in hysterics looking for you? Not a good first impression." Karin sighed in defeat. Toushirou winced in sympathy.

"Fine. See you when I see you, or you come visit me." Yuzu nodded.

"Toushirou, how long until her first leave?" His white topped head shot up from its downward slant, his surprise at being addressed evident.

"Um... Depends on how she does and what her teachers think. After that it's up to her captain."

"Okay. good luck Karin! Oh, and say hi to Yachiru." Yuzu liked the little pink haired girl, although Karin wondered whether that much bubbly happiness in one place was healthy for those around them. Karin waved a hand lazily in reply, and exited the kitchen with Toushirou following close behind her.

"Is there anything you want to bring with you?" His voice was quiet and soft. She paused for a second, before heading up the staircase. He waited for her at the bottom. Yuzu poked her head out of the kitchen as soon as Karin's footsteps faded into silence.

"Toushirou," he looked over to her, acknowledging that she had spoken with his eyes. "Keep her safe, 'kay?" A soft smile spread over his face.

"Of course." Yuzu stared at him for a moment, before nodding sharply and disappearing back into the kitchen. Moments later Karin all but slid down the staircase.

"Sorry," she grinned sheepishly at Toushirou. "Haven't used this in years, it was in the back of my closet. He craned his neck trying to see what she had cradled under her arm. Still smiling she proffered the item to him.

It was an old soccer ball, the white slightly grayed with use. He turned it around in his hands, looking for a reason why Karin would want to keep it with her. Then he saw it. A small patch of red broke up the black and white. When he touched it he recognized it as ice.

"Red ice?" His eyebrows were drawn in confusion.

"Yeah. Remember the first time you met?" he nodded. "Well a drop of blood from the hollow landed on my ball. Think some of your ice fell on top of it. It never melted." He stared at the ball.

"Why'd you keep it?" Her eyes met his, as if connected. Then she broke the gaze, whisking the ball out of his hands and walked towards the door.

"It holds some good memories." She turned back towards him slightly, hair fanning out perfectly in a way he had never noticed before, eyes sparkling. Until one eye disappeared behind a pale lid. She winked at him. Toushirou just gulped.

"Urahara!" Karin bellowed once they approached the shop. She looked behind her to where Toushirou was, lagging behind her by several steps. "Why are you so slow now?" He scuffed the ground with his toe, dragging his feet.

"Is it okay if I wait outside while you tell them?" His visage took on a hopeful look.

"No. I refuse to do this alone." The hope turned to defeat. He sped up enough that he was walking next to her, instead of behind her. They approached the thin door that led to his shop, which Karin promptly kicked open.

"Oi, old man, Yuzu's boyfriend, shy girl, and stupid shopkeeper, get out here!" She shouted. Toushirou smirked at her nicknames.

"You forgot manly housemaid!" A deep voice called back.

"Sorry Tensei! And manly housemaid!" A chuckle rang out, as five figures emerged from the back rooms of the shop. First out was Jinta.

"Oh shit," was all he said as his eyes widened at her new look. Next was Urahara.

"Interesting," was his comment, his eyes flickering over to Toushirou with a look of great sympathy. Next was Isshin. He said nothing just froze for a moment before gaining a stony quality to his face with glares of doom shooting out towards Toushirou. The last was Ururu. She looked at Toushirou, then at Karin.

"Congratulations," her high voice whispered. "I think you'll be happy now." Karin smiled at her. Ururu was horribly perceptive, the first to figure out how Karin felt about Toushirou, and yet discreet enough to keep it hidden from the others. Karin owed Ururu a lot, considering all the angry rants she had had to endure on days when Toushirou had pissed her off.

"Congratulations," Isshin's voice was full of suppressed anger that was radiating off his stiff form. "What the hell is there to congratulate about this!" He roared, then turned around and smashed a sizable hole through Urahara's wall. The shopkeeper glanced at him.

"You'll pay for that." He turned his attention back to the two shinigami before him. "Do you need a Senkei gate or anything else?" They turned towards each other for a moment, communicating without words.

"Nope," Toushirou answered. "I've got one."

"Well then," Karin started to back away. "I'll be going now. See you at some later time!" She turned and began to run. Toushirou easily caught up to her.

"Why are we running?" He asked.

"Because in about a minute my dad will stop being angry and will instead become his usual idiotic self. I'm trying to avoid that."

"KARIN!" they heard a voice yell from down the street. "No, my darling Karin! You can't leave your old father alone, and your hardworking sister! Don't leave us apple of my eye, center of my heart!" Toushirou gave her a look.

"Just open the gate." He nodded and the white doors appeared. They stepped through, blinding white light enveloping their black-clad forms.

"Welcome to Soul Society." Toushirou said sadly, as Karin stepped into the very white world. She looked at him quizzically.

"Why so sad?" She asked softly, respecting the emotion he was showing. He sighed.

"Just, now that you're here I won't be able to act so relaxed when it's just the two of us, assuming of course that the Captain-Commander allows me to continue spending time with you."

"Why would that be a problem?" He started walking, and she followed him.

"Well, you're a student now. If I'm always around you it will be perceived as favoritism. It doesn't help that you're already close with a quarter or more of the captains. You've got enough of a leg up as it is, it will only hurt you in school if people realize we're best friends." She was quiet.

"Yeah," he could barely hear her voice. "I can see where that would be a problem."

"Not to mention," he continued. "Now that you're in the academy there will be tons of boys who are on the same level as you. Hanging around with me will only drive them away, or make them want to date you even more." She chuckled softly.

"Don't worry about the boys, Toushirou. You heard what I said to that kid earlier today, I'm already in love with someone. You don't have to worry about a thing." He looked at her worriedly. They approached a wooden wall, one that encircled the kindest looking building she had yet to see in Serietei.

"Well, we're here." He walked to the door, holding it open for her. She stepped through, and the door clanged shut behind her. Toushirou stepped up next to where she stood frozen, as six pairs of angry eyes glared down at them.