HK CHAPT 2

Hey people. First of all, I apologize for the looooooooooooooooooong delay. I've been cramming to finish my summer homework. Plus, I also had writers block for like, what, two weeks in a row? I would like to thank MomoPeachFlower to helping me plan out the story. My summary finally makes sense to me! Praise Mavis! This chapter is gonna be like a…foreshadowing chapter. Kinda like a heads up on what's going down so far cuz lately, I'm freaking torn between everything. -_- NOT FUN. Plus, with my summer homework, school, my manga drawing AND my friends, it's hard to balance everything out. Plus the cooking, cleaning, blah, blah, blah has me going. Anyways, I also had the delay cuz there were a few rainy days and then my computer broke down on me, so I had to rely on my phone, which is just freaking great cuz I lost internet on it a couple of days ago, then there's the problem that I lost my USB, resulting me unable to bring the file to the Internet Cafe. ARGHHH, CAN I KILL MY LIFE YET? Anyways, now you'll see the conflict between everything.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BLEACH

It was cold. So cold.

Karin rubbed her arms as she looked around at her surroundings. Everything was covered in ice, the mountains, the ground. Although the air was crisp and fresh, it was heavy with anticipation, as if it was holding its breath for something to happen.

Sure enough, something did, Karin managed to take a few steps before a long howl pierced the air. She began to run, not in fear but in desperation. She knew something horrible was happening. Her breath came out in long puffs as her feet pounded silently across the hard ice. Then she came to a large empty field.

"Where are you?" She shouted, but the voice that came out was not hers. Karin frowned as she heard her voice echo across the emptiness. The voice was slightly accented (think of like a British accent) and had more feminine than her own. "Please, tell me where you are!" Karin-yet not Karin-said desperately. She reached up to her face and found it wet. Why am I crying? She thought. Karin suddenly gasped as she saw all of it from a different point of view. She saw HERSELF in front of her, except she was all grownup and…had red hair?

"Umm, hello?" Karin asked herself, but the other her didn't say anything. Karin waved her hand in front of herself.

"Where are you?" The other her yelled desperately. Karin frowned as she waved her hand harder. She was about a yell in frustration when the other her started to walk toward her.

"Oh, thank gods, you can see me. Where am-" She was cut off short when she realized…the girl had walked right through her. Karin stood there for a second in shock. "Wait, what?" She turned around. The girl paid no attention to her.

"Hyourinmaru! Where are you?" She cried, collapsing down into a small ball. "Please, please, don't leave me again. Not again." The other girl cried, weeping loudly into her palms.

"My love." Karin turned around again and saw a male with blue hair in a kimono walk past her.

"Hyourinmaru!" The other her stood up and began walking toward him. Karin watched as she ran to him, arms open as he crushed her in a hug. "I've missed you. A century we've been apart." The other her whispered. Karin looked at her, shocked. Just how old were they?

"I have missed you greatly but-" Hyourinmaru began but the girl cut him off.

"I know." She said softly, looking up at him with sad eyes. "It will end just like last time…a tragedy, a war, deaths of our very own comrades." Karin felt her heart break as she watched herself-but not herself-reach up to cradle the man's face gently. "But I-I just can't stay away." Her other self choked. The man sighed and leaned away from her touch.

"If this doesn't stop…they will lock you away." The man said. She nodded but didn't say anything. "We can't fight them."

"I know."

"They will take you away from me."

"I know."

"I can't risk that." The man said sternly, timidly touching the girl's cheek.

"I know." She said, but she looked up with a determined look. "But for you, it's a risk I am willing to take. I will travel dimensions to find you." She said. Karin looked at herself. A faint red aura surrounded the other her and a blue one surrounded the man.

"They are coming." The man said. Her other self nodded.

"Let them come. It's useless, regardless of time, space or world; you know we will find out way back to each other."

"What if we don't?" the man challenged.

"We will." She replied, confident. "You know we will."

"But what if-"

"There are no 'what if's' in love, Hyourin."

"You are always stubborn, love." He chuckled. Then a faint rumbling sound is heard in the distance.

"They're here." Karin watched herself pull out a sword. "Now go."

"I'm staying here with you." The man said, drawing his sword as well. She sent him a sharp look.

"If you don't go, they'll have you as well."

"What kind of man doesn't protect the woman he loves?" He countered. Karin watched herself smile but it was a sly smile.

"You don't have much of a choice, my love." She watched herself walk up to the man. He gave her a confused look.

"What are you doing?"

"Ye with a heart of flame and fire, fly with the rising sun, bind with the Holy Light, Cage of the Fire Bird! Chitose Fenikkusu Keimusho (Thousand Year Phoenix Prison)!" Karin heard a loud roar of fire as she watched twelve beams of light shoot up from the floor around Hyourinmaru, trapping him in a cage.

"Wait, what are you doing?!" He growled. Karin watched herself give him a sad smile.

"I had no choice."

"Let me out, jkrioeousu!" Karin frowned as the girl's name was muffled.

"I can't." Her other self turned around. "They are close."

"So help me, if you don't let me out, I will break out myself." He threatened.

"Try if you must." Karin watched as Hyourinmaru place a hand on the beams of light, only to pull back as his hand was scorched. Karin looked at the cage curiously and gaped. On each bar, there were ancient writings and the one bar that he touched had burst into blue flames.

"You didn't!" He roared.

"This is a special cage that will deactivate as soon as I am gone. Unlike its name, Thousand Year Prison, it is only activated when I am free. Meaning as soon as they have me, you'll be set free and you will be safe, far, far away." She gave him a sad smile. She reached into the cage and softly stroked his face, only to have him push away.

"A dragon does not like to be caged!" He roared.

"Good bye, my love." Karin watched as her other self wave her hand and the cage raised into the air and shot across the field, disappearing. She turned around and saw thousands of thousands of shinigami quickly coming and surrounding the girl.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Karin yelled as the shinigami advanced.

"Come with us quietly and he won't hurt you." The head shinigami said. Karin whipped around to look at herself-but not herself-.

"I will come but you must promise to leave Hyourinmaru alone." She said sternly.

"Wait, you're just going to leave?" Karin asked herself. "Wait, what's going to happen? What are they going to do?" Karin felt a rush of panic surge through her as the shinigami nodded in agreement.

"Come with us." Karin could do nothing as she watched the girl leave, escorted by a thousand shinigami. Then the scenery changed. Karin found herself standing next to herself again, this time, they were in a room where people looked down at them.

"Where am I?" She thought, she turned around and gasped at what she saw. She saw herself kneeling on the floor, blood pooling around her. Her hands were bound behind her and she had several bleeding cuts on her arms and forehead.

"What did you do to him?" She heard herself hiss; she raised her head and glared at the man in front of her.

"We simply removed his memories of you." The man said coldly.

"Against his will?!" Karin winced as she burst into flames, only to be kicked roughly in the ribs. Karin gasped as she heard a crack.

"You have no say over this." She glared some more.

"Where is he?" The man ignored her. Karin looked as she began to stand, trembling. "Where is he?!"

"He is safe." The man said curtly.

"Where?" She growled.

"… " The man stayed silent. Karin watched as her eyes widened.

"He's there isn't he!?" She accused. "Y-you-"

"We had to. He wouldn't have cooperated any other way."

"That's inhuman! You sick, disgusting, vile-" There was another crack as another swift kick hit her sides. She opened her mouth again. "How could you?" She croaked. Karin watched as fire surrounded her body. "How could you?! A week! Even the strongest zanpakutos barely survived a week!" The people in the room began to back up.

"Didn't you lock her powers?!" The man shouted at another.

"Yes sir! We did but-" Karin was momentarily blinded as the room went red. Karin blinked as she looked at the place where the girl once stood. The scene shifted again. This time she was in a garden.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Karin turned around. "Over here, Karin." Karin looked up and gasped.

"You're-?" Her other self laughed at her reaction.

"Yes, I am. I am she, but I am also you and you are me. Although I'd say we are fairly different." She chuckled. Karin gaped at her. She looked at her closely and saw that she didn't bear as much resemblance to herself as she thought. Karin had thought she had red hair but it turns out, her 'hair' was actually flames. They danced around behind her, leaving small wisps of smoke in their midst. She had large sad golden eyes and long lashes. Her face was pale and smooth, her cheeks lightly tinted with pink. Needless to say, she was beautiful.

"Weren't you-? Didn't you-?" Karin stuttered. The woman gave her a dark look.

"That was thousands of years ago, Karin." The woman smoothed her kimono, which was all black except with a golden sash tied around her waist. "I am not the love infatuated girl I was so long ago."

"But-"

"Hyourinmaru…" She hesitated as she spoke his name. "He does not know me or rather…he does not see me as his friend. The Soul Society has long changed that." She spat out the words, hatred imbedded in the last sentence. Karin was confused.

"Wait, what?" She gave Karin a sad look, her hands gripping her kimono. Karin winced as they air turned colder around her and then she noticed that the sun had already set in the garden. What the- she thought. The moon rose, swollen and bright above them.

"He does not remember me as we were." She said softly.

"What do you mean?" Karin asked. She just sighed.

"His memories weren't erased as I thought they were. They were changed."

"Wait, why were you guys broken apart in the first place?"

"I'm a flame…he is ice. Together…we were just not meant to be. Our opposites deny each other so strong that…if our wielders were to…let's say 'mate'; the sheer force of our reiatsu entwined together would tear them apart."

"Wait, by 'tear them apart' do you mean…?" Karin trailed off.

"Yes. Their bodies would be torn apart, blasted to smithereens." Karin gulped.

"Lovely."

"They changed his memories to think that we were enemies competing to see who's better than the other. He thinks that to get there, we have to destroy each other." She said sadly.

"Wait, how are you so sure it's killing intent? What if-" Karin began but she was cut off.

"I am sure."

"How are you so sure? Remember, you said that not even worlds could-"

"I know what I said…but…" She trailed off. She turned away. "It's too late. He's already been brainwashed."

"How can you be so sure? I'm sure if you just talk-"

"Talking won't be possible."

"Why?"

"Because…the last time I tried to talk with him…over a thousand years before…" She looked up as she spoke the next sentence, grief obvious in her voice. "He impaled me with his own sword."

Karin woke up in cold sweat; the dreams have been happening a lot since Haku's death. She would get flashbacks and each time her other self would try to tell her her name but, all she heard was grumbling.

"Wait, he did what?!" Karin had screeched.

"He stabbed me…" Her other self looked down at her sandaled feet. Karin rubbed her temples.

"What did Soul Society do?"

"They brought him to him." A cold breeze swirled past them.

"Him?"

"He's…an abandoned zanpakuto. They say his owner…left him for dead."

"How is that even possible?"

"I don't know…"

"Anyways, can we get his right memories back?" Karin asked, swinging her arms.

"It's been…over four thousand years ago, Karin. I am doubtful that we could even find him." Karin stayed silent. "We also have to live in the same time span that Hyourinmaru is as well. Meaning, his wielder must be around your age."

"Hmm, I dunno. Wait, how can I talk to you again?"

"I'll be there. I always am."

Karin grumbled as she walked off her bed. It had been two weeks after Haku's death and she had been doing quite well, until the dreams began. She constantly saw flashbacks and most of them ended a tragedy.

"Karin." A cool voice said by the door. Karin looked up. "It's time. Let's go." Toushiro said, already wearing his uniform. Oh, right. We're supposed to go to the academy today. Karin said, groaning as she rubbed her aching temples. They were told by the group of shinigami that they were supposed to report to the academy to control their reiatsu.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming." Karin said, leaping on her feet and donning her red and white uniform. As soon as she was ready, they set off for the academy.

-I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO WRITE HERE, LET'S JUST SKIP TO THE ACADEMY PART-

"Ne, Toush!" Karin whined, "I'm hungry." Toushiro rubbed the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"That's what you get for waking up late!" He snapped, scowling. Karin pouted at him.

"You know, if you scowl this much, you're gonna have wrinkles to match your hair." Karin said, sticking out her tongue.

"Why are you so immature?" Toushiro sighed.

"Why do you have a stick up your ass?" Karin shot back. "I don't know." Toushiro deepened his scowl. Karin scowled right back at him. They walked in silence for a while.

"Ne, Toush?" She said.

"What is it this time, Karin?"

"I'm just wondering, if I die as a Soul Reaper, will I go back to the living?" Toushiro looked at her in surprise, usually she wasn't this serious.

"Who knows?" He said, shrugging slightly. Karin frowned.

"You're such an old man, Toush. Lighten up!" Karin said, reaching over to ruffle his hair. He scowled and pushed her hand away.

"Stop that!" he pushed her hand away. "If we go to the Academy, you have to stop that and you have to call me Hitsugaya." He said. Karin stopped and thought for a minute.

"Well then, what about Hitsugaya-chan!" She teased.

"Don't call me that!" Toushiro yelled.

"Hitsugaya-nii?"

"No!"

"Hitsugaya-tan?"

"Oh, Kami, shut up!"

"Hitsugaya-chi!" She said.

"No!"

"Hitsugaya-sama!"

"What? Don't even try!"

"What about Hitsugaya-nyaa?"

"Are you crazy?!"

-OKAY, NOW, WE'RE AT THE ACADEMY…MAYBE-

(I dunno how they run things over there so…I'm just gonna guess.)

"Alright, first years, over here!" A tall man with red hair yelled. Karin and Toushiro grumbled as they were swept into the crowd.

"Goddamn it, are they really our age? They're freaking tall!" Karin yelped, dodging a flailing arm.

"Who knows?" Toushiro said. Karin scowled.

"Jeez, lighten up, Hitsugaya-nyaa." She said. A tick mark appeared on his forehead.

"Don't call me that!" Karin looked at him innocently, eyes wide and lower lip prodding forward.

"But, Hitsugaya-nyaa, you said for me not to call you by your first name." She said, clasping her hands together. Toushiro slapped his palm onto his forehead.

"Fine, fine! You can call me Toushiro!" He snapped. Karin jumped up in victory.

"Yes!" She laughed. Toushiro grumbled as the red haired man started sorting out the classes.

"Blah, blah, blah, Toushiro Hitsugaya, blah, blah, Karin-" He stopped and scanned the list one more time. "Is anyone here named Karin?" Karin raised her hand.

"That's me!"

"Do you have a last name?" Karin blinked her eyes.

"Umm…" Her eyes flitted around to the first things she saw. The black brush the man held and a bottle of sake a pretty blonde woman held. "Kuro…sake." She muttered. The man raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, Karin Kurosake." He said, righting down her name. Karin sat back down next to Toushiro.

"Really? You could've just said Hitsugaya." He muttered.

"Like I would want to be related to you." She snorted. Toushiro scowled as the man resumed calling down the names.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

-ONE WEEK LATER AT THE ACADEMY (BECAUSE I'M TOO A LAZY PANDA TO WRITE IT-

"Toush!" Karin yelled to the mob of white hair sticking out of the crowd.

"Oh, hey." He said, raising a hand in greeting. Karin noticed the dark haired man next to him.

"Hello. Who are you?" She asked. The dark haired man smiled.

"I'm Sojiro Kusaka." He said, holding out his name. Karin grinned back.

"I'm Kurosake Karin, Shorty's best friend." She said, shaking his hand. Toushiro snorted.

"As if." Karin grinned.

"You know you love me." She teased, ruffling his hair. He growled, pushing her hand away, blushing just the slightest bit.

"Anyways, me and Toushiro were going to my house. Would you like to come?"

"Really? Could I?" Karin exclaimed. Kusaka nodded. Karin smiled at him. Kusaka's eyes flitted to Toushiro before settling back at Karin's.

"Did you know that Toushiro-" he began.

"Kusaka." Toushiro warned.

"What?" Karin demanded, Toushiro ran a hand through his hair.

"Nothing, it's nothing." He said, turning around, back facing Karin. Karin scowled and tugged at his shirt.

"You're hiding something from me." She said, eyebrows furrowing.

"I'm not." He denied.

"You are." Karin said stubbornly.

"I'm not and that's it." He said, dismissing her. Karin looked at him.

"Did you just, dismiss me?" She asked.

"No, let's go, Kusaka." He said, walking. Kusaka gave her a apologetic look. Karin deepened her scowl. It was a short walk to Kusaka's house.

"Woah! This is where you live? It's so pretty!" Karin exclaimed. His house was close to a cliff, which looked out into a forest.

"Really, you think so? I've always thought it was kinda scary, since people die from cliffs." He said, scratching the back of his head.

"Are you kidding? It's so awesome!" She said, "Hey, can I stay till sunset? I bet it has a really pretty view from here!"

"Sure, you might want to bring a jacket, it gets pretty cold out." Toushiro watched the easy going conversation between, unconsciously clenching his fists slightly. Karin looked up at Kusaka's tall figure with a short of wonder.

"You're so tall!" She said, mouth open. Kusaka laughed.

"I get that from a lot of people." He said. Karin took a few steps toward him until she was barely an inch away. She reached up and measured the height difference.

"Man, I need to start growing more! Look, you're like a whole two feet taller!" She said, pouting. Kusaka smiled and ruffled her hair.

"Then start growing!" He said.

"Hey! Just because you're taller doesn't mean you can ruffle my head! You messed up my hair!" She whined, patting her wild hair down. Karin then caught sight of Toushiro's slightly jealous look. "What's wrong, Toush?" She asked, walking closer to him. He scowled and pushed her away.

"Nothing's wrong with me." He said. Karin gave him a knowing look.

"Did you get rejected by a girl?" She asked sympathetically. "I won't be surprised, since you're always so quiet and alone."

"I am not!" He argued. Karin laughed and ruffled his hair.

"Anyways, hey, how did you meet Toush?" She asked, turning back to Kusaka. Toushiro's face fell slightly as she turned her attention away from him. I am not jealous, I am NOT jealous! He said, taking a deep breath. It sure sounds like you are. Another voice said, deep and soft. Toushiro perked up slightly then relaxed. It's you again. He said bitterly. Why are you so surprised, I am you and you are me. The voice said. Toushiro growled audibly, attracting attention from Karin again.

'Toush? Are you okay? You look a bit pale. Wait, are you sick?" She said, fluttering over to him. She pressed a cool hand to his forehead. Toushiro frowned slightly as the voice inside his head purred.

"Nothing's wrong, Karin." He said again, pushing her away/

"Are you sure? You've been so quiet, even more than usual. I'm worried about you." She said, softening a bit. "I don't see you for a week and you're sick already!" She said, pressing her hand to his forehead again. The voice purred. Toushiro sighed and gently pried Karin's hand away.

"Karin, I'm fine." He said softly. Karin's face morphed slightly into relief and a bit confused. Wait, don't tell me he's LOVESICK? She thought, gasping inwardly. A tinkling voice snickered inside her head. Yeah right, I doubt it.

Oh it's you. Karin thought.

Yeah, it's me. She replied.

What are you doing inside my head?

Keeping an eye on you and lover boy over there. Karin scowled at her response, causing Toushiro to notice her slightly angry look.

Can you shut up?

Oh please, Karin, you're just worried that he likes someone other than you.

I-I am not! Karin spluttered in her thoughts. Toushiro watched as Karin's face turned pink, he wondered what was happening.

Yeah, yeah. Deny all that you want, you know you like him. The girl teased. Karin just huffed and didn't say anything.

"Karin." A voice said, Karin snapped out of her thoughts and focused on Kusaka.

"Yes, Kusaka?"

"The sun's setting." He said. Karin looked over her shoulder and caught her breath. She was right, the sunset looked spectacular here.

"Wow." She murmured. The sky was painted in hues of orange, red, pink and light purple. Karin resisted the urge to stretch out her hands to see if she was able to touch the sky, seeing if it was as soft as it looked. Toushiro looked over at her face, which was illuminated by soft colors, erasing all frown lines. Toushiro eyes flickered at Karin and then back at the sunset. He knew that everyday after this, every sunset will remind him of her. She looks beautiful. The rumbling voice said inside his head. Yeah, yeah she is.