When it Begins

"You're hurt."

"Huh?" Karin looked to where he pointed, noticing for the first time just how badly bruised she'd become. Dark purple splotches adorned the otherwise pale skin of her knees and shins, still tender to the touch. "Oh yeah, that."

He frowned, "What happened to you?"

"It's not a big deal, Toshiro. It's just from soccer. The guys get a little rough sometimes, but I can get rougher." She smirked, taking a long sip from her mug. It was a chilly evening, and though they'd first run into each other in the park they'd had to move into her house when it began to rain. She'd made them both hot cocoa, but he'd seemed skeptical when she first handed it to him.

"But they're injuring you, dummy." He replied coolly.

"Uh, it's just a bruise." She shrugged it off, shooting him a wry smile. "Besides, we both know I'm not the damsel in distress type. It's not like I'm made of porcelain or something."

The comment satisfied him for the time being, and a silence passed over them as she pulled her hair from its usual ponytail and shook it out. It was the first time he'd seen her in her new school uniform. Five months had passed since their last visit, and in that small window of time she'd seemed to grow so much. She was no longer the elementary school tomboy she was when they first met, though she certainly had no less chutzpah. He wondered briefly if she noticed any changes in him as well. Their time together was so staggered that they spent much of it just catching up.

But simple conversation about nothing in particular was always enough for them.

"What're you looking at?" She cocked her head to the side, lips pursed curiously.

He replied simply, "Your hair's grown."

"Hence why it's tied up all the time; it gets in my way a lot."She ran her hand through it, fingers slipping smoothly through the ebony curtain. It was just past her collar bones, a far cry from the bob she cherished in her childhood. "Why, was that a complement or something?"

Something about the way her lips quirked into a small half-smile embarrassed him. He cleared his throat, "It was just an observation."

"Yeah, yeah." She waved him off, "Drink your hot chocolate already before it gets cold. This stuff is nasty at room temperature."

He looked down at the mug in his hands for a moment, "This really doesn't sound appealing."

She took a long slow sip as if to wordlessly argue against what he was suggesting. He sighed, holding the drink to his lips before taking a tentative sip. She looked to him expectantly, that same smile dangerously close to blooming in full across her lips. It was surprisingly good, he had to acknowledge. Though he still didn't understand the hoopla she'd made about it. The way her eyes lit up just before the first sip seemed a little much to him.

"Well?" She asked, placing one hand firmly on her hip.

"It's pretty good," He allowed, closing his eyes to avoid seeing the triumphant grin spread across her face. He could just imagine how smug she'd look. "What's the big deal about this stuff, anyways?"

"Hmm," She toned down her smile, thinking for a moment. "My mother used to make it for us."

That definitely wasn't the answer he expected from her.

"On cold days when we'd return home chilled from the walk back from school. We'd just kind of gather in the kitchen and she'd make us hot chocolate. She did a lot of little things like that." She set her mug down on the table top and spread her fingers across the cool wooden surface. "It's one of the few things I can remember clearly about her."

His gaze softened a bit. Her tenacious exterior made it easy to forget that she was vulnerable sometimes; that she had pain just like him. She didn't sound like she was looking for his pity. If anything, she'd be offended by it. She was only relaying the truthful answer to his question.

"Karin—"

"It's not a big deal," She cut him off, taking another sip. "She hasn't been around for a long time. I've dealt with that. My whole family has, in their weird individual ways."

"You must still miss her. Don't be so flippant about it."

"I'm just telling the truth." She didn't see how else to approach the subject. Making a big deal out of it would only contribute to tearing out the sutures she'd so carefully placed over that wound. "Besides, we're a tough family. Even though my dad's got the emotional maturity of a pre-schooler, we've still got Ichi-nii. And I'll be around for everyone, of course. For a long time."

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She would always be there for her family, no matter what. Even if she seemed irritable or caustic, she loved them.

"Karin,"

The voice wasn't Hitsugaya's.

Her eyes snapped open, "Whoa,"

She was lying in a dewy patch of grass, a cool breeze ghosting across her skin. She was definitely no longer in her kitchen. She hadn't awoken from a dream, but a memory. And the change in scenery was dizzying. Sitting up quickly, she gazed around in confusion.

"This can't be real…"She was lucky she could even eke out those words, the scenery she was surrounded by taking her breath away. A swollen moon hung too low and too full in the sky, as if she could reach up and graze its uneven surface with her fingertips. White daisies peppered the meadow, seeming to spring up and reach toward the sky with a mind of their own. Their petals glowed softly, miniatures of the moonlight they reflected. The meadow spread out like a patchwork quilt, bordered on the far edges by an otherworldly wood. She could see from where she sat that the trees were dark and gnarled. Much less inviting than the ethereal place she found herself in currently.

"It is real,"

"Who's there?" She started, just holding back a small gasp. It was the same voice from earlier, the feminine lilt almost mocking in its cloying sweetness. Smoke rose from the earth in front of her, the tendrils tangling in the icy breeze. They moved with a will of their own, rising to form the silhouette of a person. Karin's storm cloud eyes narrowed as she tensed, feeling the conflict of fight or flight beginning to creep in on her. Warmth radiated from the form, as if they were a lone flame flickering in the meadow.

"You cannot see me clearly, can you?" The voice seemed to be floating to her from the smoke.

"No," She shook her head slowly, feeling frozen in place.

"Let me fix that for you, Silly Goose." The voice giggled childishly, the noise irritating Karin. The smoke solidified in one dizzying instant, the figure of a young girl standing in the grass before Karin. She had to be only about ten years old. A tattered cloak that was black as the night sky draped over her shoulders, the heavy hood drooping over her face and hiding it from view. Karin was just able to make out the edges of a modified yukata underneath, the red and gold spun fabric torn short at mid-thigh. Just what kind of child was she looking at? What kind of little girl sheathed her legs in tight leather and delivered mockery like an adult?

"Who are you?" She asked, blinking up at the figure.

"You still don't get it~?" The girl removed her hood, revealing ebony hair that had been cleaved short, the tips flaring out to a golden-red color like dying embers. Everything about her was at once ravaged and captivating. The glint in her dark eyes was far too adult for her childish face. "My name is—"

"Excuse me?" She asked, her company's words seeming to garble beyond recognition. "I can't understand you."

The girl pulled a face, sticking out her tongue and furrowing her eyebrows. "I said my name is—"

"I still can't hear you,"

She huffed impatiently. "Fine, there's no time for that then. You have to wake up now, Karin."

"What the hell are you talking about now?"

"You don't understand much, do you? Silly girl."

"Don't be condescending to me, Kid." She crossed her arms stubbornly.

"Calm down," She giggled, "And don't worry. I'll be here to see you through."

"See me through what?"

The world around them began to blur at the edges. The little girl grinned mischievously, vanishing in a swirl of smoke. Karin wanted to yell after her, but her oxygen supply seemed to cut off. She gripped her neck with unsure fingertips as she attempted to take in another breath. The world blurred out of recognition until she couldn't make sense of anything. When air finally returned to her lungs, her sight was peppered with black spots. She gasped desperately, her vision returning.

The soft grass plain was gone, replaced by cracked concrete. She glanced around, catching her breath as she acclimatized to yet another change of setting. Had she woken up for real this time? Broken shafts of light filtered down to her through partially shattered windows. It was an abandoned industrial warehouse, the high vaulted ceiling held aloft by sagging metal beams. The place had to be condemned. But how had she gotten there?

Her eyes widened as she remembered.

"Momoka!" She shouted, springing to her feet. Her head was a little fuzzy, but she could recall that she'd been attacked and knocked unconscious. So her friend wasn't so friendly after all. Nor was she so human. But where was she then? A small sigh had her spinning on her heels to face the other end of the warehouse. Yuzu lay face-down on the pavement across the way, Matsumoto curled up a little beyond her. Karin's shouting must have stirred her in her unconsciousness. Her pink heart apron was tied over her school uniform.

That meant that she'd been abducted from the safety of their own kitchen.

"Yuzu-chan!" Karin exclaimed, rushing forward on still unsteady feet.

"No, you don't!" Momoka appeared impossibly fast, blocking her path. Karin stopped short in shock. She'd only ever seen Hitsugaya move that quickly before. Momoka held up two palms flat toward Karin's chest, her eyes narrowed. "Take one step more and I'll knock you with a kido spell so hard you won't wake up for a week."

"Move out of my way," She growled. Standing between her and her sister wasn't a smart place to be in her eyes. She set her lips in a flat defiant line and stared down her former acquaintance. Reiatsu began to gather around her, the ring on her finger glowing gently. This didn't slip under Momoka's radar, but she'd been prepared for this reaction.

She held out one hand toward the glowering Kurosaki, "Come with me, and I'll let little Yuzu-chan here go."

The mocking tone she used to refer to her sister made Karin's skin crawl. "How about, I make you let both of us go?"

"Aw, is that a threat?" She smirked, red reiatsu beginning to gather around her fingertips. "Cute,"

Just as Karin was about to hold up her hands in some attempt to defend herself, Momoka was swept backwards off her feet in a disorienting flash. She laid on the concrete ten feet back, eyes shut in unconsciousness.

"Kurosaki-san,"

A breath of relief shuddered through her lips before she could think better of it. The voice belonged to Hitsugaya. She turned to face him, reluctantly glad he'd bailed her out. Her relief washed away as soon as she realized he'd called her by her last name only. It was a far cry from the way he had taken to addressing her previously. He stood with his arms crossed, looking her up and down. He hadn't even needed to draw his zanpakuto to deal with Momoka.

She trained her face into a mildly grateful mask and nodded at him curtly, "Hitsugaya-taicho," Then she took the opportunity to run to her sister's side. He acted similarly, going to inspect his fukutaicho. This little girl he had found threatening Karin couldn't have been alone. Someone with her level of ability wouldn't have been able to take out Matsumoto.

He had to be on the lookout, because she was just a pawn.

Karin knelt, looking Yuzu over with concern evident in her eyes. She looked to be all in one piece with no obvious injuries. Hopefully she could get her home before she woke up. Then she'd interrogate a certain white-haired taicho about what the hell was going on. Voices floated across the vast space, echoing against the concrete and steel walls. She looked up to see the arrival of some old familiar faces. Three years had separated Karin from Orihime and Uryu, and both looked considerably more adult compared to when she'd last seen then. They filed in behind Urahara and Yoruichi, Orihime smiling her old peppy grin. It was comforting to see that some things didn't change.

Karin stood and tilted her head curiously, "Huh? Inoue-san, Ishida-san, what are you doing-"

"Karin-chan!" Orihime's shout cut her off, the sounds of shattering glass turning it into a garbled mess.

A hand seized Karin's shoulder and suddenly she was flying backwards, the room blurring before her eyes. An abrupt impact against the crumbling concrete wall took her breath away. Her vision returned slowly as she slumped to the ground. Everything had two outlines, the doubles swaying back and forth in a dizzying motion. But she could see enough to make out the figures that had infiltrated the building. Men in red cloaks identical to the one Momoka wore poured in through the high warehouse windows. Urahara and company made quick work of engaging them in battle, but she couldn't follow their movements without the speed of the exchanges making her feel nauseous.

Suddenly she was eye level with a pair of heavy black boots. A hand grabbed the back of her collar and pulled her to her feet. She squirmed, trying to wrench out of their reach. Her sight refocused itself on a man's face. It was the man with the machete. His was a face she recognized too quickly, her blood feeling as if it were going to boil. Her ring sparked dangerously, reiatsu concentrating again in the midst of her confusion and anger.

This was the man who was responsible for her brother's death.

AN: I already have the next chapter written, so I will update sooner! Please leave me a review to tell me how I'm doing! I'd appreciate it like crazy! Thank you!