A/N Hey guys! Sorry for the super long wait! I was busy with school and everything... But now I'm back! So in the previous chapter, Hitsugaya gets kidnapped! Karin tries to commit suicide! O.O So in this chapter, Karin finally shows up! Hitsugaya meets the master of the Unknowns! What will happen to them? Happy reading!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Kubo Tite owns it all.
Karin walked on the streets, head hung low, arms wrapped around herself. She sighed. I hope Ichi-nii, Yuzu and Oyaji will be okay without me... She thought. A voice at the back of her mind whispered, And Toushiro.
She shook her head, continuing to walk numbly to her destination. Toushiro won't miss me. He thinks I'm just a slut. He'll be happier without me. Her body shuddered, remembering Hishiri's disgusting voice and hands. Those hands which took her innocence away. Everyone will just forget about me. I'm nobody to them.
At last she reached her destination- the river. She watched the waters as they lapped at the shore, breaking in small waves. She knew how deep the river was, the surface coming up well above her head if her feet were on the riverbed.
Karin climbed onto the bridge above the river, balancing precariously on the railings. She had tied on a large rock to her ankle before that. Taking in a deep breath, she recalled all of her memories, both happy and sad. She remembered the day her brother first turned into a Shinigami. Meeting Don Kanonji, the TV Superstar, and working with that bastard Jinta, Ururu, Yuzu and Kon to fight against Hollows. Karakura Red.
She remembered the day she first met Hitsugaya himself. He had been shorter, his attitude less warm than it was now. He had helped her with her soccer match, and saved her from a Hollow.
And she had liked him ever since then.
Meeting him again, after the Winter War. He helped with her soccer match once more, and then they met Grandma Haru. Helping her, sending spirits to Soul Society... and it had snowed. Beautiful, white snow. Just like him.
Karin felt tears drip down her face as she remembered the events in her life. She closed her eyes. This will be the last moment in her life. Before she disappeared.
"KARIN!"
The sudden shout snapped her from her thoughts. She knew that voice. Karin turned, forgetting that she was standing on the railings of a bridge. She saw a flash of white, and desperate teal eyes widening.
Toushiro?
And then her foot slipped, and she cried out in alarm, before plummeting into the cold waters below. A shudder ran up her spine for an instance, and she felt her skin become rather clammy. She figured it was the water causing it.
She sank, the rock at her ankle pulling her down. She hadn't had time to take in a breath- not that she wanted to anyway.
Karin willingly let out her breath, and the water seeped into her lungs, choking. She couldn't breathe, but she didn't mind.
I was just imagining things, she thought, remembering the white hair and teal eyes she had seen. Toushiro wasn't there. He won't be there. He doesn't care for me anymore, after all.
Karin could only see deep blue, so she closed her eyes and waited.
Her chest constricted, and her lungs felt about to burst. She inhaled through her nose, if only to quicken the pace. Her nostrils stung, and for a moment, she felt a brief flare of panic. I'm dying.
But she forced down the emotion. She wanted this. She couldn't bear to live anymore. Better to just die, so no one else would have to suffer with her around.
Karin was vaguely aware of a splash above her, but she didn't look up. Her head felt light, and she felt at peace. Her skin numbed, senses dulling, so she didn't feel the hands that grabbed at her.
Didn't feel the water grow cold, and the rock tied to her ankle being cut loose.
Didn't feel herself being pulled out of the water, breaking to the surface.
She only felt a calm in her body.
Nothing else.
"Oi Karin! Hang in there, Karin!" Ichigo heard Hitsugaya yell as the ice captain reappeared, breaking through the water surface with Karin in his arms. Ichigo felt his panic rise- Karin wasn't moving. Her skin was pale, her lips blue, and her expression was one of serenity.
"No!" He cried out, feeling anger, feeling despair. He couldn't lose another family member. It would hurt too much.
Hitsugaya dragged her body back onto the ground, below the bridge. He glanced at Ichigo, eyes wide with desperation. His hand was on her wrist- sensing her pulse.
"There's no pulse," he whispered, eyes growing wider. Ichigo moved forward. He knew CPR- Isshin had beat the knowledge into him at a young age.
"Move aside Toushiro!" He yelled, and the ice captain quickly moved, watching as Ichigo placed his palms on Karin's chest, and began to beat rapidly.
"Don't die on me," Ichigo whispered, watching his younger sister's face for any flickering- anything that would tell him that she was still okay. "Don't die, please."
"She needs air Kurosaki." Hitsugaya croaked, his teal orbs shadowed with guilt and grief. Ichigo knew that, but he was reluctant to kiss his own sister.
Hitsugaya saw his uncertainty. "I'll do it then," he snapped, moving forward. "You just keep thumping."
"Wait what?" Ichigo sputtered, shocked. "Oh no you-"
"Ichigo!" Hitsugaya snapped again, looking at the orange-haired teen tiredly. Ichigo immediately paused, though his hands instinctively kept beating, as his brown eyes widened. Hitsugaya had just called him by his name.
"Please," the ice captain slumped, lowering his gaze. "This is my fault. At least let me fix it in someway." He pleaded. Ichigo was at a loss for words.
Hitsugaya felt guilty for making Karin go suicidal.
Unable to say anything, the Substitute could only nod and stop thumping. Hitsugaya moved forward, and Ichigo heard him murmur a soft 'please forgive me', before placing his lips against Karin's and breathing air into her.
Like a fairy tale, where the prince's kiss would awaken the princess, Karin suddenly choked out water, her body lurching, her once peaceful face contorted in pain. "Karin!" Ichigo cried, feeling his breath hitch. His sister's coughing died down, and then she was breathing again, if not slightly ragged. Hitsugaya slumped again, this time with relief, running a hand through his dripping wet hair.
Karin was still out cold, though. Ichigo was about to carry her when Hitsugaya reached out first. The ice captain carried the unconscious soccer girl in his arms, bridal-style, and held her tightly to his chest. He caught the questioning, suspicious look in the Substitute's gaze.
"Please, Kurosaki," Hitsugaya sighed. "I need to make it up to her. I hurt her instead when she needed my help. I rejected her apologies, and made her like this..." Their eyes met, brown ones still observing quietly, teal ones saddened and exhausted.
"... Fine." Ichigo huffed, turning away. "But don't you dare drop her, or I will Bankai your ass to the moon and back." He added with a growl. Hitsugaya offered a weak smile.
"I won't. Thank you." He breathed, and slowly began to walk back. They had to get Karin back to the Kurosaki residence before anything else happened.
Ichigo eyed Hitsugaya closely. The boy was walking straighter, taller, as if a burden had been lifted off his shoulders. Did the incident really affect him that much? The strawberry had no idea just how much Hitsugaya loved his sister. He'll have to prove it to me then, Ichigo sniffed, following Hitsugaya.
Curious gazes landed on them as they walked along the street. Ichigo saw a couple of students from Karin's school too, and they seemed rather shocked when they saw Karin motionless in Hitsugaya's arms, both soaking wet.
Ichigo noticed the ice captain stiffen and glare at the students who were watching them, his teal eyes narrowed with a hidden message, telling them clearly to back off. The students, who had discreetly taken out their phones to snap photos of them, froze, and slowly tucked their phones back into their pockets.
Ichigo was surprised- why did Hitsugaya do such a thing? He had no idea what it was that happened in school before the incident just now, but he could see that the students that passed by them were genuinely... afraid of the ice captain.
"Oi, Toushiro," Ichigo couldn't help but ask. Hitsugaya tilted his head back, waiting for him to continue. "What exactly happened in school earlier?"
The ice captain suddenly growled, his hair bristling at the question. "I told you," he muttered, teal eyes dark with rage. "I made Hinamori tell the truth, and I beat up Sanjo Hishiri, crushing his dick too."
Ichigo had heard of the name Sanjo Hishiri before. Karin had called him a big bully, the strongest one in the school. He had beat teachers and liked to break rules. Hadn't Hitsugaya mentioned that Hishiri was the one who mainly raped Karin too?
No wonder the students were afraid- Hitsugaya had badly beaten up the worst bully in their school. Ichigo gave a satisfied snort. He wanted to kick Hishiri's ass for raping his sister, but at least Hitsugaya had done that for him.
They continued walking in silence, quickly reaching the Kurosaki household. Ichigo opened the door, since Hitsugaya couldn't, and they went into the living room. Matsumoto, Rukia, Isshin and Yuzu were there, as well as a slumped Hinamori, who stood at a corner with her head bowed.
Yuzu and Isshin jumped to their feet when they entered, and Ichigo saw that his youngest sister had been crying, her eyes puffy and red, her nose running. Apparently, Matsumoto and Rukia had already told them about the matter. She gasped when she saw her sister in Hitsugaya's arms and ran to him, looking at her sister despairingly. "Karin-chan...!" She sobbed, beginning to cry again.
Isshin put a hand around his crying daughter, looking at his former third-seat and son sadly. "... Is she okay?" He whispered. Hitsugaya nodded, and the former captain managed a strained smile of relief.
Isshin took Karin's body from Hitsugaya gently, and quickly brought her up to her room, Yuzu following after, still crying pitifully.
Matsumoto and Rukia came to them then, and the 10th Division Vice-Captain held a towel. "Taicho..." the busty woman whispered worriedly as Hitsugaya suddenly swayed.
"... I'm fine." The ice captain murmured, allowing Matsumoto to dry up his hair for him as he sank into one of the dining table's chairs. Ichigo watched Hitsugaya slump, resting his head against one of his arms on the table.
"Ichigo... Are you alright?" Rukia asked him, and Ichigo gazed at the petite Shinigami. He nodded, staring into her dark violet eyes. Rukia seemed relieved by that prospect. "You should still rest. It's been a hectic day." She suggested.
Ichigo shrugged, heading to the chair beside Hitsugaya's. Matsumoto had finished drying up his hair, but the ice captain hadn't moved, only occasionally shifting to find a better, more comfortable position for his head.
"Oi Toushiro," Ichigo said, poking the white-haired captain. Hitsugaya lifted his head wearily, blinking at him. "Are you alright?"
"It's nothing to worry about," the captain huffed. "... I'm just tired, that's all. With everything going on..." He lay his head back down again.
"Then you should change out of those wet clothes and go take a nap or something." Ichigo snorted. Hitsugaya actually seemed to consider it. Then he scoffed, standing up again.
"... Very well." He muttered, heading up the stairs. He passed by Hinamori as he did so, but didn't even look at her, and the 5th Division Vice-Captain flinched, seeming to shrink into herself even more.
Ichigo couldn't help but glare at the girl responsible for everything. It was her fault Karin got raped and had to suffer. He wondered if Aizen Sousuke, Hinamori's former captain, and the man who had caused the Winter War to occur, had influenced the vice-captain in some other way.
Like his cunning, and sinister planning.
It was then the home phone rang, and Ichigo stood to pick it up. "Hello?" He said, rather snappishly.
"Hello, this is Mr Otorabashi Hira, the principal of Karakura High. May I please speak to Mr Kurosaki Isshin?" Came the reply. Ichigo's eyes narrowed.
"The old man's busy. This is Kurosaki Ichigo, his son. What do you want?" He scowled, his mood having already worsened thinking about the treacherous Aizen.
"... Ah, Mr Ichigo. It's... concerning your sister, Kurosaki Karin." The principal replied after a short silence. Obviously, Otorabashi was not used to being spoken so rudely to.
"Let me guess. You've called to tell us that Karin is innocent. She didn't rape anyone, and instead it was just a set-up by one of her 'classmates'." At the corner of his eye, Ichigo saw Hinamori flinch again.
There was a stunned silence. "How did you-" the principal spluttered.
"Karin nearly committed suicide, you f*cking jeezer." Ichigo snarled.
"She what?!" Otorabashi gasped.
"She told us what happened on the day you suspended her. A couple of my friends and I looked into the matter, and just today we found out about it. Hitsugaya Toushiro, a friend of mine and one of the boys Karin supposedly raped, figured out the whole thing."
"... Ah, yes Hitsugaya Toushiro. If he is with you, I would like to-" the principal nervously said.
"Don't change the f*cking subject, bastard," Ichigo hissed dangerously, enraged. The principal went quiet. "Toushiro came here to check on Karin after finding out the truth, but then he found that she was gone, and she had left a letter, indicating that she was going to commit suicide. We found her on time, luckily, but she's still unconscious."
"... But... I gave her the suspension so that she could think..." The principal stammered.
"About what? Something that she didn't do? Obviously you're a worser principal than I thought, because you didn't bother to investigate the whole thing and listen to the other side of the story properly. You just f*cking believed the lies of the f*cking person behind it instead!" Ichigo thundered into the phone, unable to contain his rage. He heard Hinamori whimper, and glared at her accusingly.
"If you actually had the common sense to use your goddamn brain and think about the matter for a moment before deciding what to do, Karin probably wouldn't have gone suicidal!" Ichigo continued on heatedly.
"Actually giving her a damn suspension just made her feel worse, you son of a bitch! She just got raped, then blamed for raping people with false evidence, and then the f*cking principal can't even trust a single word she says just because of that evidence!" He roared on, slamming a fist on the counter angrily. He felt Rukia put a reassuring hand on his bicep, and relaxed slightly, but the rage was still there.
"I can tell you that I've seen the pictures which showed Toushiro and Karin together in the bathroom. That incident had just been a set-up for fun! And they kissed willingly, it wasn't forced! The pictures which showed them sleeping together was also something they wanted to do together!"
The principal had been silent the whole time, listening as Ichigo flared at him for being a 'blind old jeezer'.
"Even though Karin cried in front of you, you didn't believe a single word she said. Did you think she was crying because she was guilty?! That she just made up a stupid excuse? Did you even find the whole thing suspicious?" Ichigo demanded.
"... I must apologise, Mr Ichigo. I had no idea at all-"
"DON'T F*CKING APOLOGISE!" Ichigo thundered furiously. The principal went silent once more.
"Karin never lies," he scowled, trying to control his temper. "Sure, she hides her feelings and acts tough, but that's because she doesn't want anyone worrying about her. But that's also the reason why she broke. She couldn't handle all the blame anymore. That was the first time I saw her cry so much, ever since our mom died when she was just two,"
"So apologies won't solve anything. You didn't help her when she needed the help, and instead just worsened the blame already on her shoulders," Ichigo growled. "You can forget about whatever you wanted to say. Go and f*cking shove your phone up your ass for all I care," With that, Ichigo slammed the phone back down, and turned to the cowering Hinamori.
"And you," He snarled, eyes glaring. Hinamori froze up, eyes wide with fear, and pursed her lips as tears welled in her eyes. "Don't you ever mess with the Kurosakis ever again, bitch." The 5th Division Vice-Captain sobbed, nodding quietly, as she sank to the ground and buried her face in her legs.
"Ichigo, you need to calm down." Rukia said softly. Ichigo looked at the Kuchiki noble, feeling his anger deflate. He nodded, rubbing his temple.
"Sorry, Rukia..." he muttered.
"Go take a nap, Ichigo." Matsumoto suggested. Ichigo nodded again, sighing as he climbed up the stairs. He paused at Karin's door, seeing that the door knob had been broken off- probably Hitsugaya's doing. He pushed open the door gently, and saw Karin lying on her bed, dressed in new garments. Yuzu slept beside her, having dragged over a chair. What surprised him, though, was that Hitsugaya was there as well, dressed in new clothes, sitting on the floor and staring into space.
The ice captain noticed Ichigo standing there, and gave a tired smile. "I heard you downstairs. The principal called, huh?" He asked quietly, making sure not to wake the two sisters as he stood up. Ichigo nodded, Hitsugaya exiting the room.
"What were you doing in there?" He asked suspiciously.
"I was watching her sleep." Hitsugaya muttered, a faint blush on his cheeks as he spoke.
"Just watching her sleep?" Ichigo probed. Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow.
"What are you suggesting that I did?" He sniffed.
"Something." The Substitute answered.
"I assure you, I didn't do anything. I just sat there and... thought for a moment," The captain sighed. "Shiba Taicho left some time ago too so..."
"Thought about what?" Ichigo asked, narrowing his eyes. Hitsugaya blinked.
"My past..." he mumbled in response, then turned and went back to the guest room, obviously indicating that the comversation had ended. Ichigo watched him go quietly, before heading into his own room as well to take a short nap.
Where... am I...?
Hitsugaya let out a stiff groan of pain as he blinked his eyes. His body ached, his chest the worst of all. It felt like something had been stabbed through him and fired electricity. Then he realised that that was exactly what had happened.
Everything that happened returned to him all at once. Kazuko had betrayed him. He had been trying to save Karin from suicide when the fourth-seat came and took him away. The Unknowns had tormented him, feeding off his reiatsu hungrily and left him weak and defenseless.
I hope Kurosaki managed to rescue her before it's too late... he thought. That was when he realised where he was.
He was in a dark room, which had rotting stone walls covered in moss and algae, and a distinct smell to it which made him want to gag. He saw bones at a corner too, dirty and broken. Hitsugaya shuddered, and he went to pinch the bridge of his nose, but found that he could not.
Surprised, he looked at his arms, and found them being hung by chains on the ceiling, at his sides, lifted into the air. His legs had chains too, he saw.
And he also found that he was topless, his bare chest revealing all the scars and bite marks caused by the Unknowns. Strangely, his wounds were gone.
Hitsugaya scowled, struggling against his binds. He had never been forced into such an undignified position in his life. He tried to use some reiatsu to freeze the chains, but found that he could not, and eventually realised that the chains were made of reiatsu-suppressing material. What the...
He had no idea where the heck he was.
Hyourinmaru was gone, and so was his gigai. He knew he was in his Shinigami form because Kazuko had forced him out before he fell unconscious. Hitsugaya seethed quietly, unable to escape from his prison.
He remembered Kazuko mentioning something about a 'master'. Is that 'master' here? Is Kazuko here?
He had no idea. Apparently, the stone walls were also blocking his reiatsu-sensing abilities. It reminded him of Seireitei's Senzaikyu. The white tower prevented reiatsu from being sensed both inside and out, as well as made it impossible to use reiatsu while being held there. Hitsugaya scowled. It was troublesome.
Then he heard footsteps, and a door opened, letting in some very bright light. Hitsugaya turned his head away, squinting. He saw a blurred shadow enter, then the door closed and the light disappeared, causing him to blink.
Suddenly, something sharp brushed the space between his collarbones on his chest, and he flinched.
Only to see a pair of rather malicious poison yellow eyes.
Hitsugaya forced himself to be composed, unwilling to show his shock. He stared at the creature before him, and was surprised to see that it looked like a Hollow, when at first, he had thought it was an Unknown.
The Hollow's mask was sharp at the chin, and horns sprouted from its head, curling outwards. A forked tongue flickered in and out from its mouth, which had the usual sharp teeth. The monster's body was white, and surprisingly it had black streaks on its body, mainly around the biceps. It had the same hole in its chest every Hollow had, and its hands and feet were topped with menacingly sharp claws. A tail lashed behind it, the end of it splashed with more black.
Hitsugaya shuddered, a feeling of recognition running up his spine. But I don't know this Hollow. So why did he feel like... he did?
"Awake now...?" the Hollow hissed. Hitsugaya's eyes widened slightly, surprised. Somehow, he knew that voice. Chuckling, the beast ran a claw up and down his chest, tracing the outlines of the scars on his body. The ice captain winced as it rubbed against one of the nubs on his chest, the hairs on his skin rising as he shivered.
"W-what are you doing?" He snapped, trying to pull back. The chains on his limbs made it difficult to do so. The Hollow laughed once more, its voice with that same empty tone other Hollows had.
"Is it wrong of me to touch my prisoner?" it hissed, sounding delighted as it ran a hand down his waist. Hitsugaya shuddered once more. The feeling felt familiar. Like he had experienced it before. And the words the Hollow had said...
"I am the 10th Division Captain of the Gotei 13, Hitsugaya Toushiro! I demand that you release me at once!" Hitsugaya growled, trying to raise his reiatsu level. But the chains on him made that difficult too.
The Hollow's tongue flicked out again, brushing his cheek. The ice captain cringed back, tilting his head away.
That left his neck exposed.
And the Hollow sank its teeth into his skin right there. Hitsugaya cried out as the sharp canines pierced into him, and he found it difficult to breathe. His reiatsu began draining away, the same ability to devour reiatsu as the Unknowns.
Hitsugaya's body convulsed, then trembled, and his eyesight blurred as his reiatsu was taken away once more. He couldn't speak- could only breathe rapidly with shallow breaths. The Hollow purred as it continued to drink him, and its tongue rasped over his skin gently, causing goosebumps to rise.
"S-sto-op..." Hitsugaya gasped, letting out an involuntary groan of pain. He couldn't fight back with the chains on as they restricted his movements. The monster merely bit in harder, making him tense up even more and whimper.
After a while, it pulled back, blood glistening on its teeth. Hitsugaya slumped, his neck aching, his breathing hoarse. He felt depleted; even if the chains were off and the room was made of ordinary stone, he wouldn't have enough energy to cast a simple Kido spell.
The Hollow licked its lips hungrily. "As always, little Toshi. Your weak spots are so easy to find." it grinned.
Hitsugaya froze. Little... Toshi...?
"Ah... Are you remembering something?" the Hollow asked with mock curiosity. "Do you finally know who I am?"
At the ice captain's silence, it frowned. "No?" Then it grinned once more, and it reached out and touched his palm. Hitsugaya yelped as a sudden burning sensation flared through his palm, but the monster still held its hand there. Hitsugaya cried out louder, attempting to twist his hand away. "Don't you remember this?"
It then reached up and caressed his nipples, causing Hitsugaya to shiver once more, a flush on his cheeks. "This?"
A hand grabbed at his hair and yanked down hard, Hitsugaya's head being pulled back. The ice captain cried out again, pain zapping through his skin. The Hollow bent and began licking the skin of his waist, and he squirmed, gasping sensitively. "What about this?"
Hitsugaya knew those actions. He knew them very well. The hand-burning, the touching, licking-
The Hollow suddenly pierced a claw into his chest and dragged it down. Hitsugaya screamed at the sudden agony, and blood spurted out of the growing wound. "You even forgot this pain?"
- and the torture which left him half-dead every time.
He knew them all. But why would a Hollow...
A memory came to him- he had been chained up like this before. But there was only one person who would do such things to him...
It can't be...
"What's wrong, Little Toshi? What happened to the big, brave, heroic you?" The Hollow cackled maniacally. Hitsugaya's eyes widened even further.
Everything came back to him at once. His memories of the past, the mysteries he had been trying to solve, everything.
"Now..." the Hollow grinned, and lifted Hitsugaya's chin so that they could meet eye to eye. "Do you know who I am?"
Hitsugaya's body trembled, his head about to explode as the memories surged in like a tsunami. His vision momentarily grew white as he nearly passed out. But he remembered. He knew everything.
Hitsugaya felt fear, then. Black, pulsing fear, the same as the one he had experienced in the past. He couldn't speak, but he had to. He opened his mouth, trying to force out his voice. Trying to make it quick so as to avoid more pain.
"T- ahh..!" He gasped, cut short. The Hollow had started to tease one of his nipples again. Hitsugaya trembled, knowing that it was a challenge. He had to speak soon. The malignant glint in those yellow eyes told him that he didn't have time left.
"What was that, Little Toshi?" it hissed, laughter in its taunting tone. Hitsugaya gulped, trying to push down the emotions. He squeezed his eyes shut briefly, trying to ignore the hands on his body. Then he opened them again.
"T-Tou... -chan...?"
A/N Aha! Bet you guys didn't see that coming! (Ok, forgive me for the parts that seemed like a yaoi thing, but ahem just ignore them all) So, Karin is saved, thank goodness. Ichigo gives the principal a piece of his mind! And Hitsugaya finds the mastermind... His own father! Oh dear! What will happen to them? Next chapter, we're taking a break from the main story as we delve into Hitsugaya's past! That's right guys, the next few chapters will be about the ice prince and his memories! Just what happened to him and his family? Find out in the next chapter! Thanks for reading guys!
Reviews make me work faster, and motivate me, of course, so do review! Thanks everyone!
(P.S This story had become more M-rated, I realised... But! There won't be so much sexual content next time! More action, yeah! I hope my readers are all still there... :'))
