"Karin! Karin!" Yuzu called out as she ran through the isolated streets of Karakura. She was probably disturbing all the neighbours a little after 1AM but she couldn't do anything about it. She had to find her sister. She rounded the corner in front of the coffee shop in the town central and heard Kei's voice and several others echoing while she approached.
"There you are." Kei said.
"We've been waiting for you." Midori said and Yuzu noticed that all her friends from class were here.
"What are you guys doing out here?" She asked. "I thought you went out." She turned to Sachiko.
"I was at Maki's place and Kei called." Sachiko said in an accusatory tone. "You weren't answering your phone apparently and he couldn't go off by himself."
"I am so sorry!" Yuzu hyperventilated. "This is all my fault! I—"
"Stop." He told her. "Breathe." She nodded. "It doesn't matter whose fault it is or whatever... all that matters is finding her. Alright? Nothing else." He said and she nodded. "Good. Now, let's divide ourselves. Midori, Kyōko and Kazuya take the streets, Heita, Ryohei and Yuzu take the river and Sachiko and I will look in the forest."
"Wait..." Heita said. "The forest is too big of a space and three of us searching by the river is pointless. Take Yu-chan with. The three of you are the fastest."
"Fine by me," he said. "Now let's go." He trailed ahead and his sister followed him.
"What did you do that for?" Ryohei asked.
"I was thinking logically..." Heita said
"But Sacchan hates Yu-chan!" Ryohei whispered but Yuzu said nothing and followed the two close behind.
It was 3AM when Hitsugaya woke up. He managed to get a bit of sleep but after reading the black book that lied by his side, he simply could not rest. He could not feel anger or sadness or even appalled. He was just numb. He took the blanket abs created a cloak for himself before taking the book and heading downstairs. He supposed he should leave it on the table. He imagined Sofia would find it there given she was the one that gave it to him but he spotted her as soon as he got down the stairs.
"Leaving already?" She asked as soon as he landed on the last footfall.
"Isn't it too late to be up?" He asked, approaching her in the dining room where she was crocheting in dim light.
"Nonsense! I'm not that old." She laughed. "We don't sleep."
"Karin mentioned you a few times." He said. "She said you were very lively and kind."
Sofia laughed. "At my age, you have to be lively. I learned how to be kind from my upbringing." She sighed. "So... do you think it's wise to be out in your condition?"
"I have to find the ōin." He said.
"I gather you at least know who took it... otherwise, it's futile." She said and he frowned.
"Kusaka Sōjirō..." He admitted.
"The man in the journal?" He nodded and Sofia huffed. "Ay! Looks like you have an axe to grind with that one... unless you didn't know until today."
"I figured it out... I just didn't know the details..." Hitsugaya shivered. "I'm ashamed to even have read that."
"It was incredibly shameful... but there's nothing else we can do but bring him to justice." Sofia smiled. "I at least want my granddaughter to die knowing that he has been brought to justice."
"... Sofia-san, can't you convince her?" Hitsugaya asked. "She has so much to live for. Speak to her or Shihōin or Kuna—"
"I don't know these people." She sighed. "But I know my granddaughter and I know she's in pain... and sometimes, there's nothing that fixes that pain." She looked downcast. "My sister was a quadriplegic. She was in love with life... but she had an abusive husband. He shot her in the neck. She survived... but the cost is that she could not move any of her limbs. He went to jail, I believe he is still alive and is legible for parole sometime soon. But he ruined my sister's life. She took the difficult decision of taking her own life but as a quadriplegic, she couldn't do anything without help. So she asked me to help her... and I did." Hitsugaya's eyes widened at her.
"Isn't that... murder or—"
"It's called assisted suicide and we take measures to ensure that it takes place. We went to court, she presented her case and it was allowed. The doctors had to administer euthanasia for her to pass on but she asked that I be the one to do it. It's legal in Colombia." She confirmed. "We always tell people who are suicidal that they are selfish for wanting to leave loved ones behind and they are weak... but that is the truth. They are selfish and weak because we humans are selfish and weak. No one wants to suffer so much to the point where they can't function anymore. And we people who are functioning on a normal level talk about how we feel when they leave... but the most selfish person in this scenario isn't the person who wants to go... it's the people who want them to stay behind just so that we can feel good while they suffer." She sighed. "If Karin wishes to get help, I'll stand behind her 100%. I love her. I have already lost my husband, my sister and one of my daughters. But I want her to be free... and only she can decide that."
"I... understand." He said. "I'll bring her justice. I promise." He put the book on the table. "Thank you for sharing this."
"Go well, Tōshirō-san. It was a pleasure meeting you despite the circumstances." She smiled and Tōshirō nodded before walking out of the clinic. He turned to it, looking at it sadly before bowing and being on his way.
"Okay... you guys can go home." Kei sighed as he hung up. Two hours of searching and they failed to find her. Yuzu shivered at the possibility of her disappearing again. In any normal circumstance, Yuzu could sense her reiatsu but today, she could barely feel it. She wondered if she was concealing it but realised that for the past week or so, she could faintly sense her around. And with the way her father, Sofia and Gina were concerned with the nosebleeds, the dizziness and falling, Yuzu couldn't help but think the worst.
"How did you lose her?" Sachiko asked.
"I chased her down then she jumped over a wall in an alleyway like... I don't know, a ninja or something and when I found my way around the next street, she was gone." Kei huffed before stopping. "How did she even do that?"
"You can ask her once we find her." Sachiko said. "Does anyone have any idea where she could be?"
"If we did, we wouldn't be out here." Kei argued
"I meant specifically, you dumbass." At this point, the two of them were arguing in Engrish and Yuzu couldn't follow because they were switching too quickly.
"Yuzu, do you have any idea?" Kei turned to look at her
"I wouldn't be surprised if she knew nothing." Sachiko scoffed and Yuzu was caught off guard by that.
"I'm pretty sure I know my own sister." She said but Sachiko gave her an up-down look of disbelief.
"Oh okay." She hummed dismissively.
"If you have something to say then say it." Yuzu said and Sachiko rolled her eyes, going back to ignoring her presence as usual. "You can't just ignore me." Yuzu scoffed. "We should go check the shed by the rapids. We should have looked there in the first—"
"Kyōko stopped there first before she came by." Sachiko pointed out, sounding bored. "And I don't think Karin would go to a place she has bad memories associated to when she's having a mental breakdown." She turned back to Kei. It was clear that the conversation between the two of them was officially over and she was back to ignoring her. "Kei, do you remember where Haru-baachan's house is?" Sachiko asked. "I remember Karin telling me that she had no family and that the place was left abandoned."
"Yeah but... why would she be there?" He asked
"Because Tōshirō's in town." Sachiko said and Yuzu looked at her, eyes wide in shock. "I can sense him... I don't know how but I can. Something weird is about to happen and it just isn't about Karin. Am I correct?" Kei was confused and lost as he looked between the two of them.
"Yes." Yuzu said.
"Lead the way." Sachiko said to Kei.
Karin felt heavy as she folded over and started to cough blood as she staggered down the street. She stopped running ages ago and walked like a zombie. Her body was too weak. It had been growing weaker and weaker but she had been paying no mind to it. She felt completely empty other than being weighed down by unwanted memories and traumatic flashbacks.
She eventually wound up at the only place she could think of as refuge... Haru baa-chan's place.
Karin should have been coming to clean it more often but she regret neglecting it. It used to have more spirits roaming around but now it was empty — a ghost town in comparison to having the actual ghosts there. She found the key under a vase near the door and slid the door open. It was dustier than she imagined. She stumbled through the halls but didn't make it far, sliding down the wall as her back burned.
Is this seriously how you intend to die? Karin was surprised by the appearance of that voice. It had been a week, she almost forgot he existed. Karin didn't answer him. Are you ignoring me you, you idiot!
... you're more scared than I am. Karin said as she felt the world around her turn gray and she found herself in her mind with her zanpakutō spirit. He was in still in his cage, staring at her. "Aren't you?"
"Foolish!" He spat. "Do you think —"
"When Mashiro binded me to the seal, you pled for mercy... then you fled and left me to feel the fire." Karin said and Angetsu glared at him. "Even when they kept me in captivity... you weren't always willing. Anytime I was tortured, you fled to the crevices of my mind to let me deal with the pain. I remember everything better now. You played along so you could survive, didn't you?" Angetsu refused to answer. "I'm assuming you don't die if I die. Why are you scared of death then?"
"Why aren't you?" He asked. "You're human."
"I have none left." She said. "Everything that made me human was stripped away from me. I'm better off dead."
"I refuse to let my vessel die."
"And why is that?" She asked. "You don't care about me."
"We depend on each other."
"And when have I ever depended on you?" Karin scoffed. "In fact, what have you helped me with?"
"I kept you alive."
"I'm better off dead." Karin said. "You kept yourself alive. You finally had control of my body. You didn't need me... you only needed the vessel. The only reason why you are actually remorseful is because you think I'm scared enough to let you out. I should have died at the factory. You're a coward and you have no backbone." There was silence. "So, will you finally admit to yourself that you are scared for whatever reason?"
Angetsu glared at her. "You know nothing."
"And I don't need to." She said. "I'm just a victim in this tragedy. You on the other hand?" She smirked. "Why is this vessel so important to you? Don't you go back into circulation? What's in the spirit realm that you don't want to meet?"
"It's better for both of us if we cooperate." He sighed in defeat. "You need to stay alive."
"Bitch, I'm suicidal." She snickered. "I have no desire to. Don't tempt me with a good time."
"And what about your family?"
"Who? Ichigo who likes to play hero and abandon his family... or Yuzu who thinks my suffering is a great platform to reaffirm her position as the superior twin?" Karin laughed loudly, it echoed through the darkness. It was bitter and cold. "They won't care. They already don't."
"Your father? Your grandma?"
"My grandma supports whatever I do." Karin shrugged. "And my father will survive. He loves me and he'll understand."
"And your aunt and cousins? Haruki and Mayaka look up to you."
"They will survive."
"Your friends? Sachiko? Kei?" Karin shook her head. "And the captain? Are you not concerned? He came into your home bleeding only hours earlier."
Karin shook her head. "His friend is a monster."
"He is not his friend and you know it." Angetsu said. "You know the truth now. You remember it all." Karin frowned. "If you die, you'll never see him again."
"Then he'll have to live with knowing that I couldn't carry on." Karin said. "I won't live to fulfil the selfish desires of others as if my pain is not real. I will not live to make my loved ones miserable either because of my pain. Accept that you've lost. You've already taken my will... you will not have my body. I would rather eat my own shit than have your spineless ass inhabit my body."
Back on the outside, Karin felt her eyes giving into the darkness, more at peace than she has been for a while.
"... and what about Kusaka?" Angetsu said and Karin raised an eyebrow at him. "The hatred? The burning anger? The urge to kill? You can't ignore that."
"And what does he have to do with anything?" She asked.
"He's still out there. And so is Aizen." He said and Karin felt a presence nearby. "Did you really think they would let you go? You're a greater asset than you realise, Kurosaki Karin." And just then, Karin felt her eyes slam open as the seal burned in her back and she quickly got to her feet as the glass windows broke around the house with blue electricity everywhere.
Karin shielded her eyes from the glass as she felt a person drop down from the ceiling with an electric whip but Karin moved quickly, intercepting the lightning and letting it envelope her arm before throwing the strike back to sender. The attacker was caught off guard and was hit, flying into the yard. She got up to her feet as Karin walked to the yard. The right arm of her hoodie was singed but there was no damage on her body. "If that's from Aizen, tell him to suck my dick." Karin hissed as she untied her hair from a bun.
"Master Kusaka demands your return." She said
"Oh?" Karin raised an eyebrow at her and she charged but Karin was quicker, jumping out of her body using the mod soul she hides in her hair bobbles before ducking the attack. She lifted slid across the ground and the girl flashstepped and reappeared from above with another lightning whip but Karin jumped up and weaved past the waves of electricity and was nearly hit by one but she intercepted it and threw it back.
The girl dodged. "Hadō 31: Red Flame Cannon!" Karin declared, firing a red ball of energy at her and she dodged again. Karin found and opening and rushed forward with hakudō kicking her across the face and to the earth.
She tried to stop herself from falling but Karin was only getting warmed up as an electric current sparked in the wind and enveloped her body. The reiatsu released was massive as the seal on her back glowed. The girl felt and covered her face as she was stared down. "Tell me where Kusaka is... then die." She issued her ultimatum before charging.
Hitsugaya trudged through the streets, wincing as he limped slightly. His leg was doing a lot better but it was healing too slowly for his liking. "And what do you gain from leaving?" Hitsugaya looked up to see Ichigo standing in front of him. "And sneaking around like that? What are you... a fugitive?"
Hitsugaya frowned. It had been years but Ichigo was still the most annoying person he knew. "I appreciate your worries but I will be fine." He sighed
"Why are you going off on your own?" Ichigo asked. "I can see this is eating you up. Does it have to do with Kusaka?" Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes at him. "Who is he?"
"How do you..." Hitsugaya hissed. "You overheard me talking to your grandmother, didn't you? So what, were you following me around this whole time?"
"Does it matter?" Ichigo tsked at him. "So... who is he? Is he the guy who attacked you and stole the ōin?"
"It's the name of a man who is dead." The young captain claimed before moving to walk past him.
"Dead? Who killed him?" Ichigo asked and turned around to grab him. "Hey! Tōshirō!"
Tōshirō grabbed his sword and unsheathed it, swinging it back in his direction. Ichigo jumped backwards before he could hurt him. "What the hell?"
"Don't interfere!" Tōshirō growled at him but his wound reopened and blood started to trickle down from it
"You just reopened your fucking wound and you want to leave now? What the fuck do you think you'll achieve?" Ichigo yelled before sighing and calming down. This is was a new one that Tōshirō had never seen before. "Here are your options." He straightened up. "Either I report your whereabouts to Renji who will pass it on to the omnitsukidō or we go back to the clinic. What will it be?"
Hitsugaya frowned at him, just about ready to tell him to leave him alone but they were caught off guard by a fireball in their direction that landed between the two of them.
Yuzu felt an odd burst of reiatsu as they walked by the river before stopping. "She's near..." Yuzu said to herself.
"Huh?" Kei asked. "What are you going on about, Haru baa— oi! Sachiko!" He reprimanded his little sister who took off running and Yuzu quickly caught on her tail. From the earlier conversation, Yuzu concluded that Sachiko must be spiritually aware which was no surprise how right now, she was running towards the same bursts of reiatsu that were exploding in that direction.
They were Karin's.
Who is she fighting? Yuzu wondered as she ran quickly trying to catch Sachiko's tail with Kei not too far behind.
"Karin!" Sachiko yelled as she rounded the corner quickly and through the nearby neighbourhood. "Karin!" She yelled before stopping short of seeing two figures floating in the sky with wide eyes. Yuzu stopped next to her, noting the fear she held.
"What are you guys looking at— Yuzu!" Yuzu moved forward, finding the yard she was in and holding onto the fence, jumping up and vaulting downwards on the other side. "Karin!" She called out to her sister who was fighting the girl with blue hair and an electric whip. They were at somewhat of a stalemate as Karin used shunkō to try and tear through her defences. "Karin!" She ignored her again
Her reiatsu is weak. Kyōgetsu noted. If she continues she'll do permanent damage to her vessel.
She won't listen to me. Yuzu thought painfully before finding her mod soul to jump out of her body. She flash stepped into the air and pushed the girl paces away by ramming into her. "Karin, are you oka—"
"Get. The fuck. Away from me!" Karin yelled at her. "What part of I want nothing to do with you don't you understand!"
"I'm trying to help you!" Yuzu said. "You're tiring yourself out!"
"Did I really need you to tell me that?" She laughed. "Just admit you were just aching to play the hero again, oh-so-perfect daughter."
Yuzu was about to reply but the girl with blue hair charged for both of them and they dodged. Yuzu performed hadō 23 without incantation and slivers of white light left her hand to try and slice through her in different directions. She dodged. "Stop interfering!" She threw her whip in Yuzu's direction and Karin intercepted it before throwing it back.
"Leave!" Karin yelled once more before trying to charge but Yuzu blocked her. "I will fight the both of you, don't mess with me!"
"Why are you doing this? Just talk to me!" Yuzu begged. "I'm trying to understand but —"
"Yuzu, I don't want you to understand shit! I just want to you to take a hint that I don't want you and I don't need you!" Karin growled. "I despise you! I hate you! I wish you weren't my sister and I wish I was never born."
"You don't mean that —" They both ducked and attack from her as she came back swinging. She aimed another attack at Karin that she intercepted but this time, she started to feel her throat fill up with blood. She was slow this time and the whip almost hit her midriff but Yuzu cut through the attack, taking some damage on her own.
"Out of the way," The girl demanded
"No." Yuzu said before unsheathing her daggers but Karin kicked one of them out of her hands.
"Leave!" She said before charging but she still felt blood come up her body. She was slowed down once more and the girl found an opening. Before she could hit Karin, Yuzu jumped in the way and took the blow but managed to cut through a sleeve on her right arm which fell off.
Karin felt her patience seeping away but paused when she noticed the red mark enveloping her arm. It was an old scalding. "Keiko-chan?" Karin asked out loud and the girl's eyes widened in shock. "Keiko-chan... What did they do to you?" The murderous intent slipped away as Karin tried to calmly approach but the girl pulled away before disappearing. "Keiko-chan!"
The sound of Yuzu wincing at the burn in her side was made known to her and Karin turned. "Now look what you've done!"
"That girl was attacking you —"
"That girl was twelve years old!" Karin yelled at her. "Do you see what happens when you assume shit?"
"She was attacking you!"
"She didn't know what she was doing!" Karin was fuming. "God, I hate it when you do this! Do you ever think? Do you ever take the time to actually use that brain of yours?"
"I was just trying to help! This whole time I have been trying to help!" Yuzu was now just as angry. "Not even a thank you for helping you!"
"Oh, I should be so thankful that you saved my miserable life. Thank you so much, Yuzu! Now I get to treasure my miserable existence thanks to you!" She said
"I'm trying! I'm trying to be here for you but you won't —"
"Here for who? Me? So that everyone can see how amazing and dependable you are!"
"You never even depended on me in the first place! Who are you trying to fool?!" Yuzu angrily yelled. "I do almost everything for this family only to be paid in dog shit! And you know what's worse than doing everything for years? For no one to think I'm capable of being anything else rather than a surrogate mother!"
"And who forced you?"
"I was six years old!"
"But you never accepted help from anyone else when we offered! The great Yuzu had everything under control!" Karin said. "Because you get a kick out of everyone seeing you as the best thing to ever happen!"
"Because if someone else does it, I have nothing left! This is all I have!" She yelled. "Do you know how hard it is to be nothing next to you being perfect and great at everything?"
"Excuse me?"
"Karin is great at everything! She's intelligent, excels in sports, excels in school, amazing artist, was the best player at the under 17 world cup, can speak four languages, better at fighting, the list goes on and on! She does not need anyone or anything. Everyone loves her! And then Yuzu... who fucking cooks and cleans!" Yuzu huffed.
"So does that mean that you should wish the worst to happen to me just so that you could have your levelling-up story arc? Are you that jealous?"
"If that will make you happy, yes! Hate me for it then! You hate me already taking what I said out of context!" Yuzu said. "I hate what happened to you! I don't know what you went through and I never will! But I am proud of myself for being able to do what I had to do... not because I got to prove something, but because I finally got to protect the person I look up to the most! I finally got to be of help by the person who needed me the least when I always depended on her.
"If that makes me selfish, fine! If you want to continue hating me, fine! I'm sorry I said what I said... but I meant it. For once, I wasn't the burden. It doesn't matter anyways. You obviously trusted Sachiko and Hitsugaya more than me so our relationship was pretty much in shambles for a long time now."
"So you're trying to spin this on me?"
"You're not innocent either." Yuzu scoffed. "I would tell you everything and bare my heart out to you but nope, I knew next to anything about you. You'd much rather tell Tōshirō or Sachiko or obaa-chan because you think so little of me."
"I think so little of you?"
"The amount of times you have called me fragile or small or something along those lines as if I was pathetic and inferior?"
"That's a lie and you know it!"
"Really? And why is that?" Yuzu asked. "You always used to say that. Anytime anything happened to you I was the last to know!"
"Because you had so much to deal with already!" Karin screamed at her. "Keep us fed, keep the house clean, wash the laundry, help dad around the clinic, mini nurse duties... then there's me, the one who was born sick and had seizures every day and could barely breathe coming down the stairs. If you focused on me, everything else had to suffer. I'm so sorry for thinking that I shouldn't burden you any further! The reason why I worked so hard was so that I could actually be something like you, the perfect daughter who could do everything right. The beautiful daughter who looks exactly like mom. The kind, sweet, generous daughter who wanted to help anyone and everyone. Imagine the sick sibling being another person on your to-do list. Imagine knowing that your sister was forced to age up earlier than she should have and you are one of the reasons why that happened! You were neglected because of me, the disabled child and I hate myself for it!"
The two stared at each other, realising they were no longer angry but upset and tired. "So... what do we do now?" Yuzu asked.
"... I don't know." Karin frowned.
"Uh guys..." The two sisters looked down to see Sachiko looking up at them with a panicked Kei nearby, worrying about the limp, lifeless bodies of the sisters. "Could the two of you get back in your bodies? Kei can only see a vague outline and thinks you're dead."