Here you go, just cuz the last chapter was pretty damn boring. I expect awesome reviews, so read and be pleased! (hopefully.) :3

Chapter 4

The pain had faded when consciousness found Karin, but as she opened her eyes she had to rethink the idea that she was awake since she was very clearly still dreaming. There was no place as nice, as beautiful as the one she currently found herself in. As she settled the fact that she was indeed dreaming, she blinked slowly and focused on the world before her.

Directly in front of her was a vast cloud of mist that should've fooled her eyes and as she looked down to herself she realized she was standing on nothing, the fact that she was wearing Shinigami robes rang a bell within her mind, but she ignored the warning as she lifted her gaze and concentrated in the worlds that were divided by the mist.

To her right was a world of flames, an inferno of gold, yellow, orange and red that seemed to dance with themselves. Falling from the sky, like ash after a firestorm, were black feathers that colored the floor onyx. The heat that emitted from her right should've burned her, but the heat only caressed her softly and brought her comfort.

But from her left a cool chill emanated that soothed her soul. Glancing towards the left side after finishing her inspection of the right, her eyes found a paradise beneath the sea. The floor consisted of sand as it normally would, but sea shells littered the ground as well. Some of them were colored in pinks and red, but most of them were a white color that bordered on silver.

A school of fish swam across the expanse of empty water their shining blue color lighting up as they passed through a small ray of light that gave the underwater world a warmth that could not be felt, but what called her attention the most were the silver currents of water that danced within the dark blue liquid.

Before she was finished examining the blue world, a presence called her attention. She waited for a couple of seconds, but by then the feeling was gone. Feeling uneasy, she attempted to decide which world to enter, but try as she might she could not decide where to go to first.

In her moment of hesitance the cloud directly in front of her parted to reveal a white version of herself. The only thing that was not white in her body were her eyes. The black sclera circled around a right silver eye and a right golden eye. Both females stared at each other for a few seconds before the moment was broken as the Hollow lunged at her.

With a clumsy step, she evaded the punch that had been directed to her midsection. Fear that she had not expected to feel made her freeze in a vital second during which she should've moved away from the being. That instant of inaction cost her as a foot slammed into her side.

She gasped in pain as she felt a rib crack, blood colored her lips red as Karin attempted to regain her breath. Unprepared for the continued assault the girl was pushed back, her arms taking most of the damage as she desperately tried to protect her body.

After a few more seconds of abuse the Hollow laughed. "You are pathetic, you know that? You're just a pathetic little girl."

Changing her stance, her eyes hardened at the words. The attack, no longer moving the raven haired copy back, stopped as the Hollow jumped a distance away from her.

"I thought you were supposed to come out later on." Karin accused with narrowed eyes that had darkened in anger.

The Hollow crackled in an insane manner before pointing a finger towards her. "I was, but you didn't try to suppress my creation even when you knew I was going to appear. You see, when you are unconscious about the hollow that will appear within you, you Zanpakutou would've fought me inside your mind until you made your way in here and decided to battle me yourself." She said with a smirk, her double voice sending shivers down Karin's back.

"Oh?" Karin replied in an impassive voice. "So what drives you to fight me? What is the instinct you represent?" She asked of her no permanent companion.

The Hollow broke into laughter, loud and overconfident. "There is only one instinct we inner hollows represent and that is survival." She exclaimed, the smirk never leaving her lips. "And what do I want? Simple, YOUR BODY!" Yelled the Hollow as the smirk disappeared.

A few seconds passed after the exclamation before the Hollow lunged towards the Shinigami once more. This time Karin was prepared, with a side step that threw the Hollow of balance Karin yelled. "Stop it!"

Surprisingly, the fist that had been about to slam into her face stopped in midair. "How about I make you a deal?" She asked in a deadly serious tone. "I have no wish to fight a part of myself." Karin added as her dark grey eyes watched the surprised expression that flashed through the hollows pale face.

The fist retracted as the copy stood from her crouched position and stared impassively into the eyes of the human with her arms crossed. "I'm listening." She said skeptically, her bi-colored eyes narrowed. Her whole composure screamed tenseness and her expectance of an attack.

Karin, seeing this, made her body relax before she started. "How about we share my body?" She said hoping with all of her might that she wasn't making a mistake. At seeing the disbelieving expression on the hollow, she decided to elaborate. "During the important battles, that is. I see no sense for us to share in daily life."

The silence that accompanied those words was thick and filled with emotions. "I'm not talking about you taking control or anything, but sharing I am not foolish enough to disregard the fact that you are a strength to me for reasons that are obvious. You are the embodiment of my instincts and they are a valuable asset during a battle." Karin elaborated, feeling nervous about not having a response.

"So what you are saying is that you need me?" The hollow gloated with a smirk.

Karin flushed angrily at the blunt statement. "Just as much as you need me." She replied petulantly.

"If I agree, does that mean that I never get to kick your ass in here?" said the Hollow, completely ignoring the frustration that she had caused the human.

Karin couldn't help but to snort in amusement at the pout that covered the Hollows lips. "Of course not, we will still fight, just not to the death."

The Hollow smirked before uncrossing her arm. "Then that sounds awesome to me." She said cockily. "But don't forget, I am still a Hollow. As soon as you fall, know for a fact that I will be there to grind your skull to dust before taking control over this meat bag." She added with a dark humor that didn't make Karin laugh.

"I know." Karin stated, knowing for a fact that her words were true. "It's a deal then?" She asked, receiving a nod in answer. "Good. What is your name by the way?" She asked in curiosity. "I can't continue calling you Hollow, can I?" She added as she saw the surprised look over the pasty pale face.

The Hollow blinked once before crackling madly. "I have no name, but she does." She said before pointing towards the water world.

Karin's eyes followed the path her finger was making and suppressed a gasp at what her eyes saw. She couldn't help but to stare at the beautiful woman who was swimming within the silver currents, her blue skin shimmered as she passed under the shafts of light and her green hair fanned out like a halo as small seashells tinkled from between small braids.

The silver pupils that shined from the chiseled face were narrowed in her direction and the beauty of the woman was not diminished by the fact that she had no legs, instead she had a fishtail that was covered in green and blue scales.

Karin tore her eyes away from the beauty and turned towards her Hollow. "She's a siren!" Exclaimed the shell shocked human.

"Really? I hadn't noticed." Drawled the Hollow dryly, her use of sarcasm earning her a glare from the colored copy. "Now hurry up before there is no deal to keep and you turn into a Hollow." She said before turning her back on her and weaving her way into the mist.

"Right." She said dreamily as she watched her go before the words penetrated the haze that was inside her mind. "Right!" She yelped as the place she had realized was her inner world started to crumble. Without a second to think about what she was doing, Karin dove into the sphere of water.

As she entered the ocean, her soul sang in approval and the coolness soothed her fear of a mistake. Her trance was broken by a melodious voice. "To speak and deal with the Hollow before your own Zanpakutou, how shameful. I will never hear the end of it from him." Sang the siren, her voice mellow yet a hidden threat secreted beneath the pleasantness.

The words made her blush in embarrassment. "Sorry." Muttered the intimidated human. "I need to know what I need to do to become a Shinigami." She added with a clearing of the throat, ditching the intimidation she had felt.

The silver orbs narrowed in further disdain. "Why should I when you would obviously prefer to become a hollow." She said in a resented tone, her long fingers playing with one of the long strands of hair. Her tail was moving her from current to current gently and with practiced ease.

The world gave a violent lurch which caused all emotion to vacate her face. "Because if I do, you will disappear seeing as you're are my Zanpakutou spirit." She deadpanned.

That statement made the siren stop, as mall pout rounding her lips. "No matter, I am not one to keep grudges." She answered loftily to her words. I represent you stealth, your grace and your will to adapt, now hear my name child and do not make me repeat myself."

A satisfied smile stretched languidly across her mouth at hearing the word. "Now search for that which calls to you, that which sings to your soul. If you are too deaf to hear it, then you don't deserve it." The siren sang before swimming away into the dark recesses of the ocean.

Karin scoffed in annoyance as her face lowered into a frown. That was utterly useless, but still her eyes scanned the world of blue. The dark grey orbs lowered towards the bottom of the sea, the sand immobile and the seashells still as pink as before.

The world gave another shake, but this time it didn't stop. In a desperate motion she turned in a whole circle, looking for something that could give her a clue when her eyes landed on the small reef of corals. They were colored in a thousand different shades, but the only one who caught her eye was a thin one that was almost hidden between the whites and pinks.

The vivid red color called to her, and with great effort she swam as fast as she could towards the coral. The world around her had already started to fade, but just as she thought she wouldn't make it her hand circled the coral.

Yet, as her hand closed over the material, it wasn't a coral anymore. With that last realization, darkness encompassed her view.

When Karin opened her eyes, the sight that greeted her was that of the tip of a Zanpakutou. The inch that was between her face and the Zanpakutou was filled with a hard, polished surface that the voice of her Hollow clarified was their Hollow mask.

Her peripheral view of the room informed her she was back in the underground training basement that belonged to the blonde that had his sword pointed at her. Said man broke the frozen silence with a sharp whistle as he lowered his blade.

"Talk about perfect timing." He said with a relieved smile. Her eyes narrowed at him as her mask shattered, the particles that conformed it being absorbed back into her body. Her dark grey eyes drifted towards her left hand without a word.

In her hand, the same hand which had clutched the red coral was a small blade that had a blue hilt and was crisscrossed by a green sash that stretched past the end of the hilt, leaving two ribbons billowing in the nonexistent breeze. The sheath was a beautiful chrome color that adapted to the colors that circled it.

The fact that the sword was in her left hand troubled her, she was not left handed, and as her foggy mind connected the facts, she realized that another sword was missing. The right handed world that had been locked to her came to mind and with a small effort Karin called the attention of her Zanpakutou.

"Why can't I call upon the fire world?" She asked with a hitch in her voice.

Karin could feel sadness and loneliness emit from the blade in her hand. "Because he cannot come to you, he is trapped." She sang mournfully before Karin felt her energy sap.

The raven haired girl felt the world tilt on its axis before the ground rushed up to meet her.

Currently, the Zanpakutou that had been materialized was being inspected by Urahara. Twisting it within his grasp as his sharp eyes inspected every crook and cranny, he ignored the cold anger that resonated from the blade at the treatment. In the same room, Karin twitched at the anger that rampaged through her mind.

Yoruichi could feel the disguised killing intent emitted by the blade from across the room next to the resting place of her owner. The shortness of the blade had taken both by surprise, they who had been expecting a giant Zanpakutou similar to Ichigo's, even if all the signs pointed the other way.

"It's right up your alley." Urahara muttered what both were thinking. "It's perfect for the second squad."

"It will be fun to train her, the last time I trained someone with her skills was Soi Fon and that didn't go overly well." Whispered the Shihonin.

His lover smiled at her. "Yeah, hopefully this one won't hate me as much." He mumbled, but her sharp cat ears caught his words. She laughed softly, in hopes of not waking the resting Karin. Her peaceful face looking angelic in the lone beam of moonlight that entered the room.

"Do you think she will be angry when she finds out?" She asked vaguely as both watched her. "She seems like the type to hate secrets." She added when she sensed that he wasn't going to answer and get himself in trouble by confessing to something else.

"About Isshin being a Shinigami or about the fact that we are trapped in a time-kido barrier?" He asked with a bit of melancholy in his words.

Yoruichi shrugged. "Either, both."

"I think she will be beyond angry at the first. She might not show it, but it pains her to have left her family. She thinks they think that she's gone forever and once she knows that Isshin kept quiet about the possibility of seeing their mother again she will stop at nothing to make him feel pain." He answered with a frown on his face.

"That's pretty deep." The she-cat said as she watched her husband's eyes fill with worry that he hid well. "Since when do you understand her so well?" She inquired with a small frown marring her own features.

"It's written all over her face as she sleeps." He replied as his grey orbs softened over her prone form. "So much hurt in such a small body, it seems impossible for her not to break at the seams, but somehow she prevails." He continued his tirade.

"No, she doesn't." Yoruichi interrupted heatedly. "She excels."

Urahara stared at her impassively for a few seconds before breaking the odd mood that had settled over them with a soft chuckle.

"Indeed, she does." He muttered softly before standing up to attend to their guests.

Another chapter! Yay me for updating every two day... yeah. Thanks for the reviews and hopefully this chapter met you expectations :). The fun stuff starts now, muahahaha. If you need me to clarify anything just write a review and I'll answer at the top of the next chapter!