Chapter One

Broken Connection of the Humming Birds

"They always say tomorrow is another day, but when will I forget the memories of yesterday?"

Her legs ached, throbbing in time with the pounding heartbeat in her ears, shaky hands on her knees. She pulled her hair from her onyx eyes that darted around the living room of her house as she looked up.

The old man's voice ringed in her ears continuously, but it was no memory; not replay of the words he spoke. They were new, spitting insults he hadn't said and putting her and her 'evil' ways at fault. It sounded as if it was echoing down the hallway, through the walls and rooms of her house from an undetectable place. She couldn't tell if it was in her head or not.

Karin tried to block out his screeches by putting her hands to her ears and scrunching her eyes shut. It was no use. She hummed herself a tune she made up, anything but that sound, and if she focused enough it was all she could hear.

She sat on the living room couch while his voice faded, getting farther and farther. Karin took her hands from her ears that were now red from how much pressure she put on them and looked at the living room. A whisper came to her head ever so soft but clear in the silence, laced with sweet tone that she grew with by her side.

Karin stood up from the couch and bolted up the stairs taking two at a time, making sure everything passing, the kitchen, the living room, the hall way laced with pictures of their family was a blur. Everything had Yuzu's imprint on it. Her voice, her warmth, her scent. All over the house.

She called for her father but her voice was lost somewhere in her smoke filled throat. Finally she reached her room to an empty bed staring at her in the face. She kept her back to it, the man's words getting to her. It wasn't her fault. It... it couldn't have been.

Metal sliding against metal as the door handle turned. She whirled around to look at the opening door. She found her voice and screamed before all went black.

Whats your name?

With an annoyed flick complete with a scowl, Kurosaki Karin unemotionally sent a small bug on her leg flying. Her scowl got deeper while her dark blue eyes turned to a steal gray glaring harshly at the paper on her lap. Correction- a blank piece of paper, that was supposed to be a history report due tomorrow. Procrastination was a wonder.

My name is Kur- Karin. Just Karin.

The slow steady bass and swaying rhythm guitar playing from the electric blue headphones plugged into her ears did nothing to sooth her nerves. Letting out an aggravated grunt, she gave up all strength in her neck and let her head swing back to land on the tree her back rested on.

Are you okay?

A small moment passed with a loud silence while she let her green led pencil roll from her hand and onto the grassy ground beneath her.

What is it to you?

"Ow," she said in a bored monotone after another few moments later. "Don't you have two pages and a half of history report to write?" a low distracted voice said, more as a statement than a question overlapping a small electronic beeping.

Would you like to come with me?

She pivoted her head to her right only to catch a startling white head of hair resting on the same tree she did. Karin tried to glare at Toushiro, but his turquoise eyes were hidden behind his half closed eyes lids focused on the screen of his soul phone below.

Why should I? You barley know my name.

Her glare ignored, nonetheless noticed, she let herself slip slowly off the trunk until her head landed on his left leg that was stretched out, his other leg brought up to his chest comfortably. His eyes switched from the screen to the face below him, white brow raised and the beeping replaced by wind ruffling the tree's leaves above them.

That means nothing to me. You just look like a dog that's been kicked one to many times... what?

She smirked at him weakly before letting her eyes close completely feeling warmth from the small rays of sunshine that made it's way through the tree on her face. He watched as her breathing evened and her face smooth out. She had bags under her eyes, from the lack of sleep she had been telling him about earlier. With that in mind, he allowed her to rest on his leg rather than shake her off.

Nothing, you just remind me of someone. Oh and thanks, but no thanks.

"Quit staring," she muttered calmly, eyes still closed. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes and settled for a grunt before looking back at his phone. She listened intently as the beeping resumed at a good beat. She took the headphone buds from her ears after turning off the song.

...you don't have to be there, sitting on the side of the road. Or even be Karin, you know.

He felt her relax and ignored her presence for a while, choosing to focus on his report due within the next hour. Toushiro looked back at her again while she stirred turning to her side to face him, her book and paper falling from her lap. Although he looked mostly because she nuzzled her cheek to his leg a bit above his knee. It wasn't uncomfortable.

What do you mean? Are you senile?

A small sound echoed in his ears, surrounding him, until it flowed into to his mind itself. Bells tolled softly, resembling to those in large churches bouncing off walls and in endless corridors that seemed to purify the air. But it was only in the background, subdued, while another light hum over took it.

No but if you would like... you could let your burdens go. Just pick a new name.

He knew the sound all too well. But from where? Toushiro then realizes his eyes are closed. The bright screen of his soul phone is the first thing to reflect in his eyes. His thumb is poised just above a number to continue.

Why should I trust you? Take your word?

The low hum was still there, but the bells stopped. His eyes followed his ears to the hum just below him, where his free hand rested and his fingers tangled.

Turquoise gem met blue steel.

Who else can you trust?

He found himself staring at Karin's sleepy smile, her head laying on his stretched out leg, just above his knee. His fingers where strangely entangled with the tips of her raven hair, one of many spread around his leg brushing against the grass.

...w-wait.

The hum- her hum stopped.

"Why'd you stop?" her calm voice made way to his ear, sleepiness hanging from her every word while she stared up at him. He had no answer but just stared at her.

Pick a name.

Her smile stretched and grew to a sleepy chuckle at his 'expressionless expression', he's always hated that contradiction, while letting her eyes fall closed once again. His face stayed unemotional as he watched her hand find the necklace that hung around her neck, only to fiddle with it with the tips of her fingers. He couldn't see it with her hand in the way, but he didn't give it much thought. He probably should have.

...Raven. I want to be Raven.

The hum continued on, coming from her. The bells picked up again, a second melody joined hers harmonizing together with the bells and Karin's low hum. He found his own head craning to meet the bark of the tree and eyes slowly close, as he let the familiar tune play.

Then lets go home then Raven.

Five minutes or five hours. It was all just a blur, himself lost in the song in his head while his phone lay forgotten beside him. Call him insane, call him crazy. It was smooth and flowed to more than his mind but his soul. Great. He didn't need clichés about now.

Wait! ...whats the catch?

The hum stopped again, but this time is didn't fade, but halted suddenly. And it's then he realizes the second melody was coming from his own throat, but the bells were still a mystery that chimed in his head. Strange.

The catch?

His eyes slowly opened as a comfortable weight was gone from his leg. The back of Karin's head was visible as she was looking opposite direction from him while she was propped up on her elbows. The warmth of her hair was gone from his hand, in the cold.

There's always a catch.

"What is it, Kurosaki?" he asked, his voice slightly laced with sleepiness hinted with annoyance from the pause of the song but she didn't answer with anything other than her hair waving as she shook her head. She sat up urgently and the sleep was gone from his eyes tension growing in the air. Toushiro's vision went to the scene before him and where she seemed to be staring at.

I guess your right. The catch is simple.

But he saw nothing wrong. They were at a smaller soccer field nearby the park. The tree itself they sat under was one of many that separated the park and the field. He observed her hands fist the grass under her, and feel the air grow... fearful?

Spit it out.

"Kari-" he stopped his calling when she scrambled to stand up not bothering to dust the grass from her black shorts. He followed suit and was standing beside her before she even took a step. Karin was shaking and in that one step she froze while her hand reached out to nothing.

I heard you hum. Just now.

She whirled around to him, eyes wide and frantic. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped. No one ask him how he knows but...the reflection in her eyes were not the steel color he knew when she was angry, nor the twinkling blue when she smiled but were the most onyx black he's seen. Although that wasn't what stopped his voice.

And, what of it?

It was the reflection in them. It was pure fire dancing in her view, engulfing the park, the tree, and even him. He witnessed himself go into flames all in her eyes.

That's all, I would just like you to sing for me. Not on a stage or anything of the sort, but as you do small chores in the house. I'll feed you, home you, and send you to school if you'd like, my humming bird.

"G-gomen..." she said shakily. He stood there, the wind blowing softly in his ears gently not matching the growing tension. Toushiro watched her run from him.

You are senile... but I'll go. Besides... I don't have anywhere else.

And he stood there and watched. The perfect scene around him dissolving, like a beautiful oil painting being run down by water, the lines blurring, colors slurring, all to a black where he floated until all he saw was her form running from him.

Whats your name?

The final run of paint slid from his sight, while Karin disappeared in the distance. Everything went white. Because all he could do was stand there.

My name is Raven. Just Raven.

And watch.

In the tenth division's captain barracks, heated eyes fade to a chilling turquoise as a dream is washed from his memory.

First of all thanks to those of you who alerted and reviewed!

I hope the chapter wasn't confusing, and if it was please tell me so I can fix it/make sure it's explained really well as the story goes on! I don't have a beta still, so I'm apologizing for the grammar/spelling mistakes I made here now. ^-^'

Hope you liked it and... review? :D

-NanaGoesBlehh!