(A/N: My friend, Xeonico asked me what the meaning is behind the title of the story. The reason I cal this fic For Want of a Brother is because Ichigo sort of acts like an older brother to all those around him that have been affected by his absence in the Karin-verse. It's a symbolic title as well as a literal title in Fandom!Karin's case considering she became a Shinigami because Ichigo didn't exist in her world. Speaking of her, I know most of you probably want me to continue along with Ichigo's experience, but I am transferring back over to the Ichi-verse with Fandom and Regular Karin for this chapter. Please enjoy. NOTE: When Karin is in control of her and Fandom!Karin's body she can't hear Fandom!Karin's thoughts, but Fandom!Karin can hear hers and vice versa.)

Disclaimer: Kubo own Bleach

Karin's pov

I was walking along carrying my soccer ball on the way to the field. It's been weird having another me inside my head, but I've gotten used to it. I've started calling her Shinigami-chan so that I can stop feeling the awkwardness of the fact that both of us are the same person. As I was walking along I started worrying about Ichigo. That weird portal sucked him in, I don't even know if he's all right.

Relax, Shinigami-chan said to me in my head, Ichigo will be fine.

How can you be certain? I thought back.

Just…trust me on this, she told me.

I shrugged and kept walking.

Fandom!Karin's pov

I didn't want to make my other self worry. To her I'm Shinigami-chan to me she's Kurosaki-chan, it makes things easier for us to communicate between each other. Rukia's still getting used to it. I don't want Kurosaki-chan to have to worry about Ichigo. If she knew that he was in my world she'd freak out. Suddenly she got so frustrated she kicked the soccer ball in her bag and it went flying out.

Smooth move, I teased.

Shut up, she called as she ran after it. The ball was about to roll into the street when someone put their foot on it. I recognized the person, it was Hitsugaya-taicho. So he had come here to the real world in this world just as he had done so in my world.

"Is this yours?" he asked Kurosaki-chan.

"Er, yes?" she responded.

"You should be more careful with it." He said tossing it to her. Her gaze lingered on him for a bit. He used Shunpo and disappeared, but Kurosaki-chan hadn't seen his movements.

Who was that? Kurosaki-chan thought to herself. I told her nothing.

At the park Karin and her friends were sort of bullied off the field leading into a challenge between Karin and the Middle School kids. Seems like we still had similarities, we were both headstrong. Even if I was the one playing in her place, our odds of winning didn't improve much.

Hey Shinigami-chan,

I'm not helping you cheat if that's what you're thinking. I said. I knew she was going to suggest that we separate before the match and I would invisibly help the others win, but I wasn't going to bend the rules, besides what if Hitsugaya-taicho or one of the other Shinigami walked by they'd see two of us.

Darn,

"Hey why don't we get your brother to play for us?" one of her friends suggested. Kurosaki-chan and I already both knew that Ichigo was unavailable so she made up some excuse as to why he couldn't play, everyone sighed.

"Don't worry," Kurosaki-chan said, "I'll find someone else who's really good,"

"Someone else there is no one else." One of her friends groaned.

Not true, I said aloud even though only Kurosaki-chan could hear me.

What do you mean? She asked me as she walked with her head held high while everyone else trudged behind her.

Remember that kid you met today, find him. I told her

Huh, why? She wanted to know.

Just trust me, I said.

Eventually, as I thought so, we ran across Hitsugaya-taicho again just as I had hoped.

Let me do the talking, I told Kurosaki-chan.

If you insist, she blinked giving me control. I ran over to Hitsugaya-taicho.

"Hi it's me again, you picked up my ball remember?" I asked as an icebreaker.

"Yeah," he said looking in my direction.

"Thanks a lot," I told him.

"No big deal really," he responded beeping into his Soul Pager

Ask him what school he goes to, Kurosaki-chan suggested. I ignored her. If there's one thing I knew Hitsugaya-taicho hated it was being made fun of his height and appearance.

"Hey I was wondering do you have any prior experience in soccer." I asked.

"A little bit why?" he said continuing to fiddle with the pager.

"You see my friends and I have a big game this Saturday, we're being challenged by a bunch of middle school kids. If we don't win they said that they'd make us eat grass off the field."

"That's a tough situation," he said.

"Yeah I know," I said with a sweat drop. Everyone in Kurosaki-chan's group gasped and grabbed her, I gave her back control.

"Why are you talking to that strange guy Karin?" her friend asked her.

He's not a strange guy, I raged.

"Yeah look at him he bleaches his hair,"

It's naturally white!

How do you know that?

Take a wild guess

Oh

"You can't put a kid like that on our team, who knows what kind of trouble he's into." Her friend continued. Their accusations about Hitsugaya-taicho were really irritating.

"Yeah he looks just like one of those juvenile delinquent kids." Another friend commented. I was beginning to steam from this. Then her other friend, the one with the afro, made the mistake of making fun of Hitsugaya-taicho's height.

"What did you say? Like you're one to talk!" he snapped.

I took back control, "He didn't mean it!" I defended getting crazy for almost no reason. Hitsugaya-taicho looked at me weird. Then he shut his Soul Pager and walked away.

Oh no you are not getting away that easy, I thought to myself. I threw the ball we had up in the air and kicked it towards him. As expected Hitsugaya-taicho reacted, but unexpectedly in the form of what I like to call a sphere shot. The ball went slamming into the face of one of her friends.

Impressive, Kurosaki-chan said.

Isn't it? I asked. Her friends seemed to think so and started showering Hitsugaya-taicho with compliments and we managed they managed to learn his name to. After which they began sucking up to him. No one likes a kiss up I thought, especially him.

You know him that well? Kurosaki-chan asked.

Yep, I said.

How?

Wouldn't you like to know? I teased.

Hitsugaya-taicho then attempted to turn down the offer of playing with us, I was about to step in, when his Soul Pager went off. I could sense the hollow, it was only the run of the mill type, maybe he would let someone else go after it. No luck, Hitsugaya-taicho ran off. Kurosaki-chan's friend told him where she and her friends practiced and begged him to come. I knew he wouldn't show up. Hitsugaya-taicho was a busy guy after all.

As Kurosaki-chan and I walked back home, with her back in control I had something to ask her.

Hey can I separate myself from you for a little bit?

In order to help recruit Toshiro, no way in hell, And how do you know he can see spirits. Damn that was a close one.

I sighed, Ah right I forgot about that part.

Don't worry will find a way.

We'd better, but if we lose you're the one eating the grass not me.

I knew you'd say that

Hitsugaya-taicho didn't show up at practice. After a while there was only one place I knew he could be. I took control.

"Hey where are you going Karin?" her friend called after me.

"I'm going to go look for Toshiro," I said.

You're thinking the same thing I am aren't you?

Yeah, he'll probably be in the same spot as yesterday. Sure enough there he was. Let me do the talking.

"Hey Toshiro," I said, Wow this is awkward calling him by his first name?

What do you normally call him?

Not your business

"You again huh?" he said as I took a minute to catch my breath.

"Yeah, hey are you sure you don't want to help us? I mean even though you look like someone who's got a lot on his plate I'm sure you have time to help with one messily little soccer game." I asked.

Hitsugaya-taicho looked at me with interest, most likely wondering why I didn't ask him why he didn't show.

Yeah why didn't you?

He never said he was, I told Kurosaki-chan.

"How could you tell I have a lot on my plate? Most people just assume I'm elementary school kid." I pointed to the phone.

"That looks expensive," I said, "I don't think your average elementary student would carry a phone like that. Also there's just something about you that says 'I'm not a student'." I told him. He cracked a soft smile. It's working, I cheered in my head.

How did you?

Shush,

"You know, I've never really met someone like you." He said, "You're the first person not to judge me about my appearance straight off."

"Really?" I asked even though I knew that I did the same in my world.

"Yeah," he smiled, "You know maybe I was a little too harsh at first I…" the beeping of his Soul Pager cut him off, I could sense the spiritual pressure. He started to motion in that direction. Kurosaki-chan's willpower suddenly shot above mind and she made a grab for Hitsugaya-taicho. Because she had to spend a scant moment getting control, had she be the one in control she would've grabbed his wrist, but instead she had grabbed his hand. She blushed, I probably would be too, but for a completely different reason. I tried to take back control, but her willpower was still too high up.

"No wait don't go over there," she said, "How should I put this, I'm sensing something in that direction." Shame that she didn't know that he could sense spirits, let alone that he was a Shinigami like myself, but I couldn't let her know that, not now anyway. Hitsugaya-taicho took his Soul Pager back out the signal disappeared. I took back control. He was looking at me with concern, my face was still red, damn it.

"Hey are you going to show up tomorrow?" I asked.

"Maybe," he said and then walked away.

I could hear Kurosaki-chan snickering.

What? I asked.

You like Toshiro don't you?

And if I did? I twitched

Is he your boyfriend back in your world?

Er…no. Truth be told I wished he was at times I sort of looked up to him, but I couldn't let Kurosaki-chan know that.

You think he'll show up tomorrow.

Well he said he might that's a 50/50 chance,

Can I have back control again? Kurosaki-chan whined.

Yeah sure let's go home

Karin's pov

Toshiro didn't show up at practice that day, he didn't show up for the first part of the game either. And I thought Shinigami-chan had done such a good job at persuading him too. He did get there eventually, but we were already down by four. He helped us out and even had me score the winning goal.

After the game this giant creature attacked and Toshiro was somehow able to see it. He told me to run, but I couldn't just let my friends get hurt. I ran over to the ball and kicked it no effect.

Idiot, it's the second highest class of hollow, give me control!

Wait don't…too late. Shinigami-chan had already taken control, grabbed the badge and plunged it into her chest, separating us.

Hitsugaya's pov

I watched as the girl who I had been helping somehow separated from her body and became a Shinigami. I was in awe.

How is this possible, if she's a Shinigami she should've at least known I'm one since I'm a captain, unless…

Suddenly the girl shouted adding much more shock to my psyche, "Bankai!" I could hardly believe my eyes she had the exact same Bankai as Ichigo, what in the world was going on. The girl let out a furious battle cry and sliced the hollow's hand causing it to reel. In an instant she had Shunpoed towards the head and shouted "Getsuga Tensho!" I would've been a fool not to recognize Ichigo's own technique. The girl destroyed the hollow and came back down to what I thought was her Gigai until the soul possessing it kicked her in the face.

"What the hell were you thinking?" the non Shinigami girl shouted, "Urahara said no to use your power in the presence of other Shinigami." She said pointing at me.

"You both have some explaining to do." I said holding up Hyorinmaru, and swung it.

"Hey take it easy Hitsugaya-taicho," the Shinigami one stated, "just calm down."

I see, now I get it, they're the same person. They've been switching identities this entire time around me, this one seems to know me, I looked at the Shinigami, the other does not. But why does the Shinigami have Ichigo Kurosaki's Zanpakuto? I'll bet Kisuke Urahara knows something.

"Hitsugaya-taicho, I'll explain," the girl wielding Ichigo's powers said, "Just give us a few minutes and put away your sword." She said reverting back to her sealed form.

"Very well, but know that my response depends on your answer." The girl, rather both of them turned out to be Karin Kurosaki, Ichigo's younger sister, however the Shinigami version was from an alternate reality one where Ichigo didn't exist and had somehow wound up here and through an unfortunate fate had now swapped positions with Ichigo. When Matsumoto showed up shortly as the explanation began I had to explain the situation to her. The Shinigami Karin's account was very peculiar, but the other Karin seemed to be well informed of the situation so there was no reason to accuse her Shinigami alternate of malicious and suspicious behavior. Add that to the fact that this Karin also had Ichigo's powers it meant that in her reality that she had taken Ichigo's place in everything that happened in Soul Society. This being the case, so long as Soul Society didn't find out about this "switch" there was no problem. And even though I'm a captain, I saw no reason to raise the alarm either.

"Please don't tell Soul Society," the other Karin asked after Matsumoto and I had gotten back in our Gigais and Shinigami Karin and Human Karin were sharing a body. There was an easy difference to tell which one was in control. Throughout our minute conversations I had noticed the eye color of their body changing from dark gray to dark blue and vice versa. I knew that the Karin that was a Shinigami was the one with the Dark blue eyes.

"Don't worry," I said, "Your story holds water and you're on our side there's no reason to sound the alarm."

"Thanks Hitsugaya-taicho," she smiled.

"Don't worry about it. By the way you did a good job covering yourself up." She looked confused. "This looks expensive," I smirked, quoting her as I held up the Soul Pager.

She laughed, "Yeah, well I had to do something, I mean, I've been around the other you as long as Ichigo has here so I kind of know some of your quirks and pet peeves and I know the last thing you want to be reminded of is your size and young appearance."

"I appreciate it." I said, "Matsumoto, let's go."

"Hai, taicho," she bowed following me.

3rd Person pov

You like him

No I don't

You like him

No I don't

You like him

No. I. don't!

You like him

SHUT UP!

This had been going on for a while with Karin bugging Fandom!Karin about the fact that she pretty much considered it a fact that she liked Toshiro Hitsugaya.

You can't hide it from me, Karin was saying he looks our age, it's only natural you'd like him, besides he's a pretty cool guy, Toshiro.

It's Hitsugaya-taicho to you. Both of us aren't nearly familiar enough with him to call him by his first name like that, he HATES it.

You know if you don't like him why do you know so much about him? Karin challenged.

Just shut up and keep walking, Fandom!Karin said dully.

(A/N: Well what do you think of this chapter. If you're confused as to who's speaking and when between Karin and Fandom!Karin, the answer is that whomever is talking in bold when they're talking to each other is the one that isn't in control of the body at that point in time. And yes while she denies it Fandom!Karin has a crush on Hitsugaya, both of them actually. Will we ever meet the other Hitsugaya, only time will tell.)