She wasn't really sure how, or why, and really, she completely lacked the capability to care. Karin Kurosaki, the girl whose passing into death had shaken many people to their core, sat on the plain wooden roof of a shack that overlooked the general squalor and mayhem of the 71st district of Rukongai. While not as bad as the higher numbered districts, there was a general lawlessness and mayhem within the district, and it wasn't uncommon to see murder taking place in broad daylight. People where so used to the violence that they just ignored that it was even happening. When she had first arrived, she had had no memories of her previous life. Rumor was that souls like hers were the total anti-thesis to those that could become hollow, as to some, their total amnesia signified their complete ability to move on after their death, regardless of its nature.

Karin gave an irritated snort. 'Hollow anti-thesis my ass', the raven haired girl thought bitterly. The pain of wondering just who you had been, why you knew all these random things about the world around you, but not the first thing of yourself, was horribly confusing and not just a little depressing. She had been fairly certain that she had been very athletic, as her body possessed a fitness that only those who exercised regularly did.

But last week had been when it had all changed. She had woken, sweating heavily, and almost crying from the pain of a monstrous deluge of memories sought out their former places. Her dream had been so strange. She was floating, completely weightless, above twin teal colored lakes that had been bordered on their northern en by jagged, snowy peaks. She vividly remembered that in front of her had been this wondrous light, pulsing gently. Every pulse had sent a new wave of cold though her, but rather than shivering, she had felt so totally warm.

She stood up, stretching her frame. In the five years since she had gotten here, her body had matured, much to her continued annoyance. Seriously, why the hell did she need breasts? Granted, hers certainly weren't the largest around, being around a mid-B cup, but they were simply in the way, and made running seriously uncomfortable unless they were tightly bound. Every day Karin thanked whatever gods there where that she had leaned the old fashioned ways of breast binding before her death, thinking it would be 'cooler' as well as save her some money in the long run. She had never had much use for vanity, and regular breast-bindings had just seemed practical to her. She had also experienced a bit of a growth spurt, as she now stood at a not unimpressive 5'5.

A shadow of a smile ghosted across her lips as she tucked her now waist-length hair behind her ear. She could just imagine how she would tower over the diminutive Rukia. Shaking her head, she jumped off the shack and began to walk with a purposeful stride toward the Seireitei. She knew she was far away, and that it would take a great deal of time to get there, but she had an image to comfort her. If she succeeded, she would get to see some of Ichigo's friends who had turned out to be Shinigami. Letting her thoughts drift over them, she paused on Toushiro. She couldn't help but wonder what would have happened to her crush on him if she had lived, but shook her head and walked on. Her trek was going to need her full attention, at least until she could manage to get to the 28th District. Rumor had it that the 28th was where things started to actually get really peaceful.

One week prior…

Toushiro Hitsugaya, the Captain of Squad Ten of the Gotei Thirteen was in his quarters, looking at nothing in particular. Hell, to be fair, he wasn't even really thinking. He had this nagging urge that today was one to be sad, but he had only had a few hours of sleep, and was having a great deal of trouble remembering. Getting out of his bed, which was little more than a thick matt thrown onto a slightly elevated wooden platform; he began to go about his morning ablutions in a mechanical, practiced manner. He would have to begin work soon, and with any luck, Matsumoto would not be nursing a hangover when he got there. 'Really,' he thought exasperatedly, 'just how much can one person drink, and why does she have to get well and truly blitzed every night?' Exiting his quarters, he walked to his office, only to see Matsumoto diligently working, much to his surprise. Matsumoto looked up in surprise, obviously shocked at her presence. "Captain! I didn't expect to see you here today!" she exclaimed, quite obviously flustered.

Toushiro quirked and eyebrow, his most common expression, next to a slight frown. "Why wouldn't you be expecting to see me?" he asked, crossing his arms over his white haori, while in his head he was trying to get over the fact that Matsumoto was actually working.

Rangiku's face softened somewhat. "Captain, don't you realize what day it is?" she asked, worried once more for her captain. While he was undoubtedly stronger and smarter than her, that didn't mean he couldn't use some help every now and then.

It struck Hitsugaya that he didn't know the date, and he immediately knew why. He had been trying to forget, just like he had every year. "Karin…" he whispered to himself. That girl had been one of his only close friends, and when she died, it had greatly hurt him. Somebody like him, who normally held themselves aloof, found the few friends they had infinitely precious. He had gone to pay his respects at her funeral, and had visited her grave every year since then. "I had forgotten." he said, "If you'll excuse me, Matsumoto." he said as he left the room, leaving his worried Lieutenant to stare after him.

Having made an arrangement with Captain Kuchiki immediately after Karin's death years earlier, one that allowed him free use of the powerful nobles private Senkaimone Gate, he left Soul Society quickly, and exited in a graveyard, right where he had intended to be. He looked at the tombstone in front of him, its gray tones and hard planes like and unlike her at the same time. As he stood there, his thoughts wandering over the many letters the two had exchanged, the few enough times that his duties had allowed the two of them to speak face to face, and the event that had truly kick started their friendship. He had never understood why she had kissed him, nor, he believed, had he really tried. He hadn't understood his own emotions at the time. He still couldn't. Had what the two of them had been just friendship? Or would it have become something else if only given the proper time for it to grow? He stayed, pondering over these thoughts, until he heard the Kurosaki family coming, and then made his exit after leaving his customary memento on the tombstone; something that he felt did justice to her memory: an ice flower that defied the elements, for it would not melt for a year.

Moments later

Ichigo and Rukia reached the tombstone first, and looked mournfully around. Seeing the rose, they looked at one another. "Toushiro's been here" said Ichigo, looking at the beautiful and defiant flower.

Rukia shrugged, having sensed his riatsu the moment she entered the graveyard. "It does make sense. Captain Hitsugaya values his friends highly, and Karin was nearly as close to him as Momo, without the annoying sisterly acts that Lieutenant Hinamori is want to do. Really Ichigo, you should be glad that Karin had such a dedicated friend." Rukia spoke, lightly admonishing her long-time friend, receiving a grunt from Ichigo, who had knelt on the ground to run his fingers over Karin's name. Standing up, he looked at Rukia, thoughts wandering over the last five years. Here he was, twenty years old, having never had a girlfriend, and he knew why.

As Rukia had counseled him through the pain of losing Karin, he had come to the slow realization that he had somehow managed to fall in love with her, without ever meaning to. The diminutive Shinigami had mange to so thoroughly steal his heart that he couldn't even bring himself to look at another woman. He felt like such a coward, as he had been completely unable to tell her. To be truthful, it was because he was afraid, afraid that she would totally reject him, and then leave. He didn't want to be the cause of something like that, and truly wasn't sure he would survive such an event. Just the thought of such an event made his heart ache. Still, he could hear Karin's voice in his head, telling him that life was too short to be wasting time like he was.

'I guess she would be the one to know' he thought to himself. Looking at Yuzu and his old man, holding onto each other for emotional support as always, the two of them wearing their emotions on their sleeves, in sharp contrast to the reserved Ichigo and Rukia. Fishing in the backpack the two of them had, he pulled out Kon, pulling the pill out of the stuffed animal's mouth before it could protest. That was another thing that had changed. About three and a half years ago, he had started to use Kon more often, if only to let the little gikongan run around in a real body for a while. Ever since, Kon had started acting shiftier than normal around him, but he really didn't care. Hearing an electrical arcing sound, signifying that Rukia two had exited her gigai, he turned to look at her, meeting her questioning gaze. Mustering his courage, he grabbed her arm and dragged her out of Kon's sight. The mod soul waited until they were out of sight before pulling out Ichigo's phone and dialing a certain number. Holding it to his ear, he smiled to himself at the greeting on the other end. "Yeah, it's Kon. How are you doing today lover?" he asked, a loving sheen coming into his eyes.

Ichigo didn't let up on his grip until he had reached a nearby clearing, turning around; he shushed the sputtering Rukia with his hand. Looking into her violet eyes, amazing and beautiful as always, he hoped he wasn't about to ruin a relationship with the one person he cared about above all others. "Rukia, there's something really personal that I want to get off my chest, and I don't want the other two to hear. I'd like you to hear me out, okay?" On hearing those words out of the normally emotionally brick-walled Ichigo, Rukia's eyes softening, she nodded, and he lowered his hand. Stepping back a little bit, Ichigo realized he didn't know what to say. He frowned as he tried to think of what to say. How was he supposed to know that confessing your love for someone was this hard? "Look… Rukia, I've been trying to get the courage to tell you this for while, and I wanted to tell you oh, um, oh damnit" he cursed as he stammered.

"Ichigo, if you're going to say something, then just say it." said Rukia, beginning to lose patience with him. He had dragged her out here, and he was stuttering like a buffoon, wasting her time in the process.

"Rukia, I think I'm in love with you!" he blurted, and then blushed furiously. Hearing those words, Rukia's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Ichigo" Rukia said as she moved closer to him, her violet eyes still wide open. As soon as she was close enough to touch him, her right fist swung out suddenly, hitting him in his stomach and bending him in half, Ichigo giving a startled grunt of pain as he did so. With an exclamation of "Baka," she clubbed him on the head with her fist, knocking him to the ground, his arms wrapped around his now aching head. "You couldn't pick a better time to tell me? You had to tell me that here, and on this day?" she shouted before bursting into tears. Ichigo forced himself to stand up despite the ache in his belly. Reaching out, he pulled the smaller woman's body close to his. Struggling momentarily, Rukia soon let him wrap her in a hug as she buried her face against his shikakusho, tears quickly soaking into the black fabric.

"I know this was a bad time to tell you, but it was like I could hear Karin saying that I shouldn't wait a moment longer. I just had to try. So, um, do you love me back?" Ichigo asked as he held her to him, feeling her giggle slightly at his poorly timed question.

"Ichigo, I don't think I could love anyone else." said Rukia. The new couple hugged each other tightly, not daring to let go in case this was all a dream, afraid that if they let go they would wake up. When they left an hour later with Yuzu and Isshin, they were holding hands, quietly sharing their affection and love for one another. Meanwhile, on Karin's tombstone, Toushiro's icy rose flashed a blinding blue.

Meanwhile

Rolling over on her bed, Tatsuki Arisawa, the second strongest woman in Japan, looked at her phone before giving a deep sigh. While she had been more than a little freaked out by Kon's revelation of just what he was, she had given the mod soul what he needed, which was just someone to talk to, someone more receptive then Ichigo was. Somewhere along the way, She had started to like the somewhat exuberant guy, though it had creeped her out when she saw him smile using Ichigo's face. The two had grown together with a quit romance. She had shared a lot of firsts with him. Her first kiss, her first real date, her first time having sex, everything, something she was sure she would never regret. Still, despite the warmth their relationship gave her, it also saddened her, as they would never be able to be fully together without Ichigo's help, and either wanted to tell him exactly what Kon had been doing with his body. Giving a half sorrowful, half content sigh, Tatsuki closed her eyes for a nap.

Seireitei, the day after the anniversary of Karin's death.

Toshiro walked through the halls of squad one towards the Captains Hall. Not knowing why he had been called to see the Captain-Commander, he was somewhat apprehensive as he entered that revered and ancient man's presence. "Captain Hitsugaya" said the old man in greeting. "I have decided that for the next year or so, you, alongside Captain Unohana, will be teaching those students at the academy who are a cut above the rest, much like you were. By doing so, I am hoping to foster a new generation of Shinigami who will be able to stand up against the scattered remnants of Aizan's arrancar army. Know that this is an order, not a request. You are hereby dismissed, and are to report to the academy tomorrow morning." said the old man. Hitsugaya nodded and left, keeping his thoughts on the matter private. You simply did not question the Captain-Commander. Well, not unless you were named Ichigo Kurosaki. He went to his quarters within his division, falling into bed fully dressed, where he dreamt of a young girl playing soccer, a young girl whose fierce nature had held him totally in awe of her. Her death had left him greatly pained. A single tear escaped his eye and rolled down his cheek before freezing as he remembered that one, truly unique person.

A month and a half after departure from the 71st district

'Finally', thought Karin as she finished filling out her registration papers. While walking toward the Seireitei, she had decided to enroll in the Spiritual Arts Academy, as that would make it easier for her to see Ichigo and the others later on. She had just barely made it in time for the new semester, which was starting the day after tomorrow. She looked up at the imposing building and sighed. What had she just gotten herself into?