oxo…oxo

The afternoon lessons were harder than the morning ones but I still, heaven forbid, enjoyed learning. Yuki had started off by bullying me slightly but when I told her I had been able to see at least three steps of Ichigo's flash step and even one of Yoruichi's at times she started to warm up to me. The lessons with her, after going through the basic theory of flash stepping, were more physical. We started off by flash stepping round the room and while I got it in the end I was frustrated with the lack of speed I had managed to create. Akane, however, thought different.

"To be even able to get one step first time is an achievement; many people can't get even that." She told me proudly as we walked through the streets that led back to her house. This was to be the last night I spent with her, I knew that much and Akane knew it too but I had promised to come and see her often; as often as possible.

That night passed quickly, us not really doing much due to a lack of things to do. The next morning I arrived back at the school with the only possession I had, my school uniform. Yuki had given it to me yesterday but had told me not to put it on until I was here in case I got it dirty. I didn't see the problem but followed her instructions, pulling on the uniform when I arrived at my new room. It was a double room, containing two large single beds and two chests of draws. There was a walk in closet to hang cloths and two small bed side tables; one next to each bed.

I was the only one in here at the moment and I could see no sign of anyone else so I set my old kimono on the bed nearest the window before walking back down to where I hopped the office was. The girl at the desk was the same one who had been there the day I arrived and she smiled at me as she saw me.

"Karin right?" she asked me as I walked up. I nodded slightly before watching her rummage through the papers again and bring out my timetable and a map of the school. "The route highlighted is the one to get you to your classroom and your room. The dining hall is here and the first year common room is over here. Got it?" she explained, running her finger along the map; pointing out the places she had told me. I nodded slightly as I studied the map and timetable before looking up at her.

"What about my days with Izuru?" I asked her, not bothering with his full title. "Where do I go for them?" she studied me intently before straightening stiffly.

"You will meet lieutenant Izuru here." she told me, her voice turned suddenly cold before she sat down again and turned from me, dismissing me rudely. I frowned and walked out. Leave her to her childish behaviour; I never liked her anyway. Jealous pansy.

As I made my way back to the classroom I had been in the day before, I wondered about my family. What were they doing? How had they taken my death? Would I ever be able to see them again; speak to them again? I only got lost twice before I managed to arrive at the room; a feat I was faintly proud of. Yuki, however, was looking rather annoyed at my apparent lateness.

"You're late lil' missy!" she scolded me, leaning up against one of the benches with a furrowed brow and crossed arms. I smiled apologetically before sliding into the desk and looking up at her attentively. She sighed before straightening, allowing her body to support its own weight as she walked over towards me. The lessons with her that day were like the ones he day before and by the end of it I was happy to say I was faster than I was before. The next lesson was with Yoshiro and it was another theory, this time on Zampacto.

"Your Zampacto is part of your soul and will show itself to you when it feels you're ready." He explained informatively. I looked at him in interest as he continued his lecture.

"How did you get yours?" I asked him, cutting across whatever else it was he was about to say. He lifted an eyebrow before pulling out his Zampacto and holding it in front of his face. His eyes seemed slightly glazed before he blinked, his eyes refocusing on me.

"She visited me when I was unconscious." He told me bluntly before sheathing his sword and continuing with his lecture like nothing had happened.

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When I arrived back at my room I was tired, very tired. The only thing I felt like doing was sleeping. Unfortunately that wasn't immediately possible due to the girl that was sat in the other bed when I walked in. she looked up at me with sky blue eyes, running a brush through her long golden hair as she smiled nervously at me. It was the girl I had seen in the hall before we had found out if we were through.

I was glad to see she had made it through too. She had seemed a nice girl and I was happy to be able to become her roommate. She set her hairbrush down on the side table before getting up to greet me with a shy smile on her face.

"Hello. I'm Fujitoka Yume." She introduced herself, holding her hand out in front of her for me to shake. I grinned.

"Kurosaki Karin." I countered, grasping the hand offered and shaking it vigorously. Her smile widened slightly at my attitude to her. I assumed she was the type of girl who liked everyone but didn't like not being liked. That was fine with me.

Karin

I blinked. What the hell? Who was that? I looked at Yume but she didn't say anything. It had sounded like it had come from my head but that wasn't possible, was it? "Your Zampacto is part of your soul and will show itself to you when it feels your ready." Yoshino had said. Part of my soul…did that mean they spoke to me in my head? Was it my Zampacto talking to me? A surge of excitement ran through me at the thought but I suppressed it. No, I wasn't sure so there was no point getting worked up. If it showed itself when the user was ready then I would find out when I was ready, wouldn't I?

Sighing slightly, I walked past Yume and flopped onto my bed, causing her to giggle slightly. I smiled at her before curling up into a ball on the stupidly comfortable bed and was asleep before I knew it.

The next day I was to be with Kira and I was looking forward to it. I was proud to admit that I only got lost once on my way to the office from the dining hall and I arrived only one minute late. Kira studied my smug smile as I walked over to him with raised eyebrows.

"What's got you so pleased?" he asked me curiously. I told him and he chuckled slightly before leading me out and flash stepping to the third squad barracks. When we arrived I had to stop with my hands on my knees, gulping down air like camel downing water. "Did I go to fast for you?" Kira asked in concern and I looked up at him with a small smile.

"It's ok." I assured him. "I need to get faster so it's good practice." I explained. He didn't look convinced but he nodded anyway before gesturing for me to follow him and walking into one of the offices. The office was large with two paper covered desks and a sofa in the middle. It was also quite open with a window at the side that let light flood it.

He set me to work on the masses of paperwork that flooded one of the desks and it led me to wonder where exactly the captain was. If Kira was only the vice captain, why was he doing all the paperwork? It didn't make sense to me but I said nothing about it, filling out the papers as instructed. It was a boring task and not half as fun as the other lessons but I didn't complain; it was necessary to see my brother again.

The second half of the day was spent with the sixth years, learning more in the art of the sword. Most of it I knew which gave the lesson a very repetitive feel to it. The students all looked down on me too, or they did at least, until we started sparring and I beat them all. Suckers. Swordplay was something I was good at, thanks to Urahara and his shop training me until I was dead on my feet tired.

I went straight to sleep that night though this time my sleep wasn't quite so peaceful.

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Well, I hope you like this story as I do. I'm going to time skip allot of her school stuff and put her straight into the squads… so she can meet Shiro-chan again!

Please review!