HEYZ EVERYONE. :D I had my first week of high school! It was really busy! And hectic! And the seniors clog the hallways!

Anyways, DISCLAIMER GOES HERE.

It was hot, but not unbearably hot. That much was certain. The heat was like that of a jungle. Karin looked around her in bewilderment- she had certainly never seen such huge and fragrant red flowers in her life. Sure, there were large red flowers in the tropics, but these were so gargantuan, she was sure that each petal had to be at least the size of her head. She brushed past the giant red flowers, basking in their delicious scent and searching for a way out. There did have to be some meaning for this place, right?

Finally, she had pushed her way out to come across a clearing. This place looked like a nesting ground, or something. It was round, and the grass in the center looked flat and as if it had been that way for a long time. She looked around and saw that there were small orange flowers sprinkled in throughout the grass, like how sometimes petals were pressed between sheets to make them smell nice. A brook laughed merrily out of sight.

"You have finally come," a majestic voice said from across the clearing. Karin jumped slightly at the sudden voice. A huge shape flew from above and landed neatly in the clearing in front of her. "I am pleased Karin. Do you know who I am?"

"My zanpakto of course," Karin answered promptly. "Toshiro told me that you would call me the first few times and when I learned your name I could call you myself."

The great dragon smiled at her. "You are right, of course. I am your zanpakto. Try as I might, I cannot make you learn my name, even if I try hundreds of times. It has been tried by many zanpakto for many centuries; I myself stopped trying two shinigami ago. My closest companion stopped three ago. We have discovered that being guides and advisors is what leads our shinigami into learning our names.

"If you are anything like dear little Toshiro, you will learn my name soon."

"Wait, how do you know Toshiro? Did he give you permission to call him that or something?" Karin had never met a zanpakto before, but she didn't think that they usually talked about other zanpakto's shinigami like that.

"My dearest friend in the world is Hyorinmaru. It is obvious, no?" She gestured to herself. "I'm a dragon, he's a dragon, it's really quite obvious we'd be friends." Great white teeth grinned at Karin.

Karin stared up at the dragon. "Hey, what I should call you until I learn your name?"

"You may call me 'dragon'. The shinigami before you tried calling me 'big monster' because apparently he had no idea what a dragon looked like." A puff of smoke flared from her nostrils. "I was displeased to say the least."

"Okay dragon, how old are you?"

"I am one thousand, seven hundred years old. Yes, I am not as old as Hyorinmaru, but that usually doesn't matter."

"Age doesn't matter about friendship?" Karin was thinking a little about her and Toshiro's friendship.

"It does sometimes make it more difficult to be friends with those significantly older or younger than you, but for the two of us, it's more like we're only three years apart. Now come and sit with me, I assure you that sitting next to me is better than standing."

Karin moved towards her, feeling the heat roll off the scales. It wasn't unpleasant heat, it felt like the kind of drowsy heat that made sleep easier. "Dragon, is Toshiro all right? Do you know?"

"He is fine, don't worry. I am not surprised that he managed to pick me up."

"He what?" Karin cried. "Toshiro picked up my zanpakto?"

"He did. Usually another zanpakto is so heavy that you cannot lift it. Really, it is a matter of trust."

"So usually you aren't trusting of other shinigami?"

"Usually, yes. I trust young Toshiro. Most of the time, however, it is wise to just not let anyone else use me. That's what all of the zanpakto think."

"You specifically, or just in general?"

"In general. We don't always trust those that you do."

"I see. Toshiro must be very special if you trust him."

"Enough about him, what about you? Are you sure you want to let him go? He'll be miserable for a very long time."

"What do you mean dragon?"

"I mean, you shouldn't let what could be your relationship go. Just because he's a shinigami means nothing. After all, look at your brother and Rukia. They're great friends, aren't they?"

"Friends yeah. But their situation isn't the same as ours."

"True, true. But as far as I know, the law says that humans and shinigami can't even be friends. Then again, the last time I came in contact with the Soul Society was some time before you were born."

"Why?"

"I attached myself to you when you were born, and before that my shinigami had died. It was maybe, oh, I guess ten years before you were born."

"Why at my birth?"

"I saw much potential being your zanpakto," the great red dragon said vaguely.

Karin figured she wouldn't get much more out of her companion about it, so she didn't say anything else. The place had a certain beauty to it- its silence. Wind rustled through the trees and flowers. Water skipped and tripped merrily. There were no insects here, no animals either. Just her and the great dragon.

"Is it always this peaceful?" Karin asked, looking up at the dragon's face.

"No. When you are in physical pain, it looks like a drought. In the times that you are in emotional turmoil, the wind howls, the water floods, the flowers rot."

"But, I am in physical pain!" Karin cried, shocked.

"I am keeping this place healthy for you, so you can know what it's like on a regular basis." A flick of her tail revealed the drought-like plain. The flowers were shriveled, the water was almost noiseless, the trees were bare, and the grass was brown and parched. Right before Karin's eyes, a slow rejuvenation was occurring.

"What's going on? Everything is starting to look better."

"Toshiro brought you to Urahara to be healed. No doubt Tessai is healing you."

"How do you know that?" Karin looked up at the dragon, surprised.

"I can observe things even when you are not able. After all, I am a sentient being." Her tail curled around Karin like a blanket. "But don't think too hard. Rest. You'll feel a lot better when you wake up."

Karin felt drowsy once the tail had covered her. The scales on the dragon made an interesting pillow. Soon she was fast asleep.

Her zanpakto sighed and held her closer. "Please hurry up and learn my name. I want to see my mate again."

BAHAHAHAHAHA. I lurv cliffhanger-like endings. 8D

A cookie goes to anyone who can guess who Honaga's mate is. 8D