A/N: Chapter four is now here and don't worry, this story will pick up in the next chapter hopefully. This chapter is a bit long but I couldn't think of any way to make this shorter. This is probably my longest chapter I have ever written at all. Hope it's okay anyway. BTW, Karin's name is pronounced Kah-rreen, with the rolling tongue for R. At least that's how it is in the Japanese version. Not sure about English but I'm going based on that. Although if you want to pronounce it care-rin, that's fine by me.
Chapter Four: Karin Learns the Truth
Ichigo stomped through the gate leading him back into the living world, down the street, and into his silent, empty house, dragging his new trunk behind him and grumbling about pushy midgets, bossy pint-sized captains, and a ruined summer.
(FLASHBACK)
"Before you go," Toshiro said as they headed to the door. Everyone watched as he left the room through a side door and returned with a train of long rectangular boxes tailing behind him. Each one was a different color with a black trim, but was nearly identical otherwise. "These are the trunks, or suitcases, that we will be taking with us. Each one is specifically designed, by Captain Kurotsuchi, of course, to open only for its owner. It opens with a combination of your spiritual energy and a password, which will be the name of your zanpaktou. For example," Toshiro stood next to the blue and black trunk and placed his hand on a flat piece of black metal on one of its long sides, where a lock would have been, maneuvering the angle of his body so that everyone could see what he was doing. "Hyorinmaru." He said clearly, and the entire trunk was outlined in an ice blue, tracing the black, before a soft click was heard and the lid of the trunk popped open an inch.
"That is how it will work." Toshiro said, looking up at them again. "You will place your hand on the piece of metal I just touched and concentrate on the thought of unlocking the trunk. Then say, clearly, the name of your zanpaktou, and it will glow, based on the color of your trunk, before opening. Closing it is easy and anyone can do it but only the owner can open their trunk. It will have your name in both English and Japanese, along with a picture, as a sort of symbol, etched into the name plate. Except yours, Renji; yours will have two pictures since your zanpaktou has two forms: the baboon and the snake."
"Cool." Renji said with a grin.
Toshiro unhooked the cords holding the trunks together and patted the blue one, which was still open. "Obviously, this one is mine. The pink one is yours, Rengiku and the red one is Renji's. The white one is Rukia's and the silver is Ichigo's." He nudged each one as he called them out. "Now, I need you all to come over here and open your trunk. They will not become yours until you use your spiritual pressure to open them. As soon as you do, you are the only one who will ever be able to open it; it will shock anyone else who tries."
Quickly, everyone stood in front of their designated trunk and placed their hand over the metal piece that would normally have a lock, and spoke their zanpaktou's name clearly, as Toshiro had instructed. Rengiku's trunk outlined in pink, while Renji's went red, Rukia's went white, and Ichigo's went a mixture of silver and black, before they heard several soft clicks as their trunks unlocked. "Good." Toshiro said, nodding in approval. "Now go pack."
"Is there anything in particular we will need?" Rukia asked.
"Just something to wear for tomorrow; we will go into the shops in London and buy clothes that will help us blend in over there. Maybe a weeks worth of clothes, since we won't be staying in the muggle world for long. Then it won't matter what we wear because Hogwarts has uniforms. You might also need the basic necessities required for taking care of your gigais." Toshiro shrugged. "That's pretty much it. Food, bedding and money will be provided once we get there. Oh, and one more thing."
Toshiro walked to his desk and pulled out a stack of papers made from the same thick material as their letters, and handed one to each of them. "These are permission slips all third years, which is what we will be, are to have their parent or guardian sign in order to attend the occasional trips into the all-wizarding settlement, Hogsmeade. We will be attending these visits to keep an eye on the students. Only upperclassmen will be allowed to go, so occasionally one of us will need to stay at the school to protect the first and second years. Put them in your trunks for now so you don't lose them. Head-Captain Yamamoto already signed them, so if you lose yours, you're out of luck."
(END OF FLASHBACK)
Ichigo continued to grumble as he kicked his bedroom door open and tossed his new trunk onto his bed. Then he walked to his closet and pulled out all of his jeans and shirts and placed all but one of each into his trunk, keeping the last ones out to wear tomorrow. Then he went to his dresser and dumped all of his boxers and socks in the trunk as well, too irritated to even attempt to be neat.
As he was putting his toiletries into the trunk, he heard the front door open and then close and footsteps thundering up the stairs. A few seconds later, his father burst through the door, aiming a kick at Ichigo's head. Annoyed, Ichigo spun around, dodged the kick, and kicked his father across the room, where he hit the wall and slid down to the ground with a thud.
"That's right!" Isshin said as he scrambled to his feet. "Never let your guard down, not even in your own home!" Then he spotted the trunk and blinked. "Going somewhere?"
"Yeah, I am." Ichigo said quietly.
Seeing the serious expression on his son's face, Isshin mellowed out and sat on the edge of the bed. "How long?" After Ichigo had returned from the Soul Society after Rukia's rescue, he had told his father everything after his father had recognized his deputy soul reaper badge. In return, his father had revealed that he knew all about soul reapers and their duties. Now he knew that when his son got this serious, it usually had something to do with Soul Society.
"A year." Ichigo replied as he closed his trunk.
Isshin looked at him in surprise. "That long?" he asked. "What's this mission about?"
Ichigo sat on the bed next to his father, with the trunk sitting between them. Quietly, he told his father the basics of the mission, ending with, "We'll be there for the whole school year, learning magic and just keeping an eye on Harry and the rest of the students until this Dementor business is over with. I'm not too worried about Black and Voldemort because they're human, but soul-eating, hollow-looking creatures are something completely different."
Isshin nodded. "I agree. I don't know what these people are thinking, trying to 'control' creatures like that. That headmaster has a right to be concerned for the safety of his students with those things stationed around his school." He paused before asking, "And what if this isn't resolved in a year? Then what?"
Ichigo shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to stay longer or something, I don't know for sure. But the best thing to do would be to not let that happen."
"When will you be leaving?" he asked.
"Tomorrow morning." Ichigo said.
"So soon?" Isshin asked in surprise.
Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, they want us to get a head start with protecting Potter because of Black. Although, I'm not sure what to say to the girls."
Before Isshin could respond, there was a click downstairs, followed by the slam of a door and a voice calling, "I'm home!" Isshin looked to Ichigo as they both stood up. "Hide the trunk."
Quickly, Ichigo grabbed the trunk and tossed it into his closet and shut the door as his little sister, Yuzu, came in. "There you are." She said. "What's going on?"
"Just having a man to man talk with Ichigo." Isshin said, grinning stupidly. "We'll talk later Ichigo. Maybe during dinner." He gave Ichigo a meaningful look before ushering Yuzu out of the room and shutting the door.
Ichigo sighed and laid down on his bed, arms crossed behind his head, as a yellowish orange stuffed lion jumped out from under his bed and up onto his bedside table. "A year-long mission?" he exclaimed.
"Yeah." Ichigo said solemnly. "And you're coming too, Kon."
Kon stared at him, wide-eyed, before breaking into an excited grin. "I am? Really? I'm going with you to England? To learn wizard magic? Sweet!"
"Don't forget we're on a mission, Kon." Ichigo said.
"Yeah, yeah." Kon said absent-mindedly. "Now what should I bring to Britain? Gotta impress the British girls. British girls!"
Ichigo sighed, tuning out Kon's rants, and processing everything he had been told. A whole year? He thought as he stared up at his ceiling. I can handle the summer, but a year? In a foreign country, no less. Everyone seems so excited; Rukia was practically vibrating when we left Toshiro's place. Renji too. And why shouldn't they be? We're going to a different country for a whole year, learning magic and stuff. So why not I? I just can't be excited about this. I wonder why. Ichigo sighed and rolled over onto his side, facing the wall, as sleep started to creep behind his eyes. Man, what a headache.
Ichigo woke with a start as something gently shook his shoulder. He rolled onto his back, bleary eyed, to see Karin, Yuzu's twin, starring down at him with her charcoal grey eyes. "Karin?" he asked groggily. He looked up out his window at the darkening sky. "What time is it?"
"It's almost six thirty." She answered. "Yuzu has been calling you for dinner for the past ten minutes."
Ichigo sat up and scratched his head. "Oh, sorry. I didn't expect to sleep this long. I guess I was more tired than I thought. I'll be down in a minute."
"Okay." Karin turned and headed to the door. When she reached the doorway, she stopped and turned to him. "Where are you going?"
Ichigo paused as he started to stand and looked up at her, startled. "Huh? What do you mean?"
Karin pointed to the closed closet door. "Before I woke you, I heard a thump in your closet and when I opened it, I saw your suitcase. So, where are you going?"
Ichigo frowned at the ground. "I'll tell you guys at dinner."
Karin stared at him for a moment before nodding and heading out the door. Ichigo sat on his bed for another few minutes before standing up and heading downstairs.
"There you are, Ichigo." Yuzu said as Ichigo descended the stairs and took his seat at the table. "I was wondering what was taking you so long. If you're tired, I can always warm it up for you later. Or you can eat it tomorrow."
Ichigo shook his head, smiling kindly at his sister. "It's okay, Yuzu. I slept long enough already."
Yuzu shook her blonde head and smiled. "If you say so." She hopped off the stool in front of the stove and took her seat.
The family sat in an unusual silence for a few moments, Yuzu looking worriedly around the table, Karin eating silently as she stared at Ichigo through the black curtain of her hair, and Ichigo scowling into his food as he tried to think of how to start the conversation that he knew would upset his eleven year old sisters. Finally, Isshin cleared his throat and glanced around the table, eyes falling on Ichigo.
"Girls, Ichigo has something to tell us." He started. The three of them looked up at him, the girls curious about their dad's serious demeanor. "Before anyone says anything, let's give him a chance to speak, huh?"
Ichigo scowled deeper at his food, still unsure how to start. He set his rice bowl back on the table and looked up at Yuzu and Karin before speaking. "I'm going away for a while." He started softly. Yuzu started to speak but Isshin held up a hand. Ichigo continued. "I'm participating in a study abroad trip with a few of my classmates. Only a few of us out of the whole school were chosen to go; I'm one of them."
"Where?" Yuzu asked, clearly upset. "For how long? When are you leaving?"
Ichigo scowled back down at his rice. "It's in England. We leave tomorrow morning." He hesitated before adding. "And it's for a year."
"A year?" Yuzu shrieked. "Why a year? And why a different country? I don't understand. What could you need to study for that would make you leave the country that you can't study for here at home?"
"Yuzu, we should be happy for him." Isshin said soothingly. "After all, he was chosen out of his entire class. That's pretty special, right? And maybe he'll bring you something back from England. Wouldn't that be great?"
Yuzu frowned. "Not if that means he has to leave the country for a whole year. What if something happens? What if he gets hurt and ends up in the hospital? We'll never know. What if…"
"Don't worry." Ichigo said, looking up and grinning at her. "I'll be careful. You know me; I'm the toughest in my whole school. I'm even labeled as the toughest in town. It's going to take a lot to keep me down."
Yuzu sighed, still frowning. Then she sat up straight and pointed a small finger at him. "You better write every day. Every day that you don't write, I stop doing chores and I stop cooking when you get back. Is that clear?"
Ichigo chuckled at her attempt to threaten him. "Crystal clear, Your Highness." He said, mock saluting her.
She grinned back and resumed eating. "I'll help you pack after dinner."
"I already finished packing." Ichigo said.
Yuzu looked at him knowingly. "Did you pack properly? I doubt it. It'll check your suitcase after dinner and make sure you packed right."
Ichigo rolled his eyes and continued eating. He had to make sure his suitcase was open before she got to it, so it wouldn't shock her if she tried to open it herself. As he ate, he started to feel like there was something missing. It was as if something he was expecting to happen didn't. He thought about it for a moment and then he realized what it was and looked up at Karin. She hadn't said a word about his announcement, nor had she participated in the conversation at all.
He looked across the table to see her staring at him with suspiciously narrowed eyes, which she averted when he looked at her. She continued to eat in silence, not returning her gaze to him. Ichigo frowned in confusion. Why was she acting like that? Was she more upset about his leaving than he had expected? Why did she look like she didn't believe him? Did she? Ichigo's frown deepened as he continued to come up with more questions than answers.
Finally, dinner ended and he headed upstairs to his room to pull his trunk out of his closet. He set it on the bed and quickly opened it for Yuzu, who he knew would stay true to her word about checking it. With nothing to do until she came up after doing the dishes, Ichigo began pulling his clothes back out and placed them on his bed next to the trunk. He knew that the more she was able to do to help him pack, the better she would feel about his leaving.
As he waited for Yuzu, he began cursing the Soul Society again for sending him on this mission in the first place. He knew his sisters wouldn't like him leaving for so long but still. He didn't really want to leave them for so long either. What if a hollow attacked them while he was gone? And what about Karin? She's becoming more and more perceptive every day.
As if to prove it, there was a knock on his door and Karin came in. "Ichigo, can I talk to you?" she asked hesitantly.
"About what?" he asked cautiously.
Karin shut the door and sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his open trunk. She quietly ran a finger along the black metal. "This is nice." She murmured. She glanced at the pile of clothes on the bed next to the trunk and smiled slightly. "Giving Yuzu something to do?"
"Yeah." He replied, sitting in his desk chair and watching her wearily. What was wrong with her? She looks lost, like she doesn't know what to do. Is she really more upset than he thought?
They sat in silence for another moment, Ichigo watching Karin run her fingers over the smooth metal outlining his trunk. Finally she spoke, her gaze still on the trunk. "Where are you going?" she asked it.
"Huh?" Ichigo asked. "What do you mean? I told you I was going-"
"No." Karin interrupted, shaking her head. She glanced up at him and Ichigo was shocked to see the look she was giving him. Before, he thought she didn't believe him when he explained his 'trip' during dinner. Seeing her expression now, he knew she didn't believe him; there was no denying the intensity in her gaze. "I want to know where you're really going. I heard what you said during dinner and I believe that you are going to England and all that but I think it's more than what you said. No, I know it's more than that. I may be young, but I'm not stupid, Ichigo." She paused, taking a deep breath.
She glanced back down at the trunk and continued softly. "I've seen you. I've seen you around town, dressed in a black robe thing and carrying a huge sword. I've seen monsters all over the place and you're always there, fighting them. When I first saw you fighting them, I thought it was so cool. You were like a monster slayer or something. And your friend, Rukia. The girl we saw when we went to visit mom. She's not normal, is she? I've kept all of this quiet because I didn't want to scare Yuzu." She stopped and gazed up at him again, her eyes desperate and full of confusion and… was that fear? "What's going on, Ichigo? Your study abroad trip has something to do with this, doesn't it? Why are you really leaving? And don't lie to me, please."
Ichigo stared at her for a moment in stunned silence. He had no idea she knew so much. He didn't know what to say but one thing was certain: he couldn't let the Soul Society know that she knew. If the Soul Society found out how much she knew about them, there was no telling what they would do to her. Their rules were pretty strict, that much was obvious if the way they treated Rukia was anything to go by. He didn't want to tell her the truth; the less she knew about them, the safer she'd be. But he also knew that if he didn't tell her, she would try to find out on her own and he wouldn't be here to keep an eye on her and an eye out for her. Maybe if he told her the truth, he could warn her to keep quiet about it.
Finally, Ichigo sighed. "You're right. There is more to it, a lot more. But Karin, if I tell you, you have to promise me you won't tell anyone about it. Not Yuzu, not your friends, nobody. We could both get in serious trouble if the wrong people found out how much you know."
Karin nodded. "I promise." She said.
Ichigo waited a moment before nodding back. "Okay. And you can tell dad; he already knows. Don't ask me why because I still don't know." He paused, trying to come up with a way to start.
Sensing his dilemma, Karin asked the first question. "Why do you dress in the black robe? And carry a sword and fight monsters?"
"Well, you know how I'm able to see ghosts and stuff, right?" he asked. She nodded. "Well, there are people called Soul Reapers, who are also able to see them. It's hard to explain Soul Reapers but basically they go around looking for ghosts so they can send them to a place called Soul Society. It's like a heaven for souls. There are some souls that turn evil and become monsters called Hollows. These are the monsters that you saw. They used to be regular people but once they turn into hollows, they're no longer the same person. Soul Reapers are also supposed to go around hunting them and destroying them. Except they don't exactly die; it's more like we destroy the evil that's in them. But if they were evil before they died, then they would end up going to hell after we get rid of the evil they did after they became hollows. With me so far?"
Karin nodded, her eyes narrowed in concentration. "I think so. So, people die and become souls. Then they wait for the Soul Reapers to come and send them to the Soul Society. But they can also turn into hollows, the monsters, and then the Soul Reapers have to destroy the hollow in them before they can go to the Soul Society. But if they were evil before they died, then they would go to hell. But what are Soul Reapers? Are they ghosts too?"
"Sort of." Ichigo said. "It's hard to explain what Soul Reapers are but they're not alive. Rukia is a Soul Reaper. The person you see is not really her. It's like she's wearing a suit that looks just like her. It's called a gigai, like a fake body."
"What about you?" she asked. "You're not dead. How are you a Soul Reaper?"
"I'm called a Deputy Soul Reaper." He said. "A substitute. I'm a temporary Soul Reaper, I guess you can say. And no, I'm not dead. This part is complicated and I'm not entirely sure I understand it myself."
"Okay, so then what's this trip of yours really about?" she asked.
"It's a mission." He explained. "There's a school called Hogwarts. It's a wizard school. And the students there are in danger from three different threats. One is a man named Voldemort. He was supposed to die about thirteen years ago but for some reason, he didn't. A kid named Harry Potter, he stopped him somehow, which is strange because he was only a year old when that happened. No one knows why or how but because of this, Voldemort, who is somehow still alive, is now focusing on killing Harry. So part of our job is to protect him.
The other threat is a man named Sirius Black. He was said to be Voldemort's right hand man and when Voldemort disappeared, Black was arrested and sent to their prison, which is a really bad place to be in, even for criminals. Yet he somehow broke out of prison, which was supposed to be impossible and everyone thinks he's after Harry Potter as well.
The third threat, and possibly the most dangerous, are creatures called Dementors. The prison that Black was sent to was guarded by these creatures. You know what hollows do?"
"They attack people." Karin said.
"Kind of." Ichigo nodded. "They eat souls. A soul that is eaten is gone forever. They can't go to either heaven or hell. They're completely gone. Forever. And these Dementors are just like hollows. They eat souls as well. The only difference is that they are currently being controlled by the wizards. I don't know what they're thinking but they're trying to control them and use them as guards for their prison.
Dementors have a special ability that hollows don't; when you get too close to a Dementor, whether or not they're going after you, they suck out your energy and every happy thought from your body and mind. They make you feel cold and like you'll never be happy again. That's how they keep prisoners from escaping. But Black was somehow able to escape. And since people think he's going after Potter, their ministry is posting these Dementors around the school, once the school year starts.
Those are our jobs: protect Harry Potter from Voldemort and Sirius Black, and protect the entire school from the Dementors."
"That's why you're leaving for a whole year." Karin concluded.
Ichigo and Karin lapsed into silence. Suddenly they both jumped as a knock sounded at the door. "Ichigo? Karin?" Yuzu called.
Ichigo gave Karin a look and turned to the door. "Come in." he called.
Yuzu opened the door and entered. "What are you guys doing in here? You guys are so quiet."
"I was telling Ichigo that you were going to throw a fit when you see his idea of packing." Karin said, pointing to the pile of clothes next to the trunk.
Yuzu stared at the pile for a moment and then turned to Ichigo, her hands on her hips. "See, I told you you couldn't pack right. None of that is even folded. Why do I do the laundry if you're just going to ruin them by shoving them in there like that?"
Ichigo mock glared at Karin as Yuzu scolded him. Karin smiled back and left the room, her head swimming with all of the new information she had learned. One thing was certain; this subject was so much more interesting than what they learned in school. Maybe she could convince her history teacher to teach this instead. Yeah, like that would ever happen.
A/N: Okay, first I just want to say that the part about Ichigo and his dad and Karin and all that, I know it's not that way in the actual series but that is why it is called fanfiction. There will be a few detail changes but not to worry; there will be nothing drastically changed that will cause a world wide confusion or anything like that. Promise. And if there is later, I will let you know in advance unless I don't feel that it's that big a deal. Hope you enjoyed reading. Don't forget to review!