A/N: Any Brandon Sanderson fans in the audience? Stormlight Archive? Jungetsu is starting to remind me of Pattern. I had the gist of Yuzu's zanpakuto written down when I started writing this, but yeah, she's basically a Lightweaver.

Anyway, this is kind of a HitsuKarin chapter, but next chapter the plot will get kicked off and there will be plenty of ByaYuzu in the episodes to come, so stay tuned, and please remember to read and review!

Split Syllables, thanks! I use saiga-jp's kanji dictionary (use Google, since FF makes linking weird) for kanji characters, typically, although I also use the Bleach wikia to make sure the naming style is consistent. Google Translate I use only as a secondary resource, to check that the name I'm using says kind of what I want it to say. Never use it as a primary translation resource or it will mess you up. Hope this helps!

Queen of Narnia49, oh yes! I plan to include more Byakuya + ASOIAF/Game of Thrones omakes when he reaches certain points in the series. XD And when he realizes that there are NO MORE BOOKS (because let's face it, who among us really believes that series will be finished by 2020?)

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. At all.

Chapter 15: The places in our hearts

You are not ready.

The words appeared on the surface of the pond, the water rippling slightly as they formed on its surface. The zanpakuto spirit who sat in seiza on the other side of the water's surface had her eyes closed, her expression resolute as she lowered her upraised hand to her lap. Yuzu frowned, her fingers curling inward. She sat in seiza at the edge of the water, the stillness of her inner world wrapping around her.

I believe you, Jungetsu-chan, she thought, the words scribing themselves onto the water's surface as she did so. I'm not arguing with you. I just want to know what happened that day, that's all.

You showed me a truth, said Jungetsu, her words replacing Yuzu's on the surface of the water. I reflected it. It is my nature.

Shinkyo, said Yuzu, frowning. But that doesn't make any sense. There was no target.

A mirror turned outward can also turn in, said Jungetsu. In that moment, your heart was clear. You were resolved. Thus, I could reflect the image you showed me.

You're saying I controlled the illusion, said Yuzu. Subconsciously?

Jungetsu opened her eyes, looking down at Yuzu through the surface of the water. She looked worried, Yuzu realized. A frown creased her brow, her hand moving again.

Illusions are lies. I reflect truth. If I were only a liar, what I do would not be dangerous, because a liar recognizes and remains unaffected by her own lies. The danger is truth. If I were to show you the depths of your desire, to create a place where everything you ever wanted could be real, what would stop you from becoming lost in it? Would you remember reality, when faced with a beautiful dream?

Yuzu fell silent, saying nothing. She found that she couldn't answer that. The depths of her desire…what did she want? More than anything else? The wind blew over the surface of Jungetsu's pond, bringing the sound of laughter to her ear. Her mother's laughter. Her throat closed up at the sound of it, her hands curling into fists on her lap. She willed the sound away, but it was only replaced by another. A voice, one she knew.

"Yuzu," it said, using her given name. Warmth enveloped her, filling her heart until it felt as though it would burst. The wind blew, scattering cherry blossoms across the surface of the pond. She squeezed her eyes shut, and when she opened them, the wind receded, the warmth leaving her.

Her mother's laughter faded away, the sudden silence that replaced it leaving her feeling hollow and empty.

I…I see your point, Jungetsu-chan, she said.

Then you see why I say you are not ready. And yet…you will have to be soon.

Something in the way Jungetsu said the words sent chills creeping up her spine. The words lingered on the surface of the water as if held. She took a breath.

What do you mean? she asked.

Our enemy draws nearer, said Jungetsu. I can see it. I can feel it.

The inner world began to fade around her, darkness creeping up on the edges of the pond, the image fading until Jungetsu's last words were all that Yuzu could see.

I am not the only one who lies.

Yuzu opened her eyes to the sound of a knock on the office door.

She was sitting in seiza in the center of the office floor, Jungetsu lying across her knees with the sheath lying next to her. She looked up, realizing that her heart was pounding. Behind her, the door opened. She looked up over her shoulder.

"Hey, Yuzu."

Her brother stood in the doorway, a smile on his face. "Ichi-nii!" said Yuzu in surprise. Her eyes widened, and she quickly sheathed Jungetsu, getting to her feet. Ichigo's eyes followed the movement, the smile fading.

"I didn't interrupt you, did I?" he asked.

Yuzu shook her head, slipping the sword back into her obi. The light of the setting sun reflected through the Sixth Division's office windows. Was it getting dark already? "No, not at all," she said, truthfully. "I was already done."

"Ah, good," said Ichigo. "How's your arm?"

Yuzu frowned, holding out her right arm, where the bandages from her visit to Tokyo were still visible. The wound was still there, although it had stopped stinging. "It's healing nicely," she said. "I barely even notice it now. Yamada-san said it might scar, but at least it's healing."

Ichigo nodded, and the frown on his face told her that he was still upset she had gotten hurt at all. His eyes moved past her, to the empty desk behind her. "Byakuya here?" he asked.

Yuzu shook her head. "He went home a little while ago, Ichi-nii," she said. "Some sort of family business. Do you need something?"

"No," said Ichigo. "Well—not really. It's not a big deal. Just something he told me."

Her mind went back to the day that she and Byakuya had returned from the living world, to when Ichigo had met them and Byakuya had asked for a meeting. Neither of the two of them had spoken about it since. "Is…is everything okay?" she asked.

"It's fine," said Ichigo, smiling at her. He reached out to pat her on the head. "Don't worry about it."

She stared at him, realizing that she recognized that tone. It was the same tone he'd taken with her, many years before, back when all three of them were still living in Karakura Town and he would go off to 'soccer camp'.

Ichi-nii…she thought. Are you hiding things again?

She thought about asking him, but she couldn't find the words. So instead, she simply nodded, lowering her eyes to the ground. Ichigo removed his hand, not seeming to notice.

"Have you heard from Karin?" he asked.

Yuzu shook her head. "Try Hitsugaya-kun, maybe?" she asked. "I think everything is fine, though. We would have heard something if it wasn't."

"I guess you're right," said Ichigo. He folded his arms, and there was no mistaking the troubled look in his eye. Something was wrong. Something that both Ichigo and Byakuya knew, and none of them would tell her. Jungetsu's words came back to her.

"I am not the only one who lies."

"Anyway, you take care of yourself," said Ichigo. "Don't work too hard."

"I'll try," said Yuzu, managing a smile. Ichigo nodded, then turned away, heading towards the door. She stared at him, watching as he reached it, then took a deep breath, curling one hand into a fist.

"Ichi-nii," she said, causing him to look back.

"Hmm?" asked Ichigo.

"The taicho won't be doing anything tomorrow morning," she said. "Around ten? You should talk to him then."

Ichigo nodded, looking away. "Thanks," he said. "I'll send him a message."

Yuzu waited until her brother was gone, then took a deep breath, slowly walking over to her desk. She braced her hands on the desk's surface, looking down at the calendar there. She hadn't lied—there was exactly nothing scheduled for tomorrow morning, around ten.

What did you do? asked Jungetsu.

Ichi-nii's going to send taicho a message, asking for a meeting, said Yuzu in reply. He's probably going to say yes. At around 9:30 tomorrow, taicho is probably going to give me something to do. Something that gets me out of the office, maybe even out of the Division. That's how I'll know something is really wrong. When neither of them will talk to me.

Jungetsu considered this for a moment, then nodded, the image of the inner world fading away.

Ongetsu's scythe blade cut through the air, hooking under the Hollow's neck and severing its head from its shoulders. Karin landed neatly on the ground as the creature faded to dust, spinning the scythe in her hand so that the blade pointed up. She looked back as the last traces of the Hollow vanished, scanning the street.

That was the last of them.

With a sigh, Karin relaxed, Ongetsu glowing faintly as it shrank back into its sealed form. She could feel the blade shuddering with disappointment as she slipped it back into its sheath, placing her thumb on the guard to keep it there. The little brat still wanted to play.

Soon, she thought towards it, as she turned her back on the street behind her and started walking again. Real soon. I promise.

I'll hold you to that, Karin-chan, said Ongetsu softly, retreating back into the shadows of the inner world.

Karin frowned, but didn't reply, continuing to walk. Despite everyone else's fears to the contrary, Karakura Town had been quiet for the past few days that she had been here. Nothing but the usual complement of low-leveled Hollows, and those were easily dispatched, even without her and Yumichika's assistance. If not for the threat of the Arrancar or the New Dawn, she would have thought that there was no reason at all to be here.

She rounded a corner, passing the old Hirohyaku Supermarket, which was still closed for the night, and continued walking. The night was dark, the way lit only by streetlamps, and the city around her looked different, but she could have walked this path in her sleep. She kept her eyes open, alert for any disturbances as she crossed the Karasu River, making her way into the Minamikawase District. Her footsteps sounded louder with each step, somehow more final, but she forced herself to continue on. She had been avoiding making this trip since first arriving here, but she couldn't avoid it any longer. She had to see…

Karin rounded another corner and came to a stop, staring at the building.

For a moment, she almost saw it as it was then, a simple two story building, part-business, part-home, standing alone on its portion of the street. At this time of night, no matter how late it was, a light would still be on in one of the upstairs windows. Isshin had never been incredibly strict on curfews, or on much of anything at all for that matter, but he always left a light on when one of his children wasn't home. At this time in spring, there would be flowers blooming in the hedges out front, planted there by Yuzu during the first warm day of the year. The twins' bicycles would be chained up out front, and there would probably be a dent in the wall somewhere or some broken glass from the last time Ichigo and Isshin had had a scuffle. The sign would stand over the main doors, which would be closed for the night, with a phone number people could call if there was a real emergency. Kurosaki Clinic, it would read, welcoming her home.

She surprised herself by real the image was, and how much she wanted it to be there.

But it was gone. In its place, the building still stood, but the bikes were replaced by a bright red ball that belonged to another child, a stuffed animal sitting abandoned in the hedges. All the lights in the windows were out, the curtains drawn over it, and the sign for the Kurosaki Clinic had been replaced, the building converted into some family-owned bakery.

She had been born inside that clinic. She had died right outside it. And now, all traces that she had ever lived there were gone.

And so was she.

"Isshin sold the clinic after your brother accepted captaincy," said a voice from behind her, uncharacteristically gentle. "For the first few years, it cycled through owners, because it had a reputation for being haunted. The family that eventually took over bought it five years ago."

Karin found that she had to work through the knot in her throat to speak. "Toshiro…"

Toshiro came to stand next to her, his green eyes fixed on the clinic. He studiously avoided looking at her, giving her time to compose herself, and she was grateful for that. She didn't want to go to pieces right here on the street, in front of him, but that was what she felt like she was about to do. She clenched her fists hard, but that didn't stop the shaking.

"Are you going to be alright?" he asked after a while.

"I'm fine," Karin said, although the way her voice shook probably made it not very convincing. "Everything's fine."

"Karin…"

He reached for her, his hand closing around her wrist, and that was her undoing. She bit her lip, lowering her eyes to the ground. "It's home, okay?" she said, hating herself for how weak and pathetic her voice sounded. "It was my home. It was the only home I ever had…"

His fingers slowly pried open her clenched fist, his fingers intertwining with hers. She squeezed his hand, drawing strength from his presence, and took slow breaths, managing to stop herself from shaking. She wouldn't cry, she told herself, not here. It wasn't that she didn't trust Toshiro. It was more a point of pride.

He seemed to understand that too, because he said nothing, simply holding her hand and letting her cling to him. When she felt strong enough, she straightened up, letting out a long breath. She turned to face him for the first time, relaxing her hold on his hand. She didn't, however, let it go completely.

"So," she said. "How'd you find me?"

"Shimoda said you were out," Toshiro replied. "This is where I thought you would be."

"What? Miss me already?" she asked, with a small smirk. She'd only been joking, trying to ease some of the tension between them, but the look he gave her in return made her breath catch in her throat for an entirely different reason, a new kind of tension taking its place. His hand tightened around hers, his green eyes dead serious as they looked straight into her own.

"Always."

Goddammit, Toshiro.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she found that she couldn't speak. The wave of emotion, so soon after the previous one, was too much. She wanted—she wanted…

Oh screw it. Who was going to see? It was the middle of the night, and they were a pair of literal ghosts.

Throwing caution to the wind, Karin stepped forward, pressing her lips against his. Toshiro stumbled back, caught off-guard by both the action and the force behind it. His back struck the wall of the house behind him, but he didn't seem to care, kissing her back with as much intensity. His free hand closed around the fabric of her shihakusho, pulling her closer to him, and the world around her faded until it was just the two of them, her, him and the warmth building up between them.

It was not a chaste kiss. Far from it. Because Kurosaki Karin was many things, but subtle was not one of them. When they released each other, they were both flushed and out of breath, and the night was warmer than it should have been. They stood there for a moment, breathing hard, Toshiro's hand still closed around hers.

"You should…" he finally said, looking up at her. "…head back to your post."

To her credit, she actually thought about it. She thought about heading back to Kusanagi's headquarters, to the sparse guest room she was currently occupying, with her small collection of things. She considered it, looking away from Toshiro and studying the empty street that was her way back.

Then she shook her head, looking back at him. "It's not like they really need me there tonight," she said.

Toshiro fell silent, his expression telling her that he was still working through her statement, considering all the implications, all of the possible angles.

Her eyes narrowed slightly. She wasn't exactly subtle. Or patient, if it came to that.

"Are you staying anywhere, Toshiro?"

His eyes flicked towards hers, understanding dawning on his face. After a moment of thought, he nodded, his hand tightening around hers. The world spun dizzily around them as he flash stepped away.

Ayasegawa Yumichika, fifth seat of the Eleventh Division, sat by one of the Kusanagi headquarters' large windows, staring up at the moon over the garden. Behind him, the rest of the house was silent, most of its occupants asleep except for the few who had stayed to wait up for Karin. The moonlight hung over the gardens, a beautiful scene. As he watched, the wind changed direction, bringing with it traces of a familiar reiatsu.

He smiled, looking away from the window.

"You might as well go to sleep, Yokota-chan," he said, turning towards a worried looking Kasumi. The girl lowered her eyes to the ground, biting her lip and clasping her hands together.

"But—Kurosaki-san," she said. "And there's that strange reiatsu out there…"

"Don't worry," said Yumichika. "I know that reiatsu. It's nothing to worry about."

"A-And Kurosaki-san?"

"I wouldn't worry about her, if I were you." Yumichika glanced back out the window, studying the way the moonlight played with the shadows in the garden. The moon and the shadows moved with the wind, a silent war as both of them fought to overcome one another. He thought about that day, three years ago, when Karin had won her rank and smiled, his hand resting on the hilt of his zanpakuto. "She can take care of herself."

TO BE CONTINUED

Note: The following omake is part of an omake series, and is a flashback. Enjoy.

Omake: The First Days of Spring 01

The spring festival was ostensibly a time for the members of the Gotei 13 to take a break from their duties, relax, and celebrate the end of winter and the coming of spring. In practice, though, Karin noted, it just became an excuse for everyone to get incredibly drunk, officers not excluded. She and Toshiro pushed their way through a group of stumbling, laughing seated officers, both of them quickly losing patience as they made their way towards the bar where the highest-ranked shinigami were holding their own celebration. Karin glanced back at the group as one of them slipped and fell to the ground, the jug of sake in his hand shattering. She scowled in distaste.

"Sheesh," she said. "Whatever happened to pacing yourself?"

"Couldn't agree with you more," said Toshiro, his expression grim as he eyed the bar. Karin glanced at him, knowing that he was already dreading what he would find there.

A drunk and delirious Matsumoto, of course. As if anything else could be expected. Karin rolled her eyes as they walked, folding her arms. It didn't matter how long she was a shinigami, or how long she stayed at the Eleventh Division. She would never understand the drive to get black-out drunk every single time there was a day without work. Although maybe there was some hope that the officers' party would be a little saner?

Loud laughter rang from the inside of the building, sounding suspiciously like a drunk Abarai Renji. Drops of sweat formed on the back of Karin's head.

Alright, maybe not.

They reached the door, and an explosion of force shook the building, accompanied by a wave of very familiar reiatsu. Karin froze in place, her eyes widening. Beside her, Toshiro stopped as well, one of his hands going up to Hyourinmaru's hilt as a group of intoxicated seated officers fled the building in panic. One of them, a man that Karin recognized as the seventh seat from her own squad, ran over to her, placing both his hands on her shoulders.

What was his name?

Imai—Imai something.

"Kurosaki-san, you have to help!" he said, his eyes wide and his face pale. "The taicho—the taicho—."

"What? Is he tearing up the place?" asked Karin, her eyes wide. She'd seen Zaraki-taicho sober and tipsy, she couldn't imagine what he'd be like flat-out drunk. Terrifying, probably. "Oi, Imai, if he is, I can't help you with that. I'm not stupid."

"No, no!" Imai shook his head, grabbing onto her arms. "It's not that—it's—look! Just look!"

He grabbed her, shoving her in the direction of the bar. Karin peeked inside, and froze at what she saw there.

Zaraki Kenpachi of the Eleventh Division, standing on stage in front of a terrified crowd, both of his hands clutching a microphone. He grinned, exposing shark-like teeth as he bellowed into the microphone in incomprehensible English.

"TONIGHT, LOVE IS RATION—TONIGHT, I'M A SPACESHIP—TONIGHT, LOVE INFECTS WRAYAYAY—ALMOST ANOTHER DAAAAAAAAY!"

"You're right," said Karin to Imai as the song went on. "That is terrifying."

"SHE'S A SHOOOTTTING STAARRRR…GOOD NIIIGGGHHHHTTTTT! GOOD NIIIGGGGHHHTTT!"

Beside her, Toshiro only nodded, his eyes wide.

A/N: If you haven't heard it yet, run to YouTube and look up Zaraki's cover of Tonight, Tonight, Tonight. (search for Bleach Concept Covers). Then listen to that in conjunction with this omake.