"What Best Friends are for."

A Bleach Fan Fiction.

Written by trekkiexb5.

Hitsugaya/K. Kurosaki friendship. Rated T for language.

DISCLAIMER: If Bleach was mine, "Asterisk" and "Velonica" would have full length videos in the '70's retro/new and American comic styles respectively.

XXXxxxXXXxxx

CHAPTER TWO:

CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DEAD

We walked for hours, following the faint meandering trail of reiatsu that the Arracar girls gave off. We didn't talk, nor did she complain, even though I knew she was getting tired. We stopped twice for her to step into a store for lunch and bathroom breaks. Though I did not wish to admit it, the breaks were also for me to catch my breath.

Eventually we came upon the desolate part of Karakura town, an abandoned industrial area that was probably booming during better economic times. The run down factories and stores were left forgotten to time and were slowly being reclaimed by nature. Near dusk, we ducked into one of them that seemed empty of homeless people and looked fairly safe and secure. I quickly placed a kido barrier around us, to keep us hidden even if we accidently flared our reiatsu. I also placed a ward around the building, to warn us if anybody approached.

Both spells left me dizzy and panting. Numbly, I slid down the strange concrete blocks that lined up on the factory floor. I felt the infection crawling up from my stomach wound. I was exhausted. I was frustrated. I wanted to get closer, faster to the girls. I wanted Kusaka to appear. I wanted this nightmare of my own creation to end. Mostly I wanted to blame Karin for the lack of progress, but I had to admit, without her helping me to get to this location (and using my Zanpakuto as a crutch); especially in the last hour or so, I would be unconscious in the middle of the street somewhere.

"Here, Toushirou. It's instant ramen, but it is food."

I opened my eyes to face Karin's concerned look misted by a steaming Styrofoam cup. I laid Hyorinmaru on the ground beside me, and took the large cup with both shaking hands. As I sipped and then slurped greedily at the noodles, I could feel a slow trickle of reiryoku returning to me.

"Thank you," I said after I finished.

She grinned. "No problem! I packed 2 thermoses for hot water! I figured we could get food from a store."

Good planning, I thought. "What else did you bring?" My mind finally going into crisis organizational mode. I needed to know what our assets were. And quite frankly, I was curious what an 11 year old girl would pack in an emergency.

She rustled through the bags, then just gave up and dumped the contents onto the dirty floor. Karin had two large clear locking plastic bags filled with what looked like clothes, a couple of grey-green wool blankets, a couple of towels and washcloths, various candy bars, some more of those ramen cups, a clear bag of what looked like toiletries for two, some small cases that weren't labeled, a flashlight with extra batteries, miscellaneous odds and ends that I didn't recognize and a large rectangle box with a red cross on it which she held up exclaiming, "This is my dad's; almost a surgical unit first aid kit!"

I openly gaped at her. I don't know if I should praise her for such amazing forward thinking or admonish her for going through the bother of packing.

Karin took full advantage of my bewilderment. She tugged at the rough brown cape I wearing. "Take it off, and your kimono too. Let's look at that wound."

I should have told her to go to hell, or gave her an arched eyebrow and a trademark piercing cold stares. And she was a Kurosaki. I had no energy for an argument. So, Instead, I sighed. "It's a kosode, not a kimono."

"Whatever. Just take it off."

I sat up from the cement block I was leaning against. Karin helped me removed the ragged cloak I got from the thief and my kosode. I pulled my arms out of the once white shitagi and let it fall to my waist. I shivered a little in the autumn evening air. I must be ill, for I rarely get cold. I watched her spread one of the blankets on the ground and gestured for me to lay down on it. Karin knelt beside me, opening the first aid kit, and started the process of cleaning and tending to my wound.

"So," she spoke quietly as she gently cleaned and bandaged the wound. "Are you going to explain to me what is going on or is it too difficult for a substitute Shinigami's little sister to understand?"

She was involved. I was sure that those strange Arracar knew she was with me. If I wanted allies, she would have been last on my list. Rangiku, to be honest, would be at the top. But she didn't deserved to be mixed up with me. Likewise for Ichigo Kurosaki, as annoying as he is. Though, if we were talking about going against impossible odds, Ichigo would be a safe bet.

But a simple human 11 year old girl, with seemingly minor spiritual abilities, managed to do what neither Ichigo nor Rangiku could: join me on this impossible, suicidal mission.

She is going to die.

I hissed as a sudden pain emanated from my stomach. Karin murmured an apology and continued working. At this point, telling her everything isn't going to make it worse. And she deserved that much, at least.

I explained the barebones of the events. Karin listened quietly as she neatly packed everything back in the bags.

"So…let me get this straight, this Kusaka guy had the same kind of sword you did, and this council thing-ee made you dual to the death? That's stupid!" She exclaimed as she helped me back up and I put the shitagi back on my shoulders.

"Well, I thought so too, at the time. I didn't even kill him, the Punishment Force did. I just froze him, and really not that impressive of a freezing either. It took him seconds to break out of it. I just learned Hyorinmaru's name a few days before. Kusaka broke out in moments." I leaned back as I watched her make a bed out of the blankets. She folded the towels to be used as pillows. I sighed as I continued. "Also, there can't be two identical Zanpakutos. They are unique to the user because they are part of your soul. Mine more so than others, due to it being…not normal. So one of them was false. I guess it was his."

Karin turned to look at me. "Huh? What do you mean part of your soul? I don't understand, what do you mean not a normal one? As if talking swords are normal." She huffed. "Personally, I think it is still stupid to let two kids kill each other over the name of a sword."

My temper flared. "Do you want an explanation or not?"

She stared at me, her eyes widened a little at my outburst. "That's the first normal response I got all day. Grumpy and arrogant." She grinned. "And yes, an explanation would be great, elementary student!" She patted my head to complete the effect.

I growled. I could predict the possibilities of this conversation if I reacted the way she wanted me to. None of the outcomes would be in my favour. Deep breaths Toushirou, she's pushing your buttons on purpose. "Look, I'll use small words so you can understand. Shinigami swords aka Zanpakutos, are a visual representation of a person's inner world, his soul. It manifests when that person communicates with that inner world, and becomes visible and a true Zanpakuto when he learns the name of his Zanpakuto. Everyone's is unique. Some may have similar abilities, like Rukia's and mine are both water/ice Zanpakutos but they are very different in how the abilities are manifested.

"Mine, however…how can I say this?" I thought a moment, trying to put the explanation in terms Karin could understand easily. "Well, there are other beings, not really gods, per se, but more like Kami, for the lack of a better word, that sometimes find a human companion that they feel are worthy and join with them. They are called Heavenly Guardians and there are 13 known Guardians." I stopped due to a fit of coughing. Karin smiled and handed me a bottle of water and two small pills.

"What are those?" I asked after a swallowed some of the cool liquid.

"Acetaminophen"

"Huh? Ack cee…what? Is it some kind of herbal medicine?"

"Sorta yeah, it doesn't thin the blood and reduces fevers. Just take them and lay down."

I nodded, taking the two small white objects from her and chased them down my throat with the rest of the water. My short reprieve from the pain and fever would probably end soon. Some sleep would do me good. Maybe I could figure out how to convince Karin to return in the morning. Maybe she will be okay going home. They didn't attack her like they attacked Ichigo. She continued to pack the last items as I laid down on my side on the makeshift futon.

After a few minutes, the flashlight turned off, and I felt her curl next to my back; covering both of us with the other blanket, the cloak and my black kosode.

"Toushirou?"

"Yeah?"

"So, uhm, your sword is one of those Guardian creatures?"

"Yeah."

"uhm…how do you know? I mean, is there a list or a test or something?"

Funny, I asked Hyorinmaru that right after the Central 46 duel. "Well there is a list, but that isn't exactly published to the general public. Mostly, the best indications that the person is marked in some way."

"Marked?"

I rolled over carefully so I didn't destroy Karin's careful bandage work. I looked at her face in the evening gloom. I focused on the reflecting light in her eyes. I reached up between us and tugged on her hair. "Yes, marked. Usually when the Heavenly Guardian chooses, the person is still in the World of the Living. And the mark is carried through subsquenent reincarnations."

"Oh," she breathed. "Your hair. Man, that must have been rough."

"I don't know. I don't remember my life. Most souls don't. Though, considering the time when I was most likely born, I'd bet having white hair as a child wasn't good."

"oh."

Silence. I heard her steady breathing. I thought that she may have had fallen asleep but she spoke up after a few minutes.

"Uhm…Toushirou? Are you still awake?"

"No."

"Funny. Uhm…I want to ask you a question. You don't have to answer if you don't want. I mean, if it is too personal or stuff."

I was tired. And I dislike this game of twenty questions. "Then ask instead giving me a speech. I will decide then if I want to answer it or not."

"Oh, ok." She was exasperatingly quiet for a several moments. "uhm…how old…I mean, can you remember how old you were when you died?"

It was personal. It was rude. I sighed. "Six. When I woke up in the Soul Society, I was the human equvilant of six."

"Oh," Another patch of silence from Karin. "Toushirou?"

"Now what?"

I felt her move under the shared blanket and grabbed my hand. "I know it sounds stupid and contrite but I am so sorry…so, so sorry you never got a childhood. I know life isn't fair and all that, but still…" she sighed. "Look. When this is all over and you have time in your busy captain schedule, come back to town and hang out with me. Maybe…maybe for just a few hours you could be a kid."

What a silly notion. The thought of it sickened me. I worked hard to have people forget my age and size and to take me seriously. One slip into childhood, years of work would be thrown away. I would never be taken seriously, again.

Still, she said it not out of spite or greed. In fact, I have no idea why Karin would say such things. I think, no I know it was meant to be a kind gesture on her part. A chance to be a kid and have a piece of life I have probably never experienced when I was alive, but I know I never really had when I was in Junrinan. She is just a silly, stupid, yet brilliant little human girl, trying to do the best she can with what she has.

"There is little chance that I will be a captain after this," I replied, evading her suggestion. "And the both of us living through the next few days don't look good either."

"You're a glass half empty kind of guy, eh, Toushirou?" She giggled softly, a lilting noise in the darkened foreboding of our near future. "Man, what a downer! You are an idiot, Toushirou!"

"What?" I exclaimed, suddenly pissed off at her. I told the truth and I'm an idiot? "What did you just call me?"

"An IDIOT," She answered smugly, dragging out the syllables, and suddenly, she moved her face close to mine, our noses touching. I knew that the rising blush on my cheeks was not feverish in nature and I was glad for the shadows and the darkness.

"Do you know how I know everything will work out? Hmmm, Toushirou?" At this distance, I could see the gleam in her eyes, and feel her warm breath on my face. "I know it will work out because you are you. You are my friend, probably the closest friend I've ever had and together best friends can do anything!" She rolled over suddenly and giggled. "Stop being negative and go to sleep. Everything will work out for the best, you'll see!"

My eyes were wide. Best friend? Kusaka was my last best friend. Look how that turned out. The rest of my possible friends list was short. Rangiku fills my sister role, albeit the older drunken troublemaking type. So does Momo, though not with the drunken descriptor. Ukitake? Uncle, maybe. Otherwise, the other captains and shinigami were valued comrades. It doesn't pay to get close to anything as a shinigami. Death is our job, our future, our lover…

Still, I have to admit, I do find the thought of being her best friend… really nice.

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A little fluff.

The Heavenly Guardian, though mentioned, is vague. Whether or not there was more than one is also vague. It could be just a poetic descriptor. Well, not really important to the story in general, I decided to use it.

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