I stopped short of grabbing a bowl of rice and looked at my brother, "Huh?"

Ichigo side glanced at me and looked down at his soup, "You never told us what happened with Toushirou. You left it all a mystery, How he got hurt, why you two were together in the first place, why you spend every moment possible waiting by his side, waiting for him to wake up. I mean I know you said it was your fault, so I understand feeling guilty but just because you feel guilty doesn't mean you should sit there all day."

I looked down at my lap so my hair was blocking my face from view, well at least from the side, Yuzu could still see my face because she was sitting in front of me, "It's funny Ichigo everyone knows but you. I mean why I sit there not how he got hurt."

Yuzu shook her head and looked at our older brother, "Maybe you should just drop it, Ichi-nii." Our Dad also stood up from the table, "What you don't know won't hurt you. And at this point I don't think it would be safe to tell you."

I smirked, "I think you're wrong about that Dad. He'd only go after Toushirou if we were dating or something like that." I looked at Ichigo through my hair, he was looking around wildly with a confused face, "Why am I the only one in the dark? And you're not dating him right?"

It sure is fun messing with Ichigo...Anyway I looked back up at him and shook my head, "Nothing like that. But me and Toushirou are close, we're best friends so it's expected."

I grabbed a bowl of rice and started shoveling food in my mouth. My heart was racing over how Ichigo would react. Hopefully not badly, I glanced at him to make sure. His mouth was slightly agape and he seemed to be staring at the table, "Huh. Who knew Toushirou could make a friend that isn't forced to patrol for hollows with him. I mean he's so cold an..."

I cut him off mid-sentence, "He's not cold! He saved my life blockhead!" Ichigo quickly turned his head towards me, "He what?" I looked down once again this time with everyone staring at me, "He saved my life how else do you think he got hurt."

Ichigo blinked then his expression hardened, "I want details, now!" I could tell he wasn't going to let me keep it to myself even if I tried, "Well...it went like this..."

FLASHBACK

I was running home from my training with Kisuke (in soul reaper form) when I saw Toushirou sitting on the railing (in soul reaper form) as usual. I slowed down and walked up behind him, he seemed lost in thought staring out at the sunset. I put my my hands down on the the railing beside him joining him in watching the sunset. After about a minute like that I looked over at him through the corner of my eye, noticing that he seemed to still not notice I was there. So I spoke up, "This is your favorite place to watch the sunset right?"

He jumped slightly and looked over at me, "I never said it was my favorite. It's just-as far as I know-the best place to watch it."

I nodded and looked back out at the sunset remembering a place my Mom used to take us to picnic and stargaze in the middle of the night,(A. I'm weird leave me alone) "I know a good place to watch the stars and the sunrise."

His gaze had fixed back out on the sunset but he stil answered, "Oh...is that so?" He said it as if he could barely speak, quietly and slowly.

I nodded, "Yeah and if we start walking now we'll get there right when the stars are their brightest."

He glanced over at me then back at the sunset and slowly stood up, "Lead the way."

He sounded like he didn't want to leave the sunset, like he was only going because I wanted him to. I stood up too and turned around, "It's this way," pointing in the opposite direction. He stepped over the rail and stood behind me, "Obviously." I looked back at him glaring, "What?" He blinked, "What're you so mad for? All I meant is that if we're going to watch the sunrise we'd have to go in the opposite way of the sunset. Because..."

I sighed at my stupidity, "I know, I know, the sunrises in the east and sets in the west."He put his hands in his pockets, "Then what were you so mad about?" I looked at my feet suddenly embarassed, "Nothing." There was a long pause before he spoke again, "Then lead the way."

We were still walking when the stars came out and the moon started to rise. The moon had always reminded me of my mom. Not only did she love to watch it throughout the night but I had always thought of the sun as a father and the moon as a mother.

The sun always stood out and kept us warm, trying to shine it's brightest to get it's childrens' attention. But the children were afraid of it's light and hid beyond the sky always flocking to the mother for comfort. They saw the suns need for attention as violent and were afraid of being hurt. But when the sun set loneliness and disappointment in itself softening it's colors, and the clouds gathered casting off a pink, yellow, and orange light.

The children-the stars-always came out at this time attracted to this beautiful side of their father. One by one they alighted in the sky wanting badly to run to their father and accept his warmth.

But it was too late the sun was going to sleep and it would burden him to keep him awake in the late hours of the night, for he had a job to do the next morning, to keep them warm and protect them from the dangers that lie beyond.

So they stayed with their mother, playing together and having fun while the soft light of the moon watched over them making sure they were caused no harm. Their mother was always smiling a soft smile and they loved her for it.

But soon they had to sleep too and their father started to wake. Bringing a sleepy but beautiful light over the horizon to the east, and the children wanted to run to him once again. But once he woke up he gave off those violent rays and the children were scared away once again sleeping in their mothers arms.

And the cycle continued with the sun never realizing that he needn't shine that bright to get his childrens' love. And the stars never realizing that their father would never hurt them.

I jumped at the sound of Toushriou's voice behind me, "That's an interesting way of seeing things."

I blinked wondering what he could've meant, it took only few seconds to realize what must've happened, "Oh! I was saying that aloud wasn't I?"

I looked back at him, I was walking a couple feet in front of him, "The sun and moon thing? Yeah you were, why? Did you not realize you were?"

I slowly shook my head and we walked on in an awkward silence. By the time we reached our destination the moon was almost straight above our heads. This place was was a cliff, outside the city limits and past the danger of the neighborhoods on the border. A single tree only a few feet away from the edge. The cliff seemed to go down about 150 feet.

At the bottom of the cliff there was a large forest...you couldn't see the ground for all the trees. I sat down with my back to the lone tree and looked up at the sky. I heard a shuffle and then Toushirou was sitting next to me.

There was a long silence before Toushirou asked, "How'd you find this place." I smiled and stared at the moon, "My mom...used to take us here in middle of the night to watch the stars. It was one of the things she just couldn't help but love."

And the silence settled again...I don't know how long we sat there or when I fell asleep but the next thing I knew I was waking up to what seemed like the start of a sunrise. I blinked trying to wake up completely. I realized after a couple of seconds that I was leaning on Toushirou's shoulder. I quickly shot up causing him to jump.

He leaned away from me breathing heavily, "Geez Karin yoiu couldv'e said something first...scare me to death..."

I looked down blushing, "Sorry. I didn't mean to." Whether I was talking about scaring him or or moving that fast I may never know myself.

The sun started to rise and we both looked back out at it. It was then that two immense spiritual pressures appeared from behind us.

We both quickly jumped up and drew our zanpakutos. As soon as we did two arrancar sonidoed in front of us smirking and looking smug. Toushirou looked a me, "You take the one on the right I'll take the other one."

The arrancar both frowned, "What are you whispering about over there? Ah well it doesn't really matter you'll be dead soon anyway."

Toushirou smirked, "Don't be so sure of yourself it might just be your undoing." I smirked as well shaking my head, "If you've forgotton us Soul Reapers have plenty of experience with your kind."

Of course I don't have as much experience as Toushirou but that doesn't mean I haven't fought arrancar before.

The fight went on well for quite a while. Toushirou had almost finished off his opponent in only 20 minutes...without even releasing shikai.

I had been doing just as well...I raised my zanpakuto to deliver the final blow when my opponent suddenly raised his hand and started forming a cero. I took a step back from the blinding red light. But I hadn't realized how close I was to the edge of the cliff and my foot slipped. I was suddenly falling downwards towards my certain death.

I could decipher a few screams two sounded in pain and the other was a scream of my name. I forced my vision to focus only to realize I had my face in a shihakusho. A minty yet musky smelling shihakusho. Toushirou.

I screamed, "Toushirou! What the hell why you jump after me! I hope you have a plan like using your bankai to save us or something!"

There was a calm intake of breath befor ehe answered, "I can't I dropped Hyourinmaru when I jumped after you. My zanpakuto's already at the bottom of the cliff."

When he said this I mentally blanched wondering where my zanpakuto was because I certainly wasn't holding it anymore. Toushirou sigh his breath fanning over the top of my head, "Your zanpakuto's in it's sheath...I certainly wasn't going to pull you closer to me with a sword in your hand."

I was silent taking in the way he was holding me to him. His left arm was coming around my back his hand gripping the back of the shoulder of my shihakusho. His other went lower than that, coming around my back, his hand at the small of my back. He was holding me close, as if it was impossible for him to let go.

And I felt safe not like my life was in danger, though it really was. I was content, and though I could be falling to my death I was calm...happy even.

Then it was ruined, we were hitting tree branches, or more accurately Toushirou was. A particulary flexible branch stalled our fall catching us bending down and snapping back up.

It dug into Toushriou's side drawing blood and cutting his uniform. We fell the rest of the (about) 40 feet without coming in contact with anything else...except the ground.

When we hit the ground Toushirou was under me...all my weight on top of him. We hit the ground with such force that we bounced back up and hit again. I could hear that distintive snap of a broken bone several times over.

Toushirou's hold on me loosened and he rolled over to his side dragging me with him. His arms retracted from my back and went to his stomach and ribcage. He curled up in a fetal position, eyes clenched shut, biting his lip.

I sat up staring at him for several seconds before looking down at myself to see if I was injured too. I wasn't. It wasn't fair that Toushirou got so badly hurt for helping me. Saving me.

I stood up looking at our surroundings. As I should've known we were surrounded by trees. At my feet lie a forgotton Hyourinmaru. I lightly picked it up and dropped to my knees crawling over to Toushirou who was still in a fetal position. I put Hyourinmaru in it's cracked sheath, still on Toushirou's back. The sheath was almost broken from the fall but it somehow survived.

I contemplated a way to get Toushirou up onto my back without hurting him too much. Not finding one, I grabbed his wrist and started to pull him up. His eyes shot open, "What are you doing?"

I shook my head at his stupidity, "I'm picking you up since it's obvious that you're hurt...pretty badly too."

He yanked his hand away from me suddenly looking mad...and not very much in pain. He pushed himself up into a sitting position, "I can get up on my own!"

He started to stand up wincing several times. I shot up to my feet when he got to his. He put his hands on his hips, "See I told you."

But then he tried to take a step and started to fall. I stepped forward catching him before he hit the ground...I had to balance myself to support his weight. His eyes and nose were just above my shoulder but his mouth was buried into it.

I heard a soft whisper of, "I'm Sorry," before he completely slumped down sliding down the front of my body until his hair was below my shoulder, then falling onto his back seemingly unconscious.

So I picked him up and walked toward the bottom of the cliff. I didn't know how to walk on air yet, Kisuke had only trained me in sword fighting so far. So I would have to climb, 150 feet upwards, carrying Toushirou.

By the time I had got to the top the sun was setting once again and my body was numb. Toushirou was tied to my back using his sash. (You know the one he uses to hold Hyourinmaru on his back. Note: She puts it back on Toushirou after this)

I fell to the ground to tired to walk at the moment, but after I had recovered I started running towards Karakura,hoping it wouldn't take to long to get back. I was wrong, by the time we got back it was -I was guessing- around 9:00. And I was so far away from home...on the outskirts of the city.

But I kept running hoping someone would be there that could see us...that would help him.

END FLASHBACK

"And after a while Ichi-nii you found us." I finished my story sighing loudly.

Ichigo blinked, "Do you realize how long you were gone? How long you weren't home? You realize that the reason we even found you in the first place is because you both worried us half to death?"

I smiled, "But we were O.K Ichi-nii. There's no need to worry anymore...well not about me anyway. There's plenty of need to worry about Toushirou."

And for the rest of breakfast everyone ate in silence and peace.

OMG school is so annoying! First I couldn't update because of family events...then because of school...Ugh you guys have no idea how hard I've worked on this chapter...It's been forever and a half since I've left my room.