I woke up the next morning and realized I had cried myself to sleep. I was still laying on my stomach from where I had laid down after work the day before. I rolled over and stared at the ceiling. It didn't take me long to realize it was birthday. Which was the exact excuse I used not to go to work that day.
I smelled heavily of wet clothing even though I wasn't wet anymore. My bed was but I wasn't. I sighed and stood from the bed. I would have to wash the sheets and blankets on it or they would mold. I'd have to wash my clothes as well considering the smell and the fact that they were stiff. However all the things I needed to do were going to wait until later for two reasons.
One: I needed a shower.
And Two: I needed to go somewhere where Rangiku wouldn't track me down without her extremely loud happy birthdays.
I thought maybe she would have some decency and leave me alone about "happy" birthdays the year before but I was terribly terribly wrong. I found myself wondering how I would spend the day. Like anything I did could make me any less depressed.
Before I could make it to my bathroom to get the shower I needed there was the sound of door opening and footsteps and I was suddenly being grabbed by the shoulders and shouted at. I couldn't process anything he was saying from the shock. The first thing I actually processed was after his hands were off shoulders and into his orange hair. And it was a whisper, "Sorry. Maybe I should start over."
I crossed my arms, angry that he had barged in my house and started shouting. Then I realized... Kurosaki had been just as depressed as I was since Karin died. If he was this excited...I shouldn't get my hopes up.
He sighed and took his hands out of his hair, "I was just at the 12th squad...and Kurotsuchi said...that he made this new software last night. It connects to a computer and that huge T.V. he has in that one room. He's tested it and everything and it works...and..."
I interrupted him, "What does it even do?"
He took a deep breath, "Every soul that enters the soul society is recorded right? Their names and the fact that they entered the Soul Society. But no one ever knows what district they'll end up in. That's why it's so difficult to find someone. Also people can have the same names so you can't just find someone based on their name. Until now. His software...it...well all it needs is a name and a date of death and it can tell you where someone is. So if we put Karin's name in we could find her."
And my mind stopped working. I had so many questions like the one I asked next, "How has he tested it? Not many people know what day they died on."
He took in another huge breath, "Well he also developed another thing that only requires spiritual pressure. According to him your spiritual pressure is a direct connection to memories and feelings you may not even know you had. And by using that connection it can find a memory you may have forgotten and tell you the date it happened. It also can show you how it happened and everything. He said he made it under the instruction of the Head-Captain because everyone has stupid disagreements about how someone did so and so thing when they really didn't. Like cheat on their girlfriends or something. You can just tell the thing to find a memory of cheating and if it doesn't find anything it will say no results. But I'm getting off track aren't I? Rukia and Captiain Ukitake have already tested both software. They both work."
I was trying so hard not to get my hopes up but I couldn't help but smile. We could find her. Well if she was in the Soul Society anyway. I was pretty sure she was, I mean it had been two years. I sighed and started to walk back to room, "Stay here. I'll be right back."
By the time I got back in room I hurriedly changed into a clean uniform and left the room again. Kurosaki and I rushed to the 12th squad and soon enough we were standing in front of the huge screen with Kurotsuchi typing in Karin and November 26th. He said he only searched the first name at first for two reasons.
One: Many souls who enter the Soul Society don't remember their last names.
And Two: It would most likely be unnecessary to search the last name because most people with the same names usually don't have the same death dates.
If necessary he would search with her last name as well. Kurosaki and I watched the screen as the word searching appeared over and over again. Time slowed down and I took note of every little detail. Ichigo's hand was on my shoulder and he had stopped breathing. I had too for that matter.
My heart was beating faster than I thought possible and my thoughts were racing even faster. What if we found her? It's not like she would remember us. I realized I was getting excited over something that would only break my heart even more. But I had to know she was safe. That she was okay. For lack of a better comparison I felt like a kid in a candy shop. One that wasn't allowed to get anything but loved being there anyway.
As soon as time sped up again my heart dropped. My heart knew but my mind didn't process the words on the screen.
No Results...
I looked up at Ichigo's face to see if he had processed what it meant yet. I sure hadn't. I just kept waiting for it to hit me. She wasn't here. I couldn't fathom it. Then it hit me and I realized everything I had just lost at the same time I realized that Ichigo had tears running down his face, his eyes still glued to the screen. I felt sick. I wanted to cry but the tears wouldn't come. I was in denial...
I turned to leave the room and soon found Kurosaki rushing ahead of me. I had lost the girl I was head over heels in love with. I had really lost her. And he had lost a little sister. Neither was something you could ever replace. So I ran after him.
We had something in common when it came to loss and I had learned that that could be a huge comfort sometimes. I wouldn't be comforted by it because I hadn't yet realized the magnitude of the words on the screen...but he had.
I had trouble keeping up with him even using flash-step. That was until he stopped in front of me. I had to flash-step twice to stand next to him. I was out of breath but I didn't let it show. I was about to ask why he stopped when he whispered, "Look."
He was looking in the 9th squad's training grounds. There was auburn haired girl repeatedly swinging her zanpakuto at a dummy. But that wasn't why he stopped I could tell that. Behind him was a black haired, gray eyed girl, whose smile was way too familiar. All her hair was up in a ponytail save for her uneven bangs.
Before I could stop him Kurosaki was stepping forward. Neither girl seemed to notice. The auburn haired girl was speaking to the other girl, "So how is the academy going?"
The Karin-like girl answered with, "My teacher says that I can graduate in May if I want to."
The other girl stopped slashing at the dummy, "The last person to graduate from the academy in only a year was the Captain of the tenth squad. You could get a pretty high ranking straight off the bat like that."
It was then that both girls noticed Ichigo walking towards them and turned sharply towards him. At which he stopped and put his hands up like he was surrendering, "No need to get so frightened. I was just happening to pass by and I noticed that you two have very large spiritual pressures. Or maybe only one of you does I'm not good with detecting that kind of stuff."
The auburn haired girl lifted her zanpakuto up and pointed it at his face, "Who are you?"
He only held his hand out to shake her hand, "I'm Ichigo Kurosaki. What's your name?"
The girl nearly dropped her zanpakuto, "The Ichigo Kurosaki? The one who sealed Aizen away?"
Ichigo drew back his hand and instead scratched his head with it, "Well yeah...but he escaped so that didn't really work out now did it?"
This time she really did drop her zanpakuto. With an extremely shocked look on her face. The Karin-like girl waved a hand in front of her face. Then smiled at Ichigo, "Sorry. Ai's not good with meeting people. Especially ones who are particulary famous for being a hero."
He just shrugged, "Well okay then. What's your name?"
She held her hand out like he did before, "It's Kaya."
He grabbed her hand and shook it, "Do you have a last name?"
She looked at the sky, "I assume I do but I don't know what it is."
And I knew. I knew that this was Karin. It was common for someone to forget their names or get them mixed up with another name. It took everything I had not to kiss her just from the elated feeling I got.
So guys things are getting better! I believe we've found someone who was missing. Or have we? No I'm kidding, we have. I'm not evil enough to keep her away for to long. But she doesn't know her name! Poor Toushirou... Also the reason her name is Kaya is because both Karin AND Kaya mean pure...and they start with K. Easy to get confused no?
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