Bleach 1. Synopsis

_Note - this is just the synopsis. The story starts on the next page._

**Title**: Death and What Came Next

**Authoress**: XxMookinexX

**Summary**: Dying had not been in the plan for Kurosaki Karin. However, now that she has, what will happen? An exploration into her exploits in Soul Society. Eventual ToushirouxKarin.

**Pairings**: Toushirou Karin, Ichigo Rukia, Orihime Uuryu, Momo Izuru, etc (there are many and they are complex). Obviously Orihime likes Ichigo, Renji likes Rukia, Rangiku likes Gin. Toushirou and Momo have a very deep and complex relationship, and the same for Toushirou and Rangiku. Then again, if you've read the manga, you know all of this is implied (save for the Karin thing, but I like the idea of that pairing.) I have no definite idea of who will finally end up with whom, although I have a vague one. NOTE - these pairings are subject to change as the entire story has not been written yet.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters, I only wish I did. Any and all unrecognizable characters and situations belong solely to me and are not to be touched without permission. I am not making any money off of this and I write with the soul purpose to entertain. This disclaimer applies to all future chapters in this fanfiction.

**A/N**: I do not intend to use an OC as a main character, they will merely be background people mentioned in passing to make this more realistic (obviously at some point various captancies much be replaced). Any characters which appear OOC are written that way out of a desire to keep them in character according to the situations I have placed them in.

**Situation**: This story takes place when Karin is 20, and so is set ten years after the manga. I haven't got the brains to try and predict what will happen plot wise after this point, so this takes account of everything up to chapter 353 of the manga. I've only watched up to episode 213 of the anime.

As a result the situation is that everything has been resolved. Aizen, Gin and Tousen are dead. I think Tousen will end up surprising everyone in the end. Gin dies in an unforeseen way... although for all Gin Rangiku shippers it's not that unforseen. In my story Zaraki is dead, so are Komamura, Lisa, Kensei and Rose. Jyuushirou is dying, Shunsui is severely injured, Matsumoto was temporarily indesposed. Kusajishi Yachiru is MIA. Something like that.

I know I'm cutting a lot of corners with this, but as I've already said, I'm not intelligent enough to predict the plot and I'm not a good enough writer to improvise this as the later chapters are released and the storyline is revealed. This is Karin centric.

_Thank you!_


	2. Prologue, A Cruel Dimension

**Death and What Came Next  
**A Karin Toshiro Fanfic  
From the **_Two Lots of Six_** Series_  
XxMookinexX_

_I do not own Bleach or any of its characters, I only wish I did. Any and all unrecognizable characters and situations belong solely to me and are not to be touched without permission. I am not making any money off of this and I write with the soul purpose to entertain._

_This story takes place when Karin is 20 and takes account of everything up to chapter 353 of the manga. Written in 3rd Person, mostly Karin centric._

_Heya, this is my first Bleach fic so... read on!_

* * *

– Prologue –

_A Cruel Dimension  
_

Dying had not been in the plan for Kurosaki Karin. Of course, she had idly wondered many times what her life would be like if she could be like Ichi-nii. If she could see soul society, but she had never imagined she would find her way there the normal way so soon. Twenty was too soon. She'd barely even started her medical degree.

Now she lay very still in a pool of her own blood, trying not to exacerbate the wounds although she knew it was useless. She was a med student, after all. Had worked in her father's clinic since she was ten years old. She knew a lost cause when she saw one. She wanted to deny it. Wanted to believe that maybe, if she focused on breathing, she would be okay. The realistic part of her, however, told her this was unlikely. The crippling pain could be ignored, but her blood loss was ridiculous. Too much spilled in too short a time.

It was just so _stupid!_ She could hardly believe her luck. The one time she decided to buy food from that convenience store and it had to be held up at gunpoint. She could hardly believe it.

Probably the kid holding the gun was just nervous. Probably her entry into the shop had scared him even more than he already was and he'd tightened his grip on the trigger without even meaning to. Probably it was just an unfortunate turn of events, but that didn't stop it hurting.

The kid had long since hightailed it out of there, but the storekeeper was sobbing down the phone, trying to get her an ambulance.

She wondered what Ichi-nii would do. The hand she wasn't using to force pressure on her stomach scrabbled around on the floor in search of her bag. She'd dropped it, but inside would be her mobile. She could call him. She just had to hold on until he arrived. She had to, because what would Yuzu do without her? Oh God… all the stupid things she was leaving behind. Her stupid father with his stupid baby face and idiotic voice… all the silly things that she used to berate him for. Why? Why could she never appreciate anything till it was over? But surely her life wasn't over.

_Please, God, if you have mercy, let me live._

* * *

His name was Reiji Tetsuna.

It had been a normal day… and then somehow, everything had gone wrong in a matter of minutes.

He'd owned this store for almost twenty-five years. Never once imagining that something like this could actually happen to him. He'd inherited this store from his father, had worked in it as a boy. Now he was forty-three, with a wife and a baby girl, and more than anything, could not understand how the situation had gotten so out of hand.

The boy had looked suspicious when he'd walked in, sweating even though it was so cold outside he'd had to turn up the heating just this morning. So Reiji had been watching him very carefully, his hand straying to the panic button under the counter. There weren't very many people in the store, an elderly woman and a woman who looked to be her carer, then a gentleman who could not have been much younger than Reiji himself. He had hoped that the boy would wait till they were clear of the mayhem that could ensue. It seemed like he might, lingering as he was at the back of the store. They watched the other patrons leave after paying for their goods, then he appeared before Reiji, hands shaking as he held up the gun.

It was odd, because more than feeling a particularly overpowering sense of fear (of course, he was a little scared), mostly Reiji felt disappointed. This boy couldn't be more than fifteen years old, and was obviously terrified, shaking as he was. Reiji found himself wondering just how hard this boy's life must have been for him to be pulling a stunt like this. Yet he nodded and emptied the counter into the bag held out to him. He wasn't stupid. He valued his life over his wealth. Of course, it would be difficult to support his family for the next few months, but his baby girl had barely started crawling yet and he would rather watch her grow through monetary strife than not at all. Only… then the door opened and that raven-haired woman had casually strolled into his life.

He watched her eyes widen, saw her bag fall to the ground, then heard her scream as the boy's hand swung round towards her, the finger tightening on the trigger. Heard the gunshot. Saw her fly backwards into the door which had splintered behind her and then she was lying on the ground, bleeding, hands clutching at her stomach as she writhed in pain. The kid, that stupid little kid, was grabbing the bag and running for his life… and he couldn't believe what had happened, even as he reached for the phone to dial for an ambulance.

It was so stupid. He'd been so sure everyone would be fine, he'd tried to be sure of that. The woman was gasping and flailing about on the floor, her blood leaking everywhere, the smell of it overpowering his senses, crying in pain, and he didn't know what to do. Her eyes watered in pain as one hand grappled for her bag, reaching for something inside and Reiji felt the tears on his cheeks watching her. She was just a stranger. Someone he'd never met before today, but she was going to die. It wasn't his fault, simply circumstance, but that made them close somehow. He didn't even know her name, but he prayed for her soul, because with the amount of blood on the floor he could not see what else he could do. The ambulance wouldn't make it on time. He knew even as he spoke to the operator.

_Please, God, if you have mercy, ease her pain. Let her pass quickly to the next world._

* * *

The storekeeper must have thought she'd turned delusional, talking to people that weren't there. Well, that's what he thought. How was he to know that her brother was actually a shinigami and she could see him as clearly as the ghosts she saw everyday.

"Karin…" he whispered, tears streaming down his face. "How…?" He was obviously at a loss. Clad as he was in his substitute shinigami guise she could tell he was ready to fight anything, must have used shunpo the whole way here, only to be confronted with the God-awful truth. There was no enemy to be fought. Nothing to be done. He could protect her from all the supernatural hollows in the universe, no matter how strong, no matter the cost, but he could not save her from a fifteen-year-old boy carrying a gun.

"I'm sorry Ichi-nii," she forced out, reaching out to hold a hand that the storekeeper could not see. "I'm scared. What's it like… do you suppose?"

"I'll find you Karin. I swear to you. I'll find you."

"Soul society must be a big place…" Her eyes flickered shut. She was so tired. It was a struggle to even keep her speech coherent. "Must be… Won't be easy… To find me…"

"But I will. I promise. I'll search for as long as it takes… So please remember who you are… Please. Promise me you'll remember."

"I don't know, Ichi-nii…" She smiled slightly, hearing the urgency in his voice. The wound didn't ache so much anymore. She felt strangely light-headed. Probably the loss of blood was causing the dizziness, she could remember learning about that in med-school. Her brain must be shutting down. Also she hadn't moved for the past half-hour, so the blood diverted to her muscles had been returned to her gut. The adrenaline had worn off by now. No wonder she was tired. It was bad, she knew. She knew she mustn't fall asleep, but even cracking one eye open was hard. His face... he looked so panic-stricken. "You shouldn't look like that, you know… It doesn't suit you."

"Remember, Karin. It's very important that you remember who and what you are and that you look after yourself until I find you. Because like you said, soul society is a big place, and it might take some time, so try to find a way to hold on until I get to you, alright. Promise me."

Her eyes slid closed for good. The dizziness overwhelmed her. She wanted to promise him. Wanted to ask if he thought she would find mum there. Wanted to say she loved him. Wanted to have a hug. But all she could get out of her lips was half sentences, scraps of words that didn't mean anything, even as she tried again and again to get the words out.

"Try," she finally managed.

Then Kurosaki Karin passed away, leaving a brokenhearted Kurosaki Ichigo and a remorseful, clueless shopkeeper behind her.

* * *

_So, what do you think?_

_I thought I'd really try my best to force the cruel irony of the situation, hence the chapter title._

_This may be upsetting from time to time, but all in all I expect it to be an upbeat fic._

_As usual, updates occur as and when I get inspiration.  
_

_Luv ya_

**_XxMookinexX_**

_©2009 XxMookinexX. All rights reserved. Distribution of any kind is prohibited without the written consent of XxMookinexX._


	3. Chapter 1, To Find a Summer Pear

**Death and What Came Next**  
A Karin Toshiro Fanfic  
From the _**Two Lots of Six **_Series_  
XxMookinexX_

_I do not own Bleach or any of its characters, I only wish I did. Any and all unrecognizable characters and situations belong solely to me and are not to be touched without permission. I am not making any money off of this and I write with the soul purpose to entertain._

_This story takes place when Karin is 20 and takes account of everything up to chapter 353 of the manga. Written in 3rd Person, mostly Karin centric._

_So this is chapter one of DAWN (sorry, I have a habit of coming up with strange short names from my fics, so DWCN became DAWN)._

_Anyways, super special thanks to DD and Saigo no Hajime who reviewed last chapter! Take these metaphorical cookies and munch on them merrily throughout our first proper installment of DAWN!! YAY!_

_

* * *

_

– Chapter One –

_To Find a Summer Pear_

It was hot and she was hungry. The sun beat down on district eighty-four with an unrelenting passion. Natsuri hated the sun almost as much as she hated the crickets and the everlasting hunger that ate away at her belly. She wondered when Kazu would get back from his foraging mission and where the other three had gone. Of course, they knew better than to be around her on days like this. Natsuri could be very irritable on the days when her need for food became too great. Perhaps she was simply worried they would stray too far. After all of the five of them, only Kazu and herself had developed zanpakutō. Jito was close to it, she could almost hear his stomach rumble from time to time, but Sabu and Shin were no closer to realization now than the day they'd first found each other twelve years ago. Natsuri always felt very anxious on days like this, whilst her hunger effectively incapacitated her and Kazu was attempting to find her food the other three were effectively unguarded. It wasn't like they were in the worst district in the Rukongai. One heard terrible things of district ninety, but eighty-four was bad enough in her opinion.

"Oi, brats," she shouted, forcing herself to sit up on the tiled rooftop that had been her resting place. There was a squeak of sorts from three rooftops down that sounded remarkably like Shin. Sure enough two heads popped up over the roof's ridgepole to watch her nervously. She was irritated, but fought the instinct to snap at them down in light of her concern. "Where's Sabu?"

"On a lookout, Gō." Natsuri twitched at the nickname. Five. Yes, technically she was the fifth member of the group, being the last to join them, but in many ways she disputed the position. She was the eldest, had more spiritual power than most of them, and could actually remember _her_ name. In fact, Shin was the only one who insisted upon calling her that, as if to insist that he was above her even though they both _knew_ she wasn't.

"Stay close," she snapped, impatience and anger biting her words short. "It's a bad day ta be split."

Jito smacked Shin on the head and the other boy muttered something before disappearing from view. Meanwhile Jito crossed the rooftops to meet her.

"'Kay?" he inquired, his equivalent of '_are you alright?'_ She nodded, smiling slightly. He was the one closest to her age, being around sixteen. The others were significantly younger, Kazu around twelve with Shin being eight and Sabu eleven. Of course Natsuri knew that didn't mean anything. She was as near enough to twenty now as she had been when she'd first arrived in the district. The only thing she really remembered about that day was being able to write her name in the sand, scratching out the kanji with a stick. 夏梨. Technically it meant Kari, summer pear, but that sounded far too girly to Natsuri, so she settled for the romanji version of summer instead. Honestly, it was surprising she even remembered her name. Most people turned up in soul society with no clue of who or what they were. All they told you at the gate was that you were being sorted by the time and place of your death and then you were sent away to live your afterlife. The shinigami didn't care what happened to you. They just couldn't wait to be rid of you.

However, despite their arrogance, Natsuri had never been able to hate the shinigami. It wasn't just because everyone else seemed to hate them and she liked to cheer for the underdog. It was simply that she hadn't had reason enough. Besides, she'd seen shinigami fight hollow, quite an achievement considering that hollow invasions were few and far between these days, and had found it rather awe inspiring. Secretly she thought they were kind of cool, but wouldn't tell the others that till Jito at least had gained a zanpakutō and that could be years yet. She wanted to join the academy. She wanted to fight strong people and prove her worth. She felt restless here. Like she was always waiting for something, and she didn't think whatever she was waiting for would find her on its own anymore. The only thing holding her back were these four boys she'd developed a hopeless attachment to. They were her family, and she loved them. Even Shin in all his annoyingness. They were the brothers she had never had.

"Natsuri, what ya thinkin'? Ya don't tend ta smile like that. It's unsettlin'." Natsuri laughed at Jito's joking expression and punched his arm.

"None of yer business, brat. What ya been up to? Sunbathin' whilst I've been writhin' in pain?"

"Nah, found us some shade. You comin'?" Natsuri grinned broadly.

"I could kiss ya, brat. Yer an angel ta save my soul."

Jito blushed and turned his head away from her, but not before Natsuri caught a glimpse of it on his face. Well that wasn't good by any stretch of the imagination. It wasn't that she wasn't flattered because in actuality she really was, but Kazu's hero worship was more than enough disappointment for her to dish out at one go. Besides, if she was every going to go to the academy she'd be leaving them all behind. It wasn't good to start something she wasn't prepared to go through with. Probably she was over-thinking it. Probably Jito was only embarrassed at the unusual praise coming out of her mouth in combination with his starting the rather epic process of puberty, which in soul society lasted for several years. So Natsuri made a conscious decision not to pursue the subject. She wouldn't comment on it now, and she wouldn't say such words to him again. That was a much more sensible approach. After all, she didn't want to leave any unresolved feelings behind.

* * *

They'd been sprawled out in the shade for well over two hours, Sabu telling them dramatic stories he claimed to have lived though. Of course, none of them believed him. Somehow he was the main heroic figure in every single tale. Yet they enjoyed listening nevertheless because Sabu had a hell of an imagination. It was a very amusing way to pass the time, and they had nothing but time in this district. When they weren't running for their lives that is.

"RUN!"

The yell startled them all to their feet as they scrambled to see what was going on and pick up all of their personal affects at the same time. Kazu was sprinting towards them and an old man waving a zanpakutō was chasing after him, yelling angrily. Natsuri grinned as she picked up her own zanpakutō, spotting the large loaf of bread and pile fruit cradled in the front of Kazu's shirt as he made a bowl shape using his arms. Oh delicious miracle that is food, Natsuri planned to eat well tonight. So thinking she ran towards Kazu and the approaching man, smiling broadly. Kazu saw her coming and winked as she pulled her zanpakutō out of its sheath and sprinted forwards to meet them. At the very last minute Kazu threw himself to the side and ran around her as she jumped to make sure she was clear of him and made a one-handed swipe at the man's head with the flat of her blade. He blocked using his own, having had enough practice of chasing the brats who stole his merchandise and fighting their protectors, but did not take into account her sheath which swung widely, round and into the side of his head, jabbing towards his eye. He screamed angrily, clutching at his one streaming eye, and would have continued to make chase had Natsuri not pulled a clever trick with her feet, tripping him up so that he flipped forwards onto the ground.

She made a break for it then, turning and sprinting back down the street towards their hideout. She'd never killed anyone, and didn't plan to start now. Her zanpakutō was for protection, nothing else.

"Oi, Kazu," she shouted, using his name to show her gratitude as she spotted them amidst a group of people ahead. Then her insides twisted as she realised just who the other members of the group were. Kinzu and his thuggish friends. What were they doing here? "OI!" she yelled, charging at them with her zanpakutō raised.

To begin with they were startled, but upon identifying who was attacking them, the majority of them just laughed.

"Hey, Kid," she heard one of them begin. "Yer mama's here ta protect ya. What'll she do when she works out the rest of ya kin are dead, eh? It'll be funny, dontcha think?"

Oh God. All they had wanted was some stupid bread, and it hadn't even been for them. Please let them be alright. She could see clearer now, and it didn't look like any of them had been stabbed, probably they were just out cold. Probably they were fine. That's what she told herself anyway as she charged into attack.

"Die," she yelled, slicing at the arms of the one who held Kazu aloft. Kinzu moved faster than she would have believed possible before the day four years ago when she'd seen those shinigami fight. Suddenly he was behind her, holding her arms and yanking her backwards. The sudden momentum of it made her drop her zanpakutō, and her eyes widened in terror as it fell to join Kazu's already abandoned one on the sand.

"Let go of her!" Kazu screamed, suddenly beginning to thrash, but one of Kinzu's friends put a stop to that soon enough, wrapping his large hands around the young boy's throat. Natsuri could hear him choking.

"Stop it!" she yelled. "For God's sake, he's just a kid!"

They ignored her completely.

"Hey, Kinzu," the man jeered, his face twisting into delight as Kazu's face began to turn blue. "Since yer so fixated on the girl, how 'bout you let me and the boys have some fun with the rest of 'em, eh? They could stand ta take a beating."

She was beyond horrified. Her skin crawled where Kinzu's rancid breath played across her neck, but more than that, Kazu's eyes were almost bulging out of his head and that man was _laughing!_ She was furious. At the situation. At her inability to protect anyone. Why was she so _useless?_ One of them picked up Kazu's zanpakutō.

"What do ya reckon it'd be like ta be run through by yer own sword?" he asked his friends, who jeered. "Let's find out."

"Stop it," she whispered. Then louder, "Stop it! Don't touch him! Don't you dare touch him! I'll kill you! I swear I'll kill you! Let go of me!" She struggled wildly in Kinzu's arms, legs thrashing erratically, connecting with his legs over and over again but to no effect. Her arms were pinned from beneath to stop her reaching out, but that didn't stop her reaching backwards to Kinzu's hair and tearing at it with all her might. He swore, his grip loosening slightly, and she took the instant to ram her elbow back into the fleshy cavity beneath his ribcage.

"You little bitch," he yelled, groping for her, to punish her, to make her bleed, but she had long since dove out of his reach, grabbing her zanpakutō and swinging it wildly around her. It was useless, she knew that there were far too many of them, but she had to try. She had to win, because if she didn't then they would all die.

* * *

**Pathetic… **

It was surreal. One minute she'd been standing in the middle of a desert, ready to fight for her life… and the next she was in a jungle, face to face with a pair of amber eyes complete with slit-like pupils. What's more, they were _huge._

"Oh, _shit!_" she yelled, stumbling backwards and falling onto her behind in the most ungraceful way, her zanpakutō abandoned by her side. "What _are_ you?" The shock of the situation had her talking properly again. She'd thought she'd forgotten how to. The creature before her was monstrous, whatever it was. She couldn't see any of its actual body due to the shadows that seemed to meld into its skin. It was just that single pair of terrible amber eyes and her. There was a deep rumbling sound in the distance. Only then Natsuri realised it wasn't in the distance at all, but was coming from the creature right in front of her.

**---, can you hear me ---?**

She stared at the creature unblinkingly, and then finally, something clicked in her brain. It was _talking_ to her.

"Oh… oh, you must be…" Her zanpakutō.

The grumbling sound occurred again, and this time Natsuri thought that maybe, just maybe, it was laughing at her.

**That's right. I am Mugurametsu, and I am yours. Now fight with the courage you were born with, --- ---.**

* * *

She was back, and no time had passed. So she had no time to wonder at the name she could not hear being her own instead of his. There were more pressing matters at hand, and as Mugurametsu had said, now she could fight. Now she could believe she would win. It wasn't just that she had to. She wanted to.

"Sprout forth, Mugurametsu!"

The blade was wider, and considerably heavier. The edge of it was double sided but divided into two halves with teeth like projections interlacing down the middle. The hilt was shaped like two vines that twisted around one another until they spread outwards to form the guard around a jet-black gemstone with flashes of amber in the depths. The blade was a yellowish white and reminded her of teeth. It was very obviously deadly. She did not want to kill anyone, but she had no compulsions about hacking off their limbs. The blade scythed through their skin as easily as a knife shreds paper. It was sharp. It was hungry for blood.

"Don't touch my family!" she screamed, punctuating each word with a slice, blood spraying onto her clothing and face. Already some of the men were running away in terror at what Natsuri was finally understanding to be a shikai blade. Others were whimpering on the floor, clutching at their wounds, and the one that had been choking Kazu was bent double, throwing up beside his dismembered hands. Kinzu was sprawled on the sand, clutching at a mild flesh wound in his side and crying like he was dying.

"Pathetic," she muttered, and seeing that all her threats were gone, she turned to Kazu, who had tears on his face and was looking her with such an expression of abject terror that all the fight left her at once. She dropped Mugurametsu to the ground and fell to her knees beside him. "Kazu, are you alright?"

"Mn… Ehmmn… Nnnmnnnmn…" It was unintelligible.

"It's okay," she whispered. "We're safe now. Come here."

He ran into her outstretched arms, and bawled with terror. For the first time in her afterlife, Natsuri considered what it must be like to be a mother.

"We have to get everyone out of here," she whispered, patting him on the back as he blubbered. "I think we should try to move district even. It isn't right, us being here. You're all too young. You shouldn't have to deal with this."

District eighty-four was not as bad as district ninety as far as living in the Rukongai went. Nowhere near as bad, but it was bad enough. Dangerous enough. It wasn't right. She was under the impression that Soul Society was the equivalent of heaven. So how could such scum end up here? How were they not in hell where they belonged? Maybe in life they'd been good people. Maybe they got sick of being good. Wait around in the higher districts long enough and you'd lose the goodness you once had. Those in the Seireitei had no idea how bad the Rukongai got. She knew it was true. Now she just had to work out-

There was somebody standing beside her. Somebody horrifically strong. The pressure of their reiatsu alone had her paralyzed. It was the most scared she'd ever been in her life. Simply trying to turn her head to look at them seemed impossible. They had moved so fast, as well. In a split second they were there from never having existed. It wasn't that they had masked their reiatsu. They were simply able to move faster than sound, almost instantaneous movement.

Yet-

"I don't believe it." It was a male's voice.

Yet if they were _that_ strong… If they were stronger than a normal shinigami…

She heard footsteps walking towards her, crunching on the sand.

Then they must be a fukutaichō at the very least. Which would make them…

"I've found you. I've finally found you."

One of the good guys.

She finally broke her hold on the paralysis and turned to see him. Her heart was racing. Orange hair. A fixed frown that stayed despite the obvious relief on his face. He was old, now. Much older than when she'd last seen him.

"I know you," she whispered.

"Karin."

He was kneeling beside her in the sand, and she was frowning in confusion, unable to understand her recognition, letting go of Kazu in her plight. The man had such a pathetic expression on his face. She thought it didn't suit him. She did know him. He was-

She reached a hand out to touch his face, and then she smiled. He was someone important. Someone she felt she loved very much.

"Ichi-nii," she said, finally putting a name to the face. Ichigo. Strawberry. Just as she was a pear, and Yuzu was citron…

He drew her into a hug as her face went white and her stomach dropped below her knees.

"Yuzu," she whispered. She'd forgotten Yuzu. How _could_ she? "But I tried," she whispered desperately, fighting her already falling tears. "I really did."

"It's okay," he said, gently cradling her against his chest. Forgiving her. Comforting her. "We'll be okay now."

Kurosaki Ichigo was thirty-seven years old when he found Kurosaki Karin. She was still twenty. Her fraternal twin, Kurosaki Yuzu, was thirty-two. It was twelve years later, and somehow, life had carried on without her. Karin supposed she wouldn't prefer it any other way, but she had been away for so long. So long.

She heard something rumbling in the distance. Could hear Mugurametsu calling in her mind.

**Do you understand yet, Kurosaki Karin? The name you weren't prepared to hear has always been your own. You were waiting for him, just as I have always been waiting for you. Karin, did you know a jungle needs both rain and sun to thrive? It's raining, Karin. Right now, it's raining buckets from the sky… but there is sunlight. Such astounding, warm sunlight. I can see rainbows. I don't mind getting my fur wet from time to time… but Karin, there are rules. When your mother died it rained so much I almost drowned, and all the flowers washed away. Don't get that upset again. When you're scared the clouds cover up the sky. Don't get scared again. I like the rainbows, Karin. So long as there is sunlight amidst the rain, this world is comfortable. Get stronger, Karin, so that I don't have to swim to stay alive. I want to get stronger too. It's a jungle, Karin. So we must be strong to survive.**

**

* * *

**

_And… that's chapter one. Did you enjoy it?_

_Right, so I do a lot of research in my fics because I like that kind of thing. I'm gonna be geeky and explain some things to you cos I love to show I know things… also, cos I figure if I have thought about something I should share it. Sorry, feel free to stop reading if it bores you, but I'd value some feedback if you have time. :)_

_So, first off, let me explain why Karin didn't remember anything. In the manga, and I read this again very recently, souls tend not to remember anything of their previous lives. However, there was a bit of a conundrum in my mind with regards to why the parakeet boy remembered Sado when they first entered Soul Society. I decided that since those were memories he'd had since dying, those were the things he remembered. However, it is for this reason I decided that Karin would not need a soul burial, despite being murdered. She was calm enough when she passed away, mainly because Ichigo was there with her, that she didn't have any regrets chaining her to the shop. Feel free to argue with me on this if you like._

_Now, behind the names._ _The nicknames for the children all come from the words for one to five in Japanese. I felt that having one called Ichi might be too strong a memory jogger for Karin, and so was slightly wary of this at first, but fortunately discovered that Kazu can mean one as well. From there on I just used the standard names but modified them in each case. Ji is two and To is person, so Jito. Sabu on its own means three. Shi means four, and n can be used to round off a name without requiring an extra kanji, as in Karin's case. Karin's name does mean summer pear. Ka means summer, and Ri means pear. For the pseudonym Natsuri, Natsu is the romanji for Ka, but I decided to keep the kanji of Ri as it is because the romanji for pear is nashi and Natsunashi sounds stupid to me. Kinzu comes from Kin (forbidden) and Zu (hand). Usually I don't have the kanji meanings behind minor characters like that but had come across those two anyway when I was researching a name for Karin's zanpakutō._

_Mugurametsu comes from the kanji for creeping vines (mugura) and destroying (metsu). The release phrase sprout forth was inspired by the kanji Fuku, which I almost had her saying… only I hate it when you get bombarded with too much jargon all at once, so we'll see about that._

_I apologize to anyone who thought the scene with the thugs was a little too rough. She was in a very bad district… it couldn't all be sunshine and daisies. Also, don't worry. I'm going to have Karin talk normally from now on, the poor grammar was just to fit with her Natsuri persona, and I guess to reinforce that district eighty-four was quite rough. _

_Can anyone guess what Mugurametsu is? Also, for those who want to see what the shikai was based off of, please look at the following link (you will have to remove the spaces): www. uesp. net/wiki/Shivering:Dawnfang_and_Duskfang Also, I would be interested to know what people think of Karin getting her shikai so soon? Tell me what you think and I will explain my reasons at the beginning of next chapter if you are interested to know. Oh, and did you think 12 years was too much of a jump?_

_As usual, updates occur as and when I get inspiration._

_Luv_ _ya_

_XxMookinexX_

_©2009 XxMookinexX._ _All rights reserved. Distribution of any kind is prohibited without the written consent of XxMookinexX._


	4. Chapter 2, The Shinigami Academy

**Death and What Came Next**  
A Karin Tōshirō Fanfic  
From the _**Two Lots of Six**_ Series_  
XxMookinexX_

_I do not own Bleach or any of its characters, I only wish I did. Any and all unrecognizable characters and situations belong solely to me and are not to be touched without permission. I am not making any money off of this and I write with the soul purpose to entertain._

_This story takes place when Karin is 20 and takes account of everything up to chapter 353 of the manga. Written in 3rd Person, mostly Karin centric._

_Firstly, some feedback from last time's reviews: to begin with, I need to apologize because I made a very silly mistake last chapter claiming that Karin was from district eighty-four, when there are actually only 80 districts. I really don't know why I thought there were 90, but I'd re-read the first 200 chapters of bleach so recently that I didn't bother actually verifying if this was true. I have changed the previous update as a result. Thanks to Saigo no Hajime for pointing this out to me. _

_So far I've had a guess that Mugurametsu is a Lion. You're almost right. Keep trying! I really want to see if you guys get it on your own before he comes up again._

_Finally I wanted to make a note of something important. In my story I'm missing out all the anime filler-arcs that were not present as omakes in the manga and so are not cannon. This means that Karin has not met Tōshirō yet. I will not be making any references to football unless in passing. I actually really like that particular anime arc. I'm a big fan of the ones that are done well and give added character depth. I simply won't be using it in this story. Sorry._

_Anyways, super special thanks to fanofanime, Saigo no Hajime, Curtis Zidane Ziraa, SS and yue who all reviewed last chapter! Take a couple of scoops of chocolate fudge brownie Ben and Jerry's ice cream! Ladies and gentlemen it is my pleasure to present to you the second proper installment of DAWN!! Please enjoy your stay :)_

_

* * *

_

– Chapter Two –

_The Shinigami Academy_

It had not come as a surprise to them to find out she was leaving. Perhaps they had known since waking up to see her tears the day before, and if that hadn't tipped them off, her sudden engulfing embrace certainly did. Before that day they had never seen Karin cry. Nor had she ever been one to display such physical affections. The man, Ichigo, was something of a legend, apparently. Somehow, she'd gotten him to get the higher-ups to bend the rules. The four of them were now the new residents of district thirty-nine. It wasn't perfect, but it was home.

Yet, a small voice spoke in each boy's heart, would it really be home if Natsuri, no, Karin wasn't there? She was leaving them all behind, and whilst they were happy for her, grateful for all that she had done for them, they wished she would stay with them a little longer.

The time to express such regrets had passed, however, as they stood hugging her goodbye in turns.

"Take care of them, Jito," she said, hugging him last and tightest of all. "You're the oldest now, and whilst Kazu's going to be the one to lead them, I want you to watch over them. You're responsible for their lives, so do me proud, okay?"

Shin was crying as she left, a surprise because Karin had always thought he hated her. Kazu smacked him over the head.

"Boys don't cry, yer such a baby!"

Karin smiled and made no mention of Kazu's tears the day before.

"Oi, Natsuri… eh, I mean… Karin," Subu tugged on her sleeve to gain her attention. "Will ya write me? I'll learn ta read and everythin', so write me and I'll tell everyone 'bout ya. But ya have ta have adventures ta make 'em good stories, yeah? I can't tell 'em borin' ones."

She grinned and patted his head.

"I'll make sure to be extra reckless, just for you," she told him. "And I'll do more than just write you, I'll definitely visit. I'll miss you guys."

"We'll miss ya too," Jito replied, smiling at her. He was looking older already, she decided.

"Well… bye then." She gave them all one last tearful goodbye before walking away to join her brother and the shinigami fukutaichō Kuchiki Rukia. That had been a surprise and a half. She remembered meeting Rukia in the human world when she was ten, calling her Rukia-nee-chan. She'd even stayed in their house. She'd had no idea that Ichi-nii was so well connected.

"Oi, Karin," Kazu called. She looked back quickly, eager for one more conversation. It was silly of her she knew. This wasn't goodbye, but it was painful for her nonetheless. "I'ma gonna become a shinigami just like ya, so make sure ta be watchin' out for me, yeah? It'll be a while yet cos I gotta look after this lot, but I'll make it one day, I promise ya." He held out a fist in her direction, promising in actions and words.

"I'll be waiting!" she shouted back. She licked her lips and glanced quickly at her brother to gauge his reaction. He nodded peaceably at her, letting her know she had all the time she needed. "Oi, brats!" she yelled, slipping back into her familiar district seventy-four dialect. "Look after yerselves, ya hear me! I'ma gonna be checkin' in on ya, so yer faces betta be ever so neat when I do!"

They waved, some of them laughing, some of them crying, some of them trying to be strong. She tore herself away from them and walked away again. With each step it got easier. If she looked back, she'd be unable to go forward, and that would be sad. After all, she was looking forward to it.

* * *

"So you're Kurosaki Karin?"

The redhead was called Abarai Renji. He was tall, muscular, and most importantly, he was the taichō of the 5th Division. She'd never seen a captain before… well, not counting that one dark haired shinigami who'd singlehandedly beaten back the hollow invasion into her district two years ago. It was just that she had never expected to see one up close so soon. Of course one day, when she graduated from the academy, she would have been placed under ones command. She'd simply expected a bit more time. Even Rukia was a fukutaichō of the thirteenth division. She'd thought that had been impressive, and then she'd met a taichō. Awe didn't begin to cover it.

"Pleased to meet you, Abarai-taichō," she said, bowing in respect. She really meant it, and Karin had never been that polite as a rule.

Renji blinked, seemingly taken aback. He put a hand behind his head and massaged his neck in discomfort.

"That's surprising. I never expected Kurosaki's sister to be so formal," he announced to an invisible audience. After all, it was just the two of them there, save for the occasional passing shinigami. Ichi-nii had been forced to leave for the real world again soon after checking her into the academy, whilst Rukia had suddenly been summoned via a hell butterfly to attend her taichō who had taken a turn for the worst in regards to his tuberculosis. So Renji had been stuck with her because apparently he was Rukia's good childhood friend, and Karin had a few hours to kill before her entrance exam.

"Then how should I address you?"

He shrugged.

"I dunno. Honestly, I was expecting you to act like your brother and call me Renji, but probably that would alienate you from your future classmates… they don't like people who get ahead. How about sticking to the formalities around them and saying whatever suits you best when they're not around?"

She smiled and nodded.

Karin wasn't complaining about the situation at all. Still, she felt a little uneasy. It wasn't nerves. She had been assured that she was bound to have enough natural talent to get into the advanced class, especially if she had already awakened her shikai once already. Her issue was that she kept getting odd looks and it unsettled her greatly. The thing Karin couldn't understand about it was that the majority of whisperings she overheard had as much to do with Ichi-nii as her current companion.

"Say, Renji, what did Ichi-nii actually do? He seems to be greatly revered and I have no idea why. If I had those memories originally then they seem to have slipped away."

He looked at her contemplatively for a while before finally nodding.

"Alright, we have some time to kill anyway, so I'll tell you. It was twenty-two years ago now. There was a war. The Winter War. There was a man called Aizen Sōsuke…"

* * *

"So Ichi-nii and the others battled their way through most of soul society's taichōs in order to save Rukia-nee-chan?"

Karin was laughing, but was torn between hysterics and sheer disbelief. They'd moved on from the war to its origins and how Renji had met Ichi-nii to begin with. She couldn't believe a lot of what she'd heard. Her brother was something called a visored as well as being a shinigami-substitute. His friends, most of whom she knew very well, had all been adventuring with him in his exploits. It explained the mysterious disappearances. She kind of felt like she understood everything better, including the day he'd come back those years ago with tears in his eyes. Some of his friends had died in that war. Karin felt guilty for asking about it because it was obviously painful for Renji too. Reliving the past had given him a far away look in his eyes, and his expression always seemed to be one step away from wincing.

She could imagine everything. It was almost like she knew the taichōs her brother and his friends had fought. She wanted to meet them. To meet everyone her brother loved and almost died to protect. It had been important to him, and so it was important to her.

More than ever, she was determined to become one of the Gotei thirteen. She would become the sort of strong shinigami that could protect her friends. Fast enough to save them. Strong enough to defeat their enemies.

In the back of her mind Mugurametsu growled with happiness.

* * *

Her first impression of the academy was that there were far too many people. Over the next few weeks as she adjusted to academy life, she began to understand that she would not make many friends within the cold stonewalls. The instructors were scary, and the students thrived on competition. It was intimidating. Still, what was impressed upon her most of all was the reaction her name was going to get for years to come. People expected so much of her, and were bound to be disappointed when she wasn't perfect. Then there were others who resented the special attention she hadn't even asked for. It was a very difficult situation.

Still, she'd never been one to give in to such things. She was strong. She had Mugurametsu. If anything, her wish to improve was spurred on even more by her classmates' inattentions or ire. However, there was an issue…

"Kurosaki Karin," the instructor called, summoning her to practice her kidō. Her stomach clenched horribly as she stepped up to the circle she was to throw the fireball from towards the target on the opposite side of the practice-field. It was a ripple effect. Suddenly everyone was paying rapt attention to her. Waiting with bated breath in case she did anything wrong. It wasn't fair. She hated it. Even the students who had been lazily falling asleep cracked open their rusty eyes to watch her sink. She hated kidō. It was her worst subject. It was just so frustrating! She could see how things ought to be done, could understand the underlying principles, but no matter what she did her kidō was always weaker than others. Slower, less accurate, less incapacitating, but she couldn't see why.

She acknowledged her instructor, Makira Shōto, and tried to fire off the same blast as the student before her, imitating the exact posture of his hand, siphoning the right amount of reiatsu. When she was sure it should be perfect she let it go, but even as it left her hand she saw the trajectory was wobbling all over the place. She gritted her teeth and waited for the sniggering that was bound to ensue, feeling the heat rising to her cheeks before the fireball was even halfway towards the target. The instructor sighed, seeing like she could that it was a lost cause and called the next student before Karin could be laughed down again.

"Paizuke Lauren."

She was one of the oddest people Karin had ever met, with long blonde hair, pulled into an obscene amount of punches around her head. Bright green eyes glared at Karin as she walked past, taking up the position Karin had just vacated. Karin could feel the surge of power, could sense that her aim was true well before it hit the target dead on with enough force to cause a minor explosion. Karin didn't bother to look back at her. She would only be smirking, as she had been from the first lesson when she was the only one to produce one so bright.

Karin did not hate Lauren. She simply failed to understand why Lauren hated her, but that was nothing new. For as far back as Karin could remember, aside from Yuzu, girls had never liked her much. She much preferred the company of boys, who didn't gossip and had a straightforward way of thinking.

Inwardly she let out a sigh of relief that at least this week's torture was over. Very soon it would be time for her swordplay lessons again, and she enjoyed them more than anything. It wasn't just that she was good at it. No, she was incredible, but the reason she loved to fight was that she felt she was proving her worth to be there on her own terms. She was not going to be her brother, she had known that from the start, but she was skilled nevertheless and when she was fighting that much was made obvious to her classmates. No matter the sneers, she could survive everything if she improved. Even if it was just a tiny bit. What she really needed, she decided, was a tutor in kidō. Someone who had such mastery of the subject that they would be able to tell just where Karin was going wrong, and she had just the perfect person in mind.

* * *

Hinamori Momo was beyond elated at the prospect. It was not often that students approached her, and for it to be Kurosaki's sister made her feel all bubbly on the inside. Of course, she had heard all about the young woman's problems from her subordinate Makira Shōto who taught the advanced first year's kidō lessons. It was the one thing holding her back. The other instructors all sensed it. If she could just improve her kidō, Kurosaki Karin would easily graduate within two years instead of the usual six. Honestly, she had a shikai already. She qualified for the fukutaichō level, and everyone knew the Gotei thirteen were in need of fukutaichōs after the war. Of course they wanted her to graduate. The higher-ups had already decreed that she was to join one of the squads at that level as soon as possible. Several taichōs had already been alerted to that fact and were surreptitiously checking up on her to see what she was worth.

It was going to be a challenge, but Momo was more than ready to take it up. In fact, several people had prompted her to suggest the idea herself and she'd had half a mind to do so except that Karin approached her first. Maybe it was because of all the eagerness to push her to the front that made the girl so disliked by her peers. Momo could see that Karin was very lonely and had some concerns about this. She'd seen her eating by herself during most lunchtimes, and wondered if it was by choice or force. Then again, it could have been that the others were scared. It was rather intimidating to be put into the same class as someone who could already use her shikai with ease. Usually it took years to develop. Or it could have been due to Paizuke Lauren, the other star pupil of the first year's advanced class, who had an obvious dislike for Karin.

"What do you think, Renji?" she seemed to wonder aloud, pausing halfway down a corridor and staring straight ahead. She heard him laugh quietly before stepping out of the shadows. Any of the other instructors wouldn't have noticed him so soon, but Momo had grown even closer to him since the short time she had been his fukutaichō following the war, never mind the fact that they were originally classmates. She smiled. It was good to see him again. She was usually so busy being an academy instructor that she didn't have much time to visit her old friends. She made a mental note to make the time somehow. She missed them.

"About Kurosaki Karin? You are going to teach her aren't you?" He sounded almost incredulous at the suggestion that she might not. Momo laughed.

"Don't be silly, Renji. Of course I will. I was meaning about which squad she might join. Did you have any thoughts? There's quite a deficit after all." He frowned.

"It'll be Iba Tetsuzaemon. I'll bet. A pity really, cos I'd have liked to have her. Still, I know how this goes by now. Priority goes to those taichōs who need them most. I guess it's a compliment of sorts not to be singled out."

She nodded, thinking of how third squad had been selected for the replacement first and trying not to be hurt by Renji's statement.

"I guess. Izu- I mean, Kira seems to be getting on with Ryūken Kotoshi well enough."

He rolled his eyes.

"Momo, you're going out with him, I'm not going to be shocked if you call him Izuru. Besides, I didn't mean it like that and you know it. Third squad was selected first because they suffered the most losses. Just like thirteenth squad needed Rukia since Ukitake-taichō is severely ill. They think these things through."

She smiled.

"It's funny to think how far we've come from when all four of us were students together. You and… Izuru," she blushed at using his first name in front of Renji. "You're both already taichōs, and I'm an instructor. Rukia's a fukutaichō. All of us can use bankai. Isn't that incredible?"

He nodded, taking a few seconds to reminisce with her.

"So… how exactly were you going to train Kurosaki?" he asked curiously to break the comfortable silence. Momo shrugged.

"I have an idea." She paused, then looked at him curiously. "You're interested in her, aren't you?" He snorted.

"Point me in the direction of any taichō who's not. People like her don't come along everyday. That kind of rapid development doesn't happen very often, and hasn't in a while, so it's a good thing to gossip about. Anyways, I thought I'd just drop in and see how you were doing. You spend all your free time with Izuru, so the rest of your friends like me get left behind. I heard Hitsugaya-taichō was particularly vexed at you. Maybe sort that out, yeah?"

He waved to her over his shoulder as he walked away. It wasn't so painful to see his back anymore… the symbol of the fifth team now belonged to her squad in her mind, rather than to Aizen Sōsuke. It had taken many years with lots of support and guidance from her friends and Izuru especially, but she was finally okay again.

"I'm doing just fine, Renji," she whispered, smiling at his retreating figure. Then she turned around and went to find Kurosaki Karin.

* * *

"You're not being aggressive enough, Karin," Momo sighed, easily brushing away Karin's latest attempt with a wave of her hand. The flesh on the back of it was barely singed by the contact. "Honestly, your technique is spot on, and you certainly have enough reiatsu in the spell, but seems like you don't want to hit anything. You're not like your brother, Karin."

It was the most shocking thing Karin had ever heard. She was used to everyone prejudging her, holding her up to the brilliant example that was Ichi-nii until she fell down in comparison. It was quite another thing entirely to be told outright that she was different from the start.

"Umm, I don't know what to do about that, Hinamori-san."

"What are you talking about?" she wondered, temporarily bathing in confusion. "That's a good thing. No disrespect to your brother but he's the worst person at kidō I've ever seen. At least you understand the principles. My point was that Kurosaki-san can't seem to regulate his enormous reiatsu and so kidō is practically impossible for him. You on the other hand have no good excuse. You simply aren't trying hard enough. Look, watch me."

She extended a hand to the side and effortlessly shot out the kidō blast Karin had been attempting to perfect for the last two hours. Its accuracy, spin, speed and firepower were immaculate. There hadn't been a single hesitation in the gesture.

Momo had been watching Karin analyze her kidō blast and suddenly smiled.

"Let me see, do you understand yet, Karin?" Slowly Karin shook her head.

"I did it exactly the same as you… I just… Maybe I'm not-"

"Wrong!" Karin blinked and backed away and Momo shook a hand in front of her face. "See that!" She slapped one of her hands with the other. "That is your problem, you have no confidence in kidō at all. Everything about your technique is perfect. So the result should also be perfect. The issue is with your concentration. At the last second you'll think 'what if it goes wrong', and there all your hard work goes, out of the window. No matter what preparation you do, it's useless if you can't keep your focus."

Karin pursed her lips. She hadn't even been aware that was the case. In which case, how exactly was she supposed to regulate that?

"Karin." She glanced up and saw a determined look on her teacher's face that she had never seen before. "Drop your weapon please."

"What?" Karin asked, startled and took a step back, her hand automatically reaching for Mugurametsu's handle. Momo was very patient.

"I am going to attack you using my shikai. I want you to defend yourself using only kidō. For this purpose, and to stop you relying on your zanpakutō, I wish you to drop Mugurametsu onto the ground. Now, please comply. I imagine the only way to stop you distracting yourself by worrying what your classmates or I think of you is to distract you myself and take away all your emotional support. I will count to three. Then I will attack. One… Two…"

Karin hurriedly dropped Mugurametsu to the ground and backed away. She understood the logic behind what Momo was trying to do. She just hoped it worked.

"Three! Burst, Tobiume!"

_

* * *

And… that's chapter two. What do you think?_

_Sorry it's so late. This time it really is due to something out of my control as I went back to university and they canceled my internet subscription due to technicalities that they really should have explained before. No matter. I've managed to argue and buy my way back onto the internet connection in order to post this. Hopefully I'll be able to resume more reasonable updates now that it's all sorted out. _

_Now, I plan to write more in this particular aftermath series, and so have not gone very in depth as to who is where in regards to the various taichōs and fukutaichōs of the Gotei thirteen, so here is a very brief summary list, although I have more details for most squads:  
**First squad, second squad, fourth squad, eighth squad, tenth squad and twelfth squad are all unchanged.**  
**Third squad**'s taichō is Kira Izuru. His fukutaichō is __Ry__ūken Kotoshi__ (who I made up).  
**Fifth squad**'s taichō is Abarai Renji. Hinamori Momo refused the position of taichō after awakening her bankai but did serve as his fukutaichō for a while in the immediate aftermath of the war. She then went on to become an instructor in the Academy, preferring to teach than fight. Renji has no replacement fukutaichō following her abdication.  
**Sixth squad**'s taichō is still Kuchiki Byakuya. He has no replacement fukutaichō following Renji's promotion.  
**Seventh squad**'s taichō is Iba Tetsuzaemon. He has been selected to receive the next fukutaichō.  
**Ninth squad**'s taichō is Hisagi Shuhei. He has no fukutaichō.  
**Eleventh squad**'s taichō is Madarame Ikkaku following Zaraki Kenpachi's demise. Ayasegawa Yumichika has claimed the third seat. He refuses to become his fukutaichō, and Ikkaku has never asked him to, because both feel the position still solely belongs to Kusajishi Yachiru who went missing after the war.  
**Thirteenth squad**'s taichō is still Ukitake Jyūshirō. His fukutaichō is Kuchiki Rukia, who was promoted despite her brother's concerns due to Ukitake's poor state of health._

_What squad do you think Karin will belong to?_

_Apologies once again for the OCs that keep slipping into this. Unfortunately one or two of them have become main supporting characters. **Paizuke Lauren** comes from Pai(medal) Zu(unexpected) Ke(flower) Lau(road) Ren(gloss). **Ry**__**ūken Kotoshi** comes from Ry__ū(gold) Ken(hopes) Koto(Reason) Shi(Thread). __**Makira Shōto** comes from Maki(care for) Ra(and so forth) Sh__ō(righteous) To(gates).  
_

_Next chapter we may even, shock horror, actually have Karin MEET Tōshirō!! Perish the thought._

_As usual, updates occur as and when I get inspiration._

_Luv ya_

_XxMookinexX_

_©2009 XxMookinexX. All rights reserved. Distribution of any kind is prohibited without the written consent of XxMookinexX._


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Bleach, Romance