Siblings in Arms Chapter 2: The Moon and the Star

Immediately following the burst of reiatsu Ichigo sat up with a violent start. He looked around the barren room and saw Urahara and Karin. The last one left him to rub his eyes. He was supposed to be dead but here he was in a room with Mr. Hat and Clogs and his sister.

His senses were overwhelmed with a new but familiar reiatsu. He noticed it coming from his sister. It felt huge, just a bit smaller then his own. Ichigo figured that he should have noticed it a while ago but as busy as he had been he had probably ignored it.

"Karin, where am I?" Ichigo asked, his voice groggy and disoriented.

"To be honest I don't know. I've been too busy trying to survive the things this nut job calls training." Karin replied, agitation evident.

"Are you okay Ichi-nii?" Karin asked, her eyes possessing a softer gaze than Ichigo could ever recall gracing her before.

"Yeah," Ichigo replied, "but damn those bastards did a number on me."

"Who did a number on you?" Karin asked.

Ichigo's face took on a worried expression before settling back to a scowl when he gave his reply, "Just some fuckers who didn't like my hair color."

"You don't have to lie," Karin told Ichigo, "I know that you're a shinigami and that you've been fighting some things called hollows." Karin took a breath and continued, "So please stop lying."

"I'm not lying." Ichigo lied, his signature scowl present.

One glance at his face and the words themselves drove Karin to begin raising her leg. She quickly brought it forward right into his chin. She placed her arms at her hips and glared down at Ichigo.

"I thought I told you to stop lying." Karin exclaimed.

Ichigo, fearing for his life, quickly replied with a customary, "I'm sorry." Ichigo then elaborated, "It's a long story I don't feel like telling right now."

"I've got time," was Karin's succinct reply. Her face now possessed its signature scowl that was reminiscent of Ichigo's.

Ichigo sighed and seeing no way out of this began his explanation. "It all began when that one hollow attacked our clinic. Before the attack I happened to meet a shinigami hunting that particular hollow. Her name was Kuchiki Rukia. She's a midget and incapable of drawing. I mistook her for a burglar and gave her a nice kick. I ended up with my hands stuck behind my back, knees on the floor, while being tortured with bad drawings."

Karin gave Ichigo a harsh strike on the back of his head before yelling, "Stop talking about the drawings already."

Ichigo rubbed his head before continuing. "She went to fight the hollow leaving me bound. When I noticed you guys were in trouble I managed to break the spell. While trying to fight I got in the way and got Rukia hurt. In order to save everyone Rukia gave me temporary shinigami powers. Ever since then I've been fighting hollows and performing konso."

"What is konso?" Karin growled.

Ichigo put his hand to his face and made a rubbing motion as if to soothe a headache. "Konso is when a shinigami sends a soul to Soul Society. Anyways, things went smoothly until recently. Turns out Rukia got in trouble for letting me borrow her powers and staying here so long. They tried to kill me and they've taken Rukia back with them where they are going to execute her."

Karin looked rather surprised for a brief moment before her face reformed the omnipresent scowl. "Aren't you going to do something about this?" Karin inquired, her voice ferocious like a tiger's roar.

"Yes, I am I just need Mr. Hat and Clogs to help me get to Soul Society and then I'll save her myself!" Ichigo retorted.

"I'm afraid I can't help you right now. Because if you go as you are now you'll die. I let you fight these guys this time. I figured you'd learn best by example. Also you would do well to note that both of them will be at least five times stronger when you get to soul society." Urahara explained his face serious.

"Besides as of now you don't have your shinigami powers. We call sending someone to a certain death a suicide mission. Don't use others to justify your own death, Kurosaki-kun." Urahara continued his explanation with a heavy expression but once he finished a smile started on his face.

"Kurosaki-kun, you should know that Rukia didn't need to give you shinigami powers because you possessed your own. I regrettably admit I should have helped you wake them up years ago but with Rukia's power no longer covering up your own we can take care of that now." Urahara continued in his annoyingly mischievous voice, a fan now hiding his face. "Before you go to soul society we need to wake your power and your sister's power and then let me teach you two how to fight."

"How do you expect me to sit here and play games while Rukia is going to die. I don't have time to learn how to fight from you; I need to get to Soul Society as quickly as possible." Ichigo roared.

"I thought I told you to stop using others to justify your own death. If you go as you are now you and Rukia will die. The danger Rukia faces is not as immediate as you think. Soul Society has a thirty day waiting period before executions. That gives me plenty of time to bully you. I'd say about twelve days to get you and your sister up to par." Urahara finished having completed another maddening mood shift from levity to severity and back to levity. "Just so you know par on my course is a hole in one."

"Oi, one question, how'd I get back inside my body?" Ichigo asked.

Yet again Urahara's face took on that infuriating smirk before cryptically, yet succinctly replying, "Special delivery."

Urahara then proceeded to guide the siblings to his underground training room. Karin upon seeing the room allowed a gawk to occupy her face. Ichigo feigned indifference. Urahara perturbed by the silence decided to act out the part of the stunned visitor.

"Wow!" He exclaimed. "Who would ever imagined something like this existed under that candy shop…"

"Stop it we're impressed enough as it is," Karin replied as courteous as always.

"Ah, that's good to hear. Now, on to restoring your powers, it's simple. All you have to do is knock my hat off. Please come at me with the intent to kill because I will be granting you that courtesy." Urahara's lecture stopped as his face adopted a mild but murderous grin.

"Awaken, Benihime," Urahara cried as his zanpakutou came out with an explosion of power.

Ichigo dived to grab Karin before rolling them both out of the way. Urahara was flying towards them his sword poised to slice. Ichigo weighing his options decided he had no choice but to throw Karin out of the way as he leaned back. Ichigo continued his lean backwards transforming into a roll which he used to resituate himself on his feet. Without a single second of breathing room Ichigo was forced to parry to the right to avoid a vicious strike intended to crack his skull.

Finally having a free moment from the frenzy, Ichigo's mind decided to turn his mouth into a toilet. "Shit, he's fucking fast." Ichigo declared.

The reprieve was quickly ended as the hat wearing maniac proceeded to launch an even more savage series of slashes. Ichigo became a contortionist as he weaved around the attacks. He leaned to the left. He pivoted to the right. He lunged back. He hunched forward. He finally declared, "That's not supposed to bend that way," as his back gave a thunderous pop.

Karin couldn't help but watch. She didn't know what she could do. I'm just a burden right now, she thought. I can't help Ichi-nii unless I get stronger. But how? How?

Karin opened her eyes to see a giant soccer field with a beautiful woman in the center. The women had long flowing hair that was a radiant blue. Her complexion was pale but not sickeningly so and her eyes were a piercing shade of blue. Overall, this woman seemed to shine.

"Welcome Karin, I've been expecting you." The woman greeted.

"Where am I?" Karin demanded, her voice edged with tempered steel.

"This is a manifestation of your soul," the woman explained.

"So basically you're saying that my soul is comprised of a soccer field. I guess I really do play too much soccer." Karin replied.

"Who are you and how are you in mind?" Karin crudely demanded.

"I am your zanpakutou's spirit." She revealed.

"If you wish to wield me you must answer my question truthfully. For what reason do you wish to fight?" The spirit asked.

"I wish to fight for Ichi-nii's sake." Karin replied.

"Do you wish to fight for just Ichigo's sake what about Yuzu or your father? Are they not just as worthy?" She countered.

"No! They are just as important I would gladly fight for them." Karin growled her ire rising.

"If you do not wish to fight for just Ichigo than what is your reason for fighting? Where will you get your resolve?" The spirit of Karin's zanpakutou demanded.

"I don't know and I don't see why it's important. While we're taking Ichi-nii is being attacked and I need to help him with or without a zanpakutou." Karin raged, her temper brought about by the cryptic questions she was being asked.

"Why is it so important that you help Ichigo?" She demanded, her own voice now edged with agitation.

"Because he's important to me and that's what we do for people who are important to us." Karin yelled.

The spirit smiled, seemingly appeased with this answer. A sword materialized. It was an elegant kodachi. It possessed an odd luminescent quality.

"Go and proudly call my name青い星 (Aoihoshi) to fight for what you hold dear." The newly revealed Aoihoshi commanded.

Ichigo had decided to run for his life. No matter where he went the freak was always a step ahead of him. He was just ducking under a swing meant for his head when he heard Karin cry out, "Shine, Aoihoshi!"

Ichigo couldn't help but be astounded. His little sister seemed to explode with power. To him there was no way to describe it. The look on her face was different than he was used to seeing. Karin's earlier faces had been laced with traces of denial left in the wake of events she had chosen to ignore. She hadn't had any resolve was the best way to put it, Ichigo thought. She was different now. Her eyes possessed a certain gaze. They had that famous look, the one that pierces through you into the future without missing a second of the present.

Karin's kodachi began to glow before lighting up in a blue flame. She attacked viciously attacked Urahara with wide sweep for his head forcing him to duck next to the already crouched Ichigo.

"Well it appears that little Karin's getting serious." Urahara taunted, his face twisted with an odd smile.

Karin's response was to make a leap towards Urahara her sword prepared for a downward strike. Urahara, however, in a demonstration of combat prowess simply sidestepped the swing and knocked Karin down with the hilt as she passed.

"What is it with this family all power and no finesse." Urahara declared seemingly convinced that the training room's fake sky had the answer. "To make it worse I think the rash older brother has more graceful movements than the sister. I mean did you see the way he bent earlier. "

Karin made another swing this one horizontal aiming to separate the torso from the legs. The swing was forceful and Urahara was slightly pushed back and the ground around him scorched.

"Wow, I guess the guys are going to be justified if they call you a firecracker." Urahara teased, the self-made pun apparently amusing him enough to further that damnable curvature of his lips.

Apparently, however, the man had decided playtime was over and began to pick up the intensity of the battle. He began with an expeditious overhead slice. Karin managed to bring her kodachi up with only an infinitesimal period of time separating her from doom. Karin moved to the side and prepared another attack but Urahara anticipated it and knocked the kodachi out of her hands. Urahara was seemingly preparing to drive the sword into Karin's vulnerable body; however, everyone present heard a cry.

"Zangetsu!"

Author's Notes:

Sorry this took so long to get out but there's school, school, more school, and did I mention school. This is over a month behind the planned release. I've checked and as of 4/12 I have one review. So my thanks go out to .fire333. I hope this continues to meet the standards you set for me and for the record I agree with you in HitsuKarin not being my favorite thing to read. But like a fungus it grows on you. This was another tough chapter for me, albeit rewarding. The meaning for the title is derived from the names of the zanpakutous. Zangetsu means something along the lines of "cutting moon." I spent a large portion of time thinking about how to name Karin's zanpakutou. I eventually decided to match the moon with another celestial object. At first I considered the sun but decided that it didn't really fit Karin. The sun is a source of life and Karin really doesn't imitate that to me. I decided instead to do a star bright, but distant. I eventually came up with the name Aoihoshi. It means "blue star". Basically the shikai wraps the kodachi in blue flames. I would classify the zanpakutou as a fusion between a melee and kidou type.

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Finished: Mon. 14 April 2:43 AM

Proofread and Published: Mon. 14 April 3:00 AM