A/N: Well here we go people, my first chapter story. I hope it turns out well and is not a complete failure but hey, it happens. Personally I don't think it's to bad but... don't be surprised if I throw a major curve ball here or there and mess something up.
Hope you enjoy and the oh-so obvious, REVIEW! Please? It doesn't have to be long but please, please, please, please, use real grammar if you do instead of: O mi gawd, OMG! SO cul I luvs! U roc! etc. etc. This hurts me just as much as it hurts you.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the idea behind this story, and as far as I know right now I have no plans for OC's so... yeah.
Now I present to you, Cutting the Puppet Strings! REVIEW!!!!!!!!! Who reads this note anyway?
She watched with peering eyes as he- no that wasn't right, it- erupted out of the building before her, sending flashes of rubble all around her and a torrent of billowing dirt at her eyes. The giant monster trudged out, it's feet creating small craters as it hallowed and glared maliciously down at her. It walked slowly and evenly as the dingy street lamps cast it's light upon it's large form. It was plainly unhappy and even more than that, humiliated.
The small girl believed she could march in and steal the sweet taste of revenge from him before he tasted it?!
The hollow angrily weaved it's arms about in an attempt to merely scare the child away, but she wouldn't budge from where she stood. Instead the girl kicked the gravel beneath her feet, creating more scratches the top of her sneakers and grumbled.
"Tch, do they always have to make such a mess?"
The hollow released a threatening rumble, barring it's long teeth at her. She flexed her fingers out in front of her, reached to her back and pulled a drawstring bag to her front, reaching in and recovering her ball. Tossing it from one hand to the other she continued,
"Now, we can do this the hard way or I can make this ea-" But she was too quickly cut off as it charged at her. Her eyes spread wide and she side stepped, missing it's claws by inches, "Whoa boy."
Furrowing her eyebrows at the mediocre assault on her she gripped her ball hard before sending it flying into the air, waiting in earnest for it to come back down to her.
Time seemed to slow as the ball came down, to find itself speed up in harsh contact with her foot as it spiralled swiftly at the hollow; aim true and strong to the bone mask.
Roaring, the hollow bounded backwards, falling uncomfortably onto it's back and rubbing it's forehead with frustration. He watched at the arrogance of the girl as she broadly grinned as she bobbed back and forth, swinging on the balls of her heels in anticipation. "Well? That all you got?"
Like a moth to the flame she whispered happily to herself as it raised itself from the ground, continuously grumbling and swearing as it came towards her, fumbling and disoriented. Assaulting her with confused attacks she effortlessly dodged them, moving with speed despite her bulky sneakers.
She taunted him; laughing at his pitiful efforts to catch up, slowly leading them back to her ball so she perform her finale strike.
She was oddly silent as her graceful yet rough steps trampled all over the ground. Stringing it along she whistled to herself as the wind ruffled her hair and sent it trialing behind her in whirling strands. She swivelled and dived bouncing off the ground as if it were a trampoline.
The sound of crunching footsteps and flying debris echoed against her ears, but none were matched with the yelps and aggravated cries of the hollow as it perused her inconsistent silhouette. Leaping onto it's shoulder she flicked it's head, laughing loudly and landed on the ground with precision that put her beside her ball.
Too caught up in the thrill of battle she hardly noticed when it came swooping down on her and lashed, sending her crashing back. Ragged with stones and covered in dirt she sat up and wiped her mouth with her hand; her teeth still clenched she sneered,
"Payback huh? Okay I guess I deserved that one."
Rousing from her stupor she ambled to her feet cautiously, not wanting to spill back to the ground. Regaining her balance she brushed off her shorts airily; reprimanding herself for the seep of focus in her concentration.
The hollow made one small decisive step, and right on beat the girl responded eagerly, retracing her fluent and rushed movements from before. Her face lit with excitement, she paced her movements to just graze above that of her opponents.
Intently observing the unpredictable bounds of the hollow - most likely due to lack f coordination from her previous strike- slender brown eyes traced it's discomfort and found an advantage in them.
Aiming for between his feet she dropped onto the ground and slid through his legs confusing the giant and granting her perfect access to her ball once more.
Rushing over to it she reclaimed what was hers; protectively sheltering it for mere seconds she proceeded, fixated on the completion of her self imposed mission. Madly grinning she let the ball fly once more; charging at the hollow there was no time to dodge before it made a painful and loud crack in his mask. Sending it shattering into the breeze, she watched as the whole figure dissipated before her eyes, leaving a smiling figure in it's place.
The soul wavered in midair, suspended beside the gate created that would eventually lead it into Soul Society, it's feelings repressed and anger subsided.
He lightly dangled above her, signs of content and wistful freedom played softly in his features. She heard it gently talk to her, it's - no his- voice, soothing and calm.
"What is your name child?"
She extended her arm out and waved goodbye as it's soul finally made it's exit; her inherited lopsided grin presenting itself.
"Kurosaki Karin."
O-x-x-x-x-x-O
Karin strode home proudly, another good deed done and only minor scratches to show for it. The building, well, not everyone got off lucky. Nonchalantly leaving the scene whistling and fiddling with her fingers innocently; she twisted down alleyways with speed, fleeing the destruction that was left in the stead of her opponent.
Strumming her fingers across the worn out lines of her torn and damaged soccer ball she flowed to the beat of a song stuck in her head, swinging to the blissful beat.
It was about halfway to her house when Karin instantaneously froze. Her body fridgid Karin let the feeling overwhelm her. She knew that feeling. She knew that sensation.
She knew that was the real Kurosaki Ichigo.
Her heart pounding wildly in her chest she pumped her legs, begging her body to run as fast as it could to catch up with her brother. Sure, whatever took over Ichigo's body while he was gone was kind to her- she often felt he was yet another brother or addition to her family- but he or it wasn't Ichigo.
Heaving and gasping for breath to enter her lungs she panned her eyes across the field searching out for him.
Unfortunately the eyes she laid upon were not that of her brothers, or of a human for that matter. She gulped as the large golden red eyes pierced into her body and glared at her with a menace she hadn't experienced for a long time.
It wasn't the average hollows she often fought; it was something stronger, harsher. But what scared her most wasn't that it was the fact that it was a form of hollow; but that in so many ways looked like a human.
A small human girl.
She mirrored Karin's age, but unlike Karin, was dressed from head to toe in a draping white uniform a sword sheath swung loosely around her waist, the actual weapon grasped roughly between the girl's fingers.
She sneered at Karin in a light and venomous tone, "Whatsa matter little girl?"
Karin stared and she peered her eyes at her intently –as if analyzing her- then wretched and turned her head away in disgust,
"Ugh what is that?! You have the same kind of reitsu as him!"
Karin began opening her mouth but was abruptly cut off by an all to familiar voice, "Karin?!"
She whipped her head around the arrancar's to see the figure of Ichigo, posing with his zanpaktou grasped tightly and his eyes wide. Screaming loudly he bellowed at Karin, "Get out of here! Don't just stand there idiot, RUN!"
The girl took this as an opportunity, clicking her tongue she looked at Karin who was standing before her, too paralyzed by the sheer reitsu to even gape. "She means something to you?"
Before Ichigo could even respond her arm was already up above her head ready to strike. Sparing a flailing glace at the shell-shocked teenager behind her she brought her sword slashing down.
Karin jumped back into gear and side stepped just in time for her to only give a light gash down her arm - a far better fate than the one the arrancar had planned for her.
"Shit!"
Ichigo began shunpoing to the greatest of his extent to prevent another attack on his sister. Clashing Zangetsu against the ground in a miss at his opponent he growled lowly at the grinning arrancar, "Don't touch her."
She shrugged offhandedly, "It's her fault for budding in during our fight. If she dies- she dies." Ichigo shook his head back and forth; anger gleaming dangerously from his eyes,
"Wrong answer."
Ichigo's rage was boiled and didn't leave even a fleeting chance of survival from the arrancar. His power conquered over her feeble attempts of protection and the battle ended in instants.
Towering over the shards of her body as she began to dissipate from the killing strike Ichigo looked at his sister,
"That was really stupid of you." She grinned as he ruffled her hair with his hand and sighed, "You're so difficult."
Karin sneered arrogantly, "Me? What about you, Mr.-Disappears-for-months-on-end-without-telling-anyone-where-he's-going!"
Ichigo grinned lopsidedly, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. But, I'm gonna be back for a while now, kay?" She kept her face down to the ground and heaved a sigh,
"Yuzu's gonna freak."
Ichigo took this as a good sign; no physical damage and what seemed to be an acceptance of his pitiful excuse of an apology.
"Let's just get home so I can get back into my real body already. This soul thing's driving me nuts."
They walked home together, an enigma to many who passed by as all they saw was a young teenage girl talking to midair. Eventually though not everything could be so picturesque as Ichigo made one of his fatal mistakes.
"Hey Karin?"
She replied offhandedly, "Yeah?"
"How old are you?"
" …"
The last thing onlookers could observe were the lethal antics of a small girl who seemed to have an incomprehensible vendetta against the space of air beside her.
A/N: Well there you have it. I hope you like it, because it's new I'll be updating faster that normal (I hope). REVIEW!!!! P.S. I know this is a Hitsukarin but guys, your just gonna have to hold on for the appearance of Toushiro.