Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ The Ice Lord and The Silver Wolf ❯ The Ice Rose ( Chapter 2 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

I do not own Bleach or any of its affiliates. This is a standard cover your ass disclaimer.


She did not know how, or why, and she really did not care. Karin looked around at the
71st district of Rukongai. The two children who had found her when she first came, Mikearu
and Andoru, had recently died. Andoru in an accident, and Mikearu by suicide. When she had
come, like all other souls, she had no memories of herself besides her name. But last week she
had woken, sweating heavily, and almost crying in pain as a deluge of memories sought their
former places. Her dream had been so strange. She was floating above twin teal colored lakes
surrounded in the north by snow, and in front of her, a pulsing, shining light that she had just
touched when she woke up. She stood up and began to walk. She knew she was far away, and
that it would take a great deal of time to get there, but she had an image to comfort her. If she
succeeded, she would see Toushiro again. It would be hard, but she would do it, if only to see a
familiar face.

One week prior...


Hitsugaya was in his quarters, looking at nothing in particular. He would have to begin
work soon, and with any luck, Matsumoto would not be nursing a hangover when he got there.
Really he thought, how much can one person drink? Exiting his quarters, he walked to his
office, only to see Matsumoto diligently working. Matsumoto looked up in surprise "Captain! I
didn't expect to see you here today!"

"Why not?" he asked, crossing his arms over his white haori.

"Captain, don you realize what day it is?" asked his suddenly worried subordinate.

It struck Hitsugaya that he didn't know the date, and he knew why. He had been trying
to forget. "Karin..." he whispered to himself. That girl had been one of his only close friends,
and when she died, id had greatly hurt him. He had gone to pay his respects at her funeral, and
every year since then. "I had forgotten." he said, "If you'll excuse me Matsumoto." he said as
he left the room, leaving his worried Lieutenant to stare after him. Having made an
arrangement with Captain Kuchiki years earlier, one that allowed him free use of the powerful
nobles private Senkaimone Gate, he left Soul Society quickly, and exited in a graveyard. He
looked at the tombstone in front of him. He had never understood why she had kissed him,
nor, he believed, had he really tried. He hadn't understood his own emotions at the time. He
still couldn't. Had it been just friendship? Or would it have become something else? He stayed

---

until he heard the Kurosaki family coming, then made his exit after leaving his memento on the
tombstone, something that he felt did justice to her memory: an ice flower that defied the
elements, for it would not melt for a year.

Ichigo and Rukia reached the tombstone firs, and looked mournfully around. Seeing the
rose, they looked at one another. "Toushiro's been here" said Ichigo, looking at the beautiful
and defiant flower.

"Karin was the only person I've ever seen get close to him besides Momo, and Karin was closer
still. It makes sense that he comes here to mourn her." Rukia said, fiddling with her clothes as she
did so. Ichigo's only response was to grunt. Standing up, he looked at Rukia. As she had counseled
him through the pain of losing Karin, he had come to the slow realization that he had managed to fall
in love with her. He had yet to tell her. To be truthful, it was because he was afraid, afraid that she
would totally reject him, and then leave. He didn't want to be the cause of something like that. Still,
he could hear Karin's voice in his head, telling him that life was too short to be wasting time like he
was. I guess she would be the one to know he thought to himself. Looking at Yuzu and his old man,
holding onto each other for emotional support. He looked at Rukia, and mustering his courage,
grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the sight of the other two. Turning around, he shushed the
sputtering Rukia with his hand. Looking into her violet eyes, amazing and beautiful as always, he
hoped he wasn't about to ruin a relationship with the one person he cared about above all others.
"Rukia, there's something really personal that I want to get off my chest, and I don't want the other
two to hear. I'd like you to hear me out, okay?" eyes softening, she nodded, and he lowered his
hand. Stepping back a little bit, Ichigo realized he didn't know what to say. "Look... Rukia, I've been
trying to get the courage to tell you this for while, and I wanted to tell you oh, um, oh damnit" he
cursed as he stammered.

"Ichigo, if you're going to say something, then just say it." said Rukia, beginning to lose patience
with him.

"Rukia, I think I'm in love with you!" he blurted, then blushed furiously.

"Ichigo" Rukia said as she moved closer to him. Her right fist swung out suddenly, hitting him in
his stomach and bending him in half. With an exclamation of "Baka," she clubbed him on the head
with her fist, knocking him to the ground. "You couldn't pick a better time to tell me? You had to tell
me that here, and on this day?" she shouted before bursting into tears. Ichigo stood up and pulled
her to him. At first, she resisted, then she began to hug him back.

"I know this was a bad time to tell you, but it was like I could hear Karin saying that I shouldn't
wait a moment longer. I just had to try. So, um, do you love me back?"Ichigo asked as he held her to
him.

---

"Ichigo, I don't think I could love anyone else." said Rukia. The new couple hugged each other,
not daring to let go in case this was all a dream, and they would wake up soon. When they left with
Yuzu and Isshin, they were holding hands in shred love towards one another. On Karin's tombstone,
Toushiro's icy rose flashed a blinding blue.

Not knowing why he had been called to see the Captain-General, he entered that revered and
ancient mans presence. "Captain Hitsugaya" said the old man in greeting. "I have decided that for the
next year or so, you, and Captain Unohana will be teaching those students at the academy who are a
cut above the rest, much like you were. Know that this is an order, not a request. You are hereby
dismissed, and are to report to the academy tomorrow morning." said the old man. Hitsugaya
nodded and left. He went to his quarters within the division, and fell asleep on the futon, where he
dreamt of a young girl playing soccer, a young girl whose fierce nature had held him totally in awe of
her. Her death had left him greatly pained. A single tear escaped his eye and rolled down his cheek
before freezing as he remembered that one, truly unique person.

A month and a half later...

Finally, thought Karin as she finished filling out her registration papers. She had just barely
made it in time for the new semester, which was starting the day after tomorrow. She looked up at
the imposing building and sighed. What had she just gotten herself into?


Authors Note
Well, I wonder if I've managed to surprise any of you guys. Please write reviews, as I feel my
writing style needs the critique. Also, ask me any questions you want and I'll answer them to
the best of my ability.

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