The sun shone brightly over Karukura Town from an almost perfectly sky blue day. Only now just beginning to dip into the horizon to give way to night time. The suburban street paths laid out through the town could almost be seen as a labyrinth to the unprepared and were nearly empty. Save for a single man and a small family passing him by.
"Don't stare," The mother whispered.
Don Kanonji gave a jaunty wave to a passing child and set of parents as the little boy pointed at his elaborate outfit in obvious awe. As the trio passed Don let the wide smile taper off slightly, though he did not lose it. A lack of sleep was no reason to lose his sense of aesthetics after all!
Rolling his padded shoulders Don flicked out his red cape and straightened up his show suit. It was white, studded with faux jewelery and lined with gold trim. It greatly resembled, though was far from a mere copy, the outfit worn by the deceased king of the America musical world. Don Kanonji had always admired that man's style.
His broad framed shuddered for a moment as an high pitched and yet all too deep roar cut through the air like a blade. Spinning around with a flourish of his cape and brandishing his black walking stick Don Kanonji flicked up his silver rimmed sunglasses and looked for the source of it all. Sadly, and as usual, there was nothing.
'Bad Spirits are interrupting my sleep and now my free afternoon,' He thought with a sense of detached weariness. The photo shoot had gone well and once he was free Don Kanonji had been quick to slip away and explore the town, searching for the source of the noise, or perhaps all the ghosts in the air, he couldn't say.
Karukura town was not a place he enjoyed being in much at the moment. The sporadic roars, the lingering pressure hitting the back of his senses like a powerful yet immaterial breeze and all the ghosts left him weary. Not that he let it show, 'After all, someone needs help!'
It was quiet but his ears were sensitive and his spiritual sense expansive. Don Kanonji could feel not only a spirit but one lost and terrified, filled with so much sadness and fear it tore at his heart! He had to help them.
Throwing his head back Don Kanonji called, "I hear you young spirit! Don Kanonji, expert spirit speaker and hero is here to help you!" A pulse ran through the air, like a ripple across a pond. Launching himself down an alleyway Don ignored the stares of those who had seen him or watched him pass. Their whispered words, all so familiar, not even touching his ears. After all, he'd heard them all before.
Growing up as someone capable of seeing invisible ghosts and hearing nightmarish screams and roars that shook him to the bone had led many to decree a young Don Kanonji 'weird'. Or in the more openly brutal cases simply insane and in need of help. The adults had always been the worst in his memories, but he did not hold onto bitter feelings, that wasn't his way.
Early on Don Kanonji had learnt how to master his reactions and to play people's expectations. He did not stop seeing the spirits because he would not lie about the lonely ghosts that coiled around him. Instead he made himself louder, grander and brighter than anyone else in the room. He played to his strengths and people's attitudes, so long as one was larger than life even the most cynical person could for a moment believe and accept. So Don Kanonji made himself loud, he showed that he was proud, laid bear every eccentricity that others might have hidden and shone like a star so bright that no one would ever care to see the minute. He made himself into a hero.
Cape billowing behind him Don Kanonji slid into an orange brick walled side street and came face to face with the spectral outline of a little girl. He sucked in a breath and squashed his pain, now was not the time to be weak, never in-front of a child. She had the faint glowing aura all spirits seemed to have but was undeniably clear to him. Don would admit only to himself that his spirit sight was not always as good as his spirit sense, sometimes people were clear to him, sometimes he'd be lucky to see a vague outline. Instead having to go by the feeling in the back of his head and noise. Today was not one of those days though.
The child before him was small, perhaps only fourteen years of age at best. She had light reddish-brown hair done up on a loose ponytail and wore a grey skirt and yellow jumper as part of a school uniform. The centre of her chest was hazy to him but Don could easily make out the rest off her as the child ghost sat, arms around her legs, next to broken vase, that almost certainly once contained memorial flowers. 'No one has been here in some time,' Don Kanonji deduced mournfully.
Throwing his cape back in a single grand gesture and throwing his arms out Don Kanonji called, "Fear not restless child! For now Don Kanonji is here to help you!" And then he pointed, right at her, where the invisible ghost was sitting and now staring up at him with wide eyes.
"You... can see me!?" She cried.
Nodding deeply Don said, "Indeed I can young one, for the spirit powers are strong in me. I sensed your presence in the ghost filled town and could not ignore your plight."
"You're the first," She mumbled, her words slowly lacing with bitterness as she stared at the broken glass of the flower offering. "People were more upset about the broken wall than me. They got it fixed and all anyone cares about is that they can walk down here again. Who cares about me getting killed here where I can hear every stupid word they say!" She started to shout, clutching her head.
In the distance one, Mashiro Kuna sensed someone in need of a hero and decided the others could wait for their take-out as she took off running.
"Even my own parents don't come any-more!"
In the back of his mind Don felt something tighten around the girl and begin to crack.
"Speak not another sorrowful word dear child, for you are neither forgotten nor unknown to me!" Kanonji cried grandly, pointing his walking stick to the heavens before bring it down to the pavement with a crack.
Dropping down to be at the girls level Don Kanonji crossed his legs and held out his hand to her. It quivered slightly in the air as he called upon his 'vast' dam of spiritual power and tried to surround his hand with a thing essence of his soul.
Slowly, and with no small amount of uncertainty the girl reached out and took his hand. He felt her almost pass through him but with a painful push of his energy for a moment she was able to hold onto another person. "You're... really warm mister," She finally said, as if unsure of her own senses.
"We heroes are a hot blooded lot," Don answered, ignoring the painful tug on his insides. "Tell me, what is your name?"
"I'm Sadashi," She said, bringing her hand to her chin, allowing him to rest, as she presumably tried to remember his name. Likely too taken aback by his glorious entrance to recall it.
"I am the great Spiritual Expert Don Kanonji!" He informed her.
"You aren't going to try and drag my parents here are you? There's no point, they don't care and even a guy that can see ghosts can't tell me different."
Saddened but hardly surprised Don Kanonji gave the girl a little shrug and said, "I cannot speak for them and I'm not here to tell you how to feel, Sadashi." Raising one arm with his palm held flat to the sky Don continued, "You may indeed be right in what you say, I have had to see such sad things before." Just as the girl's head began to droop Don Kanonji continued. Raising his other arms to the air he continued, "Of course many-a-times it has been the pain that stops ones loved ones, or even simply being unaware. It is hard, being invisible, is it not?"
Sadashi turned her head from where it rested stop her knees and said, "Yeah... it is," She said, trailing off.
Don Kanonji let the silence linger as a passer-by muttered something rude into their phone while avoiding the spirit experts presence as much as possible. Seeing that Sadashi lifted her head and mumbled, "Maybe they just don't think to come... I mean, its not like we ever took spiritual stuff seriously before... Well, until now anyway," She said, looking at her translucent hand.
Don Kanonji smiled and said, "You have a good name you know."
"I've heard that, Sadashi, or 'ambitious one'," She said. Sadashi huffed, "Not that it means much any-more."
Leaning forward Don Kanonji raised a singer and said, "Ambition is not only for the world of the living. Who knows what you could accomplish here or in the next life."
Sadashi threw back her head and laughed, "Ms Prime Minister of all ghosts! I like that," She said with a wide grin. Sadly it was quick to fade. "Is that why you're here, to make me move on?" She asked. Her voice was dry and empty again.
Leaning back Don stared up into the sky and mulled over his answer, for perhaps half a second. "I didn't come here to make you stay or go. Some spirits are bound in place by powers beyond their strength to escape, you are not." He leaned forward again and lifted up his sunglasses, "I came am here to help you, Sadashi."
"How?" She asked quietly, clutching her chest tightly.
"That is up to you child. I could keep you company, bring you flowers, tell your tale to the world or even tell your family of your plight," Don answered.
Tilting her head far enough to the side and taking his his appearance Sadashi slowly said, "I don't think they'd listen to you."
"You doubt the great Don Kanonji's diplomatic credentials!?" Don shrieked in horror, leaping to his feet and wiping tears from his eyes. Leaning back down Don said, "I should let you know that since I became a model for my car company sales have gone up seven percent thanks to my charisma alone!"
"Model? You're a model?" Sadashi asked, gaping.
Throwing back his head and crossing his arms over his chest Don Kanonji let out an uproarious laugh, "Bwhahahahaha!"
"Indeed! My passion may be helping wayward spirits but that does not pay the bills and besides..." He said, slowly pulling his cape around his frame, "It give me a chance to show of my tailoring talent!" And with that he jumped into the air with a spin, snagging his cane and coming to a sudden halt. Right arm thrust into the air pointing his cane towards the heavens. legs bent forward, cape flowing behind him in a sudden breeze and his left arm curling around to show off his muscles. 'This is the pose of a hero'
There was a flash and a rippling of air and suddenly Don Kanoni found a short green haired woman with a yellow scarf and goggle mimicking his pose next to him. Though she had a pipe that looked like it had been torn from someone's fence over a cane but the pose was the important part. "Now this is the pose of a hero!" She cheered, breaking off from him and applauding with excitement.
Now that he had the chance to look at the woman in full Don saw that she was wearing a thick but taught white body suit with a yellow underline. 'That stitch-work, amazing!' Don Kanonji thought.
Raising both arms in a V shape the woman called out, "Introducing the amazing and heroic," one leg shot up as she pivoted to her side. She crossed one arm over her torso and pointed right at Sadashi and said, "The super hero Mashiro Kuna!"
"Excellent, introduction!" Don Kanonji said elatedly, offering his fellow hero a thumbs up and looking to Sadashi. Never forget the spirit, never ignore a child in need. "What do you think, Sadashi?"
"Yeah, was I amazing or what?" Mashiro asked excitedly, leaning down to she was nearly nose to nose with Sadashi who threw herself back.
"You can see me too!?" Sadashi screeched.
"Well of course, a hero always knows when there's someone in need, right?" Mashiro said, sending Don a knowing smile accompanied with a wink.
"Indeed it is so-" His words were cut off by a roar, a deep, primal roar intermingled with a screech that sounded like it could shatter glass. Sadashi clutched her ears and looked around frantically, drawing in empty breaths in wide eyed terror.
Don cast his gaze around for the ever elusive source but once again found nothing, 'But it was closer than usual.' Glancing at Mashiro he saw the green haired girls expression had turned momentarily serious and she was staring at Sadashi's chest. It was only there for a moment though before she returned to a more jovial and heroic smile.
"Don't worry, its still a ways away," She said softly.
"Those things, they eat spirits, the others told me so, they feel horrible, and every night I here them getting closer!" Sadashi said with a shudder.
"We have time, but I think that means we should see about sending you off to Soul Society before the monster shows up," Mashiro said.
'Soul Society?' Don wondered, silently, staring at the woman in shock that was only hidden by his wide rimmed glasses.
"Soul Society?" Sadashi asked uncertainly.
Squatting down in front of Sadashi, Mashiro nodded and said, "With my fellow heroes help we can send you on your way to the afterlife."
Seeing where Mashiro's eyes fell Don asked, "My walking stick?"
"Yep! You didn't even need me to explain, as expected of a hero!"" Mashiro said.
"I don't want to go," Sadashi said.
Both adults turned to look at the girl as she stared at the ground.
Stepping forward Don Kanonji leaned down and said, "Why would you not wish to pass on?"
Sadishi looked up at him then Mashiro and asked, "Is... Is it scary there?"
Lacking his compatriots knowledge Don Kanonji could only look at Mashiro who stayed silent for a time. Finally she said, "Its not perfect I'll admit, but its a place where you can live and move around freely. Moving on, its not just important its necessary, for you and everyone else as well."
"But... can't you two protect me from the monsters, I..."
"That chain in your chest… it hurts right?" Mashiro said, patting the girls head. Receiving a nod she continued gently, "That chain is binding you here but its also like a timer. The smaller it gets… The harder it will be to leave."
Sadashi shuddered and mumbled, "I get that it, its just…"
"You don't want to leave," Don said simply. Both turned to meet his gaze and knowing he had taken the spotlight Don Kanonji could do nothing but live up to their expectations. Sighing softly he spoke, "Moving on, whether it is to a new country or another world is scary, change and uncertainty are always scary."
Leaning up Don Kanonji stared up into the bright summer sky and smiled, "But where there is change there is hope. Where there are risks, there are opportunities for those brave and ambitious enough to take them." He met Sadashi's gaze fully and said, "If you want to stay then I shall to. I the hero Don Kanonji shall not leave your side and all the bad spirits shall tremble!" He proclaimed grandly. Jumping up he gave the girl a peace sign and spun his walking stick theatrically.
Mashiro sighed and then chuckled under her breath, rising to her feet the woman said, "You just keep trying to set the standards don't you? Fine, even if I think moving on is best, if my fellow hero promises to stay with you, then I will too!" She said, pointing a thumb at her chest.
Another roar echoed through the air but no one moved, both simply smiled at Sadashi as the girls nerves seemingly disappeared. Her hand went to her chest and fumbled what... a chain? She winced for a moment and then let it go before rising to her feet. She looked up at them both and said, "I'm still scared but... I, I don't want us to stay here forever."
"A brave kid like you will do great in Soul Society, I promise," Mashiro said, giving the girl a wink.
"Indeed, you have earned, 'Don Kanonji's One Hundred Percent Seal of approval for Bravery!'". Don cried, every word accompanied by an extravagant gesture and ending with a thumbs up. Even then he could sense her fear, however much confidence and assurity were bubbling to the surface Sadashi was still a child being sent to a new world alone. 'Never leave a child with anything but smiles.'
Striding forward Don held his walking stick out to Mashrio and said, "Mashiro, surely a hero of your calibre can do what is needed without my help."
Blinking owlishly she grasped it and said, "Yeah sure."
"Then I shall help Sadashi depart in my own way," Don said, kneeling down before the girl. "Sadashi hold out your hands, one of each side," He said.
The girl did so, forming an open circle in the air. Reaching out Don Kanonji placed his right hand above the gap in the girls hands and one below. Slowly his hands began to move, flowing into the dozens of Sutra he'd learnt during his time at temples. Reaching within himself he tugged on his spirit once again and a crackling orb of blue light began to flash into existence between their hands.
"Now, give it some your strength Sadashi, and know that wherever you go in the new world some of my courage will always be with you." He said with a wide toothy grin.
The tinkling of a chain hit his ears as Sadashi reached out and grasped the orb in her hands. Cradling it in her grasp the orb flashed brighter than he'd ever seen it before fading into Sadahi's body giving her aura a little blue tinge. "I feel, strong, really strong."
"That is the feeling of a hot blooded heroes courage," Mashiro said, as Don Kanonji silent gasped for air. Even then he kept his smile on; never let down the kids, that is the one rule. "When I come to the other side you can show me around and everything," Don said with a sparkling thumbs up.
Hands folding over her chest Sadashi smiled and looked up at the heroes and gave them a shining smile with a thumbs up. "I'll be waiting for you heroes!"
"Seeya soon, Sadashi," Mashiro said, lightly tapping the end of Kanconji's cane on her forehead.
"Remember, my spirit is always with you!" Don cried as the girls form was consumed with light. A powerful wind hurled Don Kanonji to the ground as a ball of light shot into the sky and faded like a twinkling star.
"She's... gone?" Don said, staring at the sky with wide unblinking eyes.
"Yep, off to Soul Society," Mashiro said. Spinning around the green haired hero offered Don his cane which he grasped and found himself, thankfully, pulled to his feet. "That wear you out?" She asked, looking up at him with an almost childishly inquisitive look.
Dragging a cocksure grin onto his face Don threw back his head and laughed, "BWHAHAHAHAHA!" Of course he did this while leaning on his cane and slowly sliding towards the nearby wall. "Of course not!" He cried, left hand slapping against the wall as he leaned upon his cane. "I just wanted to try this cool new pose, a hero can never be seen looking worn out before the children!"
"Bwhaha..." Mashiro said quietly, as if tasting the words, "I like that, thats a good laugh." The green haired woman stepped past him and grinned, "You're right about heroes as well, we have to be tough for the little ones, but I'm still a little cross."
"Eh?"
Putting her hands on her hips Mashiro cried, "You totally stole the scene back there!" Something heavy thudded in the background. Mashiro rounded on him and said, "With all your cool farewells; she barely even saw my send off. So I hope you don't mind if I take the lead role in the next scene!" She proclaimed. And from behind her something right out of Don's nightmares rose up.
Walking on squat legs that were still as tall as Don Kanonji himself the monsters blue torso stretched out like a pipe but rippled with muscle, with a perfectly formed black circle in the center of its chest. Giant arms each one as long as a truck dragged its body along leaving pot holes with every thudding motion. Atop its neck was a face made of carved bone that reminded Don of some sort of demonic fish. Its gaping maw opened and it spoke and a layer raspy voice, "One food gone... Two left!"
It drew back it fist and Don Kanonji felt himself begin to shake. 'No, heroes do not run away!' Looking at Mashiro the woman looked totally at east, glancing over her shoulder at him with a coy smirk. Finally he said, "The floor is yours," And like that she was gone.
"Mashiro Heavy Block!" She roared.
A blur of whit shot forth and met the monsters fist with an explosive crash! Don was hurled to the ground by the shock-wave but he could make out just enough to see Mashiro has used her arm to cushion the blow and was holding firm against the monster.
"Mashiro launch pack!" The green haired hero cried and with a single step she launched the monsters arm back sending it stumbling.
"Mashiro-Hero knee strikes!" Hurling herself forward Mashiro sailed through the air and light as a feather landed on one of the monsters knees. Then she kicked off from it into the other, each strike resounding with a crack as she cried, "Super Mashiro Jaw Breaker!" Launching herself upwards Mashiro's fist collided with the monsters jaw just as it started to raw, shattering the base of the mask as she flew above its head.
Hanging upside down in the air, wind tussling her hair wildly Mashiro spread her legs like the splits and blocked each of the Bad Spirits fists. Throwing out her arm she called, "Hey Battle Buddy, your cane!"
"Right!" Don cried, throwing himself forward more with his own weight than strength. He roller his feet and twisted as he fell, using his gather momentum to hurl his walking stick into the air with a grunt.
The black metallic cane soared through the air and was neatly caught by the hero. With a single push Mashiro forced the arms back and dived towards the roaring beasts head shouting, "Mashiro style Super Konso!" With a violent crack the Bad Spirits skull was split and in a single pule of green light it was torn asunder and began fading in the air like dust.
From the ground where he had a, 'perfectly good view', Don threw up one arm and cheered, "Nice moves Battle Buddy!" He watched her descend through the air in a rapid spin, landing in a crouch and then throwing her arms up and striking a heroic 'peace sign' pose.
"Another successful outing for the great hero Mashiro!" Then she froze in place, going completely rigid Mashiro began to waver and tilt like a teetering piece of metal about to drop from a skyscraper. Then with a jarring lurch she came back to herself and blurred over to Don Kanonji, who had just extracted himself from the ground. Grasping his shirt she said, "Say waana come see my friends and our Super Secret Base!"
If she sounded nervous, like someone who had just done many things they shouldn't have, Don was far too tired to notice it. Plus the words 'Super' and 'secret base' had been uttered in his hearing range, so there was only one natural response. "Of course, BWHAHA!"
A moment later the street was deserted. Only the sound of 'Bwhahaha's' echoing upon the wind as a Shinigami and Urahara, the latter well hidden of course, came to investigate and found nothing.
Kensei's world was falling apart. The white haired man's entire muscular body was twitching with tension as he ground his teeth and swirled an empty glass of what have might once been booze in his hand. Two voices boomed up and around him, assaulting his ears despite the nominally sound proofed basement.
"BWHAHAHA!" A deep male voice bellowed.
"BWHAHAHA!" A somewhat less deep and undeniably feminine voice also bellowed.
"Now lets work on-"
"Our poses!"
Twin sets of laughter shattered any semblance of peace that might have once existed in Kensai's life just as quickly as he obliterated the glass in his hand.
"What's wrong with you?" Shinji asked from a nearby crate as he fiddled with some game machine.
Shuddering Kensai ran a hand through his hair and shouted, "Its the worst possible thing! My nightmares manifested in flesh! Mashiro's found a kindred spirit!" Without another word he shout out the door to go hide somewhere more sane for a time.
Comparatively the rest of his companions plucked ear plugs from their ears and all said, "Huh?" Only to immediately put them back in as another round of heroic proclamations hit their ears.
Ah well, they thought, it wasn't as though Don Kanonji trying to master his spiritual powers with Mashiro's help would mean huge changes... Right?
Elsewhere, in Soul Society, the World of Hollows and Earth, several people sneezed and they couldn't say why.
Notes: I always liked Don Kanonji so I hope I managed to do him justice here, I made it a point to have him be younger so he's not entirely started buying into his own hype yet, hopefully everyone felt IC.
I actually had a little epilogue in mind for this where months later Don Kanonji is leaving the Visoreds to continue his training and begin his dream job as a TV spiritualist hero. Mashiro at first is just sort of proud and happy for him then she begins listing off all the things about doing that, that she would love, Kensai says its 'too bad' she won't get her own show only to look to his side and be informed by Shinji she'd already left. But I thought that might not work so well and be a little too tacked on.
I also had some scenes in mind of Don Kanonji joining the rescue Rukia mission, meeting Sadashi again and going up against either Mayuri (in an admittedly grim fight for various reasons) or Shunsui in a less depressing but ideologically charged battle.
Anyway, I hope anyone who read this piece enjoyed it, please feel free to tell me your thoughts, questions or critiques!