Yuu stared in concern at the wall. She honestly didn't care that there was a fifty percent chance that the Bounts could tear a hole to Hueco Mundo. That was a problem for later. Uryû was missing, had been for at least an hour. After about 30 minutes Mr. Urahara summoned them back to his shop. Murasaki no Ryū went a head a returned to Kakuchū no Ryū. Daidaiiro no Ryū was still out looking for Uryû.

"It's a big deal. I get that. I really do. Unrestricted access from Hueco Mundo to the World of the Living is bad. We need to stop it. But could someone please tell me why we aren't looking for Uryû." Yuu was doing her damn hardest to keep from whining.

"I don't what you over extending yourself Yuu." Mr. Urahara let his worry for the girl leak into his voice. "Plus we have no real idea where to start looking. Splitting up might be just what the Bounts want."

"I'm fine, Mr. Urahara. Really."

"Be that as it may Miss Katsu; give me just a little bit of time to sort through things. Maybe by then Daidaiiro no Ryū will have found something."

Yuu slumped, "Alright."

Just then Yuu's phone rang. Yuu yanked it out of her bag and answered it.

"Hello? … Uryû! … Where are you? … We'll be there soon. Don't move." Yuu hung up. "I know where Uryû is."

**Scene Change**

"Uryû you're alright!" Orihime exclaimed.

The orange haired girl began fussing over Uryû. When Yuu caught her eye Orihime blushed. Well that was and interesting devolvement. Something must have happened in the Soul Society. That led Yuu to wonder: How was Shūhei? She hadn't heard from him. Not that she expected to. Yuu's lips became trapped in her teeth. Was he alright? How was he dealing with the betrayals? Was he thinking of her? Yuu thought about him all the time. He was a constant presence in the back of her mind. She had dreamed of him every time she slept. Yuu snapped back to the conversation.

"Wait, say that again." Yuu demanded.

"Yoshino said that Bounts can manipulate space and allow them to go to the afterlife. Is that important?" Uryû conceded to Yuu's demand.

Yuu shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. Do they mean dying and death being what's after life? Or do they mean the Soul Society? The implications silenced the room.

"Mr. Urahara could they use their abilities to connect to the Soul Society?" Ichigo asked the worrying question.

"I don't know." Mr. Urahara seemed taken back. "I don't know what they could gain by doing that. But I suppose it's a possibility we can't discard."

Ichigo ran his hands though his hair. "If this Jin Kariya is after Quincys we can't leave Uryû alone. Don't worry Uryû we'll protect you."

Uryû smiled a small and sad smile. "Thank you guys."

Mr. Urahara spoke up, "Well I'll head back to the shop."

Ichigo followed him out, "I have to ask Mr. Urahara something."

Orihime drew the curtain around Uryû, "You should rest while you have a chance."

Rukia and Yuu got the hints and backed out of the room. Renji had to be dragged out by Rukia. Chad followed Yuu's prompting when she jerked her head towards the door.

"Hey Chad, can I talk to you for a minute?" Yuu asked

Chad nodded and lead the way to the stairway. Once there Yuu sat on the stair railing that was supposed to keep people from falling. Chad leaned against the wall next to the door.

"I've seen the way you look at Ichigo." Yuu got straight to the point, her eyes got narrower but they weren't ice yet. "What are your intentions towards him?"

Chad spoke. "I like him a lot. I would like to be more than friends."

Yuu's eyes became hard and Chad swallowed. "Ichigo and I are family, closer than family. If you hurt him, I will make your life a living hell. Do you understand?"

Chad nodded and managed to get out one word, "Yes."

Yuu's eyes returned to being noon colored. "Great. I totally approve of you by the way."

Yuu slid of the railing and went to the door, "Ichigo could you come here for a minute?"

Chad looked horrified, "What are you doing?"

"No time like the present to confess. Don't worry he likes you too."

Ichigo got to the stairway, "What is it Yuu?"

Yuu pointed at both boys, "You two need to have a talk. Good luck to the both of you."

Yuu skipped out the door. Ichigo stared at her as she left.

"So Chad how are you?"

Chad was a man of action not words and the next thing Ichigo knew Chad's mouth was on his. Ichigo's eyes got wide and then they closed slowly. He fell into his best guy friend's arms. Chad was kissing him! He was kissing him back. It lasted an eternity and was over way too soon.

"Wow!"

"Yeah."

"I like you Chad. I like you a lot."

"I like you Ichigo."

"Can we do that again?"

Chad answered by letting his lips meet Ichigo's. The kiss was chaste and clumsy. When they pulled away he could taste Chad on his lips: the soy sauce from the taller boy's lunch and something dark and rich that was Chad. Ichigo's head was reeling. It felt so right. Ichigo felt like gravity had been turned off. Chad's eyes were on him. They were dark and intense. Ichigo felt his face heat up.

"This was good."

"Yes Ichigo."

"I mean I liked it a lot."

"I liked it as well."

"And I want to do it again." Ichigo felt his tongue get heavy.

"So do I."

"It's just … I need some time to think."

"I understand Ichigo. Go talk to Yuu"

Ichigo suddenly saw a danger. "Yuu is a part of me. Well not a part of me but, I can't just abandon her just because I have a boyfriend, a boyfriend." Ichigo started to panic over the last word.

Chad placed a finger over Ichigo's lips, silencing him. "I never thought for one moment that you would. Nor do I expect to date her. You are two individuals that need each other. Like the beach and the ocean. The two always meet, yet one is land and the other is water. I have the beach: strong, steadfast, and vast. Go talk to Yuu. I understand."

Ichigo had never heard the darker boy say so much in a single sitting. "Thank you." Ichigo stood and was about to open the door when he thought of something, "If I'm the beach that makes Yuu the ocean."

Chad nodded his head once, "Powerful, ever-changing and deep. I do not envy the man or woman that catches her eyes."

Ichigo shrugged his shoulders in agreement and went to see Yuu. She was alone on a couch reading a magazine.

"So how did it go?" Yuu didn't look up from her magazine as Ichigo sat down.

"Good, real good. I'm the beach."

"The beach?" Yuu raised her eyebrow and she looked at Ichigo.

"And you're the ocean."

"Ah. Did you confess your long harbored feelings for him?"

"We kissed a couple of times"

"Why you little flirt!" Yuu playfully slapped Ichigo's leg.

"It wasn't like that," Ichigo protested, "Chad is a man of action.

Yuu nodded in understanding. "I like him. As long as he doesn't hurt you I'll play nice."

"I take it you already threated him."

Yuu flipped her hand out and gave her ponytail a toss. "Of course, what else are best friends for?"

"Teasing," Ichigo responded without missing a beat.

Yuu pointed at Ichigo and smirked her "evil" smirk, "That's right! And this gives me enough ammunition for months."

Ichigo groaned and let his head fall into his hands. "What did I do to get stuck with you?"

Yuu shrugged, "Don't know, don't care."

/Yuu get in here now!/ Aka no Ryū shouted.

"You don't need to shout Aka. What's the problem?"

/Just come here Yuu. Please./ Murasaki no Ryū pleaded, /It's an emergency./

Yuu turned to tell Ichigo she was going to meditate. Yuu slipped of the couch to sit on the floor cross-legged. Her sealed Kakuchū no Ryū lay across her knees. Yuu closed her eyes and entangled the pink ribbon in her right fingers. Her left fingertips came to rest on the naked blade. Yuu took a deep breath and let herself fall.

When Yuu opened her eyes she was sitting in a crystal cave. It was dragon's cave. On the ground there were glass disks the size of American quarters. At the center of each disk was a shot of color. Yuu ran her hands through the coins. There were pillars of crystals everywhere. Color flooded the area. The real world was so dull compared to the brightness and clarity Yuu's mind. She let out a happy sigh; she felt so energized. Yuu rose from her sitting position.

"Hello, here I am!"

Yuu was immediately rushed by six dragons. Aka no Ryū lead the charge. Aka was a Western styled dragon. It had small wings and was the most aerodynamic of the dragons. It also had the pointiest teeth and sharpest claws. Daidaiiro no Ryū was another Western styled dragon with the biggest wings and the longest tail. Kiiro no Ryū looked more like a sea serpent. It didn't have legs and its wings were long and narrow. Midori no Ryū and Ao no Ryū, the twins, were both Eastern style dragons, complete with beards. Neither of them had wings. Murasaki no Ryū was another sea serpent like dragon and the largest of the dragons. From tail to nose Murasaki no Ryū reached from Yuu's shoulder to her fingertips. Aka no Ryū was the smallest and fit right inside Yuu's forearm.

"Hello, what's wrong?" Yuu asked

"There's a door," Daidaiiro answered.

"A door?" Yuu clarified.

Kiiro nodded vigorously.

Murasaki provided some more detail, "It wasn't there before we went to the Soul Society."

"And your just now telling me about it now," Yuu was exasperated.

"We only noticed it a couple of hours ago," Ao responded. "You were busy, first with the Bount and then with Uryû missing. Then you had to deal with Ichigo and Chad."

Midori finished the thought, "Now you're free. Aka has been impatient the whole time."

"Have you six been fighting again?" Yuu asked.

All six dragons responded. "NO!"

"I'll take that as a yes. Show me this door."

Five of the dragons flew off at different speeds. Ao stayed with Yuu, landing on her right shoulder. When Midori saw that, it came back to land on her left shoulder. Yuu followed after the other four dragons. Daidaiiro kept darting back and forth to make sure she didn't get lost. After about a bit of a walk they got to a door at the back of the cave.

"A door at the back of my mind," Yuu muttered

The door was the exact same color black as the box that Kakuchū no Ryū originally came in. The door handle and hinges were burnished sliver. Yuu twisted her head to the side. She reached out to brush her fingers against the dark wood. She noticed that there wasn't a lock

"This wasn't here before we went to rescue Rukia?"

"That's right," Ao whispered.

Aka got excited, "Maybe it's a door to Shūhei's mind. You could go see him, sort of."

Yuu shook her head. "I don't think so."

Yuu wrapped her hand around the door handle. She pushed down and out causing the door to swing open. Yuu took one step forward.

"I shouldn't do this. Murasaki, link with me and stay here. The rest of you come with me."

Murasaki ripped off one of its talons and handed it to Yuu. The rest of the dragons converged on Yuu's left hand. There was a flash of light and Yuu grabbed at her revolver.

"I shouldn't do this."

Before she could lose her nerve Yuu raced into the hallway. Yuu stopped when she came up on a door. This one looked like an abstract painting; like someone took buckets of paint and splashed it on the door in random patterns. Yuu reached out with her right hand to push the door open. A bright light filled the dark hallway. Yuu walked in to the other room.

"Ao stay here by the door. I'll call you if I need you."

Ao no Ryū slipped out and rested by the door. Yuu looked around and immediately disliked the place. It was a forest but the trees were stumps all the same height, about two feet. There was no place to hide. But that wasn't really what sent shivers up Yuu's spine. There was no color at all. The whole place was shades of greys, whites, and blacks.

Yuu walked forward talking one step at a time. Yuu scanned the entire area doing frequent 360s. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, maybe clues to take back to Ichigo.

"What are you doing here Yuu?"

Yuu spun around. There was man, at least a foot taller than Yuu, that hadn't been there a moment before. He had white hair and grey skin. His eyes were white and seemed sunken. He was dressed in a black skintight jumpsuit. There was no color in him at all. Yuu stared in horror.

The man reached out and grabbed Yuu's upper left arm, "Why are you Yuu? Yuu shouldn't be here." His voice had an odd echo, like a pre-echo.

"I … I just wanted to see where the door lead."

"Damn you, Yuu. Your curiosity will be the end of you."

The man began to drag her back towards the door, "You have to leave now. And you can't come back."

"You're hurting me." Yuu was scared out of her mind. This man knew who she was. He had no color and he spoke and moved way too fast.

The man jerked away like he had been burned. "I don't want hurt you. You just can't stay here." He looked up at the colorless sky, "Now's not a good time Master. Wait a few moments.

"You're my father's Zanpakutō. This is his mind."

The Zanpakutō grabbed at Yuu's upper arms with both his hands. He lowered himself so he could look her directly in the eyes.

"Yuu listen to me. Your father is playing a dangerous game, a very dangerous game. He wanted to make you one of his pawns but he can't bring himself to do it. You have to ignore the door, Yuu. Please!"

The Zanpakutō turned and dragged the girl back towards the girl. Just then a flash of pink lightning flashed across the grey sky.

Yuu turned to look at it. "What was that? No wait I don't want to know."

"Good girl."

They managed to get to the door. Ao no Ryū flew back into Kakuchū no Ryū. The Zanpakutō wrapped his arms around her in an awkward hug.

"Your father is very proud of you. And I thank you for bring color back into this world. Now run as fast as you can back towards your mind. If you need my speed I'll be there I promise."

Yuu took one last look at the colorless world and the colorless man. Then she turned and ran as fast as she could back to her mind. As soon as she got there she fled back into reality. She turned her head to rest on Ichigo's knee.

"Yuu are you alright?"

Yuu began to soundlessly weep. Ichigo brought his hand down to rest on Yuu's shoulder.

"I take that as a no. It'll be okay Yuu. It'll be okay."

Author's note: Hello LadyAnnaLee here. I told you I would post today. This chapter scares me. Not the chapter itself but the implications that I tried to make it give. Yuu is treading in dangerous waters and she didn't bring a life jacket. Of course I also adored this chapter! How many of you guessed it would be Chad? Slight spoiler alert: Yuu's and Shūhei's relationship will be full of rage and passion. Chad and Ichigo will be steady and solid. Does that make sense? B-rabbit28, hello, thank you for making this story one of your favorites. GothChick88 reviewed again. Yuu and Ichigo can't fight. They just can't. To them fighting with each other is like not breathing to us. They can't even comprehend it. I just wrote the Ichigo and Shūhei scene like the Yuu and Chad scene in this chapter and the difference between the two makes me laugh. And I totally get the pre-calculus thing. So no worries! A note to everyone I need one more review to reach ten! I don't know what to promise when I reach ten because I like to think I do a fairly good idea of posting a new chapter every time someone reviews. But please, just one more! As always you all have all of my love! Love, LadyAnnaLee.

Btw: I don't own Bleach but I did think up Yuu and her Kakuchū no Ryū.

PS: Please remember to forgive my typos and less than perfect grammar.