Chapter 26:

Yuzu was returned to the World of the Living, surrounded by Ichigo and his friends. Orihime continued to treat Yuzu when they arrived at the Kurosaki Clinic. She said that Yuzu's injuries weren't too bad, but she did have a concussion which she was being treated for.

Ichigo did not leave her side. He stayed with her until she regained consciousness. He bent over the bed when he saw her open her eyes.

"Yuzu," he said gently, trying to mask his concern and failing. His tone was gentle, but the pitch was higher than it should have been, revealing his worry. "You ok?"

Yuzu grabbed Ichigo's sleeve and gave him a worried look. "Are you ok, Ichigo?" Her eyes were wide and fearful. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"Me? I…"

"Those two guys who came into our house," she said worriedly. "Did they hurt you? Are you ok? What happened to them?"

"Uh… I…"

The attack was two days ago. Yuzu must have been unconscious the entire time. She had no idea what happened. Since she had woken up back in their home, she was never aware she had been kidnapped. As far as she knew, she had never left this building.

Ichigo put his hand on hers, trying to get her to loosen her grip on his shirt and reassure her at the same time.

"They're gone now." He gave her a smile. "Chased them off."

"You did?" She did not loosen her grip. "But are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine. I'm ok, Yuzu."

She loosened her grip and let out a huge sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."

"But you hit your head," Ichigo told her. "We brought you here to make sure you were ok."

"You did?"

"Yeah. My friends and I have all been taking care of you."

It was the truth. She had been in good hands, even if they weren't his. Nikko had done an excellent job of taking care of her. He protected her when Ichigo couldn't. Aside from Nikko, everyone had done their part to help her recover. His friends all helped bring her back home safely.

"How are you feeling?" Ichigo asked her. "Are you in any pain?"

Yuzu shook her head. "No."

Ichigo gave her a small hug. "Don't scare me like that," he whispered to her. "I just about lost it when you got hurt."

"Just about?" Uryu mouthed with a raised eyebrow, overhearing the whisper.

"I'm fine, Ichigo. I'm ok."

"Yeah. I know."

Ichigo stayed with her until he was certain she would be alright without him holding her hand. When she wanted to get dinner started, Ichigo insisted on helping. Something he never did. She told him he didn't have to, but he wanted to make sure she wasn't doing too much too soon. He knew he couldn't stop her from doing her regular chores so the next best thing was helping her do them so she wouldn't overwork herself.

He kept an eye on her all evening, even checking on her when she went to bed that night.

Karin had returned home and waited until her twin was out of earshot before telling Ichigo that she had come home to an empty house and a mess in the kitchen and living room. She knew something had happened. Knowing Ichigo would return home at some point, she cleaned up and waited for their return. She thanked him for bringing Yuzu home safe and left it at that.

Ichigo understood. She didn't have to say anything else.

"I wasn't worried," she told him before going to bed herself. "I knew you'd be back. You always come back."

She was. She just didn't want to admit it.

Ichigo slept off and on that night, checking on his sisters every few minutes to make sure they were still in their beds. Ichigo slept soundly the rest of the night, certain that they would still be there in the morning. It was good to have his sisters together again.

The next morning, things seemed to return to normal. Ichigo sat at the table and waited for his breakfast. This morning, Karin was helping Yuzu cook the meal. When Yuzu inquired about the new video game her sister had to have, Karin told her that she planned on playing it after they ate.

The three of them ate together and talked. Ichigo enjoyed their company. As usual, he didn't lead the conversation.

Someone knocked on the door and Yuzu flinched, hoping it wasn't another attack.

Ichigo got up and went to the door to answer it. Yuzu followed behind him with a frying pan in her hands.

"It's ok, Yuzu. It's just Uryu."

She lowered her weapon and went back to the kitchen.

"What's up?" Ichigo asked the boy on the front step.

"You have to come back to the Soul Society," Uryu told him in a hushed tone so his sisters wouldn't hear. "Kisuke says it's important."

"Right now?"

"Yes, now. Hurry up."

Had something happened with Nikko? The Soul Candy remains? Ichigo had to find out.

"I'll be back later, guys," Ichigo called into the house before leaving with the Quincy.

They hurried to Kisuke's shop where they were quickly transported to the other world. Rukia was waiting for them and brought them to a different location. She shoved them into a room and told them to wait.

Ichigo and Uryu exchanged looks, wondering what was going on. Though Uryu had told Ichigo it was important, he hadn't been given any further information than that. He had no idea what was so important. Only to fetch Ichigo.

Ichigo turned around and saw Nikko sitting by the window with the same sad expression as before.

"Hey, Nikko."

He didn't say anything back.

Ichigo wanted to thank him and let him know that Yuzu was home and happily reunited with her family, but he thought that might make Nikko upset seeing as how he had no family. Rather than rub salt in the wound, Ichigo left it at that. It was well-intentioned, but he knew Nikko probably wouldn't appreciate it.

Rukia returned and told Ichigo and Uryu to bring Nikko with them as she brought them to a new location.

She was moving quickly, excited about something, but Nikko kept his usual slow pace. Rukia wouldn't slow down, so to keep from losing either of them, Ichigo grabbed Nikko's wrist and pulled him along. He wasn't rough with him as he pulled him down the hall. He even encouraged Nikko to hurry up, telling him it was ok.

If Nikko was involved, did this mean that they had finally decided what to do with him? Byakuya said that he wasn't a prisoner, but that could have changed. If that were the case then Rukia shouldn't have been so excited. It could have been something else. She wasn't smiling, but her pace suggested that something was taking place. Maybe she was just bustling around because she was under orders to move quickly.

But why? What was so time-sensitive that they had to hurry like this?

Rukia brought them outside and stopped in a courtyard. She stepped to the side and gestured with her hand to a woman standing in the yard.

"Yoruichi?" Ichigo questioned. "What are you doing here?"

"I had been doing some traveling and had just returned to share a drink with Kisuke when he told me what had been going on the past few days."

"So…" Ichigo wondered what this had to do with anything. "You mean about my sister and the Soul Candies? That's been resolved. Thanks for coming to help but you're a little late."

"There's still something I can do," she assured him. "Kisuke told me the names of the people you were with. The Soul Candy sounded charming."

Ichigo couldn't tell if she was being serious.

"But he also mentioned a guy named Nikko. Carried a doll with him everywhere he goes."

Ichigo glanced up, then looked at the man standing beside him.

"This him?" Yoruichi asked. "Is this the guy?"

"Yeah, this is Nikko. The doll broke, though. Long story."

"Ah." Yoruichi smiled gently at him. "I hear you're looking for your sister."

Nikko looked up at her.

"I think I might have some information."

Ichigo's eyes lit up. "You know what happened to her?"

Yoruichi nodded. "It was some time ago. I heard about her story."

Ichigo and the others listened closely to Yoruichi's story.

"Based on what I've heard and what Kisuke mentioned when you told him what was going on, I managed to piece things together. Nikko was the first to die that day. His sister survived and was taken away in an ambulance. She died sometime later. She died sometime after he did and was sent to the Soul Society days after he was which was why they were separated. She was doing the same thing he was the moment she arrived. She asked anyone who would listen if they had seen her older brother. The people in that District weren't very kind and no one would help her. She had nowhere to go. She had no home and no family. She was alone and scared when someone found her huddled up between buildings. They took pity on her and told her she could come with them."

"Who was it?" Ichigo asked.

"A noble," answered Yoruichi. "A noble had found her and offered her a position in their family's manor. She was told that she could live there until her brother was found. The nobles treated her very well, offering her a roof and food so long as she worked. It's hard work, but I hear she enjoys living there and the noble family is very nice to her. She's been working there ever since."

Ichigo clenched his fists. "Then she must still be there. Where is this noble family? We have to find them."

"No worries," said Yoruichi. "I happen to know exactly where she is. I even know the noble family she's with."

"Yeah?" Ichigo asked. "Where?"

He wondered how long it would take to get there. Nikko had searched this long. What was one more hike?

"Where is she?"

Yoruichi smiled and stepped aside.

Ichigo blinked.

Standing behind Yoruichi had been a thin girl in a heart splattered kimono. She had straw-colored eyes and her hair style matched Yuzu's perfectly.

Aside from a few differences, she really did look like the doll.

A sobbing gasp was heard on Ichigo's right and he turned his head just in time to see Nikko fall to his knees.

"Yuka!" Nikko cried.

This was the first time any of them had heard Nikko speak.

The girl in front of him screamed in delight, bounced and came running. "Big brother!"

Nikko spread his arms and she flew into them.

Nikko cradled her, squeezing her tightly to his chest and sobbed. The girl's wails were muffled by his chest as they held each other. Nikko rocked from side to side, letting his tears fall onto her head. He kept one arm wrapped around her back while the other wandered from her shoulder to her neck until finally burying into her locks of short pale brown hair.

Ichigo watched the reunited siblings for a moment, overwhelmed by their emotional embrace. This time, Nikko was crying out of joy. Ichigo could only feel a fraction of what they were both feeling in that moment. He was happy for both of them.

"Then…" Ichigo looked at Yoruichi. "The noble family was..?"

"Mine." She smiled proudly. "I was the one who found her all those years ago. I invited her to stay at the manor since we could always use an extra hand. My brother can be a handful. I saw how the people were treating her in that village and I felt terrible for her. Even if I told them off, they would just go back to doing what they were doing the moment I left. Nothing would be resolved. She still had to live there. So I thought, why should she? I offered her a better place to live. My family treats all our servants well so I thought she could serve the family as a chore girl or something. She was so young I knew they would treat her well and not expect too much from her in the beginning. They wouldn't yell at her for messing something up. They would be understanding. She says she likes it there. She's treated very well."

"So all this time, she's been at your place?" Ichigo stared at her. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"About what? I didn't know Nikko was one of those people until Kisuke told me. Yuka told me about her brother years ago when I first picked her up. She said he had dark hair, went by the name of Nikko and that was pretty much it. I travel a lot, so I figured I could keep an eye out for him while I did my thing and let her know what I found. I do come home every now and again."

Ichigo looked back at the two crying and laughing siblings. "So you only found out when Kisuke mentioned it to you?"

"That's right," she said. "He said that there was a guy with dark hair and his name was Nikko and he carried around a doll that looks sort of like your sister and his. Yuka told me that she used to have a doll that looked similar to her but she lost it and didn't know what happened to it. It comforted her when Nikko wasn't around so she felt especially sad when she didn't have either when she came to the Soul Society. When Kisuke also told me that Nikko was looking for his missing sister, I knew it had to be him. All the pieces fit. I went home, told Yuka that I may have found her brother and she was out the door in a second to confirm."

Ichigo smiled. "Thanks, Yoruichi."

"Ah, don't thank me. Kisuke's the one you should be thanking. If he hadn't mentioned Nikko, I never would have known. You should also thank Byakuya-boy. I hear he's the one who made the call to bring Nikko here unharmed. If you had simply released him, the search would have continued. This way he was easy to find."

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah. I suppose I should thank him."

"But what now?" asked Uryu. "What's going to happen with Nikko and his sister?"

Yoruichi had an answer for that as well. "My family is very fond of little Yuka. I'd hate to see her leave. Especially if she's going to be wandering around with her brother with no roof over their heads. I think I have a solution."

Yoruichi stepped forward and bent down next to the two siblings. Nikko and Yuka lifted their heads to look at her.

"Nikko, how would you like to come live with Yuka at my family's manor? You'll be doing chores like she does. It'll be hard work, but the roof and meals are included. This way the two of you can stay together. How about it?"

Yuka looked at Nikko, nodding her head up and down. "That'll be great! You'll love it there. They're very nice and the manor is huge!"

It sounded like Yuka had made the decision for Nikko, but Nikko had already made his choice, whether she said something or not. He was going to be with her no matter where she went.

Nikko nodded his head.

"Great. Happy to have you." Yoruichi gave him a slap on the back and he yelped in pain.

Ichigo looked around. "There's something I have to do before heading home. I'll catch up with you guys later."

As Ichigo passed Nikko and Yuka, he heard a small voice thank him. He paused just for a moment to turn around and see Nikko's smile.

Seeing that once sad face lit up with joy made Nikko's smile even more powerful. And his gratitude.

Ichigo no longer felt depressed or full of pity when he saw him. He felt content.

He nodded to Nikko and continued on his way.

"I cannot believe they didn't bring it back alive! I asked for one thing! One simple thing! Is that too much to ask?"

Ichigo could hear Mayuri yelling from down the hall and questioned whether or not he should come into the lab. Since he came all this way, it seemed a shame to leave without speaking to the Captain. He didn't enjoy his conversations with Mayuri on a regular basis, but they were more tolerable when he was in a better mood.

"Uh, Mayuri?"

Nemu was standing near the Captain, catching the random items he was throwing in his fit. They both stopped what they were doing when he entered.

"You couldn't bring it back alive?" Mayuri asked him, annoyed. "Once I found out there was a second Soul Candy, I was really excited. Now I discover that you cleaved it in two and then some. Why couldn't you have detained it and brought it back for me to study? What the hell where you doing out there?"

"Trying to stay alive. And I wasn't the one who killed it. We all had a part in it."

Mayuri sighed, shaking his head. "Never send a group of ingrates to do a scientist's job."

"At least we brought them back in bottles."

"Yes, I suppose I have that." Mayuri looked at one of the bottles on the shelf behind him. "A living sample would have been better, but I suppose it will do."

The bottle Mayuri was looking at had a label on it Ichigo couldn't read. On the shelf directly below the first bottle was a second labeled 'Kenji'.

"What are you planning to do with them?" Ichigo asked.

"The Head Captain ordered them all to be destroyed. Technically, they're no longer functioning so I suppose they would fit the bill, as it were. They're just dust now. I count that as being destroyed. Otherwise, the remains will be poured out into a vat of fire and they will be incinerated. I don't really see a point, though."

Ichigo was under the suspicion that Mayuri didn't want to finish them off, not because it was overkill, but because this way he would have something to study. Even if it was only dust.

Either way, Ichigo was grateful that Mayuri didn't want to eliminate them completely. At least, not Kenji.

"He saved me, you know," Ichigo said to Mayuri's back. He just had to say it out loud. He had to credit Kenji for what he had done and how far he had come. Praising him as a hero was the best way to honor him since there wasn't much else anyone would do for him.

"During the battle?" Mayuri said without turning around. "I heard. The Quincy gave me this bottle and told me what happened. He said, if it was possible, not to damage Kenji further. He didn't want me to throw him in the trash or incinerate him. I never thought the Quincy had any respect or compassion for the creature. I'm a bit surprised."

Was Uryu doing it for the sake of his good conscience, or because he knew it was what Ichigo wanted? Ichigo had a feeling Uryu was doing it for his sake. He knew how much Ichigo cared about Kenji from their conversations.

"From the moment I met him, Kenji said that he didn't care about anyone but himself," said Ichigo. "He said it over and over again, as if I didn't hear him the first time. Or maybe he was just trying to convince himself. I mean… He did save me. He didn't have to. He put himself at risk for someone else. I don't think he would have done that before."

Mayuri nodded. "They were designed to develop quickly. To learn and grow. It was intended for battle, but perhaps the adapting capability covered beyond simple combat." He shrugged. "Then again, they also had a will to survive. I suppose learning how to connect with others is a key point in one's survival."

"So you're saying he could become more social. I had a feeling. I was seeing it happen."

Mayuri turned around. "We never did finish the experiment. Now I'm wishing we had. More than ever. The things we're discovering about them now is truly fascinating. They had so much potential. I mean, when they discovered that they were going to be sacrificed for the sake of data, they rebelled to defend themselves. Kenji was all about keeping himself alive, just as they were, but he learned to care for something other than himself. He was beginning to understand, from the sound of things. I would have liked to study this further. Especially that other one. The one hiding inside the doll."

"They were two completely different Soul Candies," Ichigo told him. "This one was fully developed but he had no compassion. He didn't care about anyone other than himself and…"

He knew exactly why it wanted Yuzu. It all made sense.

"It just wanted to survive. It wanted to be safe." Ichigo looked up at Mayuri. "That's what they all wanted. That was their motivation. To survive. That was why they rebelled in the first place. Once they learned they were going to be killed for the sake of science, they wanted to escape. Just like anybody would. The Soul Candy in the doll wanted Yuzu in order to keep itself safe. It wanted the ideal body so it could survive. It was scared."

"Scared?"

"It wasn't satisfied with just any body. It wanted one that was powerful enough to take on any danger and one that would survive the longest. That's why it wanted Aizen at first. He was powerful and gained immortality. But the Soul Candy knew Aizen had been defeated, so it figured, to its logic, that Aizen wasn't as strong as it thought. That's why it wanted the person who defeated him. Whoever comes out on top is the strongest, right?"

"Host hopping," said Mayuri. "Like a crustacean that outgrows its shell and searches for a new one. It wants the one that will benefit it the most. Instead of running out of space in a shell, the Soul Candy was searching for a stronger host to take control of in order to protect itself from danger. It wanted a host with enough power to ward off any threat. It's survival skills are very interesting."

Mayuri looked Ichigo up and down.

"Then why didn't it go after you?" he asked. "Sure, you had help since Aizen was so powerful, but ultimately, you were the one who defeated him."

"It wanted my sister because she was younger so she was more likely to live longer, statistically. It also sensed the danger of coming after me, knowing I was so powerful. It knew it stood a chance of losing. It also thought that I had reached my ultimate potential. That I couldn't learn anything new. That I wouldn't get any stronger than I already am. It wanted a host that could still learn and adapt. It figured that Yuzu would already have all my powers, but it could train her up to be even stronger than myself."

"But you don't share any powers with your sister."

"That's what I told it, but it didn't believe me."

Mayuri nodded his head. "Also interesting. It understands the concept of lying. It thought you were just saying that to get it to give her up. Thought you were withholding information. It wasn't gullible. It's logic and reasoning involving a sibling sharing powers with its brother and the possibility of limited obtainable power shows how it thinks. Very mechanical."

Mayuri started to write things down in the notebook Nemu had brought over to him.

Ichigo listened to the pen scratching against the paper, staying quiet so Mayuri could concentrate. The pen stopped scratching, but Mayuri was still concentrating, moving the pen from one part of the page to the next.

"Same creatures, different outcomes," he finally said. "The Soul Candy inside the doll was fully developed, therefore, given its creation, it could not learn anything new functionality-wise. Meaning that it could not change its outlook. Kenji was still developing, so he was able to see things from different perspectives. He was able to change his outlook. He also seemed to be able to reason that some things have limitations and others can overcome them. Interesting."

Ichigo stepped closer, wanting Mayuri to hear this. "I think Kenji was becoming more human. I think, if he had been given more time, he could have."

Mayuri's pen froze on the page. "You're right. How foolish. Ha. How maddening to think that you would see it before I did."

Mayuri closed the notebook, the pen marking the page he was on, and started to walk around the laboratory.

"We were too quick to dismiss the project. Damn that Head Captain. We could have done so much with this."

Ichigo could see Mayuri's head as it bobbed between the bookshelves and around machines.

"I would have called you an utter moron if I hadn't the pleasure of meeting Kenji in person. He matched perfectly with some of the notes from back then, but in other ways, there were subtle differences. Seeing and hearing how far he's come within a short while, he no longer matches what the notes dictate later on. This can only lead to one possible conclusion."

"Which is?"

Mayuri reappeared, walking around a large machine and over to the table near Ichigo.

"That the Soul Candies could have the potential to become more human," he said. "They're already so different from other Soul Candies. The materials they were created from, their developmental capabilities and so on. Given enough time and proper exposure, they could have become indistinguishable from humans."

"Really?"

"Kenji was already showing signs. He put self-preservation aside to help another. He developed feelings. You even said that he smiled. No Soul Candy had been able to display any sort of emotion before. We thought they were incapable of facial expressions. The doll, however, showed a wide range of emotions, from what I was told. Given the two, I think it is possible. Ah, these things are far more complex than we realized. If only I had been Captain back then, I could have argued against their destruction. Not that anyone listens to me anyway. No matter how right I am."

At the risk of starting something he couldn't finish, Ichigo had to say what was on his mind. Even if it came across as a lecture.

"You know, the Head Captain might not have ordered their destruction if you guys had handled them better."

Mayuri turned his head. "What's that?"

"I mean, you told me that in the very beginning they were very compliant. Did as they were told and didn't fuss. It was only when you guys started hacking them apart that they decided to rebel. They saw you killing them for data. They didn't want to die. Can you blame them?"

"As I told you before, we wanted to see how durable they were. If there was a way to kill them or if they would take damage if their host body did. It seemed unavoidable. How else would we have gotten that data?"

"But I'm saying that it's kind of your own fault the project was dismissed. It's certainly your fault for them rebelling. I mean, you're killing them in front of each other. You really think you could make them watch something like that and they wouldn't get any ideas in their heads? That they wouldn't want to run away or fight back?"

"We didn't think they would do that."

"You just said they were intelligent and capable of learning and you didn't think it would happen? Even a wild animal will react the same way if they saw another animal being killed in front of it. It's probably going to think it's next and has to make a break for it any way that it can."

Mayuri wanted to argue, but he knew Ichigo was right for a second time in the past ten minutes.

"I'll admit, things could have been handled better," he said. "Just keep in mind, I keep telling you that I was not involved. I merely read their notes and heard the stories."

"But if you guys decide to do the project over again or do a similar one, you know the changes you need to make. Right?"

Mayuri didn't react at first. Then, he looked from Ichigo to the bottle behind him and back at Ichigo. "Are you suggesting that I revive Kenji in some way?"

"Actually, I wasn't." Then Ichigo said, "But if it were possible…"

Mayuri looked back at the bottle.

"Can you do it?"

"He's just dust now," Mayuri told him. "It's doubtful."

"I was just asking. But if nothing else, since Kenji did what he did and all, could you make sure his remains are not tossed away? Out of respect."

Mayuri looked at him as if Ichigo had told the Captain to put on a dress. "You want me to have a memorial for him? Or a grave?"

"I get that he was just an experiment. At least, to you and everyone else. But to me he was more than that. Even if he was artificial, inside he wasn't."

"Before, you wanted to kill the guy because you felt betrayed. He was acting according to his nature. And that surprised you? Now you feel bad and want to honor him? Is that it?"

"He called me his friend," Ichigo told the Captain. "He protected me. Possibly saved my life. And we just agreed that he was becoming more human. Why shouldn't we? I think he deserves this much."

Mayuri sighed loudly, as if Ichigo were asking for too much.

From a scientist's perspective, it seemed silly to say the least to treat each and every experiment as if it were human. They tossed out whatever didn't work right and moved on. They didn't keep them. If they honored every failed experiment that way, there would be no room to move.

Mayuri was also guilty of this custom of creating, using and then tossing it away. He only kept samples of the important things and records of others. Those alone took up space, which was why his lab was so big and why he had multiples of them. Just to accommodate the stored files and working experiments. He had no room for failures.

Kenji was not a failed experiment, but he was ordered to be destroyed by the Head Captain. Given this, it seemed ridiculous to keep something that was not only supposed to be done away with some time ago, but also was no longer functioning. Why keep something that was broken?

Then again, Kenji was different.

"Oh, alright," said Mayuri. "He's no longer active and since he's dust, he never will be, so there's no danger in keeping him around. He's just as good as being destroyed, only we're not throwing him away. You happy?"

"Thank you." Ichigo knew he probably wasn't going to do any better than this. Mayuri was reluctant to give him this much. If he asked Mayuri to give Kenji a grave, that would be pushing it. The fact that Kenji wasn't going to be thrown away was good enough for Ichigo. He could settle for this.

He believed Kenji would be satisfied by not being tossed into a vat of fire. Ichigo was happy he managed this much.

Now he had just one more place to go before returning home.

One more person needed his thanks.

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