A Wolf's Thoughts

by Malika16

Sequal to A Captain's Feelings, Yura and Toshiro are finally closer after their strange rollercoaster relationship. But when the arrancars invade the World of the Living, will they stay strong or drift apart? ToshiroXOC

17. Chapter 17

FILLER! haven't posted in forever, had finals at school, sorry! But i'm back, even though this chapter is a filler i created myself called Forest of Secrets. Plot: Yura looks for her parents! Yay. Hope you guys like it.

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"Yura! Get up!" Yura groaned and turned over on her stomach, burying her face in her pillow. "Yura!" She threw her arms over her head, hoping to block out the yelling outside her door. "Yamoda!" Her door burst open and Yura shot up.

Out of reaction, she grabbed her pillow and threw it directly at the person's face. "God! Just shut up! Is a woman not allowed to get any sleep around here?! I've been working my butt off all week! I need a break! What do you want?!"

Toshiro twitched, trying to hold in his anger and frustration. He put his hands in his sleeves and took a deep breath. "Get dressed, you have an assignment."

"Another one? What the hell is going on?"

He turned his back to her. "That's what we're trying to find out. And that's your job." With that he walked out.

Yura narrowed her eyes and jumped out of bed. She ran to her door and stuck her head out, watching Toshiro walk away. "You can't keep using my abilities this way. It wears me out. It's not healthy. I could die!"

Toshiro froze, then. He had to have known the consequences. He had Yura look into the pasts of people who were suspicious of a major conspiracy going on in Rukongai. He knew that she grew weaker with each attempt, but he didn't know about it resulting in death. He turned his head. "You're still on the job. No more looking into civilian's heads." And he left.

Yura stood there for a second before walking in her room and closing her door. She sighed and hurried to get dressed. Once done, she walked out of her room and through Squad Ten Barracks before arriving at Toshiro's office. She walked in. Both Toshiro and Matsumoto looked up.

"Are you awake, now?" Toshiro asked.

Yura narrowed her eyes. "You should know the answer to that."

Toshiro stared at her, before turning his attention back to papers that were laid out on his desk. "New reports have come in."

Yura walked over. "What reports? More disappearances?"

"Actually, quite the opposite. The civilians that were taken have returned."

"So…that's good, right?" Yura asked, looking at Toshiro.

He shook his head. "No, it's not. Their behaviors have changed."

"Well my behavior would probably changed too if I were kidnapped and had something possibly done to me. If I need to, I'll look into someone's-"

"No." He said, firmly.

"Shiro, it's critical that we know what happened. I'm you're only hope at this."

"I already told you not to do it anymore. And that's final."

Yura's jaw clenched and she looked back down at the reports. Her eye caught a picture and she picked it up. "Who is this?" She asked, not taking her eyes off of the picture of the girl. The girl was obviously young, she couldn't be much older than what Yura looked to be. Her black hair with white bangs was messy, but it fit her perfectly as some came over her shoulders and the rest slightly spiked up at the top. Her red eyes were sinister, but also sad.

"Someone we're suspicious of. People have reported seeing her multiple times, acting strange. Walking in and out of the woods. Apparently, she's seen lingering around certain people who soon disappear."

"And we haven't interrogated her?"

"The report just came in this morning. We were going to look for her."

"Then let's go."

"We should probably put some thought into this first." Matsumoto said.

"My thought: we find her and ask questions. We don't have much time before someone else goes missing. We need to move fast. And if this girl is who we're looking for, she could leave any minute. So let's go."

"Yura, we should-" Toshiro started, but Yura cut him off.

"Do you want me to do this job or not? I have a really bad feeling about this. Please." Yura stared at Toshiro, anxiousness in her eyes.

Toshiro sighed. "Fine. Let's go."

Eventually, the three entered Rukongai. The town was full of people walking around and talking. Kids ran down alleys as they laughed. Yura's eyes held sadness. She still couldn't get over the fact that Rukongai look like this. Toshiro looked at her. "What is it?"

Yura looked away. "I always knew Rukongai was so poor, especially as it gets into higher districts, but…I never imagined it this way."

"You didn't grow up in a district?"

Yura shook her head. "My parents and I lived in a very secluded area. Away from all civilization. My father built our home himself…" Yura's sentence faltered as she remembered her parents. She mentally shook herself. "Come on. Where has the girl been seen?"

"Shouldn't we look elsewhere and ask others before going directly to her?" Matsumoto asked.

Yura shook her head. "I don't think we should. There's something about this girl…" Yura snapped her head up.

"What is it?" Toshiro asked, suddenly alarmed.

Yura narrowed her eyes in thought. "Come on." She took off with Flash Step, Toshiro and Matsumoto following. When she stopped, she found her herself at the edge of the district and the woods. Yura stared into the trees, looking for something. Anything.

"Yura?"

She turned her head. "Hm?"

"What're you looking for?" Matsumoto asked.

Yura looked back at the trees. "I don't know…" The Soul Reapers jumped when they heard screaming. They turned and rushed through the district and the screaming and yelling became louder. They could hear objects breaking as they crashed to the floor. Screaming turned into simple yelling as people were warning someone to go away.

"Go around. We'll surround them." Yura called and the three split up. Yura ran, hand on the hilt of her sword in case it was needed. The yelling got louder and louder as she continued running and finally managed to arrive at the scene.

People were yelling and throwing anything they found at a girl who was running around and jumping on the rooftops of homes. She carefully dodged the flying pots and fruit. The girl turned for a quick second, and panic shone in her eyes as a clay vase came flying at her face. She quickly dropped down, avoiding it. But in the process, she slid and fell off of the roof. She fell on her back and was paralyzed for a short moment before remembering the situation she was in. She turned and scrambled to her feet, and started running again. Yura narrowed her eyes and ran after the girl. The girl didn't seem to have a destination in mind. She was only running for her life.

"Hey!" Yura called out.

The girl turned her head and gasped. She turned back and picked up her speed. Yura did the same. She was beginning to catch up, then the girl made a turn around a corner. Yura skid as she nearly missed the turn and gained back her composure, still running.

"Stop!" Yura called.

The girl paid no attention, her focus straight ahead. Suddenly, she fell when she tried turning a corner. Yura came to a stop near the girl to notice a path of ice. Yura looked up to see Toshiro walking toward her. Yura turned her attention back to the girl. She was trying to get up, but blood was dripping from her head and her hand looked limp.

"Who are you?" Yura asked.

The girl looked up, her eyes matching the color of her blood. Despite the pain she was in, the girl smirked. "Yura? Yura Yamoda?"

Yura's eyes grew wide and she drew her sword, holding the tip to the girl's throat. The girl's smirk disappeared. "Who are you? How do you know me?" The girl only glared.

"Yura." Toshiro and Matsumoto stood beside her, staring down at the girl.

"Take her in. We need to get her to talk." Yura reached down and touched the girl, sending an electric shock through her nervous system and causing her to pass out. Her body slumped over. Yura sheathed her sword and turned away. "Just take her back to Seireitei. I'll catch up later."

"Yura-" But she was already gone.

Yura sat at the bottom of a far away hill. Daisies had started growing and the grass was at least past her waist. As she sat, the grass towered over her, hiding her within. Yura sighed and stood up. She turned and started walking up the tall hill. Yura wrapped her arms around herself as the cool wind blew all around her. She kept her gaze down. Eventually, Yura made it to the top of the hill and she looked up. But as quickly as she looked, she turned her head away, her heart breaking. She took a deep breath before bracing herself and looking at the scene before her. The house looked more like a worn down shack. The wood was rotting away, the house coming down bit by bit. Yura walked closer, stopping at what used to be the door.

She took a careful step inside, holding her breath in fear that the entire place would come crashing down on her. When it didn't, she slowly continued on. She could barely make out anything. The last time she was here, she was way younger. It's been at least six centuries. Each movement around the house caused it to creak and shift. But Yura paid no mind when she entered one room in particular. She just about broke down right then and there when memories came rushing back to her. Memories she hoped she had long forgotten. Her past as a child living in Soul Society.

It was her old room. The bed, of course, was covered in layers of dust. The wooden legs had turned to nothing, so the bed was broken in multiple places. A broken chair sat next to the bed. Tears threatened to spill from Yura's eyes, but she wouldn't allow them. She turned away and walked throughout the rest of the house. Yura stopped herself when she almost stepped in a hole. She looked down at it. It led to a never ending darkness. She knelt down, carefully sitting on her knees as she tried to peek into the hole. She sighed in frustration and began to rip away the floor boards. She held out her hand, making a ball of light in her palm. She then gave up, figuring there wouldn't be anything to find. She closed her hand, the light going out.

"So this is where you lived."

Yura jumped up, hand flying to her sword. She relaxed when she saw Toshiro standing in the room. "What are you doing here?" She asked, looking away.

"You took off so quickly. I was worried."

"Really? I couldn't tell. Nothing came through."

"That, or you're just too occupied to notice. Because I felt a ton of scrambled emotions come through the bond. Had that not happened, I probably wouldn't have bothered looking for you."

Yura scoffed and walked off. "That's comforting."

Toshiro stared after her with concerned eyes. He eventually followed, avoiding any holes forming in the floor. "You know that isn't what I mean. I know you can take care of yourself and you don't like it when I worry about you."

Yura stopped and looked down, keeping her back turned toward Hitsugaya. "Exactly, so I'd appreciate it if you left. Please."

It was awhile before Yura no longer felt his presence. She made her way to the back of the house and out the backdoor. She pressed her lips together as she took notice of the barren land surrounding her. The dead grass crunched beneath her feet. She remembered the days when the same grass used to tower over her. How different this place was now. Yura shook her head and looked up at the sky. She had to get out of here. There were too many memories. Too many to take in at one time. Her head began to throb. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath. With one last glance at her old home, she took off.

Once back in Seireitei, Yura immediately made her way to Toshiro's office where she lay down on the couch. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath. She thought about her old home. She never expected herself to go back to that place. Ever since she entered the Spiritual Arts Academy, she promised to never look back. How many more promises would she break? Her thoughts moved on to her parents and she shuddered. Her eyes snapped open and she found herself breathing heavily. Her heart pounded against her chest. She tried to calm herself down, but couldn't. It would only be a matter of time before…

"Yura?"

She pressed her lips together and took a deep breath. She sat up and pushed her damp hair out of her face. Sweat trickled down the side of her face. She looked up at Toshiro who stared at her with concern. "What is it?" She asked, averting her gaze.

"Are you ok?"

She hesitantly nodded. "Yeah."

"Don't lie to me. Something's obviously wrong."

"I said I'm fine." She snapped. The room grew silent, tension obviously hung in the air. Yura sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "What about the girl?" She asked.

"She's conscious again, but she's not talking. We have her in a cell."

Yura stood up. "I need to talk to her."

"Why?"

"Because I need answers." She said, walking past Toshiro.

Toshiro followed after her. "She won't talk."

"Then I'll make her talk."

"Yura, what is this about?"

Yura swerved around and faced him. "Could you just lay off for once? I need space, Hitsugaya. So please. I'm really not in the mood right now." Yura turned back and started walking down the hall, leaving Toshiro to stare after her.

Yura arrived at the cell of the girl. The girl sat in a chair, her head down. Her fingers tapped against her thigh and her mud-caked foot tapped against the floor. Yura leaned against the wall opposite of the cell. She stared at the girl, eyes narrowed. "Who are you?" Yura asked.

The girl didn't move.

"How do you know me?" She still didn't move. Yura thought about the dream she had about her parents. She moved over to the cell, gripping a metal bar and leaned against it. "How are you involved with my parents?"

The girl stopped tapping her fingers and foot. She slowly looked up and stared at Yura. Yura stared into the girl's red eyes.

"Answer my question." Yura said, gripping the cell bar tighter until her knuckles turned white.

The girl slightly titled her head to the side. "What if I am involved? What're you going to do about it?"

Yura growled at the girl. "Just tell me!" But the girl only smirked and went back to her finger tapping. "At least tell me your name." Yura said, trying to hold herself together and not go on a rampage and immediately try to kill the girl. She continued to sit and tap. Yura gritted her teeth and turned to leave.

"Jade," Yura stopped and turned back. "My name is Jade."

Yura turned her gaze away and looked down. "That's a start. I do expect answers sooner or later, though."

"I gave you an answer."

Yura went back over to the cell. "But I have more questions. Starting with, how do you know me?"

Jade looked down, sorrow filling her eyes. "I don't know. I don't remember much, but I know you somehow."

"You're lying." Yura hissed.

Jade's sorrowful look turned into that of pride and cockiness. "Well…it's not that I'm lying. There are some things I truly don't know. The things that I do know…find them out for yourself."

"What do you know?"

Jade's face went grim. "That I know you."

"But I don't know you."

Jade's gaze fell to the floor. "You really don't remember me, do you?"

Yura furrowed her eyebrows. She was confused as to what Jade was saying. "You have to give me something."

Jade smirked and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. "Let me go, first."

Yura narrowed her eyes. "Not a chance."

"Then I won't tell you anything."

Yura smirked and looked down at the floor. "You won't have to. I'll get it out of you. Trust me."

With that, Yura turned and left. She walked down the hall, arms wrapped around her. She stared down at her feet in wonder. "Hey." Yura stopped and looked up. Toshiro stood in the middle of the hall, twenty feet away from her.

She shifted uncomfortably and looked away. "What is it?" She asked.

"You have to talk to me."

"I don't have to."

"But you should."

Yura looked up and sighed. "There's nothing to talk about anyway." Yura continued walking and brushed past Toshiro.

He turned around and stared after her with concern in his eyes. You can't keep hiding from everything, he thought.

Yura locked herself in her room the next day. She didn't want to be bothered. She had too much to think about which was overwhelming her brain. She sat up and leaned against the wall, staring out her window as distant memories became refreshed in her mind. She shut her eyes, in hopes that the memories would fade away, but it didn't make them any better. Then her thoughts shifted to Jade.

"What if I am involved? What're you going to do about it?"

Yura was becoming frustrated. But she didn't know what she could do. Jade was difficult to read. Worse case scenario, she'd have to look into her head. Yura sighed. She's never thought about her past so much. But ever since she met Jade, memories come rushing back. Could her past and Jade be connected somehow?

Thinking about Jade only resulted in a headache, as if her head didn't want her to remember something. Suddenly, Yura froze. When she tried interrogating Jade, she realized something was off about the girl. She kept changing. Not physically, but overly emotional in some way. Her mood. Her…personality. Yura's eyes widened. Maybe this was a clue as to what they needed to know. As to what she needed to know. Yura jumped up and ran out the door and down the halls. She eventually reached Toshiro's office and burst in, nearly running into Toshiro himself. She stopped and had to grab the door to prevent herself from falling.

"Where are you going?" She asked him.

Toshiro narrowed his eyes. "I should ask you the same thing. I was headed over to your room. You were panicked so…" Yura grabbed his shoulders and pushed him back into the room.

Matsumoto sat up from her position on the couch. "What's going on?" She asked.

"I think I found something out about Jade." Yura said.

"Who?" Toshiro asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Jade. The girl that we brought in. I just discovered something about her." Yura leaned against Toshiro's desk.

"What is it?"

Yura took a deep breath and noticed Jade's picture sitting on the desk by her hand. She picked it up and studied the girl. "She has different personalities." Yura said, not taking her eyes off of the photo.

"How do you know?" Matsumoto asked.

Yura looked up at her, still holding the photo. "When I was talking to her yesterday, she kept giving me different answers."

"She was trying to confuse you." Toshiro said.

Yura looked at him and shook her head. "No she wasn't. I could tell. As confusing as she sounded, she was telling the truth. I saw it in her eyes. She has multiple personalities. I could see it in her face and hear it in her voice, Shiro."

Toshiro sighed, not wanting to believe this concept, but still wanting to believe Yura. "Ok, let's say that this is true,"

"Which it is." Yura said through clenched teeth.

Toshiro ignored her and continued, "This still doesn't explain the disappearances and reappearances."

Yura wanted to say that she didn't care about that. That there was something else to this conspiracy. Something that possibly involved her parents. But she really did care for those citizens. To be taken then given back, suddenly acting completely different? It must be taking a toll on everyone.

"We'll find out, but if Jade does have something to do with this, we have to start with her." Yura said.

Toshiro looked at her and Yura didn't need the bond to know how concerned he was. "If you're right about this…I'll leave you responsible for her."

Yura nodded. Toshiro sighed. "You do know there's nothing to worry about, right?" She asked him.

"When it comes to you, all I can do is worry." Yura grinned. Her gaze fell on Jade's picture. She was determined to figure out this girl and find out what she knows. Or at least, what her personalities know.

Two days later, Yura and Matsumoto were quietly sitting in their captain's office while he was gone. As Yura skimmed over reports on the case, she attempted to ignore the frustration coming from Toshiro through the bond. Frustration and the urge to punch something. She sighed and turned her attention back to the reports. There was no more information she could find on Jade. She was growing anxious. She had to know more. She wasn't ready to go directly to Jade, at least not yet. All of the reports were the same: Disappearances. Gone for days, even weeks. Strange returns. Suspicious girl seen walking in and out of the woods. Citizens in a-

Yura stopped and went back to the small report on Jade. In and out of the woods. Yura set the report aside and picked up another. Disappeared in the woods. Yura mentally slapped herself. Of course, she thought. The woods…the woods have the answers. Yura looked up at Matsumoto who was lounging around on the couch paying her no attention. She could trust Matsumoto as annoying as the woman was. She could also trust Shiro, but he'd go into protective mode and say no to her idea.

Yura sighed. So many complications. She swallowed and looked up again. "Hey, Rangiku?"

Matsumoto sat up. "Huh? What is it?"

Yura wasn't surprised to see a bottle of sake in her hand. She pressed her lips together. "You can keep a secret from Shiro, can't you?"

Matsumoto's lips turned up into a grin. "Of course I can."

Maybe this was perfect. Hopefully Matsumoto was drunk enough to the point where she wouldn't even remember anything Yura said. But Yura has seen Matsumoto drunk. She wasn't even close. She would take the risk anyway.

"I was thinking about, maybe, the next time we go on a run for clues on the case, we could check out the woods." Yura was right. Matsumoto wasn't drunk yet. The latter's face went grim and she even set down her bottle. Not a good sign.

"Yura, I don't think that's such a good idea."

Yura sat on top of the desk, slapping down the papers in her lap. She was frustrated enough, but Toshiro's frustration was still coming through the bond and it didn't help her. "Why not? Shiro isn't thinking straight right now. Everything that we know as of now leads to the woods. Don't you think if we want to solve this case that we should investigate the main scene?"

"The town is the main scene."

"The woods are. That's where everyone is disappearing to and coming from, right? Something's obviously in there. But we'll never know if we don't check it out." Yura didn't want to mention that her initial plan was to check it out by herself. Even Matsumoto would scold her, or at least attempt to.

"You do have a good point, but still. Just because that's a main key point, doesn't mean that's the source of everything."

Yura couldn't believe it. She could see in Matsumoto's eyes that she thought Yura might be right, but she was denying it. Before Yura could respond, Toshiro walked in. Matsumoto quickly grabbed her bottle of sake and laid back down, trying to make everything seem normal. At least she was helping Yura avoid telling Toshiro her idea. That much she could appreciate. But she didn't appreciate the fact that Matsumoto would deny the woods as a source to the disappearances. She wanted to scream and yell that both Matsumoto and Toshiro were being idiots, but she restrained herself.

Yura looked up at Toshiro and watched as he sat at his desk. She turned to better look at him. "How was the meeting?"

"Same as always. What more do you want to know?"

She frowned. "Something happened. Talk to me."

"Yura, it's fine. Drop it." He didn't meet her gaze.

Yura sighed and got up. "I'm going to check on Jade."

At the sound of that, Toshiro looked up with panic in his eyes. "You've become awfully attached to her."

Yura shrugged. "Not really. I just want to solve this case. We don't even really talk, though." With that, she walked out of the room.

She was being honest. She and Jade rarely talked when she visits. They usually stare at each other, both trying to read one another. Or the other day when Yura visited her three times. The second time she visited, Jade was huddled in a corner of the cell, engulfed in darkness as she rocked back and forth whispering to herself. That only proved Yura's theory more when Jade actually responded to herself in a completely different tone of voice. It barely sounded like her. It actually worried Yura. She wanted to help Jade. But she had to get through to her. And she would do that this time. She would finally talk since the first day.

Yura found herself standing at Jade's cell. The scene was more normal. She sat in the chair as usual. Yura contemplated whether or not to sit against the wall parallel from Jade's cell. She didn't. She walked up to the bar and pressed her face against it.

"How are you today?" Yura asked.

When Jade looked up, Yura wanted to break down. Jade looked like an innocent, lost child. Her eyes were sad and looked like she was on the brink of crying. Her knees were pulled up to her chest, feet hanging off the edge of the chair as she forced herself to fit. She was also shaking. Whether she was cold or scared or even both, Yura couldn't tell. "I-I'm fine." She responded, putting her head back down.

Yura took a shaky breath. "Jade?"

When Jade looked up again, Yura pulled back a little. She no longer looked childish or scared. She was now happy and bubbly. "Hello, Yura. How have you been?"

Yura swallowed down her nerves. She wasn't sure how to approach Jade when her personality kept changing. She finally took a deep breath. Now that she was happy, it should be easier to talk. "Jade, tell me…can you change at your own will or is it sudden?"

Jade smiled. She knew what Yura was referring to. "We can do it at will, but she can't."

Yura furrowed her eyebrows in curiosity. "Who can't? Who are you talking about?"

Jade simply shrugged and looked up at nothing. "Sometimes, I don't even know. Things are fuzzy to me. I remember pieces though," Her red eyes fell on Yura and her smile widened. "Like you! I remember you, Onēsan. I could never forget."

"Where do you remember me from?"

Jade beamed a giant smile. "Your parents. They were so nice."

Yura's breath caught. Her parents… She had more questions to ask, but she decided to put them aside for now.

Yura studied Jade. It was a good thing that she knew she had different personalities. "Jade?" Happy Jade continued to look at Yura. "Who's in charge there?"

Jade tilted her head. "In charge where?"

"In charge in you."

Jade looked slightly confused, but more curious than anything. But suddenly, it all changed and her lip turned up into a smirk. Jade set her feet down on the ground and folded her hands behind her head. She leaned back in the chair. "Hey, Yura. You called?"

Yura narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?"

Jade laughed, but it wasn't friendly. "Wow. You ask for me and don't even know who I am." She raised an eyebrow.

"That doesn't answer my question."

"And what makes you think I'll answer? I didn't have to show up. But I did, because I want to help you."

Yura frowned. "Why do you want to help me? Unless you have some kind of motive."

Jade chuckled. She pretended to wipe a tear from the corner of her eye as she held her abdomen. "A motive, she says. Ah, you crack me up, Yamoda. So, what do you want to know?"

Yura held her head high. "So, if you're in charge, does that make you the real Jade?"

Jade smiled. "Yes, I am in charge," her smile fell then and she became more serious. "But no, I'm not the real Jade."

Yura's eyes widened. "You're not?"

Jade rolled her eyes. "Do I sound like Jade?"

"I wouldn't know. I don't know you…her…whatever. You know what I mean."

Jade leaned forward. "But you do know her. You just don't remember. That, or you don't want to remember."

It was Yura's turn to roll her eyes. "I'm tired of this. I want to help. I really do. So just tell me what you know."

Jade frowned. "Ok then. Where to start?"

"Start with how you made yourself in charge of all the others."

Jade's lips twitched up. "It's not like I made myself in charge," She said, turning her head away to keep from laughing. "I was the first one split from Jade. The real Jade. Don't even ask how. I won't bother telling you. But eventually, over the years, more of Jade's emotions started to split from her…" She faltered as she looked away.

Yura waited, but when she didn't respond she spoke, "And then what?"

Jade looked up from under her bangs. "That's when Jade became empty."

"What do you mean by that?"

Jade sighed. "Jade became less and less like herself and she started to allow us, her emotions, to take over. We came out when it was appropriate, of course. We were still a part of Jade. We wanted to help. But eventually, it became too much for her and she lost it completely."

Yura furrowed her eyebrows, keeping her gaze on Jade at all time. "Where is she now? Is she still in there?"

Jade's face went grim. "Oh, she's in here, all right. But she's dormant. That's how bad it was for her. She's sleeping within herself."

Yura thought about how terrible that must be. To be in an eternal sleep within your own body, knowing that your emotions separated and are taking over for you. Yura shuddered at the thought of that happening to her. "What else can you tell me?"

"What else do you want to know?"

"Everything. Please. It's the only way I can help you. That I can help Jade."

Jade sighed and leaned back in her chair, folding her arms over her chest. "We don't all know the same thing. We only know what we experience. If we didn't experience it, it never happened."

"As in, if one part of Jade does something, but switches personalities…"

Jade nodded. "That one won't remember what she did."

Yura looked down in thought. "Is it like when I was talking to happy Jade? She said she remembers pieces, but everything else is fuzzy to her."

Jade made a popping noise with her mouth. "Bingo! That's exactly what it is. But some of us may share memories. Like me and the happy Jade. The two of us remember you, but the others don't. Like angry Jade or jealous Jade never met you until now. But in the past when we were just a single Jade, me and happy were there."

Yura shook her head. "That still doesn't make sense."

Jade sighed in frustration. "You're complicated. Ok, let's put it this way. Say…you meet the nicest person in the world. You'd be happy around them, right?" Yura nodded. "Exactly. So if you never show any other emotion around that person, your other emotions don't get to experiment with them. So being separate and having their own minds, they won't remember meeting that person."

"That makes sense now."

Jade grinned. "Good."

"So what would you call yourself? Smartass Jade?"

Jade smirked. "I have many names. That's one way name to call me if you want to be rude. Or Smug. I'm very smug if you hadn't noticed."

"Believe me, I've noticed."

The two were quiet for what seemed like forever. Jade eyed Yura with a grin still on her face. "There's something else on your mind." Jade said in a singsong tone.

Yura took a deep breath. "Are my parents alive?" Her question was so low she wasn't sure if Jade heard her or not until she answered.

"Yes."

Yura looked up at her, hope in her eyes. "Where are they?"

For the first time, since Yura has known Smug Jade, sorrow filled the girl's eyes. But even Yura knew this wasn't a different one of her personalities. "I don't know."

Yura took a shuddering breath and pulled herself together. "So how can I help?"

Jade shrugged. "You tell me, Yura. Personally, I wouldn't ask myself how, but where."

"Where?" Yura's eyes widened. She smiled. "The woods!"

Jade pointed a finger at her. "No, my dear girl. Not the woods. The forest."

Yura frowned. "There's a forest nearby?"

Jade laughed. "Do you really think it would be nearby? It's up in the mountains."

"You have to give me something else than that."

Jade's grin widened. "You've been there before. But don't forget, it's been centuries. The landscape changes. The mountain is still a mountain, but it's coated with life and color. The forest is where you need to go."

Yura slowly started backing away. "Thank you, Jade." She turned to leave.

"Onēsan?" Yura turned back around. Jade was at the bars, pressing her face against them. It was scared, child-like Jade. "Take me with you to the forest." She whispered.

Yura pressed her lips together. "I'll be back for you. I promise." And with that she left.

Yura was pacing back and forth outside of Toshiro's office. She was originally going to barge in, but thought better. She still had to think about what to say. Tell him they should all go to the woods and see if they could find anything? No. That wouldn't work. She sighed in frustration. She couldn't think right with the situation with Jade occupying her thoughts.

"Yura," Yura jumped and stopped. Shiro was standing in the doorway to his office. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"Um…admiring the hall?" She asked.

Toshiro sighed. "What's wrong?"

Yura thought about telling him everything she knew about Jade, but changed her mind. She frowned. "Nothing. Sorry to bother you."

"It's obviously not nothing if you're just pacing back and forth out here. You need to talk about something obviously."

Yura took a deep breath and turned to Toshiro, putting on her best fake smile. "No, really. I'm just over thinking a lot about the case when I shouldn't put too much thought into it. It's only stressing me out. I really am sorry." It wasn't a complete lie. She was thinking too much about the case and she was stressing over it.

Toshiro didn't have to know the other side to her story. He pressed his lips together ad sighed. "Alright. Are you coming inside, then?"

Yura shook her head. "I think I'm going to turn in for the day. I'll be in my room if you need me." Yura walked away, leaving Toshiro to stare after her.

Yura had started pacing back and forth in her room after a few hours. The sun had set and Seireitei was quiet. Yura looked out her window. It was the perfect time. The night was cool and there was a slight blanket of fog over Seireitei. Yura turned toward her wardrobe and opened it. She took off the top of her shihakusho, leaving on her under shirt and pants. She grabbed an old cloak from her wardrobe and threw it around her shoulders. She grabbed another one and closed her wardrobe door. She sighed and opened a drawer connected to the wardrobe. She pulled out a silver chain with a black stone hanging from it. Her mother had given it to her. She clasped it around her neck, feeling the unfamiliar, cold chain on her bare skin.

She then pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen, writing a quick note to Toshiro. Once done, she set the note on her freshly made bed and closed her window. With that, she walked out of her room, grabbing her zanpakuto on the way out. She quietly ran down the halls of the barracks, making her way to the cells. When she got there, she put up her hood, casting a shadow over her face. She hid behind a wall and peeked around it. Two guards were at the entrance. She took a deep breath. She had hoped to never use this technique again, but it was essential. She moved from behind the wall and walked toward the guards. They positioned themselves for an attack.

"Who are you?" One asked. Yura continued to walk forward, barely acknowledging them. "Stop!"

Yura raised her head enough, her eyes glowing blue. When she was in reach, the guards both struck with their swords at the same time. Yura bent back, the swords crossing in an X shape, just barely missing her throat. She pushed up the blades with the flat of her hands and stood up right. She sent and electric current through the blades to their wielders, causing the guards to fall to their knees. She grabbed both of their heads, her face expressionless. "Kinen Waipu." The guards' faces went blank and they collapsed. Yura had five minutes before they woke up. Just enough time to escape.

She hurried inside and ran past the empty cells. When she approached Jade's, she pulled back her hood. Jade stood up. "Yura!"

Yura could easily recognize happy Jade. She was Yura's favorite. "Stand back." She told Jade. When Jade backed up into a corner and Yura held her palm out toward the bars of the cell. A bolt of lightning shot out of her hand and blasted the bars. Jade walked out, looking both ways down the hall.

"We have to get out of here." Yura said, turning back around and going the way she came. Instead of turning down one hall, she continued straight down until they were on the balconies.

Yura stopped and turned around to see Jade. "Come on." Yura grabbed Jade's arm and used Flash Step. The two found themselves outside of Squad Ten's Barracks and continued running.

"How do you expect to get out of the walls?" Jade asked. Yura recognized her as Smug Jade.

"I haven't thought that far. We'll figure it out. There are doors to get out. We'll just have to go through them."

"You don't need permission?"

"Not directly, no."

Jade eyed her. "What does that mean?"

"That means, push come to shove, we'll bust down the doors."

Jade grinned and looked straight ahead. "How long will it take to get there?" Yura smirked and grabbed Jade's arm again. Suddenly, Yura and Jade were closer to the walls of Seireitei. Jade turned around and her eyes widened in awe. "Wow. That was a longer distance than I thought."

"There's the gate." Yura said.

Jade turned her attention back to the gate and narrowed her eyes. "There're guards."

"I know. I'll handle it. Here." Yura handed Jade the cloak and walked off. She pulled the hood together over her head to cover her face. She couldn't wipe everyone's memory, not if she needed energy for her journey.

The guards were talking, unaware of Yura approaching them. She watched them laugh and joke. That's when the first guard noticed her. "Hey!" He unsheathed his sword and the other followed suit.

Yura smirked underneath her hood. Too easy, she thought.

The first Soul Reaper attack first. Yura simply stepped aside to dodge his first attack. She jabbed his side then grabbed his neck, sending a small electric current just enough to knock him unconscious. Then the other attacked, way more aggressive than the first, but still nowhere near a challenge. Yura kneed him in his abdomen and shocked his neck until he fell unconscious.

Jade came over, her cloak wrapped around her shoulders. "Impressive." Jade muttered.

"Come on." The two walked through the door and were outside of Seireitei.

"We need to make our way deeper into Rukongai to get to the woods."

Yura turned to Jade. "I thought you said the source was a forest."

Jade smirked. "We come in and out of the woods to get to the forest. There's no quicker way unless you want to get lost."

Yura searched Jade's face. "How do you know so much?"

Jade's expression fell and Yura knew that Smug Jade was no longer there. Sad Jade took her place, wrapping her arms around her body and lowering her head. "I searched for them. I didn't want to go back to the woods. I tried another path to get to them, but…it took longer than through the woods." She looked like she was about to cry.

Yura walked closer and put her hands on her shoulders, somewhat trying to comfort her. "Searched for who?"

Jade looked up into Yura's purple eyes. "Your parents." She whispered.

Yura pulled back the slightest bit. "My parents. Why were you looking for them?"

Jade changed again. She dropped her arms and started to nervously fidget. "I-I don't th-think Jade would w-want me to talk about this." She stuttered. Nervous Jade. Nervous, un-confident, frightened. Of course, not as frightened as Scared Jade who was scared, frightened, and feared everything including her own shadow.

Yura stepped closer again. "Why wouldn't Jade want you to tell me?"

Jade's gaze wandered everywhere, avoiding Yura. "I-I don't know. You'd have to a-ask her. S-she knows everything." When Jade looked up at Yura, she wasn't nervous anymore.

Yura sighed and stepped back. "I thought you could control it." She said, obviously annoyed.

Jade shrugged and started walking. "Most of the time. Other times it just sort of…happens. Now come on, we don't have much time before your captain becomes suspicious."

"What do you mean?"

"From what I've seen, you guys are like this." Jade crossed her fingers together to represent Yura and Toshiro. Yura frowned. She didn't completely see it like that. Maybe that explained the bond that formed between the two, but they as individuals weren't that close. Yura snapped out of her thoughts and had to jog to catch up to Jade.

The two walked for hours in complete silence. Just before sunrise, they reached the district where it all started. Yura sighed. "It's about time we made it here." She muttered.

Jade pulled her cloak around her more tightly. "We can't stop here." She said.

Yura frowned at her. "I didn't plan on it."

Jade rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Let's go."

Yura reluctantly followed Jade as they made their way toward the woods. As they got closer, Yura felt enchanted by the woods, but her instincts were warning her. But she couldn't turn back now. Without hesitation, Jade walked through the trees and Yura immediately hated how familiar Jade was with the woods. She jogged to keep up with the girl.

"How long will it take for us to get to where we're going?" Yura asked.

"Two to three days."

Yura frowned. "What if we used Flash Step?"

"Not a good idea."

"Why not?"

Jade hesitated. "Instincts."

Yura wouldn't complain. She had to trust Jade. As the two continued on in silence, Yura was getting fidgety. She wanted to learn more about Jade, but would she tell her? Yura sighed. "Jade?"

"What?"

Yura hesitated before continuing. "Tell me how you know me. Tell me about my parents."

Jade nearly tripped when Yura asked her that question. She looked behind her at Yura. "You really want to know?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

She shrugged. "You obviously forgot for a reason."

Yura grabbed Jade's shoulder and turned her around. "That doesn't mean I intended on forgetting."

Jade shrugged her hand off and continued. "Not yet."

"Jade."

"Just wait!" Jade punched the nearest tree, making Yura stop in her tracks. Jade was breathing heavily, a shadow falling over her face. Yura took a step forward, but stopped again when Jade started giggling.

When she turned around, she beamed a smile at Yura. Yura pressed her lips together and sighed. "I'm sorry, Onēsan. Jade doesn't like to talk about them. It only brings back memories."

Yura took a deep breath. "I understand."

Jade walked over to Yura and took her hands. "You should be happy. They're alive. And we promise that we'll help you," Jade looked into Yura's eyes. "Jade promises."

Yura searched her face. "But Jade isn't aware of anything."

Jade smiled. "No. But what's left of her is," Jade started walking and pulled Yura along with her. "They were nice people, Amaya and Takeo," Yura's chest seemed to get tighter at the sound of her parents' names. "They found me…well, they found Jade half dead in an alley. They took good care of her and eventually-"

"Wait, I thought you didn't know anything if you don't experience it."

Jade smiled. "I was the second to be separated from Jade as a whole. I know a lot more than I think, but some things are fuzzy like I mentioned before."

"Oh….Sorry for interrupting."

"It's ok. But as I was saying, after they found her they continued to care for her. Practically raised her as their own. She grew to love them…we all did. She loved Amaya the most. Amaya visited her a lot. Fed her every day. Cleaned her every day. Loved her every day," Jade turned and smiled at Yura. "That's when I met you, Onēsan! Amaya introduced us one day when you went to the market. You became my best friend."

Yura looked down at her feet as Jade continued to pull her along. "But why…why don't I remember?"

"I wish you would remember. We had fun together. I always saw you as my older sister. You stood up for me when others would tease me. You protected me."

Yura looked up when she heard the slight hesitation in Jade's voice. "And then what?"

Jade smiled, but it was sad. "You guys stopped visiting. I was worried and lonely and sad. It wasn't until months later had I learned Amaya disappeared. And then the following year, Takeo, too. I hadn't heard from you, so I came to the conclusion that you had also left. And I felt that I was right when I went to the house and found it empty. I didn't know what to do after that so…" Happy Jade was gone now, Yura knew. She stopped, tugging Jade to an immediate stop. Sad Jade looked back at her.

Yura pulled the girl into a hug and Jade relaxed. "I'm sorry." Yura whispered.

Jade pulled back and smiled. "It's ok," Happy Jade suddenly took over again and continued to pull Yura in tow. "Since it's been a long time, I'll tell you about me."

---

As soon as Toshiro woke up, he knew something was wrong. He rushed to get dressed and leave his home to get to the barracks. When he got there, he was surprised to see chaos. Hundreds of people from Squad Ten were running around in panic. Toshiro fiercely walked past all of them to get to the bottom of this. The other members were attempting to stop him and ask questions, but he ignored them. As he walked around trying to find Rangiku, he was trying to read Yura's emotions. It wasn't what he really expected. Among all the chaos happening here, her emotions were calm and he suddenly felt interested and happy. He mentally shook himself. Those were her emotions he was experiencing. What was going on with her?

Eventually he found Rangiku talking to two other guards. She turned around, face expressionless. "What's going on?" He asked.

"The girl escaped." Matsumoto said.

Toshiro narrowed his eyes. "How?"

She shrugged. "There was a giant hole in the cell and she's nowhere to be found."

Toshiro was studying her. "There's something else, isn't there?"

Matsumoto's face went grim. "Yura is also missing."

Toshiro didn't know how to react. He attempted to stay calm, tuning in to Yura's emotions. Had they not had a bond formed between them, he'd be going on a rampage in an attempt to find her. But the fact that it didn't seem like she was in danger worried him just as much.

He shifted his attention to the two guards, nearly forgetting about them. "Why are they here?" He asked.

"These were the guards who were guarding the cells."

Toshiro turned to them. "How did she escape?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"We don't know," One of the guards said. "We don't remember anything. All we know is we were just standing there and the next thing we knew, we were waking up and the girl was gone."

Toshiro frowned. They blacked out? "I want to look at the cell she was in." Toshiro and Matsumoto left the guards and made their way to the cells. There were just as many Soul Reapers there as everywhere else. When they approached the cell, Toshiro went tense. He observed the bars of the cell in which most was gone, completely disintegrated. He could still feel it lingering in the air. Her power. "We have to find them." He said.

"Do you think she did something to Yura?"

Toshiro shook his head. "If anything, Yura is the one who got her out. I just don't know why."

The two stood there, not speaking. A minute later, Matsumoto spoke up. "What should we do?"

Toshiro sighed and looked at Matsumoto from the corner of his eye. "You know what we have to do."

Matsumoto perked up, her gloomy mood completely gone. "Are you sure? I would think you would want to do this alone."

Toshiro shook his head and started walking away. Matsumoto followed close behind. "I don't want to. Bringing a mere human into this situation isn't that necessary."

"Then why are you going to?"

Toshiro hesitated and looked down. "Because he knows her better than I do and he's the only one she'll listen to. We need him."

Matsumoto grinned. "So we're going to the World of the Living?" Toshiro closed his eyes.

"Only to fetch Kurosaki. You cannot, under any circumstances, go shopping." Matsumoto whined, but didn't talk anymore as they prepared themselves to go to the World of the Living.

---

Hours had passed, the sun now high in the sky. Jade continued to tell stories about when she was younger. Yura enjoyed listening to Jade talk about her life as complicated as it was. She grew up in Soul Society on her own with no one to look after her. She had nearly starved to death before Amaya found her. She and Yura used to play a lot. Yura's expression fell. She hated not remembering Jade. Even though this was just Happy Jade, she still liked the girl. She came to realize how truly fragile she could be. No wonder Yura felt protective of her once upon a time.

"You must be tired listening to me go on. Tell me about you, Onēsan! What have you been doing all this time besides doing your job as a Soul Reaper?"

Yura smiled. "There's really not much to tell. You already know I was left by myself when my parents disappeared and Denakuma has been taking care of me."

Jade looked back and tilted her head to the side. "Denakuma?"

Yura nodded. "My zanpakuto," Yura looked down at her hip where her zanpakuto sat. "Papa gave her to me the night before he disappeared."

Jade pressed her lips together. "So…he knew he was leaving?"

Yura shook her head. "I don't know," She squeezed Jade's hand reassuringly. "But we'll find him together, along with mom."

Jade smiled. Even though Yura forgot about her, she was happy she still cared for her. As they continued, Yura told Jade everything from her time at the Academy, to running away, all the way to meeting Toshiro and to where she is now. She finished in a few hours.

"Wow. You have a lot of adventures. It sounds fun." Yura grinned.

"I suppose. It wasn't much though. My adventures were more of…escaping reality."

"But those are the best kind of adventure. To be able to get away." Yura didn't respond.

When it started to get dark, the two stopped in a clearing. "We can rest here for awhile." Yura noticed the tone of Smug Jade.

"How much longer do you think it'll take until we get there?"

"At this rate, maybe two days? I honestly couldn't tell you. It's pretty far."

Yura watched Jade stalk off in the trees. A few minutes later, she came back with an arm full of wood. She dropped it in the middle of the clearing and sat down in front of it. She grabbed a stick and quickly turned it between her hands against the rest of the wood. Yura pressed her lips together and walked closer. She sat down and held her hand next to the pile of wood. She snapped her fingers a few times until sparks formed, falling on the wood and starting a fire.

Jade glanced at Yura then looked back down at the fire. "Thanks." She muttered.

Yura looked at her. The orange glow from the fire reflected off of Jade's red eyes, making them look less sinister and more welcoming. Yura had to resist the urge to search into the girl's past. But maybe if she looked, she could see her parents again. She took a deep breath and took off her cloak, spreading it out on the ground. She lay back on it and turned her back toward the fire, closing her eyes. She hadn't been able to read much of Toshiro's emotions, but she knew he was worried. If only she could tell what he was doing. Yura curled up into a ball and fell asleep, dreaming about her parents.

Yura's eyes snapped open and she bolted up. The sky was a light blue with few clouds still lingering. The pile of wood in the middle of the clearing was charred and nearly nothing but ash. But there was something wrong. Yura frowned and stood up. Jade was missing. Yura closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Dena? For a second, the only thing Yura could hear was the wind.

Then her inner spirit spoke, She went east.

Yura opened her eyes. East? Why would she go east? We're supposed to be going north. Yura picked up her cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders, then she headed east to find Jade.

Yura didn't know how long she had been walking through the thin trees, but the sun was higher than when she woke up, so it could've been almost an hour or so. Eventually Yura pushed the trees away and walked out of the woods into an open space. She stood there for a while, completely stunned. She knew this place too well. Yura hesitated before continuing forward, but stopped again when her house came into view. A breeze blew her hair around her face, but everything else was quiet. She took a deep breath before walking toward the house and walking inside.

"Jade? Jade!"

"Why did you follow me?" Yura jumped and swerved around, facing Jade.

Yura frowned. "I didn't follow you. I just noticed you were gone and…"

"And followed me." Jade said, putting her hands on her hips and raising her eyebrow.

Yura pressed her lips together. "Yeah, I guess I did," Her gaze drifted down and saw something in Jade's hand. She narrowed her eyes and walked closer. "What's in your hand?" Without waiting for a response, she grabbed Jade's thin wrist and lifted her arm. She forced the girl to open her hand and when she did, Yura stared at the trinket. Her hand flew to the rock that rested on her chest and she caressed it, still staring at the similar one in Jade's hand.

"I-I saw you wearing it a-and thought th-that I should get mine." Nervous Jade stuttered.

Yura tore her gaze from the rock and looked into Jade's red eyes. "Did you…live here after we were gone?" She whispered.

Jade hesitantly nodded and turned her head. "I-in there. S-so no one would f-find me."

Yura followed her gaze and looked at the large hole in the floor. She frowned. "I was wondering what that was."

She walked away from Jade and toward the hole. She stared down at it before jumping down and landing softly. The ground was made of dirt, but it was hard. Yura formed a small light in her hand to better see her surroundings. She saw a pile of blankets in one corner and a small box next to them. She walked over to the box and knelt beside it. The first thing she picked up was an old, raggedy doll. Tears began to prick at the back of Yura's eyes.

"I'm sorry. I found that when I came here. Takeo made that for you, right?" Jade said, walking up behind Yura.

Yura nodded and set the doll back in the box. She stood up and turned away, not wanting to see what else was in there. "We should go." She managed to choke out. Jade followed her out of the hole and the house, leaving it all behind.

"There's another way to get to the mountain. We don't have to cut through the woods anymore," Smug Jade said, taking the lead. Yura didn't speak, but she could feel Jade's eyes on her. "Don't you want to know where we're going?" Jade asked, truly curious. Yura shook her head. Jade frowned. "Stop being such a downer. We're going to find your parents, for crying out loud. You should be happy."

"That's not it." Yura whispered.

"Then what is it? If it's about the doll, I already apologized…"

"You don't understand!" Yura snapped. The two had stopped and were standing in the middle of the field, the wind whipping all around them. Yura's hands were in a fist by her side, her head hung low as a shadow fell over.

Jade took a small step back. "Yura…"

A tear fell down Yura's face and she started to shake. "All this time…all this time my parents were alive," Yura looked up at Jade with a tear-streaked face. "All this time I had a missing piece to my life. And I didn't even know about it. Do you have any idea what that feels like? The fact that…there was more I could've remembered about my parents and I forgot," More tears streamed down Yura's face uncontrollably. She felt that she would collapse at any moment from the overwhelming facts that she was realizing. "What was so terrible that I forgot?"

Jade only stood there. She didn't know how to respond. None of her personalities did. Smug Jade didn't want to be here at the moment. She wouldn't deny that, even despite her being the stubborn and rude half of the real Jade, she still loved Yura like a sister. But she didn't know what to do in this situation. She felt so useless and weak. She walked toward Yura and grabbed her by her shoulders. She slightly shook her.

"You've got to stop thinking about that, ok? I'm sorry things aren't perfect enough for you, but that's why we're doing this! To make things right again! So suck it up and just keep going!"

Yura wasn't listening. She continued to let out her grief and sorrow. Jade just about had enough, but she didn't want to anger Yura. So instead, she put her arm around her and practically dragged her, just until she stopped crying.

When Yura finally pulled herself together, she focused on where they were and her eyes widened. She knew where they were going. "This is the other way to get to the mountain?"

"Glad to know you're back. But yeah. This is."

"That hill is a day's journey."

Jade looked at Yura, expressionless. "Do you not know what time it is?"

When Yura looked at the sky, her breath caught in her throat. It was already sunset. She didn't know how out of it she was. She shifted her attention to her feet and continued walking. She knew the way by heart. She could walk to that hill in her sleep. The same hill she and her father used to camp on. The two were back in the woods, but only a small portion. They were only walking through. Yura pulled her cloak tighter around her. Jade had been silent the entire walk. Maybe that was a good thing. She wasn't really in the mood for any conversation.

A snapping twig just a few yards away caused the girls to stop dead in their tracks. As they stood still, they carefully listened. The only sound was the leaves rustling in the wind. Yura's hand immediately went to her sword. There was something there, no mistaking it.

"It was probably just an animal." Jade muttered as she continued walking.

Yura hesitated, still alert, before following. A few minutes later, something else moved through the trees. Yura and Jade both jumped, positioning themselves back to back. Jade had no weapon, so she would have to rely on Yura to protect them both. She didn't doubt her powers, of course not. She knew Yura was strong. She just didn't know what was out there, but if it was something that could trigger Yura's grief again they'd be in trouble. There was a snap again and another one followed by a low chuckle up in the trees. Jade's breathing picked up. She had faced terrifying things before, but still. She was afraid.

"Who's there?" Yura asked, unsheathing her zanpakuto.

Jade's eyes darted back and forth, looking for someone. But she couldn't see anything. Whoever was out there, they were concealing themselves too well. Jade's eyes widened when she saw a flash of black and before she knew it, she was on the ground holding her side as blood seeped through her clothing.

"Jade!" Yura knelt down beside the girl.

Jade cringed. "Don't worry about me. Get them!"

There were laughs echoing throughout the woods, gaining on the two girls. The first person to reveal themselves was a small, petite young girl who couldn't have looked older than sixteen. Her clothes were tattered and torn, dirt caked all over her body. There was a wide grin plastered on her face, but something was off about her. Her brown eyes were wide and she kept twitching. She giggled and walked closer until she was standing in front of Yura in Jade, looking down on them.

"Well, well, look what the cat dragged in. It's Jade." The girl giggled and her shoulder twitched. Her smile suddenly disappeared, her eyes shrinking to an average size. "And she looks helpless as usual." She said, but her tone was different. More mature. Two more people dropped down from the tree, and one more came out from behind one. They walked up beside the girl, two males and an older female.

Yura stood up and positioned herself between Jade and the four others. "What do you want?" She asked.

"Oh? There's another one." The girl said, her voice more childish than the first time.

"She looks familiar." One of the males said, scratching his bald head. He was very large, just his hand alone was larger than Yura. His veins bulged out through his skin, his muscles were sickeningly large. He had one lazy eye that was looking to his right and the other one was focused on Yura.

The first girl tilted her head. "Heh? You're right,"

Yura gasped when the girl was suddenly directly in front of her. Her choppy brown hair fell forward and she grinned. "Have we seen you before? We know you somehow," She said, leaning even closer, her eye twitching. "Did master experiment on you once?" Yura's eyes widened.

"That's enough, Sayuri!" The other female said. Sayuri's eyes widened in a childish way and she jumped back away from Yura.

Yura grit her teeth. "I asked you a question. What do you want?"

"We want that girl." The second female said, pointing her long, bony finger at Jade. Yura better observed the woman. Her raven black hair was long on one side and the other half just barely grazed her shoulder. She had a sickening, thin body and was very tall. The purple cloak around her shoulders brushed the ground every time she moved. Her two different colored eyes were narrowed as she stared at Jade.

Yura stepped back, closer to Jade. She could hear her whimpers of pain. Yura grit her teeth again. "Over my dead body," She hissed. "What do you want with Jade?"

"That's none of your business!" Sayuri yelled.

"Sayuri! Be quiet!" The other woman said, glaring daggers at Sayuri. Sayuri's cockiness quickly turned into that of fear as she shrunk away from the woman.

Yura looked at the other male that had been quiet the entire time. He was hiding in the shadows, so Yura couldn't make out any details about him. The woman stepped forward, and Yura tightened her grip on her zanpakuto. "Take one step closer and I swear to god…" Yura said between her teeth. She would do anything to protect Jade at this moment, even take on the four mysterious people.

The woman suddenly drew back and her eyes grew wide. "This can't be…the girl."

Yura hesitantly lowered her zanpakuto at the change in the woman. Could she also…have split personality just like Jade? Do all of them have it? Yura's question was answered when the woman pulled her lips back in a snarl and walked forward again.

"Mika, what're you saying?" The large male asked.

The woman, Mika, laughed a loud and maniacal laugh that cause two of the other three to jump in fright. "Well don't just stand there. Get them!" She ordered.

Without hesitation, the four swiftly moved in for an attack. Sayuri attacked Yura first, but because the girl was unarmed, Yura quickly cut her down. She jumped back, and the large male took her spot. Yura jumped up just as he smashed his fists against the ground.

He chuckled and grinned up at Yura. "Come down here so I can kill you!" He yelled. Personality change. He was a bit more dumbstruck earlier, now he was raging.

Yura pushed herself toward him and struck him with her zanpakuto, but it didn't even cut him. She gasped and he reached out and grabbed her, crushing her in his hand. Yura shut her eyes and struggled to get out of his grasp.

He laughed, all trace of his rage gone. "Puny Soul Reaper. Heh. Look at how she struggles, Kurosu." He said, turning toward the man in the shadows who continued to stand there and simply observe.

Sayuri walked forward and smirked. "Guess you're not as tough as you think." She said.

"It doesn't matter," they all turned to Mika who was standing over a half-conscious Jade. "We found Jade. We should go back." Mika leaned down to grab Jade and Yura snapped her eyes open.

"Don't touch her!"

The man that had Yura in his hand suddenly screamed and let go of Yura. Without hesitation, Yura used Flash Step and was directly in front of Mika whose eyes were wide in fear. Yura grabbed Mika by her throat and threw her against a tree. Mika gasped for air, clawing at Yura. Without hesitation, Yura stabbed Mika in her abdomen.

Sayuri screamed behind her, hand over her mouth in disbelief. "Mika!" Sayuri's eyes widened and she was quiet when Yura appeared in front of her. Yura kicked Sayuri and the girl cried out when her head hit the hard ground. She began to cry and crawl away. "Don't kill me, please!"

Yura didn't care that Sayuri's personality changed into that of an innocent, frightened girl. It didn't change the fact that she wanted Jade. Yura waved her hand over empty space and the atmosphere crackled with electricity as a circle of blue light formed. Yura grabbed Sayuri by her hair, causing the girl to scream again. "I warned you." Yura hissed. She then tossed Sayuri into the portal made of electricity, and she disappeared inside. With a flash, it was gone and everything went dark again. Yura turned back to the larger guy, her eyes glowing blue. She started to walk toward him to attack, fear obviously reflected in his eyes.

She had raised her zanpakuto to attempt to cut him, when she was stopped by an invisible force. She was brought down to her knees and collapsed. Her body felt as if a ton of pressure was dropped on her and it was impossible to move. The man from the shadows, Kurosu if Yura recalled, stepped out from the darkness and into the clearing where she could see better. He was wearing a cloak and had his hood pulled over his face, so his eyes were concealed. The dark energy he gave off made him seem like the leader, even though Mika took on that role from the beginning. He walked over to Yura, staring down at her.

"Leave her alone, Kurosu. She has nothing to do with this." Jade said, still holding her side in pain.

Yura glanced at Jade who was glaring at Kurosu. She was missing something. Kurosu looked at Jade, tilting his head to the side. "You're lying." Jade's eyes widened and suddenly, Kurosu was knelt down in front of her, even though she was at least twenty feet away. He lifted his hand and touched Jade's face. She held herself together, staring directly in his eyes. But even from this distance, Yura could tell the girl was shaking. Kurosu stood up and turned toward Mika who was lying motionless on the ground. "Daichi."

The larger male came forward. "Y-yes?"

Kurosu turned around and looked at Yura. A gust of wind rushed by, pushing his hood away from his face, and revealing his eyes. Yura gasped. Red. His eyes were red, just like Jade's. Same eyes, almost the same face, same black hair with white bangs. No wonder Jade was acting the way she was just now. Kurosu is her brother. "We're taking Jade and the girl. Carry them there." Daichi smiled and walked toward Jade, who Yura just realized had passed out. As Daichi walked toward her, Yura felt something slither up her body, but she couldn't see anything. And everything went black.

---

Toshiro gasped and closed his eyes as his chest felt like it was closing in on him. "Captain." Matsumoto put a hand on his shoulder.

Toshiro took a deep breath and pulled himself together. "I'm fine."

"What's wrong?" Ichigo stood beside the two, eyes narrowed.

When the three returned to Soul Society, they didn't hesitate in tracking down Yura. It was hard, considering the fact that she could hide her spirit energy so well. But when Toshiro led the other two to her old house, they caught a trace of her spirit energy. They followed it into the woods, only to be attacked by four mysterious people. This feeling that Yura was experiencing was the same feeling they had just experience before the three of them blacked out and awoke not too long ago.

Toshiro looked straight ahead through the trees. "Something's happening to Yura. She must've blacked out. I'm not getting anything from her right now."

"What do you mean by she blacked out?" Ichigo asked.

"The same people who attacked us must've attacked her," Toshiro looked up at the night sky and sighed. "I can actually sense her spirit energy. She didn't go down without a fight, that's good. But we need to hurry." Toshiro and Matsumoto started walking, but Ichigo didn't follow. Toshiro looked back. "Kurosaki."

"How can you be so calm?"

Toshiro narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Yura's in trouble and you're talking as if everything is ok. It obviously isn't. How can you be so calm about this?"

Toshiro couldn't believe it. Ichigo had no idea what he was talking about. Of course he wasn't calm. But if he didn't force himself to be calm, he'd go crazy. Instead of responding, Toshiro simply turned around and used Flash Step, disappearing from sight.

Matsumoto put her hands on her hips and frowned. "Don't let him get to you. You should know by now how stubborn he is. I shouldn't be talking this way, but just ignore him. Come on, let's catch up." And they left.

---

When Yura woke up, everything was blurry. She had to sit still for a while until her eyes adjusted. She was in a dimly lit room, leaning against a tile wall. She looked around, making out the shapes of various machines. Where was she? She stood up and chains clinked together. She looked down at her ankles and wrists. She was chained to the wall.

"Yura?" Yura snapped her head up and turned her head. Jade was lying down, but was also chained to the wall. She had a bandage wrapped around her torso with blood seeping through. Yura knelt down and crawled over as far as the chains would let her. Jade carefully sat up and leaned against the wall. Even in the dim room, she looked paler. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this." She whispered.

Yura shook her head. "What're you talking about? You only tried to help me find my parents. You didn't know this would happen. Please don't blame yourself." Even as she spoke the words, Yura was lying to herself. Jade knew something was going to happen yet she led Yura here anyway.

The two sat in silence for awhile. "So…Kurosu…" Yura said, looking at Jade from the corner of her eyes.

Jade sighed. "You probably figured out he's my brother."

Yura shifted. "But, I thought…"

"It's a long story. I just found out about him about a hundred years ago."

"Is that how long Jade's had split personalities?"

Jade nodded. "That's when I met him. Apparently our father is some…mad scientist who experiments on people. I was his first success in splitting personalities. Kurosu was his first success combining those personalities into a single being again. And, supposedly in the process, Kurosu got these weird…abilities, which you experienced. The whole unconscious thing."

"And what about the other three?"

Jade shrugged, but she cringed, lifting her hand to her side. She looked at Yura again. "It's a bit obvious. They were the very first experiments. Failed ones. Which is why they were so off. Sayuri had muscle spasms, Mika was all skin and bone, and Daichi was all muscle, but no brain."

Yura slowly nodded. It was a lot to take in, but she still had one question on her mind. "Are my parents here?"

Jade opened her mouth to speak, but the lights clicked on in the room. Yura blinked her eyes repeatedly, allowing her eyes to adjust to the light. She looked up, now able to see her surroundings. The room was very bright and full of weird machined and tube big enough to fit a person in them On the parallel from them was an assortment of tools that looked like they were used for dissection and other crazed experiments.

"Where are we?" Yura whispered. Her gaze fell on a row of metal tables, and on one was her zanpakuto.

"Yura?" Jade whispered, pulling her knees to her chest and shaking.

Yura narrowed her eyes. "We've got to get out of here."

Yura's blood went cold when she heard someone cackling. She froze, not knowing what to do chained to a wall. A man wearing a blood stained coat walked out from behind a giant computer screen. His black hair was a tattered mess on top of his head and his red eyes glistened in the light of the room. His grin made Yura back into the wall. Even though she wasn't completely useless, she still felt weak. The man walked forward and clapped his hands together, eyes focused on Jade.

"Jade, darling, you've returned," Smug Jade grit her teeth together and struggled against the chains, but it was hopeless. "I'm so glad Kurosu found you. I was beginning to worry."

"You heartless bastard, let us go!" Jade hissed.

The man only felt encouraged, his grin widening. "That's no way to speak to your father, Jade."

Jade glared from under her white bangs. "You are not my father, Hiraku. Now let us go."

The grin on Hiraku's face fell and he clenched his jaw. "But of course. You claim that Takeo is your father. That retched man who actually, to my surprise, turned himself in order to save his wife, though it was too late."

Yura snapped her head up, her eyes widening. She pulled against the chains, the rusted metal digging into her skin. "What have done to them?!"

When Hiraku turned his attention to Yura, his face brightened and his smile returned. He walked over to Yura, observing her. He threw his head back and laughed. "All this time, who would've thought that the daughter of Takeo was still alive, Yura Yamoda, if I'm not mistaken."

Yura glared at him. "What have you done to my parents?" She asked again.

Hiraku smiled. "Ah yes, of course. You would want to see them, but I'm not sure if that's such a great idea."

Yura's eyes flashed blue and lightning shot out from her finger tips, just missing Hiraku, but he barely flinched. "Where are they!?"

Hiraku turned on his heel and walked away from Yura, his hands folded behind his back. "I'm actually shocked to know that you have the same abilities that Takeo used to wield, but I shouldn't have been. My brain doesn't work the same anymore. My calculations and predictions have been…off, lately. Very well. Since I'm such a gentleman, why not give you the chance to see your mother once again." Hiraku pressed a combination of keys on a machine and a tile in the floor moved to the side as a large tube rose up from under.

Yura's eyes widened when she saw an unconscious woman floating in a red liquid in the tube. Her eyes watered at the sight of her mother. Hiraku typed more keys and the liquid drained and the tube lifted, leaving her mother lying on the floor. Seconds later, Amaya began to cough as she lifted herself on her hands and knees. Her raven black hair clung to her shoulders. She lifted her head, her brown eyes the same as Yura remembered.

When Amaya's gaze fell on Yura, it took her awhile to understand who she was looking at. "Yura?"

Tears poured out of Yura's eyes. "Mom."

Amaya was up and running toward Yura in the blink of an eye. The two ignored the chains around Yura as they wrapped their arms around each other in an embrace. Yura couldn't control her tears. She sobbed and hiccupped in her mother's arms, but she didn't care. Her mother was alive and hugging her.

Amaya pulled away and took Yura's face in her hands. "Yura…my little fighter."

Yura closed her eyes at the sound of the title her mother gave her when she was younger.

Amaya turned her head and saw Jade smiling up at her from where she sat. Amaya smiled, happy to see both of her children here, but her expression suddenly turned dark and she turned around and glared at Hiraku. "Let them go, Hiraku."

Hiraku put his finger to his chin and smirked. "Now why would I want to do that? Now that I have three people who were very important to Takeo, he'll do whatever I want so long as I threaten him using you."

Amaya growled. "You're sick." She muttered. Before Hiraku got the opportunity to respond, there was an explosion somewhere in the distance and alarms went off.

Hiraku went into panic mode, running around trying to find the cause of this chaos. Yura's eyes widened and she grinned. She knew this spirit energy anywhere. "It's about time." That's when she actually tuned in to Toshiro's emotions. His rage was now her rage and their blood boiled in sync.

Amaya turned back to Yura and studied her daughter. "You know what's going on."

"We're being rescued." Yura said.

There were more explosions and Hiraku was scrambling like the mad man that he was. Suddenly, the large door opened and Kurosu came running in. "Father!"

Hiraku swerved around and grabbed Kurosu by his throat. "What's happening? You were supposed to keep this place under lock down!" Kurosu's eyes rolled into the back of his head.

"Stop it!" Jade screamed, but doubled over as her wound reopened.

Amaya walked over to Jade and put her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Jade, you need to take it easy."

Jade leaned into Amaya as tears poured down her face. "This is all my fault. All my fault. I'm so sorry." She whispered.

The three snapped their heads up when they heard Hiraku scream. He had let go of Kurosu, who dropped to his knees, coughing. They noticed the trail of ice crawling up Hiraku's legs, slowly encasing him. Another trail of ice slithered toward Kurosu, but somehow he managed to steer the ice away from him. Toshiro suddenly appeared and directly attacked Kurosu, throwing him off guard.

"Shiro!" Yura called. At the corner of her eye, Yura noticed two other figures running toward them. She was about to attack with lightning when she recognized the two. She honestly shouldn't have been surprised to see Ichigo here, but she was. "What're you doing here?" She asked him as he cut the chains from her wrists and ankles.

Matsumoto freed Jade and helped Amaya support the weak girl. "Nice to see you, too." Ichigo said.

Yura frowned. "That doesn't answer my question."

Ichigo relaxed and sighed. "Toshiro was pretty concerned and asked me to help look for you."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "Beats me."

"Yura," Yura turned around and looked at her mother. "Now isn't the time." She said.

Yura nodded. "You're right. We have to…" She froze.

"What's wrong?" Ichigo asked.

Yura looked at him with watery eyes. "I can't go yet."

"What're you talking about?"

Yura shook her head and grabbed Ichigo by the collar of his shihakusho. "Take my mother and Jade and get out of here."

Ichigo frowned. "What makes you think I'll let you do this by yourself?"

"I'm asking you to protect my mother and sister, Ichigo."

Jade snapped her head up at the sound of Yura calling her, her sister. Yura…

Ichigo seemed to be considering it. Yura was his friend and he didn't want to disappoint her by telling her no, but he would never forgive himself if he let Yura continue alone. "Yura-"

"Jade!" The two swerved around when Amaya cried out. Jade had collapsed and was clawing at the ground and herself, clenching her teeth.

Yura knelt down beside her. "Jade? Jade!" Jade's eyes snapped opened and they went blank. "No. Jade!" Yura gathered Jade into her arms, her body was limp. Yura forced herself not to cry. She wouldn't show weakness anymore, for Jade's sake. "Jade, wake up. Wake up!"

Jade suddenly gasped for her and choked out. Once she stopped, she shut her eyes and put her hand to her head. "What was that?" She said, sounding annoyed. When she opened her eyes, her red irises seemed brighter than before, livelier. She looked up Yura and squinted. "Why is everything so jumbled?" She asked, shaking her head.

Yura narrowed her eyes at Jade. Could it be… "Jade?"

Jade looked up at Yura again. "Yeah? What is it?"

Yura grinned. "Is it really you? Are you whole?"

Jade raised an eyebrow, but realization hit her. Her eyes widened and she smacked her forehead. "Crap! My personalities got separated, didn't they? Hiraku, that son of a-" Before Jade could finish, there was an explosion and some of the lights blew out, sparks flying everywhere.

"You guys have to get out of here, but I need to find my dad." Yura said, helping Jade stand up.

Matsumoto stepped forward. "You and Kurosaki can go look for your dad. I'll get these two out of here."

Yura smiled. "Thank you, Rangiku."

With that, everyone ran off in different directions. Yura noticed Toshiro fighting off Kurosu. Surprisingly, Kurosu was holding his own and was almost evenly matched. Yura looked around for a frozen Hiraku, but was nowhere to be found. "Where did he go?" Suddenly another alarm went off and a giant screen came down from the ceiling, showing a countdown clock. Five minutes. Yura grabbed Ichigo's arm. "He's gonna blow up the place! We have five minutes to find my father."

The two took off in the opposite direction and ran toward the door. Before running out, Yura grabbed her zanpakuto and grasped it tightly. When they ran out, they found themselves in a dark tunnel. They had to have been underground. The place was dank and musty and it made Yura uncomfortable.

"Where exactly are we going?" Ichigo asked.

"As if I know."

Suddenly the two stumbled and fell down a dark hole. Dirt and dust flew up when they landed on the hard ground. Yura sat up and looked around. She couldn't see. She raised her hand and a bright light formed. They were in another tunnel. "There's no other way out. We have to go that way." Ichigo said, already walking ahead of Yura.

Yura followed, unsure about where they were going. When the tunnel shook, they picked up their speed.

"I feel like this tunnel just keeps going." Yura said.

"There's a light up ahead."

Yura pressed her lips together and walked faster until the tunnel opened into a large space. The floor and walls were covered in sheets up paper, all with different projects on them. Yura glanced over them. New machines, new experiments, instructions, ingredients. She hadn't a clue as to what was going on here.

"Yura."

Yura raised her head and looked up. Against the far wall was a large desk and a man was sitting at it, his back to the two of them. He was vigorously writing and he didn't even hesitate when the walls shook. Yura squinted her eyes. Is that… "Dad?"

The man stopped writing, his shoulders tensed and he sat up straight. He slowly turned his head and his gaze met purple eyes. He bolted up, knocking his chair back. He swallowed nervously, not knowing what to do. "Y-Yura?"

Yura broke off into a full sprint, pages crunching beneath her feet and flying around in the wind. She jumped into her father's arms, feeling like a little girl again. She wasn't able to control the tears this time. They streamed down her face as she tightened her grip on her father. Takeo's own tears worked their way out of his eyes and down his cheeks.

He pulled away and smiled. "I can't believe it. I never thought I'd see you again."

Yura smiled behind her tears, but her expression fell when the walls rumbled again. As much as she wanted to stay here in her father's arms, they had to leave. She tugged on his hand like she used to do when she was younger and excited to go somewhere. "We have to go." She choked out.

Takeo hesitated. "Yura…"

"Dad, come on. We have to get out of here. This place is coming down."

He slowly shook his head. "No. I-I can't go."

Yura was mad now. After all she's been through to come find him, and he doesn't want to leave. "What are you talking about? Come on! Mom and Jade are waiting for us. We have to leave!"

"Yura!" Ichigo called out.

Yura's eyes widened and she pulled her father behind her, swiftly unsheathing her zanpakuto and blocking an attack from Hiraku.

Hiraku laughed maniacally as he pushed way from Yura, holding two swords in his hands. He chuckled. "Your friends surprised me and threw me off guard, I will admit, but I won't let you go alive. Either die by my hand and be dragged down into the depths of hell with this place!"

Hiraku swung both swords multiple times. His attacks were strangely quick, which was unusual with his unstable mind. But surely, he had the upper hand at this moment. Yura was still somewhat distracted because of her father. She didn't understand his response. His reaction. He was so happy to see her, yet he refuses to leave. Thinking about this, Yura hesitated and Hiraku attacked, cutting her across her torso. Yura gasped and fell to her knees, her arms wrapped around her.

"Yura!"

Hiraku raised his sword for the finishing blow, but it never came. Yura looked up and gasped in horror. Her father was standing directly in front of her, and he used his own body to block Hiraku's attack. Hiraku chuckled, his eye twitching. "Takeo, you foolish man. I should've just killed you from the beginning."

Takeo dropped and lay motionless on the ground. Yura's eyes were wide. No…no this can't happen. I just got you back… Dad? Dad… Papa?

Yura cried out in anger and was gone in the blink of an eye. Hiraku gasped when a cold blade slice across his back, sending a painful electric current through him in the process. He turned and raised his swords to block Yura's attack, but he was too slow. Yura swiftly brought down her blade, severing his left arm. Hiraku cried out, but didn't give up. He blindly swung his sword, quickly losing blood. Yura jumped up and held out the palm of her hand toward him. With a cry, a giant bolt of lightning shot out of her hand and directly hit Hiraku.

When the dust cleared away, tons of paper were disintegrating to nothing and there was a giant hole in the ground where Hiraku lay in the middle of, covered in blood and dirt. Yura went in for another attack, but stopped when she felt a hand wrapped around her forearm. She didn't look at Ichigo. Couldn't look at him. She dropped her arm, a shadow falling over her face.

"Let go of me, Kurosaki."

His grip only tightened. "He's not worth it, Yura. Just leave. He'll die here either way."

Yura shivered and shrugged Ichigo off. She walked past Hiraku, who was laughing despite his terrible condition. She didn't glance at him. She walked over to where her father lay and knelt down next to him. She couldn't cry for him. There was nothing left. But she did take her father's hand and hold it.

Takeo weakly smiled up at her. "You learned…to become stronger." He said.

Yura nodded, a shadow falling over her face. "Of course I did," Why? "You told me to become stronger, remember?" Why did you do that? "And then that day…the last day I saw you…" Don't leave me again! "you gave Denakuma to me and told me to become a Soul Reaper."

"And you did." Takeo cringed and Yura's eyes saddened even more if possible.

She could feel Takeo's life slipping away from him. He risked his life for her. That's what all of this was about. Everything he did was to protect her and she was grateful. She continued to sit there, even after he took his last breath. The room shuddered even more, the walls cracking and debris falling. Ichigo grabbed Yura's hand and pulled her up. Without saying a word, he got her out of that room, out of that place, where her father died for her and where Hiraku spent his last minute laughing like the madman he was. Nothing would ever be the same, even under hidden emotions.

Two Weeks Later

The previous week, Yura had spent that time with Jade and her mother. Yura never got her memories back about Jade, but she had her new sister and her mother to fill in everything for her. Being around Amaya only reminded Yura of her father's sacrifice, so she left eventually, back to her old life as a Soul Reaper. But not without promising to return. Ichigo stayed awhile longer for Yura's sake. Though they never talked to each other after the incident, it was fine. He didn't blame her. But eventually, her mood lightened up and she came out of her room and finally spoke, even if it was just one sentence every few hours. It was a start. Toshiro constantly checked on Yura. He could tell she was doing better, especially when she walked in his office and sat on the couch.

"Thank you, Shiro."

Toshiro looked up from the papers on his desk. "For what?"

Yura sighed and stared up at the ceiling. "Everything. And I'm sorry for running off."

Toshiro closed his eyes and sighed. "I don't care about that anymore. You're here, that's all that matters."

Yura smiled and reached up to touch the black stone that lay on her chest. She never took it off since she put it on that night. Yura stood up and without another word, walked out of the room. She walked out of the barracks and took her time walking to her favorite place. When she arrived at the small hill, she had a handful of flowers in her hand. As she climbed to the top, the sun was setting, turning the sky orange and pink. Yura sat down at the very top and lay down the flowers that was for her father.

Don't blame yourself. Denakuma said in Yura's mind.

Yura breathed in the smell of grass, the breeze blowing her blue hair all around her face. "I don't anymore. It was my father's choice. It was what he wanted."

What he wants is for you to keep moving forward.

"And don't look back on the past. Yeah. I know. I understand. And I'll do exactly that, but that doesn't mean I can't mourn for him, still."

Denakuma didn't respond. Yura didn't expect her to. After the sun had disappeared below the horizon, Yura finally stood up and walked down the hill, leaving behind her love for her father.

---

A/N: Long, but also short, right? Sorry. Hope you guys liked it. I'll get back to the original story plot next chapter, I promise! Review please! Thank you!